Old Colony Football Back on the Map

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After a strong start, the Old Colony football team suffered a setback on Saturday, losing 43-20 to Upper Cape.

“We weren’t tackling – we weren’t doing much of anything,” Head Coach Bryce Guilbeault said. “After that, the hole was too deep to dig out of and offensively, I think they were trying to do too much,” which Guilbeault said led to more trouble for the team.

In all, the Cougars (2-2) gave up 389 yards rushing to the Rams, who also ran for six touchdowns. Though most of the news was bad for the Cougars following Saturday’s game, Guilbeault and his team remain positive coming into this week’s matchup versus South Shore Voc-Tech (1-3), who Guilbeault thinks they match up well with.

“They’ve won a tough game, and they’ve lost a couple of tough games as well,” said Guilbeault, noting that his team is in a similar situation. In all, Guilbeault said that in his four years with OC (he spent two as an assistant, and this is his second has head coach), this is the strongest team he’s seen.

“I think this is the best team since I’ve been at Old Colony,” he said. “This is the most talented team we’ve had. [Last game] was just one of those games. A couple of weeks ago [against Cape Cod Regional Vocational], we could do no wrong. This week was the opposite. It’s just one of those things. You just have days like that, and you can’t really explain it.”

Guilbeault said that he was proud of his team for hanging in despite going down big early.

“The kids, they didn’t quit,” he said. “It would have been easy. They kept fighting. They kept playing until the end. It’s a pride thing. And we were able to punch one in at the end of the game.”

Old Colony will go to work this week with a few things in mind. On the defensive side of the ball, they’ll need to shore up their tackling if they want to build on one of their best starts in recent years. On offense, Guilbeault would like to see his team be more efficient.

“We’d do some good things, and we’d have a mishap on the offensive line or at QB or running back,” he said. “We’ve got to stay out of third and long situations.”

Senior quarterback Jacob Pringle (9 TDs) leads the way offensively for the Cougars, with senior running back Ryan Farias averaging over 80 yards per game on the ground. Junior wide receiver Cole Bernier has 15 catches and 3 TDs receiving, and Pringle has found 5 different receivers for touchdowns this year, a positive sign moving forward.

As for the defense, senior Jacob Soares leads the team with 15 tackles; senior Alec Klevecka leads the team with two sacks; and sophomore Drew Maurer and senior Seth Moniz each have an interception.

Old Colony faces South Shore Voc-Tech this Saturday at 11:00 am in Hanover.

By Nick Walecka

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Rochester Historical Society Meeting

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The Rochester Historical Society meeting to be held on Wednesday, October 16, will feature “Halloween Memories and Other Things That Go Bump in the Night.” Members will be invited to share their stories … if they dare. Jeanne Roy will present ideas for triggering and recording memories. Everyone has memories and stories that should be written down and preserved for future generations. The meeting is at 7:00 pm at the East Rochester Church/Museum at 355 County Rd. Refreshments will be served after the program. Everyone is welcome.

Mattapoisett Police National Drug Take-Back

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The Mattapoisett Police Department will be participating in a prescription drug disposal day. This event is part of a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It will be held Saturday, October 26, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The purpose of such programs is to allow for safe, legal, and environmentally friendly disposal of extra drugs that patients have not used.

This program serves two purposes. First, it reduces the risk of prescription drugs being consumed inappropriately – either by accident or through illegal sale. Prescription medication abuse is becoming far more prevalent than common street drugs. Widespread anecdotal and survey evidence indicates that a huge portion of illegal prescription drug use occurs when people raid friends’ and relatives’ medicine cabinets. Second, it reduces the risk of prescription drugs entering the water, potentially harming aquatic life or getting into a human water supply. If the household waste is incinerated, the drugs are far less likely to pose an environmental problem than if they go into the wastewater stream.

This program is being provided as a continuing proactive effort by the Mattapoisett Police Department to prevent drug abuse before it happens in our community. We encourage everyone to collect expired or useless prescription medications and bring them to the Mattapoisett Police Station at 64 County Rd. on October 26.This program is not designed for doctors’ offices or other commercial entities to dispose of their unwanted drugs. Its purpose is to provide a venue for households and private parties to dispose of unwanted medications. For further information, please contact Captain Anthony M. Days of the Mattapoisett Police Department at 508-758-4141.

Old Colony Students of the Month

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The following Old Colony students were recognized as School Council “Students of the Month” for October 2013: Sam Morse, Automotive, Rochester; Nichole Medeiros, Computer Info Systems, Acushnet; Alexis Ferreira, Cosmetology, Acushnet; Matt Rita, Culinary Arts, Acushnet; Tyler McAlpine, Electrical, Acushnet; Joshua Breau, Electronics Technology, Freetown; Morgan Furtado, Graphic Communications, Acushnet; Julia Felix, Health Careers, Acushnet; Kevin Coache, House/Mill Carpentry, Freetown; Catherine Beatty, Machine & Tool, Freetown; Austin Cusson, Welding/Metal Fab., Acushnet.

The criteria for the Student of the Month Program are based on a student’s improvement, service, attitude, and shop projects. The Program is intended to raise self-esteem in the student.

Strategic Plan Sees More Progress

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After months if not years of hard work, a Strategic Plan for the Old Rochester Regional School District is beginning to take form, with four specific goals announced by Elise Frangos.

Frangos, who is the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for the district, has spearheaded the effort to formulate the Strategic Plan, and highlighted the goals at the Old Rochester Regional School Committee meeting Wednesday. They are as follows:

Strategic Goal No. 1: “Meeting Needs of All Students” – “By June of 2018 we will have embraced a broad and challenging curriculum that fosters social, emotional, and academic growth of all students.”

Strategic Goal No. 2: “Relationships Goal” – “By June of 2018 we will have developed positive, productive, collegial relationships with all constituencies across the Tri-Town Districts to create the environment that fosters student learning.”

Strategic Goal No. 3: “Technology Goal” – “By June of 2018 we will have implemented a 21st century comprehensive technology plan.”

Strategic Goal No. 4: “Organizational Structure Goal” – “By June of 2018 we will have examined our current Organizational Structure and systems to implement efficiencies that ensure all district-wide goals are met.”

In other news, the Committee discussed potential mandatory Advanced Placement (AP) testing and other potential changes for students taking AP courses at Old Rochester Regional High School. Currently, there is not mandatory testing and has not been for seven years, according to principal Michael Devoll, but officials are looking into potentially reverting to mandatory testing.

“We’re concerned at the school level,” said Devoll regarding exploring different options for their AP program. “We want to do a better job at [running the program].”

Devoll discussed several aspects of the program, noting that ORR had 37 students sign up for AP History for this semester, but said that only 12 followed through. He hinted at possibly implementing contracts signed by the students and their parents as one potential change.

He also said that currently, AP tests are $85 apiece, which could burden some students and potentially influence their decision to take the courses if testing was made mandatory.

“There’s a number of directions that it can go in,” said Duvall, adding that they would continue talks regarding the AP program.

The Committee also announced the nomination of Nancy Clark to fill a temporary position on the Committee.

“It would be advantageous of us to reach out and accept this opportunity,” said Superintendent Douglas White of Clark, who will fill one of the Mattapoisett seats on the Committee. According to White, Clark will fill the seat for the remainder of the year until it opens back up before next school year, when it will go out to vote.

By Nick Walecka

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Field Hockey, Soccer Excel in Fifth Week

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It was a slower week than usual for athletics at Old Rochester Regional High School, as both football and boys’ and girls’ cross country had bye weeks and did not compete in a scheduled competition. However, there were still several impressive performances by other teams. Here is a look at the fifth week of results for ORR Athletics.

Girls’ Soccer: The Lady Bulldogs had a generally good week, recording one win and one tie. The girls defeated Apponequet 5-2 in a thrilling game. After being down 2-1 at halftime, the girls rallied back to defeat the conference rival Lady Lakers, whom they had previously tied with earlier in the season. Goal scorers in the game were Camille Filloramo, Michaela Bouvette, and Sarah Beaulieu, with Bouvette and Beaulieu scoring two goals apiece. Junior Defenders Nicole Gifford and Arden Goguen and Goalie Mikayla Demanche were essential to the second-half shutout for the Bulldogs. The girls then tied 0-0 against GNB Voc-Tech in an under-the-lights game on Friday night.

Boys’ Soccer: The boys’ soccer team seems to have finally hit their stride. Although they tied 1-1 with Apponequet early in the week (with the lone Bulldog goal credited to Alden Truesdale after a throw-in by freshman Luke Muther), the boys rebounded and had a decisive upset over GNB Voc-Tech, when they defeated the Bears 2-1. Seniors Paul Graves and Robby Magee each scored to lead the Bulldogs to victory. Sophomore goalie Melvin Vincent made an incredible 16 saves in net. This win was huge for the boys, who now only need to tie in one out of their final five games to advance to the state tournament.

Golf: The boys’ golf team has an impressive amount of talented players who are often trading the top spot in different matches. This is evident in the boys’ two matches this week. In a match against Fairhaven, the top Bulldogs were senior Nick Suprenant and junior Zach Peterson, who each shot a 5-over par 41 to lead the Bulldogs to a 145-117 win. The boys unfortunately suffered a loss later in the week to Dighton-Rehoboth, 135-136. Freshman Jacob Durocher shot a 40 and junior Kyle Sherman shot a 43 to take the top two spots for the Bulldogs.

Volleyball: The girls’ volleyball team is continuing to struggle. The Lady Bulldogs suffered another three losses this week to add to their winless record. They were able to win one set against the GNB Voc-Tech Lady Bears, but were not able to pull out the win as Voc won 3-1. Unfortunately, this puts the girls out of the running for the state tournament.

Field Hockey: Led by junior Devyn O’Connor, the field hockey team won both of their games this week. O’Connor scored two goals in each game to lead the girls to victory over opposing teams in Bourne and Fairhaven. In the Bourne game, which the girls won 5-0, Darby Nolet added two goals and senior Jess Kocur added one to O’Connor’s two. Junior Goalie Mya Lunn was not even forced to make a save all day due to the stellar ORR defense. In their second game of the week against Fairhaven, Carly Pelissier and Ashley Pacheco each added a goal to O’Connor’s two to lead the girls to a 4-0 victory over Fairhaven.

Below are the overall team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of October 6.

Football: (4-0-0) (4-0-0) Field Hockey: (8-2-2) (8-1-1) Girls’ Soccer: (7-1-4) (6-1-4) Boys’ Soccer: (7-2-3) (6-2-3) Golf: (8-5-0) (8-5-0) Volleyball: (0-12-0) (0-12-0) Boys’ Cross Country: (2-0-0) (2-0-0) Girls’ Cross Country: (2-0-0) (2-0-0)

By Michael Kassabian

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Mike Arruda Memorial Golf Tournament

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To the Editor:

The family of Michael Carl Arruda would like to once again extend their sincere appreciation to facilitators Robert Mello and Mark Joaquim in organizing the annual Mike Arruda Memorial Golf Tournament to benefit his daughters Maggie and Riley Arruda. The event took place on September 14 at the Little Marion Golf Course. The family would also like to express thanks to all the sponsors and volunteers in making the event a success.

Thank You,

Bonnie Arruda, Marion

 

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence. 

William H. Lukens

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William H. Lukens, 69, of Rochester, died October 6, 2013 at home. He was the husband of the late Helen G. (Knight) Lukens who died in 2010. They were married for 42 years. He was the son of the late William H. Lukens, Sr. and Gertrude (Barker) Lukens.

He was born in Hinsdale, IL and lived in Campbell, CA before moving to Rochester.

He graduated from DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago, IL. Mr. Lukens worked as an electrical engineer at Lockheed Missile & Space in California for many years before retiring.

He was a wonderful, loving man and will be missed. He always supported his grandchildren and great grandchildren by attending their activities and sporting events. He enjoyed fishing and taught all of his grandchildren and great grandchildren how to fish.

Survivors include 3 stepsons, Roland R. J. Martin, Jr. and his wife Deborah of Summerville, SC, Ronald E. Martin and his wife Susan of San Jose, CA and David A. Martin and his wife Debra of Rochester; a stepdaughter, Janice L. Hays and her husband Dale of Chico, CA; his brother, Tom Lukens and his wife Dorothy of Atlanta, GA; 2 sisters, Trudy Daniels and her late husband Bruce of Hayes, LA and Kathryn Jackson and her late husband Rodger of Urbana, IL; 10 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren.

His funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 24, 2013 in the First Congregational Church, Rochester. Burial will follow in Rochester Center Cemetery.

Visiting hours are from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham.

Donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Anne Sweetser Watson

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Anne Sweetser Watson, born November 15, 1919 in Brookline, MA, daughter of the late Homer Loring Sweetser and the late Mary Nagel Sweetser, died at her home in Marion, MA on October 5, 2013.

She graduated from Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, MA in 1938 and studied the teaching of remedial reading at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1950’s.

In 1940, she married Lester Hoyt Watson and after fifteen years residing in Wayne, Pennsylvania, she and her family moved to Marion, Massachusetts. While in Wayne, she served as the Neighborhood Chairman of Girl Scouts and performed many volunteer duties at the Bryn Mawr Hospital.

In Marion she was a devoted parishioner of St. Gabriel’s Church. From 1962 to 1972, she tutored students in remedial reading both in her home and at the Sippican Elementary School.

A member of the Chilton Club of Boston and the Beverly Yacht Club in Marion, she was an enthusiastic racer of Herreshoff 12s as well as an active tennis player.

She read deeply in psychology and religion, with a special interest in the work of Carl Jung. Her vibrant spiritual life included a strong belief in the healing power of prayer.

She loved the English language and was a fierce advocate of correct usage.

She wrote and published a book of essays, two books of poetry, The Well and Moontide; two novels, The Crystal River, and Hidden Manna; and edited a collection of her mother’s papers.

Her husband, Hoyt, predeceased her in 2011. She is survived by her children: Richard (Jacob) Loring Watson and his wife, Kristine, of Portland, Maine; Elizabeth Hoyt Watson of Felton, California; Mary Watson Hawley and her husband, Richard, of Ripton, Vermont; and Douglas Homer Watson and his wife, JoAnn, of Marion, Massachusetts; seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

In her poem “Autumn” she wrote, “The memories I hold march bravely in my heart. I want to store them to be sure their colors, flying high, escort my soul beyond the day I die.”

A memorial service at St. Gabriel’s Church, 124 Front Street, Marion, is planned for Nov. 9, 2013 at 3 P.M.

In lieu of flowers contributions would be welcome at St. Gabriel’s Church, P.O. Box 545, Marion, MA 02738 or The Cancer Research Institute, 681 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10022.

Arrangements are by the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham. For directions and online guestbook, visit: www.ccgfuneralhome.com.

CNG Station Set for Public Hearing

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Rochester Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson called a recent site visit to Covanta Energy’s planned Compressed Natural Gas refueling station on Cranberry Highway “pretty straightforward,” and members agreed that a public hearing on the project could take place as early as October 24.

Any concerns were “procedural as opposed to substantive,” said Johnson during an informal pre-submission meeting on Tuesday night, with the most notable being a “dip” in an access road that was pointed out by public safety officials.

Covanta engineer Larry Swartz said that the developers are addressing the road issue.

Elsewhere on the agenda, Jay Myrto of RGS Energy came before the Planning Board for an update on the Little Quittacas Solar Project on North Avenue. At issue was fencing for the facility, drainage basins, and a berm to obstruct visibility of solar arrays on the part of abutters.

“From the beginning, we knew they wouldn’t be 100 percent invisible from all angles,” Myrto said. “But, boy, we’re pretty close to that.”

Board members and Myrto were in concert on the project’s progress.

“At this point, I’m feeling pretty comfortable that you guys like what you see,” Myrto said.

“All in all, I think we’re in pretty good shape,” Johnson agreed. “I think we’re all on the same page.”

Myrto told the Planning Board that his company’s contract with Con Edison calls for the project to be completed in early 2014, with “substantial completion” in November.

The Planning Board is next scheduled to meet on October 24.

By Shawn Badgley

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