Theresa N. (Daignault) Miller

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Theresa N. (Daignault) Miller, 86, of Fairhaven, passed away Tuesday, December 10, 2013, at St. Luke’s Hospital, in New Bedford after a brief illness. She was the wife of the late William P. Miller.

Born and raised in New Bedford, the daughter of the late Joseph and Mary Ellen (Noon) Daignault, she lived in Mattapoisett before settling in Fairhaven in 1967. Theresa was a homemaker and communicant of St. Joseph’s Church, in Fairhaven.

She is survived by her son, Kevin Miller of Fairhaven; a sister in law, Dorothy Stanton; and several nieces and nephews. Mrs. Miller was the sister of the late Charles, William and Joseph Daignault, Cecelia Tardiff and Irene Martin.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, December 13, 2013, at 10:00am, in St. Joseph’s Church, Fairhaven, followed by interment in St. Mary’s Cemetery, New Bedford. Calling hours are omitted. Arrangements are by the Fairhaven Funeral Home, 117 Main Street, Fairhaven.

A Ceremony of Carols

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The Sippican Choral Society with the SouthCoast Children’s Chorus presented its 2013 Christmas concert, last weekend which included “A Ceremony of Carols” by Benjamin Britten celebrating the 100th anniversary of Britten’s birth. Photo courtesy Bernadette Kelly

 

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North Rochester Congregational Christmas

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The North Rochester Congregational Church located at 247 North Avenue invites you to join organist Paul Sardinha and Charlie Chace for their annual Christmas program, ‘Lessons and Carols with live Nativity’. The service is December 22 at 7:00 pm with fellowship and refreshments to follow. There will be no morning service that day.

Thank you from the Veterans Office

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To the Editor,

Thank you from the Veterans Office!

The Veterans Office for the towns of Mattapoisett and Rochester would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the generous donations made to fill our care packages for the troops. It is such a wonderful way to show these men and women they aren’t forgotten, and that we appreciate their selfless service to our country. The response was overwhelming.

Barry Denham, Veterans Agent

Paula Butterfield, Secretary

Thank You

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To the Editor,

            The holiday season always seems appropriate to give thanks to those who we appreciate and admire. That being said, we as parents of two ORRHS graduates and one as a junior soon to become another graduate in 2015, would like to say thank you to the wonderful coaches and the athletic department for helping shape our children – for their devotion to their sports and to their consideration of each and every athlete that comes through their program. You truly have made a difference in each of our children’s lives, and we appreciate it tremendously. May you all have a wonderful holiday season.

John and Betsey Oldham

Thank You Old Hammondtown Students

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To the Editor,

I would like to thank all of the students at Old Hammondtown Elementary School for the beautiful and very creative Christmas cards that they made to send overseas to the military men and women who are serving our country.

The cards and the sentiments expressed by the students to “their heroes” were such a wonderful testament to how caring and loving they are and such a beautiful reflection of humankind. So many of the students wrote about wishing all the troops could come back home to be with their families for Christmas.

I would also like to thank Miss Greta Anderson for helping the students with this project and for her amazing talent that she shared with them.

Sincerely,

Alicia Sullivan

MLT and Salty Thank You!

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To the Editor,

MLT and Salty Thank You!

As the President of the Mattapoisett Land Trust and a citizen of the town, I would like to thank MLT volunteer Jenny Mello for organizing the “capping” of Salty the Seahorse for the holidays. She and Cindy Brownell from Brownell Systems arranged for the crane with Cory Silva and Jonathon Henshaw once again to decorate the seahorse with his Christmas attire.

I’d also like to thank the unnamed Mattapoisett police officer who redirected traffic during the installation and kept the Brownell crew safe. She also reassured concerned passing motorists that the seahorse wasn’t being removed but simply decorated for the holidays.

The MLT is pleased to be able to make this small gesture to raising the holiday spirits of the town.

Gary P. Johnson, President

Mattapoisett Land Trust

Deep Roots in the Community

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Mattapoisett’s roots in the shipbuilding industry are rich and well documented. But take a short trip through the town’s history, through the local museum, or up Acushnet or River Roads, and you’ll find plenty of evidence that agriculture was once a necessary and important part of daily life for this seacoast community.

            Looking back, Mattapoisett’s history blends coastal activities, like fishing and boatbuilding, with farming, just a few miles away, which supported it all. Without farming, the population would not have been able to feed its growing population. Today, Mattapoisett’s farming community is a tiny fragment of what it once was. Yet there are community members who are working to keep the historic farming activities alive and well.

The Nunes and Randall families are two of several in Mattapoisett whose interest in agricultural pursuits runs deep in the bloodlines. The families have several members on Mattapoisett ‘s Agricultural Commission. Their desire to preserve farming and agricultural pursuits in Mattapoisett stems from generations of devotion to the land and commitment to a farming heritage.

The Massachusetts State website answers the following questions about agricultural commissions: What is an Agricultural Commission (AgCom)? A town agricultural commission (AgCom) is a standing committee of town government, created through a vote of Town Meeting and appointed by the Board of Selectmen or governing body of the town. AgComs represent the farming community, encourage the pursuit of agriculture, promote agricultural economic development and protect farmlands and farm businesses, and preserve, revitalize and sustain agricultural businesses and land. In some communities they focus on farmland preservation efforts, while in others they review regulatory proposals developed by other town boards (planning board, board of health, conservation commission, etc), or provide marketing coordination to assist all farms in town. Others have played key roles in mediating farmer/neighbor disputes, or simply providing referrals for farmers needing better information. By working within town government through an AgCom, farmers enhance their credibility, and are viewed as part of the problem-solving team. What does an AgCom do? Serves as a local voice advocating for farmers, farm businesses and farm interests, provides visibility for farming, works with other town boards about issues facing the town that affect agriculture, helps resolve farm related problems or conflicts, protects farmland and natural resources. Who can start an AgCom? Any local resident or group concerned about their communities’ farming, farm businesses, growth, rural character, open space, etc. can start organizing support for an AgCom. Why are town AgComs formed? Many towns trying to balance growth and quality of life issues are creating AgComs. The intent of an AgCom is simple: protect agricultural lands, preserve rural character, provide a voice for farmers, and encourage agricultural based businesses.

The Mattapoisett’s Agricultural Commission is committed to all of those elements. Bob Spooner, one of the Chairmen of the commission, said, “We want to preserve the heritage of farming in Mattapoisett.” There have also been instances where the commission has been able to successfully mediate the interests of residents and abutting farmers. Spooner shared the story of a farmer who was fighting an endless battle with crows in his cornfield by using explosive discharges from early morning until evening. Residents at their wits end were able to reach a compromise with the aid of the Agricultural Commission.

As the Mattapoisett Agricultural Commission continues to scope out just how they will impact the local farming community, board members – Chairman Bob Spooner, Cheryl Randall, Shi Major, George Randall, Jess Collier, Gerald Randall, and Pierce Randall, many of whom have backgrounds in farming – will continue to partner with other boards and commissions in town to assist in maintaining a farming culture before it is lost to future generations.

The commission members receive some limited financial support from the residents through a vote at Town Meeting. The State Regulations state: Each town should decide what is an appropriate budget for the AgCom. Existing AgCom budgets range from $0 to $1,000 per year.

Massachusetts regulations also note: Unlike some other town committees, AgComs do not operate under regulatory authority from the Commonwealth. While town conservation commissions implement the State Wetlands Protection Act and planning boards enforce the local zoning code, AgComs are created at Town Meeting to represent farming interests in the town – but they do not have any legal mandate or enforcement authority.

Additional details for Agricultural Commissions as noted on the state’s website also include: adopting local right-to-farm by-laws, raising monies for farmland protection and economic development, starting local farmer’s market, providing mediation and conflict resolution on farm related disputes within town, collaborating with other town boards on development proposals, educating town residents about the value of agriculture in the community, holding educational workshops on intergenerational transfer of property, Chapter 61 lands, farm viability, agricultural preservation restrictions, and obtaining technical assistance on nonpoint source pollution, conservation farm planning, manure management, and environmental stewardship.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Agricultural Commission is February 1 at 7:00 pm. All are welcome to come and learn more about the farming history in Mattapoisett.

By Marilou Newell

Agricutural

Safety and Testing Highlighted

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Chief Mary Lyons of the Mattapoisett Police Department met with the members of the Mattapoisett School Committee to outline plans for the implementation of ALICE, a new emergency safety program for schools. Alert-Lockdown-Inform-Counter-Escape is the cornerstone of an evolving plan that allows teachers and students to make some decisions based on the threat and emergency they are facing. She noted that during the Newtown tragedy, several students had the presence of mind to escape when it was clear they could do so safely. Lyons said, “This gives people the option to think on their feet, make common-sense decisions and possibly escape….versus just lockdown.” The program will be tailored for each school, taking into consideration such things as the age of the children involved. Member James Muse asked if better surveillance equipment might also be an option. Lyons concurred that that would be helpful as well. A full roll out in all schools is planned by Fall 2014, coinciding with the new school year. Interested parties wanting more information can visit www.alicetraining.com.

The other highlight of the monthly meeting was a conversation about uniform assessment testing. Last year, a new type of evaluation protocol, PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) began a pilot program in Mattapoisett schools.

Currently, there are 18 states utilizing this program for K – 12. Their website states: “These new K-12 assessments will build a pathway to college and career readiness by the end of high school, mark students’ progress toward this goal from 3rd grade up, and provide teachers with timely information to inform instruction and provide student support.” A multi-million dollar grant was given by the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top assessment competition to support the development and design of a new assessment system. Massachusetts is considering whether this program or the currently-in-place MCAS should be used.

Superintendent White said, “All schools will take the ELA portion.” He went on to say, “This is a pilot program…the state will make a final decision to replace MCAS with PARCC in two years.” He noted that the drawback right now is that schools are not receiving any information on how their children are doing on the tests taken, but if the state moves to this program for evaluative assessment, then individual test data will be shared. He noted another drawback as well.

White said that if the state moves to PARCC, there won’t be any historical data on students’ successes or needs because it will be new, whereas all schools have data with the MCAS program now.

Committee Member James Muse questioned the wisdom of increased testing and less teaching, believing it negatively impacted the students. He acknowledged that schools get data but that it does nothing for the individual student. “It’s just data,” he said. He then went on to say that all the testing is not a teaching tool and questioned the benefit to the student. “If we are just testing, then not much teaching is taking place,” he concluded.

Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Elise Frangos, explained how they presently use test results from the Galileo needs assessment that help teachers focus on the individual needs of students. Those tests are taken in September and again in December. There had been plans to do them again in May to get a full year’s worth of evaluation, but they have pulled back from that plan given the insertion of the PARCC testing in the school year. She also said they are presently prioritizing on MCAS.

White said that if the state selects PARCC, they will do so only if it is as good as, or better than, MCAS, and they plan on keeping the committee informed as more information is available.

On a lighter and merrier note, Principal Bowman invited all to attend the annual gala holiday presentation at Center School this year titled ‘Melton, the Warm-Hearted Snowman’ on December 19 at 9:30 am.

By Marilou Newell

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Peter Elen

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Peter Elen, 77, of Mattapoisett died Sunday December 1, 2013 unexpectedly at St. Luke’s Hospital. He was the husband of Gail (Vaitses) Elen.

Born in New Bedford, the son of the late Peter and Mary (Ponte) Eleniefsky, he lived in Fairhaven before moving to Mattapoisett in 1967.

For many years, Peter was the owner and operator of Elen Boat Works in Mattapoisett.

He was a graduate of Bristol County Agricultural School.

He enjoyed gardening, fishing, and especially scalloping.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Peter Michael Elen of Mattapoisett; two brothers, Robert Eleniefsky and his wife Evelyn of Carver, and Tony Eleniefsky and his wife Janet of Acushnet; several nieces and nephews; and many cousins.

He was the brother of the late Nathalie Eleniefsky.

His Memorial Service will be held on Saturday December 14, 2013 at 10 AM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattaposett. For directions and guestbook , please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.