Marion Flu Clinics

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The Marion Board of Health is pleased to announce seasonal flu clinics for the residents of Marion. The flu vaccine will be available as nasal mist for residents between the ages of 2 and 49 years of age and is also available in the injectable form for all residents over the age of 6 months.

Those attending the flu clinics are reminded to wear a short sleeve shirt and to bring all insurance and Medicare cards. Vaccinations will be given to all regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

– Wednesday, October 14, 4:00 – 7:00 pm at the Marion Sippican School

– Monday, October 26, 2:00 – 6:30 pm at the Marion Town House

– Monday, November 9, 2:00 – 6:30 pm at the Marion Town House

Transportation to the clinics can be arranged with the Council on Aging. For information, call the Marion Board of Health at 508-748-3530.

James R. Oldfield

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James R. Oldfield, 32, of North Easton died September 29, 2015 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

He was the fiancé of Kaitlin B. Hansen, originally from Mattapoisett.

Born in Boston, the son of Janice L. (Feroli) Johnson and her husband Michael of Weymouth and the late Donald Oldfield. He lived in Quincy most of his life before moving to North Easton this year.

Jim was looking forward to his new career as a commercial scallop fisherman.
Jim had a passion and energy for living life to it’s fullest. He enjoyed snowboarding, riding his motorcycle and the company of his dogs Stuka and Charlie.

Survivors include his fiancé; his mother and step-father; his brother, Michael Feroli of Foxboro; 2 sisters, Jennifer Pavao of East Bridgewater and Meredith Saldi of Onset; 2 uncles, Tracy Johnson and Larry Johnson; an aunt, Ann Marie Perry; 9 nieces and nephews, Aidan, Ciara, Brenna, Meredith, Kyle, Joseph, Tyler, Michael and Ian.

His Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday at 10 AM in the Trinity Lutheran Church 16 Temple Place, Fairhaven. Burial will follow in Milton Cemetery. Visiting hours Tuesday from 4-8 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6) Mattapoisett. In lieu of flowers, as a tribute to Jim’s love for animals, please make a donation to your local animal shelter. For directions guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Helping More Than Seniors

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The word “aging” in the acronym COA is too narrow a description for the work and the services provided by the Tri-Town councils on aging. On any given day, hundreds of seniors benefit from everything from an educational class, exercise, shopping, filling out complicated federal forms, or dental cleanings. Supporting a human being in nearly all areas of their lives is the job of a council on aging. Primarily for those 60 years of age and older, COAs also help younger folks and sometimes entire family units.

“I had a person call asking about services for her 92 year old father who had just moved into their home,” says Susan Schwager, director for Marion COA.

Until the day a parent comes to live with their family, contacting a COA is probably not on the adult child’s radar screen. But in reaching out to the COA, the family begins a crash course in taking care of an aging parent. That can be daunting, but with the assistance of the COA, navigation is easier.

Schwager understands how families may feel.

“I try not to overwhelm them with too much information all at once,” said Schwager. “I give them enough to get them started thinking about what types of services they might use and then tell them to come back to me with questions.”

For Schwager and Marion’s outreach coordinator, Oro Mae Torres, their days are filled with providing referral information and connecting the dots between an elder’s need and a service provider. But Marion’s COA does even more.

“We are the social services agency for the town,” Schwager said. With the construction of Little Neck Village and Marion Village Estates, said Schwager, the COA is assisting a much larger group of residents than in decades past. “We provide transportation too,” she added, taking people to doctor appointments, shopping, or numerous other places and residents, other than seniors, benefit from this service.

In Mattapoisett, COA Director Jackie Coucci’s philosophy is that seniors should “live longer, stronger.”

Coucci’s office also provides referral services and has seen what happens when families or individuals are trying to source help.

“People tend to be reactive rather than proactive,” said Coucci. In a reactive situation, time may be of the essence in getting someone help, Coucci said, while in proactive situations the senior may just be exploring what’s available to enhance their lives as they transition from full-time employment to retirement. In both cases, a COA can make all the difference.

“I can send out numerous press releases to newspapers but, until something is relevant to a person, they might not read it and wouldn’t know of a program or service that could help them at some point.” This, Coucci said, is why she often releases duplicate notices.

“When someone reduces their working hours, they can spend a bit more time thinking about themselves and what they want to do,” she said. “We can help them prepare for the future.” She continued, “We know how to access the help someone may need rather than the person struggling to pull information together on their own.” With Outreach Coordinator Susan Keir as part of the team, Mattapoisett residents and their families can more easily network for assistance.

Coucci also encourages seniors to share their talents with others.

“This is the place to use the skills and talents you’ve developed over time. It’s an opportunity to help others,” said Coucci. “Be that teaching someone the game of backgammon or supporting someone going through difficulties.”

Like Marion, Mattapoisett also provides seniors with transportation to shopping and activities held in other locations. The FISH program augments transportation needs in this community by providing rides to medical appointments.

Over in Rochester, the COA is well entrenched in the daily lives of seniors and others.

“This is a grassroots operation and the first stop for many people,” says Rochester COA Director Sharon Lally. “We either have what they need here or can lead them to the right source.” Along with Outreach Coordinator Lorraine Thompson, Lally’s agency services a wide-ranging population.

Lally said, due to Rochester’s community culture, the COA building is a hub for sourcing all types of services, whether the resident is a senior or not. And as for transportation she said, “We are the MBTA…. We provide transportation for the entire town. We are the human services agency for the town. Everybody comes here for everything.”

She said that because the building is used for a variety of community activities, such as voting, the residents know about the COA.

Of the 1,522 individuals that the Rochester COA serviced in fiscal year 2015, 32 percent were male.

“Unlike some other COAs, we see a lot of men.” And she said that they see caregivers, people under the age of 60, who are taking care of family members contacting the COA for help. Lally added that ‘out-of-towners’ also figure in to the total serviced.

“We see a lot of people from New Bedford,” Lally said.

The range of programs and services provided by the COAs is vast, indeed. Whether a person needs a simple referral to a local doctor, needs nursing assistance, help in managing finances, or even sourcing food, the COA can help. And, if someone is looking to get involved with a program that offers a social outlet like line dancing, exercising, or simply sharing a cup of coffee before heading out on a day trip in the senior van, the COA is there.

But the business of helping others gets serious when families need to pull together services for a loved one. That’s when knowing the COA is the best place to start is critical.

“If we don’t have the answer,” Schwager said, “we know where to go and get the answer.”

For a full list of services available from your community’s COA, contact Susan Schwager in Marion at 508-748-3570, in Mattapoisett contact Jackie Coucci at 508-758-4110, and in Rochester contact Sharon Lally at 508-763-8723.

By Marilou Newell

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Salty’s Silvery Moon Soiree

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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 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 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 Toby Gills. 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.

Marion Republican Town Committee

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The Marion Republican Town Committee will conduct its next monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 6 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall, 164 Front Street, Marion. The public and new members are welcome.

Athletic Achievements

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Regis College junior Jewel Medeiros of Rochester has been named this week’s New England Collegiate Conference women’s tennis Player of the Week.

Medeiros helped lead the Pride to a 2-1 mark this week, going 3-0 at No. 5 singles and 2-1 at No. 3 doubles. Medeiros scored one of two points for the Pride in a 7-2 setback to Johnson & Wales with a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 5 singles. The senior teamed with Sara Kanarkiewicz (Peabody, MA) for a pair of wins in NECC action as the duo allowed only three points in two matches against Becker and Mitchell. Medeiros only dropped one point in a pair of singles wins, winning 6-0, 6-0 against the Mariners and 6-0, 6-1 against Becker.

Rochester Women’s Club

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The next meeting of the Rochester Women’s Club will be held on Thursday, October 8 at 6:30 pm. We are located at 37 Marion Road in Rochester. We welcome ladies from surrounding communities.

This meeting is a costume Halloween Party. Although costumes are certainly optional, we encourage members to join in the fun of dressing up.

Our entertainment this month is provided by Yvonne Benton. Yvonne has been a bar tender for over 30 years and she will be sharing her “behind the Bar” stories as well as teaching us the ins and outs of mixology. Be ready for a fun night of tasting. Grab a friend and join us on Thursday evening, October 8 at 6:30 pm. RSVP by calling Marsha or emailing rwomensclub@aol.com.

Helena “Anneke” Verhave

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Helena “Anneke” Verhave, 86, of Armonk, NY, and Falmouth, MA, the wife of the late Thom Verhave, passed away on October 1st, 2015 at Alden Court in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.
A daughter of the late Robert and Helena Baan, she was born in Caracas, Venezuela. She was educated in the Netherlands and came to the United States to attend Barnard College, graduating with the class of 1951. She later received her Master’s degree in early childhood education from Manhattanville College.

Mrs. Verhave worked as an elementary school teacher at the Columbus Magnet School in Norwalk, CT. She enjoyed her pets, gardening, and folk and classical music, and she volunteered as a mentor in the Falmouth Public Schools after retiring.

She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who cherished her time spent with family and friends. Her family includes a son, Menno Verhave, and his wife Judy of Wellesley, a son, Eric Verhave, and his wife Lucy of Poughquag, NY, and a daughter, Marya Verhave Gabriel, and her husband Stefan of Mattapoisett – six grandchildren, Alex, Daniel, Caitlin and Jessica Verhave, and Sofia and Emma Gabriel – and two great-grandchildren, Isabel and Madeline Verhave. She was the sister of Wilhelmina Fledderjohn, and Leonarda Van der Werf. A private ceremony of remembrance will be held by close friends andfamily.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to: the Alzheimer’s Association National Office, 225 N. Michigan Ave., FL. 17, Chicago, IL 60601. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com [1].

Tabor Reaches Out to ZBA, Apologizes

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Discord between Tabor Academy and the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals was unintentional, says Head of School John Quirk, and the school’s seeming nonchalance when it came to public hearing continuance requests was in no way meant to send the ZBA any sort of “message.”

Head of School John Quirk told the ZBA on September 24 that the board caught his attention when he read the article in The Wanderer about the September 10 ZBA hearing when ZBA member Betsy Dunn called Tabor out on its infinite requests for a continuation. Dunn sought advice from town counsel on how to cease granting future continuances. Some board members said Tabor’s absence at meetings “spoke volumes.”

Quirk phoned the ZBA on Friday – the day after the September 10 meeting – and asked to appear at the next ZBA meeting.

“First and foremost, I just want to apologize that I find myself here tonight,” said Quirk. “It would not ever have been my intention to send any ‘message’ by not being present here.”

Quirk said he always tried to be proactive and communicative with the Town, but in the matter of the backstop and the ball field lighting, “I just fell short in this matter.”

“You didn’t fall short, John,” Dunn told him. “It was Mark [Bobrowski].” Bobrowski is the attorney acting on behalf of the school.

Quirk apologized for the “stress” and vowed that the school would work the matter out with the Town, recognizing the ball field as a contentious project.

“I respectfully ask for a continuance,” said Quirk. “I come with my apologies and I come with my request … for a continuance.”

The board granted Tabor a continuance until December 10.

Building Commissioner Scott Shippey acknowledged that when the contentious project began, Quirk was not yet affiliated with the school. Quirk “inherited” the project, Shippey said.

“I didn’t know Tabor failed to attend (the meetings),” said Quirk. “I was completely unaware.”

Also during the meeting, about 10 neighbors came out, mostly in support of Dale Allison’s Special Permit request to raze the existing one-story cottage at 358 Delano Road and build a new two-story house.

Several letters of support and a few abutters lauded the plans for the new home, saying it was an improvement and would have a positive affect on the neighborhood.

Abutter to the south, Lucius Evans, said the newer, larger home would come close to his smaller 19-foot high cottage and possibly affect things such as breezes and television reception.

“It’s a nice house, certainly,” said Evans. “But by size and … proximity to the side setback, we feel it may give a little bit of a crowded feel there.” Evans said he also has ongoing moisture problems in his basement and wondered if the raising of the property’s elevation to surpass the current flood zone elevation would have a negative impact on that.

Chairman Eric Pierce said he would like to visit the site before taking a vote, and the board closed the public hearing to take the matter under advisement.

The next meeting of the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for October 8 at 7:30 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

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Slate of Tabor Speakers Discuss Empathy

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On the evening of September 23, Tabor Academy welcomed Dr. Michael Kimmel, Director of the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities, Stony Brook University and author of Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men, to speak with students and faculty. The faculty from Old Rochester Regional High School was also invited to join the event at Tabor.

With all schools, day/boarding, public/private, being so influenced by student culture, instilling empathy and habits of inclusive thought and behaviors are critical to creating a safe and healthy learning living community for all our students.

Dr. Kimmel spoke about how communities can establish and uphold cultural norms that encourage all members to be responsible for both themselves and for others, and which actively struggle against the tacit approval occasionally signaled by bystanders not confronting destructive behaviors. This kind of community, suggested Kimmel, upholds its values in its day-to-day interactions and creates a strong, supportive culture.

As Tabor seeks to explore the value of empathy with students this year, Dr. Kimmel’s lecture provided a strong starting point. To continue the dialogue, motivational speaker Alexis Jones will join students and faculty in October on the topic of community respect and gender empowerment. Next, the third annual Graboys Leadership Symposium will focus on empathy and social entrepreneurship with a host of outside and alumni speakers on this topic including Alan Harlam, the Director of Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship at Brown University’s Swearer Center for Public Service; Jim Deters of Galvanize; Candy Brush, Vice Provost of Global Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College; and Heather Neurwith, Associate Director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Middlebury College.

“Empathy is a key 21st century learning disposition, and our efforts to focus on understanding how best to see through the perspective lens of others carries such power and opportunity,” says Dean of Students Mel Bride, who is responsible for much of this programming.

To engage Tabor and Tri-Town parents in this dialogue, Tabor will welcome Dr. Frances Jensen, author of The Teenage Brain, on October 30 at 7:00 pm in Hoyt Hall (235 Front Street, Marion) for a discussion about teenage cognitive development and decision-making. This talk is open to the public and will be a centerpiece of the school’s Parents’ Weekend programming. It is Tabor’s hope that this opportunity will facilitate continued dialogue among students and parents around the important topic of personal responsibility and what it means to care for others as a committed citizen in our communities.