The Junior Friends will hold a Minecraft Club for children aged 10+ on Tuesdays in July from 4:30 to 5:30 pm at the Plumb Library, 17 Constitution Way, Rochester. An older teen will be on hand to supervise. All skill levels will be welcome. The group will be playing Minecraft and doing Mine “Crafts.” Bring your device or laptop with Minecraft on it. To reserve a space or for more information, contact Mrs. Fuller at lfuller@sailsinc.org or call 508-763-8600.
The Super Duper Summer Fair will be held at First Congregational Church of Marion on Saturday, July 26 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, 28 Main Street.
Fun for all ages! Newly expanded craft table includes hand-painted bird houses and slates, decorative iPhone covers, lawn decorations along with crocheted princess and prince crowns. Bring the children for crafts, games, dunk tank, putting green and much more.
Savor our renowned Lobster Rolls and delicious chicken salad wraps at the Chapel Café. Bid on exceptional items at the Silent Auction and have fun at the Mystery Pound Auction. Treat yourself to yummy home-baked goods, candy and fresh picked local blueberries. The Mission Committee is featuring gifts from around the world plus coffee and tea.
Perk up your garden with plants and vegetables. Scour the White Elephant, Crafts and Fine Gifts tables for treasures; pick up great beach books and nautical and sports items. Enjoy grilled fresh catch from the boat by Harbor Blue Seafood, along with hot dogs and hamburgers at the Sidewalk Grill. For information, go to www.marionfirstchurch.org.
The deadline for registration is approaching for Marion Recreation’s Musical Theatre and Hip Hop classes for boys and girls ages 5-15. The Musical Theatre theme is “Teen Beach Movie.” This class will run Monday-Friday, July 21-25 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. The students will learn what it takes to be part of a musical theatre performance. At the end of the week, they will have a short performance. The Hip Hop Class also takes place Monday-Friday, July 21-25, 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Each class is $125 per student. If the child signs up for both classes, there is a $15 discount. Registration deadline is July 14.
For more information, please contact Marion Recreation at 774-217-8355 or info@marionrecreation.com or visit our website at www.marionrecreation.com.
Harbor Days, the quintessential Mattapoisett summer tradition, is almost here and the Mattapoisett Lions Club has been planning this summer’s event since way back in September, trying to come up with fun ideas and new ways to fill Shipyard Park with food, fun, and summertime entertainment.
“We’ve got a ton of new stuff,” said Donald Bamberger, King Lion of the Mattapoisett Lions Club.
For starters, on Friday, July 18, kicking off the Harbor Days weekend is the “Friday Night Fish Fry,” a first-time Harbor Days event that Bamberger said is a shift from the traditional seafood dinner held in prior years.
“’Friday Night Fish Fry,’ it has such a nice ring to it,” said Bamberger. Enjoying a dinner of fried fish by the harbor side, said Bamberger, “How could it be any better?”
The new Hollywood Scoop on County Road in Mattapoisett will cater the event that Bamberger said could exceed 300 people. Guests can enjoy a six-ounce fillet of fish, French fries, and coleslaw from 5:30 to 7:00 pm for $9, during which time there will also be a silent auction.
After the fish fry, guests can enjoy a performance by The Dave Charnley Band, a “high energy country and blues” band from 7:00 to 10:00 pm.
Saturday the 19th brings an extra special treat that Bamberger initially did not think would pan out. But with a little perseverance, he managed to secure a visit from the Boston Red Sox 2013 World Series Championship Trophy! You can get up close and personal with the championship trophy at the Shipyard Park gazebo from 1:30 to 3:00 pm, and a two by four-foot replica of the Fenway Park scoreboard, created by local muralist M-C Lamarre, will be the backdrop for the trophy and then raffled off later in the afternoon.
“Getting the trophy was really just me shooting for the stars,” said Bamberger. He was hoping to get the trophy for longer than the hour and a half, but he said the shooting for the stars turned into settling for the moon. “We were lucky,” he said.
Back again for a second year is the Free Family Movie, which Bamberger said was a great success in 2013.
This year’s movie is On Golden Pond, but what makes this special is the “Meet the Creator” event after the film, when Oscar-winning playwright Ernest Thompson, who wrote On Golden Pond, will give a talk and meet with guests under the tent. Thompson will be bringing along with him the Oscar he won for the film.
“That was sort of a last-minute thing,” said Bamberger, who just happened to know someone who knows someone married to Thompson, explained Bamberger. The movie starts at 8:00 pm.
On Sunday the 20th at 1:30 pm, the Mattapoisett Fire Department will give a rescue demonstration, followed by a lesson on how to use a fire extinguisher.
“They are bringing in a car wreck and they’re going to use the Jaws of Life,” said Bamberger. He said firefighters will light stuff on fire and show how to properly extinguish a fire.
“And they hope to have the old fire truck that is being restored on display,” said Bamberger.
The traditional artisan craft fair will go on Saturday through Sunday, and Lobsterfest will start at 5:30 pm on Saturday evening. On Sunday from 8:00 to 11:00 am, the Lions Club will serve up a pancake and sausage breakfast.
The annual Triathlon will be held on Sunday, July 13, starting at Mattapoisett Town Beach at 8:00 am. The race includes a 0.25-mile swim, followed by 10 miles on a bicycle and then a 3.4-mile run to the finish line.
So, what has been the most challenging aspect of coordinating the 2014 Harbor Days?
“Getting volunteers,” said Bamberger. “The club, in size, is shrinking a little bit.”
Bamberger said the Lions Club receives a lot of support from the Town for Harbor Days and other events, but there is a real need for volunteers during the actual events, especially Harbor Days. “You don’t have to be a Lion to help out,” added Bamberger. The hardest part, he said, is always getting the people to help out.
“But failure is not an option,” said Bamberger. He said the lions have been meeting monthly since September planning for Harbor Days and eventually stepping it up to weekly meetings. “Then we take a breath,” said Bamberger.
What is Bamberger most excited about for this year’s Harbor days?
“I’m most excited about Monday the 21st,” laughed Bamberger.
More seriously though, Bamberger said when he first moved to Mattapoisett in 2005, he knew nothing about Harbor Days, and he enjoyed all that it had to offer. The next year, though, he saw the events dwindle a bit, so he made it his mission to continue to expand and improve upon Harbor Days when he eventually became King Lion.
“Because I think it’s the best thing in Town,” said Bamberger. “It’s good for us and it’s good for the Town.”
If you would like to volunteer for Harbor Days, contact the Lions Club at mattlionsclub@gmail.com.
By Jean Perry
The Marion Police Brotherhood is proud to bring an evening of music to the community with our annual Summer Concert on Saturday, July 12 with “BonJourney,” a Bon Jovi/Journey Tribute Concert, at Silvershell Beach on Front Street in Marion. Show starts at 6:00 pm with local youth guitar master Aaron Norcross Jr, followed by Patrick Fitzsimmons. All show proceeds benefit the various charities supported by the Marion Police Brotherhood throughout the year. Tickets are available by calling 508-804-5352.
What better way to celebrate another breathtaking summer on Buzzards Bay than a walking tour of some of the most exquisite local gardens? On Friday, July 11 from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm, St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church and the Garden Club of Marion, Massachusetts will present the ‘Gardens by the Sea’ at a gathering that kicks off at the Captain Hadley House at 345 Front Street, Marion MA, on the corner of Route 6 and Front Street.
Each year, the tour attracts many Marion residents, including some aspiring gardeners who hope to gain inspiration from the beautiful sights. This year’s event, entitled ‘Gardens by the Sea’ will feature private gardens generously offered for viewing by several local families. This year, St. Gabriel’s expects a turnout of at least three hundred and fifty people!
According to Garden Club members, this year will mark the 12th official Garden Tour, an occasion held annually during the summer months. Each year, the Garden Tour pulls together the best of all that is Marion: supportive attendees, welcoming homeowners, incredible landscaping, panoramic views of the ocean, and volunteers willing to dedicate their time to make this event a reality.
As the event approaches, attendees, Garden Club Members, and local Marion residents are anxious to see what stops are on this year’s tour. The locations are generally kept hushed until the day of the tour so that attendees can be surprised by the gardens that they get the chance to see. Each year, the Garden Club discusses volunteers and nominees to create the ideal route for the Garden Tour.
In past years, the Marion Garden Tour has featured several beautiful gardens on Allen’s Point Road, just past the Little Marion Golf Course. The Garden Tour of Marion has often featured landscapes ranging from waterfront properties to village homes closer to the heart of town.
For the upcoming event, it has been confirmed that at least seven gardens will be featured along the tour. Attendees have expressed that they are most excited about “an Estate overlooking the Weweantic. One garden facing east at the outer Harbor, one at the mouth of Wings Cove, and in between a few ‘Mom and Papa’ gardens, maintained by the owners,” said tour organizer Hanna Milhench of Marion, MA.
Next Friday, the tour will come to a close with a walk of one spectacular site with views of Sippican Harbor and Buzzards Bay. The final stop will include a display of a Garden Club member’s formal rose garden, exhibiting a life-sized chessboard inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. A hedged entryway leads around to the back of the estate, where the lawn slopes down to a hidden seaside grove. As you follow the stepping-stones inside, you find yourself enclosed by evergreens around a stone fire-pit. The campfire feel of this hidden treasure makes you forget for a moment that you are mere steps from the ocean.
Needless to say, this year’s list of properties left Garden Club members practically speechless. As they pondered the diverse flora, grounds, and vegetation to be seen on the coming tour, this dedicated group could not contain their excitement. An anonymous member had only one word to describe her awe: “Wow!”
Tickets may be purchased in Marion at The Bookstall, The General Store, and the church office at South Street. Profits from this event will be divided to support both local and global organizations in need. There will also be a combined bake sale to benefit the Community Resources Network and Turning Point. Come out for the love of beauty and a great cause!
By Jacqueline Hatch
Join us at the Elizabeth Taber Library on July 17 at 6:30 pm for a book reading, discussion, and signing with Alexis Rankin Popik, author of Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate. Popik is an award-winning short story writer whose work has appeared in The Berkshire Review and Potpourri Magazine. She has penned numerous articles about Hartford, Connecticut’s local history that have been published in Connecticut Explored and the University of Connecticut School of Law. In addition, she has written about The Hartford Seminary’s Muslim-Christian relations program and about the seminary’s interfaith mission. She is a frequent guest at book clubs in New England as well as in California and recently taught a class for young writers at Our Sisters’ School in New Bedford. She and her husband, William C. Popik, M.D., divide their time between Hartford, Connecticut and Marion.
For more information, please call the Elizabeth Taber Library at 508-748-1252.
After seeing a commercial back in May featuring orphans who had no shoes on their feet, ten-year old Emma Levasseur was inspired to collect new pairs of shoes for orphans around the world who have never known the feeling of putting their feet into a brand new pair of sneakers.
She started by placing a drop box in the lobby of her school at Rochester Memorial School, and with the help of her mom and dad, they expanded by placing drop-off boxes for new shoes and socks donations at the Plumb Library, at Emma’s mother Wendy Levasseur’s workplace, and in front of the Levasseur house in Rochester.
The Wanderer first introduced you to Emma and her family in the May 29 issue when Emma, her fourth-grade teacher Ms. Griffin, and her family reached out to the community to help Emma reach her goal of collecting 50 pairs of shoes by the time the school year ended on June 18. Since then, Wendy Levasseur said the donations started to trickle in from the school and from the other drop boxes until Emma surpassed her goal, collecting exactly 67 pairs of shoes and 152 pairs on new socks.
“We did awesome!” said Levasseur on July 8. She said Emma was thrilled with the results and was excited that the community responded with such generosity.
As the shoe drive gained momentum, one part-time resident of Marion read the article in The Wanderer about Emma’s shoes for orphans campaign, and he felt compelled to reach out to the Levasseur family to help out.
“He read the article and it touched his heart,” said Levasseur. “So they are taking care of the cost of the shipping for us.”
Ken Parsons lives in Texas and owns a summer home in Marion. In a phone interview from his Marion cottage, Parsons said he regularly reads The Wanderer online while he is away from Tri-Town, and during the first week of June, while having morning coffee in Texas and reading the May 28 issue, he read about Emma and her efforts to collect shoes for orphans around the world. Parsons said he and his wife recently became involved in a similar organization collecting shoes for children in Jamaica, so the story resonated with him and his own experience.
“So that’s why the article caught my eye,” said Parsons.
Parsons, a pilot for the United Postal Service, contacted his union, which has a charitable foundation that raises millions of dollars for charity each year. He also reached out to his fellow UPS pilots and, with a little luck, one of them had a connection to Mike Julian, the international director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Soles in Dallas, Texas.
Parsons contacted the Levasseurs and offered to ship the shoes to Dallas using what he called a “crew mail system” at no cost to the Levasseurs, who would otherwise be responsible for coming up with the funds to cover the cost of shipping the shoe donations to the organization in Dallas that distributes the shoes abroad.
“There is no cost to ship the shoes,” said Parsons. “This is just a bunch of people taking some time to help out.”
Parsons will deliver the shoes straight to Logan Airport for a direct flight with one of his fellow UPS pilots to Dallas. From there, Parson’s colleague will pick up the shoes and deliver them to Buckner in Dallas himself.
“I think it’s wonderful,” said Parsons about Emma’s efforts to make a difference for the orphans. “We always worry about the next generation … and how much they’re going to care or give back.” Parsons described reading Emma’s story as “heart-warming.”
“We’re very proud of Emma,” said Levasseur. “It was definitely a success, and we’re happy with the outcome.
By Jean Perry
Please come to the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path Harbor Days booth July 19 and 20. This year we have the “Bike-Friendly Mattapoisett Map” and the Bike-Friendly Rewards Card. Both are sponsored by local businesses that know that biking is good for our health and the local economy.
The map, available for a $5 minimum donation, is waterproof and durable, detailing the best biking roads in the Tri-Town area as well as Fairhaven. It provides directions for five great rides from 8 to 35 miles. Proceeds will go to bike path improvements that are not funded by the state.
The Rewards Card, available for a minimum donation $25, entitles you to discounts at participating businesses and will help fund bike racks in our business district. Knowing the good roads and having a place to park your bike will make going by bike a great option not just for recreation, but for running errands and meeting up with friends around town. The more bikers that are out there, the safer biking is for every one because motorists learn to look out for you.
In news about the Bike Path, 2014 has been a very productive year. We are on schedule and if state funding goes as planned, the bike path from Mattapoisett Neck to Depot Street should be under construction in fall 2015. Plans are under state and federal environmental review right now, as well as in review with Massachusetts Department of Transportation. We expect there will be a public hearing in September.
Alice McGrath’s application for a Form A (Approval Not Required) ruling from the Mattapoisett Planning Board for property located on Cove Street received a “no endorsement” vote at the July 7 meeting. This hearing was a continuation from the last planning board meeting when McGrath, along with her representative Bill Madden of GAF Engineering, first presented them with a request that had as many twists and turns as an old beach road.
During her first appearance before the board, McGrath presented a plan that asked the board for their agreement to divide a long narrow strip of beach into individual non-buildable parcels that she could ‘convey’ to the owners of the adjacent lots. This plan would relieve her from owning this strip of land, and in her view, make the most sense for the residents as well. However, after further discussion, it was discovered that what she actually wanted to do was sell the parcels to the residents and not convey the pieces.
This set in motion a series of questions about the intent of the original sub-division established by Welborn Hillier in the early 1900s. The board needed to discern whether or not agreeing to the request constituted a new sub-division and the long-term impact on neighbors in the Cove Street community.
The original hearing was continued to give McGrath additional time to review the earlier deeds and possibly return with ideas other than selling parcels. The board also wanted time to confer with town counsel to ensure the request was within the scope of their jurisdictional duties.
When McGrath and Madden returned for the second time, the plan had not changed, except where necessary to correct some parcel numbering.
The board members read town counsel’s opinion into the record. The opinion rendered stated that if the board thought the request constituted a sub-division, they could vote on the request using current sub-division rules; if that was not the case, counsel said they were not required to study old deeds and documents to render a decision. Legal opinion also stated that any existing rights and easements noted in deeds would not be negated by the selling of individual parcels.
Another twist in the request came when Sharon Thompson, one of the abutters to the beach strip in question, said that her family had owned their lot for 95 years and up until recently, they and many other abutters all believed the beach was already part of their lot. Further, they had been paying for beachfront property via taxes for many decades. When Thompson and others learned that the beach in front of their homes was not theirs, they petitioned and received an adjustment from the assessor’s office. Thompson also stated that she had been informed by the assessor that if she buys the land offered by McGrath, her tax base would go up by $100,000.
Several board members said that if the land was simply being conveyed to the abutters or given to the Cove Street beach community as a public space, they would have no problem with such a plan. But in deciding to sell the proposed parcels, anyone could buy them and thus set up possible problems for the abutters in the future. They felt that such chopping up of lands was bad for the town.
The board members debated in detail the pros and cons of McGrath’s plan and finally concluded that they weren’t comfortable with it. John Mathieu said, “I don’t feel good about signing it. I think it sets a bad precedent for the town.” Each member of the board articulated similar statements. In the end, they voted not to endorse the plan.
McGrath still has options. She can sue the board and/or pursue ‘constructive approval’ as allowed by Massachusetts law if division of the beach strip for profit remains her objective.
The other agenda item discussed was the ongoing issues at Appaloosa Lane off River Road. The board met with GAF Engineering’s Bill Madden and Brian Grady to receive an update on the drainage project. Although GAF is still reviewing the overall design of the drainage system, Madden was able to see first hand the water problems with the arrival of Hurricane Arthur. The torrent of rain also allowed neighbors to document the water flow problems they are experiencing on their property. With a combination of on-site inspection and photographic documentation, Madden said that the walls of the swale and drainage system don’t seem to have been built to plan specifications.
Chairman Tom Tucker insisted that GAF give the board a time frame for completion of repairs, but Madden said that would be difficult given that the soils in the area as previously certified were incorrect. In 2002, the soils were classified as hydrological soils group A; however, the more recent state certification is hydrological soils group C, which are less able to handle absorption.
Ron Merlo said, “…we are going to rely on GAF to make this plan work and a timeframe … a GAF person needs to be on-site to oversee the work.” The board requested GAF return on July 21 with a timeframe for completion of work and updates on the overall drainage problems and repairs.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is July 21 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.
By Marilou Newell
