Keeping the Community Afloat

on July 28, 2014

The communities of our Tri-Town are special, and what makes them special are the people who live in them, the people who work in them, govern them, and those that volunteer their time for the highest good of their town.

This is why, once a year, we at The Wanderer are excited to bring forward three distinctive people from each of the three towns to recognize their hours of community service and honor their innumerable contributions that keep each of the communities afloat, like the keel of a ship that keeps the vessel from capsizing.

This year, citizens from each town submitted the names of some pretty spectacular nominees for the 2014 Wanderer Keel Award. Three of them really stood out to us, and we are thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s award: From Mattapoisett, Jennifer Shepley; from Marion, Hanna Milhench; and from Rochester, Kate Lanagan MacGregor.

Shepley is president of the Friends of the Library and also often assists with events sponsored by the Mattapoisett Women’s Club that raise money for scholarships. Shepley acts as Garden Tour captain, organizing and staffing the gardens on the tour, and assists with monthly Women’s Clubs meetings, often during her lunch hour from work.

Recently, Shepley was also the chairperson for fundraising for the Mattapoisett Congregational Church mission trip to Appalachia.

“I do all the bossy jobs,” said Shepley, jokingly. “I boss people around for both fun and recreation.”

Hanna Milhench is a pillar at Saint Gabriel’s Church in Marion, volunteering her time to projects devoted to helping others. She has managed “Friendship Tables,” a free community-wide monthly supper held at the church, and also spearheaded St. Gabriel’s “Gardens by the Sea” garden tour, raising funds for community efforts such as “Damien’s Pantry” and “Community Resources Network.”

“I’m sure Hanna does more good deeds that I am unaware of, but I think these listed deeds make her a good candidate for [The Wanderer] Keel Award,” said Elizabeth Brainard, who nominated Milhench for the award. “She is indeed an unsung heroine!”

Kate Lanagan MacGregor’s latest project has been what she calls a “furniture exchange” effort to help those starting out or starting over in life. As a realtor, MacGregor said she sees a lot of people starting off in tough situations, so she began collecting unwanted furniture from clients as they moved out of their houses and storing it in her garage. She has joined up with Mercy Meals and More of New Bedford as a way of assisting those most in need. She said she is spearheading the Bold Day Foundation to help people out who are just “starting back up again.”

“I volunteer when I can,” said MacGregor. She helps out at road races, the Annual Rochester Memorial Boat Race, and in the past she has coached and served on the Rochester School Committee.

“I believe that you should give without any expectations of an outcome,” said MacGregor. “I kind of help out when I can.”

The Wanderer congratulates our three 2014 Wanderer Keel Award winners and thanks those who submitted nominations to bring these outstanding citizens to the forefront to be honored and recognized for the good work they are doing in our community. Do you know anyone else in the community who deserves recognition? Email us at news@wanderer.com so we can get the word out about all the great things Tri-Towners are doing to make a difference!

By Jean Perry

Author Talk at the Elizabeth Taber Library

on July 27, 2014

Join us at the Elizabeth Taber Library on Thursday, July 31 at 6:30 pm, for a book reading, discussion, and signing with Deborah Doucette, author of The Forgotten Roses. Deborah Doucette began her writing career as a free-lance journalist subsequently writing the non-fiction book Raising Our Children’s Children: Room In The Heart. Her novel, The Forgotten Roses, is about the choices women face, family, a mystery and a little magic. She is a blogger for the Huffington Post, an artist, and mother of four. She lives in a small town west of Boston with her red standard poodle Fiamma (Italian for flame), enjoying the comings and goings of her twin grandchildren and working on a new novel.

For more information, please contact the Elizabeth Taber Library at 508-748-1252.

Summer Members Art Show is Back

on July 27, 2014

The Members’ Art Shows, which take place twice a year in winter and in summer, are Marion Art Center Executive Director Deborah Bokelkamp’s favorite annual shows at the MAC.

“The members’ shows have always been a big part of what we do,” said Bokelkamp at the July 19 opening reception for the exhibition. “It always amazes me what a talented membership we have.”

Members of the MAC are allowed to submit up to three works of art for the juried art exhibition that runs until August 16.

Many of the works on display naturally reflect hints of summer, although summer-themed works of art were not required for consideration for the exhibition.

Still lifes of bright blossoms and ripened fruits tempt the onlooker to enter inside the world of the painting to smell the succulent blossoms and taste the tantalizing fruit, while watercolors capture moments of boats gently bobbing in the bay and sandcastles on the beach that exist forever in artist’s brushstrokes.

MAC member Alice Shire’s two pieces hang thoughtfully placed on the gallery walls. Her favorite of the two is a watercolor that hangs on the wall of the first floor – a summery bouquet of delicate yellow and purple flowers with three soft white roses. She said her other “boathouse inventory” watercolor that she started during a watercolor workshop took her three years to complete.

“Everybody was painting boats and harbor scenes – and I don’t do boats,” Shire laughed.

Mary Ross said she has been participating in the Summer Members’ Art Show practically every year. Her collage of color-dyed hand-made textured paper conjures up a dream-like Florida beach scene with soft subtle hues of sunrise.

“I was down in Florida,” said Ross, about the inspiration for this particular piece. “So you sit on the beach – what else do you got?”

Diane Parsons said she is still learning the art of watercolor, but by looking at her painting titled “Florence,” one would assume Parsons has found her connection between her imagination, her paintbrush, and the canvas.

Parsons painted the scene of the dome in Florence while remembering her trip to Italy two years ago and the dome was her favorite spot. She said she painted it for her daughter-in-law, but admitted it has been quite some time now and wondered if she could ever give it up at this point.

“I love painting Italy,” said Parsons. “Because I just love the memories.”

There are over 75 other wonderful works of art on display at the MAC, located at 80 Pleasant Street in Marion. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm, and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

The Marion Art Center was formed 57 years ago by townspeople who wanted to create a place where they could display their artwork. Bokelkamp said she loves the MAC’s mission statement as “an association to promote the arts, social fellowship, and companionship among its members … to interchange ideas and assist each other in helpful guidance…”

“It’s a beautiful reason to be,” said Bokelkamp.

By Jean Perry

Businesses Prevail Through ZBA Hearings

on July 27, 2014

Mattapoisett’s Zoning Board of Appeals heard only two applications during the July 18 meeting, but both pushed Mattapoisett further into the 21st century than ever before. The meeting for just two applications also took a fair amount of time, nearly four hours. When everything was said and done, these businesses received what they came for – an approved variance.

The first hearing of the evening was for a variance that would allow the installation of an illuminated sign at 60-62A Fairhaven Road, the Gulf gas/convenience store owned by Vasudha LLC & Neelkanth Corp. The sign currently in place was deemed unsafe and out of date, especially when gas prices required changing. Dan Carabone of Mutual Oil described a modern digital-style as the industry standard.

Representing the applicant was Attorney Eric Brainskuy, who explained the importance of staying current with signage technology in order to stay competitive. However, the board felt that in order to stay competitive, it wasn’t a new sign the applicant needed, but a lower price per gallon.

The ZBA tossed out the competition angle in favor of the more compelling life safety issues associated with updating the gas prices sometimes several times per day. The new sign proposed would have the same dimensions as the current sign, but would allow remote computerized changes through digital technology.

On hand to drive home the point that this newer signage style was now the industry standard was installer Hank Ellis. Ellis said that the new sign’s illumination would allow people to read the gas prices in all types of weather and ambient light conditions and that it also included a dimming feature. But the neighbors were not amused.

Mary Kelliher, 4 Reservation Road, voiced her concern that the new digital illumination will diminish the peaceful enjoyment of her home along with other lights which illuminate the roof line of the building. She said that illuminated window signs advertising cigarette brands and other products add to the visual noise coming from the property. Kelliher said, “I don’t think it’s good for Mattapoisett.” Other neighbors questioned why this applicant would be allowed to have an illuminated sign when other businesses have been denied. They worried that this would set a precedent and pave the way for other Route 6 businesses to request the same variance. They were told that each application is reviewed on its individual merit and not preceding hearings.

After the board members debated the features and benefits of the application and pondered negative implications for the town, they voted that a reasonable hardship was proven in the form of safety and approved the application.

The second hearing was from Blue Wave LLC and their proposal for a 28-acre commercial solar field situated off Crystal Spring Road. Armed with a noise study completed by HMMH Consultants, the applicant gave line-by-line details of the project as presented by Rick Charon, engineer.

Then, Tim Johnson of HMMH gave a presentation on the noise study. Johnson’s evaluation noted that there would not be a significant change in traffic noise emanating from Interstate 195 after deforestation of the site. Therefore, residents would experience a negative impact. His study assumptions were brought into question when asked if real-time data had been used to come to these conclusions. Johnson said that his team had used worse-case scenarios in their modeling but that ‘real’ data had not been used. That did not satisfy member Colby Rottler. Rottler wanted the study to include real present-state noise level data contrasted against noise level data after deforestation.

Blue Wave’s Aidan Foley, front and center for this last local governmental hurdle, said that heretofore he had not considered this type of data to be necessary and that no other project with which his firm was associated had to consider this type of science. However, he concluded that ‘real’ data collection would prove beneficial, not only for this project, but possibly future projects in other locations, thus concurring with Rottler.

The board also heard that if granted a variance, the land use change would produce an additional $40,000 a year in tax revenue for the town.

Abutter Peter Wolski, 4 Crystal Spring Road, who has been in attendance at each and every board meeting regarding this project, was again present with questions. He asked if a surety or bond could be put in place – a ‘performance bond’. Director of Inspectional Services Andy Bobola advised the board that they could condition the permit with such a surety, but wasn’t sure if that was necessary. Bobola advised the board that the Conservation Commission would be conditioning the project to ensure that erosion controls and storm water run off would be effectively handled.

Wolski also had expressed concerns regarding a forested buffer area that was not part of Blue Wave’s lease. He had asked at the ConCom meeting if the land owner could be asked to not remove any more trees from this area since doing so would expose the deforested land to his backyard vista. Foley responded that the landowner had recently informed him that forestry activities would cease in that location for the length of the 25-year lease.

The board voted to approve the change in use with the following conditions: (1) noise studies would be conducted before and after deforestation, and Blue Wave and its partners would pay for any remedies, if required; (2) decommissioning bond totaling $225,000; and (3) signs at the site with contact information would be posted in the event residents needed to contact the company.

The next meeting of the ZBA will be announced in early August.

By Marilou Newell

Where Houses Speak

on July 27, 2014

He warned us that he’d jump from current day to many centuries prior, so we strapped on our virtual seat belts and began our journey. Speaking almost without pause except when passersby cheerily greeted him with a “Good to see you,” Seth Mendell transported us during his walking tour of Mattapoisett. This special event was one of many being offered by the Mattapoisett Historical Society Museum. Certainly no one would have been better suited as our guide.

Mendell’s historical knowledge, not only of Mattapoisett but of much of New England and beyond, pours from him like the outgoing tide at Eel Pond. One finds oneself taken back in time as he describes the people, the industries, and the structures that comprised those yesteryears.

Stepping off from the Christian Church that houses the Mattapoisett Historical Society Museum, he began the hour and 15 minute tour that took us back and forth in time – a time Mendell has forged in his memory bank.

Of the museum, he said that a man by the name of Elder Faunce set up a trust for the church building that at some point in its own history was claimed by the Baptists, hence the name of the street that runs along the west side of the property. In 1958, the newly-founded historical society – yes, Mendell’s ancestors were part of that group – partnered with the church trustees to give the town its precious gem of a museum. In 1968, the society built the carriage house. Today, the rental agreement between the society and the church trustees continues in what he described as a type of ‘Hong Kong’ lease.

In 1821, the shipbuilding industry of Mattapoisett was in full swing. But prior to that, the first settlements were along the river where agriculture was the primary focus. It wasn’t until the 1800s that shipbuilding became a major industry for this tiny community.

As Mendell explained, by the 1800s whales had been so heavily fished in local waters that the hunt went farther and farther away from the shores of New England and Nantucket. All one need do is read Melville to glimpse that reality.

Nantucket had been the major whaleboat building location, producing small ships able to ply the Sound, Cape Cod Bay, Buzzards Bay, and other coastal locations. As larger ships became necessary for longer sea voyages, Nantucket’s shallow harbor couldn’t handle the bigger boats. Enter New Bedford and Mattapoisett.

Ship builders whose talents became regarded as the best available moved to Mattapoisett and set up shop. Thus, this area was thrust into an industry that for many decades to come was in high demand.

As we strolled from the museum, there didn’t seem to be a building that Mendell could pass that didn’t speak a memory to him worth sharing or a story worth elaborating upon.

Take the Town Hall for instance. Town Hall was built in 1896 and for that specific purpose. Four investors – one being George Purrington, a forefather of Mendell – funded its construction. Early on, it also housed the first fire and police departments. He said he remembered a large metal cage inside the first floor where the cops would lock-up those who wandered outside the lines of the law.

The Town Hall’s second floor was a large open space used for dances, town meetings, movies and other gatherings. He recalled watching newsreels on sweltering summer evenings while sitting on hard benches: A far cry from the lavish movie theaters of today. He pointed out that the small tower we see today on the Town Hall building had once been another story higher. Like many buildings he described during the tour, the Town Hall suffered severe damage from the 1938 hurricane. That was when it lost the top of its tower, which never returned to its former height.

He pointed out 6 Church Street as a home once belonging to a Mr. Tabor, a whale-man. Not to be confused with whale-boat captains, whale-men worked on the boats and also earned vast sums of money during the height of the whale oil demand. 4 Church Street belonged to Mr. Johnson, a cabinet maker. Mendell said that there were many shops sprinkled up and down the village streets, many taverns and public houses, boarding establishments and other businesses. As the shipbuilding companies proliferated and prospered in Mattapoisett, supporting enterprises were needed to supply the population with its needs for goods, food, drink and lodgings.

Across from Ellis Square, the apartment building at 13A and 13B Main Street was once a store owned by a retired whale-man named Eldridge Caswell. At this intersection, he also described the introduction of modern transportation: the electric rail. It ran up Church Street to where Oxford Creamery is today. He told us about mass transportation hubs from New Bedford to Onset long before the automobile became America’s most-loved machine. My own maternal great-grandparents, the Ransoms, traveled on those rail cars from New Bedford where they lived all the way to Onset by the bay. My grandparents eventually moved to Onset, but continued to travel through Mattapoisett on their way to New Bedford to do the monthly shopping. They must have disembarked here in Mattapoisett and found it a restful place indeed. They have long rested in Cushing Cemetery along with their daughter, my grandmother. But I digress.

14 Main Street was a restaurant owned by Mr. and Mrs. Barrows called ‘Anchorage By The Bay’. Prior to being at this location, it sat squarely in the middle of what is today Shipyard Park. Again, the 1938 hurricane had its way, smashing that panoramic multi-paned eating place with explosive power. The Barrows reopened a bit farther from the open winds and waters.

12 Main Street was also a tavern in the 1800s and ol’ Solomon Leach’s binnacle shop was located in the back. For those, like me, who don’t know what a binnacle is, it is the housing around a compass.

Moving farther along, Mendell said that three houses along Main Street (6, 8, and 10) were owned by the Rodgers brothers. They had relocated from Nantucket when those larger whaling ships were in demand and brought with them much sought after expertise. Like many early residents, the Rodgers family shared their wealth and good fortunes. They helped fund Center School.

Pointing across Main Street to the marshlands, he said that in the 1800s it was not as filled in and vegetated as it is now. One of the Rodgers brothers was able to build and float a whaling ship there, which is something our modern minds might have a hard time conceiving.

Stopping at what is today the Mattapoisett Land Trust’s ‘Munro Property’ across the street from what was the Willis house at the corner of Pearl and Main, Mendell told us about the three-story mansion that was wiped out in the 1938 hurricane. Collective memory being what it was at the time, no one remembered a hurricane powerful enough to demolish a structure so sturdily built. So Lewis Stackpole built his huge home on the beach area now belonging to the “Sands” resort. All that paradise ended in the fateful 1938 hurricane.

While standing at this lovely site, Mendell told us about the War of 1812 – which actually was three years long – and the advance into our harbor of the British ship, HMS Nimrod, in September 1814. The mistress of the Willis house (2 Main Street built by Elijah Willis) ran to the Olive Branch School (the yellow house now situated across the street from Center School) where she rang the bell, warning the residents that the British were coming. The Mattapoisett militia was successful in turning back the British. The Brits headed north to Wareham where they burned everything in sight.

As we reached the wharves where so many people today enjoy Mattapoisett’s waterfront, Mendell said that many shipbuilders established their businesses here cheek to jowl. The land needed to set up a shipbuilding shop only needed to be as wide as the ship itself. Therefore, many shops lined the waterfront in narrow strips. Names such as Cannon (more than one), Barstow, Holmes, Hammond, and Meggs worked side-by-side in friendly competition. There was plenty of work for all.

Other slices of life from by-gone days that Mendell imparted include: Cannon Street was known as ‘clam shell alley’ because the residents would throw their shells onto the street to keep the dust down; 7 Water Street (which is adorned with a plaque) was the home of Francis Davis Millett who went down with the Titanic in 1912; Goodspeed Island was the site of a major salt works, an industry that helped the financial solvency of the area; entering the town from the harbor must have been quite a sight, Mendell speculated, with windmills for the salt works and giant whale ships riding high in cradles in various stages of completion; the YMCA building was a mansion built by Charles King who had his own rail car called ‘The Dude Special’; King was also responsible for building the Reservation Golf Course; 1 Water Street, built in 1746, is claimed to be the oldest house in Mattapoisett; the Wanderer and the Acushnet of Melville fame were built in Mattapoisett; the Inn was once the Meggs Tavern.

The tour ended where it began – at the museum – and was certainly only a small taste of all the history Mendell could share. It was just all the history his 81-year old frame could impart at that moment.

The Mendells now spend the summer months here and the winter months in Florida. While he is here, though, Mendell will be involved in enriching the historical experiences available through programs at the Mattapoisett Historical Society and other venues.

If you have an opportunity to hear Seth Mendell speak about the people, places and events of the past, do yourself a favor: Go and absorb all you can. People like Mendell, with such a depth of knowledge, are treasures to us all.

By Marilou Newell

Can I get a volunteer

on July 26, 2014

Ladies and Gentlemen, can I get a volunteer?

When we hear these words it brings us back to a magic show or the circus or perhaps a performance at the New England aquarium. In my younger years, I attended such a show and did raise my hand to be part of the sea lion performance. When I was selected and was asked to go on stage, it was very exciting. I was going to be part of the show! I was instructed to stand still and do whatever I was told. The sea lion performed his trick, the last being a kiss on my cheek. He, of course, got all the applause. After all, he was the star of the show. I spent the rest of the day happy to have been a part of something fun, but also left smelling of fish.

Many years later, when I read in the paper that a Town Committee was looking for a volunteer, I again raised my hand. Friends and family were supportive, telling me that I would be great in such a position. I am not much of a politician, but this appointment didn’t seem to be a political role. Merely an enforcement group with a very defined set of rules to uphold: Laws, in fact. But I quickly learned that everyone reads the rules differently, and others feel the rules don’t apply to them and they should be granted an exception. When these people don’t get what they want, a battle ensues and the officials become ‘The Bad Guys”.

I have been a member of both successful committees and some not so successful. My experience has been that at first it always seems like a good idea to volunteer. After all, I can make a difference, right? But here are some lessons that I have learned:

– There will always be someone with an agenda or constituency (no matter the level of service).

– Good or bad, a group of individuals (a committee) is always heard as a group, even if its members are all saying different things.

– People will more likely base their decisions on popular opinion rather than spend the time to research the fact of a matter.

Now that my relatively short stint in public office is complete, I am glad to have had the opportunity to serve my community. I have also learned some valuable lessons about myself and society. And I did escape this time without smelling of fish.

So I ask you again, Ladies and Gentlemen, can I get a volunteer?

Call the Town Hall, there are openings available.

Wendy Carreau, 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.

ORR Class of 1965

on July 26, 2014

A committee of the Old Rochester Regional High Class of 1965 has started planning their fifty-year reunion in the summer of 2015. If you graduated from ORRHS in 1965, please email your current address to mdjonesww@aol.com as well as any current addresses of classmates and teachers with which you have kept in touch. It’s been many years since the last reunion, and we need to update the contact list.

Visit our Facebook page, “Orrhs1965 Reunion”. Like and Share to get the word out.

Committee Tours Town House, Envisions its Future

on July 26, 2014

From basement to bell tower, members of the Town House Study Committee examined, explored, and envisioned the future of the Town’s beloved landmark on July 17 during a tour of some of the unseen and mostly undisturbed corners of the old Marion Town House.

The committee, meeting for its second time, began with a tour of the facility, venturing down those hidden hallways into solitary spaces where time seems to stand still and the past remains in the form of scribbles on chalkboards and stacks of old record books.

First stop in the basement, the group parted cobwebs along the way as they checked out the wide-open space, the vault, and water damage from past leaks along the foundation. The space smells like any other damp old basement, and the committee briefly discussed options for keeping the space dry.

“This is a hard space to use,” said committee member Bill Saltonstall. He envisioned utilizing the basement for HVAC equipment to serve the upstairs, acknowledging that the space had some usefulness, but personnel and staff could probably never occupy it.

The committee reacted favorably to one room deep in the basement, which had full windows with afternoon sun pouring in, high ceilings, and potential beyond just housing the long rows of stacks of town record books.

Upstairs on the main level, in the clerk’s office, Saltonstall said Town Clerk Ray Pickles has expressed that he has all the space he and his staff need to perform their daily duties.

Standing in the office of the building commissioner, it was clear to the committee that the department was short on space.

“It’s tight, it’s messy, and it’s loaded with paper,” said Saltonstall. “This is one of the spaces I thought should grow.”

Up on the second floor, the group entered the office of the town accountant, which was open and airy compared to the previous offices the group visited.

“But she doesn’t really need more than half of this,” said Saltonstall, commenting that the room that only housed a conference table and some record books could potentially be very useful for other purposes.

Down the hallway, an open and sunlight-saturated former classroom, as evidenced by the chalkboards still hung on the walls, was stuffed with rows of old record books. Another classroom across the hall echoed the old classroom setting, with some of the chalkboards like living time capsules. Scribbles and drawings dating back to the 1980s still remain, undisturbed – documentation that Patsy, Wayne, and Jim were all once there.

“This is where everybody wants to be,” said Saltonstall.

The members all remarked on how great the space was, wandering around the rooms, disturbing the ghosts of the past that still linger, suspended in time.

“This is just beautiful up here,” remarked committee member Lynn Crocker.

The space had the feel of an attic, with interesting architectural angles and the familiar stifling summer heat. The group did not linger long before approaching a steep set of ladder-like steps and, one by one, the committee members ascended, until reaching the top with a surge of sunlight and a burst of fresh air – high up in the bell tower overlooking the village. The committee enjoyed a few moments there, looking out and snapping a few photos with their phones. The sun was setting and time was shrinking, so the committee reconvened downstairs at the conference room table and got down to the nitty gritty.

Office square-footage, live and dead document storage, meeting room size – not to mention the options of renovating or rebuilding, and whether to factor a community center into the mix were all items of discussion.

One thing is for certain, though, pointed out Saltonstall. On the priority list are larger offices, an elevator, sprinklers, and a handicap-accessible restroom on every floor.

“There’s no question the building is going to be accessible,” said committee member Robert Raymond. “There’s going to be an elevator.”

A feasibility study is imminent, but the committee’s chief concern is getting clarity on statements made by the Board of Selectmen who requested the committee devise and explore four options for the Town House and surrounding town buildings, which the committee referred to as “the campus.”

“We can’t move on until we clarify that,” said Raymond. “And what leeway do we have?”

Built in 1877, the Town House was originally a part of Tabor Academy until it was later sold to the Town. Town officials and residents have for years been talking about whether to save the historic building by renovating it and possibly building an addition for community use, or rebuilding the structure entirely to make way for a more modern campus to include the town hall, library, a community center, and senior center.

Committee member Priscilla Ditchfield said the town sentiment is in favor of saving the building.

“And that itself has got a price tag on it,” said Ditchfield.

By Jean Perry

Hayden Bergeron: An Inspiring Youth

on July 26, 2014

During the long summer months, students who have moved home from school often have trouble filling their free time. The phrase, “Mom, I’m bored” is the most frequent one to land upon parents’ ears around this time of year.

But there is one local youth local who decided to take matters into his own hands and create fun, unique activities to pass the time. Hayden Bergeron is 18 years old, a recent Old Rochester Regional graduate and soon to be UMass Dartmouth student, and a driven young entrepreneur. He has lived in Rochester his entire life with six siblings and an incredibly strong mother who have helped shape him into the man he is today.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Hayden through the volunteer landscaping work he does on the weekends in Marion. For the past two summers, Hayden has pulled into my driveway promptly at 9:00 am to begin working. This past Sunday, as I dragged myself outside with a cup of coffee and my journal – my mind barely awake – I noticed that Hayden was already well into his work. He seemed calm and at ease, moving diligently around the yard in the pale morning light. As we spoke about his hobbies and summer plans, I realized that this landscaping job was only just scratching the surface.

Hayden and his siblings have come up with a myriad of ways to pass the time during the summer months. In his spare time, Hayden collects silver currency (coins and dollars) to sell on eBay. One of his younger siblings has accumulated a large collection of baseball cards and autographs to sell to interested buyers. In addition, Hayden is currently growing the hottest chili pepper in the world: the “Carolina Reaper”, which he says will most likely be eaten by one of his friends.

On top of all of these various jobs and hobbies, Hayden also works full time for a construction company during the week. In the little free time he has left, Hayden likes to play basketball, football, and lacrosse with his friends, and enjoys moments with the people who are closest to him. On the weekends, Mrs. Bergeron gathers all of her children (including three adopted from Haiti) for an outing to Church in the Pines. According to Hayden, this outing is a special time for siblings to bond, as religion continues to play an important role in Bergeron family dynamics.

It is clear that the Bergeron clan always makes the most of their free time, often finding new and interesting ways to spend their days. Hayden balances his life with the right amount of work and play, and continues to make family a top priority. I think this family could be an inspiration to all of us who are looking to fill time as the season draws to a close.

So as the summer winds down and your kids are wondering what to do with themselves, remember that time is what we make of it. There are always new, creative ways to fill the hottest months. So open up that paint set you’ve been dying to use. Or do some gardening. Practice a song or take a walk with a friend. But no matter what you wish to do to fill your days, make the most of the time that is given to you. Make some memories you will never forget.

By Jacqueline Hatch

Taste of the Town

on July 25, 2014

Dear Editor:

A colossal thank you is offered to all the wonderful members of the Mattapoisett Women’s Club who gave generously of their time and energy to make the Taste of the Town a magnificent event and success. We appreciated the cooperation, dedication and time members took away from family and friends to unselfishly reach out and serve the community. Also, special appreciation is extended to devoted vendors and loyal patrons for supporting the Mattapoisett Women’s Club scholarship fundraising efforts. We could not have done it without you.

Finally, deep thanks to the glorious Showstoppers. This spirited group of young performers dazzled everyone with their array of songs and boundless enthusiasm.

With deep gratitude,

Lois Ennis and Eileen Marum

Co-chairs, Taste of the Town Committee

Mattapoisett Women’s Club