Town Benefits from Nextel Agreement

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Upon the termination of its lease, Nextel has agreed to leave its antenna and cables behind at the Mill Street water tower so the Police Department can use the cables for its own benefit, saving the Town thousands of dollars.

During a quick special mid-day meeting of the selectmen April 25, Town Administrator Paul Dawson presented the proposed deal to selectmen to approve as an amendment to the agreement between the Town and Nextel, saying the “high-quality” cable Nextel will leave behind will allow the Police Department to move its communication equipment from the Marconi tower to the Mill Street tower.

“That would be a tremendous cost savings,” said Dawson.

Police Chief Lincoln Miller said the quality of the 12 cables being left by Nextel is higher quality cable than what the Town would purchase on its own for the same purpose, and the three cables the Town will initially use will work well with the Police Department’s existing equipment.

Nextel is leaving behind $12,000 worth of cable, so the Town only needs to purchase connectors for hooking up the equipment to the cables.

“I think this is great,” said Selectman Stephen Cushing.

“It’s a great opportunity,” concurred Selectman Jody Dickerson.

Miller told selectmen that once Nextel says they are completely finished with the tower they would turn it over to the Town. Selectmen are allowing Nextel to leave behind their antenna after the lease is terminated which will remain unused for the time being.

By Jean Perry

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Mary S. (Dexter) Costa

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Mary S. (Dexter) Costa, 71, of New Bedford passed away Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford after a long illness. She was the wife of 54 years, of Gerald A. Costa, Sr.

Born and raised in Mattapoisett, the daughter of the late Gordon J. and Leather (West) Dexter, she settled in New Bedford 54 years ago. A homemaker, Mrs. Costa loved her animals especially her cats and dogs.

She is survived by her husband; a daughter, Joanne M. Fitzgerald and her husband Tom of New Bedford; three sons, Gerald A. Costa, Jr. and his wife Cheryl of Douglas, MA, James P. Costa and Patrick L. Costa both of New Bedford; seven grandchildren; a great granddaughter; a brother, James Dexter, Jr. and his wife Dana of Mattapoisett; a sister, Debra Townsend and her husband Robert of Georgia; a sister in law, Dolores Adesso of Dartmouth and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be Friday, April 25, 2014, from 9-10am, with a funeral service at 10:00 am in the Donaghy Funeral Home, 465 County Street, New Bedford. Interment will follow in River-Side Cemetery, Fairhaven.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Cats, P.O. Box 79571, Dartmouth, MA 02747.

Joyce L. Bennett

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Joyce L. Bennett, 64, of Mattapoisett passed away Sunday, April 20, 2014.

Joyce was a woman of many creative talents. One of her passions was cooking for which she attended courses at the Johnson & Wales College, School of Culinary Arts. She was the former wife of the late David S. Bennett of Westport. Together they operated Easy Aces, a restaurant from their home for their friends and families. When she wasn’t cooking, she could often be found happily planted up to her elbows in dirt working in her vegetable or flower gardens. Joyce had a knack for bringing beauty to everything she touched. She was never short of quick wit and humor.

Joyce did many things to keep herself busy, painting, always lending a hand to those that needed help and for a time worked at the Fairhaven Council on Aging. She enjoyed the people she met there, the assistance she provided and the relationships she formed.

Born in New Bedford, the daughter of the late Ernest and Bella Monty, Joyce spent time living in Westport, Fairhaven and Mattapoisett. Joyce leaves behind a son, Emmit Bennett; a step-daughter LeeAnn Quint; grandsons Cameron and Evan Bennett; 8 siblings Cora Baker, Linda Lavoie, Pamela Arnold, Donna Ramos, Bridget Monty, Lana Collins, Jeffrey Monty and Ernest Monty; and several nieces and nephews.

In accordance with her wishes she will be cremated with private arrangements. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Damien’s Place Food Pantry, 3065 Cranberry Hwy, East Wareham, MA 02538.

Dance Party Fundraiser

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The Friends of the Mattapoisett Council on Aging (formerly the Friends of the Elderly) is sponsoring a fundraiser on Saturday, May 3 from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 57 Fairhaven Road (Route 6) Mattapoisett, MA.

We will be featuring Ballroom and Line Dancing with music provided by Dave Valerio. Light refreshments, cash bar, door prizes and a Chinese Auction will be included.

Ticket prices are $20 per person in advance (prior to April 28) and $25 per person at the door. Tickets are limited to 100 and reserved table seating is currently available. All proceeds are for the benefit of the Mattapoisett COA. Contact Jo Pannell for tickets 508 758-2654.

It promises to be a great night so come and dance or come to enjoy some great music while you socialize with some delightful folks.

Elks Student of the Year

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The Elks of Wareham Lodge No. 1548 sponsors the Elks Student of the Month and Student of the Year Awards for students enrolled in local area high schools. The criteria used in nominating a student includes a student who excels in scholarship, citizenship, performing arts, fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school, club and community service, and industry and farming.

We congratulate senior Renae Reints of Rochester for being selected by the Old Rochester Regional High School faculty and staff as Student of the Year. Renae is an accomplished student.  She is on the field hockey team and is also involved with many committees.  Renae is an asset to the ORR community.

Boys’ and Girls’ Track Remains Undefeated

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Here is a look at the third week of scheduled games for ORR spring athletics.

            Baseball: The Bulldogs had a great week, winning all three of their games against Fairhaven, Dighton-Rehoboth, and GNB Voc-Tech. Against Fairhaven, the boys won 11-8 thanks to a strong offensive performance by designated hitter Austin Salkind, who hit three doubles, a home run, and scored three runs on the day. Tyler Zell earned his first victory of the season after pitching five-plus innings, with Ryan Plunkett earning a save after taking over the mound in the sixth inning. The boys went on defeat Dighton-Rehoboth 3-1 later in the week, with ace pitcher Andrew Ryan recording 12 strikeouts and only allowing two hits. The boys finished out their winning week with a 9-6 victory over GNB Voc-Tech.

            Softball: The Lady Bulldogs were not as fortunate as the boys’ baseball team, as the girls lost both of their games this week. The girls suffered a tough 24-0 loss to Fairhaven early in the week, as Fairhaven’s pitcher Courtney Girouard pitched a perfect game against ORR. Later in the week, the girls lost to Dighton-Rehoboth 6-3.  Despite the loss, however, Kaleigh Goulart played well, striking out five on the pitcher’s mound and recording a hit. Courtney Dextradeur, Sam Allaire, and Maddie Lee also added hits for the Lady Bulldogs, whose record drops to 1-6.

            Boys’ Track: The boys’ track team remained perfect this week, winning their third meet of the season against Bourne, 89-46. The highlight of the meet was senior Mike Wyman, who broke Mike Tiger’s three-year-old school record in the 800-meter with a 1:54. Also shining for the Bulldogs was junior Kevin Saccone, who won the long jump, triple jump, 400 hurdles, and 110 hurdles to contribute 20 points to the team victory. Other winning performances came from Colin Knapton (high jump, javelin), Jack Smith (100 meter, 200 meter), Ben Dion (400 meter), and Jesse Noonan (shot-put).

            Girls’ Track: The Lady Bulldogs also remained undefeated this week, continuing their dominance in the SCC with a 122-13 win over Bourne. The girls placed first in every single event on the day, while also claiming several seconds and thirds. Both Abby Adams and Paige Santos were double winners for the girls, with Adams claiming the long jump and 100 hurdles and Santos claiming the 200 meter dash and the high jump. Another highlight was that the girls swept the throwing events with Jill Sethares winning shot-put, Nicole Gifford winning javelin, and Morgan Browning winning discus.

Boys’ Tennis: The boys started their week off strong with two wins over Dighton-Rehoboth, 4-1, and Apponequet, 4-1. In both matches, Alex Bilodeau won at first singles, as did the third singles, with Doug Blaise claiming the win over DR and Josh Lerman against Apponequet. However, the boys’ winning streak was cut short later in the week with a tough 4-1 loss against Dartmouth. Bilodeau provided the lone victory for the Bulldogs in the loss.

Girls’ Tennis: The Lady Bulldogs had a so-so week, as their undefeated SCC season came to an abrupt close. The girls started the week off strong, claiming a close 3-2 victory over Dighton-Rehoboth thanks to a pivotal win by senior Haley Dickerson at second singles. In a tense third set, Dickerson came through to win 6-2 and give the Lady Bulldogs the needed third point for the win. Unfortunately, later in the week the girls suffered their first conference loss and second overall loss to SCC rival Apponequet, 4-1. Julia Nojeim provided the lone win for ORR at first singles. The loss marked Apponequet’s first ever win on ORR’s home courts, and gives them the upper hand in what will likely be a close SCC title race.

Boys’ Lacrosse: After a tough 14-5 loss early in the week to Dartmouth, the boys looked to turn their luck around against out of conference Pope John Paul II. Thanks to Ethan Lizotte and Mikey Pruchnik, who both scored two goals apiece, the boys defeated Pope John Paul II 9-4. Connor Severino was dominant on face-offs, where he won 16 of 17. Severino also added a goal as did Nic Suprenant, Chris Nadeau, Ryan Manning, and Landon Goguen.

Girls’ Lacrosse: The girls suffered their second conference loss this week against Apponequet, 16-8. Bailey Truesdale scored four goals on the loss, with junior Chloe Riley adding a hat trick and Mikayla Demanche contributing with one goal. The loss put the girls further back in the SCC rankings, which is also shaping up to be a tight race. Later in the week, however, the girls defeated Sturgis West by a huge 17-2 margin. Three Lady Bulldogs scored hat tricks: Truesdale, Julia Barrett, and Sarah Ryan. Freshman Emily Hiller added two goals in the big win.

Below are the overall spring team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of April 13.

Baseball: (5-2-0) (4-1-0), Softball: (1-6-0) (1-5-0), Boys’ Track (3-0-0) (3-0-0), Girls’ Track (3-0-0) (3-0-0), Boys’ Tennis: (4-2-0) (3-0-0), Girls’ Tennis: (3-2-0) (2-1-0) Boys’ Lacrosse: (3-3-0) (2-0-0) Girls’ Lacrosse: (5-2-0) (1-2-0).

By Michael Kassabian

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Jillian Jensen “Kickstarts” Debut Album

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The former American Idol and X Factor contestant from Rochester is home, and in the middle of raising funds for her debut album – and if you donate $5,000 to her Kickstarter.com fundraiser, she promises she will tattoo your name on her body.

So far, 21 year-old Jensen is inching closer to her goal to raise $15,000 to help pay for the production and promotion of her first album she says she will start recording in August.

“It’s been great. We are ahead at $11,500,” said Jensen on April 21 during an interview. “But the thing is that I technically need more.

Kickstarter.com is an effective way for people to raise money for an array of artistic projects, but there is a catch – if you do not reach your goal by the 60-day deadline, you do not get any of the pledged funds. Jensen says she actually needs $27,000 to fully fund the album and the accompanying music video, but she figured $15,000 would be a safe number to start with.

As of press time, Jensen has gathered 169 “backers” for a total of $11,864 — and she still has 48 days left to reach her goal. Her highest pledges so far have come from two backers pledging $1,000 each, which entitles them both to a day in the recording studio with Jensen and a free download of the album.

Pledge $2,500 and you get your name listed under the special thank you section of her album, a signed album, an autographed photo, a personal letter, a personalized video of Jensen covering your favorite song, and a private live web stream of one of her recording sessions.

“Even if the whole amount isn’t raised, I’ve been saving my own money,” said Jensen. She said she really does not want to have to host a bunch of fundraisers, but she does have an organization called “The Magic of Music” that raises money to grant scholarships to aspiring musicians.

“I was thinking about doing one huge fundraiser for the two projects and put on a huge show.” She said half the proceeds could go to fund her album, and the other half to scholarships. “Car washes are always fun too,” laughed Jensen. “Why not?” She imagined calling in some fellow musicians and a few of her American Idol friends to help her wash cars. “I’m not going to resort to that, but it would be funny.”

Jensen said making this album means the world to her. She has been writing songs for it over the past five years, but mainly she has been writing songs this past year.

“The songs are all from a really reflective point,” said Jensen. “I fell into a sort of depression after the X Factor. I was a little in a dark place. I didn’t want the songs coming from a dark place.”

She wanted her songs to come from an emerging positive point in her life.

“I’m not a story,” said Jensen. I’m a human being. I’m a musician.” She said she knew she wanted to be a musician “literally, since I was born.” She was singing before she could even string together a sentence.

Her mother was a singing coach who used to sing to Jensen as a child. Jensen started writing songs when she was eight years old, strongly influenced by jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Her father later turned her on to more rock and country singers, most notably Johnny Cash.

Jensen’s style of music, she said, is “very country-rock-blues.”

“I guess vocally – Amy Winehouse is what I hear the most,” said Jensen, who described her voice as sultry. “But I don’t really think I sound like her.” Jensen plays an impressive six instruments: guitar, piano, bass guitar, drums, saxophone, violin, and the ukulele.

Jensen is going to release a single in July and backers of her Kickstarter.com fundraiser will get a free download of the single as soon as it is available. The different levels of support for Jensen’s album range from $5, $10, and $25, up to $100, $250, and $500, all the way up to the big bucks.

“Every dollar, even the smallest donation would mean the world to me,” said Jensen.

As for the tattoo, Jensen said she is getting the tattoo as a symbol to mark this amazing, exiting time in her life.

“If someone’s willing to give me $5,000, they deserve to be a part of the history,” said Jensen. “I would love to have peoples’ names in my tattoo…and I’m serious about it, really.”

You can visit Jillian’s Kickstarter page at www.kickstarter.com/projects/983394009/help-jillian-jensen-make-her-debut-album.

By Jean Perry

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Rochester PD Facebook “Weekly Wanted”

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Rochester Police made their first arrest resulting from “Weekly Wanted” postings on the departments Facebook page. Early this morning Rochester Police Officer Adam Brightman teamed up with detectives from New Bedford Police in and effort to arrest 23-year-old Tristian Botelho. The officers conducted surveillance on a residence on Chancery Street in New Bedford and observed Botelho exit the home around 7:30 am and leave in a vehicle. Police stopped the vehicle and took him into custody without incident.

Botelho was wanted in connection with a 2012 case where he was alleged to have stolen checks from a Rochester business and cashed them netting himself thousands of dollars. Police had filed charges for twelve counts of larceny by check over $250 and three counts of uttering a false check but Botelho defaulted on the case in September of 2013 and an arrest warrant issued. There were also three other warrants outstanding for Botelho, two for larceny from New Bedford and one from Freetown for possession of a class B drug.

The capture of Botelho was the direct result of a tip that came in through the departments Facebook page. Botelho was featured under the “Weekly Wanted” postings the department implemented in March of 2014 in an effort to track down individuals wanted on warrants by the Rochester Police. Botelho told arresting officers that he had seen the Facebook posting and has been looking over his shoulder for police ever since.

To visit the Rochester Police Facebook page and see other wanted persons, go to www.facebook.com/rochestermapd

Mattapoisett Election Meet and Greet

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The League of Women voters is sponsoring a “Meet and Greet” the candidates running for office in Mattapoisett, as well as a warrant review on Sunday, May 4 from 1:00-3:00 pm at the town library meeting room.  We hope to see you there.

Marion Town-Wide Cleanup & Springfest

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Litter and clutter beware! Streets will be cleaned and closets will be cleared as the Marion Tree and Parks Committee and Gifts to Give join forces for Marion’s 2014 Town-Wide Cleanup. To be held on Saturday, May 10 from 9 am until noon, the event is sponsored by the Tree and Parks Committee and the Sippican Lands Trust.

From the rallying point at Marion’s Music Hall, participants will be provided gloves and bags, and then directed to designated locations to clear the trash and other debris left in winter’s wake.  Families, students, Scouts and individual adults traditionally participate.   As a warm-up to the May 10th event, the students and faculty of Tabor Academy held a Community Service Day on April 9, with 100 students and faculty cleaning up areas along Rte. 105, County and Point Roads.  Litter collected on May 10 will be returned to the town’s bandstand to create the annual ‘trash mountain.’

In addition to the day’s focus on cleaning up our streets, cleaning out our closets will also be on the agenda, as New Bedford’s Gifts to Give organization collects gently used children’s items (clothes, books, toys, etc.) for distribution to deserving families throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. Items for donation can be brought that morning to Island Wharf Park, where a Gifts to Give collection truck will await their arrival.

Finally, to balance the morning’s hard work, the Sippican Lands Trust and Marion Tree & Parks Committee will host an afternoon of fun, family activities at Washburn Park, from noon to 4. The event has something for everyone, including: a performance by the Sippican School Band, Carabiners’ climbing wall (all 4 hrs!), Toe Jam Puppet Band playing from 12:30-1:15pm, Handi Mani Face painting, Farm Animal petting zoo, a craft table using recyclable materials, Touch a Truck (kids can climb on) and a SLT self guided story walk.  Through generous donations from area businesses and individuals, free food and drinks will be provided for the public.  A good time is guaranteed, and organizers hope community families will join in the fun, celebrate the arrival of spring and the beautiful town of Marion.