The Mattapoisett Lions Club will sponsor its second free movie night on the big screen in Shipyard Park Friday evening, September 27, beginning at dusk. This week’s feature will be the original (1984) “Karate Kid” staring Ralph Macchio as Daniel Larusso and Pat Morita as Mr Miyagi, Daniel’s martial arts mentor. Gather the family and friends together and come on down for a nostalgic evening under the stars.
Mid- to late September is the time when fall sports teams really see what they’re made of. At this point, the team is hopefully working cooperatively, and each player is starting to finally get a read on their individual capabilities. The next few weeks will provide an accurate representation on a team’s playoff potential.
Cross country is the exception. The long-distance running team has just begun their scheduled season, and started it off in winning fashion, as both the boys’ and girls’ teams beat Fairhaven High School last Tuesday. The girls, who won 20-40, were led by senior Sammie Barrett, who placed second overall running the 5K course in a 22:23. Sophomore Rachel Scheub placed third overall with a time of 22:54, and Paige Santos placed fourth with a 23:02. The girls, who have won four consecutive undefeated SCC Championships, could likely add another season to the streak, as they easily defeated the Fairhaven team that was predicted to be their toughest competition all year.
The boys’ team also ran well, claiming the top 6 spots in the race, and beating the Fairhaven boys’ team 15-49. Mike Wyman easily ran away with the win, running a 16:25 and beating the entire field by two and a half minutes. Patrick Briand, a transfer from Bishop Stang, also ran well, running a 19:22, with junior Mitch Midwood right on his tail at 19:33.
The boys’ soccer team won both of their games this week, each with a score of 2-0. In the first game against Dighton Rehoboth, seniors Robby Magee and Mikey Pruchnik scored, while sophomore goalie Melvin Vincent proved he was more than capable in the net, recording 7 saves in his first shutout of the week. On Friday, the boys had their first night game, and they did not disappoint the crowd that gathered to watch them, this time beating Pope John Paul II, 2-0. Paul Graves scored for the boys, as did freshman Mason DaSilva, who is proving he is a force to be reckoned with in the SCC.
The field hockey team is also gaining their confidence as the season continues on. The girls easily defeated Seekonk High School 3-0, with goals credited to Rachael Chandler, Devyn O’Connor, and Alexa Francis. They then defeated Wareham High School 3-1, with goals from Francis, Jess Kocur, and Ashley Pacheco. But possibly their most important game was against New Bedford, who they lost to earlier in the season. Although the game remained scoreless and ended in a tie 0-0, it proves that the girls are steadily improving defensively and have the potential to stick with teams that have previously defeated them. The latter is especially crucial if the girls are to win the SCC, as they will have to beat Apponequet, who handed them their second loss of the season earlier this month.
Below are the overall team records, followed by the conference records in wins, ties, and losses as of September 22.
Football: (3-0-0)(2-0-0) Field Hockey: (5-2-1) (5-1-0) Girls’ Soccer: (5-0-2)(4-0-2) Boys’ Soccer: (3-2-2)(2-2-2) Golf: (5-2-0) (5-2-0) Volleyball: (0-5-0)(0-5-0) Boys Cross Country (1-0-0)(1-0-0) Girls Cross Country (1-0-0)(1-0-0)
By Michael Kassabian
With less than two weeks to go before the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s seventh annual Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride on Sunday, October 6, more than 100 cyclists are gearing up to pedal 75 miles from Westport to Woods Hole in support of clean water.
The Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride attracts expert and casual bike riders alike. Cyclists ages 12 and over are welcome to sign up. With a lunch stop, water and snack stations along the course, and on-the-road repair technicians available at call, all riders can feel confident that the course is safe. For riders who aren’t quite ready to tackle the full 75-mile route, there is a shorter 35-mile option that begins at Eastover Farm in Rochester. Along both routes, riders will enjoy scenic views of Southeastern Massachusetts’ beaches, harbors, rivers, farms, and forests awash in the colors of early fall.
Riders are asked to raise a minimum of $300, but many participants set loftier fundraising goals. Riders who reach fundraising milestones of $400 and higher receive prizes, including REI outdoor gear, Coalition merchandise and entry into a raffle for a prize gift package. All funds raised through the Watershed Ride go directly to the Coalition’s restoration, protection, education and advocacy work throughout the Buzzards Bay watershed.
For many participants, the best part of the Watershed Ride is taking the opportunity to slow down and enjoy the natural beauty of the Buzzards Bay watershed in autumn.
Registration for the Watershed Ride is open until Monday, September 30, at 5:00 pm. You can also support the Watershed Ride by sponsoring a rider or volunteering your time the day of the event. Visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/WatershedRide to register, donate, and learn more.
The Marion Conservation Commission on Wednesday decided to tell the Kittansett Club to clean up its current mess before making more of one.
Members drafted a letter informing the club that its request for a three-year Extension Permit to continue to stockpile materials near the coastal bank by the driving range had been denied, because “there’s more being done there than was originally approved,” said Joel Hartley after a recent site visit by the Conservation Commission.
Hartley said the letter could include a directive to apply for a Notice of Intent, in effect resetting the process for the Kittansett Club.
Elsewhere on the agenda, the Conservation Commission gave the green light to Daniel and Heather Goodwin of 80 Water St. to raze the existing garage, construct an attached garage with a mudroom and deck, and relocate and lengthen the driveway.
Members also voted to grant a Full Certificate of Compliance to Dorothy Brown of 7 Shawondasse Rd. for installing a drainage system discharging into drywells.
Finally, the Conservation Commission approved a resolution supporting John Root in his effort to secure a grant for a local presentation on edible gardening.
By Shawn Badgley
Richard A. Porter, Jr., 72, of New Bedford died Tuesday September 24, 2013 suddenly at Charlton Memorial Hospital. He was the husband of Anne E. (Curry) Porter.
Born in New Bedford, the son of the late Richard A. and Alice M. (O’Brien) Porter, he lived in New Bedford all of his life. He had summered in his favorite place, Point Connett, Mattapoisett for many years.
Mr. Porter began his long career as a social worker for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1968 with the Office for Children. He later moved into administration with the Department of Transitional Assistance where he was still currently working in the New Bedford office. He had great passion for his work and was an advocate for the poor and disenfranchised.
He was a graduate of Holy Family High School and Boston College. He served in the U.S. Army in Germany during the Vietnam War.
Affectionately known as “Papa”, his grandchildren brought him great joy. He loved to go out and dine in area restaurants.
Survivors include his wife; three children, Richard A. Porter III and his spouse George P. Bolger, Kristin M. Arruda and her spouse Victor J. Arruda, and Meghan C. Robitaille and her spouse Matthew T. Robitaille, all of New Bedford; two sisters, Ann L. Touhey and Rosemany P. Lucas, both of New Bedford; four grandchildren, Elizabeth A. Arruda, Alexander P. Arruda, Ellen S. Robitaille and Noah P. Robitaille; and several nieces and nephews.
His Funeral Mass was celebrated on Saturday at St. Lawrence Church. Burial followed in St. Mary’s Cemetery. Visiting hours were held on Friday from 4-8 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com
William D. Cudworth, 82, of Marion formerly of Wareham and Acushnet passed away Thursday Sept. 26 at the Sippican Health Care Center.
He was the husband of the late Ann E. Harju who passed away in 1964. William attended Wareham Public Schools and Wareham High School. A Korean War veteran William served in the U.S. Army. He worked for many years as an Advertising Composer for the New Bedford Standard Times and the Wareham Courier retiring in 1994.
He is survived by his cousin Leonaud G. Boutin and his wife Paula of Wareham and longtime friend Sallee Serpa of Marion. He is also survived by many loving friend and relatives and especially the loving and caring staff of the Sippican Healthcare Center.
A Graveside service will be held on Monday Sept. 30 at 11:30 in Centre Cemetery Tihonet Rd. Wareham. Visiting with the family will be from 10-11 am at the Wareham Village Funeral Home 5 Center Street Wareham, prior to the graveside service.
Memorial gifts may be made to the National Marine Life Center 120 Main Street Buzzards Bay, MA 02532 or Fidelis Hospice 275 Martine Street Fall River, MA 02723. Online guestbook please visit warehamvillagefuneralhome.com Arrangements by Wareham Village Funeral Home.
The Marion Planning Board’s Solar Bylaw Subcommittee met on Wednesday afternoon in an effort to finalize the body’s official opinion on the Solar Bylaw to be presented at fall Town Meeting on October 28. But before that, the board will consider the subcommittee’s findings at its next scheduled meeting on October 7.
Members Steve Kokkins and Rico Ferrari comprise the subcommittee, and were joined by Energy Management Committee member Jennifer Francis in an unofficial capacity.
The Solar Bylaw passed in part during annual Town Meeting in May, when voters approved a municipal solar overlay district allowing for a community solar garden at the defunct town landfill. The portion of the bylaw regulating residential installations, meanwhile, narrowly failed by a handful of votes, as the Planning Board registered its opposition to it on the floor.
However, in the months since, the Planning Board and the EMC have reached a compromise when it comes to the special permit process for residential installations, and the groups have already decided that they will jointly recommend that segment of the revised bylaw at fall Town Meeting.
Currently, the last remaining hurdle is how the Planning Board will handle the Solar Bylaw’s language regarding the regulation of solar farms in residential areas. A vast majority – upward of 97 percent – of Marion is zoned residential. Currently, the bylaw allows solar farms provided conditions are met. But the Planning Board is split on this portion of the bylaw: Some members oppose solar farms in residential areas altogether; others are lukewarm, preferring an overlay system to be determined; and still others are in favor.
In turn, the subcommittee is attempting to hammer out a resolution on solar farms in residential areas. The Planning Board is working with three paths: the unlikeliest is a nuclear option to reject the Solar Bylaw in toto; another is to recommend the bylaw as is; and the third is to advise Town Meeting voters to amend the bylaw on the floor by removing the solar farms provision and replacing it with an overlay system at annual Town Meeting in the spring.
On Wednesday, Kokkins and Ferrari brought that debate into better focus by dividing up responsibilities: Kokkins will argue to the Planning Board that they should recommend amendment and removal at Town Meeting, while Ferrari will argue for recommendation of passage.
“Personally, many people have told me that they are quite uncomfortable with having commercial operations of any kind in residential areas,” said Kokkins, previewing his argument. “The concept of an overlay is to provide some flexibility by not zoning on an inch by inch basis. This still shows the state that the town is in favor of progress.”
Ferrari was mum on the case he would make to his Planning Board colleagues, saying that the Solar Bylaw conundrum “wakes him up at 3 in the morning all of the time,” but Francis was there to file an amicus brief, as it were.
“Practically speaking, we’re talking about maybe a handful of applications for solar farms in residential areas,” Francis said. “You can evaluate these thing when they’re applied for. It seems like a way more efficient use of your time.
“An overlay – whenever the town will actually come up with one – is going to exclude people who want and would otherwise be able to,” added Francis, lamenting the possibility of an overly onerous process.
The Planning Board’s Solar Bylaw Subcommittee is scheduled to next meet on September 30 at 7:00 pm. At that point, Ferrari and Kokkins will crystallize their arguments for the Planning Board, which will presumably decide on a course of action in time for the October 28 Town Meeting.
By Shawn Badgley
On Monday, October 14, “Healing little Hearts” will hold its first annual 5K and Fun Run to benefit pediatric heart research at Boston Children’s Hospital. The race begins and ends at Center School in Mattapoisett, where a 9:30 am start is scheduled for the Kids’ Fun Run and 10:00 am for the 5K. The route will bring runners through Mattapoisett village, along the waterfront and around Ned’s Point Lighthouse. Registration is $20 for adults; $15 for children 12 and under running the 5K; $5 for the Fun Run only. T-shirts will be given to the first 100 adult 5K registrants and the first 50 child 5K registrants (not applicable to Fun Run). Registration is available online at healinglittlehearts.com/5k-run.htm
The Friends of Benjamin D. Cushing Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2425, and the town of Marion, will be hosting a benefit to recognize the Veterans of Benjamin D. Cushing Post and the Ladies Auxiliary, to honor and thank them for their 80 plus years of service to the town.
The event will be held on Saturday, November 2, at the Post. Italian-style dinner will be served to the honorees. Entertainment will be provided by nationally known Dan Clark, “The Singing Trooper.”
Members of VFW Post 2425 have done extraordinary things for the Town of Marion over the past 81 years. They have raised funds for numerous community projects, including the first ambulance purchased for the town in 1951. Members have been involved in the expansion and renovation of the Elizabeth Taber Library, organized countless parades for Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. The veterans serve in military funerals to honor their comrades and remember the sacrifices made for our country.
The Friends of Benjamin D. Cushing Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2425 and the Town of Marion, invite you to take this opportunity to give back to this wonderful organization. In addition to the dinner event, we are asking for donations to help the Veterans make major repairs to the parking lot at the Post Pavilion.
Tax-deductible donations can be made payable to Benjamin D. Cushing VFW Post 2425, and mailed to TD Bank, 237 Main St., Wareham, Massachusetts 02571.
Tickets are $20, and will be available at the Marion General Store and the Bookstall; Panino’s at the Ropewalk in Mattapoisett; and Plumb Corner Market in Rochester.
You may contact Colonel Briggs at 508-317-7726 or colonelbriggs@aol.com or Rodney Hunt at 774-454-7005 or rdnhunt6@gmail.com for tickets or more information.
Vendors are being sought for the October 12 flea market/yard sale planned by Mattapoisett Friends Meeting (Quakers).
The sale will be held, rain or shine, on that Saturday from 8:30 am to noon at the meeting house, 103 Marion Rd. (Rte. 6).
Limited inside space with table and chairs is currently available for $20. Outside space accommodating one vehicle costs $10. Setup for inside space is 6:00-9:00 pm the Friday night before. Setup for inside and outside space begins at 7:00 am the day of the sale.
For reservations, call Alan Harris at 508-748-0098 and leave a message. Proceeds from this sale will benefit the restoration of the historic 1827 meeting house.
The church welcomes cash contributions in any amount to help fund this project. They may be sent to P.O. Box 795, Mattapoisett, MA 02739. Potential sale items for the church tables (please no large items or electronics) can be vetted by calling Brad Hathaway at 508-758-3579 for pickup.