Gilbert P. Pelletier

on

Gilbert P. Pelletier, age 80, of Fairhaven, formerly of Rochester, passed away Wednesday, February 18, 2015 in Charlton Memorial Hospital after a brief illness. He was the husband of the late Jeannette E. (Lavallee) Pelletier.

He was born in New Bedford, the son of the late Lawrence and Angelina (Theriault) Pelletier. Mr. Pelletier was a self-employed Mechanic for many years. In his youth he worked at his family’s business, Pelletier and Berube Junk Yard in New Bedford, the former Chamberlin’s Manufacturing and Hemmingway’s both of New Bedford. He owned and operated his own Texaco Gas Station and Gil’s Tools in New Bedford.

Gilbert enjoyed racing cars at Seekonk Speedway in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He was a member of the Friends of Poland in New Bedford and enjoyed camping, traveling and golf.

He is survived by his three daughters Deborah Hardy of Fairhaven, Brenda Gaj and her husband Walter of Fairhaven and Karen Pelleiter and her companion Ray Fitzpatrick of Attleboro; five grandchildren Sandra and Rachel Hardy, Miranda and Matthew Gaj and Casey Fitzpatrick; his companion Joan Berard of Swansea; five great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Mr. Pelletier was also the brother of the late Freddie, Bertrand, Maurice, Lawrence and Robert Pelletier.

His funeral will be held on Monday, February 23, 2015 at 9AM from the Rock Funeral Home 1285 Ashley Blvd., New Bedford, followed by his funeral mass at 10AM in St. Francis of Xavier Church 125 Main St., Acushnet. Visiting hours will be Sunday from 4 to 7PM. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven. To send a tribute or for directions please visit: www.rock-funeralhome.com

Sharing Your Passion: Personal Collections

on

Join the Mattapoisett Historical Society on Thursday, February 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm to celebrate a truly Mattapoisett exhibit, “Sharing Your Passion: Personal Collections.” We opened our doors to Town residents, asking them to share their own personal collections with the public. The results? A very interesting and eclectic exhibit that has something for everyone. Come on down and join us for refreshments and a fun evening enjoying others’ unique collections. The exhibit is free with a $5 suggested donation. The Mattapoisett Historical Society is located at 5 Church Street. For more information, please call 508-758-2844, email mattapoisett.museum@verizon.net or visit www.mattapoisetthistoricalsociety.org.

Rochester Council on Aging

on

March COA Day Trips

– Saturday, March 14: Boston Flower Show. Leave at 9:00 am; return at 4:00 pm; lunch at the Show; $17 admission.

– Wednesday, March 18: Atria Fairhaven – Luncheon & Travelling Boutique. Leave at 11:30 am; return at 2:30 pm; Free; Limit of 8 … Sign-up quickly!!!

– Friday, March 20: Woods Hole Science Aquarium & Lunch. Leave at 9:00 am; return at 3:00 pm; free admission; lunch is your cost.

– Friday, March 27: Lunch at Isaac’s of Plymouth. Leave at 11:00 am; return at 2:00 pm; lunch is your cost.

New Bedford Art Museum Presentation. Join us on Tuesday, March 17 from 10:15 – 11:15 am for this informative PowerPoint presentation. Come see what the museum has to offer this season from its new current exhibits, upcoming exhibits and classes, as well as guest visitors, gallery events and art parties. Deb Smook is presenting. Free!!!

Tennessee’s Elephant Sanctuary presented by Liisa Budge-Johnson. On Tuesday, March 24 from 10:15 – 11:15 am, take a tour of the nation’s largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered African and Asian elephants. Free, interesting and entertaining, this program will heighten awareness of the plight of captive elephants. This is purely educational and is not a request for donations.

Irish Luncheon. The COA’s annual Irish Luncheon will take place on Friday, March 13 at 12:00 pm. The meal is the traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner! The cost for this meal is $10 per person and must be paid in advance upon sign-up. The limit for this event is 100 and space fills up quickly, so you must sign-up in advance for this dinner! The deadline to sign-up is Friday, March 6 by calling 508-763-8723. Anyone is welcome to attend. Let us know if you’d like a ride in that day. Also, we will hold a 50/50 Raffle at the luncheon for the Senior Center Building Fund. May you have the “Luck of the Irish” and win 50%! Erin Go Bragh!

Quarterly Birthday Party. The Quarterly Birthday Party will be held on Monday, March 23 at 12:00 pm! A complimentary soup and sandwich lunch will be served for those who had or have a birthday in the months of January, February or March of 2015. Cake and ice cream will also be served! Birthday invites will be sent to you. Please let us know if you’re able to join us by calling 508-763-8723. Anyone is invited to attend the birthday lunch, even if it is not your birthday, and the suggested donation for the lunch for all others is $4. Call us if you need a ride in!

Podiatrist Visits. Podiatrist Dr. Sarah Durochers will hold foot care appointments at the Senior Center on Thursday, March 12. Call her office directly at 508-946-1444 to reserve your appointment.

Dental Clinic at Rochester Senior Center. Holly Petruzzo, a visiting Dental Hygienist in Public Health with over 35 years of experience, offers her mobile dental program to senior centers. The cost is $79 for cleaning and fluoride; however, she also has a sliding scale for those who cannot afford this price. She provides dental cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, and oral health education. Insurances accepted include Mass Health and Senior Whole Health. Holly will do all the billing paperwork. Call Holly directly at 774-766-7238 to schedule your appointment at the Rochester Senior Center for Tuesday, March 10 from 8:30 am – 12:00 pm. She will have you fill out your first visit paperwork in advance of your appointment.

Soup & Sandwich Lunch. Join us on Mondays at noon for a tasty meal of home-made soup and a sandwich! Enjoy a different soup each week and a different sandwich and dessert as well. Everyone is welcome. Please call in advance to reserve your meal so that we prepare enough for everyone. Suggested donation for the meal is $4. Hope to see you! Let us know if you need a ride to the Center by calling 508-763-8723!

Manicures Anyone? The Cosmetology students from Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School are offering free manicures and hand massages to anyone interested here at the Senior Center on Thursday, March 19 beginning at 9:45 am. Anyone is welcome to come. Six students can handle approximately six customers each while they are here, so please come on down for a real treat! No tips!! Call us if you need a ride in!

The Pampered Chef Returns. Pampered Chef Linda Medeiros returns on Monday, March 2 at 11:30 am to share her culinary arts demonstration with us here at the Senior Center! Stay for the luncheon at 12:00 pm once the demonstration is over and sample the results! You’ll be glad you did! You don’t have to be present for the demonstration to enjoy the lunch. No charge for the program, but donations are accepted and appreciated! Suggested donation is $4. Anyone is welcome to attend. Please call us in advance to sign-up, however, so that we have enough food for everyone. Thanks! Let us know if you’d like a ride in to the Center! Call 508-763-8723.

Weekly Blood Pressure Checks on Mondays from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm. Thanks to the Rochester Health Department, volunteer Town Nurse Eleanor Mower offers this free service at the Senior Center. All are welcome to stop in to check their blood pressure!

Monday Night BINGO resumes on March 2!!! Feeling lucky? Why not try your luck at our Wednesday afternoon BINGO game from 12:30 – 3:00 pm or our Monday night BINGO game from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at the Senior Center? Refreshment break in the middle. We play by the MA Senior Citizen Recreational BINGO laws. Fifty cents per card; twenty-five cents per game. No card limit. Average 12-15 games played each time. All money collected will be given in prizes that day/night. Any Senior Citizen is welcome to play! Call 508-763-8723 if you need a ride, especially on Monday nights!

Income Tax Prep. Appointments every Wednesday now through April 15. AARP Tax Aide Volunteer Ann Cambra and coordinating supervisor, Robert Marshall, will be at the Rochester Senior Center to provide free assistance with your income tax preparation for moderate/low-income individuals, particularly for those over 60 years of age. Appointments can be made by calling the Rochester Senior Center at 508-763-8723. Don’t forget to apply for the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax at the same time!

Congregate Lunches. Just a reminder that hot meals are available at the Senior Center on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 11:30 am for a suggested donation of $2 per meal. Call one day in advance to reserve. This meal program is offered by Coastline Elderly Services and is Title III Older Americans Act funded. Menu is available on the calendar page of the COA Newsletter on the Rochester COA website, www.rochestermaseniorcenter.com.

The Friends of the Rochester Senior Center will hold their monthly business meeting at the Senior Center on Wednesday, March 11 at 10:00 am. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. Membership is $10 a year to become “A FRIEND.” We need all of the FRIENDS we can get!! Please consider joining us!

“New Release” Movies. Come take advantage of our Friday movie at 1:30 pm with popcorn, if requested! 60” wall plasma TV screen!!! Great picture and sound! All movies are free and anyone is welcome to attend! NOTE: All movies are ordered and scheduled through Netflix. We suggest that you call us by Wednesday of each week to find out which movie has been sent for viewing that coming Friday afternoon.

Happy Hookers. The Happy Hookers Rug Hooking group will meet on Tuesday, March 10 at 10:00 am. Anyone is welcome.

The Monday Art Group would like to invite anyone who is interested in painting to come and join other artists from 9:30 am – 12:00 pm for friendly encouragement and conversation. All levels are welcome! Instruction materials are available. Bring your own supplies. No charge! Stay for lunch afterwards!

Veterans Benefits Counseling. Veterans Benefits Counseling Volunteer and Rochester resident, Gordon Helme, is available for individual appointments to meet with veterans of any age at the Rochester Senior Center. Call 508-763-8723 for an appointment, if you have questions, or if you would like to meet with Gordon, and he will contact you to set up a meeting time. Gordon is a wealth of information on Veterans Benefits that you may not already know about!

Monthly Veterans Social. The monthly gathering of Rochester veterans will take place on Wednesday, March 19 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at the Rochester Senior Center. Any Rochester veteran of any age is welcome to attend. This is a very relaxed, informal gathering where veterans socialize and share fellowship and camaraderie with each other. Refreshments are served. No charge for this event. Just another way of saying “Thank you” to our veterans who have given so much to us and to our country.

“Ye Olde Breakfast Shoppe.” Anyone of any age is welcome to drop in for breakfast from 7:00 – 9:00 am, Monday – Friday; closed on weekends and holidays. Located in the Rochester Senior Center, breakfast consists of a varied menu, weekly specials and reasonable prices! A bottomless cup of coffee is served! Sponsored by the FRIENDS of the Rochester Senior Center and the Rochester Lions Club. Gift certificates available! A free breakfast is given on your birth date, too!

Stepping & Stretching Exercise Program. Join your certified instructor, Karen Corcoran, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 pm for a fun-filled hour of easy exercise, bending and stretching, building up your strength, and improving your balance! This program is possible through a grant from Coastline Elderly Services. Donations are accepted! Seniors welcome!

“Chair Yoga.” Classes are held on Mondays from 1:00 – 2:00 pm with Susan Ashley, a professional certified fitness instructor and personal trainer. This modified format offers the ability to participate in a yoga practice without having to get down on the floor. Flowing yoga poses are practiced while seated or in a standing position, allowing use of a chair for balance and stabilization work. Emphasizing breathing with movement and the mind/ muscle connection, this invigorating program provides a safe, effective way to lengthen and strengthen muscles, engage your core, enhance balance and stability, and increase your sense of well-being, leaving you feeling revived and relaxed. Cost is a $3 suggested donation per person. No advance registration necessary. Anyone is welcome. Just come!

Line Dancing – Traditional and Country/Western. Every Tuesday afternoon from 2:30 – 4:00 pm and every Friday morning from 9:30 – 11:00 am, line dancing instructor, Nancy Cabral, is here at the Rochester Senior Center. Cost is a $2 donation per person per class. No registration needed. Just come! Bring a friend! The more the merrier! (NOTE: No line dancing on the Friday morning of the monthly luncheon due to space.) All ages, levels and abilities are welcome!

Ballroom Dancing Lessons. An excellent cardiovascular exercise, singles and couples are welcome to learn ballroom dancing at the Rochester Senior Center on Wednesdays at 10:00 am. Instructor Nancy Barrett teaches the best in ballroom dancing. Suggested donation is $4 per person. Have fun, socialize, and meet new people. All skill levels are welcome. Bring a friend! No sign-up necessary.

Cardio Dance-Fit Exercise Program. This low-impact fitness class taught by Certified Group Exercise Instructor Ellie Higgins is offered on Tuesdays from 9:00 – 10:00 am. This fun, upbeat class, set to a wide variety of music, offers 30 minutes of easy-to-learn dance steps and classic cardio moves, followed by upper and lower body strength training, which can be done seated. The last segment is flexibility, deep breathing, and stress management techniques to leave you energized and relaxed. This class is for all ages and can be easily modified based on fitness level and age of participant. Drop-in fee, payable to instructor, is $4.

Tabor Musical Promises ‘Big’ Fun

on

This production is big all around – big bouffants, big beehives, and a big heroine with big dreams that transform her seemingly overnight into an unlikely celebrity sensation.

Tabor Academy’s annual musical production this year is Hairspray, starring the talented Hannah Rolighed, a freshman at Tabor and a seasoned actress and dancer.

Rolighed plays the lead role of Tracey Turnblad, and almost appears to become Tracey on the stage, making the role her own and dancing her way through a smashing performance.

In the production, the “pretty-plus” Turnblad is bullied by her peers, stifled by her agoraphobic mother, and perpetually disciplined by her high school principal for exceeding the school’s policy of “inappropriate hair height.”

None of this deters Turnblad, though, as she auditions for a slot on the Corny Collins Show, a local dance TV show, and transforms into a celebrity virtually overnight while catching the attention of the play’s leading heartthrob, Link Larkin. Rolighed’s endearing portrayal of Tracey Turnblad will have the audience falling in love with her, too.

Rolighed was surprised to hear she landed the leading role in this year’s production, even with her experience, which stretches way back to when she was three years old and first started acting.

“I’m very lucky to have the lead role. I wasn’t really expecting it,” said Rolighed. This production of Hairspray at Tabor, though, is much different that anything she has ever participated in before. She said the theater takes getting used to, as well as the dynamics at Tabor.

Rolighed likes the role of Tracey Turnblad, and she said she is particularly fond of the meaning and symbolism behind the production, which ranges from racism to weight discrimination to individuality and the pursuit of one’s dreams.

“It’s really special,” said Rolighed. “I’m told that I embody her (Tracey Turnblad) because I act a lot like her.”

Director Mark Howland said this year’s cast impresses him, saying, “It’s a great cast. They’re very hard working.”

Starring as Turnblad’s nemesis, Amber Von Tussle, is sophomore Aurelia Reynolds – a character you cannot miss with her bleach-blonde beehive and pink poodle skirt. Von Tussle shines on the stage in her role, even if Miss Von Tussle is a lot different than Reynolds in real life.

“I’m the bully to Tracey,” said Reynolds. “It’s really hard acting. There’s a lot of stuff I don’t want to say.”

Amber Von Tussle is one of the first at the Corny Collins Show to make fun of Tracey, and she is relentless throughout the rest of the play, getting nastier and nastier as Von Tussle’s boyfriend begins to fall in love with Tracey.

“I like getting to explore a kind of character that I’m really not like,” said Reynolds.

Amber’s mother, Velma Von Tussle, is played by senior Ellie Sullivan, who is also the singing voice for Rolighed playing Tracey throughout the production.

“She’s really an awful human being,” said Sullivan of her rather strong-willed character, who is out to stop Tracey and push her own daughter into the spotlight.

Sullivan praised the crew and cast, remarking on how many students with no prior acting experience joined the production, resulting in an even more enjoyable experience overall.

“They’re doing a great job,” said Sullivan of her fellow actors. She said the mix of such a diverse group of students has made the experience feel like Tabor’s “very own High School Musical kind of thing,” as Sullivan described it.

Another strong character, Motormouth Maybelle, is played by senior Athena-Rose Jennings, a first-time thespian whose role requires a lot of moving, shaking, and belting out songs like you would not believe.

“My singing doesn’t usually leave the shower,” said Jennings, who said she is more of a theatergoer than an actor, preferring to watch others perform rather than be in the limelight.

Jennings’ blonde beehive is almost as big as Jenning’s voice, by which the audience will be delighted now that Jennings finally freed her singing voice from the confines of the shower.

Hairspray the musical opens Thursday, February 19 and runs through the 20th and 21st.at 7:30 pm at the Fireman Center for the Performing Arts in Hoyt Hall at 235 Front Street, Marion. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Hairspray_0298 Hairspray_0302 Hairspray_0318 Hairspray_0383 Hairspray_0401 Hairspray_0443 Hairspray_0448 Hairspray_0455 Hairspray_0474 Hairspray_0481 Hairspray_0490 Hairspray_0550 Hairspray_0569

Origami Roses

on

Last week was a very busy one for Jason Ma, a junior at Tabor.

Ma sold one hundred homemade origami roses to raise money for an upcoming service trip to Vietnam – and he was all sold out of his paper roses just ten minutes after the start of the sale. In fact, they were almost all sold out even before the sale, as most of them had already been reserved to prospective buyers.

This rapid sale can be attributed not only to the sheer beauty and unique quality of the origami roses that Ma made but also to his impressive advertising.

According to Ma, “Origami, in Japanese cultures, always expresses the most genuine feelings.” He informed Tabor students that these roses not only represent these feelings, but also last forever – unlike real roses.

There is much history that lies behind this origami tradition. Ma gave an example of when, during World War II, people folded thousands of origami cranes asking for peace.

“Origami roses express people’s sincere and pure love for others,” said Ma. “And, since paper never blights, the flowers send out beautiful wishes that love will last forever.”

Ma raffled off the final four roses, which were highly sought after, the day after in order to raise additional money for the Vietnam Trip.

The roses were sold in three colors: Red, pink, and blue.

“Red represents passion and love between a couple. Pink represents one’s admiration and appreciation, and blue represents honesty and friendship,” said Ma, who created this variety so that people could get roses to express multiple affections.

Origami has been a hobby of Ma’s for a long time, folding his first origami rose in eighth grade.

“When I learned the advanced version of the origami rose, which is the version that I am selling,” said Ma, “and saw that there was not any form of rose sales going on last year, I decided to do something with roses on my own.”

This was easier said than done.

The process of creating a single rose takes about 30 minutes, and Ma sold 100 of them. The rose itself is very complex, consisting of five different components: two leaves, a calyx, a stem, and a bud.

“The leaves and stems are the easy parts, and together take about five minutes,” said Ma. “The bud is the hardest and usually takes 15 minutes while the calyx takes 10 minutes.”

Although Ma made all of the buds and stems on his own, he had some friends and faculty members help to cut leaves and create half of the calyx.

The presentation of the roses was impressive and well worth the $5 price. Ma scented each rose so that they mimicked a real one and put them all in individual boxes.

This money is going towards one of the two Learning Through Service (LTS) trips that will happen this year.

Ma is attending the LTS Vietnam trip and has been helping with fundraising efforts. Although this sale was his first project, Ma said, “I am now thinking about designing and selling the International T-shirts this year to raise more money for the trip.” The money will go towards buying daily products to support families in need in Caibi, a village in Vietnam.

On the 10-day trip, Tabor students will be building a day house in the community, which will be used as a school or shelter. Additionally, the students will be teaching kids in the community how to speak English.

“I am looking forward to the building part of the trip, as creating things to enhance other’s lives is one of my biggest passions,” Ma said.

Ma’s origami roses raised over $500 for the trip to help improve the lives of citizens in Caibi.

By Julia O’Rourke

TABOR_Origami Roses

Draft Zoning Bylaws Take Shape

on

The draft zoning bylaws that address formula businesses and the dimensional use of land in Marion inched closer toward appearing on the Town Meeting warrant when (most) members of the Marion Planning Board voted February 17 to accept the proposed draft bylaws, subject to town counsel review.

There were some dissenting remarks and comments from board member Norman Hills, who voted to oppose the dimensional use bylaw in a 4-1 vote because, among other things, he found much of the dimensional requirements table to be arbitrary and unjustifiable.

The table proposed a 40 percent maximum lot coverage and 60 percent minimum green space coverage for all four residential zones, with most business zones reflecting different lot coverage to green space ratios.

“What is it we’re trying to solve by this, because it’s not clear to me what we’re doing,” said Hills. “The maximum lot coverage (numbers) … I don’t know what the justification is for them.”

Planning Board member, and Bylaw Subcommittee member, Robert Lane said by limiting the green space coverage, in essence, the board automatically limits the building size. Board member and subcommittee member Rico Ferrari said this gives the designer “guidelines to go by” during the planning process.

“It’s kind of up to him,” said Ferrari, “…instead of us saying we don’t want a 14,000 square-foot building.”

The bylaw’s definition of maximum lot coverage includes aspects such as parking lots, walkways, porches, and awnings as ‘impervious surfaces,’ which prompted board member Steven Gonsalves to say that ‘impervious’ is “always a head scratcher” for him.

What about shells? What about a deck constructed of planks built above crushed bluestone?

“You probably just identified some gray area right there,” said Chairman Stephen Kokkins.

Hills added that one could make an entire parking lot pervious, pointing out that, as a board, members have never tackled the pervious versus impervious issue.

After further discussion, Hills’ argument over the dimensional use table resulted in a shift from 60-40 to 50-50 maximum lot coverage/minimum green space.

Hills still had further remarks, questioning the inclusion of a certain footnote below the table advising that one could seek a special permit or variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals to shift the dimensions for limited business, general business, marine business, and limited industrial zones to 80 percent maximum lot coverage and 20 percent minimum green space.

Hills said it appeared as though the bylaw was saying, “You don’t like what we’re telling you, you can come back and ask for 80 percent.”

“Variances are very tough to obtain,” said Kokkins.

Nonetheless, the validity of the footnote remained in question and was eventually removed from the bylaw.

Hills was concerned that one public hearing to vet the bylaws before Town Meeting was not enough, but other board members agreed to wait and watch what happens at the public hearing and go from there, agreeing that, regardless of whether the bylaws move forward, the board as a whole would not endorse the citizen’s petition formula bylaw submitted by former Planning Board member Ted North.

Also during the meeting, the board granted an Approval Not Required for Dennis and Karen Clemshaw of 99 Perry’s Lane.

The application requested the removal of two lot lines of a property that straddles the Rochester/Marion town line, but will withhold the plans signed by the board until the applicant’s representative, Kevin Frogue of G.A.F. Engineering, can provide the board with a letter from the Town of Rochester accepting its responsibility to provide the residence, under construction, with emergency response services.

Before adjourning, there was more controversy during the acceptance of the meeting minutes, with Hills again adamantly opposing the board’s prior motion to condense meeting minutes, distilling them down to basic details such as members and others in attendance and motions made, excluding verbatim quotes and conversation from the record.

“I still think these minutes are a disservice to the Town and an abdication of our responsibility to the Town,” said Hills.

In response, Gonsalves cried, “Hear, hear!”

Kokkins reminded Hills that community television video recordings and employee voice recordings were still available for submission with the minutes. Hills challenged anyone on the board to show him where in the law it states DVDs and recordings are a substitute for meeting minutes.

“They do not substitute for the minutes of this meeting,” said Hills, before opposing the acceptance of the minutes in another 4-1 vote.

The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for March 2 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

MRplan_021915

Bishop Stang Q2 Honor Roll

on

The following students have achieved honors to the second quarter at Bishop Stang High School:

Samuel Appleton of Mattapoisett, grade 12, Second Honors

Skyler Callahan of Rochester, grade 9, Second Honors

Meghan Cote of Mattapoisett, grade 12, Second Honors

Sandra Decas of Mattapoisett, grade 12, First Honors

Meghan Domagala of Rochester, grade 12, Second Honors

Emma Downes of Mattapoisett, grade 12, First Honors

Aidan Downey of Mattapoisett, grade 9, President’s List

Caroline Downey of Mattapoisett, grade 12, First Honors

Matthew Dufresne of Mattapoisett, grade 12, Second Honors

Adam Estes of Mattapoisett, grade 11, First Honors

Daniel Fealy of Mattapoisett, grade 11, President’s List

Carolyn Foley of Mattapoisett, grade 12, First Honors

Elizabeth Foley of Mattapoisett, grade 10, First Honors

Kyleigh Good of Rochester, grade 12, Second Honors

Jeannette King of Rochester, grade 9, First Honors

Matthew Lee of Marion, grade 12, Second Honors

Rubén Llanas-Colón of Mattapoisett, grade 12, First Honors

Elizabeth Lonergan of Marion, grade 11, First Honors

Maura Lonergan of Marion, grade 12, Second Honors

Mariah MacGregor of Rochester, grade 12, First Honors

Carli Rita of Mattapoisett, grade 10, First Honors

Jessica Rush of Marion, grade 11, First Honors

Joseph Russo of Marion, grade 9, First Honors

Matthew Russo of Marion, grade 9, Second Honors

Tyler Trate of Mattapoisett, grade 9, First Honors

Olivia Ucci of Marion, grade 10, Second Honors

Youth Art Month at the Marion Art Center

on

In conjunction with Youth Art Month, the art students at Sippican Elementary School, in Marion, Massachusetts, under the supervision of their art teacher, Erin Kirk, will exhibit works titled “Colorful Creations!” in the Patsy Francis Gallery at the Marion Art Center, in Marion. Mrs. Kirk has assembled a collection of artwork created by her students that includes several works from each grade level and represents various mediums, including sculptures, all of which will be on exhibit from March 6 until April 18. There will be a special opening reception at the Marion Art Center for the students and their parents after school on Friday, March 6 from 3:30 to 5:30 pm.

The main focus of the Art Program at Sippican Elementary School is the production, or making, of art. Most of the projects are introduced with an art history or appreciation lesson in which the students view and discuss the art of a selected period, culture, or artist.

The Sippican Elementary School Art program emphasizes that learning to be an artist is much like learning a sport. With patience, persistence, practice, problem solving, and a positive approach, every student has the ability to create beautiful and meaningful art.

The Marion Art Center is a not-for-profit organization formed 58 years ago to promote the visual and performing arts. It is located in Marion, MA at the corner of Main St. and Pleasant St. The gallery is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Admission is free.

The Marion Art Center is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition of watercolors by artist Jay Ryan titled “Studio Puddles and Successive Approximations.” A reception honoring the artist and his guests will be held on Friday, March 6 at the Marion Art Center from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the Cecil Clark Davis Gallery. The show will run until April 18. The Marion Art Center is located at 80 Pleasant Street, Marion. Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Friday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

Public Hearing Information

on

To the Editor:

I write to clarify the purpose of the Public Hearing being held in Mattapoisett on Thursday, March 5 at 7:00 pm at Old Hammondtown School. This hearing will be chaired by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), at the request of the Board of Selectmen, to allow the public to learn about and comment upon the large private dock being proposed for 3 Goodspeed Island. The major issue of interest to DEP in the March 5 hearing is whether and how the proposed pier will interfere with public uses of the shoreline and harbor. Written comments are requested by DEP and may be submitted following the hearing until March 25, 2015.

The March 5 hearing is not part of the appeal being pursued by the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission to overturn a Superseding Order of Conditions (SOC) granted for the pier by the DEP Regional Office in Lakeville. The SOC process also is administered by DEP, but is separate from the March 5 hearing. The SOC appeal is considered by DEP’s Dispute Resolution Branch in Boston; a decision is expected sometime next summer. No public hearings will be conducted as part of that process.

It is easy to become confused because, while two different permits are needed to build a pier, the process for granting both permits is administered by DEP. However, the laws and regulations governing each permit, and the processes for permit evaluation, are separate. More information about both permits is available from the Conservation Commission office at Town Hall, or from our group on Facebook or at goodspeedislandpier@comcast.net.

Thank you,

Mike Huguenin

Friends of Mattapoisett Harbor

Mattapoisett Congregational Church Pancake Supper

on

February 17 is Shrove Tuesday, the last day before the Lenten season and the day when the Mattapoisett Congregational Church hosts its traditional pancake supper. Not only will pancakes be served, but also sausage, special toppings, desserts and drinks. Serving the piping hot pancakes beginning at 5:30 pm will be members of the choir. Mark your calendar! Celebrate Shrove Tuesday with your family and friends at the Congregational Church on February 17 in Reynard Hall. Everyone is welcome to attend. A ‘free will’ offering will be collected with proceeds benefitting the MCC mission programs. Please come.