Driver Safety

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An Open Letter to the Woman in the Powder-Buff Blue VW Convertible Leaving the Parking Lot of the Marion General Store around 11:00 am Thursday, November 13

Dear Madam:

Perhaps, as you were pulling out of the parking lot of the Marion General Store, you were too distracted talking on your cellphone (held in your right hand) to see the pedestrian entering the crosswalk in front of you. That is understandable.

Perhaps you did notice the pedestrian, but opted not to yield. That is a bit less understandable.

But certainly you took notice of the fact that you clipped the pedestrian’s left leg with the right rear quarter of powder-buff blue VW convertible as you pulled out. When our eyes met in your car’s sideview mirror, the wide-eyed expression on your face made it clear to me that you knew very well you had hit me. I do not understand why you did not stop, if only to apologize. Instead, you drove away.

It should not matter that I was not injured, and suffered only a bump to the knee. The incident could have been much more serious. I beseech you, for the safety of all: In the future, please refrain from talking on the phone while you drive; please yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk; and please stop if you strike someone with your car, even if is only a glancing blow.

Most respectfully,

Gregory Ruf

 

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.

Tri-County Music Association Showcase

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The Tri-County Music Association will present its annual Scholarship Showcase on Friday, November 28 at 7:00 pm in Lyndon South Auditorium on the campus of Tabor Academy, 85 Spring St., Marion, MA. This benefit concert is a special fundraiser for the Tri-County Music Association Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased at The Bookstall in Marion and the Symphony Music Shop in Dartmouth. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door.

Eleanor T. Burr

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Eleanor T. Burr, 61, of New Bedford died November 17, 2014 at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford.

She was the daughter of Gertrude T. Burr of Mattapoisett and the late Carleton Burr.

Survivors include her mother; 3 siblings, Toby Burr and his wife Barbara D. Burr and Cornelia Burr-Tarrant and her husband Thomas A. Tarrant, III, all of Marion and Walter T. Burr of New York City; nieces and nephews, Tucker Burr, Alaska Burr, Thomas A. Tarrant, IV and Elizabeth B. Tarrant; and her extended family at LifeStream.

Her Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. In Lieu of flowers, donations in her memory maybe made to LifeStream, Inc, Attn: John Latawiec, P.O. Box 50487, New Bedford, MA 02745 with memo for the Sandra M. Cabral Scholarship Fund For Nursing.

Tabor Boy One Hundred Years at Sea

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To celebrate the SSV Tabor Boy’s 100th Anniversary, Tabor Academy commissioned an exclusive anniversary documentary called “Tabor Boy One Hundred Years at Sea.”

We invite the community to join us for the free, public premiere on November 23 at 4:30 pm in the Fireman Center for the Performing Arts in Hoyt Hall at Tabor Academy (GPS Address: 235 Front Street, Marion).

This film, produced by John Rice (‘70, Parent ’07), depicts the rich history and tradition of Tabor’s sail training programs since 1917 and celebrates the school’s 92-foot schooner, Tabor Boy. Enjoy stories from the captain and crew about lessons learned through offshore adventures, weathering Hurricane Bob, and research trips to the Caribbean, as well as rare footage of an historic journey to Chicago in 1933 to see the Chicago World’s Fair. Come celebrate our local flagship: Tabor Boy!

ORRHS Boys Soccer Alumni Game

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The ORRHS Boys Soccer Alumni Game will be held on Friday, November 28 at 1:00 pm at ORRHS. From the class of 2014 to the class of 1964, ORRHS soccer alums of all ages and shapes(!) are invited to play!!

For more information, please contact Coach Devoll at mdevoll@orr.mec.edu.

November Programs at Plumb Library

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For their November book, “Just the Facts,” the nonfiction book discussion group, will be reading The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family’s Century of Art and Loss by Edmund de Waal. The Ephrussis were a grand banking family in 19th century Paris and Vienna. Yet, by the end of World War II, almost the only thing remaining of their vast empire was a collection of 264 wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox. The renowned ceramicist Edmund De Waal became the fifth generation to inherit this small and exquisite collection of netsuke. Entranced by their beauty and mystery, he determined to trace the story of his family through the story of the collection. Starting in 1871 Paris, we travel through time with the collection. We will discuss this book on Thursday, November 20 at 6:30 pm. Copies are available at the desk.

Café Parlez’ selection for November is Jack Maggs by Peter Carey. The time: the 1830s. Jack Maggs, a foundling trained in the fine art of thievery, is cruelly betrayed and transported to Australia. Now, his fortunes reversed, he returns ‘home’ under threat of execution, and inveigles his way into a household in Great Queen Street, where he is quickly embroiled in various emotional entanglements, and where he falls under the hypnotic scrutiny of Tobias Oates, a celebrated young writer fascinated by mesmerism and obsessed with the criminal mind. We will discuss this version of Great Expectations on Monday November 24 at 6:30 pm. Books are available at the desk, or bring your own copy.

The Friends of Plumb Library are once again selling 12-inch wreaths. A 12-inch double sided wreath with a bow is $14; without a bow, the cost is $11. Order forms are at the library or can be copied from the newsletter link on our website www.plumblibrary.com. You can also place orders by phone at 508-763-8600 or email info@plumblibrary.com. Deadline for orders is Tuesday, December 2, and wreaths can be picked up from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday, December 6. Special arrangements can be made for pickup if you cannot make it on that date. Call the library for more information.

Bandit the Raccoon Prevails in Election

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Long-time Rochester Memorial School mascot Bandit the Raccoon was reelected by a landslide on November 7 when students cast their vote in an election that could have changed the school’s mascot after about 40 years with the raccoon.

While adults were dodging political phone calls and television ads the weeks leading up to the November 4 election, students at RMS were busy rallying behind their choice for a new mascot, or campaigning to keep the incumbent in place through a school-wide persuasive essay writing contest for grades three through six.

RMS Principal Derek Medeiros said he and his administrative team had been trying to come up with ways to engage students in an activity that would get the entire school involved, and “rally up the troops,” so to speak.

“It was more of an idea to get the kids writing … and pumping up together,” said Medeiros.

Students submitted essays and the top picks for a new mascot emerged, offering the choice to jettison the raccoon in favor of a newcomer – the ram or the wolf. In the end, the raccoon received 274 votes, the wolf 182, and the ram 71.

The top essay winners were Delany Shaw, grade 6, and Julia Foye, grade 4, arguing in support of keeping the raccoon. Runners-up were Griffin Lawrence, grade 6, who wrote supporting the wolf, and Evan Smith, grade 6, who wrote his essay trying to persuade students to vote for the ram.

“The kids were very passionate about it,” said Medeiros. The students debated and a lot of research went into the endeavor.

Medeiros said he contacted retired teacher Jody Church, who designed the raccoon mascot logo back in the 1970s when students voted to elect Bandit the Raccoon as their school mascot, looking for some history behind Bandit’s creation.

On Thursday, November 6 and then on Friday, November 7 students participated in an actual election, complete with voting booths on loan from the Town and “I voted” stickers.

“Just the whole thing of bringing everybody together,” said Medeiros, was what made the project such a success.

By Jean Perry

 

Christine L. (Tavares) Hulland

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Christine L. (Tavares) Hulland, 62, of Wareham, died peacefully on November 15, 2014 in Tremont Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Center while surrounded by her loving family. She was the wife of Thomas W. Hulland.

She was born in Pittsfield and lived in Wareham for many years.

Mrs. Hulland worked as the office manager at Skyline Marble in Middleboro.

She enjoyed traveling to North Carolina to the Outer Banks with her husband, sitting on her deck watching wildlife and reading. An avid Facebook enthusiast, she also enjoyed ancestry research. She was the Massachusetts Representative for the Coast 2 Coast Dachshund Rescue Program. She loved her dogs, Abbey, Jazz and the late Heidi and Georgie.

Mrs. Hulland was a member of the Community Baptist Church in Marion.

Survivors include her husband, Thomas W. Hulland of Wareham; her mother, Shirley H. Tavares of New Lebanon, NY; 2 daughters, Jennifer Darrow of Ft. Meyers, FL (formerly of Dalton), Charlene Lopez of Pittsfield; a step daughter, Michelle Hulland of Port St. Lucie, FL; 3 brothers, John, William and Mark Tavares all of New Lebanon, NY; a sister, Beverly Grochan and her husband Mark of East Nassau, NY; 3 nieces, Abigail Jensky of East Nassau, NY, Ashley Tavares of New Lebanon, NY and Sena of New London, NY; 2 nephews, William Tavares and Benjamin Tavares both of New Lebanon, NY; 7 grandchildren, Eric, Andrew, Dylan, Sammy, Lauren, Laura, and Christian.

Her memorial and worship service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 23, 2014 in the Community Baptist Church, 441 Front St., Marion.

Another memorial service in New Lebanon, NY will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Coast 2 Coast Dachshund, P.O. Box 147, Jacobus, PA 17407.

Albert Mello, Jr.

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Albert Mello, Jr., 68, of Fairhaven passed away unexpectedly Thursday, November 13, 2014, at Beth Israel Hospital, in Boston. He was the husband of 38 years, of Pauline (Bettencourt) Mello.

Born and raised in New Bedford, the son of the late Albert and Maria (Brum) Mello, he lived in Mattapoisett prior to settling in Fairhaven 40 years ago. Albert served in the Army during the Vietnam War and had been a salesman at Joe’s Auto Mall in New Bedford for many years.

He is survived by his wife; his mother in law, Loretta (Pauline) Bettencourt of Fairhaven; two daughters, Lori Ann Mello and Kimberly Palmer Harne and her husband Eric of Fairhaven; a sister, Bernice McLoughlin of East Freetown; a brother, Elliot Mello and his wife Theresa of South Dartmouth; two brothers in law, Jerald Bettencourt, Jr. and his wife Lori of Fairhaven and Raymond Bettencourt and his wife Maria Fe of Colorado and several nieces and nephews. Mr. Mello was the father of the late infant Chris Dwane Mello and brother of the late Stanley Mello of New Bedford.

Calling hours are Monday, November 17, 2014. from 4-7pm. in the Fairhaven Funeral Home, 117 Main Street, Fairhaven. Cremation will follow and interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice.

Friends of the Bike Path

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To the Editor:

Friends of the Bike Path would like to thank the Mattapoisett Friends’ Meeting as well as participants and shoppers for the success of the 2nd annual Alternative Gift Fair held on November 8. Bike Friendly Mattapoisett maps will continue to be sold at Town Wharf General Store, How on Earth, No Kidding, Pen and Pendulum as well as Mattapoisett Clipper. These maps make great stocking stuffers!

For those of you who would like to know what has happened since the September 25th public hearing, – and thank you all for coming out and writing letters – MASSDOT has said we should prepare a schedule for going to bid in October 2015, but before we can do that we need to ensure there are sufficient funds in the five year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). So, please like us on Facebook to get the date, time, and location for the TIP public hearing in our region, which should be happening soon. An informational meeting with Conservation Commission is planned, but not yet scheduled.

Bonne DeSousa

Friends of the Bike Path

 

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.