Frank M. Suzan

on

Frank M. Suzan, 83, of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts passed away peacefully March 3, 2015 at Sippican Healthcare Center surrounded by his family.

He was the loving husband of the late Meredith S. (MacLean) Suzan.

Born in in Milton, Massachusetts he was the son of the late William P. and Bena (Erhard) Suzan. He lived in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts and San Diego, California most of his life.

Capt. Suzan was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Church.

He was a graduate of Holy Family High School and Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Capt. Suzan later joined the Merchant Marines before serving a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy for 26 years. Following his retirement from the Navy he was the general manager of Mahoney Oil and business partner in Sea Gas.

He was an avid golfer and a member of the New Bedford Country Club.

Capt. Suzan loved the Town of Mattapoisett. He would often be seen at the town wharf, the lighthouse and most days riding his bike around the village handing out treats to all the town dogs. He served two terms as Selectman for the Town of Mattapoisett from 1979-1985.

The family would like to extend a personal thank you to Debbie Mayer and the nurses and staff at Sippican Healthcare Center for the excellent care that Frank received the past three years. He considered all of them family and would refer to Sippican Healthcare as his second home.

His survivors include his son, F. Mitchell Suzan, Jr. and his wife Deborah Lowney Suzan of Mattapoisett; a daughter, Merry Suzan McCleary and her partner Ann Elizabeth Pasky of Atlanta, GA; a brother, William P. Suzan, Jr. of the State of Washington; 3 grandchildren, Erika Suzan Osetkowski and her husband Brett, Carly Suzan DuBeau and her husband John and F. Mitchell Suzan, III; 2 great-grandchildren, Mollie Elizabeth Osetkowski and Harper Leigh Osetkowski.

He was the great-grandfather of the late Connor J. Osetkowski.

His Funeral will be held on Saturday at 9 AM from the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6) Mattapoisett, followed by his Funeral Mass at St. Anthony’s Church at 10 AM. Burial will follow in St. Anthony’s Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Friday from 4-8 PM. For directions and guestbook, please www.saundersdwyer.com.

MaryEllen Kelly

on

MaryEllen Kelly, born in New Bedford,MA 9/3/61, beloved daughter of David and Maria Harrington passed away at Falmouth Hospital on March 4. MaryEllen was predeceased by her father, Robert F. Kelly.

MaryEllen grew up in Dartmouth,MA and later Marion,MA. She attended elementary school at MT Carmel School, graduated Bishop Stang High School and earned a BA at UMass Dartmouth. MaryEllen was proud to have worked at NBIS and N.B. 5 Savings Bank.

Battling brittle Type I diabetes from adolescence she suffered a hypoglycemic coma at age 30 which left her brain injured.

As MaryEllen would like to say, ” I love the fresh air!” She most enjoyed long walks with her mom where she could enjoy the sunshine, beautiful flowers and then celebrate with her at lunch at the Wayside Inn, Sudbury,MA.

She is survived by her parents, her sister, Carolyn Higgins and her husband, Mickey Higgins; 3 nephews; Nicholas, Jonathan and Logan and 1 niece, Julianna. She also leaves her stepbrother David Harrington and his partner, Julie. Her uncle Dr. Anthony deBarros and Aunt Ninette, Aunt Elaine and late Uncle Hudson along with her Godfather Raymond Silveira mourn her loss. She was predeceased by her kind loving godmother, Louise Silveira. Mary Ellen was adored by Cousin Linda and Cousin Sue. She also leaves behind cousins; Sandy, Pamela,Hudson and her Godson Tristan de Barros.

The family would like to extend a sincere thank you to Bosun’s Seven Hills Community Services for caring for MaryEllen in her last few months and providing for her with a happy warm place to call home. Jennifer your time with MaryEllen is priceless to us. We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to Dr Tadbiri and his staff for their care that extended well past that of their jobs. Lastly Maria and David cannot express enough gratitude to Dr Irvine of Falmouth Hospital. His patience and guidance was invaluable. The nursing staff of Falmouth Hospital, ICU cannot be fogotten. We would like to express how deep our gratitude extends for their compassion and unwavering support. Danielle,Faith, Emily Chris and Tracey you exemplify all that is good and you proudly represent your profession.

Her funeral will be Monday beginning in the funeral home at 9:30 A.M. and continuing with a Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church at 10:30 A.M. Burial will follow in St. John Cemetery. Visitation will be held in the funeral home on Sunday from 3:00 to 5:00 P.M. Arrangements placed in the care of Perry Funeral Home, 111 Dartmouth St. New Bedford, Ma 02740

In Lieu of flowers please send contributions to Joslin Clinic, One Joselin Place, Boston, MA

For online Condolences please go to www.perryfuneral.com.

March Programs at Plumb Library

on

Debbie O’Carroll’s Magic Irish Tea Party: Saturday, March 7, 1:00 – 2:00 pm. Debbie’s magic tea pot is the center of this participatory magic show with the Irish Fairy Godmother for children ages 3-7 at the Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library, 17 Constitution Way, Rochester. After the show, the children will join in a creative theater activity and learn to make and perform a magic trick to take home, along with an origami puppet that they fold themselves! Pre-registration is required. Register by calling the library at 508-763-8600 or go to the Events Calendar on the Plumb Library website, www.plumblibrary.com.

Pi is the infinite number that starts 3.141592653… On Saturday, March 14, at 9:26 in the morning or evening, all of the numbers will line up. To commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime event, we will be making Pi Day bracelets from 11:00 am to noon on Saturday, March14. All participants will receive a special Pi Day sticker. This craft is best for children ages 4 and up; pre-registration is requested. Call the library to register or go to the Plumb Library Events Calendar on the website and click the registration button on the Pi Day event.

For their March book, “Just the Facts” Nonfiction Book Discussion Group will be reading Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston. Jeanne Wakatsuki was seven years old in 1942 when her family was uprooted from their home and sent to live at Manzanar Internment camp with 10,000 other Japanese Americans. Along with searchlight towers and armed guards, Manzanar featured cheerleaders, Boy Scouts, sock hops, baton twirling lessons, and a dance band called The Jive Bombers. This book is the true story of one Japanese American family’s attempt to survive the indignities of forced detention, and of a native-born American child who discovered what it was like to grow up behind barbed wire in the United States. We will discuss this book on Thursday, March 19 at 6:30 pm. Copies are available at the desk.

The Café Parlez’ selection for March is What is Visible by Kimberly Elkins. Before there was Helen Keller, there was Laura Bridgman. At age two, Laura lost four of her five senses to scarlet fever. At age seven, she was taken to the Perkins Institute in Boston to determine if she could be taught. At age 12, Charles Dickens declared her his prime interest for visiting America. And at age 20, she was considered the 19th century’s second most famous woman. This novelized version of her life story spans many decades and characters. We will discuss this novel on Thursday, March 26 at 6:30 pm. Books are available at the desk or bring your own copy.

On Saturday, March 21, the Friends of Plumb Library and the Rochester Friends of the Elderly will present “Dinner and a Movie” starting at 5:30 pm at the Rochester Council on Aging, 67 Dexter Lane, Rochester. A spaghetti supper will be followed by a showing of Night at the Museum. Tickets are available at the Plumb Library and at the Council on Aging, and cost $5 each or $20 for a family of four or more. All proceeds will benefit both the Friends of Plumb Library and the Friend of the Elderly. For more information or to reserve tickets, call the library at 508-763-8600.

FORM Annual Spring Concerts

on

The Spring FORM Concerts are almost here! Both concerts are in the ORRHS auditorium and start at 6:30 pm. The Instrumental Concert is Tuesday, March 10. The Choral Concert is Tuesday, March 17. Tickets are: Adults – $6/Students & Senior Citizens – $4/Family Pass – $20. Tickets, available at the door, are good for both concerts, so save your March 10 tickets and reuse them on March 17. The FORM Concerts are a wonderful tradition that incorporates musical performances from throughout the Old Rochester Regional school district – grade school through high school. FORM is proud to host these annual concerts. The monies raised from the ticket sales are a major source of funding for our annual FORM Scholarships. Your participation is integral to our work, and we greatly appreciate your support. For more details, please visit our website www.FORM02739.org or email us at orrFORM02739@gmail.com.

Academic Achievements

on

Allison LaCrosse of Mattapoisett has been named to the Dean’s List at Salve Regina University, Newport, RI for the fall semester. She will graduate in May 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Allison is the daughter of Karen Barrows of Mattapoisett and Matthew LaCrosse of Yarmouth and the granddaughter of Betty Barrows and the late Brad Barrows of Mattapoisett and Pam and Bob LaCrosse of Marion.

Postseason Brings Out Best in Boys’ Basketball

on

This week, the sports teams at Old Rochester Regional High School began their postseason runs as the MIAA tournaments started up. Here is a look at the 11th week of scheduled games for ORR winter athletics.

            Boys’ Basketball: The first-seeded Bulldogs had the best week out of anyone, cruising to two early-round wins in the Division 3 South tournament to advance to the semifinals. The boys’ first win of the week came against 16th-seeded Apponequet, where they easily defeated the Lakers 79-57. The Bulldogs took a commanding 20-13 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, largely thanks to junior Evan Santos, who played consistently all game and scored a team-high 17 points on the night. Ryan Beatty also played well, notching 15 points. With the win, the Bulldogs advanced to the South quarterfinals, where they faced off against ninth-seeded Hanover. Though there were many rumors swirling that Hanover might undo the Bulldogs (they easily defeated Bishop Stang, to whom ORR lost twice this season), ORR quickly squandered those rumors with an explosive 78-60 win. With the gym filled to capacity, ORR held a lengthy lead for the majority of the game due to a strong offensive performance by the whole team. Four Bulldogs (Santos, Beatty, Will Santos, and scoring leader Jordan Menard) were in the double digits by the final buzzer, and the Bulldog defense also played fantastically, halting any offensive progress by Hanover. The Bulldogs now face off against league rival Wareham in the South semifinals. It marks the second straight year that the Bulldogs have made it this far in the tournament.

            Girls’ Basketball: The ninth-seeded Lady Bulldogs saw their season come to a close this week, as they lost to conference rival and eighth-seeded Wareham in the opening round of the state tournament. Despite a tough first half, the girls fought back in the fourth quarter and substantially shortened the point deficit, but it would not be enough, as Wareham advanced to the quarterfinals with the 36-31 victory. Seniors Kaleigh Goulart and Ashley Pacheco led the girls in scoring, recording 8 and 7 points, respectively. Despite the doubts surrounding the team coming into this season, the girls proved ORR girls’ basketball has a strong future ahead of them. The girls graduate three seniors: Goulart, Pacheco, and Morgan Browning.

Boys’ Track: Only one track athlete competed in a meet this week for ORR, but his results were enough to make waves across the ORR community. Senior Kevin Saccone competed in the New England Track and Field Championships, a prestigious meet that is extremely difficult to qualify for, as it features the best athletes from across the Northeast. Despite the tough competition, Saccone held his own and then some, as he conquered the New England title in the 55-meter hurdles by placing first overall with a lifetime-best time of 7.45 seconds. Saccone crossed the line in a photo-finish with Sebastian Silveira from Andover, and it was later determined upon inspection that Saccone had won by four thousandths of a second. This is Saccone’s second New England championship (his first came last spring, when he won the long jump). Saccone also placed well in the long jump, placing fifth overall with a leap of 21’6”. Next up for the track star is the New Balance Nationals Meet, where Saccone will go up against the best athletes in the country.

Ice Hockey: The boys’ hockey season also came to a close this week, as the sixth-seeded ORR/Fairhaven Bulldogs fell 4-2 to 22nd-seeded Bishop Stang. It was an exciting game; after Stang got out to an early 1-0 lead, Fairhaven’s Jeremy Lawton scored an equalizer to tie the game 1-1. Mike Lygren then scored to give the Bulldogs a slight advantage, which Stang quickly squandered with an equalizer of their own. In the third period, Stang managed to sneak one by the ORR defense, and the Bulldogs were never able to recover. The final goal of the game came when a Stang player scored on an open net, as ORR/Fairhaven tactically pulled their goalie. Despite their season being over, the Bulldogs have nothing to be ashamed of, as they finish the 2014-2015 season with a 16-6 overall record.

Below are the overall winter team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of March 1.

Boys’ Basketball: (19-3-0) (16-0-0); Girls’ Basketball: (12-9-0) (10-6-0); Boys’ Track: (8-1-0) (7-1-0); Girls’ Track: (9-0-0) (8-0-0); Boys’ Swimming: (1-5-0) (0-5-0); Girls’ Swimming: (2-4-0) (1-3-0); Ice Hockey: (16-6-1) (9-1-0).

By Michael Kassabian

Basketball

Town Talks Transportation

on

SRPEDD Transportation Manager Paul Mission and Jacqueline Schmidt, senior transportation planner, met with the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen during the February 24 meeting to discuss the town’s transportation needs.

After Mission outlined the various state and federal agencies with which SRPEDD networks and the role of SRPEDD in developing plans as diverse as environmental projects to bike paths, he got down to the reason for the meeting.

As part of SRPEDD’s community outreach, and in an effort to hear directly from cities and towns about their most pressing transportation issues, Mission asked for the board’s input. The information from this meeting and others conducted throughout the Commonwealth will be used to develop a new four-year plan as required by the federal government for the state to apply for funding.

Town Administrator Michael Gagne took no time in getting down to the issues faced by residents.

For over three years, he has been attempting to get van or bus transportation from the commuter Park and Ride on North Street to the commuter rail service in Lakeville. In spite of numerous efforts, roadblocks and ruts have derailed those calls for assistance.

Gagne presented Mission with a prepared report requesting once again that SRPEDD assist Mattapoisett in applying for MassRide to establish a van service. His report states that a pilot program could help residents, not only with a reliable mode of travel, but also save them as much as $13,500 per year, a figure he pegged when private vehicles are used to commute to work in Boston. Gagne said that he also sits on the SERTA committee.

“The Southcoast rail won’t be coming for some time,” said Mission. With that commuter option off the table for now, he felt a van service was a good option. A van-pool service would cost the commuter only about $1,900 per year.

Gagne asked for help in applying for the funds to build a secure shed structure at the North Street Park and Ride for those residents who wished to use the van service as a mode of transportation. Gagne said he envisioned enlisting the talents of the students at Old Colony to build the structure and that the students have done “fantastic jobs” in the past.

Several issues associated with Route 6 were also brought into the conversation.

“I’ve been talking about Route 6 for 30 years,” in his role as a town administrator, said Gagne, but to no avail. He said that stormwater discharge was a serious problem that affects shellfish beds.

“Mattapoisett has worked hard to provide quality water,” he said, but once the runoff mingles at Tub Mill and other points in town, it fouls the waters, especially at Eel Pond.

Mission acknowledged the stormwater problems, but indicated that larger cities would see repairs before smaller communities.

The two pedestrian crosswalks dissecting Route 6 were also discussed as a severe safety hazard. Gagne said that deaths have occurred. He said the Town has researched various options for lighting the crosswalks and alerting drivers, but in the absence of financial support and interest on the part of the state, improvements have not been made. They discussed the need for a reduction in the speed limit along Route 6, which is no longer the major corridor for travelers to Cape Cod.

Gagne asked Mission if there would be action items in the report. Mission said that meetings are needed to produce results, but the towns often never hear back from SRPEDD after preparing documents and spending the time to discuss matters of need.

Mission said that once a project is identified, it is studied for viability and then prioritized. He said that with two transportation agencies to deal with, things are difficult.

“What do you do?” Selectman Jordan Collyer asked. “The only thing I’ve seen is the bike path. Where are the tangible results? What are you doing for us?”

Chairman Paul Silva said, “We’ve been asking for three years. Please get back to us.”

Gagne said that more federal funds were needed in order to accomplish even a few of the projects that had been noted.

“We are putting more funds to projects than any other town, but we can’t do it all,” Gagne said. He stressed that Mattapoisett needed more assistance.

Resident Bonne DeSousa came before the board to ask their cooperation in completing the necessary state forms for Phase 2 of the bike path.

“If you are not in the plan, you don’t get anything,” said DeSousa, referring to the process necessary for bike paths to receive state funding. The board voted to complete the paperwork for MassDOT.

Also during the meeting, Highway Surveyor Barry Denham gave a report on snow removal.

With a snow and ice removal budget of $69,000, Denham said his department is presently $44,000 over budget. He said that during the past few weeks his team has removed 184 truckloads of snow, a whopping 66 inches through the month of February.

Gagne said it was important to try and keep the narrow public roadways open for emergency equipment. Also, FEMA was extending the timeframe for applying for emergency financial relief from Winter Storm Juno until February 22. He anticipates receiving $26,000 in funding. The board voted to approve snow and ice deficit spending.

Denham also thanked his crew saying, “If it wasn’t for the commitment of those guys, we couldn’t do the job.”

In closing out his comments, Denham said that during a recent meeting he attended with MassDOT he was told that there isn’t any money to make repairs to Route 6.

Gagne then reminded the board and the public of the MassDEP public hearing for the proposed Goodspeed Island private pier by Daniel DaRosa.

The hearing will be held at Old Hammondtown School on March 5 at 7:00 pm. Gagne urged the public to prepare written comments as companion pieces to their verbal comments during the hearing. The DEP had denied the Town’s request to postpone the hearing until April.

Gagne then read into the record a letter received from the DaRosas’ attorney urging the selectmen not to approve use of town counsel by the Conservation Commission in their appeal of the superseding decision. Selectmen received the letter too late to be considered at the last public meeting of the board. At that time, Selectman Paul Silva supported ConCom’s request.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen will be March 10 at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell

MTsel_022615

New Home Approved for Cove Street

on

Epic freezing temperatures didn’t impede the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals from being front and center in attendance at their February 19 meeting to hear one single item on the agenda.

James and Debra Jones of 18 Upland Way sought a special permit to construct a new two-bedroom home at 3 Cove Street. Jones purchased a small adjourning parcel, Engineer Richard Charon representing the Joneses explained, which increased the available buildable space from 40- by 60-square feet to 60- by 127-square feet.

Charon said that when the original structure was damaged during Hurricane Bob, building restrictions did not allow the home to have an expanded footprint.

In order to re-build at that time and expand the one-bedroom home for more comfortable living space, a rather unappealing overhang was constructed. Now, with the acquisition of more land creating a larger space, Jones hoped to receive approval to take down that home and build a new two-bedroom structure.

Another important hurdle they needed to vault was wastewater. Charon said that with the extension of public sewer service to Cove Street, Jones would not be restricted by a private septic system. More land and sewer service are the factors cited by Charon for approving the Joneses’ application.

The new home will have a wrap around deck, meet all FEMA requirements, and will continue to allow public access to the beach, which is historic in this shoreline neighborhood.

Charon reported to the ZBA members that the project had already cleared the conservation commission process.

“…It makes sense with the sewer coming in…” ZBA member Colby Rottler said.

The vote to approve the special permit was unanimous.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals will be posted for March 19 at 6:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Town Hall if there are any applications for hearings.

By Marilou Newell

MTzba_022615

Rochester Council on Aging

on

The Rochester Council on Aging has been awarded a grant to launch the national (NCOA) model 12-week program, “Aging Mastery Program (AMP),” by the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging & Senior Centers (MCOA).

Rochester Council on Aging is one of fifteen in Massachusetts to win the competitive grant process to launch this innovative program. The program will meet once a week for twelve weeks, for an hour or so each week, on Thursdays from 2:15 – 4:00 pm beginning on March 12 and running for 12 consecutive weeks.

The program has space for 30 older adult participants who can be from any town in our local area. It is a free program, but advance registration is required. Each participant will need to commit to attending the full 12 weeks. Twelve educational topics will be covered by guest presenters, each focusing on a different aspect of wellness. The program will offer incentives and points for participants. No prior educational experience is necessary to participate. Anyone is welcome!

“AMP is an approach to living that embraces this gift of longer lives. The program combines knowledge sharing with goal-setting and feed-back routines, daily practices, and peer support to help you make meaningful and enduring life changes in your life. Central to the AMP philosophy is the belief that modest lifestyle changes can produce big results, and that all of us can learn to make the most of our longer lives.”

Call the Rochester Senior Center at 508-763-8723 if you have questions and/or to register for the Program. Ask to speak with Marie Vitale, Program Coordinator, or Sharon Lally, Director.

The grant will also provide funding for a second 12-week series in the fall, for different participants. More information on the fall program of AMP will be forthcoming at a later date.

Social Security Program at Plumb Library

on

On Thursday, March 5 at 6:30 pm at the Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library, 17 Constitution Way, Rochester, William J. Goldsmith, CRP, CLU, LIA, and the president of LifeTime Financial Strategies, LLC, will present a seminar called “Solving the Social Security Puzzle.” This seminar will address your important questions about Social Security such as:

– Will Social Security be there when I’m ready to claim?

– How are my benefits calculated?

– How much will I get?

– How can I get more?

Bill is a Certified Financial Planner professional who works with individuals, families, and owners of closely-held and family-owned companies to help them address their key areas of concern and questions pertaining to their personal and business financial planning. With more than 22 years of experience in financial services, Bill specializes in simplifying complex ideas and presenting them in a clear and concise manner.

Pre-registration is required. Light refreshments will be served. For more information or to register or reserve a seat, call the library at 508-763-8600 or register on the Plumb Library Events Calendar at http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=PLUMB#449394.