Good Speed Island

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To the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen:

I am writing to address a recent petition by a resident of Good Speed Island requesting permission to build a dock in front of his house – a very long dock that can compromise some shellfish beds and fishing areas.

My concern is the fragile ecosystem we live in and the aesthetic, as well as recreational, value of our land and waterfront.

I have lived in Mattapoisett for 20 years and have had a sailboat moored here for 30. Over the years, I have watched people build and add to their property both on the land and into the harbor. The pristine and natural beauty of our northeast coast seems to be getting swallowed up in clutter.

We are neighbors, we are friends, we share a lovely part of our coastline. We don’t always agree on who to vote for, or what color we should paint our houses, but what we do agree on is this beautiful harbor that we all share.

We have a beautiful recreational waterfront. I would like to call upon all my neighbors and friends to rally together to preserve our fragile ecosystem, our pristine and naturally beautiful coastline, our harbor.

As leaders of our community, I call upon you to take the lead, for I fear we will soon be able to walk across the harbor without getting our feet wet.

Thank you,

Cathy Martens, Mattapoisett

 

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.

Tiny Art Show Makes Grand Impression

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“Art should be independent of all clap-trap – should … appeal to the artistic sense of eye or ear, without confounding this with emotions entirely foreign to it … Take the picture of my mother … as an Arrangement in Grey and Black. Now that is what it is … what can or ought the public care about the identity of the portrait?” – J. M. Whistler, from The Gentle Art of Making Enemies, 1890

            It has been decades since James McNeil Whistler suffered for his art. His innovative use of color and contrasts did not bring the rave reviews his ego so craved. His story – and the story of so many artists – is one of struggle not only to produce the finished piece, but to have the public enjoy it as well. Thanks to all those artists who have gone before, today’s artistic endeavors have much greater mass acceptance and appeal. Whether the medium is clay, bronze, oils, watercolors, fabric, straw, photography or even dirt – modern humans long to express themselves while others long to see the works.

Now, local residents can view locally-produced art at a venue that in and of itself is a work of primitive art – the tiny building next door to the Tinkhamtown Chapel – The Helping Hand Society. From September 12 through 28 (from noon until 6:00 pm), this free exhibit of about 25 creations will delight even the most seasoned museum-goer.

Presenting this show is the ‘Mattapoisett Area Artists’ group. Christine Bertram, one of the artists and hosts at the opening on September 12 said, “We’ve been working together for about two years … received assistance from UMass Dartmouth’s legal college students to establish ourselves as a non-profit.” She said once that is achieved, they will be able to apply for grants that will help fund the group’s far-reaching plans. They hope to one day be able to give lessons, partnering with schools. Bertram said that many of the artists in the group are teachers and professors.

The chairman of the group is Dave Englund, a rather well-known local artist in his own right, who has been teaching an astounding six decades. Although he has primarily been an educator in philosophy, it isn’t a long leap from there to creative pursuits he believes. Englund now teaches a class at the Plymouth campus of Quincy College in art perception. His own works at the Tinkhamtown show are bronze busts featuring eyes that sparkle with shiny bronze specks, which give them a ‘soul’ he explained.

The paintings, bronzes, photographs, and other artworks are thrilling to see. And who knows, maybe one day a local artist will be remembered as Whistler is today – a genius.

Other artists whose works are on display are: Becky McCann, Elizabeth Milliken Klim, Gary Hoyt, Erik Kowalski, David Rocha, and Paula Cobb. For a complete list of all artists or if you have questions on the show or how you can participate in this growing group of inspired people, contact ramcann@aol.com.

By Marilou Newell

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A Note from the Mattapoisett Town Clerk

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I wanted to express my sincerest thanks to all those who helped make the recent State Primary run smoothly in Mattapoisett. My gratitude goes to Rose Bowman, Kevin Tavares and the entire staff of Old Hammondtown School for their hospitality. Kudos to the custodial staff (Steve Hebert, Jim Taylor and Hayden Vieira), along with our senior work-off helper Bill Hall, for their assistance with set up and take down of the equipment. A big thank you goes out to Justin Dubois of the Fire Department for being there before dawn to deliver our equipment to the school. Special thanks to Police Officers Justin King and Turner Ryan for keeping things safe and orderly at the polls. Also, my heartfelt gratitude to my Assistant Town Clerk Barbara Gaspar, my clerk Alanna Carreiro, and the dedicated poll workers. Their knowledge, experience and support really helped guide me through my first election.

Catherine L. Heuberger

Town Clerk, Town of Mattapoisett

 

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.

MPD National Drug Take Back Day

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The Mattapoisett Police Department will be participating in a prescription drug disposal day. This event is part of a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, (DEA). It will be held Saturday, September 27, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The purpose of such programs is to allow for safe, legal, and environmentally-friendly disposal of extra drugs that patients have not used.

This program serves two purposes. First, this program reduces the risk of prescription drugs being consumed inappropriately – either by accident or through illegal sale. Prescription medication abuse is becoming far more prevalent than common street drugs. Widespread anecdotal and survey evidence indicates that a huge portion of illegal prescription drug use occurs when people raid friends’ and relatives’ medicine cabinets. Second, it reduces the risk of prescription drugs entering the water, potentially harming aquatic life or getting into a human water supply. If the household waste is incinerated, the drugs are far less likely to pose an environmental problem than if they go into the waste water stream.

This program is being provided as a continuing proactive effort by The Mattapoisett Police Department to prevent drug abuse before it happens in or community. We encourage everyone to collect expired or useless prescription medications and bring them to the Mattapoisett Police Station at 64 County Road on Saturday, September 27. If you are unable to bring your medications on that day, we have a 24-hour drop-off receptacle accessible to the public at the police station.

This program is not designed for doctor’s offices or other commercial entities to dispose of their unwanted drugs. Its purpose is to provide a venue for households and private parties to dispose of unwanted medications. For further information, please contact Captain Anthony M. Days of the Mattapoisett Police Department at 508-758-4141.

Gateway Youth Hockey

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Squirts: The Gateway Squirts played Plymouth Black at the Bridgewater AHL rink on Saturday, September 13. Matthew Quinlin started the Squirts off with a goal to get them on the board. He was quickly followed by Juni Suarez and then Quinlin, who got another goal with the assist by Matthew Paling. To finish the first period, Jacob Hebbel added one more to the score to give the Gateway Squirts a 4-0 lead. In the second period, the Gateway Squirts were able to continue to dominate the ice with goals by Suarez, Quinlin with two to give himself a hat-trick, and Nathan Ribiero for a period-ending score of 8-0. In the final period, Trendyn Medeiros provided Quinlin with the assist he needed to get one more goal and close the game with a 9-0 final score. While the Gateway defense was strong led by Braden MacDonald, Brady Kidney, Lucas Demoranville and Thomas Leger, Goalie Ryker King made good saves when needed and got the shut out.

Pee Wees: The Gateway Pee Wee team lost their second straight game of this young season on Saturday, this time to Pembroke by the score of 2-0. Unlike their season opener, the Pee Wees showed great improvement in a highly competitive game.

Bantams: The Gateway Youth Hockey Bantam team defeated Milton by a score of 6-1. Zack Lovendale led the team with a four-point night, as he finished with a hat-trick and an assist. Josh Smolinsky had a goal and an assist. Robert Ramsay and Jared Westgate each had goals, and Nick Snow picked up his first point of the season by assisting one of Lovendale’s tallies. Goalies Steven Strachan and Zachary Pateakos each played well in net. Pateakos has yet to give up a goal.

Middle School 1: The Middle School 1 team ran into a tough Mansfield team on Friday, losing 4-1. The Jr. Vikings gave up an early goal and were playing from behind for the entire game. Although they were chasing the whole game, they had great pressure on the opposing team, blistering the goalie with multiple shots. Unfortunately, he was up to the task and saved all but one. Robert Ramsay got the Jr. Vikings on the board with a second period goal, assisted by Robert Maloney. At that point, it was 2-1 and that would be the closest the game would be. The Jr. Vikings played tough, but it wasn’t their day. They have a bye next week, so they won’t be back on the ice until September 26.

Field Hockey Defeats Rival Apponequet

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Here is a look at the second week of results in scheduled games for all ORR athletic teams.

Football: This week, the Bulldogs competed in their first conference game for the season against Case, in which they dominated 46-0 and proved that they could still compete in the SCC even after a tough graduation. Old Rochester steamrolled over the Case Cardinals even in rainy weather, jumping out to a 34-0 halftime lead and never looking back. Running-back Darien Dumond led the team with three touchdowns and accounted for 175 offensive yards in the first half alone. Junior Sean Hopkins also played well, scoring two touchdowns, and senior Quarterback Alex Aruri and sophomore Mike Morris each added single scores for the 2-0 Bulldogs. The ORR defense also played well, holding Case to just 92 yards and continually capitalizing on turnovers from the Case offense, which could not seem to keep their hands on the ball. The boys’ next game will be home against Bourne on Friday, September 19 at 7:00 pm.

Field Hockey: The Lady Bulldogs had a strong opening to their week with an easy 2-0 shutout over Fairhaven, but the real story of ORR athletics was the girls’ impressive 3-0 victory over SCC powerhouse Apponequet. The Apponequet field hockey program has been extremely successful the past few years, stealing the SCC crown from Old Rochester for the past two years. Though the Lady Lakers lost a significant portion of their team, they were still expected to be a strong contender for the SCC and possibly state title. But thanks to strong performances by senior Devyn O’Connor and Goalie Mya Lunn, the girls not only defeated their conference rival, but held them to no goals. After a scoreless first half, O’Connor scored twice for ORR and Darby Nolet added a single score to give the Lady Bulldogs the upper edge. Lunn made five saves in net, and sophomore Midfielder Hannah Guard made an impressive stop in the backfield on a pivotal Apponequet drive. The win over Apponequet was even more impressive considering that it marked the first time since 2012 that the Lady Lakers had lost a regular-season game.

Boys’ Soccer: The boys’ soccer team suffered their first loss of the season this week to conference rival GNB Voc-Tech in a 3-0 shutout. The rest of their week was a little more positive, as they easily defeated both Fairhaven and Wareham in shutouts. Against Fairhaven, the boys won 1-0, with Alex Sousa providing the lone goal of the game and Melvin Vincent stopping eight shots in net. The boys followed the victory up with a 6-0 blowout over the Wareham Vikings. Sophomores Mason DaSilva and Tim Dix combined for three goals, with DaSilva notching two and Dix adding one. Four Old Rochester boys played goalie for the game and shared the shutout: Vincent, Stephen Burke, Theo Assing, and Evan Santos.

Girls’ Soccer: The Lady Bulldogs remained undefeated this week, defeating GNB Voc-Tech, Wareham, and Fairhaven. The girls defeated GNB Voc-Tech 2-0 thanks to goals from Camille Filloramo and Amy Bichajian, and handily beat Wareham 6-0, this time with Kaleigh Goulart leading the team with a hat trick. The girls finished off their week with 2-1 victory over Fairhaven. The fact that the Lady Bulldogs have only allowed one goal in the past five games serves as a testament to how impenetrable the ORR defense is, led by Mikayla Demanche, Arden Goguen, and Nicole Gifford.

Golf: Like the girls’ soccer team, the Old Rochester golf team also remained undefeated this week, defeating two important SCC title contenders in Fairhaven and Dighton-Rehoboth. In both games, Jacob Durocher led the way, scoring a 38 to lead the Bulldogs to a 133-94 victory over Fairhaven, and a 36 in a 166-135 victory over DR. Collin Fitzpatrick, Jackson Mitchell, and Zach Peterson also shot well in both games. The win over DR was especially important, as they are usually one of the teams to beat on the road to the conference championship.

Volleyball: The Lady Bulldogs continued their early season struggles this week, losing all three of their games to conference teams. The girls were shut out 3-0 both against GNB Voc-Tech and Fairhaven, but did manage to get on the board in a tight 3-2 loss to Wareham. Old Rochester won the first and third games (25-18 and 29-27, respectively), but were not able to hold on. Hopefully the girls will be able to shake off the early losses and claim their first victory of the season.

Below are the overall team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of September 7.

Football: (2-0-0) (1-0-0); Field Hockey: (4-0-0) (4-0-0); Girls’ Soccer: ( 5-0-0) (5-0-0); Boys’ Soccer: (4-1-0) (4-1-0); Golf: (4-0-0) (4-0-0); Volleyball: (0-5-0) (0-5-0); Boys’ Cross Country: (0-0-0) (0-0-0); Girls’ Cross Country: (0-0-0) (0-0-0).

By Michael Kassabian

Bulldog

Mattapoisett Historical Society Annual Meeting

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The public is invited to join the Mattapoisett Historical Society at its Annual Meeting on Sunday, September 21 at 2:00 pm at 5 Church Street. At this meeting, treasury and curatorial reports will be given, and Officers and Board Members will be elected. Seth Mendell will provide the entertainment with tales of Mattapoisett during the depression of 1848, the Gold Rush and the Clipper Ship era. Light refreshments will be served. Free, but donations are welcomed. For more information, please contact us at 508-758-2844 or at mattapoisett.museum@verizon.net.

Board Prepares for CVS Crowd

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Expecting a high turnout for its next meeting that will feature a proposed CVS location at the northeast corner of Front Street and Route 6, Marion Planning Board members on September 15 voted 5-1 to hold its October 6 meeting at the Marion Music Hall to accommodate anywhere from 50 to 100 residents who may turn out for the public hearing to voice their concerns.

Planning Board member Eileen Marum made the suggestion to hold the meeting at the music hall, to which all board members concurred, with the exception of one member – Jerry “Rico” Ferrari.

“There was a great deal of interest generated,” said Marum during a follow-up interview about the CVS plan. “Not everybody concerned could be accommodated in that [Town House] hall.”

A number of residents attended the September 2 meeting when representatives of Mark Investments LLC, the developers of the proposed 14,000 square-foot CVS location, first appeared on the Planning Board agenda.

“There was a real reaction from voters,” said Marum. The initial discussion raised more questions than answers, and Marum felt strongly that a larger space would be necessary to accommodate a possibly larger-than-average turnout

Marum’s three concerns, she said, were the health, safety, and welfare of the residents in attendance, pointing out that, should there be a fire or some other emergency, the Town House conference room could pose a hazard to a large group attempting to evacuate the room.

“And I said, ‘people would be crammed in here,’” said Marum. “Are we going to be able to get all these people out?”

Board member Steve Gonsalves said he would support holding the meeting at the music hall, provided it was televised live for those at home to watch in real time, which the Town House is equipped to do, unlike the Marion Music Hall. Gonsalves ultimately voted in favor of Marum’s motion to hold the meeting at the music hall, seconded by board member Norman Hills.

We are elected officials, said Marum. “And this is a democracy. Everyone should have the right to express their point of view … and we should be able to listen to them.”

Marum said Marion Planning Assistant Terri Santos confirmed that the Marion Music Hall was available the evening of October 6, but final confirmation of the meeting’s location could not be made by publication deadline.

There were no public hearings listed on the agenda, only items listed for discussion.

The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for October 6 at 7:00 pm, tentatively to be held at the Marion Music Hall.

By Jean Perry

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Thank You COA Drivers

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To the Editor:

I wish to publicly praise and thank two of the drivers of the COA buses on the shopping runs that occur during the week, namely, Penny and John. Also, I wish to thank the COA directly for their concerns and help they provide to the seniors at Village Court.

Having lost my vehicle last January, I have come to depend upon these trips. They have truly been a blessing. Both of these folks are not only courteous, but often will go out of their way for some of the Village Court residents who ride these buses on a regular basis. Both Penny and John always arrive with smiles on their faces, and the patience that even Job would appreciate. We also manage to have a few laughs on these trips.

I realize that Mattapoisett no longer has access to public transportation from SRTA and that the COA is trying to make up for the lack of the services that were once provided by SRTA. The COA has done its best to make up for this lack of SRTA services and they are doing a fantastic job.

Also, I would like to point out to other Town residents who do not take advantage of these services that they should look into taking advantage of this service. Why spend time and effort (and gas) when you can “take the bus.” Not only do they go to Fairhaven and New Bedford … they offer a ride to Dartmouth locations also twice a month, i.e., the Mall and Christmas Tree Shop.

So, once again thank you Penny and John, and to all at the COA for their kindness and help.

Cordially,

Stephanie Mitchell, Village Court

 

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.

Dennis “Yuen” Wong

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Dennis “Yuen” Wong, born on December 22, 1933, the son of the late Charlie and Jade (Woo) Wong, has gone to be with our Lord, Jesus Christ and his beloved wife, Ann Claire (Foley) Wong who passed away in February 2014. Dennis departed this world suddenly and totally unexpectedly during his nap on Friday, September 12, 2014. We rejoice in knowing that he is now living in the Kingdom of God, in His love and glory, but he will be deeply missed by his children, relative and friends.

Dennis graduated from Tabor Academy and then served in the U.S. Army. After being honorably discharged, he came back to Mattapoisett and worked in the family business, Cathay Temple,as chef and part-owner. In 1963, at his brother Stephen’s wedding, he met the love of his life and married Ann Claire Foley in 1964.

Dennis continued working in the family business until it closed in 2000. He then joined his daughter in Downtown New Bedford when she opened Daffodil’s Restaurant. He would often be seen sitting outside of the restaurant in a comfortable chair, smoking and having an iced coffee with one of the customers. He enjoyed talking with people.

As we look back and think about Dad, we realize how much he loved us unconditionally and enjoyed being a Dad. He nurtured us, encouraged us and listened attentively, but not always understanding because we drove him crazy. He taught us to forgive unconditionally and let things go. He was a loving, kind, compassionate and gentle man who loved to take care of his family. He was the type of Dad who on his day off would pile his children, nieces and nephews into the station wagon and off we would go for a day of FUN! In the summertime, he loved to wake us up when he came home from work, around 1 AM, to go swimming, cook cheeseburgers on the grill and eat cold, sliced watermelon. We again ask for your prayers as we begin another grieving process, this time for our Dad, because it is so difficult.

Dennis has joined his wife of 49 years, but is survived by his three children, Lisa Wong of Dartmouth, Jade Wong and her spouse Jessica Oliver of New Bedford, and Dennis Wong of New York; his grandchildren, Joseph and Grace; his sisters, May Moy and her husband Phillip, Debbie Holt, and Sue Van Wiggeren; and his sister-in-law, Margaret (Foley) Wong.

He was the brother of the late Stephen Wong, Claudia Wong, Meline Loo and Louie Wong.

His Funeral Service will be held on Saturday at 11 AM in the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. Burial will be private. Visiting hours will be on Friday from 4-8 PM. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.