Gateway Youth Hockey

on February 15, 2014

Mite Bobcats: The Mite Bobcats suffered a loss to MV 17-10. The Bobcats came out flying, opening the scoring and leading two to zero. MV quickly came back and never stopped. Juni Suarez, Derek Gauvin and Krystian Pothel had goals for the Bobcats. Despite the loss, the Bobcats refused to give up and began to come back, but there was not enough time. Charlie Carroll had 27 saves and faced 44 shots.

Squirt Grizzlies: The Squirt Grizzlies defeated the Canal Sharks 5-1 on Saturday in a Yankee Conference game. Nick Bacchiocchi led the scoring with two goals. Austin Fleming and Chris Gauvin had a goal and assist. Matt Quinlan scored one goal. Jack Satterley and Thomas Galavotti had an assist on the day. Ryker King was the winning goalie.

On Sunday, the Grizzlies hosted Nantucket for a double header at Hetland. Nantucket won 10-1 in the first game with Stephen Old getting the only goal of the day for the Grizzlies. Ryker King saw a lot of action in the goal. The Grizzlies lost the second game 7-0. Thomas Galavotti made some nice saves, but the Nantucket offense was just too much for the Grizzlies on the day.

ORRJHS Raises Awareness

on February 14, 2014

At the Old Rochester Regional Junior High School on February 13, guests of the Oxfam fundraising banquet got a taste of world hunger when they symbolically experienced the inequitable distribution of wealth and resources during a dinner of either just rice, rice or beans, or a full meal of rice, beans, and baked fish, determined at random by which ticket guests received at the door. Those eating rice and sitting on the floor or simply in chairs represented the majority of people on the planet, roughly 50% of the human population. The middle 35% sat at simple tables, while the upper 15% dined at tables with tablecloths and a full meal. Just about 100 students volunteered for the event, serving food, cleaning up, and also displaying science projects they created to raise awareness of climate change and how people can lessen their carbon footprints. The students themselves organized and coordinated the event with the help of ORRJHS teacher Kathy Gauvin. “It really is about the kids and teaching them to be global citizens,” said Gauvin. Photos by Jean Perry

Mattapoisett Congregational Pancake Supper

on February 14, 2014

The Mattapoisett Congregational Church will hold a Pancake Supper on Tuesday, March 4 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at Reynard Hall, 27 Church St. in Mattapoisett. All are welcome to attend for pancakes, sausage, toppings, drinks and good conversation. There will be a freewill offering to help support the missions trip to The Craddock Center in Georgia.

For more information, please call the church office, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am 12:00 noon at 508-728-2671.

Vacation Week at Plumb Library

on February 14, 2014

Tuesday, February 18, 4:00 pm: Books and Ballet with Plumbelina. A ballet lesson, ballet books and craft with Plumbelina. For ages 3 and up.

Wednesday, February 19, 11:00 am: Books and Baseball with “JSoll”. For ages 3 and up.

Thursday, February 20, 3:00 pm: Ms. Marsha of Studio 105 will present a workshop on Essential Oils for children aged 8 up, followed by Girls Yoga at 4:30 pm at Studio 105. Pre-registration is required. No fee for the Essential Oils program; however, there is a $7 fee for the Girls Yoga session.

Friday, February 21, 10:30 am: “Story time – the Sequel” with Ms. Lisa. For grades K-3. A get together for story time graduates and/or kids who love to read and create!

Saturday, February 22, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: The Final Chapter Book Sale first ever Monthly Sale. Help the Friends and Junior Friends as we try out our first monthly book sale. Hardcovers: $2.00; large paperbacks: $1.00; small paperbacks and kids’ books: $0.25 each or 5 for $1.00. Also offering CDs. Donations accepted. Call the library for more information.

Saturday, February 22, 11:00 am: Books and Ballet with Plumbelina.

Pre-registration is requested. For more information, call the library at 508-763-8600 or email info@plumblibrary.com.

Village District Discussed, Bond Reduced

on February 14, 2014

After much deliberation between residents, town officials, and the Planning Board, some changes are in the way regarding what was initially referred to as a potential Village Center Overlay District in the heart of Rochester.

Planning Board officials told a group of residents Tuesday evening that they would like to do some tweaking of the language of a previous draft for a proposed district in the Plumb Corner region of town center.

“The objectives weren’t clear as to what we were trying to create,” said Chairman Arnold Johnson, noting that they would scrap the original draft and potentially go forward with a new one that could rezone properties in the area that are currently strictly commercial and allow them for mixed-use, meaning that businesses and homes could exist within the same structures.

Johnson said that the new draft would create a district where they could help guide any future development that could take place, noting that there were two potential parcels of land where landowners have made known their intention for development.

He said that one of their goals with the mixed-use zoning would allow for small, “mom-and-pop” types of businesses while also allowing for a residential option at the same time. He did say that it could allow for some of the housing to be affordable, stressing that it wasn’t their intention to allow for large scale affordable housing, but rather just on a smaller, case-by-case level.

“We’re not out to craft anybody’s development,” he said. “We want to make sure we have some controls in place to make sure things are like what we have here [in the area].”

Several residents voiced their opinions on things ranging from the effects of affordable housing to concerns with future Planning Boards not sharing the same vision as the current board.

“Hopefully, we’ll lay a good foundation and blueprint for those that follow us,” said Johnson, noting that Rochester’s current percentage of affordable housing was just 0.2 percent, well shy of the state’s minimum of 10 percent, leaving them susceptible to Chapter 40b development, which under Massachusetts state law says that developers can supersede town bylaws and allow for large scale, affordable housing development. By attempting to provide some form of affordable housing, Rochester can help protect itself from such development.

Johnson and the board expressed their satisfaction with the well-attended meeting, noting that they want to continue to work with residents regarding their concerns on the drafting of a new proposal, which he said they’d take their time with in order to address any issues.

In other news, the Planning Board approved a bond reduction request from Edgewood Development for their 550-acre, 115-home Connet Woods development. The board unanimously approved the $536,000 reduction for phase two of future work on the project per the request of Tim Higgins, vice president of Edgewood Development.

Officials voiced concern over an issue with water flow at a certain location within the development, but determined that to be a separate issue from the bond reduction, and allowed them to go forward with their request.

“We should take it in good faith,” said Vice Chairman Gary Florindo. “They’ve remedied [other problems in the past]. Let’s just separate the two [issues] and do what we have to do. We’ll make a note for them to correct [any potential future issues with water flow].”

Higgins guaranteed that his company would do everything in its power to remedy any future water flow issues on the property.

By Nick Walecka

Mock Trial Club Makes the Case for Victory

on February 14, 2014

Old Rochester Regional High School’s mock trial club is only two years old, but in that time the club has grown into a committed and successful group of students. This year, ORR’s mock trial club won all three trials in the preliminary round.

“To sweep all three victories for our second year is pretty impressive,” said Michael Linane, co-advisor with Geoffrey White for mock trial club.

Mock trial is an unsung program throughout the nation. Here in Massachusetts, the program is organized by the Massachusetts Bar Association. Each year, the Bar Association creates a unique court case. The mock trial clubs throughout the state are given this case, complete with evidence and affidavits.

“We started meeting in September, but we didn’t get the case packet – the case material – until the end of October,” recalled Linane.

This gave the club roughly two months to prepare for their first trial. Meeting once a week, the club participants had to learn the case and decide which roles would best fit each student.

“For a witness, all they have to do is memorize their lines and respond to questions,” said Linane, “For the lawyers, they have to be able to give and to respond to objections by opposing councils. It requires a little more thinking on their feet.”

With nearly twenty students in the club, however, not every student could have a speaking roll. For each trial, the club is allowed just six lawyers and three witnesses.

“Some people are a part of the club just to help out, without any speaking roles at all. We’ve deemed them paralegals,” laughed Linane, “They’ve been a tremendous help as well.”

Towards the end of January, the preliminary trial rounds began. In these three rounds, mock trial clubs meet at a local courthouse. There, they act as either the plaintiff or defense. The trial is overseen by a volunteer lawyer serving as a mock judge. The judge decides which side won the case, and he or she also distributes points to each school’s club. Each student lawyer has the potential to earn ten points for their club.

“We have to go through the opening, the direct examinations of the three witnesses, the cross-examinations of their three witnesses, and then a closing argument,” said Linane. Student lawyers earn points for each of those components.

This year, the case created by the Massachusetts Bar Association is a civil case. In the imaginary case, a pilot died while performing a stunt when the plane’s wing became detached. The pilot’s son is suing the aircraft company, claiming they breached a warranty of marketability and the plane was not fit for use by stunt pilots. He holds evidence that the plane did not allow for a margin of error. The aircraft company, the defense, argues that the pilot was inexperienced and the accident was due to pilot error.

In their first trial at the Fall River Courthouse, ORR’s mock trial club acted as the defense. In their last two preliminary trials, the students acted on behalf of the plaintiff. In all three trials, ORR’s club earned the most points, making them victorious. This is a huge improvement from last year, when ORR’s mock trial club won only one of their trials.

Still, they are thankful to have been able to get the club started in the first place. Bus fares to and from the courthouse can be costly, and the mock trial team would not have been able to proceed without the generous sponsorship of Schaefer & Kunz, P.C. and Donald Fleming, two law firms in the area.

Now, with the preliminary rounds over, the mock trial club is waiting to hear if there will be a need for a tie-breaker. If not, ORR’s club will move onto regionals in March. The Massachusetts Bar Association organizes a bracket system each year, in which mock trial clubs in the sixteen regions compete to be the state champion. From there, the state champion can move on to the national level. This would be a great accomplishment for ORR’s mock trial club.

“[The students] have been very, very impressive,” said Linane proudly.

As they design their questions, direct their arguments, and respond to objections, the students are getting a very realistic courtroom experience. Some students involved in the club have expressed interest in a law career as a result of their mock trial undertakings.

Seeing this, Linane noted the benefits of the club. He said, “It’s a good opportunity for people to see if they would be interested in that. When you’re in high school, how do you know if you want to become a lawyer or not? … I think [mock trial] might help people make choices.”

By Renae Reints

Cecile C. Charest-Dubois

on February 14, 2014

Cecile C. Charest-Dubois, 87, of New Bedford passed away peacefully February 13, 2014 at Forestview Nursing Home, Wareham, surrounded by her family.

Survivors include, her only daughter Norma Charest and companion Don Cantari of Rochester, as well as 3 sons Paul Charest and his wife Donna, Donald Charest and his wife Nancy, both from Rochester and Raymond Charest of Dartmouth. She is also survived by her brother Raymond Lemieux of Mattapoisett, her sister Rolande Begin of New Bedford, and her sister Rita Silva of Brandenton, FL, and her 10 Grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased in death by her first husband, Normand J. Charest and her second husband, Alphonse N. Dubois.

Cecile enjoyed gardening, and camping with her husband Alphonse.

Relatives and friends are invited to her funeral service on Monday, February 17, 2014 at 4 PM in the Rock Funeral Home, 1285 Ashley Blvd, New Bedford. Visitation will immediately following until 7pm. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alzheimer’s Association , www.ALZ.org. For online condolences and directions please visit www.ROCK-FuneralHome.com.

Suzann Serpa

on February 14, 2014

Boston. She was the daughter of the late Albert and Bertha (Coggeshall) Serpa.

She was born in Middleboro and lived in Marion for her entire life.

Suzann graduated from Wareham High School with the Class of 1958. After high school she worked for several insurance companies and Upper Cape Realty for many years until her retirement four years ago.

Suzann was kind to everyone she met. She loved to cook, and enjoyed cleaning, going to the beach, and fixing things around the house. Suzann was always ambitious, and could do almost anything.

Suzann is survived by her sister Sallee Serpa of Marion, and many cousins.

Her funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014 at the First Congregational Church, 28 Main St., Marion. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Marion.

Visiting hours are from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy. (rt. 28), Wareham.

Miriam F. (Ledger) Sylvia

on February 14, 2014

Miriam F. (Ledger) Sylvia, 85, of Wareham, formerly of Marion and New Bedford, died Feb. 12, 2014 in the Forestview Nursing Home, Wareham. She was the widow of the late James Sylvia and the daughter of the late Philip and Cora (Parker) Ledger.

She was born in New Bedford and lived in Marion, Fairhaven and New Bedford for many years.

Mrs. Sylvia owned and operated Jimmy’s Sub Shop on Union St. in New Bedford for many years before retiring.

She enjoyed playing the guitar and singing. She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary VFW Post in Fairhaven.

Survivors include 2 sons, James Sylvia, Jr. of Wareham and Randall Sylvia of Freetown; 3 grandchildren, Andrea Sylvia, James Sylvia, III and Randall Sylvia; many great grandchildren; a brother, Paul Ledger of FL; a sister, Evelyn Stuart of New Bedford; many nephews and nieces including Sandy Braga of New Bedford.

Her funeral will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 in the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Marion.

Visiting hours are from 11:00 a.m. to12:00 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home.

Girls’ Track Wins 4th SCC Title

on February 13, 2014

Here is a look at the ninth week of scheduled games for ORR winter athletics.

Boys’ Basketball: The boys started off their week with an easy 69-42 win over the Apponequet Lakers. Even though Jeremy Bare was the only Bulldog to score in double figures with 12 points, the Bulldogs dominated the game thanks to strong rebounding efforts and overall depth. Ten Bulldogs scored in the game, with Bare, Will Santos, and Jordan Menard leading the way. The win also extended an eight-game win streak for the Bulldogs, which was surprisingly snapped one game later against Bishop Stang. The boys, who had previously beaten Bishop Stang earlier in the season, lost 72-65 due to a slow third quarter and several turnovers. The Bulldogs were outscored 22-11 in the third quarter and were never able to fully recover. In the loss, Bare led the team with 16 points, with Paul Graves and Menard each contributing 13. Luckily, the loss was non-conference, so it did not affect ORR’s SCC standing. Although their winning streak was snapped, the boys recovered later in the week to defeat Dighton-Rehoboth, 60-53, to preserve their top spot in the SCC.

Girls’ Basketball: After two losses to Apponequet (58-33) and Bishop Stang (50-25), the Lady Bulldogs looked as if they would go winless for the week. The girls rallied back in the latter part of the week, however, and managed to nab their fifth victory of the season with a win over Dighton-Rehoboth, 44-37. Freshman Sophie Church scored a team-high 14 points, and Michaela Bouvette also entered double digits with 10 points. Kaleigh Goulart pitched in with eight points, including two three-pointers. The Bulldog defense was stellar on the night, limiting DR to only three points in the final quarter to secure the win.

Boys’ Track: This week, the boys competed in the annual SCC Championship, where they claimed a fourth-place finish. Kevin Saccone had a great meet, winning the 55-meter-hurdles in a new meet record of 7.9 seconds. Other wins for the Bulldogs came from Colin Knapton, who won the 300-meter-dash out of the unseeded section in 38.31 seconds, and the 4×400 meter relay, which featured Saccone, Knapton, Chris Demers, and Ben Dion. The meet marks the end of conference meets for the boys’ and girls’ teams, who will next compete in the Division 5 Championships on Wednesday, February 12 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.

Girls’ Track: Thanks to some extraordinary performances, the Lady Bulldogs won their fourth consecutive SCC title this week, scoring 129.5 points and outscoring the nearest team by 84.5 points. Morgan DaSilva came from behind in the 600-meter run to win her specialty event in 1:46, while Emily Josephson claimed the two-mile championship in 12:52. Sam Allaire and Paige Santos claimed victories in the two field events, shot-put and high-jump, recording distances of 30’3.75” and 5’2”, respectively. The best event for the Lady Bulldogs, however, was the 55-meter-hurdles, where the girls scored 29 of the 30 available points. ORR took places 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, showing the depth of the ORR hurdle program. Zoe Smith won the title by .01 second over teammate Santos, recording a time of 9.00, while Elexus Afonso, Bailey Truesdale, and Abby Adams took places 3, 4, and 6 respectively.

Below are the overall winter team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of February 9.

Boys’ Basketball: (13-3-0) (11-2-0); Girls’ Basketball: (5-12-0) (5-9-0); Boys’ Track (6-2-0) (5-2-0); Girls’ Track (8-0-0) (7-0-0); Boys’ Swimming: (1-7-0) (1-7-0); Girls’ Swimming: (4-2-0) (4-2-0); Hockey: (9-4-0) (6-0-0).

By Michael Kassabian