The Rochester Historical Society Museum at 355 County Road will be open on Sundays from 1:00 to 3:00 pm through October 26. The new display, titled Rochester Remembered, is an interesting visit into life in an earlier Rochester. The Gift Shop will be open featuring new town seal sweatshirts, handmade curio boxes, T-shirts, hats and various Rochester books. While the supply lasts, visitors will receive a free copy of “Rochester Remember, People, Places and Things.”
Dear Editor:
Mattapoisett residents with thoughts about the large pier being proposed by Laurie and Daniel Darosa at 3 Goodspeed Island have only a short time remaining to make their voices heard. The proposed pier requires a “Waterways License” issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP licensing process is independent from hearings underway in front of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission. To participate in the DEP process, residents must mail written comments by October 22, 2014 in order to comply with the DEP deadline.
The September 25 issue of The Wanderer included the DEP legal notice describing “an application to construct and maintain a pile supported timber pier with a gangway, float and float piles at 3 Goodspeed Island … in and over flowed tidelands of Mattapoisett Harbor.” The DEP legal notice states that comments should reference DEP Application W14-4226, applicant Laurie and Daniel Darosa. Comments should be sent to: Carlos T. B. Fragata, Environmental Analyst, DEP Waterways Regulation Program, 20 Riverside Drive, Lakeville, MA, 02347. For more information, Mr. Fragata can be reached at 508-946-2873. Complete plans for the proposed pier can be viewed at the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission office or at Mr. Fragata’s office in Lakeville (previous appointment required).
Thank you.
William Cantor
The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.
This time every year, Operation Shoebox collects, assembles, and packages all kinds of travel-size items for distribution to our military members both here and abroad.
To show appreciation to our service men and women for their continued efforts on our behalf, the Mattapoisett Lions Club is supporting this project with collection boxes placed at the following Mattapoisett locations:
Mattapoisett Chiropractic Center at 109 Fairhaven Road
First Citizens Federal Credit Union at 2 Fairhaven Road
Mattapoisett Free Public Library on Barstow St.
Panino’s (outside) at the Ropewalk on Route 6 in Mattapoisett
Items needed are numerous and include, but are not limited to, all sorts of travel sundries like tooth paste, tooth brushes, Q-Tips, disposable razors, shaving cream, deodorant, lip balm, shampoo, sanitizing lotion, chap sticks, etc. Other travel size items like AA batteries, paperbacks, chewing gum, duct tape, DVDs, playing cards, pencils, single-serve munchies, sunscreen, etc. will be well received and much appreciated.
If you know of someone in the service, a family member, friend or neighbor, please email their address to PDG Joe Rizzo at joseph.rizzo.jr@gmail.com for placement on our list to receive a care package.
Please consider donating items for Operation Shoebox. Collection boxes will be in place until October 31.
Old Rochester Travel Basketball will be holding tryouts for the 2014-2015 season on October 18 for the Girls’ teams and October 25 for the Boys’ teams. Tryouts will take place at the Old Rochester Regional High School gymnasium. The Old Rochester Travel Basketball program is entering its 8th season and competes in the Cape Cod Youth Basketball League which has 125 teams in nine age groups for boys and girls ranging from 4th grade through 8th grade.
This season, Old Rochester will field eight teams that will roster between 10 and 15 boys and girls in each grade from the Tri-Town. Our mission is to allow the youth of the Tri-Town to hone their basketball skills against the very best talent in Massachusetts. Games will begin in early December and will conclude in early February. Teams will play two games per weekend and players will be responsible for their own travel to and from games, both home and away.
Tryouts for the girls’ teams will be held at the following times on Saturday, October 18:
12:30 – 2:00 pm – 7th Grade Girls
2:00 – 3:30 pm – 8th Grade Girls
3:30 – 5:00 pm – 5th and 6th grade Girls
Tryouts for the Boys’ teams will be held at the following times on Saturday, October 25:
12:30 – 2:00 pm – 4th Grade Boys
2:00 – 3:30 pm – 7th Grade Boys
3:30 – 5:00 pm – 5th Grade Boys
5:00 – 6:30 pm – 6th Grade Boys
6:30 – 8:00 pm – 8th Grade Boys
The coaching goal of the program is to work on developing individual skills and to incorporate those skills into a competitive team environment. Good sportsmanship is not only taught, it is expected. You can find more information about the league and travel program at www.capehoops.com. If you would like additional information about the Old Rochester Travel Basketball program, please contact Robert Reuter at 401-954-0152 or at robreuterjr@aim.com.
Every October, an influx of school spirit sweeps through the halls at Old Rochester Regional High School. Usually taking place in the middle of the month, the Homecoming football game and dance are among the school year’s most anticipated events.
Proceeding Homecoming, there will be four ‘Spirit Days,’ which include themes like ‘Pajama Day’ and ‘Twin Day’ that have been historically popular at the High School. These events are designed to build interest in the weekend’s events, and of course, inspire school spirit. Spirit Week culminates on Friday afternoon with the Fall Pep Rally and the Homecoming Skits. All students attend the Pep Rally, where recent triumphs of the school’s sports teams are celebrated, and both the Jazz Band and school Chorus perform. Each class puts on a skit, which ideally ties in pop culture references and school spirit in an entertaining manner. School administrators determine which skit is the best, and the event successfully promotes the weekend activities to the entire school population.
The highlight of the week for many will be the big home football game that takes place on Friday, October 17. Our Bulldogs, who currently have a 3-2 record, will take on the Wareham Vikings at 7:00 pm. A large crowd is expected to cheer the Bulldogs on to victory. Junior Jacob Castelo voiced his opinion on the big game. “The football games are a great time to hang out with your friends, and if you have friends on the football team, cheer them on,” he said.
The following night, the annual dance will take place in the school cafeteria. This extremely well-attended event is a favorite of the student body, especially the seniors who will graduate later this year. Fellow junior Kyle Costa agreed, stating “Homecoming is a good, spirited time for ORR, and the school really comes together.”
Olivia Bellefeuille, who recently transferred from a high school in Connecticut, says no one really went to Homecoming at her old school. “I’m looking forward to going, and I’m interested to see how it is here; I’ve heard a lot of people go. It wasn’t popular at my old school.”
As Spirit Week leads into the football game and dance, the students of ORR are bound to come together and support their school. Check back next week for a recap of all the Homecoming events.
By Patrick Briand
There is a new face at the Town House in Marion. The Conservation Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals will now have the administrative support they need with the hiring of Donna Hemphill. Only two weeks into her new position, Hemphill has handled numerous departmental documents, attended a ConCom meeting, and sat in on a ZBA session. Hemphill’s hours are Monday through Thursday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm and Friday 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.
At the October 8 meeting of the Marion ConCom, six agenda items were swiftly dealt with; however, two were continued until the October 22 meeting. Those two items were: Thomas Stemberg, 114 Point Road, submitting a notice of intent to demolish buildings on the property and construct a single family dwelling; and Kathleen Mahoney, Dexter Road, with a submittal for an RDA.
Matthew and Stephanie Sperry, Converse Road, submitted an RDA that was accepted with standard conditions to construct a new home bordering wetlands.
Dennis and Karen Clemishaw, Perry Lane, with a notice of intent received approval for grading near a bordering wetlands.
Daniel Gibbs, 4 Derby Lane, received approval for an RDA to construct a single family dwelling with a pool; standard conditions were imposed.
Barbara Shea O’Hara, 136 Point Road, submitted an RDA that was approved with standard conditions for the construction of a single-family dwelling.
The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for October 22 at 7:00 pm in the Town House conference room.
By Marilou Newell
To the Editor:
I would like to commend the Marion Planning Board for how they handled last Monday night’s meeting with CVS. It was a packed Music Hall filled with opposition to CVS moving the Captain Hadley House and building a 12,900 square foot building on that corner lot. After hearing and reviewing the CVS proposal, the Planning Board got it. Chairman Kokkins set the tone by pointing out that the size was too big for the location (four times the size of Cumberland and five times the size of Dunkin’ Donuts) as well as changing the “gateway to Marion” by moving an historic building. Traffic, congestion, drainage, parking, and curb cuts all exacerbate a difficult corner already congested by the Cumberland Farms traffic nightmare. And who knows what the 40B project will add to traffic in that area.
Each member spoke up about how they felt and what issues were of concern. Eileen Marum pointed out that CVS corporate is moving overseas. Robert Lane stated that we have no assurance about the occupancy of the building should CVS abandon it and we end up with a vacant building like the old Cumberland Farms. Ricco Ferrari urged residents to get involved in the Master Plan process. He pointed out that Route 6 today is not reflective of the character of Marion.
We need to attract good, small, local businesses with proper zoning and planning and stop just fighting the formula stores we don’t want. I hope that all who showed up Monday night will continue to show up and be part of the planning process.
Sincerely,
Margie Baldwin, Marion
The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.
Salty the Seahorse and the Mattapoisett Land Trust once again wish to invite children of all ages to join us for what has become a fall tradition of fun in the firelight on Saturday, October 25, from 5:30 until 8:00 pm at Dunseith Gardens (Route 6 at North Street). The Land Trust will provide the cooking fires, with hay-bale seating, and the ingredients for “s’mores” as well as cider as a healthy thirst-quencher. Entertainment will include music and storytelling by Andrea Lovett. Entrance to the property will be illuminated by luminaria created by the students at Center School.
All are welcome. Guests need to park off-site, so please bring a flashlight to help you return to your car and for safety on the grounds.
For more information, you can contact the Land Trust by email at info@mattlandtrust.org or call 774-377-9191 and leave a message.
Applications for the Senior Citizen Property Tax Work-Off Program are now available. This program allows Mattapoisett seniors, older than 60, to perform services for the Town in exchange for a maximum $750 reduction on the taxes for Mattapoisett property that they own and occupy.
Applications are available online at the city’s website, mattapoisett-ma.gov, under the “COA” on the left section under “News.” Hard copy applications may also be picked up in person at the Council on Aging. The application will contain a summary of the eligibility requirements for program participation and will be accompanied by an information package. All applications must be turned in to the Council on Aging office by 3:00 pm on Friday, October 24 (please note the extended date). Anyone with questions may call Jacqueline Coucci, Council on Aging Director, at 508-758-4110.
Here is a look at the sixth week of results in scheduled games for all ORR athletic teams.
Football: The Bulldogs suffered their second consecutive loss this week, falling to Dighton-Rehoboth in a hard-fought 21-7 game. The Bulldogs played fairly well and were moving the ball consistently against the tough opposing defense, but never seemed to be able to capitalize on any of their drives. ORR’s end-game totals were 201 yards and nine first downs, but they only entered the red-zone once throughout the entire game. Their lone score of the night came on a huge 50-yard pass play from Quarterback Alex Aruri to senior Hunter Cooney with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Though this was a tough loss for the now 3-2 Bulldogs, they will look to get back on a winning streak against Wareham. The Bulldogs square off against the Vikings on Friday, October 17 at ORR on Homecoming Night.
Field Hockey: The girls’ field hockey team had a rough week this week, as they lost their SCC championship hopes and first place conference record in the span of two tough games. The Lady Bulldogs began their week with a 2-0 loss to SCC rival Apponequet. Though this knocked the girls from a definitive SCC championship, they still had the opportunity to split the championship with Apponequet if they could secure a win over Seekonk. Unfortunately, the girls tied Seekonk in a heartbreaking 0-0 draw, giving Apponequet the upper edge on the both the conference rankings and title. However, this is not the end of the girls’ season; they will be competing in the state tournament to hopefully secure a division championship.
Boys’ Soccer: The boys won both of their games this week by large margins, defeating both Wareham 5-1 and Fairhaven 4-1. Against Wareham, Shane DeSousa led the offense with two goals, while Ryan Beatty, Alex Tavares, and Jackson Reydel all added a goal apiece. Against Fairhaven, Alex Sousa scored two goals, while Beatty and Tavares each pitched in one again. ORR’s defense was strong in both games thanks to Goalie Melvin Vincent.
Girls’ Soccer: The Lady Bulldogs also had a nice week, shutting out both of their opponents in two conference blowouts. The girls handily defeated Wareham 7-0, with Kaleigh Goulart (3), Katelyn Bindas (2), Olivia Pellegrino, and Morgan Browning all scoring goals for ORR. The girls went on to defeat Fairhaven 3-0 in an equally impressive game, this time with Goulart, Ava Ciffolillo, and Amy Bichajian scoring goals. Even more impressive than the Bulldog offense was their defense; Mikayla Demanche recorded her seventh and eighth shutouts of the season, and the ORR defense has only allowed seven goals in eleven games, an impressive statistic.
Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country: The girls’ cross country team had a fantastic week this week, defeating two conference teams in clean sweeps. The girls defeated both Apponequet and Seekonk 15-50, sweeping the top five spots thanks to performances by Nina Bourgeois, Emily Josephson, Madisen Martin, Rachel Scheub, and Maddie Scheub. The boys’ team defeated Apponequet with a score of 18-42, but unfortunately lost to a stacked Seekonk lineup 19-44. Seekonk took first place and then swept third-ninth to secure the win and hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season.
Golf: The golf team became the first ORR fall sports team to win an SCC championship this season. Though the boys’ perfect record was squandered by a loss to Bourne, the boys closed out their regular season with a 159-48 win over Wareham. The boys will now move on to the state tournament and hope to be one of the top two qualifying teams to advance to the next level.
Volleyball: Though the girls lost to SCC powerhouse Fairhaven in a 3-0 sweep this week, they also notched another win against Wareham, 3-2. Michaelah Nunes had 18 assists and 16 digs for the Lady Bulldogs, and Haley Aguiar and Olivia Bellefuille also played well. This is a big improvement from where the Lady Bulldogs were last season, as they had yet to win a game up to this point and currently have four victories on the season.
Below are the overall team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of October 12.
Football: (3-2-0) (3-2-0); Field Hockey: (11-3-1) (10-1-1); Girls’ Soccer: (10-1-1) (10-1-1); Boys’ Soccer: (8-4-1) (8-3-1); Golf: (15-1-0) (15-1-0); Volleyball: (4-11-0) (4-9-0); Boys’ Cross Country: (3-1-0) (3-1-0); Girls’ Cross Country: (4-0-0) (4-0-0).
By Michael Kassabian