Last Tuesday of the Month Free Movie

on

On Tuesday, October 29, at noon, the Mattapoisett Friends of the Elderly will host  a free showing of The Great Gatsby (PG-13, 2 hr., 22 min.) at the Council on Aging. Pizza is available for $2. Pizza requests must be pre-paid by Monday, October 28, at 3:00 pm. Even if you’re not having pizza, please RVSP so we know how many seats to set up. Go to the Mattapoisett Council on Aging at the Center School, 17 Barstow St., or call 508-758-4110.

The Great Gatsby: This faithful adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel is visually stunning. It brings to life the art of social climbing, circa 1922. The very modern soundtrack is, at first somewhat discordant, but eventually actually enhances the story. Leonardo DiCaprio is perfect as Gatsby and Carey Mulligan is beguiling as Daisy. Also stars Toby Maguire and Joel Edgerton.

Politics and Prose at the Mattapoisett Library

on

The Mattapoisett Free Public Library will host author Lawrence DiCara, former Boston City Council President and Marion summer resident, for a book reading, discussion, and signing on Tuesday, November 19, at 6:30 pm in the Library Community Room, 7 Barstow St.

The event is co-sponsored by the Elizabeth Taber Library in Marion, and the Joseph H. Plumb Library in Rochester. The Marion Bookstall will sell signed copies at the event (accepting cash or checks only).

DiCara’s new book, Turmoil and Transition in Boston, offers insights into his personal and political story as the youngest person ever elected to the Boston City Council. DiCara’s story is intimately woven into the fate of his hometown of Boston. Then a federal court order mandating busing to achieve racial integration in the public schools ripped apart the city and changed the course of history.

DiCara shows how public policy decisions and economic and demographic changes from that time transformed Boston into one of America’s most diverse, affluent, and successful cities in the 21st century.

The event will be held just after the Boston Mayoral election and at the early stages of the state’s Governor’s race, offering a timely discussion of Boston and Massachusetts politics, its history and future. DiCara has been a fixture on the region’s political scene for over three decades.

Everyone is welcome to this free program. The library facility is handicapped accessible at the side door, where there is an elevator to the downstairs meeting room.

CSL Spurs Charitable Halloween Spirit

on

Old Rochester Regional High School’s Community Service Learning club (CSL) completed their Halloween costume drive last week. The drive was a success, collecting 44 costumes from the high school location alone. Each of the elementary schools in the ORR district were also collecting gently used costumes for infants to age 12.

All costumes will be sorted by student members of CSL and then distributed to kids within the school district who are in need. Any remaining costumes will be donated to Gifts to Give, a charity in New Bedford.

Mary Cabral, the advisor for CSL, explained why they chose to start the year with a costume drive. She said, “I actually had read an article in a newspaper that said the average amount of money that families spend on Halloween is about $70 … I know for a lot of people in this economy, it’s tough to come up with money to make Halloween a special event for their kids.”

Cabral continued, noting, “Kids only wear a costume maybe one time, two times? And then they pack it away, and it probably doesn’t get used again.”

Thus the idea for a costume drive began to form. Why not put these old costumes to good use?

“Two students created a flier, and that was hung up around the school,” Cabral explained, “It was also sent out to the elementary schools.”

With the word out, it was time to grab people’s attention.

“In our front lobby, we created a spooky display,” Cabral said. Student members of CSL hung a banner, Halloween lights, and costume decorations at ORR. This colorful presentation effectively encouraged students to donate their neglected Halloween costumes.

With one successful project completed, what’s next for CSL? Cabral said that the club will be developing a partnership with The Mattapoisett Land Trust.

“We’re going to meet with someone from the Land Trust, and we’re going to do that in conjunction not just with CSL, but also with the Environmental Club and AFS.”

CSL is also thinking ahead to their annual Toys for Tots drive, which will be taking place during the holiday season. “That’s a big, school-wide project,” Cabral said.

As CSL members make plans to spread their generous spirit, the students involved always stay true to CSL’s main goal. Cabral said this mission is “to identify problems locally, within our schools, nationally, and globally, and then to work toward solutions for those problems.”

By Renae Reints

orrupdatepic

Gateway Youth Hockey Update

on

Mite Bobcats: The Mite Bobcats poured on the energy from the first drop of the puck. Defeating Barnstable 29-8. Trendyn Mederios, Derek Gauvin, Krystian Pothell, Thomas Ledger, Jarrod Frates, and Patrick Tripp had multiple goals. Christian Fiore, Brayden Hathon, Bradon Cannon, and Brady Kidney showed great effort on defense and made assists. Charles Carroll had 16 saves in his best-played game of the season.

Squirt Grizzlies: The Gateway Grizzlies beat the Stars 9-1 Saturday night in Pembroke in a Yankee Conference game. The offense was led by Ryker King who scored four goals. Ben Martins scored his first goal of the season and added an assist. Matt Quinlan added two goals and Luke Mello and Stephen Old each scored one. Tyler Kelly earned his second victory of the season in goal. The Grizzlies travel to Pembroke this Saturday to take on an undefeated Braintree team.

Pee Wee Predators: The Gateway Predators had a double header on Sunday, splitting the day with a loss followed by a victory. In the first game, the Predators battled to a 3-1 loss to a tough Falmouth team, getting their lone goal from Robert Maloney, assisted by Jack Martins. In the second game, the Predators defeated the Canal Sharks 5-1. The Predators got on the board right off the opening faceoff. Quirino doCanto skated in, passed it over to Zack Lovendale, who quickly found his brother Tyler, who found the back of the net. The scoring continued with Robert Maloney scoring unassisted. Tyler and Robert each added another goal, while doCanto finished off the scoring.

Pee Wee Warriors: Goalie Zachary Pateakos earned his third win of the season for the Warriors, as his team defeated the Brewins, 5-1. The win marked the eighth straight for the undefeated Warriors. Center Ben Demoranville felt right at home with his new wingers, Jackson St. Don and Noah Demoranville, as these players totaled seven points in the contest. Robert Ramsay and Danny Flynn also scored. Most complementary though was the “Warrior” brand of hockey that allowed only nine Brewins shots. The Warriors dominated the offensive zone with a strong forecheck from Zachary Barris, supported by the staunch defensive pairings of Jake Demoranville/Jameson Woodward (combined +6) and Jared Westgate/Bethany Davis.

Middle School: The Wareham Middle School Vikings narrowly lost to Medfield Schofield Monday in the Columbus Day game. At the end of the first period, Vyper Latulippe scored the first goal of the game, assisted by Zack Lovendale and Matt Youlden. The “Little Line” regained the lead for Wareham in the second period with a goal by Quirino DoCanto, assisted by Kaitlin Kelley and Zack Lovendale. Teaghin Andre made several good saves, but the team was ultimately defeated as Medfield scored twice in the third period, bringing the final score to 3-2 Medfield.

The Vikings goalies earned their first shared shutout of the season as the Middle School 1 team beat Taunton 3-0 Friday night. Andre made several excellent saves, and relied on his defense to keep the net safe for his half. Of special note were the contributions of Coleby Paling, Seth Tomasik, Jackson St Don, Bryan Gallagher, Youlden, and Josh Smolinsky. Just before the goalie change, Vittorio Consoletti got the Vikings on the board with a goal, assisted by Mike Maloney. Relief goalie Steven Strachan kept the net inviolate, making several crucial saves with the help of his defense. In the second half of the game, the offense went on the attack. Cameron DeMarco, Kelley, DoCanto, Zack Lovendale, and Latulippe attempted shots on net before DeMarco connected with Latulippe for the second goal of the game. Consoletti also reciprocated Maloney’s assist, passing to Maloney for the third and final goal of the game.

Egan Interim Principal at OHS

on

Old Rochester Regional School District Superintendent Doug White announced this week that Charles E. Egan will take over as Old Hammondtown School interim principal with the departure of Matt D’Andrea.

D’Andrea announced in September that he accepted the position of assistant superintendent with the Martha’s Vineyard School District. White had recommended at the time that the district look for an interim solution, and Egan fits the bill.

Egan, a Mansfield resident, recently retired as principal at the Hanover Middle School in Hanover where he had been since 2007, according to a statement released by White. Prior to being the Principal in Hanover, Egan was the Assistant Principal in Holliston from 1996 to 2007 and also held posts as Dean of Students at Nashoba Regional High School in the Nineties, as well as the Athletic Director in Franklin from 1988 to 1992. Egan started his teaching career in Natick in 1979.

He has a Bachelors of Science in Industrial Technology from Fitchburg State College and a Master of Education from Northeastern University.

“Egan is a lifelong learner who continues to take course work to keep up with the demands of the education field,” White said. “As an administrative leader, Egan believes the most important attribute for a school leader is to keep the best interest of students paramount in all decision making. He also understands the importance of working with parents as partners in their children’s education. Egan is an advocate of the use of technology to support instruction, 21st-century skills, and parent communication.

Egan will take the reins on October 28 and remain at OHS until the end of the school year.

By Shawn Badgley

MT_OHS_2

 

Updates on Traffic Circle and CNG Station

on

Complaints about a newly constructed traffic circle off of High Street at Connet Woods were addressed Thursday, with Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson also asking for better communication from Edgewood Development Company regarding the work they’re doing at the subdivision.

“[The traffic circle] wasn’t quite right,” said Johnson, who also noted that a new fire suppression basin was still being evaluated at the site as well. “It was more of design issue than a constructability issue. The road was about a foot off.”

Johnson noted that they brought the largest fire truck in town there to see if it would make it around the circle, which it did, but with some difficulty.

“We’ve all been very pleased with the way things have been constructed over there, but [of late] supervision has been lax, and things got a little bit skewed on the communication [between the site supervisor and town officials].”

“We got a little ahead of ourselves,” said Tim Higgins of Edgewood Development. “With the season ending, we tried to push a little harder. We will redo that [circle] so it does work. We will have the engineers look at it.”

As for the fire retention pond, Higgins said they’d assess its effectiveness in the near future.

“We’ll see what the next round of precipitation does to it,” Higgins said.

The Board also approved a motion to close public hearing for the future subdivision for Robert Lawrence of 293 Hartley Rd., and also approved a motion for Form C of their Definitive Subdivision Plan.

Officials from NSTAR were also on hand a public hearing for a Site Plan Review application for an electric transfer station for NSTAR on Cranberry Highway, which the Board made a motion to approve.

“It’s pretty straightforward,” Johnson said.

Another public hearing was continued for a Site Plan Review application for Covanta Clean Energy for the construction of a CNG (compressed natural gas) fueling station on Cranberry Highway.

“The board went out there on a site visit,” Johnson said. “The police chief looked at [the traffic report] and he was OK with it. I think everything else is pretty much in order. We’re just waiting for a final report from [Rochester engineer] Kenny [Motta] on that.”

The Board accepted a motion from Johnson to continue the public hearing until November 8 at 6:30 pm because there were still some unfinished reports and data to be assessed.

By Nick Walecka

RoConComPic

Machacam Club November Meeting

on

The Machacam Club will hold its monthly meeting on November 6 at the Legion Hall, 3 Depot St. Social time is 5:30 pm; dinner at 6:00 pm.

We will be welcoming Mattapoisett Fire Chief Andrew Murray. In keeping with other department heads, the chief will be reporting on the status of his department, as well as his plans for the future of Fire Protection for Mattapoisett as our population and home construction continue to grow. The chief’s presentation, as always, should prove quite interesting.

Callers and members are asked to bear in mind the importance of call list accuracy. Caller lists should be done and reported no later than 9:00 am on November 4 by email to gpfnr@aol.com or by phone at 508-758-9311. Members with requests or changes should make them via either contact method no later than 9:00 am on November 5.

Pilgrim Sands Trail Riders Race

on

The Pilgrim Sands Trail Riders will host a scramble dirt bike race on Sunday, October 27, at 60 Tinkham Hill Rd., Mattapoisett (town landfill), with races starting at 8:30 am sharp. The costs are $5 to park, $25 for women and children to enter the race, and $35 for men. Gates open at 7:00 am. Food will be available at the event, and spectating is welcome. For more information, go to www.pilgrimsandstrailriders.org or call 508-758-2825.

Halloween Happenings

on

It’s scary how much Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester have going on this Halloween.

In Marion, festivities include the Art Center’s annual parade, starting at 4:00 pm at the Music Hall on Thursday, October 31. Sippican Elementary School’s Hannah Moore will lead the Styxx Drum Corp and costumed participants south on Front Street, then up Main Street to a right on Spring Street, and back down Cottage to the Music Hall, where the “good, kind” witches – watch out … it could be a trick – will hand out goody bags. For more information, call 508-748-1266.

Mattapoisett offers two events this week: On Friday, October 25, the YMCA (38 Reservation Rd.) will host a Halloween Hayride and Party starting at 6:00 pm. The cost is $5 per child. And on the big day itself, October 31, the Mattapoisett Police Halloween Parade – an event for more than 50 years – will start at 6:00 pm at the Center School. Prizes will be awarded to the most unique costumes, bags of candy will be handed out, and officers will share safety tips. The event is free, but the department does accept donations. Look at it this way: If any ghosts or goblins show up, the police will protect you. For more information, contact Captain Anthony Days at 508-758-4141 or at adays@mattpoisettpolice.com.

In Rochester, the Plumb Corner Halloween Town Celebration happens on Saturday, October 26, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. There will be hayrides, a costume contest at 1:30 pm, and a raffle. DJ Howie will provide part of the entertainment: Costumed kids of all ages will provide the rest!

Two Rochester Break-Ins Investigated

on

The Rochester Police Department is warning residents after two recent house breaks in town. On Thursday at noon, officers investigated a B&E in the 300 block of Alley Road. Later in the day, another break-in was reported on Mendell Road in the 90 block. In one case, two televisions were stolen, and in the other case, police are still waiting for the resident to determine what may have been taken. Police are following up on both cases and hope to identify suspects.

Rochester Police are asking for the public to keep an extra eye out and report suspicious persons and vehicles immediately by dialing 911.

Rochester Police offer the following prevention tips:

Lock all doors and windows when leaving the house, even for a short while.

Keep large sums of cash in banks and expensive jewelry in safe deposit boxes.

Do not hide door keys outside the house.

If you have an alarm system, be sure to set it every time you leave the house.

Don’t allow items such as newspapers and mail to accumulate outside your home.

Let a trusted neighbor know when you will be away.

ROpolice2