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

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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.

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