It is one of the most important fundraising events for the Mattapoisett Women’s Club, and just the sort of exemplary event one would expect to see on a summer evening on the seaside of Mattapoisett.

July 15 was the time for the annual Taste of the Town beneath the great white canopy tent at Shipyard Park.

Lois Ennis of the Women’s Club was delighted that all the tables beneath the big tent were filled, as well as the 48 seats at the al fresco dining tables.

There were some tropical-like winds blowing the skirts on the tablecloths, but the weather was nothing like last year, said Ennis.

“It was so hot,” said Ennis. She recalled another year when the skies opened up an hour into the event raining buckets on all of the people. “We are always at the mercy of the weather,” said Ennis.

The was the 11^th year for the annual event, which has become a tradition for many who came out to sample the different flavors Mattapoisett has to offer.

Mouthwatering aromas of seafood, pizza, and Asian cuisine merged perfectly with the salty sea air blown ashore by the wind, and everywhere you looked people were eating and laughing.

The Showstoppers, a singing group of local boys and girls, provided the entertainment for the hundreds of guests that kept pouring into the park in a steady stream.

Ennis said the proceeds go toward granting scholarships to local students, upwards to $4,000 when the event is a success. Ennis pointed to a stack of white paper event guides, saying it had originally contained a count of 500. It was roughly about a half hour into the event and already there were only about 100 left.

“It’s a lot a lot of work,” said Ennis. “But the people are here.” It looks like this year will be a generous year for scholarships in Mattapoisett.

By Jean Perry

A full moon and ideal weather united perfectly on Friday evening for the Marion Art Center’s annual cocktail party fundraiser. Adding to the night’s perfection, the event was held at a private waterfront home that was complete with a large white tent under which there was plenty of great food, wonderful music, and a terrific turnout.

“This is our big effort to support our mission and promote the arts and help with the preservation of our historic building,” said Cassy West, outgoing President of the Marion Art Center. The newly elected Co-Presidents are Shelly Richins and Michele Letourneau.

“Two years ago, we dedicated our renovated bell tower to Wendy Bidstrup, our past director, and we will re-dedicate it to her during the Arts in the Park celebration on Saturday, July 13,” said West.

Music was provided by the Third Shift Jazz Quartet, which played songs from rock to romance dance tunes.

Hundreds of people came to support the effort that raises money for the Marion Art Center, which has two galleries and a community theater located at 80 Pleasant Street in Marion.

“We are all about education around arts, theater and creativity,” said Letourneau. “We want to thank those who support us and let them know that their donations make such a big difference.”

Attendees Jaimi and Josh Gregory mingled with the crowd and agreed that supporting the Marion Art Center was essential to keep Marion vital. “We are privileged to be here and support the fact that the MAC is for all ages,” said Jaimi Gregory.

“The MAC bridges the community and brings people together and is a cultural center and we want to support that,” said Cynthia Pyle.

Others echoed their reasons for rallying around the Marion Art Center as a community center that brings local people together to enjoy the arts.

The Marion Art Center is open Tuesday through Friday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Patricia Berry, a member of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church. Berry, along with her 11 year-old daughter and 21 other church members – none of whom had even gone on a mission trip like this one before – spent a week in June doing mission work in Appalachia.

In addition, Camp Craddock in Cherry Log, Georgia, the organization that partnered with the mission group, had never before hosted a mission group. Naturally, there were a few unknowns ahead for all involved in the project.

“There were a bit of ‘knows,’ though,” said Berry. Berry knew the group would be serving children in need, and she knew they would be piloting a community outreach program in the form of a camp on wheels, visiting different impoverished neighborhoods and distributing books and meals, while bringing music and arts along with them.

But how they were going to do it, she was not really sure. She knows now, though, that in the end it worked out better than she had projected.

The group touched down in Atlanta and drove the rest of the way to Cherry Log – everyone inside the vehicle excited, a little nervous and anxious, too. Berry said they drove all the way through a thunderstorm that added an aspect of drama to the journey.

“It was so metaphorical for what we were going into,” said Berry. She said the storm was a breathtaking display of lightning and rain, and in a way, it mirrored their emotions. “Then when we arrived, it was all sunny and blue sky.”

After settling in and a day of training, the group split into five groups, each with a different mission. One group would distribute books aboard the Story Express, a traveling library on wheels. Another would bring meals, and another was in charge of arts and crafts. One group provided music and storytelling, and a fifth group stayed behind at the center to build bookshelves. Books, said Berry, are a vital part of the Craddock Center’s community enrichment program.

Every day, one after the other, the four outward bound groups made stops in three different neighborhoods, providing, cumulatively, about one and a half hours of programming per stop.

“At first, the kids were like, who are these people?” said Berry, remembering the first day the group encountered the children who lined up waiting for the program. “I tried to get them to sing the Hokey-Pokey,” she said with a laugh. “They looked at me like I was crazy.” But the kids warmed up quickly to the group and by Friday, Berry said that hugs were the norm.

Berry remembers one particular moment when she really started to connect with the children. It happened while she was teaching them to sing “This Little Light of Mine.” Berry passed out musical instruments and had the children singing, holding up their fingers like little candles along with the strumming of a mission member’s guitar. It was then that one of the older “cooler” kids who was reluctant to sing asked Berry, “What happens if my light goes out?”

“It will never go out,” Berry told him. “And he just lit up. His face lit up, like, ‘I get it!’” And the day was shining, said Berry. “We helped their light shine and they helped our light shine.”

Berry said she brought along her daughter, Maggie, so that she could come to know and be a part of “something bigger than herself,” as Berry described it. She wanted her to be a part of a personal transformation, to make an impact. But Maggie was not quite sure how she was helping – she wasn’t really feeling it, said Berry. Berry said it was when Maggie had a moment with three sisters on one of the stops that Maggie came to know how she was making a difference.

The three girls looked to Maggie and told her how hungry they were, asked when the lunches would arrive, and told Maggie that they do not usually get to have lunch.

“Their bellies were grumbling as they sat there reading together,” said Berry. “Then it hit her. These kids don’t have food. They don’t have any books.”

Part of the experience for Berry was the bonding that resulted between her and Maggie. She said several other families on the mission experienced that similar family bonding experience.

“It was a great growing experience for me on my own journey, and also as a mother … but then also as a church,” said Berry. “The connection we made with each other was just wonderful.”

Berry said she thinks the group returned with a new energy, and she expects the experience is going to “breathe new life” into the church’s mission group at home.

“But I would say the whole church was on this journey,” said Berry. “And we got incredible things done. We completed our mission.”

By Jean Perry