Lawrence E. Eich

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Lawrence E. Eich, 89, of Rochester died Thursday December 12, 2013 at Tobey Hospital. He was the husband of Anna (Stanko) Eich.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, the son of the late Lawrence and Caroline (Ochs) Eich, he lived in New Hyde Park, NY for many years before moving to Rochester 26 years ago.

He was a communicant of St. Rose of Lima Church.

Mr. Eich was formerly employed as a credit manager for American Chicle Company, which later merged with Warner-Lambert Pharmaceuticals.

He was a graduate of St. John’s University in New York.

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy.

He enjoyed fishing, gardening, golfing, and his dogs.

He is survived by his wife Anna; and his daughter Linda Arectos of North Truro.

His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday at 9:30 AM at St. Rose of Lima Church. Burial will follow in the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne. Visiting hours will be on Monday from 1-4 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Nature Crafts and Holiday Party

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The Marion Natural History Museum will be hosting a Nature Crafts and Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 18 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. The cost is $4.00 for members and $6.00 for nonmembers. The event will be held at the Marion Natural History Museum, 8 Spring Street, Marion. We have a lot to be thankful for this year!

Please help us celebrate as we move back into our home. We will be working on projects for gift-giving using materials we find outside our front doors. Volunteers to help with crafts would be most welcome. Light refreshments will be served, but please alert us to any food allergies! Please pre-register through our website: www.marionmuseum.org or call 508-748-2098 for further information.

Bright Season Ahead for Grey Season

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You may not have heard of the folk/rock band ‘Grey Season’, but chances are you will in the future. Local musicians Ian Jones (ORR 2011) of Rochester and Ben Burns (ORR 2011) of Mattapoisett, along with their band mates, have been invited to record their first full-length album.

During a recent gig in Boston, where Jones and Burns are currently students at Berklee College of Music, they were noticed by Ben Grotto, a music producer affiliated with Levon Helms Studios in Woodstock, NY. Grotto suggested that the group meet with engineering recording great, Justin Guip, whose work has earned him a Grammy Award and who is also part of Helms Studios.

            For the uninitiated, Levon Helms was a musician whose talents found him playing in the 1950’s and 60’s with such greats as Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan, just to name a few. In his later life, he settled into working with younger talented musicians by mentoring, instructing, and helping them mature in their craft. Also probably obscure to the average music listener are Bobby Grotto and Justin Guip. Grotto’s curriculum vitae lists Aerosmith, The Dresden Dolls, and 2010 Producer of the Year at the Boston Music Awards, while Guip’s contains being a three-time Grammy winning engineer.

Grey Season’s musical style, as stated on their Facebook page, is a blend of ‘Mother Folk and Father Rock’. When I spoke to Ian by phone recently, he was just beginning his busy day of classes, but his excitement over this opportunity came through loud and clear: “This is going to be huge for us!” He said the band was originally a trio that he and Burns spotted in Boston. Soon they joined the group, adding depth with bass and drums as well as other vocal talents all blending with Irish instruments and guitars, and producing a truly unique sound worthy of notice. Playing their original scores at venues around Boston, as well as the traditional street performances, the group has come together with soulful new combinations. It was this sound that perked the ears of Grotto. But even when opportunity knocks, there is a cost to pay.

The group has to raise some front money in order to accept the invitation-only recording date. An entry fee of $10,000 is needed by December 22. They are just north of half way there as they get the word out to their fans and supporters. The fee covers necessities such as studio costs, professional mixing, mastering, and duplication, which are all elements needed to bring a great sounding group to the masses. Their “Kickstarter” fundraising is in full swing. To learn more, visit www.greyseasonmusic.com or contact greyseasonband@gmail.com. You can also call Jones at 949-689-6676.

By Marilou Newell

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/62101034/grey-season-recording-first-full-length-album-at-t?ref=live

GS-EP-BUSKING

Winter Sports Preview: Boys’ Basketball

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Last year, the ORR varsity basketball team lacked experience playing in the competitive South Coast Conference. With only two seniors on the team, and a handful of returning juniors, the boys were not able to keep up with the field, and ended the season with a disappointing 6-14. This record also failed to qualify the boys for the MIAA state tournament. But it was a rebuilding year last year, and now the Bulldogs, who return all but 2 players from last year’s squad, are looking to storm the SCC and possibly the state tournament.

The team, led by Coach Steve Carvalho, has big goals for the season. “Our first goal is to make the state tournament,” said team captain and 6’5” center Jeremy Bare. “From there, we’re looking to win the SCC Championship, and then just win as many state tournament games as we can.”

The team has a legitimate shot at the SCC Championship this year, as perennial powerhouse Wareham High School lost several key seniors, including star player Darien Fernandez. Even with the loss of returners, however, Bare admits that Wareham will still be tough competition.

“Wareham’s been conference champions multiple times in the past decade, so most of the teams in the SCC will be gunning for them. Until someone proves otherwise, they’re the team to beat,” said Bare.

The biggest asset to the Bulldogs this year will be their height. Bare was not able to disclose the varsity starting lineup, as it has not been officially announced, but he stated that each member of the starting lineup would likely be over six feet. The size of the team members, along with their athleticism, should be key factors in winning games this season.

The strategy for the Bulldogs this year revolves around this athleticism. Bare says the team plans to use their athleticism to move the ball up the court and score, along with getting out and running transition. However, it is early on in the season, and the team still has some work to do before they are ready for their first game.

“We could definitely improve on our back court game and ball handling,” noted junior Jordan Menard. “You can always improve on defense, too. We’re just looking to bring the final pieces into place and be ready for Stang.”

The boys’ first game will be on Saturday, December 14 at Bishop Stang High School. The game is slated to begin at 6:30 pm.

By Michael Kassabian

James Joaquin

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James Joaquin, 90, of Mattapoisett died December 13, 2013 at home after a brief illness.

He was the husband of the late Rosalie V. (Vas) Joaquin.

Born in New Bedford, the son of the late Antonio and Adelaide (Gomes) Joaquin, he was raised in Acushnet and lived in Fairhaven before moving to Mattapoisett 30 years ago.

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

He was the proprietor of Center Liquor Store in Fairhaven and was plant manager of Ace Cabinet and International Dryer for many years until his retirement.

Mr. Joaquin was a member and past president of the Panthers Athletic Club and a member of the Mattapoisett Lions Club.

Survivors include a son, James A. Joaquin of San Francisco, CA; a daughter, Jacqueline Joaquin of New York, NY; a brother Horace “Jack” Joaquim of New Bedford; 2 grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

He was the brother of the late Irene Medeiros, Mary Rosa, Lil Gallion and Rose Lebert.

His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, December 21st at 10 AM in St. Anthony’s Church. Burial will follow in Cushing Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Mattapoisett Lions Club P.O. Box 1022 Mattapoisett, MA 02739. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. For on-line guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Placement of Rocks Discussed in Marion

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A Notice of Intent by Christopher Kmiec to relocate a pile of large rocks at 14 Aucoot Avenue was discussed at the Marion Conservation Commission’s meeting on Wednesday evening.  The request noted that the rocks will be placed in a row a minimum of 15 feet from the bordering vegetated wetland line and landward of an existing stone and masonry wall running the bordering vegetative wetland line.

Susan Nilson, of CLE Engineering represented the applicant, who also attended the meeting and addressed the board.  The property is located in a flood zone.

“What is the purpose?” asked board member Joel Hartley, “it doesn’t appear to be a sea wall.”

“We are not creating a sea wall or intend to create a dissipation of wave energy, said Neilson.  The applicant proposed placing the rocks one foot apart in a row.  Board members discussed the request and determined that the rocks should have a minimum separation of at least one foot and be no higher than 3 feet and that no more rocks should be brought onto the site.  Members also asked for a new site plan showing what the rock placement will look like.  The board closed the hearing.

In other business, a Request for Determination of Applicability to confirm that the stream running through the property at 468 and 470 Point Road, in a northerly-southerly direction meets the definition of an intermittent stream.  The applicant, Blankenship Trust, LLC is not proposing that any work be done on the site.

The neighbor of the above applicant, N. George Host and Laurie A. Host of 456 Point Road also filed a Request for Determination to ask if the same stream running through their property meets the definition of an intermittent stream.  Again, no work is being proposed on the property.  The board agreed to look into the new state regulations regarding how long the area could be dry before declaring it an intermittent stream.  The board agreed to look into the two requests and closed the hearing.

The board discussed a request for a Certificate of Compliance for razing the dwelling, constructing a new dwelling, driveway and sewage disposal system and filling and grading at 814 Mill Street on behalf of owners Carl and Karen Correia.  The board approved the certificate with the condition that the area beyond the hay bale area should not be walked on.

The board also approved a Certificate of Compliance for the Sardinha Family Trust at 454 Wareham Street,  (Always in Bloom) for expanding a gravel parking area, installing a landscape berm and constructing a storm water management system.

Lastly, the board spoke with Cynthia Callow Trinidad who applied to be an associate member of the Conservation Commission.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

MRConCom_121913

Ralph C. Zompa

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Ralph C. Zompa, 85, of Mattapoisett died December 12, 2013. He was the husband of Laura M. (Mott) Zompa.

His private services are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. Mattapoisett.

Holiday in the Park and Tree Lighting

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‘Holiday in the Park’ at Mattapoisett’s Shipyard Park takes place on December 14 at 4:00 pm with Santa’s arrival, food and beverage tent, craft activities and face painting for the little ones. There is also a tree lighting and carol sing-along. Concurrent with this event, Mattapoisett’s Lions Club will collect toys and food. Bring a new unwrapped toy or canned foods for distribution to local families in need.

ORR Teams Up with Toys for Tots

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The holiday season has arrived in full-swing, and Old Rochester Regional is getting into the giving spirit. Toys for Tots is holding a collection at ORR High School for their second year, and they are asking for new, unwrapped toys for kids aged 0 to 12 years.

Heidi Graser, a science teacher at ORR, is the school’s liaison to the Toys for Tots program. “My father runs the South Shore division of it,” she said, adding, “It’s been in my family for seven years … Last year they moved their warehouse to Wareham and it just made sense, when looking at fundraisers, to think ‘Why haven’t we done this at the school, if I’m a direct contact and it’s so easy to get kids involved?’”

It’s true that the students of ORR have jumped at this opportunity. “We’re decorating the lobby; we’ve made signs,” said Graser, “Students are getting involved here.”

Students also have the opportunity to volunteer at the warehouse, located in the storefront next to Bath and Body Works at Wareham Crossing. On Black Friday, a handful of students helped organize early donations. Since then, other groups of students have gone on the weekends to help out. “If students are willing to volunteer, I will gladly open up the place,” said Graser.

Student volunteers mostly help with organization. “We get shipments of toys, and then we have to divide them up by gender and age so it’s easier for us to grab the toys when we need them,” Graser explained, “Sometimes big organizations come to us … they might say ‘we need toys for ten 5-year-old girls,’ and they’ll give us a list.”

Graser said that it’s nice to have student volunteers pick out the toys for donation because “teenagers know what kids want better than we do.”

The last batch of toys will most likely be sent out on December 21, but Toys for Tots always accepts donations. Having toys at the end of the season “gives us a base point to start with for the organizations that want the toys early,” says Graser. The collection box in ORR’s lobby will be accessible until December 18, while additional donations can be given at the storefront warehouse in Wareham Crossing.

Each year, the number of donations for the older kids is much lower than what is needed. Toys for Tots remembers that every child deserves a gift on Christmas day, but they can only give what they receive. Graser said some ideas for donations for the older kids include makeup kits, art supplies, board games, sport supplies, books, or movies.

“We get a lot of Candyland,” said Graser, noting that this is one of the challenges Toys for Tots faces. While it’s great to receive these donations, they don’t want to be unknowingly sending Candyland to the same child each year.

Still, with the help of local generosity, Toys for Tots manages to be an amazingly successful program. In this South Shore region, they collect 5,000 – 6,000 toys. These mostly go to families in Plymouth County, including children in the Tri-Town. The South Shore is a part of the Cape Cod division, which in total collects around 60,000 toys each year. This goes towards helping around 20,000 children have a happy holiday season.

For more information, contact the South Shore coordinator, Bob Graser. He may be reached at 774-454-4309 or rgraser43@verizon.net.

By Renae Reints

ORRupdate_121213

Beatrice Anne Weygand

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Beatrice Anne Weygand, age 89, died peacefully on December 10, 2013 at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. She was the wife of Dr. George A. Weygand for 57 years. Born in Cumberland, RI on November 5, 1924, she was the daughter of the late Howard L. Mallowes and Elizabeth (Ward) Mallowes. She was the sister of Dorothy Beauchemin of Wareham, MA and the late Howard L. Mallowes, Jr. of Marion, MA.

She is survived by her daughters Joanne L. Fallon of Scituate, MA, Sandra E. Hiller of Rochester, MA, and her husband Robert B. Hiller III, and six grandchildren: Atticus Fallon, Hannah Hartigan and her husband Brian Hartigan, Brooke Fallon, Tess Hedblom and her husband Erik Hedblom, Jacob Hiller and Paige Hiller and her great grandchild Grace Hartigan and several nieces and nephews.

Beatrice resided in Marion, MA and lived there for many years. She was educated in Marion and Wareham schools and graduated from Wareham High School and from Bryant College where she was a member of Sigma Lambda Theta Sorority. She later moved to Bridgewater, MA where she was a resident for more than 50 years. She was an active member of the Bridgewater State College Community where she was a charter member and past President of the Faculty Wives Club. She worked closely with her husband, a Physics Professor at Bridgewater State College, in writing manuscripts, books and preparing grants. She was an active member of the Central Square Congregational Church, serving as a Sunday school teacher, a member of the Women’s Guild, the Memorials Committee, the Couple’s Club, and twice served as a Co-Chair of the All-Church Annual Fair. She was active in girl scouting, serving as a Brownie Troop Leader. Mrs. Weygand was a member of the Alcyone Chapter of the Eastern Star where she served as a Past Worthy Matron. She was a benefactor and supporter of many public civic organizations.

She was a Director and Treasurer of the H.L. Mallowes Company and was Co-owner and President of the Wells Service Station. She loved her family, especially her six grandchildren and great- granddaughter, for whom she was proud.

A Funeral Service will be held in the Central Square Congregational Church Bridgewater Saturday, December 14, 3013 at 10:00 AM.

Visiting hours will be held in the Prophett Chapman Cole & Gleason Funeral Home 98 Bedford Street Bridgewater Friday, December 13th from 5-7 pm.