The Rochester Women’s Club would like to invite the public to a Winter Solstice Celebration on Saturday, December 21, at 5:00 pm at 37 Marion Road, Rochester. Naomi Arenberg of WBUR-FM will lead a community sing-along ‘Songs of the Season’. This is a free event. Families are encouraged to come. Refreshments will be served. A rain/snow date will be Sunday December 22.
The Plumb Corner Mall is currently hosting a Dick Meloni Toy Drive. The drop off is at Rockland Trust Bank in Plumb Corner Mall, and we are looking for new unwrapped toys. Don’t forget the older kids too.
On December 12, the band and chorus students of Old Rochester Regional High School proudly presented their annual Holiday Concert. Held in the school’s auditorium, the free event brought holiday cheer to all who attended. The concert included numbers by the chorus, jazz combo, jazz band, and concert band. Michael Barnicle, the ORRHS music teacher, hosted and directed the event.
“They worked hard,” said Barnicle of his students, “They did a great job.”
The students in the music department had been preparing for this concert since the start of the school year. Along with their regular class during the day, the band had evening rehearsals once a month, then a three-hour rehearsal the night before the big show. Their practice paid off in last week’s performance.
“There are always challenges, depending on the music, the ability level of the students,” admitted Barnicle, “With the band, I definitely pushed them to do more challenging music than maybe they were comfortable with.” However, Barnicle sounded proud of his students’ work, saying the performances are his favorite part of being a music teacher at ORR.
When it comes to the chorus, Barnicle said he tries to select some music that they’re comfortable with, and “some that’s also outside their comfort zone too, to try to challenge them as well.”
Some of chorus’s songs this year included “Jingle Bells,” with a solo by Justin Smilan and jazz band accompaniment, and “Betelehemu,” a Nigerian carol.
Paige Santos, a senior at ORR, has been in chorus for all four years. “The best part is when we’re all singing a song that we really like and we all get into it,” said Santos, “I like when we get that note perfectly right and we all sound really good.”
“We definitely have some talented students in all the groups,” commented Barnicle, “Although we have a couple standouts, this year we’ve got a fairly even level – more than in past years.”
Since the Holiday Concert was the students’ first major performance of the year, there is still much more to come. Small ensembles of students have been playing on the weekends at Kenny’s farm stand in Fairhaven, creating a musical air while people shop for Christmas trees. The music department’s annual trip to Faneuil Hall in Boston was on Wednesday, December 18. Band and chorus perform there to delight the holiday shoppers each year.
“After Christmas break, we’ll come back and we’ll start working on new music for some festivals in the spring, the jazz concert, and the big spring concert at the end of the year,” said Barnicle.
As the holiday season peaks, the students in ORR’s band and chorus remain busy, bringing their musical talent to the community.
By Renae Reints
He had long held that the preservation and care of the land were paramount to a strong and vital community. Thus, James Gurney gifted a parcel of land he has owned for more than fifty years to Habitat for Humanity. The process started in 2012 and culminated in the deed transfer in November 2013. On a cold yet sunny December morning, Gurney sat surrounded by press and two members of the Buzzards Bay Area affiliate of this international organization. We met him at the Sippican Transitional Care facility where he is currently convalescing before returning to his home in Marion.
Gurney smiled and said he was ‘39’ when asked his age, and clearly his active mind is nimble in spite of his chronological standing. He was born in New Bedford, but grew up in Freetown where members of his extended family still do business at the sawmill. He is the widow of Judy (the former Judy Jenny), with whom he raised three children, two daughters and a son. For 38 years, he lived on part of the property he has now given to Habitat. The home he shared with his wife has been sold, and the remaining parcel will now benefit a family in need.
He is a humble man who clearly was more comfortable talking about his wife, children, father-in-law, and cats rather than himself. When asked what he did for a living, he shared that he had been in the Coast Guard stationed in Battle Harbor, Labrador. He enjoyed telling the assembled about a sign posted for all to see as they came ashore. It stated that behind every tree there was a beautiful woman. He gave an impish grin as he confirmed that to be the truth. He also worked for many years for the telephone company, back when it was a single business enterprise.
Gurney said that his father-in-law was a cornerstone at the town meetings for decades. He, too, believed in the town government process and faithfully attended town meetings in Rochester and Marion. He said his wife had been a member of the Rochester Historical Society and was very familiar with sites around the community including a forgotten cemetery on the land that has become Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School. The town was apparently surprised to learn there was a cemetery located on the proposed school site. Had it not been for Mrs. Gurney, a set-back in construction surely would have followed. Instead a solution was found. Today the cemetery is fenced in and cared for by the school. These are the topics that Gurney preferred to discuss rather than himself.
Yet clearly he understood the importance of his gift. As a past member of the Marion Conservation Commission, he has vast experience in land preservation and use.
Habitat for Humanity hasn’t been around as long as Gurney, but it certainly enjoys international exposure. From their website we learn: “The concept that grew into Habitat for Humanity International was born at Koinonia Farm, a small, interracial, Christian community outside of Americus, Georgia. Koinonia Farm was founded in 1942 by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan.
At Koinonia, Jordan along with Linda and Millard Fuller developed the concept of “partnership housing.” The concept centered on those in need of adequate shelter working side by side with volunteers to build simple, decent houses.” “Inception of Habitat for Humanity: In 1968, Koinonia laid out 42 half-acre house sites with four acres reserved as a community park and recreational area. Capital was donated from around the country to start the work. Homes were built and sold to families in need at no profit and no interest. The basic model of Habitat for Humanity was begun. Expansion into Habitat for Humanity International: In September 1976, Millard and Linda called together a group of supporters to discuss the future of their dream. Habitat for Humanity International as an organization was born at this meeting.
Today, the organization helps not only to house people in a manner that is affordable and sustainable for their financial situation, but they also provide emergency services after catastrophic events.
Christine Lacourse, Executive Director of the Buzzards Bay Area affiliate whose offices are located in Mattapoisett, said that Gurney’s donation is a “big step” because it is the first for Rochester. She went on to say that average construction costs run about $125,000, most of which will be paid by the resident family with a low-cost or zero-cost mortgage. The group had also received a $5,000 donation from the Makepeace Foundation a few years ago that will help to defer associated legal and engineering fees.
Richard Charon, a local engineer, has agreed to a severely reduced fee in order to assist with the home. He has confirmed that the parcel in question will perk properly and therefore, a well and a septic system can be planned – two necessary elements in order to receive a building permit from the town.
Lacourse said the selection process requires that the family be willing and able to either work for 300 hours on the actual construction or donate an equal amount of time to the organization in a less laborious fashion. Selected families must also partner with Habitat by agreeing to pay a low-interest or no-interest mortgage that is held by the organization. The family selected will need to have an income that is 30 to 60% of the average income for any given community. She said, “We want to set the family up for success.” Applications are available on Habitat’s website. Through a collaborative effort with schools, community agencies, and similar groups, Habitat reviews the applications with a focused eye on the severity of the need.
Habitat homes average 1100 square feet with three bedroom and 1.5 baths, and are either a ranch style or what she called a ‘Pittsburg’ style home. Claude Miquelle, architect, has begun some design work also at a reduced-fee structure. This particular home is unique in that it will have a full foundation and be two stories in the back – a walk out basement space. The home’s design will lend itself to the sloping topography of the site.
It’s interesting to note that once a piece of land is given to Habitat, the deed for that property is considered ‘affordable’ into perpetuity. The towns where such properties are located will base tax rates on the suppressed real estate value. Lacourse said that in the future they are hoping to partner with the USDA to assist with the mortgage portion of the program.
For Gurney, it was simply something he wanted to do, and his family agreed with his decision. He is hopeful that students from Old Colony will be allowed to work on the home. The fact that it is located almost directly across the street from the school will make logistics quite easy. His memory of spreading cracked corn for the ducks around the pond area that is a feature of property is a happy one for him. He gets a little sparkle in his eye remembering the cat that followed him to the pond and then crouched in the grass as the ducks ate. He has a cat waiting for him at home. We can just imagine that cat curled in his lap, and Gurney comfortably settled into his own surroundings at peace with his decisions.
By Marilou Newell
Lance Corporal Matthew R. Rodriguez made the ultimate sacrifice for his country when he was killed in action on December 11 while serving in Afghanistan. Those wishing to honor Rodriguez lined Route 6 in Fairhaven and Mattapoisett today to pay their respects for the fallen hero. The processional traveled from the New Bedford airport to the Saunders-Dwyers Funeral home in Mattapoisett where services will be held on Sunday.
LCPL Rodriguez’s funeral service will be held on Monday at 10am at the First Congregational Church of Fairhaven, 34 Center Street. Burial with full military honors will follow in the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. Visiting hours will be on Sunday from 1-7pm at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Road, Route 6, Mattapoisett. Additional offsite parking will be available at St. Anthony’s Church, 22 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett with continuous shuttle bus service to the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.
A discussion involving the Capital Improvement Planning Committee (CIPC) in Marion dominated the discussion at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday evening.
“With three years of experience, the CIPC has learned and come up with a number of lessons and observations and has recommendations that we feel should be discussed and want decisions to be made,” said Norm Hills at the meeting.
Both Carol Sans and Norm Hills spoke and asked the board to consider their recommendations regarding initiatives and goals set by the Capital Improvement Planning Committee for the future.
At issue was the process related to applications which need to be sent to the town Capital Improvement Committee for consideration way before the deadline for town meeting approval.
“We want to look at five years out,” said CIPC board member Norm Hills. “We need to do some long-range thinking here,” he said.
Mr. Hills said that the process for town meeting agendas needs to be followed, so if an application isn’t sent to the Capital Improvement Committee before the deadline for town meeting, it won’t be on the warrant.
Norm Hills spoke and said that all the town boards and Selectmen need to work together to find solutions to town issues and problems.
In other business, the board approved a water abatement at 14 Wianno Road and disapproved a request at 16 Vine Street.
A letter was read thanking the Marion Fire Department for their response to a suspected fire at 51 Parkway Lane. “We want to thank the Marion Fire Department for their quick response,” wrote Jeff and Nancy Oakes.
The board also discussed a letter from Todd Zell regarding the closure of the Wave Restaurant from December 23 to March 1, 2014 for kitchen renovations.
The board closed the meeting to enter executive session for the purposes of negotiation with non-union personnel, to discuss strategy with respect to litigation, and to consider the purchase of interest in real property.
By Joan Hartnett-Barry
This week marked the first official games of the winter sports season at ORR. After working hard in preseason for two weeks, three teams went up against regional opponents this week: girls’ indoor track, boys’ indoor track, and boys’ basketball. Here is a look at the first week of scheduled games for ORR winter athletics.
Girls’ Track: The Lady Bulldogs may have lost several key seniors to graduation, including All-State champion Ally Saccone, but their performance in their season opener against Diman Voke shows that their depth and skill will have no problem patching up the holes left by the graduates. The girls successfully started their season with a 77-10 victory over Diman. Captain Morgan DaSilva won the 55-meter dash with a quick 7.6 seconds, while fellow captain Paige Santos claimed the 300-meter dash with a 47.5. Another key win for the Lady Bulldogs was the 55-meter-hurdles, which Bishop Stang transfer Abby Adams won with a time of 9.4 seconds. Adams’ performance in the hurdles is much needed for the girls, who could consistently count on Saccone last year for wins in her signature event. Adams and Santos should be able to help continue claiming Bulldog victories in the hurdles.
Other wins for the girls included sophomore Nicole Mattson in the 600 (1:54.6), Jane Kassabian in the 1,000 (3:53), Riley Shaugnessy in the mile (6:28), Sammie Barrett in the 2 miles (13:15), Zoe Smith in the high jump (4’8”), and Sam Allaire in the shot put (25’6”). The 4×400 relay team of Mattson, Smith, Brooke Santos, and Arden Goguen clinched the victory for the girls, who look to defend their SCC title this coming season.
Boys’ Track: The boys also had a strong start to their season, defeating Diman with a narrow score of 45-41. Though there are many newcomers on the team, the boys still had excellent performances. Colin Knapton, who missed most of last year’s indoor track season due to injury, was a double winner for the Bulldogs, claiming the 55-meter dash (6.8 seconds) and the 300-meter dash (39.4 seconds). Junior Kevin Saccone will also make a big impact on the team, evident in his state-qualifying 55-meter-hurdles victory (8.2 seconds). Saccone would also finish second to teammate Chris Demers in the 600-meter dash, which Demers won with a time of 1:34.7. Another promising performance was Jesse Noonan in the shot-put, who threw over 40 feet to claim second place. Noonan will likely fill the top thrower spot for the boys. Though the meet was closer than expected, the Bulldogs were missing several key runners, including seniors Mike Wyman and Zach Tilden.
Boys’ Basketball: The basketball team is one that has high-expectations. The Bulldogs are predicted to come out on top of the SCC this season. Thanks to a strong performance by senior Paul Graves, the boys won their season opener against Bishop Stang High School with a score of 58-47. Graves scored a career-high 22 points, and paired with Jordan Menard’s 10 points, the two successfully ran the offense for the Bulldogs, who open their season with a 1-0 record. The Bulldogs took the lead early and never looked back, thanks largely in part to their bench. Ryan Beatty and Evan Santos provided key points off the bench, as Stang limited ORR starters Jeremy Bare, Mikey Pruchnik, and Raekwon Phillips to a mere 15 points. The Bulldogs successfully capitalized on Stang’s 24 turnovers, shooting 43%. This early victory bodes well for the boys, who also handily defeated New Bedford High School in a scrimmage earlier this week.
Below are the overall winter team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of December 15.
Boys’ Basketball: (1-0-0) (0-0-0); Girls’ Basketball: (0-0-0) (0-0-0); Boys’ Track (1-0-0) (0-0-0); Girls’ Track (1-0-0) (0-0-0); Swimming: (0-0-0) (0-0-0); Hockey: (0-0-0) (0-0-0).
By Michael Kassabian
Snowflakes fell on the hats and coats of those who took the Sippican Women’s Club’s 27th annual holiday house tour on Saturday. Attendees enjoyed walking through five homes of local Marion residents which were beautifully decorated for the Christmas season.
Handy’s Tavern, home of the SWC, was open for touring as well as the Elizabeth Taber Library, Sippican Historical Society Museum, and the Marion Art Center. A holiday luncheon was served in the First Congregational Church Community Center, and afternoon tea was served in the Parish Hall of St. Gabriel’s Church.
The open houses included two on Front Street in the village, including the home of Tabor Headmaster John and his wife Casey Quirk. Students from Old Rochester Regional High School and Tabor Academy greeted people as they entered and provided information on the age of the home as well as other interesting facts. The Headmaster’s home has a ‘great room’ used for entertaining and formal dances for students.
Tinker and Bill Saltonstall’s home on Front Street was also on the tour, and visitors were greeted by Saltonstall’s granddaughter, Lucy. The home is over 120 years old and was formerly a Tabor Academy dormitory. The home has rooftop solar panels for domestic hot water and electrical energy. Bill Saltonstall, who is a member of the Marion Energy Management Committee, provided handouts to visitors on ways to save energy in their homes.
Another house on the tour was the Curran home on Point Road, which was renovated to comply with the new FEMA regulations. The home was the venue for the Curran’s two daughters’ weddings this past summer.
The residence of Lars and Ruth Olson at Hammett’s Cove Road was also on the tour. This Carriage House was designed and built by Olson, who is a fine-home builder. The beautiful home overlooks Hammett’s Cove, and sweeping marsh landscape views could be seen throughout the home.
The Menzel family home, located on Moorings Road, off Converse Road, was the last house on the tour. Built in the early 1900’s, the home was originally used as housing for workers and servants during the construction of Converse Estate.
All the homes were decorated by local floral artists, and decorations were for sale.
“We were thrilled with the turnout,” said SWC President Susan Ford, “we’ve heard comments that it was the best house tour ever.” According to Ford, money raised annually from the tour is used to provide college scholarships for Marion high school seniors. “We usually give three or four scholarships for high school seniors, but also award continuing scholarships to those already in college who had a scholarship with the SWC before,” said Ford. “We want to recognize students who have been outstanding in their academic career as well as school activities and community service,” said Ford.
By Joan Hartnett-Barry
Sculptor and artist Timothy Wade enjoyed the light snowfall on Saturday in front of the Marion Art Center as he sculpted a four-foot tall Santa and his sidekick, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Carefully using a chainsaw and delicate tools, Wade took a solid block of ice and within a few short hours created two beautiful and carefully detailed sculptures. “I had a professor at the Maine School of Art (MSA) who took me under his wing,” said Wade, “he was an excellent sculptor and he taught me how to sculpt ice and snow.” Wade graduated from MSA with a degree in sculpture. “I enjoy the creative process and sculpture in general,” said Wade.
Deb Bokelkamp, Executive Director of the Marion Art Center, has asked Wade to come back year after year to create Christmas-themed sculptures on the brick patio in front of the art center.
“We love the Sippican Women’s Club House Tour and are on the tour and thought it would be great for those taking the tour to see Wade in action…it is very interesting to watch him work with the ice,” said Bokelkamp. The MAC was open during the tour, as was their ‘holiday shop’ featuring original works by artisans from throughout New England. Wade’s creation can be seen out front of the MAC as long as the cold weather stays with us. The MAC is located at 80 Pleasant Street in Marion.
By Joan Hartnett-Barry
LCPL Matthew R. Rodriguez, U.S.M.C., 19 years old, of Fairhaven was killed in action in Afghanistan on Wednesday December 11, 2013.
Born in Wareham, the son of Rolando “Rod” and Lisa (Johnson) Rodriguez, he lived in Fairhaven all of his life.
Matthew, who was affectionately known as “Matt-Man”, was a 2012 graduate of Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on August 20, 2012.
He enjoyed playing baseball and hockey. He was an avid sports fan, especially the Boston Bruins and the Boston Red Sox.
He is survived by his parents, Rod and Lisa; his fianceé, Julia Tapper of Fairhaven; his siblings, Lisa Doherty and her husband Joseph of Taunton, Lauren Webber and her husband Scott of Brockton, and Adam Rodriguez of Fairhaven; his nieces, Katelyn and Alison Webber and Abigail Doherty; and aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends.
His Funeral Service will be held on Monday at 10 AM at the First Congregational Church of Fairhaven, 34 Center St., Fairhaven. Burial with full military honors will follow in the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne. Visiting hours will be on Sunday from 1-7 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. Additional offsite parking will be available at St. Anthony’s Church, 22 Barstow St., Mattapoisett with continuous shuttle bus service to the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.