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.

Breakfast Program Still Possible

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Rochester Memorial School is still looking to establish a breakfast meal program at the school, although it remains uncertain if enough students will show an interest in the program.

RMS Principal Derek Medeiros said on November 6 that parent outreach has so far resulted in at least eight students interested in the breakfast program, but the school will continue to probe parents on the likelihood of their children participating.

“We don’t want to put it to bed right away,” said Medeiros, adding that he will continue promoting a breakfast program for the remainder of the year.

School Committee member Robin Rounseville asked if there would need to be a minimum number of interested participants in order to start the program. According to Medeiros, other districts have begun their breakfast programs with only 20 students participating – is that the magic number?

“But if it’s ten or 15 (students), we’ll visit it,” said Medeiros. The level of interest will drive the decision on whether or not the school will establish the program, Medeiros said.

Also during the meeting, Medeiros told the Rochester School Committee that RMS has been selected to take the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Fourth-graders will undergo only the math portion of the exam in February, and the data will represent Massachusetts in an assessment of schools nation-wide.

School Committee member Tina Rood expressed concern over students having to take yet another exam, prompting a further discussion on the matter.

“Is this sort of a feather in our cap?” asked Rood, wondering if there is any merit to having been chosen to participate.

RMS was chosen at random, Medeiros told her, and Assistant Superintendent Elise Frangos said, once selected, the school must participate and that is “non-negotiable.”

“It’s a kind of a dipstick, if you will,” said Frangos. She said the test would measure how students fare in Massachusetts.

The paper and pencil test is only about 60 minutes long, said Medeiros, with minimal prep time on behalf of the school staff.

In other matters, the committee accepted a cash donation of $250 from Attorney Matthew Beaulieu to be used strictly for the RMS Library.

The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee is scheduled for December 4 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

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ORR Junior Displays Talent, Love for Film

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One of the most uniquely talented people at Old Rochester Regional is definitely junior Kyle Costa. An amateur filmmaker, Costa has been making videos with his friends for over four years now, beginning with YouTube videos while he was in the sixth grade.

“I made a really stupid video on my bus, about a bus talk show, and people seemed to like it, so I just went with it,” said Costa.

Along the way, Costa has adapted to a handful of different technologies that he uses for his videos.

“I began using just a camera and a computer, but now I have a green screen, lights in my studio, and programs like Dolby After Effects and Magic Music Maker,” said Costa, who recently upgraded his camera to a Canon T3i, which he said is a good camera for filmmaking.

Most of Costa’s videos on YouTube are in the genre of action and sci-fi. “Occasionally, I write drama,” he added.

Costa said the most significant influence on his work is Director Christopher Nolan, who made 2008’s The Dark Knight.

“The Dark Knight made me interested in film, and Inception made me interested in writing and visual effects,” said Costa, adding that he is looking forward to seeing Nolan’s latest film, Interstellar, which opened Friday, November 7.

“Another influence on me when it comes to writing is Joss Whedon, who directed The Avengers,” said Costa. “Some of my other favorite films are The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the final Harry Potter movie. Both are classics.”

Along with fellow Honors English 10 student Sam Babineau, Costa directed a 3-D film trailer that answered some of the year’s Essential Questions from Mr. Allain’s Honors English 10 course, and the class was mesmerized by the quality of the video and most notably its 3-D effects.

“For the essential question video, Sam did the pre-production (writing) and I did the post-production,” said Costa. “I also did a 3-D post-conversion, where I moved the green-screen and duplicated the camera file to create different left-eye and right-eye perspectives.”

Another of Costa’s older projects he had completed was a fake trailer for a “Call of Duty” video game.

“It got 325,000 views and it was the first time I was paid for a YouTube video,” said Costa. “It wasn’t even something I directed; I just edited and made the effects for the video.”

Costa said he wants to further explore the world of drama and work on more serious projects.

“My next video is a blog about how I plan to make more serious videos,” Costa said. He would like to parlay his experience in video making into a career in the film or television industry. “I want to continue making videos, and doing the thing I love, and get more practice for a career in film or television.”

Some of his favorite videos of his own work are “Genetics” and “Teach Me How to Juggle” from the Geek Club, a junior high club taught by fan favorite teacher Mr. Andree. The club is well known for its video projects and open environment, among many other things.

“Kyle was never the best writer or moviemaker, but he is one of the most hard-working students I ever worked with,” said Andree. “Kyle took a small in-class project about junior high superheroes, and spent like 40 hours working on the effects, and turned it into something great.”

When asked how the Geek Club helps students, Mr. Andree said, “It gives kids a place to belong and hangout. They don’t have to be afraid to look stupid and they can be themselves.”

Andree thinks that Costa has a very promising future.

“He has good ideas in special effects, and camerawork, and he’s improving as a writer. I can see him making money doing special feature projects online, or directing those cool, cheesy made-for-TV movies,” said Andree.

One of the people who helped Costa along the way is fellow junior Sam Babineau. Sam shares a passion for filmmaking with Kyle, and as previously mentioned, worked on the writing for the Essential Question video in Mr. Allain’s Honors English class.

“I’ve been helping Kyle since eighth grade,” said Babineau. “Our best projects together were Genetics (The Super Hero Video) and the English project video.” She continued, “[Our next project will be] something with a storyline, both playing off and building upon stuff we’ve done.”

Thanks to his hard work and support from his loyal co-workers, it’s clear that Costa has done some great things with his video projects. He is definitely someone to watch for in the future.

By Patrick Briand

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Marion Scouts Food Pantry Collection

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Marion Boy Scout Troop 32 and Cub Scouts Pack 32, in conjunction with the Marion Police Department and the Marion Police Brotherhood, will be collecting donations for a local food pantry from Wednesday, November 5 until noon on Sunday, November 15. Please bring your non-perishable food to the Marion Police Department located at 500 Mill Street Marion, MA. Thank you for your generous support!

Some of the most needed/ requested non-perishable food and hygiene items (no glass, please) include:

– Canned protein (tuna, chicken, peanut butter)

– Soups

– 100% fruit juice

– Grains (pasta, rice, macaroni & cheese)

– Canned vegetables and fruits

– Condiments

– Hygiene products (diapers, toilet paper, tissues, soap, toothpaste)

SLT Post-Thanksgiving Dog Walk

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Shake off that food coma, grab your canine friend, and come join the Sippican Lands Trust for our 2nd annual guided dog walk on Sunday, November 30! The Hot-to-Trot Post-Thanksgiving Doggie Walk will begin at 10:00 am at our White Eagle Property kiosk. All dogs and owners are welcome. Dogs must be leashed and under their owners’ control at all times. The first 30 dogs will receive a complimentary SLT doggie bandana, and all dogs will get treats!

White Eagle is located off of Route 6 in Marion. Turn onto Parlowtown Road across from the town cemetery, and follow it until you reach the cul-de-sac. Veer left onto the dirt road and follow past an abandoned cranberry bog on your right. Parking is available directly past the bog and along the dirt roadside. The kiosk is a short walk beyond.

Founded in 1974, the Sippican Lands Trust strives to acquire and protect natural areas in Marion. Its purpose is to conserve land, protect habitat, provide public access to the beautiful, protected lands of our town and offer events for nature lovers of all ages.

Please do not hesitate to contact Executive Director Robin Shields at 508-748-3080 for more information. Visit us on Facebook and www.sippicanlandstrust.org.

Fall Dramas

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Above the main auditorium in Hoyt Hall is the Will Parker Black Box Theatre, an intimate setting for small-scale drama productions. During the past few months, a number of Tabor students have been rehearsing every afternoon in the Black Box to put together shows for the community.

This year, the two fall dramas were both unqualified successes.

Drama Chair Mark Howland directed “How to Succeed in High School Without Really Trying,” and Richard Van Voris directed “The Secret in the Wings.” Both shows were performed to standing room only audiences over the past two weeks.

“How to Succeed in High School Without Really Trying” is a comedy that contained scenes that were written by the Tabor actors. The play made a number of humorous references to Tabor life, causing the audience to remain very engaged throughout the performance. The cast ranged from freshmen to seniors and the show alluded to a number of typical high school stereotypes, with the goal of showing people how to survive high school.

Thirteen experienced thespians performed “The Secret in the Wings” last week, a show by Mary Zimmerman. The play is based on Grimms’ Fairy Tales and focuses on the idea of sharing and understanding stories. The show had a few comical elements but was serious in its message. Samantha Chan (’15) acted in and choreographed the show, which included singing and dancing. Will Walker (’15) who also performed in the show, was the lighting designer.

“The Secret in the Wings” cast will follow a Tabor tradition of traveling to England to perform this show in the spring. This is a part of the on-going Tabor/Ellesmere College drama exchange that began in 1994. This exchange allows a Tabor group and a group from Ellesmere College to travel to each other’s countries in the spring to perform theatrical productions. Every two years, the cast from one of the fall dramas takes their show on the road and performs for audiences in England. This year the group will head to Dublin, Ireland and then to Shropshire, England and will conclude their trip in London.

As the fall drama productions end, Tabor actors will begin rehearsing for the Winter Musical and the Winter Drama Production. Check www.taboracademy.org for performance dates and times. The public is welcome.

By Julia O’Rourke

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Committee to Reconsider Replacing Playground

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The cost to replace the playground at Old Hammondtown School is more than double what the school central administration and the Mattapoisett School Committee had anticipated – and way more than what Mattapoisett Town Meeting allocated for the project.

Old Rochester Regional Business Manager Patrick Spencer told committee members November 10 that, contrary to what was anticipated, bids to replace the playground came in closer to $50,000, not $20,000. Now committee members are rethinking the feasibility of replacing the playground equipment and need more time to take a second look at the matter.

According to Spencer, a significant part of the increase in price is an increase in the required depth for the cushioning surface material of the playground floor, up from 1.5 inches to three inches, along with extra grading.

Spencer said the bid to patch up the playground equipment most in need of repair came in at $5,125, but committee members discussed whether it was worth continuing to patch up 14-year old playground equipment that appears to be deteriorating. The playground has been repaired before, said Vice Principal Kevin Tavares.

“The seam separates, and when water gets in there,” said Tavares, “you can see how fragile it is.”

Chairman James Higgins suggested the committee take a step back and look at the cost of the bidding process itself and possibly rethink putting the project back out to bid a second time to see if the price could somehow go down. He also suggested looking into state funding and grants for building enhancement and playground upgrades and repairs, hoping for some assistance with the project.

“Last spring, the Capital Improvement Committee had approved a certain number and it was voted on at Town Meeting,” stated Superintendent Doug White. “But you don’t have $50,000,” he added, pointing out the need to return to the Town and ask for additional funds. “We either move with permission to do it with the patchwork, or we pause.”

White said he spoke with Mattapoisett Town Administrator Michael Gagne, who told White he would visit the playground at Old Hammondtown and let him know what he thinks about the situation.

Committee member James Motta suggested pausing and revisiting the bidding process.

“Obviously we have a financial problem,” said Motta. “We can’t move forward with the $50,000.”

Patching up the playground is not a long-term solution, stated Higgins. He said the pieces of the playground that are not patched up would continue to wear down year after year.

“I don’t think patching it up on a regular basis makes a whole lot of sense,” said committee member Carter Hunt, before the committee agreed to hold off making a decision on the playground.

The committee approved the bid of $3,050 to install a chain-link fence around the Center School playground. The committee also approved the $2,028 quote to repair the playground at Center School.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee is scheduled for December 8 at 7:00 pm at Center School.

By Jean Perry

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Marion Rochester Health District Flu Clinics

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The Marion Rochester Health District, the Marion Board of Health, and the Rochester Board of Health are pleased to announce seasonal flu clinics for the residents of Marion and Rochester. 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 six months. A limited supply of pneumonia vaccine will also be available to interested residents.

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.

Transportation to the clinics can be arranged with the Council on Aging in each town. Clinics will be held on these dates, times and locations:

– Sunday, November 16, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, First Congregational Church, Community Center Meeting room in Marion (behind the General Store at 144 Front Street);

-Wednesday, November 19, 4:00 – 7:00 pm, Marion Town Hall;

Throughout the flu season, clinics will be held on Mondays from 1:00 – 3:00 pm in the Marion Town House and on Fridays from 10:00 – 11:00 am in Rochester Town Hall Annex. For information, call the Marion Board of Health at 508-748-3530 or the Rochester Board of Health at 508-763-5421.

Girls’ Cross Country Makes History

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

Football: The Bulldogs had a strong week, as they managed to snap a two-game losing streak by defeating Archbishop Williams 32-27. The game was a close one, as with only 2:30 left in the game, the score was 27-26, with Archbishop Williams ahead. However, the Bulldogs managed to put together a 65-yard drive on only five plays to score with a little more than a minute remaining. Ethan Lizotte continued his excellent season by scoring twice on the night to lead ORR to their fifth victory of the season.

            Field Hockey: After a strong playoff performance against Monomy in which they won 1-0, the Lady Bulldogs hoped to keep their momentum going into the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, the girls’ season ended abruptly with a tough 4-0 loss to second-seeded Dover-Sherborn. Dover-Sherborn, which incidentally has four players going to Division 1 colleges next year for field hockey, was too offensively dominant for the Lady Bulldogs to get any chance of making progress on their side of the field. The ORR defense played extremely well, but it was nearly impossible to pin down the fluid Dover-Sherborn offense. Though their season is over, the Lady Bulldogs finished with a 14-5-1 record, including a runner-up status in the SCC.

            Boys’ Soccer: The Bulldogs, who were seeded fifth in the Division 3 South tournament, had a strong first-round win over league-rival Fairhaven. The boys defeated the Blue Devils in a 3-0 shutout thanks to stellar defense from ORR’s backfield, including Goalie Melvin Vincent, who made six saves on the night. Sophomores Alex Sousa and Mason DaSilva each scored a goal for the Bulldogs, and junior Kyle Medeiros scored the game’s final goal with just 15 seconds remaining to advance the Bulldogs to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, there ORR lost to fourth-seeded Martha’s Vineyard, 4-1. Evan Santos managed to keep the Bulldogs temporarily in it, scoring a goal before halftime to make the game 3-1, but the Bulldogs were unable to make any offensive opportunities count in the second half. The Bulldogs finish with an overall record of 12-4-2.

            Girls’ Soccer: The girls’ soccer team suffered the most heartbreaking loss of the week in the Division 3 South quarterfinals. The third-seeded Lady Bulldogs began their playoff run with a nice 1-0 win over Hanover, with Amy Bichajian scoring the lone goal of the game. In the quarterfinals, a tense game ensued with sixth-seeded Bishop Stang. At the end of regular time, the score was 1-1, and thus the game went to overtime. As the end of a second-overtime period approached, it looked as if the game would go to penalty kicks, but with just five seconds remaining, Bishop Stang’s Addison Landry rolled one by the ORR defense to give Bishop Stang a 2-1 edge and consequently clinch the victory for the Spartans. Kaleigh Goulart scored the goal for ORR in the season-ending loss.

            Girls’ Cross Country: The highlight of this week was the Lady Bulldog cross country team, who made history by placing second in the Division 5 state meet to qualify for the MIAA All-State Finals. In the team’s history, the ORR girls have never placed higher than seventh as a team, but thanks to a strong group of performances, the girls managed to score 102 points to come second to division championship Hamilton-Wenham (49 points). Nina Bourgeois placed fifteenth overall to lead the Lady Bulldogs, and was also the first ORR runner to break the 20-minute barrier this year, running the 5K course in a speedy 19:46. Freshman Madisen Martin just missed the barrier, placing seventeenth in a 20:01, with Avery Nugent right on her tail in 20:17. Riley Shaugnessy, Sam Ball, Rachel Scheub, and Emily Josephson closed out the top seven. The girls will compete at the MIAA All-State Finals on Saturday, November 15 at Franklin Park in Boston.

Boys’ Cross: Country: The boys’ team also competed in the Division 5 race with some great performances. The Bulldogs scored 291 points to place ninth in a competitive field. Michael Kassabian qualified for the All-State meet as an individual, running a 17:02 for eighteenth place. Senior Mitch Midwood closed out his high-school cross country career with a fifty-first place finish in 17:56. James Goulart, Patrick Briand, and Drew Robert also ran well, recording times of 18:07, 18:21, and 18:47, respectively.

Below are the overall team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of November 9.

Football: (5-4-0) (4-4-0); Field Hockey: (14-5-1) (12-1-1); Girls’ Soccer: (14-4-2) (12-3-1); Boys’ Soccer: (12-4-2) (11-3-2); Golf: (15-1-0) (15-1-0); Volleyball: (7-12-0) (7-10-0); Boys’ Cross Country: (5-1-0) (5-1-0); Girls’ Cross Country: (6-0-0) (6-0-0).

By Michael Kassabian

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