Making it Happen

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On Saturday, May 30 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm, the South Coast LGBTQ Network will be sponsoring its second annual spring event, “Making it Happen” at the Waypoint Center on New Bedford’s historic waterfront. The Network welcomes everyone to get involved including LGBTQ individuals, friends, families, neighbors, community leaders, businesses and allied organizations to ensure that LGBTQ at-risk youth, isolated seniors, and parents who need more information find the resources and support necessary to make our community stronger.

Tickets can be reserved by contacting the Network at sclgbtqnetwork@gmx.com or calling Rebecca at 508-996-3343 ext. 25. All proceeds benefit general operating for the South Coast LGBTQ Network and support the Program Coordinator position to enable the Network to grow programs, services and resources for LGBTQ youth, seniors, individuals and families across the age spectrum. For more information or to buy tickets online, log on to www.sclgbtqnetwork.org or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SCLGBTQNETWORK.

The South Coast LGBTQ Network is a fund and project of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts. The Network was officially launched in May 2014 and continues to seek new members to increase its community outreach and further its mission to build and maintain a comprehensive support network for LGBTQ individuals and families across the age spectrum. All donations are tax deductible as a project of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts. The need is great and community support is critical to reaching its ultimate goal of providing a central organizational home for the exchange of ideas, resources and collaboration to improve and enrich the lives of LGBTQ South Coast residents.

22nd Annual Buzzards Bay Swim

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With just one month left before the 22nd annual Buzzards Bay Swim on Saturday, June 20, hundreds of swimmers across the SouthCoast and Cape Cod are signing up to take the plunge and show their support for clean water.

“I look forward to the Swim every year for its physical challenge, but also the excitement of being part of the crowd swimming,” said Alan Harris of Marion, who is returning for his seventh Swim this year. His 13-year-old daughter, Ruth, is swimming with him for the second year in a row because “it’s the least I can do to help my environment.”

Swimmers can sign up to join Alan, Ruth, and more than 300 others on June 20 at www.savebuzzardsbay.org/swim.

The Buzzards Bay Swim is a fun community event that supports a great cause: clean water in Buzzards Bay. Swimmers complete a 1.2-mile open water course across outer New Bedford Harbor, starting at The Edge Seafood Lounge in New Bedford’s South End and ending at Fort Phoenix State Reservation in Fairhaven.

The Swim draws participants of every age, ability and fitness level. Some swimmers form teams with their friends, families and fellow swim team members. First-time swimmers are also welcome and encouraged to participate.

“Last year was my first time ever swimming across the Bay, so it was really intimidating at first,” said Ruth Harris. “But after I finished the Swim, I felt really happy and proud of myself.”

Now in its 22nd year, the Buzzards Bay Swim is a signature outdoor event in southeastern Massachusetts. Swimmers hail from communities across New England and as far away as Alaska, Arizona, and South Dakota. At the finish line celebration, families and community members will enjoy food and festivities, including live music, an awards ceremony and free beach activities for children.

All funds raised from the Buzzards Bay Swim support the Coalition’s work to protect clean water in communities across the Buzzards Bay region, from Westport to Woods Hole.

To register and learn more about the Buzzards Bay Swim, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/swim.

If you’re not a swimmer but still want to get involved with the Buzzards Bay Swim, you can volunteer to help with check-in, food service, and other important tasks. To volunteer, contact Lynn Coish at 508-999-6363 ext. 200 or coish@savebuzzardsbay.org.

The Buzzards Bay Swim is a Waterkeeper Alliance SPLASH Series Event, presented nationally by Toyota. The SPLASH Series engages local citizens in recreational use of our waterways to celebrate access to clean water with activities that the whole community can enjoy as they raise critical funds to support their local Waterkeeper organization. For more information, please visit www.splashseries.org.

Sippican 6th Grade Car Wash Fundraiser

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Each year, the Sixth Grade class at Sippican School enjoys a number of activities including the bike ride to Scusset Beach and the annual trip to the Appalachian Mountain Classroom. To help offset the cost of these trips as well as the yearbook, class T-shirt and DVD, the class hosts a number of fundraisers throughout the school year.

The Sixth Grade Parent Group at Sippican School will host the first fundraiser for the incoming sixth grade class.

There will be a car wash on Saturday, June 13 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Rain date is Sunday, June 14.

It will be held in the bus loop of Sippican School off of Park Street – at the back of the building – for $5 per wash.

All money raised will be for the incoming Sixth Grade activities. For more information, please contact us at sippican6@gmail.com.

Marion Art Center Opening

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The Marion Art Center is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition of paintings by Kim Morin Weineck and Eli Cedrone from June 5 to July 11. A reception honoring the artists will be held on Friday, June 5 at the Marion Art Center from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the Cecil Clark Davis Gallery. The show will run until July 11. At the opening on Friday, June 5, members of the Marion Garden Group will present “Art In Bloom” exhibiting beautiful fresh floral arrangements interpreting the paintings. Special Event: On Saturday, June 27 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, both artists will give demonstrations in their “Portable Studios” at the Marion Art Center on the Pleasant Street Patio.

Eli Cedrone has always been influenced by the power of images to express ideas and emotions. “Painting is a process of discovery and decision-making where disparate elements pull together until the image is clearly expressed,” she feels. She is drawn to the human form where figures exist both in representational and painterly worlds. Often she’ll explore a narrative theme in order to capture the emotional power of a moment in time. “I think that common, everyday things can be beautiful and resonant without being manipulative or artificially provocative. For me, landscape painting is a journey in search of something that evokes a personal response to nature beyond the obvious. Ultimately my concerns are with the expressive qualities of light captured with paint.”

Soon after graduation from the School of Art & Design, Suffolk University in Boston, Eli decided to skip the harsh New England winters, choosing instead to begin her career in Bermuda at Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising. She took a brief sabbatical from her job to study art in Florence, Italy. After nearly five years on “the rock” she developed a case of island fever and set her sights on California. For the next 10 years she lived in Laguna Beach, working as an illustrator and magazine designer. Marriage and the birth of her daughter brought her back to Boston where she continued studies at the School of the MFA and began painting full-time. She returns often to Bermuda and California to visit friends and teach painting workshops. She is a member of the Copley Society Boston, Oil Painters of America, Portrait Society America, the MFA Boston, Guild of Boston Artists, and Laguna Plein Air Painters.

Of her work she says, “I work primarily in oils, and feel it’s important to work from life. Contemporary Impressionism best describes my style. I often paint outdoors and develop larger works in the studio from the model, memory and a variety of references.”

Eli resides in a suburb of Boston, MA, with her husband, daughter and two Boston Terriers, Sargent & Sorolla.

Kim Morin Weineck is a pastel and oil painter who concentrates on the beauty of interpretive landscapes. She is a juried member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA), Signature Member of the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod (PPSCC), Artist member of various art associations and Founder and Instructor of the Neponset Valley Artists (NVA) her active atelier. Look for her work to be highlighted in The Pastel Journal’s vaunted Pastel 100 issue due out April 2015. Her piece was selected from 2500+ paintings!

Kim holds a BFA in Fine Art, 2D from Massachusetts College of Art and Design where she graduated with distinction and found her artist-voice studying in Pont-Aven, Brittany, France. Kim has served as Gallery Director at Gallery9, Norwood, MA.

A mother to two young daughters, Kim describes herself as a happy wife struggling to juggle it all, which includes teaching and painting but also making homemade jam for fresh scones in the morning. “It’s a lot of fun squeezing in time to paint!”

The Marion Art Center is located at 80 Pleasant Street, Marion. Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Friday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

Music of the 1940s

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The Tri-County Symphonic Band’s 13th Annual Benefit Pops Concert “Music of the 1940s” will be held on Sunday, June 7, Social Hour & Raffle at 2:00 pm followed by Concert, Cupcakes and Coffee at 3:00 pm at the Grand Tent at the Fireman Performing Arts Center, Tabor Academy, 235 Front St., Marion. All proceeds will benefit the John R. Pandolfi Scholarship Fund.

Come join us in an elegant, spacious tent on the scenic shore of Sippican Harbor, as light fare and cupcakes from On The Go Catering adorn the tables and the raffle ensues. The Tri-County Symphonic Band’s program will highlight music from the big bands, classic movies, and Broadway musicals. Please help us celebrate our 13th annual Pops Concert with this afternoon event.

Concert tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at The Bookstall in Marion and The Symphony Music Shop in Dartmouth. Raffle tickets are $20 each ($1,000 Grand Prize!) and can also be purchased at The Bookstall in Marion and The Symphony Music Shop in Dartmouth. All proceeds from the concert and raffle will benefit the Tri-County Music Association’s John R. Pandolfi Scholarship Fund.

Girls’ Lacrosse Clinches Tri-Championship

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Here is a look at the seventh week of scheduled games for Old Rochester Regional High School spring athletics.

Baseball: The boys’ baseball team started their week off with a tough 2-1 loss to out-of-conference Coyle-Cassidy. Despite an RBI double from Sam Henrie and an overall strong pitching effort by senior Brendan Deverix, the Bulldogs were unable to squeak out a victory, marking only their third loss of the season. However, the boys did manage to turn their luck around later in the week with a huge 16-0 blowout over Bishop Stang that lasted only five innings. Henrie, Jordan Menard, and Austin Salkind all had three hits apiece, with Bryant Salkind and John Breault adding two hits apiece. Defensively, the Bulldogs played well, with Henrie picking up another shutout from the pitcher’s mound and strong fielding throughout. The boys’ record currently stands at 14-3.

Softball: The Lady Bulldogs had a less than ideal week, suffering two losses to drop their overall record to 8-10. Early in the week, the girls suffered a 13-4 loss to Seekonk and were later defeated by Bishop Stang, 8-3. Despite the loss, Kaleigh Goulart played well, hitting a two-run homerun in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Hannah Guard also provided some offensive heft with two hits during the game.

Boys’ Track: Both of the track teams competed in the SCC Championship Meet this week, which features the best athletes across the conference. The boys’ team placed third overall with 60 points, only behind Dighton-Rehoboth and Seekonk. ORR had several impressive performances on the day, notably from Kevin Saccone and Ben Rounseville. Rounseville claimed the 400-hurdle title in 60.53 seconds, while Saccone won three events – the long jump, triple jump, and 110-meter hurdles. On both the boys’ and girls’ sides, ORR athletes swept the hurdles events, showing the depth of the Bulldog hurdling program. The boys’ also got notable places from Jacob Blezard (sixth, shot-put), Trevor Oldham (sixth, 100-meter), and the 4×100 meter relay team (third). The track teams will now look to perform well on the state level at the Division 4 State Championships next weekend.

Girls’ Track: The Lady Bulldogs also had an excellent day at the SCC Championship Meet, claiming the team title with 156 points. ORR’s underclassmen shined on the day, with freshmen Rachel Demmer and Madisen Martin winning the 400-hurdles and 800-meter, respectively. The girls got several wins throughout the meet, including Maddie Meyer (two mile), Zoe Smith (high-jump, 100-hurdles), and the 4×400 meter relay, which in the most exciting meet of the day, caught Dighton-Rehoboth right at the line to secure the win. Other top finishers for the Lady Bulldogs included Sam Ball (second, mile), Lexi Afonso (second, long jump), Arden Goguen (third, 100-meter), Nicole Mattson (second, 400-meter) and Nina Bourgeois (second, 800-meter). The win also marked the sixth consecutive year the ORR girls have won the team portion of the meet.

Girls’ Tennis: The girls’ tennis team earned two big wins this week, one over Bishop Stang and one over Case. Against Stang, the girls won 4-1 thanks to individual wins from Julia Nojeim (first singles), Morgan Middleton (second singles), Olivia Bellefeuille (third singles), and KK Bindas and Sophie Church (second doubles). The girls went on to shutout Case 5-0, with all previously mentioned players earning wins, and with Amy Bichajian and Emma Collings adding a win at first doubles. The girls’ record currently stands at 13-4 overall.

Boys’ Lacrosse: This week, the boys’ lacrosse team earned a huge 18-5 win over Bishop Stang. Previously in the season, the boys won their first game against Bishop Stang despite an altercation between the two teams that led to the police being called. This week, the boys’ managed to defend that victory thanks to a trifecta effort from Landon Goguen, Ethan Lizotte, and Thomas McIntyre. The sophomore, senior, and freshman each scored four goals apiece to power the ORR offense to their 14th victory of the season. Other goals for the boys came from Charlie Tirrell (2), Ryan Manning, Jack Devlin, Kyler Berry, and Nick Rego. Goalies Gerald Lanagan and George Whitney split the time in net, effectively halting any offensive momentum Bishop Stang hoped to gain. The boys will look to continue their season as the postseason looms closer.

Girls’ Lacrosse: The girls’ lacrosse team started their week off with a heartbreaking 12-11 loss against Bishop Stang. Though the score was close for the entirety of the game, and Bailey Truesdale scored a hat trick to lead the Lady Bulldog offense, Bishop Stang gained possession with just a few minutes left and managed to keep the ball away from ORR hands, effectively clinching the victory for out-of-conference Bishop Stang. The girls also suffered another loss this week to Fairhaven, 10-6. Despite the loss, however, the girls clinched a three-way SCC Championship crown with Fairhaven and Apponequet. Had the girls defeated Fairhaven, they would have won the championship outright, but the title is still significant as it is the first in the program’s history. The girls’ record currently stands at 14-4-1.

Below are the overall spring team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of May 25.

Baseball: (14-3-0) (12-2-0); Softball: (8-10-0) (8-8-0); Boys’ Track: (6-2-0) (6-2-0); Girls’ Track: (8-0-0) (8-0-0); Boys’ Tennis: (15-1-0) (13-0-0); Girls’ Tennis: (13-4-0) (12-3-0); Boys’ Lacrosse: (14-1-0) (7-1-0); Girls’ Lacrosse: (14-4-1) (7-3-0).

By Michael Kassabian

 

Old Rochester Farmers’ Market

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The Old Rochester Farmers’ Market starts on Tuesday, June 2 from 3:00 – 7:00 pm. The market starts in spring and runs every Tuesday until October 13. Old Rochester Farmers’ Market is held at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School outside the gymnasium. This year’s market will have entertainment and face painting for kids. We will also have a number of new and existing vendors including our two produce farms: Cervelli’s Farm and Skinny Dip Farm. Joining us once again throughout the season: Reins Real Baking, Omega Olive Oil, D’s Lectables, Wyandotte Farm, Running Brook Vineyards & Winery, Al’s Backwoods Berrie, Say Cheese, Amir’s Natural Foods, Nautical Creations and Wicked Good Soups. Some of our new vendors include: Bradford Farmhouse Toffee, Sweet and Salty Farm, No Joke Smoke BBQ, Donde Thiago, Carberry Kitchens (dog treats), Smackadoodles, Farm to Baby, Herb-in-Fusion/Sprig, 1773 Roasters, Wicked Good Kettle Corn, Lily Mae Gardens and Wareham Trout Farm. Periodic guest vendors and artisan vendors will be attending the market. We are still accepting applications for new vendors. Check us out on a weekly basis for an updated list of which vendors will be attending the market at http://rfmarket.blogspot.com.

Bishop Stang Graduates

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The following Tri-Town students from the Class of 2015 graduated from Bishop Stang High School:

From Marion: Matthew Burnett, Matthew Lee, and Maura Lonergan

From Mattapoisett: Samuel Appleton, Meghan Cote, Sandra Decas, Emma Downes, Caroline Downey, Matthew Dufresne, Carolyn Foley, Meredith Gauvin, Megan Goulart, Rubén Llanas-Colón, Anne Martin, Katherine Martin, Veronica Piva, and Danlei (Gladys) Xiang

From Rochester: Meghan Domagala, Samantha Frias, Kyleigh Good, Mariah MacGregor, Tucker Mendonca, Stephen Mendoza, and Kenneth Viera

Senior Projects

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This year, 26 seniors took advantage of the senior project program to pursue an interest that they have for the final quarter of their Tabor Academy career.

According to Julie Crosby, the program director, this year’s projects were diverse. Topics included 3-D computer modeling, dress making, and fundraising for nonprofits. There was also epic poetry writing, surfboard making, photography, and comparative anatomy dissections, as well as designing and publishing a fashion magazine.

Additionally, many students pursued dance and arts performances that the Tabor community was able to see last week.

Each year, the projects are different and unique and Crosby noted that this year, “There was an increase in technical, computer or Internet based projects.” For example, Michael Tan created a drone to fly around campus and Will Lee launched a probe into space.

Last Friday, the entire Tabor community was able to watch presentations and was also able to attend nightly showings the week before.

Ellie Sullivan did comparative anatomy and dissected two animal hearts.

“I want to be a cardio thoracic surgeon,” said Sullivan, who did this project because of her interest in going to medical school.

Hye Rin Joo combined her interest in fashion with her skills in InDesign to create a fashion magazine entirely on her own called “Joology.”

“I interned at a fashion magazine last summer,” said Joo, who also works on the layout for the school paper. “For my project I wrote articles, took photos, and designed layout.”

Although she did much of this herself, the community was supportive and helpful in the process.

“I loved working with students, faculty, and a local store Serendipity by the Sea!” said Joo.

Samantha Davis shadowed Emi Burke, founder of the Message of Hope Foundation. Davis worked with the foundation, which provides “hope bags” to children who are sick in the hospital without anything to do.

Davis ran a “Hope Factory” at Tabor to create bags and supplies, and visited children in the hospital as well.

“I loved doing my senior project because it really opened my eyes up to realize how lucky we are to be here at school,” said Davis, who hopes to continue her involvement with the foundation in the future. “We are given so much and it’s so great to see the smile on kids’ faces when they receive a Happy Hope Bag. I will do anything to help this foundation!”

Crosby said she feels that “students certainly learn a lot about their topic, but the best independent learning they experience throughout this process is   self-growth.”

The students who completed projects had to keep daily journals about their successes and challenges, which is demonstrative of the growth and accomplishments they achieve through the seven weeks of their project.

“[The process] is about facing challenges to their plans and creative ideas and finding ways to overcome those,” said Crosby. “They learn how to seek out resources on their own, how to preserve, how to be flexible all in order to reach a very personal goal.” She continued, “Many of them will tell you it’s the most difficult thing they’ve done while a student at Tabor, but also the most rewarding.”

By Julia O’Rourke

Tabor

Board Recommends Bylaw Amendments

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The Rochester Planning Board met May 26 to discuss three zoning bylaw amendments to be presented at the June 8 Annual Town Meeting.

The board voted unanimously to recommend that the Town adopt the following amendments in upcoming Town Meeting.

One is an amendment to section VII of the Flood Plain District. The amendment will not affect any residences in Rochester, only a portion of the New Bedford Waterworks site.

The next amendment was to sections III “Definitions” and IV “Limited Commercial District.” The amendment includes a definition for Mixed-Use Development, which is “a development that combines residential with retail or service uses within the same building or on the same site.” The amendment to section IV would add mixed-use development as an allowed use under the limited commercial district.

The amendment goes on to create a guiding principle and specific objectives, as well as the insertion of mixed-use development requirements and the deletion of “antiquated business type terms to be replaced by ‘retail and commercial establishments.’”

Should that amendment fail to be adopted, a third amendment is featured on the warrant that only has the definition for mixed-use development and the change to the limited commercial district.

The amendments were developed through cooperation between the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Chairman Arnold Johnson encouraged everyone on the board to attend the town meeting.

“Everyone here try and make it. I think it’s important when the Planning Board is coming forward with legislation, especially like this,” said Johnson. “It shows we have worked together on this for quite a while and in conjunction with ZBA. I think it’s important for the townspeople if we show up. It helps with the level of commitment that we have.”

Richard Cutler, chairman of the ZBA, warned those planning to attend the town meeting that, based on a conversation he had with the town moderator, it will likely be a long meeting.

Other business at the meeting included a follow up discussion about the Little Quittacas Solar Project. In a discussion carried over from the May 12 meeting of the board, members discussed what recommendations would be made in regard to vegetation on the site.

The discussion centered on whether the area should be seeded or allowed to return to nature. Low rainfall and high wind has made the area very dry, according to the board, and therefore unsupportive of common short-rooted grasses. The worry is that if the area lacks vegetation then the berm – a type of narrow ledge – would be subject to destruction during a heavy autumnal rainstorm.

The other option, besides allowing it to return to nature, is to find plants that thrive in similar environments and plant them. Following a discussion, it was decided that there would be additional talk with those responsible for the site.

During the town planner’s report, the board reviewed a recent site visit to the Pines at Hathaway Pond.

“The guy did a really nice job of constructing those units and finishing up that project,” said Johnson. “The basin looked good … he still had some seeding to do around three of the units and in front of the basin.”

The board attributed normal settling to reports from those in the area about cracking around manhole covers.

Towards the end of the meeting, Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon updated the board on the state of the Open Space and Recreation Plan. The plan will continue to develop as they release a survey in the coming months, both through a mailing campaign and online. The survey will be three pages long and consist of roughly 20 questions.

The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for 7:00 pm on June 9 at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Andrew Roiter

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