From The Mattapoisett Town Clerk’s Desk

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Annual Town Election: The last day to register to vote to be able to participate in both the Annual Town Election as well as the Annual Town Meeting is Tuesday April 22. The office will be open until 8:00 pm for that purpose. The polls open at 10:00 am and are open until 8:00 pm; the polling place is Old Hammondtown School on Shaw Street. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the election, please feel free to contact the Clerk’s office.

Annual Town Meeting: The Town Meeting is scheduled for May 12 and will be held in the Old Rochester Regional High School Auditorium at 6:30 pm.

Mooring, wharf, skiff late bills: The second billing with a $50 late fee was mailed on April 4, 2014. This bill is due and payable within 60 days. Failure to do so could result in loss of space and privileges. Any questions or concerns, please contact the office at 508-758-4103 ext. 2.

Ernest G. Lajeunesse

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Ernest G. Lajeunesse, 89, of Mattapoisett, died Sunday April 13, 2014 at Our Lady’s Haven after a brief illness. He was the husband of the late Ann M. (Stone) Lajeunesse.

Born in Acushnet, the son of the late Narcisse and Laura J. (Vallier) Lajeunesse, he lived in New Bedford and Dartmouth before moving to Mattapoisett 38 years ago. He also wintered in Florida for many years.

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army with the 101st Airborne Division – “the Screaming Eagles ” – in the European Theater, participating in the Battles of the Rhineland, the Ardennes, and Central Europe. He was awarded the Purple Heart, the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon with bronze service arrowhead, the American Theater Campaign Ribbon, and the Distinguished Unit Badge.

He was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Church in Mattapoisett.

After completing his military service, he studied to become a mechanic and eventually became the fleet maintenance supervisor for Gulf Hill Dairy. He later worked for ComElectric where he was the senior purchasing agent until his retirement.

He was a member of the Disabled American Veterans.

His family would like to say thank you to the wonderful people at Our Lady’s Haven for their excellent care; to his special friends and neighbors; and to Mason, the young man who helped Ernie with projects with his car and around his house.

Survivors include his son, David E. Lajeunesse and his companion Nancy of Dartmouth; two grandsons, Scott M. Lajeunesse and his wife Beth and their children Zachary, Nathan, Sarah and Brooke, and Brian D. Lajeunesse and his wife Ali and their children Haley, Ben and Jack; and several nieces and nephews.

His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday at 10 AM in St. Anthony’s Church, Mattapoisett. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery. Visiting hours are omitted. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Disabled American Veterans Chapter #9, 755 Pine St., Fall River, MA 02720. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Peirson Woods and Howland Marsh

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The Sundays of spring are sacred inside the cathedral of the woods. And this past Sunday, the first springy Sunday of the season, I found two wildlife reserves in the throes of this emerging spring, far off from the beaten path of Route 6 in Marion.

Hello fellow nemophilists, and welcome to the third installment of Take a Hike! This time, we found ourselves far down Point Road, where a chorus of peepers sang love songs, and rows of budding daffodils lined the sides to the entrance to Peirson Woods – a place bursting with the momentum of the awakening life force.

Greeting me was my first butterfly of the season, and judging by the way it fluttered around me, I was its first human of the season. I was definitely smitten with this property right from the start.

The Sippican Lands Trust does a superb job marking their trailheads and paths and maintaining the trails in very good condition. Each bend in the path seemed thoughtfully plotted out, and it makes you feel like you belong there – not at all like a trespasser.

The loop is not a long hike, but it is a satisfying one. There is a lot of beauty to take in. The trail opens up at the sea and offers a fantastic vista of the water and marsh. There is a wooden observation deck you can climb for a better view, which you should do just because it is there. There is a sturdy picnic table beside a boulder with a plaque paying homage to a beloved local woman – a peaceful spot to stop along the way and watch the Red-tailed Hawks circling above the trees.

The second leg of the hike had me brushing up against the undergrowth, reminding me that it is indeed tick season and from now on insect repellant is essential.

Since we were already on Point Road, why not head farther down and visit the small, but splendid, Howland Marsh? There is no off-street parking and it is easy to drive by it, so keep an eye out for the small white sign on the right.

After a short woodland walk, the landscape changes and there is a wall of reeds and a narrow raised wooden walkway that takes you to the marsh where the presence of a healthy osprey population is evident from every direction. You could walk all the way to the edge of the water, but there are some swampy patches that could be hiding beneath the carpet of reeds.

There is a letterbox hidden in a tree stump on the property that you can find without too much effort, if you are into letterboxing or geocaching.

Tri-Town has a lot to offer suburban forest freaks like us who need to bathe themselves in the peaceful beauty of the woods to restore their reserves every now and then. Sometimes we forget what lies beyond Route 6 as we drive back and forth every day.

Do you have any suggestions or secret spots you are willing to share with us? Send an email to jean@wanderer.com so we can check them out…

By Jean Perry

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Mattapoisett Historical Society Special Meeting

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On Sunday, April 27 at 2:00 pm, the Mattapoisett Historical Society, located at 5 Church Street, will hold a special meeting combining a brief by-laws review and a performance by the beloved New Bedford Sea Chantey Singers. Members will meet to vote on proposed changes to the Society’s by-laws. Copies of the by-laws will be available, indicating the proposed changes, for review and discussion prior to the vote.

The New Bedford Sea Chantey Singers will then entertain the audience following this brief meeting. The Sea Chantey Singers’ repertoire includes a variety of chanteys and songs that reflect the rich maritime heritage of New Bedford and the region. Toe-tapping fun for all!

Marion Democratic Town Committee

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The Marion Democratic Town Committee will hold a meeting at the Music Hall, 164 Front Street, Saturday, April 19, at 10:00 am. Brendan Joyce from the Juliette Kayyem campaign will be guest speaker. All Marion Democrats and Independents are welcome.

For more information, contact Chairwoman Eileen Marum at 508-748-1282.

Easter Taste of Spring

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To the Editor:

Let me thank one and all who contributed their time and talents to the gift of my bag of goodies for an Easter Taste of Spring.

My neighbor and friend, Paul McLaughlin, one of the students, brought me the surprise on Saturday, April 5th. He knew I am an elderly lady who rarely goes out.

Enclosed in a canvas bag decorated for Spring contained a deck of cards, a calendar, a crossword puzzle book, a puzzle to put together, a bottle of water, candy and a letter from a 4th grade student telling me all about herself.

My thanks to the Mattapoisett PTA for putting together these special gifts from the students in kindergarten through the sixth grade at Center and Old Hammondtown schools.

Thank you,

Virginia Morgan, Mattapoisett

 

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.

Committee Approves Budget, Chairman Departs

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Budget business is finally over, ending with the School Committee’s approval of the $5,672,343 fiscal year 2015 budget, up $121,000 from last year. The school budget, which is up a mere 1.53% from FY14, is now in the hands of voters at Town Meeting.

To balance the budget, Rochester Memorial School will see one less fourth grade teacher and one less reading teacher next year, along with a reduction in social worker services, dropping from a 1fte (full-time equivalent) to a .8fte. Also reflected in the budget is a drop in paraprofessional staffing due to a change in students’ needs, according to Superintendent Doug White.

“We value the contribution of everyone who is affected by this budget,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elise Frangos.

“It’s a not-pleasant part of this job,” said Chairman Michelle Cusolito, “to know so many people face an impact because of this budget.”

Also during the meeting, the committee recognized the achievement of two groups of students who last month made it to the state level of the Destination Imagination competition held in Worcester after winning at the regional competition in South Yarmouth.

“They made us proud. They represented our school really well,” said Cusolito. She acknowledged School Committee Member Tina Rood’s role in the DI program at RMS saying, without Rood, the DI program would not be possible.

“Well, it’s a team effort,” said Rood. “It’s a real team effort.”

It was Cusolito’s last meeting as a School Committee Member, and the rest of the committee honored Cusolito with two book donations to the Rochester Memorial School Library in her name.

School Committee Member Sharon Hartley shed a few tears after dedicating the two books in Cusolito’s name, and thanked her for her three years of “very serious dedication.”

“It’s some of the extra noise that I just don’t have space for in my life,” said Cusolito. Earlier she spoke, “If this were all I had to do, then I would still be doing this job.”

Before adjourning, the committee approved this year’s READS Collaborative agreement, and approved the three-year bus transportation bid, but not without commenting on certain committee members’ issues with some of the bus routes.

Cusolito questioned why her children, who are the first students picked up, are the last to be dropped off at the end of the day. She questioned why the route was reversed, stating that her kids spend over 40 minutes a day sitting on a bus. “What is the logic?” she asked.

Hartley said they need to take a good look at some of the bus stops throughout town. She said she has witnessed busses stopping “every ten feet” for kids, adding that it is a waste of time and resources. She mentioned Snipatuit Pond Estates and Old Orchard Estates, specifically.

White stated that safety always comes first, but he will address the committee’s valid concerns.

There was a short discussion on creating a few school choice slots at RMS, but no action was taken.

The committee accepted a $3,000 donation from the Tri-Town League of Women Voters for a sixth-grade water stewardship program to begin next year. Students will listen to guest speakers and study water consumption, pollution, and collect data to learn more about the subject.

The paraprofessional contract was approved after the committee discussed a change in language within the contract and compensation in an executive session held before the open meeting.

The next Rochester School Committee meeting is scheduled for May 1 at 6:30 pm at Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

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Learning Through Service in the Dominican Republic

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For seven days of their spring break, 22 Tabor students and three faculty members headed to the Dominican Republic to work with the Mariposa Foundation, whose mission is to inspire young girls and end poverty. Led by Anny Candelario, a Tabor faculty member and alum (’97), the students raised money throughout the year for their travel, excited to have an opportunity to help less fortunate people.

Although this trip was only seven days long, it consisted of a variety of service activities including teaching sports and health education as well as youth leadership skills to the young girls. Tabor students also helped with on-site construction, which included building a storage house and plastering a 3-foot by 90-foot concrete wall that functions as a base for a bamboo fence that would provide security and privacy to the foundation. The students helped to decorate the school with a variety of crafts and drew a butterfly-shaped scoreboard for Mariposa’s softball games. Tabor students also read to the girls, gardened, and taught dance, computer, and ESL classes.

While the trip was very successful, the Tabor students and faculty faced challenges with the work that they did. The construction tools were explained in Spanish, which was tough to understand, and the work was all done in extreme heat for an extended period of time. Harry Schultz, a sophomore who went on this trip, found the hard work to be extremely rewarding and plans to continue participating in similar programs. “It is very satisfying to know that you are helping someone else,” Schultz says of his experience.

Another challenge was the language barrier between the girls and the Tabor students. While daunting at first, this barrier seemed to become irrelevant as the trip went on and the bonds between the girls and high school students strengthened. Bex Czajkowski, a Tabor senior, saw this transition in full effect. “The best part of the trip was getting to see the language and culture barrier break down between us and almost everyone we met. Nothing stood in the way of working together to finish the construction project or a competitive game of softball,” Bex says of the effective bond that they developed.

After full days of service and hard work, the group of Tabor students spent time reflecting on their days and the influence that the service had on the Mariposa girls and themselves. Since they have returned from an area struck with poverty, many of the students have a new appreciation for their homes and opportunities. Tabor senior Max Rose has acquired a better understanding for the global perspective of poverty. ”Before this trip I never had a holistic grasp on poverty outside of the United States and always felt those people had the same basic life resources that we have here,” Rose says of his epiphany. He sees that global poverty, rather than just poverty in the United States, is something that must be fought.

This trip has been rewarding for the students and faculty who participated and has undoubtedly influenced the young girls in the Dominican Republic in a positive way.

By Julia O’Rourke

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From the Harlem Ambassadors

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Dear Editor,

On April 4, 2014, the Mattapoisett Lions Club hosted the Harlem Ambassadors professional show basketball team for a night of high-flying slam dunks, hilarious comedy, and feel-good family entertainment.

The Harlem Ambassadors would like to extend a special thank you to event organizers Donald Bamberger and Bill Calusine who planned and promoted the game. The Tri-Town Trotters proved to be an energetic and enthusiastic challenging team and we thank all of the players for their good sportsmanship. The event would not have been possible without the support and generosity of local community sponsors, the Lions Club members, and the event volunteers.

The Harlem Ambassadors thank the community of Mattapoisett for its warm hospitality and look forward to returning to Mattapoisett in the future!

Best regards,

Dale Moss

Harlem Ambassadors President

 

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.

Free Movie: Last Tuesday of the Month

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Philomena (PG-13, 94 min.) is playing at the Mattapoisett Senior Center, Center School, Barstow St., on Tuesday, April 29 at 12:00 noon. Sponsored by the Friends of the Elderly, the movie is free.

You get two pizza slices for only $2 prepaid. Pay for your pizza at the Senior Center by Monday, April 28. Also, reserve your seat – so we know how many chairs are needed.

Dame Judi Dench stars as an aging woman in search of the son she was forced to give up for adoption fifty years ago when she was a teenager in a Catholic home for girls. She is assisted in her quest by a journalist. Their chemistry adds depth to this true-story based tale. This is a moving movie.