Residents are notified that the $10 late fee for dog licenses is now in effect. If you haven’t already done so, please stop by our office to renew your pet’s license today. An updated rabies certificate must be on file.
Also, our annual street listing book is available for purchase. The cost is $10. Stop by today to purchase one as there is a limited amount available and they sell quickly.
Museum Curator Elizabeth Hutchinson knew that the documents, bits and pieces, articles of clothing, and pictures from the police and fire departments held memories. The community responded to those memory keepers on June 26.
On that evening, the front and back doors of the Mattapoisett Historical Society Museum were flung wide open. With music playing softly in the background and tables laid to overflowing with good things to eat and drink, they hosted an open house and auction.
What the public really came out for, however, was the collection of Police and Fire Department memorabilia expertly organized and put on display for this special occasion – newspaper clippings, crime scene photographs, call logs, uniforms, equipment, many lives and times being relived and relieved. This tangible evidence of those who had been on duty, protecting the citizens of Mattapoisett, is a combination of materials that has been loaned to the museum or has been rediscovered within its walls. The event brought out people who once worked together or who are still working together today. There was laughter mixed with respectful recollections for those who have passed away.
Retired Police Officers Ken Pacheco, Kent Davis, Edward Pina, and Chief Moran (retired), along with Chief Mary Lyons and Officer Anthony Days, enjoyed coming together to reminisce about the old days while looking over the items on display. When asked about highlights of their careers, most said that it was the strong bond of being in service together that they remembered the most – the friendships that have lasted many decades. Oh, there was mention of drug busts, thieves caught, recovered stolen goods, thousands of traffic stops leading to arrests, and the constant threat of danger mixed with good natured ribbing. “Lots of things have changed … lots of guys are gone,” reflected Pacheco. For this night, however ‘it was all good.’
Surprisingly, a number of those who visited the museum did so for the first time. In spite of being employed by the town for years, both Pacheco and his wife, Melody, had never been inside the museum. It was the draw of this exhibit that brought them in. More surprisingly, they had never seen on display the donation they gave the museum – a scale model of the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan. Pacheco had purchased it from a shop in New Bedford as a gift for his parents back in the 1960s. It came back into his possession upon their passing and now is permanently docked in the museum.
Mattapoisett’s Fire Department was also represented. Several active duty members, including Mark Nadeau, Justin Dubois, and Deputy Chief Walter Morgado, came out to view the antiquated firefighting gear and historic documents. Firefighting has its own unique set of potential dangers for those willing to do this dangerous job. Human instinct is to run away from a burning building. Firefighters run towards it. Although techniques, equipment, and understanding the science of structures and fire have evolved over the decades, the basic principles have not. Chief Morgado, whose career on the Mattapoisett Fire Department spans an amazing 51 years with over 30 years as a chief officer, reflected on fire suppression. He said, “….put white on red…” meaning water on fire – period.
As Chris Richards performed a smooth variety of folk and soft rock on his guitar in the carriage house, the assembled enjoyed refreshments and then it was time for Seth Mendell, well-known local historian, to play the role of auctioneer. Nautical themed items went quickly, raising an impressive sum for the museum’s coffers.
The museum has a long list of activities planned throughout the summer. Go to www.mattapoisetthistricalsociety.org for complete details, or call 508-758-2844. The official opening is July 2. Summer hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 pm for a fee of $5 for adults and $2 for children; Society members free. The Fire and Police exhibit will be on display through the end of August.
By Marilou Newell
The first meeting of the recently formed Town House Advisory Committee met on Thursday evening at the Marion Police Station to discuss various options to address the aging Marion Town House.
Members introduced themselves, giving a brief background on life skills and why they wanted to join the committee. Six of the eight members attended and Shaun Cormier, town facilities manager, chaired the meeting.
In the introductions, Priscilla Ditchfield noted that she joined the committee to represent both the Marion Council on Aging and the Friends of the Marion Council on Aging.
“Right now, one-third of our population is over 60 years-old and in ten years it will be one-quarter of the town,” said Ditchfield. “And we are one of the few towns without a senior center.”
A discussion ensued over parking issues should a senior center be added to the mix. Several members stated that the ball field behind town hall would have to become a parking lot if a senior center was added to the project.
The committee had a robust discussion about exactly what the Marion Board of Selectmen challenged the committee to accomplish.
“We need to ask the Board of Selectmen if they want us to consider a senior center or an expansion of the library in our considerations,” said member Bill Saltonstall. “We need to know what we are challenged to do as a committee.”
After much discussion regarding space needs, the committee agreed that members Wayne Mattson and Ditchfield would research similar towns that have had recent renovations and the cost of those renovations. Members Cormier and Saltonstall would research space planning at the town house, and Ditchfield and member Robert Raymond would look into Council on Aging options for a town of approximately 5,000 residents.
Other committee members include Evelyn Crocker, Meg Steinberg, and Jon Henry (representing the BOS). It was noted that Henry had over four decades of experience in the building industry including a major stint as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers.
On the agenda was a discussion to elect a committee chairman and clerk, but the committee agreed that the decision would be postponed until all committee members were present.
The next meeting will be on Thursday, July 10 at 6:30 pm at the Marion Police Station.
By Joan Hartnett-Barry
In 1971, just fifteen runners registered at Shipyard Park for the first annual Mattapoisett Road Race. Now, 43 years later, this race has become a Fourth of July tradition with more than 1,000 participants from all over the country. Despite the impending tropical storm of last Friday, this year was no exception.
With rain clouds overhead, 1,024 runners and their supporters gathered in Mattapoisett’s Shipyard Park to participate in this year’s race. Race director Bill Tilden was originally worried about the weather’s effect on the race’s turnout, but clearly these runners didn’t mind a little rain. “I wouldn’t say I was surprised – I was hopeful,” said Tilden after seeing the high registration numbers.
The Mattapoisett Road Race’s five mile run passes through Mattapoisett Village, along the waterfront, around Ned’s Point Lighthouse, and back to Shipyard Park. Rain drizzled in the beginning, but overall the weather held out, leaving runners with the burden of high humidity.
Still, the race was a success. With a time of 26:49, first place runner Jay Mcmahon, 18, of Swansea crossed the finish line. Not only was this Mcmahon’s first time running the Mattapoisett Road Race, but it was his first time running a five mile race. Unsure about the pacing, Mcmahon’s strategy was simple: keep pace with the first place runner, then pass him at the end. The strategy was simple, but successful. Mcmahon intends to continue his running career in college next year.
The top female runner was Megan O’Brien, 19, who took ninth place overall with a finishing time of 29:51. O’Brien is originally from Palos Heights, Illinois. She attends college in Chicago, but is here in Tri-Town for the summer for an internship with the Wareham Gatemen, a Cape Cod baseball league. “I love running road races,” said O’Brien, an experienced runner back home.
Mcmahon and O’Brien were each awarded $150 for their first place positions, but neither could accept the award due to college eligibilities. Mcmahon chose to donate his winnings to Friends of Cardinals, the Case High School athletic booster club, while O’Brien chose to donate her winnings to the Wareham Gatemen.
The second and third place male top finishers were Tony Fierimonte, 21, of Sutton, and Taylor Days-Merrill, 20, of Fairhaven. For the female top finishers, Lindsay Willard, 35, of Somerville took second, while Melissa Henry, 27, took third.
The Mattapoisett Road Race also recognizes male and female top finishers for several different age groups.
For females ages 13 and under, Meg Hughes, 12, of Rochester won, with an overall place of 31. For the males, Jack Audett, 13, won with an overall place of 122.
In the 14-18 age group, Meredith Reynolds, 18, of Medway won for the females with an overall place of 59. Michael Kassabian, 17, of Mattapoisett won for the males with an overall place of 20.
For runners with ages 19-29, Alice Binns, 24, of Dorchester won for the females with an overall place of 58. Seamus Mcevoy, 21, of Wilbraham won for the males with an overall place of fourth.
In the 30-39 age group, Jennifer Almeida, 38, of Norwood won for the females with an overall place of 25. For the males, Jason Baer, 36, of South Burlington, Vermont won with an overall place of fifth.
In the 40-49 age group, Tarley Sumner, 42, of Acushnet won for the females with an overall place of 40. Patrick Callahan, 41, of Needham won for the males with an overall place of sixth.
For runners with ages 50-59, Nancy Clarke, 52, of Mattapoisett won for the females with an overall place of 85. For the males, Bernie O’Reilly, 51, of Newton won with an overall place of 28.
In the 60-69 age group, Terri Martland, 60, of Newport, Rhode Island won for the females with an overall place of 170. For the males, Bob Ruel, 61, of Whitman won with an overall place of 18.
Lastly, in the 70 and over age group, Theresa Tattersail, 70, of North Attleboro won for the females with an overall place of 638. Jimmy Gray, 72, of North Providence, Rhode Island won for the males with an overall place of 309.
Along with the top finishers and the age group awards, the Mattapoisett Road Race recognizes the top male and female Mattapoisett runners. Julie Craig, 47, was the top female Mattapoisett runner with an overall place of 82. Matthew Petrocci, 29, was the top male Mattapoisett runner with an overall place of seventh.
Since its establishment in 1971 by Old Rochester Regional High School’s assistant principal Bob Gardner and his wife, Doris, the Mattapoisett Road Race’s mission has been to raise money for scholarships for graduating students of ORR. Depending on how much money was raised this year through the registration of roughly 1,150 people, the Mattapoisett Road Race Committee will select a number of 2014 award recipients. Preference is given to students who ran in the road race or participated in the school’s running programs. These scholarships range from $1,500 to $1,800.
“The scholarship awards it provides is an added bonus,” said Tilden, mentioning how the race is also a great way to get the community involved, “I think the town loves it.”
Despite the day’s humidity, the runners loved it too. “It just got hotter and hotter, and the moisture was sticking to you, but I think everyone looks satisfied with their run,” said Lenny Murphy, 18, who’s been running the Mattapoisett Road Race for seven years now.
Most runners seemed appreciative of the light rain at the start of the five miles. “The rain in the beginning was motivating,” said Tina Sylvester, 20, a first time runner at the Mattapoisett Road Race.
The runners were also very appreciative of the many volunteers at the road race passing out water and fresh fruit at the finish line. “We got more water than we did last year,” said Tilden, “Last year we got pretty light on water toward the end because it was so hot.”
Even though this year was cooler, the runners were thankful for the nine water stations with 8,000 cups of water placed throughout the race, as well as the 1,900 water bottles at the finish line.
The Mattapoisett Road Race had another great year, regardless of a little bit of rain and a lot of humidity. As Tilden said, it’s a “good, fun-filled holiday race.”
By Renae Reints
Shirley H. “Tootsie” (Adams) Achorn, 86, of Rochester died July 4, 2014 at home after a long illness surrounded by her family.
She was the wife of Carl A. Achorn.
Born in New Bedford, the daughter of the late Walter C. and Annie (Batacao) Adams, she lived in New Bedford and Dartmouth before moving to Rochester in 1976.
She enjoyed spending time with family and friends, baby sitting, driving her Nissan 300ZX, the company of her dogs and she always looked forward to the spring season for her love of gardening. A devout Catholic, she was extremely compassionate to all and she will be missed by many.
Her family would like to thank her granddaughter Marcia and her companion Louis for providing excellent care to Shirley during her illness.
Survivors include her husband; her 8 children, W. Wayne Roberts of Chester, MA, Daniel D. Roberts and his wife Sandra of South Dartmouth, Scott S. Roberts and his wife Kathleen of Monument Beach, MA, Mark M. Roberts and his wife Mary and Jeffrey J. Roberts and his wife Laurie, all of Fairhaven, Melinda M. Roberts and her husband Louis Oliveira of Freetown, Melissa M. Farland and her husband David of Acushnet and Carl C. Achorn and his wife Jennifer of Rochester; a daughter-in-law, Carolyn Roberts of Fairhaven; a sister, Beverly Michaud of New Bedford; 21 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was the mother of the late Glenn G. Roberts and the sister of the late Donald Adams.
Funeral from the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St. New Bedford Wednesday at 8:45 AM. Funeral Mass at St. Rose of Lima Church in Rochester at 10 AM. Visiting hours Tuesday from 4-8 PM. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com
The Mattapoisett Library’s “Fizz, Boom, Read” summer reading program has blasted off this week, and there are many activities for children of all ages and their families. Beginning with a scavenger hunt featuring simple machines, families can stop in and enjoy many programs and events, and earn great prizes throughout the six weeks of the program. Participants who register and complete the program are eligible for prizes and the Ice Cream Sundae party to be held on August 13. Visit the library to pick up a complete calendar of events, or visit the library’s website at www.mattapoisettlibrary.org to see the calendar.
On July 8 at 10:30 am, there will be a “Popcorn” presentation by Kay Alden for young children. Move and groove like popping corn!
Got Magic? Scott Jameson will present his wonderful “Magical Science” program on Wednesday, July 9 at 1:00 pm. Perfect for families.
Drop-in story times are held each Thursday from 10:30 to 11:00 am. Come by and enjoy the air conditioning while your children enjoy special stories read by library staff.
What to do on a rainy day? Show your children the new children’s educational games computers, play with the library’s Legos, or borrow a chess set and start a game. There are crafts each week to enjoy and plenty of new books for children and parents to enjoy. And don’t forget that the library lends DVDS, video games, fishing poles, puzzles, and cake pans.
For Teens: Don’t miss the Sword Combat Demonstration on Friday, July 11 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm. Design a Banned Book Poster, and have an opportunity to win an amazing Banned Books raffle basket filled with neat stuff. On July 23, artists Andy and Veronica Fish will be on hand to teach how to draw manga. Sign up any time. These programs are brought to you by the Institute for Museum and Library Services through funds administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
For older children, junior high and high school students: check out our new Student Lounge and Studio on the mezzanine! Sumo Lounge chairs, art supplies, and more are available for you to use.
There will be lots of fun programs on the library lawn during Harbor Days, including a Tiki Bar, so continue to check listings in local media and on the library’s website and Facebook pages.
The following students have achieved honors for the fourth term at Old Rochester Regional High School.
Highest Honors, Grade 9: Madison Barber, Erin Costa, Mason DaSilva, Hannah Guard, William Kiernan, Molly Lanagan, Davis Mathieu, Maxxon Wolski, Matthew Wyman; Grade 10: Nicole Mattson, Lauren Ovian, Drew Robert, Evan Roznoy, Rachel Scheub; Grade 11: Jennifer Aguiar, Mikayla Burke, Deylen Dumond, Sierra Ennis, Andrea Harris, Michael Kassabian, Laura McCoy, Ashley Pacheco, Vincent Tepe, Louisa Truss; Grade 12: Nicholas Bergstein.
High Honors, Grade 9: Cheyanne Frias, James Goulart, Jordan McArdle, Tyler Mourao, Hannah Nadeau, Daniela Ochoa, Ryson Smith; Grade 10: Serena Jaskolka, Jane Kassabian, Mallory Kiernan, Jeffrey Murdock, Evan Santos, Paige Watterson; Grade 11: Michaela Guard, Samantha Malatesta, Victoria Medeiros, Julia Nojeim, Margaret O’Day, Jentelle Rioux, Bailey Truesdale; Grade 12: Emily Audet, Nicole Enos, John Hewitt, Renae Reints, Kaitlyn Sethares.
Honors, Grade 9: Julia Barrett, Alexander Bilodeau, Morgan Bliss, Douglas Breault, Emma Cadieux, Ashley Clapp, Emma Collings, Madison Cristaldi, Patrick Cummings, Colin Flynn, Gavin Fox, Colleen Garcia, Joshua Garcia, Emma Gelson, Celeste Hartley, Kelsey Holick, William Hopkins, Aubrie Isabelle, Caleb Jagoda, Abigail Johnson, Connor Kelley, Jonathan Kvilhaug, Olivia Labbe, Diana LaRock, Benjamin Lima, Victoria MacLean, Dylan McCoog, Mackenna Milton, Camryn Morais, Lucas Muther, Andrew Nadeau, Alexandra Nicolosi, Russell Noonan Jr, Riley Nordahl, Krishna Patel, Adam Perkins, Graham Poirier, Charlotte Rathborne, Andrew Riggi, Mary Roussell, Brooke Santos, Lauren Scott, Riley Shaughnessy, Jacob Spevack, Noah Tavares, Ali Taylor, Kurt Thompson, Lauren Valente, Sienna Wurl, Emily Ziino: Grade 10: Haley Aguiar, Emil Assing, Colleen Beatriz, Amy Bichajian, Rikard Bodin, Lillie Farrell, Catherine Feldkamp, Moira Flynn, Matthew Fortin, Emily Josephson, Samantha Kirkham, Madeleine Lee, Hayli Marshall, Kyle Medeiros, Alexandra Melloni, Morgan Middleton, Lucy Milde, Victor Morrison, Jacob Plante, Alexandria Powers, Hannah Rose, Bailey Sweet, Alex Tavares; Grade 11: Theo Assing, Catherine Ball, Kasey Baltz, Ryan Beatty, Morgan Browning, Brittany Brzezinski, Stephen Burke, Madeline Cafarella, Danielle Cammarano, Benjamin DeMello, Samuel Dorothy, Jaclyn Dyson, Nicole Gifford, Evan Gillis, Chrystina Hai, Gerald Lanagan Jr., Mya Lunn, Shannon Lynch, Julianne Mariner, Mitchell Midwood, Benjamin Mimoso, Heather Nadeau, Devyn O’Connor, Trevor Oldham, Chloe Riley, Sarah Robertson, August Russo, Austin Salkind, Brittney Santos, Christina Sebastiao, Jillian Sethares, Kyle Sherman, Riley Sherman, Marie Sylvester, Courtney Tranfaglia, Cassandra Vance, Sabrina Wahl, Angela Weigel; Grade 12: Evan Augustine, Samantha Barrett, Jessica Belliveau, Madison Blagden, Douglas Blais, Michaela Bouvette, Rachel Brown, Alisha Camara, Christopher Carando, Amanda Carreiro, Bridget Costa, Morgan DaSilva, Christopher Demers, Madison Durr, Taylor Fafard, Jinhua Florindo, James Francis, Emily Goerges, Callie Gomes, Anna Gray-Jenney, Eric Keegan, Jessica Kocur, Rebecca Koerner, Elizabeth Machado, Kella Mendes, Kelly Merlo, Carly Pelissier, Brianna Perry, Justin Smilan, Leah Thomas, Arissa Underhill, Hannah Vieira, Michael Wyman.
Championship teams from the 2014 Old Rochester Little League Season.
The Orioles Defeated the Cardinals, 4-3, on Friday, June 20 to capture 2014 Old Rochester Little League Majors Championship – Left to Right – Stephen Feeney, Liam Stuart, Jon Borsari, Rocco Govoni, Cam Brezinski, Des Dias, Charlie Hartley-Matteson, Will Stark, Sam Parks, Ben Henriques (not pictured Nate Texieria) Kneeling – batboy/mascot – Nick Parks
The White Sox Defeated the Marlins, 5-2, on Friday, June 20 to capture the 2014 Old Rochester Little League Minors Championship — Front Row: (left to right) Ethan Scully, Caleb Devoe, Stephen Sauerbrey, Paul McLaughlin, Thomas Galavotti, Ryan Coppola, Second Row: Liam Houck, Brendan Burke, Joel Watters, Mac Ingham, Dylan Aguiar, John Mollica, Back Row: Asst. Coach Dan Scully, Asst. Coach Len Coppola, Asst. Coach Steve Galavotti, Head Coach John Burke, Asst. Coach David Sauerbrey
Bowling Green Hot Rods defeated the Toledo Mudhens, 2-1, on Thursday June 19 to capture the Old Rochester Little League AAA Championship. L-R Players — Ethan Perez-Dormitzer; Brenna O’Donnell; Finbar Kavanagh; James Dunn; Chace Guinen; Jason Tobin; Colin Mello; Jack Hamilton; Josiah Filsinger; Zack Maurao, (Not Pictured) Derek Moreau, Coaches L-R — Mike Moreau; Scott Guinen (manager); Derek Mello; Donovan Dunn
With an empty seat where Town Administrator Richard LaCamera used to sit and a light agenda, the Board of Selectmen reviewed the Rochester Country Fair booklet for the event, and approved the appointments for the Rochester Country Fair Board of Directors, committee members, and supporting volunteers.
Highlights discussed were the scheduled musical appearances by John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band and Jennel Garcia from Season Two of “The X-Factor.”
Some new events have been added to the program this year, including a new parade route that will start and finish at the Rochester Memorial School. A Highland Games Exhibition has also been added, featuring athletes competing in Scottish Heavy Athletics.
There will be a mobile zip line and slide by Adventure Bound, and mechanical bull riding. Yeehaw!
The board approved the placement of the directional signs along main roads in Rochester directing visitors to the fairgrounds, and Rochester Country Fair Committee Co-Chairman Julie Koczera said she would soon meet with the police and fire chiefs to smooth out the remaining details.
“That’s awesome,” said Selectman Naida Parker about Garcia’s scheduled performance. “I know she’s going to be a big positive draw as far as that goes.” Parker then requested that Koczera return again to brief new Town Administrator Michael McCue on the country fair events once he is situated in his position, pending final contract negotiations, which took place earlier in the evening during an executive session with McCue.
“You’re good to go,” Selectman Richard Nunes told Koczera.
In other news, the board accepted the resignation of Old Rochester Regional School Committee member Cary Humphrey, and announced to the public that interested parties who would like to serve the remainder of the year on the ORR School Committee should send a letter of interest to the Board of Selectmen.
The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is July 7 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
By Jean Perry
The cool, post-Hurricane Arthur breeze was a welcomed factor in Marion’s July 5th 4th of July Parade, postposed because of the heavy rains the day before. Hundreds turned out to line the streets in Marion Center and along the parade route that looped around the center of Town. Photos by Jean Perry
