Mildred Perkins Cummings

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Mildred Perkins Cummings, 84, of South Dartmouth, passed away peacefully on April 10, 2016 at Sippican Healthcare Center in Marion, Massachusetts. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Richard Hudner Cummings in June, 2015. Mrs. Cummings is survived by her children, Sean X. Cummings of Tiverton, Rhode Island, Katherine Cummings of Walpole, Massachusetts, Michael Cummings and his wife Suzanne of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, and Shawn Cummings and his wife Jenny of Burlington, North Carolina. Her four grandchildren, Katelyn, Patrick, Claire and John Cummings, will miss her dearly.

Millie, born in Fall River, Massachusetts, was the daughter of the late Francis J. Perkins and Mary Lannigan Perkins, and sister of the late Michael Perkins and Dorothy Sisson. She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy and Bryant University. Millie devoted her life to her family and the service of others. Millie especially loved children and volunteered and worked at Schwartz Rehabilitation Center touching the lives of hundreds of youngsters for more than thirty years. She volunteered with her husband in organizing the local community to serve at the Market Ministry Shelter in New Bedford where her efforts to cook and serve blessed the lives of those in need.

She was a lifelong member of the Catholic Church and a communicant of St. Mary’s Church in South Dartmouth since 1966. In her younger years, she enjoyed singing and playing guitar at St. Mary’s with her friends.

Millie eagerly shared her knowledge, talent and skills during her years volunteering as a docent at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House in New Bedford. She enjoyed antiques, decorating and gardening.

She was a selfless person who was happiest when helping others. She was an avid gardener who shared her designs and implementations of beautiful gardens with friends and family. “Millie’s lilies” will forever live in the hearts and gardens of many.

Family and friends are invited to call at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park Street, New Bedford, on Thursday, April 14, 2016 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and may attend her Funeral Mass at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 783 Dartmouth Street, South Dartmouth on April 15, 2016. Burial will follow at St. Patrick’s Cemetery, 2233 Robeson Street, Fall River. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Schwartz Center for Children, One Posa Place, Dartmouth, MA, 02747. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Marion Fireworks

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The Marion Fireworks Committee needs your help. The deadline for donations for the 2016 Independence Day Fireworks is fast approaching. Our goal again this year is $50,000.

As you may know, all costs associated with the fireworks are paid for from the money raised through the fundraising efforts of the Marion Fireworks Committee.

Please consider making a donation. All amounts are welcome and are tax deductible.

The Fireworks are enjoyed by Marion and surrounding communities. Donations from residents in communities other than Marion are also greatly appreciated. If you and your family have come to Silvershell Beach for the fireworks in the past, please consider donating so we can continue this tradition.

Donations may be mailed to the Marion Fireworks Committee, 13 Atlantis Drive, Marion, Massachusetts 02738. Any questions, feel free to contact us at 774-217-8355 or fireworks@marionrecreation.com. The deadline for donations is May 1.

Thank you for your support and, we look forward to seeing you at the Marion Independence Day Fireworks in 2016!

LWV Candidates’ Meet and Greet

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The Tri-Town Area League of Women Voters’ Annual Candidates’ Meet and Greet/Town Warrant Review will be held on Sunday, April 24 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Free Library. Attending candidates will be given time to formally introduce themselves as well as talk about their experience, credentials and reasons for running. This event offers an opportunity for candidates to interact with the people of Mattapoisett in an informal setting. Light refreshments will be served.

If you have any questions, please call (508-758-6051) or email (kriseastman1@gmail.com).

Harbormaster Urges Shorter Billing Cycle

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Since becoming the Mattapoisett Harbormaster, Jill Simmons has striven to improve the finances of the Waterfront Enterprise Fund and all that that entails. During the March 31 meeting of the Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board, she continued on that theme.

“In my opinion, it’s a major problem sending bills out on the first of February. They’ve got 60 days to pay, extended another 60 days with a $50 fine … that puts the assignment of moorings too late in the season,” Simmons explained to the board members.

She said that a 30-day cycle with bills being sent out either in October or November would provide adequate time for determining which moorings were paid for and assigned and which moorings would be available to the next person on the waiting list.

Simmons said the way the billing cycle and grace period now works caused her department to have 21 unassigned moorings at the end of September 2015. She suggested that, with the proposed billing changes, those moorings could have been assigned and enjoyed by paying customers.

On the theme of boating fees, Simmons said she had received some calls from customers of the Mattapoisett Boatyard complaining about the increase in mooring and permit fees.

In February, the Board of Selectmen voted to increase boating fees after a multi-year hiatus. The new fee structure sets a sticker fee per foot: $2 per foot for residents; $5 per foot for non-residents; and $1 per foot for senior residents. The mooring fee is set at $60; all-inclusive commercial mooring and sticker fee $200; commercial mooring unused $70; all-inclusive commercial dock/float/sticker fee $210; town slip and timber pier fee all inclusive $50 per foot; skiff fee $150, seniors $75; and small boat fee $50.

Regarding the fee increases for those customers using marina moorings, Chairman John Cornish said, “The boatyards could have absorbed those fees if they wanted….”

The MAB elected to take the billing cycle change under advisement and to check with the town clerk to ensure that it would not overburden her office.

Simmons also reported that she had met with Town Administrator Michael Gagne regarding her suggestion that the town look into parking fees for the parking lot at Railroad Avenue.

She said many cities and towns throughout the area charge parking fees to offset expenses. Gagne had not been in favor of setting fees for parking at that location, she said, with Gagne indicating town residents and their family members use the lot as well as day visitors.

Simmons said that she had also recently met with Jon Connell of Field Engineering and Jen Szabo, the recently hired grant writer for the town, regarding handicap floats for Long Wharf.

Szabo, as Simmons detailed in her written report to the MAB, is charged with writing a grant for approximately $200,000 to the Seaport Economic Council, a grant program of coastal Massachusetts communities.

Although the MAB members were in favor of providing handicap access, they were concerned about the location of the floats on Long Wharf. Mike Church, Jeff Swift, Jack Duff and Cornish all felt that positioning the floats on the windward side of the pier was a recipe for disaster.

“It’s crazy on the windward side,” said Cornish.

In other matters, Cornish reported that the ORR sailing program has begun for the season. He said MattSail would be paying for the high school-based program for the next five years as well as providing all equipment. When asked, he was unsure if plans were in place for funding the program at the end of the five-year term.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board is scheduled for April 28 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell

 

Our Sisters’ School Visits Tabor

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Tabor Academy has the unique privilege of being located on the waterfront. This position allows for a lot of exploration of the local marine ecosystems as well as a lot of sailing opportunities. When welcoming visitors, the waterfront and all of the exciting prospects that it provides is a wonderful introduction to campus and a great opportunity for outsiders to witness.

On March 30, the entire student body of Our Sisters’ School, an all-girls school in New Bedford, came to visit Tabor with a few faculty members. They were guided through hands-on marine and nautical science stations, learning all of the fun and educational opportunities that Tabor has to offer.

There were stations set up for Seamanship, Specimen Trap Recovery, Aquaculture, Touch Tanks, and Safety at Sea/Survival Craft. Our Sisters’ School’s students broke up into five groups, and a crew member of the school’s schooner, Tabor Boy, aided the Tabor faculty working each station.

“Students cycled through all five learning stations,” said Captain Zane Randall. “They had the opportunity to interact with local marine invertebrates, learn the basics of sea survival, get up close and personal with the life that is found off our docks and in our waters, as well as get a hands-on idea of what it takes to work onboard a ship.”

The day came to a close at the Waterfront where Captain Dave Bill taught the entire group the infamous Sea Wolf Salute, as told by Randall.

Jay Cassista, Jenny Albright, Elizabeth Leary, and David Bill also led stations for the visiting students. These faculty members all teach marine or nautical science electives or work on the Tabor Boy.

            “My station was ‘Sea Survival’,” said Captain Bill. “The visitors got to try on survival suits and we got as many visitors as could fit into the life raft.” Afterward, some of the visitors competed in a Survival Suit donning race. Bill said they competed against each other and “against the watch” to put survival suits on as quickly as possible.

The 67 Our Sisters’ School students spent 25 minutes at each station getting a pretty in-depth look at Tabor’s Marine programs. This is an experience not offered at every school, and being able to share our incredible nautical and marine science programs with other local students widens the scope of the amount of knowledge Tabor can impart. It’s a privilege not only to experience Tabor’s programs, but to be able to share them as well.

By Madeleine Gregory

 

Gateway Youth Hockey

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Gateway Gladiators Squirts skated their way to a 19-2-1 regular season, 2-1-0 playoffs, but just missed the Championship win in overtime versus Walpole Express on Sunday afternoon. Gateway was fired up the whole game and so were their fans who were cheering to the end. In the first period, Ty David Ribeiro fired one in with assists from Jacob Hebbel and Lucy Murphy. In the second, Gateway was unable to get on the score sheet. In the third period, the pressure was on with the score sitting at 2-1 Walpole. Benjamin Hebbel added one with help from J. Hebbel and Ribeiro. Ribeiro then scored his second of the game with an assist from Brayden Hathon. Soon after, Walpole scored again from a bad bounce and tied the game 3-3. What a nail-biter! With seconds left, the game could go either way with both teams playing hard, but then the buzzer sounded to end regulation. In overtime, Gateway so wanted the win and they showed it by putting the pressure on, but Walpole was able to find a break and score the winning goal to make it a 4-3 Championship final for Walpole.

Florence Eastman Post 280

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The Florence Eastman Post 280 will hold its April monthly meeting at the Post Hall on April 20 at 7:00 pm. This meeting will serve as our Annual Meeting as well (after many delays and cancellations). Maximum attendance is needed as we have many issues to review and act on. Hope to see you all there! Thank you!

Emojis: The New Hieroglyphics

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Not since the Egyptians developed hieroglyphics to visually communicate and document for all ages to come the importance of their pharaohs, sun gods, and conquests have human beings used symbols to stand in place of fully expressed sentences. Say hello to the emoji.

If you haven’t seen an emoji, that’s because you are not using iPhone texting, Twitter, Instagram, or similar 21st Century methodologies for expressing yourself to other humans by way of an electronic device. If you still don’t know what an emoji is, do yourself a senior citizen favor: ask someone born after 1990. I’m not brilliant. I just have lots of grandchildren.

An emoji is a symbol that can represent nouns, verbs, emotions or in some cases, events and entire paragraphs of thought. Not only do you not have to use your voice any longer, you don’t even need to use the written word.

Emojis coupled with single letters that stand in place of whole words can and do eliminate the use of language all together – OMG, if you know what I mean. That a communiqué full of emojis intended to express emotion lacks the power and soul of the human voice is apparently beside the point; modern humans just want to hurry up and move on before the latte gets cold.

The human voice along with written words has been replaced by texting, and to facilitate effortless texting, symbols and singular letters are employed. It has become so prevalent that schools seldom teach cursive writing and most lessons require students – even tender tiny tots – to use a keyboard and screen.

There is a small but growing concern that use of electronics known as ‘screen time’ is changing the way the human brain develops. Some parents are electing to decrease the amount of time their child uses an electronic device. However, try and wrestle an iPhone from a pre-teen and see what happens. LOL!!

Scientists now believe that the human brain doesn’t retain information as well when typing, AKA keying, versus writing in longhand. Some colleges and university classes no longer allow the use of laptops when students attend lectures. WTF – they have to take written notes.

Which brings me to the point of this article: while speed and lust for speed continue to accelerate like matter being sucked into a black hole, language is changing.

The rise of the emoji, like the death of Latin, was bound to happen. All living matter evolves, be that good or otherwise. So on the one hand, people who traditionally speak different languages will be able to recognize an image and instantly understand one another. A heart, smiley face, lush lips and a diamond, after all, can only mean one thing I’m sure. On the other hand, there will be consequences.

For instance, what if someone living in the Amazon (jungle, not Amazon.com) sends a message to the prime minister of England intended to convey a desire to establish trade negotiations but somehow a poison dart gun emoji is used instead of a cargo ship? As far-fetched as the scenario is, that is a typo that could have grave consequences.

Wouldn’t it be better to continue the use of written and spoken languages for the sake of all humankind? Let’s not put translators out of a job.

Common Core educational methods seem to direct a return to the written language arts, skills our children will need when they compete on the international stages of life. In spite of that, academic testing of our children is done via the use of computers, not paper and pencil. How can that possibly make sense? And if school systems and government entities require data to study algorithms for funding purposes, what’s wrong with the old way, you know, counting 1, 2, 3, 4?

I do admit that for the last two decades, most of my writing has been done via a keyboard and screen. But I use longhand all the time. Maybe I should be embarrassed to say I still use pen and paper, I still make telephone calls, I still wave to my neighbors. (GMAB)

It really is getting out of hand.

The other day I received this text “R U HOME.” It was from my husband. He was in the backyard. I was in the kitchen.

I responded “NO” and added a dollar sign emoji and a smiley face indicating I was out spending money. A few minutes later, I went into the yard to find him. He asked, “What did you buy?” I walked away while sending him a text with a new car emoji. The look on his face was priceless. LMAO!

This Mattapoisett Life

By Marilou Newell

 

Marion Candidates’ Night

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Marion candidates’ night promises to be an informative evening. The deadline has now passed for candidates to file their papers to run for Marion’s elected offices and town committees. While the Town Election is still over a month away on May 13, there is considerable activity this year. The Tri-Town League of Women Voters’ annual Candidates’ Night, scheduled for Thursday, April 28 at 7:00 pm in the Music Hall, will be your best opportunity to meet all the candidates for contested offices. This annual gathering will offer townspeople a chance to hear presentations that will include their views on major issues and allow for a question and answer period with the contestants.

There are going to be four contested races this year: Selectman; Planning Board; Board of Health; and Open Space Acquisition Commission. With the retirement of long-time Selectman Jon Henry, Dale Jones will face two newcomers to the ticket as Planning Board members Steve Gonsalves and Norm Hills are also trying for Henry’s seat. For one opening on the Board of Heath, incumbent Albin Johnson is trying for another reelection, while Jason Reynolds is entering the field as his challenger. Two positions are up for grabs this spring on the Planning Board with a field of five contenders. Jerry “Rico” Ferrari will attempt to retain his seat while Steve Kokkins, who lost his seat last year, is hoping to come back onto the Board. Jon Henry is eager to serve on the Planning Board for a change, along with newcomers Will Saltonstall and William DoCarmo. The final contested race is for two seats on the Open Space Acquisition Commission. Incumbents John Rockwell and Randy Parker will run for reelection, and Jerry “Rico” Ferrari is challenging them for a seat on the commission.

Four positions are unopposed: Assessor; Moderator; and both the Marion and Old Rochester Regional School Committees. Incumbent Brad Eames will seek a new three-year term as an Assessor. Jeffrey Dickerson has stepped up to make an unopposed run for Town Moderator. Christine Marcolini and Heather Burke will retain their positions on the Marion and ORR School Committees.

All contestants who are seeking positions in this year’s election are to be congratulated for their willingness to serve in town government. Marion voters are strongly encouraged to attend Candidates’ Night in the Music Hall to become informed about the views of the candidates.

Key dates to remember:

Candidates Night: April 28, 7:00 pm in the Music Hall

Town Meeting: May 9, 6:45 pm in the Sippican School

Town Election: May 13, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at the VFW Hall

Earth Day for Buzzards Bay Expo

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The Buzzards Bay Action Committee invites you to its fourth annual Earth Day for Buzzards Bay Expo on April 23 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Fairhaven Senior Center on Route 6 near Stop & Shop. Adults and children alike will enjoy a wide variety of interactive exhibits and demonstrations on local and sustainable activities for a healthy lifestyle that benefit you and the planet! Learn what you can do to protect Buzzards Bay and its inhabitants, including us. Exhibits this year will feature information for adults and children about the National Marine Life Center in Bourne that rescues sick and distressed seals and sea turtles, beekeeping featuring a live bee hive, gardening for pollinators, toxin-free cleaning, kayaking, ecological landscaping, and lots more at our fourth annual Earth Day for Buzzards Bay Expo event! Food will be available from How on Earth in Mattapoisett, and there is no charge to attend.

For more information, please contact your Buzzards Bay Action Committee member at your Town Hall or call Merilee at 508 998-0202.