Sippican School Kindergarten Registration

on

Children who will be five years of age by August 31, 2015 and reside in Marion are eligible to enroll in Kindergarten. Kindergarten Registration will be held at Sippican School on Wednesday, February 11 from 9:30 – 10:30 am and from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.

During these times, registration forms will be processed, and new parents will have the opportunity to meet with our Principal and Nurse. A copy of each student’s updated immunization record must be submitted at the time of registration. Records should include verification of lead screening, hepatitis B vaccination and other immunizations. An original birth certificate for each student must be presented to be photocopied. Proof of residency requirements must also be met. Please provide three verifications of home address, (e.g., copy of lease or real estate tax bill, vehicle registration, driver’s license, current electric, cable or gas bill, etc.).

Information and forms will be mailed by Friday, January 23 to the parents of all prospective kindergarteners. Any parent not receiving this information should call Cathy Caramanica at Sippican School at 508-748-0100, ext. 316.

Rochester Kindergarten Information Night

on

On Wednesday evening, January 28, a Parent Information Night for new Kindergarten families will begin at 5:45 pm with a question and answer period in the RMS cafetorium and then continue from 6:00 to 7:00 pm in our Kindergarten classrooms. Enrollment packets will be available for you to take and complete at home.

Kindergarten registration will take place February 3, 4, and 5 from 9:30 to 11:30 am and from 1:00 to 2:30 pm each day. Completed registration paperwork should be presented at this time.

When coming to register, parents must bring the child’s birth certificate, a valid driver’s license, two verifications of home address, a record of immunization, and a physician’s certificate showing the date and results of a lead screening. Each student must have a physical examination dated during the current year prior to the beginning of classes. We will accommodate your personal schedules, but if possible please register your child on the appropriate day shown below.

Last name begins with:

A-F: Register on Tuesday, February 3

G-M: Register on Wednesday, February 4

N-Z: Register on Thursday, February 5

If you have an outstanding court order or decree regarding the legal custody of your child, we ask that you bring it at registration time.

Tri-Town School Closed on Tuesday

on

Superintendent Douglas R. White has sent out a notice that, “Due to the impending winter storm all schools in Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester will be closed on Tuesday, January 27th, 2015.” As the storm progresses we will post updates on other closings as we receive them.

Richard M. Dubowik, Sr.

on

Richard M. Dubowik, Sr., 65, of Mattapoisett died January 23, 2015 at home after a brief illness.

He was the husband of Darlene (Scott) Dubowik.

Born in Portland, ME, the son of the late Kathleen (Manchester) Vinjerud and step-son of Lars Vinjerud, he lived in Mattapoisett for the last 25 years.

Mr. Dubowik was the proprietor of Oak Tree Carpentry building homes locally and in New Jersey.

He enjoyed spending time with family and friends.

Survivors include his wife; 4 sons, Richard Dubowik, Jr., Daniel O’Connell, Russell O’Connell, and Steven Dubowik; a brother, Lars Vinjerud, II; 2 sisters, Mary Rich and Kate Rumrey; 6 grandchildren, Keith, Dan, Amy, Rich III, Sean and Kaia; and several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

He was the father of the late Timothy O’Connell.

His visiting hours will be held on Friday, January 30th from 4-8 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett. His Graveside Service will be held on Saturday, January 31st at 11 AM in Cushing Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to www.crowdrise.com/taraoconnell1 to benefit Rett Syndrome of Massachusetts.

MNHM Adult and Family Programs

on

Saturday, January 31, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Tracking with the Marion Natural History Museum

We will meet at Washburn Park to do some tracking and search for other evidence of wild animals with naturalist and experienced tracker, Jennifer Carlino. Jennifer has volunteered with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife Department for many years and has trained with the likes of biologist Scott Jackson. Please remember to dress warmly. You may want to bring a pair of binoculars or a camera to document your findings. Cost for the program is a $6/person donation to the museum.

Friday, February 6, 7:00 – 8:30 pm: “The Right Whale Sedation Story” with Dr. Michael Moore

Woods Hole Marine Biologist Michael Moore will present his new strategy for sedating right whales to enable dis-entangling. Mr. Moore has devoted much of his career to understanding the endangered North Atlantic right whale, which are too often the victims of human activities. Since coming to WHOI as a graduate student in 1986, Moore has investigated why populations of North Atlantic right whales have not rebounded as they could have in the eight decades since whaling was outlawed, while their South Atlantic cousins have. Moore and colleagues at the New England Aquarium and elsewhere, as part of the Right Whale Consortium, have come to recognize that the specie lives mostly in a highly “urbanized” ocean, where ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements are a constant concern.

As a result, Moore has studied various pharmacological and mechanical tools to help restrain or sedate large whales so that they can be cut loose from ropes and fishing gear. These efforts include the development of methods of injecting large whales with sedatives or antibiotics. Moore and colleagues Becky Woodward and Jeremy Winn have also modeled the interactions between fixed fishing gear and large whale body parts and conducted engineering tests to determine how rope interacts with whale baleen.

This program promises to be an interesting one, and preregistration is strongly recommended. Please preregister at the museum’s website: www.marionmuseum.org. Cost is a $6 donation to Marion Natural History Museum.

Friday, February 27, 7:00 – 8:30 pm: Family Program – BUGWORKS!

Join Bugworks! on Friday, February 27 for an interactive evening featuring live invertebrates. Topics will include insect life cycles, characteristics, defense mechanisms, historical significance, and more. We’ll also compare insects to other arthropods such as millipedes and arachnids. Join us as we peer at a praying mantis and marvel at millipedes! Program will be held at the Marion Natural History Museum. Cost for this program is a $6 donation to the museum. “This program is supported in part by a grant from the (name of local cultural council), a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.”

Friday, March 6, 7:00 – 8:30 pm: Beyond the White Shark – Sharks of New England with Dr. Tom Burns

Dr. Tom Burns has been photographing sharks for over 20 years. His pursuit of shark encounters has taken him around the world. Years of in-water interactions with sharks, often without the barrier of a cage, has allowed him to obtain a real perspective of these intelligent animals. Based on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, it is the sharks of New England that have become his focus including the mako shark, basking shark, porbeagles and the rare hammerhead and tiger sharks. Beyond the species profiles, Dr. Burns will give the audience background on how he dives, photographs, and interacts with these different species. Some might be surprised to learn that he never uses a shark cage and will sometimes use aerial spotters for encountering sharks such as hammerheads. The presentation will include some of Dr. Burns’ stunning photographs which have been published in numerous magazines. Location: Marion Natural History Museum, 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA. Cost: $6 donation to the Marion Natural History Museum.

Mattapoisett Lions Club Award

on

The Mattapoisett Lions Club, a member of Lions International consisting of 45,000 clubs and more than 1.3 million members worldwide making this the world’s largest service club organization, is pleased to announce a $5,000 scholarship to be awarded this year to a graduating high school or home-schooled student residing in Mattapoisett, Marion or Rochester.

The funds for this Award are raised through fundraisers held by the Mattapoisett Lions Club throughout the year, including Harbor Days, an annual Arts and Craft Festival held in Shipyard Park every third weekend of July and attended by up to 10,000 people.

The Lions Club motto is WE SERVE, and one of the largest charitable causes of Lions International includes raising funds for eye research in an effort to end preventable blindness throughout the world and providing services for those in need in our community.

To qualify, a graduating student or home-schooled student shall be enrolled in their first year of a recognized school of higher education, must be a resident of the Tri-Town area, and must have demonstrated service to the community. Special consideration will be given to those looking to a career in an eyesight-related field.

To obtain an application, learn more about this Award, or to learn how to become a member of the Lions Club, visit our website www.mattapoisettlionsclub.org. Award applications are available through the guidance department at your high school. Applications may also be obtained by calling Helene Rose at 758-9841. Applications must be received by March 28, 2015.

Seniors Share Tips on College Applications

on

Senior year is generally a busy time for students, with challenging classes, graduation looming, and events like Prom and field trips designed to celebrate seniors’ time at the school. However, perhaps nothing is more time-consuming than college applications. Although most deadlines for colleges occur between November 1 and February 15, they still affect a large chunk of students’ school year. To discover more about the college applications process, three seniors shared their experiences about prioritizing their time during this busy period.

Michael Kassabian tried to narrow down his choices to schools where he could see himself doing well, and he recommended it as a good strategy for those applying in the future. He applied to five schools, including Notre Dame, Holy Cross, and Harvard.

“It’s just chipping away and getting my school work done first,” said Kassabian on balancing school work and college work. “I started in the late summer, brainstorming stuff, so I could come into the school year with a base.”

Kassabian offered advice for students in the throes of application season. “Don’t let it (the applications process) get the best of you. Buckle down, and don’t procrastinate.”

Asked to sum up the applications process in one word, Emma Purtell decided on “stressful.” She applied to seven schools from all across the country, including St. Bonaventure, the University of Arizona, and the University of New Hampshire.

Describing her strategy to work effectively, she said, “I get my homework done, that’s my first priority. Any free time I have, or over the weekend, that’s when I work on college applications.”

She noted a difference of schools that accept the Common App and those that require a unique application.

“The common app schools had applications that were easier to bang out,” said Purtell, “but I worked from September to December on applications for schools that don’t have the Common App.”

Similar to Michael, she advised getting a head start on college applications as a way to not get overwhelmed. In addition, Emma said that speaking to your guidance counselors was a good idea.

Stephen Gouin agreed with Emma, picking “stressful” as his word to describe his time applying to colleges. He applied to three Massachusetts schools – Dean College, Nichols College, and LaSell College. When questioned about when he tackled his college-related work, Stephen responded, “I usually would dedicate some time on the weekends to do it.”

He encouraged students from next year’s class and beyond to “really think about your future and what schools are the best for you.”

All students who plan on going to an institute of higher learning have to devote some of their time to researching and applying to colleges. With the other burdens senior year can provide, the college applications process can be a challenging time for students, but as these students have proven, time management and focus can lead to success.

By Patrick Briand

ORR-Grad-2014-0845

Juno, What? Winter Storm on its Way

on

A blizzard watch is in effect for our area effective Monday evening until late Tuesday night, with an urgent warning from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the potential for a historic winter storm to bury the region with snow and blow through with winds that could gust up to 60 miles per hour.

Winter Storm Juno is expected to make its largest impact on coastal communities with a possible 18-24+ inches of heavy snow, strong sustained winds between 20-30 mph with stronger gusts, and zero visibility at times resulting in possible blizzard conditions.

The worst of the storm will be between Monday night through Tuesday afternoon, with whiteout conditions making travel nearly impossible and maybe life-threatening.

The strong wind and heavy, wet snow brings the threat of downed tree limbs causing fallen power lines and power outages. Temperatures will be in the low 20s.

In preparation for the storm, residents are urged to charge their electronic devices such as cell phones, as well as flashlights and radios in case of a loss of electricity.

The Wanderer will keep you updated on storm forecast changes and alerts, as well as local coverage, alerts, and school and recreational cancelations in Rochester, Marion, and Mattapoisett. Like us on Facebook to stay posted on the unfolding winter events.

By Jean Perry

normal_Snow_SS_78

Marion Census Forms

on

Marion Annual Street Listing 2015 (census) forms were mailed out this month. Please complete the forms as soon as possible and drop them off at the Town House, 2 Spring Street, or mail them back in the enclosed envelope.

These census forms are very important for the Town as State aid is based on the numbers returned. The Annual Street List is compiled from this information. No children under the age of 16 are placed in the street list; however, it is very important that children be noted on the census form for school and state purposes. Again, no children under the age of 16 are placed in the street list.

2015 Dog Licenses are now available at the Town Clerk’s office. Please stop by or use the application which will be with the Annual Street List form, making sure to read the instructions carefully as incomplete applications will be returned. People over 70 years of age do not have to pay for one dog license fee but are still responsible for showing current rabies information.

Please call the Town Clerk’s office at 508-748-3502 with any questions.

Marion Senior Population Growth

on

This past fall, the Friends of the Marion Council on Aging (FMCOA) contracted with the UMass Boston Gerontology Institute to complete a demographic analysis of the town’s population and to also conduct several focus groups to investigate the needs and interests of Marion’s older citizens.

The demographic study found that the current population of Marion’s seniors – those over the age of 60 – is at 30%. This shows a 24% increase since 2000. By 2030, it is expected that this age group will account for 40% of Marion’s total population. In terms of state averages, this percentage is higher than most. Many of Marion’s seniors over 60 live alone and are considered less than wealthy.

Focus groups were conducted with a range of stakeholders in Marion’s seniors. These groups represented municipal organizations, community non-profits, and consumers of services for seniors. These groups examined current aspects of Marion that make it a “user friendly” town for seniors. In addition, these groups discussed opportunities for Marion to become a more “livable” community for seniors.

Each of the focus groups felt that Marion has good public services – police, fire, EMT, and nursing – but that communication is lacking between departments about senior activities. Many felt that this could be improved by establishing a Senior Center. This would serve as a central hub where one could go to find out what is available and what is needed to care for Marion’s senior residents. It could also be utilized as a space for a wide range of services and activities.

Another common concern that was expressed was the need for affordable housing and transportation services for seniors.

The FMCOA has met and determined several steps the group can take to move toward the recommendations from the report. These activities for 2015 will include advocacy with the Council on Aging for a Program Coordinator, helping to market programs and transportation activities for seniors in the town, contacting local newspapers with “senior spotlight” articles for publication, and working with the town to advocate for a Senior Center space as part of the Town House renovation project. The group will also continue to research models that help to promote aging in place, and ultimately help to make Marion a town that is well prepared to meet the needs of its senior population.

The full report of the demographic analysis can be viewed on FMCOA’s website at www.fmcoa.org.