Spring Adult Programs at ETL

on March 30, 2014

Mystery Book Club: Join us at the Elizabeth Taber Library on Wednesday, April 2 at 11:00 am for our monthly Mystery Book Club meeting. We will be discussing Peter Robinson’s book, Before the Poison. Please stop into the Library today to register and reserve a copy of this book.

Other upcoming Mystery Book Club meetings:

May 7 at 11:00 am: Bones of Paris by Laurie King

June 4 at 11:00 am: Joyland by Stephen King

Drop-in Tech Help starts on April 10 and runs through May. Do you need one-on-one help with a device you recently bought or acquired, or do you just have a basic technology question? Then stop into the Elizabeth Taber Library any Thursday in April (excluding the first Thursday) and May between 4:00 – 5:00 pm, and Libby O’Neill will walk you through it! First come, first served.

If you cannot make this time, please call Libby O’Neill at 508-748-1252 to make a one-on-one appointment.

Technology Tuesdays is starting up again. Six weeks of technology workshops start on Tuesday, April 8 at 11:00 am and run through Tuesday, May 13.

Come to the Elizabeth Taber Library to learn more about using your computer or device and take advantage of all that the Library resources have to offer! Workshops will include: basic computer skills; learning the library catalog; checking out eBooks/audiobooks; Mango Languages; Goodreads; and a snapshot of the Boston Public Library electronic resources.

April 8 at 11:00 am: Basic Computer skills: Understanding the computer, navigating the desktop, and setting up an email address.

April 15 at 11:00 am: Learning the SAILS Library Catalog Enterprise: How to search for library items, place holds, view your account and more!

Poetry Workshops: April is National Poetry Month. We will be celebrating at the Elizabeth Taber Library with three poetry programs:

Thursday, April 3 at 4:00 pm – Have you ever wondered what separates good poets from the rest? How do I look at a poem to better understand the meaning, style and power of its works? Join us on Thursday, April 3 at 4:00 pm at the Elizabeth Taber Library for an introduction to poetry, where we’ll examine a variety of different writers, why they use a certain form, select particular words or end a line where they choose. Tony Pedevillano, published poet and teacher for over thirty years, will help guide you through the process and help you appreciate the poet’s craft.

Friday, April 18 at 11:00 am – Join us on Friday, April 18, at 11:00 am for another exciting poetry workshop where Dr. Charles White will present different techniques and ways to approach poetry as a reader. Dr. Charles White is a long time Marion resident and an American Literature and film professor at UMass Dartmouth.

Tuesday, April 29, at 4:00 pm – Poetry Reading – Poets and poetry lovers, come celebrate National Poetry Month at the Elizabeth Taber Library by reading your own poetry or some by your favorite poet. Registration is required to take part in the poetry reading. Each participant will be given five minutes to read their poetry selection. All are welcome to attend and enjoy this free event.

A Night of Jazz

on March 30, 2014

If you are ready for the spring thaw, then come to the Old Rochester Regional High School Auditorium on Wednesday April 16 at 7:00 pm for light refreshments and to join us for a toasty Night of Jazz. This concert is presented by the ORR High School and Junior High Music Departments, under the direction of Mike Barnicle and Jim Farmer.

The evening will feature traditional and student-arranged pieces presented by the Senior High Chorus, Jazz Band, and Combo. The Junior High Jazz Band will also perform!

Tickets are priced at $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and students.

All proceeds from ticket sales are used by the Friends of Old Rochester Music to promote and support music programs in the Old Rochester Junior and Senior High Schools.

Share our enthusiasm for live music and enjoy an evening with us.

We’d love to hear from you! E-mail us at orrform02739@gmail.com.

Library Hosts “Antiques Roadshow” Fundraiser

on March 30, 2014

Word spread of the Antiques Roadshow-style fundraiser at the Mattapoisett Library on March 29, attracting scores of South Coasters clutching their treasures, antiques, and heirlooms for appraisal and admiration, hoping Francis McNamee of the Marion Antique Shop might discover worth in their belongings beyond their sentimental value. Paying $5 per item appraised, some brought primitive dolls, old books, tea sets, and artwork – and there were a few unique and exceptional finds McNamee was compelled to show off, like a cast iron turtle spittoon and a stereoscopic viewer with an image of Teddy Roosevelt. Our favorite was the large whale tooth scrimshaw depicting the whale ship Wanderer. Paula Deane, an estate jewelry specialist, was on hand to assist in appraising jewelry and collectibles. Both appraisers donated their time for the event, and all the proceeds went to benefit the Friends of the Mattapoisett Library, who hosted the event. By Jean Perry

Discover Vernal Pools with the MLT

on March 29, 2014

Mattapoisett is fortunate to have a large number of vernal pools, vital breeding habitats for resident amphibians and invertebrates such as wood frogs, spotted and blue-spotted salamanders, and fairy shrimp. The MLT is once again offering an introduction to vernal pools and instruction on how to certify them through a workshop and field trip.

The experience will begin with a slide show presentation at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library on Wednesday, April 2, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, when wetland scientist Elizabeth Leidhold will describe with exhibits and slides some of the animals that rely on vernal pools for survival. On Saturday, April 5, at 2:00 pm, she will lead the investigation of one of the MLT’s vernal pools; the site will be determined by the weather conditions. The state forms for certifying vernal pools will be provided to all participants so that they can learn how to properly complete the forms as part of the Commonwealth’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. This will be a wonderful opportunity for parents and children to learn together about the wetlands of Mattapoisett and how they can help protect them for future generations.

Both events are free and open to all, including residents of other towns. Attendance at the presentation is not required for participation in the field visit on Saturday. Anyone interested in discovery should meet at Dunseith Gardens (the Seahorse property) on Saturday afternoon at 1:45 pm. For more information, call 508-317-5932 or email info@mattlandtrust.org. Rubber boots are highly recommended.

Academic Achievements

on March 29, 2014

Berklee College of Music announces that Ian Jones of Rochester has earned placement on the Dean’s List for the fall semester of the 2013 academic year. To be eligible for this honor, a full-time student must achieve a grade point average of 3.4 or above; a part-time student must achieve a grade point average of 3.6 or above.

Fourteen Falmouth Academy students brought prizes home from the March 15 South Shore Regional Science Fair at Bridgewater State College, including two firsts and five seconds. Students earning first, second, or third places are eligible to compete in the Massachusetts State Science Fair held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on May 2. Sophomore Charlotte Van Voorhis, the daughter of Rachel and Charlie Van Voorhis of Mattapoisett, received a third place finish for “Marsh Invaders: Plant Species and Micro-elevation in Salt Marshes.”

Madeleine West of Mattapoisett, a member of the Pomfret School class of 2015, was recently named to the High Honor Roll for the 2013-2014 winter term at Pomfret School. High honors are earned with a 3.5 average and no grade below a B- (Honors are earned with a 3.0 average and no grade below a B-).

Sippican Lands Trust Annual Meeting

on March 29, 2014

The Sippican Lands Trust invites the public to attend an open annual meeting on Thursday April 10 at 5:30 pm. It will be held at the SLT office located at 354 Front Street, Marion next to Uncle Jon’s coffee.

There will be a brief business meeting followed by a presentation by local, climate expert Dr. Jennifer Francis entitled “Wacky Weather and Climate Change: Is There a Connection?”

Dr. Francis is a Research Professor with the Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences where she studies Arctic Climate Change and Arctic-Global Climate Linkages. She is also a current SLT Board Member.

Wine and cheese will be served. We hope to see you there!

For more information, contact Executive Director Robin Shields at 508-748-3080 or robinshields@sippicanlandstrust.org.

21st Annual Buzzards Bay Swim

on March 29, 2014

The waters of New Bedford Harbor and Buzzards Bay are still chilly from winter, but the warmth of summer will soon be here! Get outside and show your support for clean water by swimming in the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s 21st annual Buzzards Bay Swim on Saturday, June 28. Swimmers who sign up through Tuesday, April 1 at www.savebuzzardsbay.org/swim will enjoy free registration.

The Buzzards Bay Swim is a 1.2-mile open water course across outer New Bedford Harbor, starting at The Edge Seafood & Lounge (formerly Davy’s Locker) in New Bedford’s South End and ending at Fort Phoenix State Reservation in Fairhaven. The Swim draws participants of all ages and abilities, including families, swim teams, serious competitors, and individuals seeking a new fitness challenge. Recreational swimmers can choose to swim with a kayak escort or swim aids such as fins and snorkels.

Now in its 21st year, the Buzzards Bay Swim is a signature outdoor event for the Southcoast. Three hundred twenty-five swimmers are expected to participate in this year’s Swim, hailing from communities across southeastern New England and as far away as Washington, D.C., Florida, and California. 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.

Plumb Library News

on March 28, 2014

“Just the Facts” the nonfiction book discussion group, will be reading Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv. “I like to play indoors better ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are,” reports a fourth-grader. Never before in history have children been so plugged in and so out of touch with the natural world. In this groundbreaking new work, child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today’s wired generation – he calls it nature deficit – to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as rises in obesity, Attention Deficit Disorder, and depression. This alienation damages children and shapes adults, families, and communities. There are solutions, though, and they’re right in our own backyards. We will discuss Last Child in the Woods on Thursday, April 17 at 6:30 pm.

Café Parlez’ selection for April is The Book of Lost Things, by John Connolley. High in his attic bedroom, 12-year-old David mourns the death of his mother. He is angry and alone with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness, and as he takes refuge in his imagination, he finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is propelled into a land that is populated by heroes and monsters, and is ruled over by a faded king who keeps his secrets in “The Book of Lost Things.” We will discuss this book on Thursday, April 24 at 6:30 pm. Books are available at the desk, or bring your own copy. Café Parlez is sponsored by the Friends of Plumb Library.

The Plumb Library Knitters meets Mondays at 6:30 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Chocolate is always served.

Our very own Library Dancing Fairy, Plumbelina, has volunteered to be here every Saturday in April from 1:00 to 1:30 pm. She will do a story/dance program for children ages three and up. Pre-registration is requested. If we have enough interest, she will continue the program until further notice. For all who have requested more Plumbelina, please adjust your schedules so you can participate!

What is Tumblebooks? Tumblebooks is an online collection of picture books, early readers, and short chapter books presented in a format that will attract children and help them learn to read. Click the link on our website – www.plumblibrary.com – and your child will be able to watch short, animated versions of many popular picture books and early readers. The text is highlighted when the line is read aloud, helping emerging readers to recognize the words being read. There are puzzles and games that will also help new readers. Tumblebooks also offers streaming videos produced by National Geographic on a number of topics. You can access Tumblebooks from any computer or device, and kids can use it by themselves. Tumblebooks is provided by the SAILS library system. To learn more about Tumblebooks and how the website works, watch the Library Tour video at http://www.tumblebooks.com/LibraryTour.html or ask the library staff for a demonstration.

Solar Farm #3 for Mattapoisett

on March 28, 2014

It seems that Mattapoisett is becoming the Tri-Town leader of the pack when it comes to commercial solar farms – Number Three is planned for Crystal Spring Road in the fall of 2014.

Blue Wave LLC, now a household name for many residents on North Street and Shady Oak Drive, invited abutters on Crystal Spring Road to the American Legion Hall on March 20 to hear their marketing presentation for their latest venture in town. It was the same presentation that they previously offered when a contingent of residents met with them last year regarding the Tinkham Hill Road site.

The highpoints – beyond their global footprint and depth of expertise in all aspects of solar energy production – are that they are a stand-up company that will only bring in partners that can support the project economically (Sun Edison is their partner for the Tinkham Hill venture) and with the highest level of professional oversight required by the town and its residents. Representatives from Blue Wave shared that over the course of the approximately 90- day construction cycle, every effort will be made to minimize the impact on the abutters by using dust mitigation techniques and a truck tire wash-down process so that mud will not be spread across Crystal Spring Road. Post construction, the fencing that will enclose the solar farm will be camouflaged with native trees and other species, while inside the enclosure grasses will give it a meadow appearance.

Blue Wave again told the public that energy credits could be purchased by the town, but to date, Mattapoisett has not elected to do so. John DeVillars, president of the company, said that he didn’t want to wade too deeply in the complicated topic of solar energy credits, but suffice it to say that Mattapoisett could enjoy some benefit from the energy that will be produced from this solar farm. That benefit, however, will not translate to lower energy bills for the residents of the town.

What the town will get, which is the same process they are following with the Tinkham Hill project, is a higher tax base over the course of the commercial project’s lifetime and a payback in taxes from the last five years to the higher rate (presently the parcel is zoned as a farm and taxed at a lower rate). Residents also wanted to know what will happen to the site after the twenty-year rental agreement ends. DeVillars responded that they can either renew the lease and continue producing energy at the site, or remove the equipment to the satisfaction of the town. A fund with $100,000 will be held aside as surety.

Richard Charon, the local engineer working with Blue Wave, offered as an additional comment one that had previously been used, “… the land will eventually be developed for something which is the right of the owner … do you want a bunch of houses, people and traffic, or a quiet passive solar farm.” The theme of solar farms as good neighbors was driven home.

The small turn out of only five homeowners didn’t mean they weren’t concerned for their homes and the homes of the neighbors not in attendance; to the contrary, their questions were direct and to the point. They wanted to know if their homes’ values would decrease, if storm water runoff would flood their parcels, if they would be able to see the deforested acreage, and if safety was an issue with solar farms. Each question was answered fully and appeared to assuage their concerns.

While none of those in attendance were overly thrilled at the prospect of having a solar farm situated in their backyards, they seemed consigned to the reality that Blue Wave and its partners would meet all the town’s regulations and move forward into construction.

The site selected for this latest commercial venture is not without challenges for the developers. One side of the 56-acre site is bordered by Interstate 195, which brings the State into the picture. Two other borders fall under wetlands protection, and the fourth borders approximately six residential lots. When completed, 20 acres will have 20,000 solar panels in place.

Blue Wave will meet with the conservation commission on Monday, March 24 at 6:30 pm. They propose to locate the solar farm into the bordering wetlands area and fill in some wetlands in an effort to keep the solar farm as far away as possible from the residential lots. The abutters were told to attend the conservation commission meeting to support that plan; otherwise, the solar array will have to be situated closer to their homes. Blue Wave will be working with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to mitigate animal habitat disruption and with DOT for permission to remove trees along Interstate 195. Due to the change in use of the parcel, they will also have to receive permission from the Zoning Board of Appeals. This land is owned by the Mahoney family, as is the Tinkham Hill Road site. Should the project receive the town’s permissions, Mahoney will be renting the land to Blue Wave and its partners.

By Marilou Newell

The New Titans of Business

on March 28, 2014

Last Thursday, one of Old Rochester Regional High School’s five teams won first place at UMass Dartmouth’s 1^st annual Junior Achievement Titan Challenge. The winning team – seniors Zach Bowen, Kiernan Besse, and Jeremy Bare – were victorious against roughly fifty other teams from schools across southern Massachusetts. Each student on the winning team was awarded a $1,500 scholarship to the college of their choice.

The Junior Achievement Titan Challenge is an economics-based game in the form of a computer simulation. Teams are given a fake product to sell, and using their knowledge of the business world, they must make decisions in six main categories: cost, production, marketing, research and development, capital investment, and charitable donations.

“You had to find the right balance,” said Emily Hyde, a senior at ORR and a participant in the Junior Achievement Titan Challenge. The team who found this balance was named the next titan of business.

Although Hyde and her partner, Curran Desjardens, didn’t win first place, they were fairly successful throughout the challenge. The challenge was broken up into different rounds, with eight or nine teams playing against each other in each round, and Hyde and Desjardins were often in first place at the end of a round.

“At the end we would slip off a little bit because they would throw us a curveball,” Hyde recalled, “but we never came in last, so it was really fun.”

Before the day of the challenge, the students from ORR weren’t entirely sure what to expect. The Junior Achievement organization had provided a study guide, but other than this slight aid, few of the ORR students did much preparation.

“Other schools had done a lot of prep work, and all we’ve done is this class,” said Hyde, referring to her Honors Economics course with Erich Carroll, a social studies teacher at ORRHS.

Clearly, this course has been very influential. Zach Bowen, a member of the winning team, said he and his peers didn’t prepare before the challenge. They figured out a strategy as they went along, recalling prior knowledge from economics class.

“I didn’t really have any expectations going into it,” Bowen admitted. He felt the odds were against them as they entered a room with fifty other teams. Still, Bowen’s team was more prepared than he thought. When asked about what strategies they used, Bowen responded, “Well, we had Jeremy Bare; he’s really good with stuff like that.”

Each team at the Junior Achievement Titan Challenge was also given an adult mentor, someone with experience as a banker or economist. “Our mentor was a big help,” said Bowen, “He gave us good ideas and good tips on what we should do and what we shouldn’t do.”

In the end, Bowen said “it was a good feeling” taking home a $1,500 scholarship victoriously.

Although she didn’t win first place, Hyde said the Junior Achievement Titan Challenge was a great experience. She recalled the intensity of each round, as every student perched on the edge of their seat, then the cheers at the round’s completion, when the winners of each round congratulated their teammates. Hyde said she would absolutely recommend the Junior Achievement Titan Challenge to any underclassman.

In other news, ORR’s human rights club, Students Organizing Labor Equality (SOLE), held a small documentary showing after school last Thursday. The club showed the short film “The Dark Side of Chocolate.”

“It’s about child labor in the Ivory Coast [in Africa] which produces at least a third of the world’s chocolate,” said Lizzie MacLellan, President of SOLE.

While the documentary showing didn’t have a huge turnout, there was a small gathering of potential club members there to watch the film and enjoy a selection of fair trade chocolate provided by SOLE. MacLellan said the film definitely impacted the viewers, and the group stayed a half hour later just discussing the issues brought to light by the documentary.

“We definitely want to do this again, actually advertise, and see what the turnout is then,” said MacLellan.

At ORR, SOLE is mostly known for their presentations and awareness campaigns. The group has also donated shoes to kids in Haiti through the “Soles4Souls” campaign, and they’ve purchased fair trade soccer balls for the ORR boys’ team in recent years.

MacLellan said SOLE’s biggest obstacle has been getting people to listen, “but once they actually hear what’s going on, they get as fired up about it as we are.”

By Renae Reints