M. Clare Doyle

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M. Clare Doyle passed away peacefully in Meredith, NH on Monday, May 16, 2016. She lived life to the fullest during her incredible 103 years. Clare was born in Woonsocket, RI on August 16, 1912. She graduated from the Rhode Island Hospital School of Nursing.

Clare entered the US Army Nurse Corps in 1944 and saw two tours of duty in Germany, one in Korea, and many in the US. She retired from the Army in 1964. She then worked at Miriam Hospital in Providence, RI as Associate Director of Nursing. She retired from Miriam in 1974 and was honored with the Mary Clare Doyle lecture series held in her honor each year during Nurses Week.

Clare and her sister, Eileen Hurley, summered in Mattapoisett for many years and moved to Mattapoisett full-time in 1976. She was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church where she was also a Eucharistic Minister and a member of the Women’s Guild. Clare was awarded the Marian Medal in 1982 from the Diocese of Fall River. She moved to Meredith, NH in 2009 and enjoyed many happy years with family there.

Clare was a member of the Rhode Island Hospital Alumni Association, the Retired Army Nurse Corps, and the Florence Eastman Post #280 of the American Legion.
Clare was sister to the late Edward J. Doyle, K. Eileen Hurley, J. Noel Doyle, and Charles V. Doyle. She is survived by many much-loved nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Anthony’s Church, Mattapoisett on Monday, May 23, 2016 at 10 AM. Calling hours will be on Sunday, May 22, 2016 from 3-5 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. Burial will be in St. Charles Cemetery, Blackstone, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to the Central NH VNA and Hospice, 780 N. Main St., Laconia, NH 03246; http://www.centralvna.org/ or to the American Legion – Florence Eastman Post #280, P.O.Box 738, Mattapoisett, MA 02379. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Ralph Wilde

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Ralph Wilde, 79, of Marion passed away on Tuesday, May 17th at Tobey Hospital. He was the companion of 25 years to Sally Tomasik also of Marion. He was born in Taunton, MA the son of the late Howard D. and Carrie A. (Coombs) Wilde Sr.

Mr. Wilde attended Fresno State School of Agriculture and the Rhode Island School for Electronics. He worked as an Assistant at Wirthmore Seeds and later worked as a Central Office Technician for the New England Telephone & Telegraph Co., retiring from Nynex with 35 years of service. He was also a U.S. Naval Reservist.   Ralph’s passions were boating, fishing, and cooking.

He is survived by two daughters, Michelle Sylvia and her husband Jim Sylvia of Acushnet and Marcie Wilde of N. Conway NH. He was the step father of Sam Tomasik of Wareham and Karl Tomasik of Marion. He also leaves behind two granddaughters Chloe Wright and Brittany Fugate as well as two step-grandsons Jacob and Seth Tomasik and two great granddaughters Cailyn Zeppenfeld and Brooklyn Fugate.

Funeral services will be private.

Barbara Edna DeTerra

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Barbara Edna DeTerra, 84 of Rochester, MA passed away peacefully at her home on May 18, 2016 after a long illness.

She leaves behind her husband of 49 years Raymond DeTerra of Rochester, MA; her daughter, Cynthia Eugenio of Leesburg, FL; her son, Raymond F. DeTerra and his wife Jennifer DeTerra of New Bedford, MA; her son, Robert Cobb of Key West, FL; two grandchildren; Adam Cobb of Brooklyn, NY and Matthew DeTerra of New Bedford, MA; as well as many nieces and nephews. Barbara was predeceased by her son, Steve Cobb and her son-in-law, Daniel Eugenio.

Born and raised in New Bedford, the daughter of Leo and Edna (Kubel) Talbot, she was a resident of Rochester, MA. for over 50 years. She was also the sister of the late Janet Barao and Leo Talbot of New Bedford, MA.

Barbara worked at various retail stores through the years. Barbara also volunteered her time for 16 years working in the gift shops at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, MA and at Tobey Hospital in Wareham, MA. Barbara was a member of the St. Rose of Lima House of Worship in Rochester, MA.

Barbara loved spending time with her family, loved good Polish food, enjoyed gardening and cooking and she had a beautiful smile that could light up a room.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care and Southcoast Hospice VNA for their care and compassion.

Calling hours will be on Sunday, May 22, 2016 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Rock Funeral Home 1285 Ashely Blvd. New Bedford, MA 02745. Celebration of Life Services will be held at Rock Funeral Home on Monday at 10:00 a.m. followed by burial in White Cemetery, Keene Rd., Freetown.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to The Tomorrow Fund located at R.I. Hospital 593 Eddy St, Providence, R.I. 02903.

For online tributes please visit: www.rock-funeralhome.com

Fire at Rochester Waste Processing Facility

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A multi-alarm fire broke out just after 6:00 pm on Friday night, May 13, at the Zero Waste Solutions facility located at 48 Cranberry Highway in Rochester.

The $27 million, 100,000 square-foot trash, debris, and recycling sorting facility fire was called in at 6:12 pm, according to Rochester Fire Chief Scott Weigel during a follow-up phone call on Monday, May 16. The fire started at one end of the building and quickly spread into other areas.

“It was a very, very smoky fire,” said Weigel. “Very impressive.” Route 28 had to be closed and traffic on Route 495 was slowed to a crawl because of the smoke. “It was a very impressive fire.”

Rochester Fire Department received assistance from the surrounding towns of Marion, Mattapoisett, Wareham, Carver, Freetown, Acushnet, and Lakeville. Getting water at the site, Weigel said, was the biggest challenge in extinguishing the fire. The task required a total of six tanker trucks and 3,500 feet of hose stretching from the corner of Route 28 and 58 to the structure fire.

Firefighters battled the fire from outside, unable to enter the premises for safety reasons, and were finally able to haul some of the burning debris outside around 1:00 am to extinguish much of the burning. Crews were on the scene until about 7:30 am Saturday morning.

“It was a long, drawn-out fire,” Weigel said.

No injuries were reported.

“It’s very hard to say what the cause [of the fire] is,” stated Weigel. He said chemical reactions between substances stored at the site could have played a role in sparking the fire but details are not yet available. “It’s going to be very, very difficult to make a determination.

The Massachusetts Fire Marshal is investigating, Weigel said.

Zero Waste Solutions, LLC is a sister company of ABC Disposal Service, Inc., which just filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection on Wednesday, May 11. In a memorandum to the Rochester town administrator and received by the Board of Selectmen, ABC Disposal Vice-President and CEO Michael Camara informed the town that the company’s action is “to protect the company’s interest during our very complex and time consuming restructuring of the financial process for our Zero Waste Project.”

The memo reads, “During the past year we have met many unforeseen obstacles including … project design and financial challenges which have caused delays. This action was taken to allow us the time to refinance our company with new financial institutions.”

Camara reassured the town that they are committed to honoring the contractual obligations for handling the town’s solid waste and recycling currently under contract.

By Jean Perry

 

Academic Achievements

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Evan Gillis of Marion was named to Emerson College’s Dean’s List for the spring 2016 semester. Gillis is majoring in Marketing Communications. The requirement to make Emerson’s Dean’s List is a grade point average of 3.7 or higher.

On Sunday, May 8, Isabel Grover of Marion graduated from Emerson College. Grover earned a BA in Writing for Film and TV.

Lauren Costello, Mattapoisett, a graduate of ORRHS, received a Master of Science in Urban and Regional Policy from Northeastern University’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs in May. Costello also received the school’s Spirit Award, recognition for her academic achievements, service to the university and surrounding community and research practices. Costello had previously completed her undergraduate studies at UMass Amherst.

The following students from the Tri-Town graduated from UMass Dartmouth during the May 13 and 14 commencement ceremonies held on the Main campus in Dartmouth: Jennifer O’Neil of Mattapoisett; Holly Stickles of Marion; Margaret LeBrun of Mattapoisett; Brendan Wasylow of Rochester; Margaret LeBrun of Mattapoisett; Connor Bailey of Mattapoisett; Melissa Dougall of Rochester; Kristofer Sadeck of Marion; Bruce Fox of Marion; Crystal Gleason of Mattapoisett; Connie Root of Mattapoisett; Eileen Marum of Marion; Morgan Matthews of Mattapoisett; Jillian Grota of Marion; Megan Merlo of Mattapoisett; Joshua Correia of Marion; Isaak Akins of Mattapoisett; Jacob Jaskolka of Mattapoisett; Devin Sprague of Mattapoisett; William Flaherty of Rochester; Jason Galary of Rochester; Izak Thuestad of Mattapoisett; Mikayla Florio of Mattapoisett; Stephanie Glidden of Rochester; Amanda Munroe of Mattapoisett; Maggie Pelletier of Rochester; Sarah Rocha of Mattapoisett; Jillian Zucco of Mattapoisett; John Middleton of Mattapoisett; Blake Rusinoski of Mattapoisett; Lauren O’Brien of Rochester; Patricia Potter of Rochester; Linda Zaunere of Marion; ToniAnne Kennefick of Rochester; Amber Roderick of Marion; and Samuel Asci of Mattapoisett.

On Monday, May 16 at 10:00 am, the UMass School of Law – Dartmouth commencement ceremony was held at the Main Auditorium on the Main Campus of UMass Dartmouth. The keynote address and honorary degree recipient was Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The following students received Juris Doctorate degrees:

– Cheryl Donovan of Mattapoisett

– Sonja Valle-Gormley of Mattapoisett

Greg Sethares from Marion received an Educational Leadership & Policy Studies PhD degree from the UMass Dartmouth School of Education during the commencement ceremony at UMass Dartmouth in May.

Marigloria Murphy from Mattapoisett received an MBA from UMass Dartmouth Charlton College of Business during the commencement ceremony at UMass Dartmouth on May 13.

Sophia Finocchi of Rochester graduated from Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday, May 7, earning a B.S. in Nursing. Finocchi graduated cum laude as a member of Colby-Sawyer’s Nursing Honor Society. She is also named to the Dean’s List for academic achievement.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced that Erin Murphy of Marion, a member of the class of 2016, has received the Provost’s MQP (Major Qualifying Project) Award for the civil engineering department. Murphy was recognized for a project titled “Gateway Student Center.” The annual award recognizes the most outstanding MQPs completed by WPI students.

WaterFire Creator at the Mattapoisett Library

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The public is invited to a presentation by Barnaby Evans entitled “Illuminating the Mirror: Reflections of WaterFire” at the Mattapoisett Library on Sunday, May 22 at 3:00 pm. WaterFire creator and Executive Artistic Director, Evans will show a video of Providence’s dynamic creative place and discuss the development of this cultural tourist destination.

Since 1994, over 15 million visitors have come to downtown Providence to experience Barnaby Evans’ WaterFire. Cited as one of the premiere examples of creative placemaking, WaterFire activates urban space with art, spectacle and performance, and in the process adds vibrancy and economic activity to what was a previously a dark and empty downtown.

WaterFire attracts millions of dollars in tax revenue for the State of Rhode Island, supports over 1,200 jobs for community residents, and attracts millions of dollars in advertising and promotion in all media formats. Admission is free, open, and accessible to all as it transforms community.

Come and learn how art and place have inspired visitors from all over the world. The library program, part of the Purrington Series sponsored by the Mattapoisett Library Trust, is free and will be followed by a reception.

Make a reservation by calling the library at 508-758-4171 or visiting the circulation desk. The facility is handicapped accessible and located at 7 Barstow Street.

Tour de Crème Sold Out

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To close out National Bike Week, organizers anticipate that 150 bicyclists will be in Mattapoisett on Sunday, May 22 for the inaugural Tour de Crème. The event, which benefits Mattapoisett Land Trust and Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path, has been enthusiastically received and is officially sold out. For safety reasons, participants are limited to pre-registered riders. Next year, the ride will be expanded. This year’s goal is to raise $5,000 towards Mattapoisett walking and riding trails. People can donate to individual fundraising campaigns at TourdeCreme.org and help their favorite bicyclist earn a lobster “roll.”

Community Gardening in Mattapoisett

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Gardener and Mattapoisett resident Bob Nichols says he’s willing to bet that 99% of the people who live in town don’t even know about the existence of a community garden at the corner of Prospect Road and Pine Island Road. Nonetheless, it has been there for ten years and there is still plenty of room for growth – both of the community kind and of the horticultural kind.

There has been some talk about starting up a community garden in Mattapoisett, says Nichols, but what many don’t know is that one has already taken root in town and so far nine residents have taken advantage of the fertile ground offered to them by landowner Florence Martocci.

“Most people in town haven’t any clue that we even have a community garden,” said Nichols, a member of the garden for five years now and one of the caretakers and organizers.

On Monday, May 16, Nichols tended to his flourishing raspberry patch on one of his two contiguous garden plots he’s been growing on for some time now. The bright sun intensified the green of the leaves that danced in the wind on that breezy morning as he tightened the ties that held the tall branches to running wire, keeping them straight.

Within the corner lot surrounded by an old stone wall lies a patchwork of garden plots, some already started for the season and some waiting for a green thumb or two to break ground and pull up the myriad weeds taking advantage of the rich nutrients that saturate the soil at the site.

“It’s nice, fertile soil, with very few rocks. Things grow pretty well,” said Nichols. “This little area is protected. It’s almost like a microclimate because there’s virtually no wind and full sun all day.”

Most people grow vegetables in the community garden, but some of them plant sunflowers and Nichols pointed out a daffodil patch that someone planted years ago.

Nichols boasted that his raspberry patch yielded 30 quarts of berries last year, and just a single one of his tomato plants produced some 55 tomatoes.

“I harvested almost 35 pounds off of one plant,” said Nichols. “That’s because the soil is so good.”

Nichols said the garden is an organic garden and no pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals of any kind are allowed. This is not only because organic gardening is healthier, said Nichols, but also to protect the bees that one gardener raises in the back of the garden in beehives that pollinate the plants.

“I enjoy being up here,” Nichols said. He grows about 80% of his produce consumption here in his three garden plots. “My wife says, if she ever sees me taking out another plot over here, you’ll find my body buried in one of them.”

Nichols, who is retired now, is currently pursuing a master gardener status through an educational program at Bristol Community College. If you are a novice gardener, or someone who has always wanted to begin gardening, then those at the community garden would be happy to help you get established.

“There’s no one here that wouldn’t want to answer any questions and help out,” Nichols said.

Those interested in hearing more about the available plots over at the Community Garden can contact Bob Nichols via email at cbcrescentbch@comcast.net.

By Jean Perry

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Nicole Kouhi Podkowa

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Nicole Kouhi Podkowa, 42, of Marion died peacefully on Monday, May 16, 2016, at her home with her family at her side. Nicole was the loving wife of Dr. John J. Podkowa, Jr, her husband of 16 years, and devoted mother of Redmond and John Joseph (JJ). Born in Bristol, PA, to Fred A. and Judith A. (Stetser) Kouhi, Nicole was raised in Yardley, PA, and lived in Marion since 2009. Nicole and her family summered on Long Beach Island, NJ, since she was child. It was on LBI that Nicole met her future husband John when they both were children.

Nicole received her BS from James Madison University, VA, and her MBA in Finance from Rutgers University, Newark, NJ. She specialized in sales finance, most recently with Ocean Spray in Lakeville, MA. There she greatly enjoyed her warm colleagues, who supported her throughout the final stages of her illness. Previously, she was employed by Campbell’s Soup and Kraft Foods.

Nicole’s greatest pleasure was spending time and vacations with her husband, two sons, and family. She was an avid supporter of her sons’ activities at Friends Academy, Dartmouth, and in their town sports. She enjoyed boating with her father on Marco Island, sharing family recipes with her mother, spending time at the beach, and running. Nicole was a communicant of St. Rita’s Church in Marion.

In addition to her husband and sons of Marion, and her parents of Marco Island, FL, Nicole is survived by her siblings Karen (Tim) Cook of Portland, OR; Michael Kouhi of Cherry Hill, NJ; and Roger (Helen) Kouhi of Arnold, MD; 8 nieces and a nephew; and loving aunts, uncles and cousins. She is also survived by her in-laws, who have known her since her childhoood, James and Joan Podkowa Whitson of Roseland, NJ, and brother-in-law David (Nastaran) Whitson of Hawthorne, NJ; a host of caring neighbors, friends, especially Grace and Maria; and her beloved yellow Lab Teddy.

Her Funeral will be held on Friday, May 20th at 9 AM from the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6) Mattapoisett, followed by her Funeral Mass at St. Anthony’s Church, 22 Barstow Street,Mattapoisett at 10 AM. Burial in New Jersey will be private. Visiting hours will be on Thursday from 4-8 PM. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care, 206 Mill Rd., Fairhaven, MA 02719 or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute c/o Susan F. Smith Center For Women’s Cancers, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Tri County Music Annual Meeting

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The Tri County Music Association, Inc. will hold their Annual Meeting at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, May 24 in the first-floor conference room at Tabor Academy’s Fireman Performing Arts Center at Hoyt Hall, 235 Front Street, Marion. This meeting is open to the public.

The Tri County Music Association, Inc. supports the John R. Pandolfi Music Scholarship Fund and the Tri-County Symphonic Band. For more information about the Tri-County Symphonic Band, visit http://www.tricountysymphonicband.org.