6th Grader’s Ranks First in the Nation

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The results are in! Carly O’Connell, a sixth grade student at Old Hammondtown School, MA is the first place winner of the SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite® student essay competition, sponsored by the SIFMA Foundation and SIFMA member firms. O’Connell claims top prize for the middle school division of the Fall 2012 national competition.

As a culminating activity for the country’s 600,000 annual Stock Market Game™ participants, InvestWrite® challenges 4th-12th graders to analyze an investment scenario and write an essay offering investment advice. Students consider real-world economic events and trends, conduct research online, develop investment recommendations and, in the process, gain the skills to prepare for their own financial future. Carly O’Connell is one of 20,000 students each year across the nation who take the InvestWrite challenge.

In her essay, O’Connell wrote an imaginary blog about the end of the Hostess Twinkie. She commented on what would happen to the stock price of the company in the market to buy Hostess. Due to the massive media coverage of the loss of America’s beloved dessert, O’Connell  wrote, “I invested in Flowers Foods because beyond the fact that it seemed to be financially wise, it is a company that I had personal interest in owning. Through the Stock Market Game, I learned to trust my instincts and invest in things I liked.”

The Fall 2012 winning InvestWrite essay composed by O’Connell was chosen through rigorous judging by thousands of teachers and industry professionals who evaluate students’ analysis of asset allocation, the investment potential of various publicly traded stocks, the students’ overall understanding of the stock market, and the manner in which they express their investment ideas in essay form.

“InvestWrite and the Stock Market Game program require students like Carly to monitor daily global market activity, business trends and economic factors that drive investments to determine the short and long-term growth potential of industries, companies, asset classes and specific stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.” said Melanie Mortimer, Executive Director of the SIFMA Foundation. “They are then asked to make sophisticated, thoughtful recommendations that reflect what is expected of college and career-ready students”

The SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite competition bridges classroom learning in mathematics, social studies, language arts, business and economics, with the practical research and knowledge required for long-term personal financial planning. Students are, in fact, building on what they have learned through their participation in the Stock Market Game, which has reached more than 14 million students since its inception in 1977. Participants master the fundamentals of personal finance, investing and economics as early as fourth grade and become active and engaged learners, seeking out new information, applications, and connections in their daily lives.

An independent study by Learning Point Associates found that students who participated in the Stock Market Game scored significantly higher on mathematics and financial literacy tests than their peers who did not participate. They also found that teachers who taught the Stock Market Game reported the program motivated them to better plan for their future and to engage in financial planning, research, and use of investment products and services. The Stock Market Game has been named the only program that successfully increased scores on the Jumpstart Coalition’s test of high school students’ financial literacy.

O’Connell’s teacher, Tara Boening, says, “Carly is a conscientious student with a shining personality. Her effort and determination are admirable, and she is a true leader in the classroom.” O’Connell loves basketball and enjoys participating in the drama club. Boening has taught sixth grade at Old Hammondtown since 2004. The number of students participating in the Stock Market Club has grown due to the excitement of her students and she is “looking forward to continuing the program, which is an excellent enrichment opportunity.”

Boening and O’Connell will be recognized at an assembly to be held at Old Hammondtown School on March 28, 2013 at 12:45 PM. The event will be attended by students and faculty along with Melanie Mortimer, Executive Director of the SIFMA Foundation.

 

Text of O’Connell Winning Essay:
BOSTON FOR REAL

Your number one stock advice blog! This blog is written by an average person with a pulse on what people like and need.  The information published on this site has made investors into believers. Stock growth starts with the consumer. If you want to stay in touch with consumer trends, follow this intuitive young woman to find out what’s hot in the stock world.

Today’s Post: RING DING, ANYONE?

You must have been living under a rock this past month if you have not heard that the great Twinkies, Ho-Ho’s, Devil Dogs, Snowballs, and many more are off the market. As Hostess filed for bankruptcy, people have gone crazy for the yellow sponge cakes with frosting in the middle. Not surprising to this blogger, people are buying Twinkies on E-bay for $200.  Humorists may say the reason that they are in such demand is because they never go bad, and these sweets can be passed down through generations. The masses have outpoured that a piece of their childhood will be lost if the snacks are no longer produced. Regardless, the Hostess brand is getting phenomenal free advertising on their products. The media circuit has been swarmed with commentaries. Late-night talk show hosts, major newspapers and magazines, and practically every local and national news channel have covered the bakery’s shut-down, though the coverage is less about the operations of a poorly run company, and more about the loss of a beloved snack cake. Nevertheless, the company is getting more advertising to drive up sales when the cakes eventually go on sale again. Consequently, the stock prices of whoever purchases this bankrupt company will jump.

Beyond the positive, initial short-term growth from this recent media blitz, the future of the product is looking good. Flowers Foods Inc. (FLO) is rumored to be a potential buyer. They already have a Tastykake brand, so the manufacturing capabilities are there. I invested in Flowers Foods because beyond the fact that it seemed to be financially wise, it is a company that I had personal interest in owning. Through the Stock Market Game, I learned to trust my instincts and invest in things I liked.

If Flowers Foods buys Hostess, they will show great growth.  If they don’t, they are still a stable company that has shown moderate growth over the past year. As a potential investor, you need to trust your instincts. If after you read this, you have a craving for a “Ring Ding,” invest. 

My mother told me a story of when Coca-Cola changed their soda formula, and the world was outraged. They sold only “New Coke.” That’s when the name Coca-Cola Classic was born, and it blew away the “Pepsi Challenge.”  If Flowers Foods buys Hostess, this is the Hostess brand’s big chance to be reborn.

COMMENTS

From, Serena02567 3 hours ago
These are great tips! Just put 100 shares in the company— hope you’re right!

From, Laurajam045 2 hours and 30 minutes ago
You better be right on these tips. Just invested a lot of money in FLO!

From, Mark4567 2 hours ago
I’m a stockbroker and invest a lot of my money and other people’s money in this company. Hope you’re right!

From, Carly’s Advice 1hour ago
You won’t be disappointed.

From, TaraB4567 40 minutes ago
This will have a positive effect on the company. Their future looks good!

From, carol23 20 minutes ago
My granddaughter wants a Twinkie for Christmas!

From, Carly’s Advice 5 minutes ago
We will see what happens tomorrow. Good luck to anyone who invested!

Mattapoisett Fire Department Receives Grant

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The Mattapoisett Fire Department has been awarded a $1,939.29 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Application for this grant was filed in May of 2012, to seek funding for the purchase of forestry / brush firefighting gear and equipment. Funding for this program is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and is administered by the Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Forestry.

Successful grantees were on hand for a check presentation ceremony held at Plympton Fire Department in Plympton on March 30. Accepting the grant was Mattapoisett Fire Chief Andrew Murray and Lieutenant Patrick Saltmarsh.

Pictured, left to right: Mattapoisett Fire Chief Andrew Murray, Edward Lambert Jr., Commissioner DCR, Lieutenant Patrick Saltmarsh

Marion Police Investigate Hit & Run

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On Friday, March 29, 2013 at 11:56PM, Marion Police and Marion Fire/EMS responded to a report of and injured person in the roadway, possibly struck by a vehicle, on Route 6 (Wareham Road), just east of the Point Road intersection.

Several motorists had found the victim, Nathan Andrade, age 35 of Wareham, lying in the road.  The motorists stopped and rendered assistance and called 911.

Marion Fire/EMS treated the victim and transported him to Tobey Hospital in Wareham.  He was later taken by Med Flight helicopter to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, with serious injuries, where he remains as of this date.

Investigators are seeking anyone who may have information on this case to call Marion Police at (508)748-1212.

This incident remains under investigation by Det. Scott Smith and Sgt. Marshall Sadeck of the Marion Police Department and the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section.

New Sign at Town Hall Approved

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Abutters to the Rochester Town Hall had no objection to a new sign that is to be constructed in front of the building in an area that is currently a garden.

The Zoning Board unanimously approved a variance to the town of Rochester for the sign, which is not to exceed 14 feet in length.

“It sounds like a reasonable request,” Board Member Kirby Gilmore said. “It’s not going to interfere with public safety.”

In other news, the Smith family, of 21 Stewart Rd., was granted a special permit for the construction of an addition onto their current home.

They have been the owners of the property since 1996, and the appeal was for a special permit for the construction of an addition that would allow the Smiths to use their home as a multifamily home where their parents could live with them.

John Scanlon of Scanlon Construction LLC in Middleboro represented the Smiths at the appeal. Scanlon said that the addition would be in the back of the home and not visible from the street.

“It’s nice for the kids to know their parents are right next door and that they’re safe,” said Scanlon. Neighbors vouched for the Smiths, citing a solid relationship with them.

Finally, the board approved motion to grant a special permit to Laurie and George Buler for the operation of a horseback-riding academy at 152 Marion Rd. in Rochester. They also approved a permit for construction to a preexisting structure that houses 12 horses; the Buler’s want to add three more horse stalls to it.

The board granted the approval for the business under the conditions that the number of employees be limited to no more than 5, that the hours of operation be set between 8am and 7pm, that they limit the number of horses to 12, that all parking be off-road, and that any signage shall be in accordance with town bylaws.

Some neighbors voiced concern at the meeting, as well as through a letter to the Board, that large amounts of dust generated from their business could affect the neighborhood. George said that he would take the proper precautions to ensure that the dust would not bother the neighbors.

Laurie said that there is a total of 12 horses there now on two acres of land, some of which were rescued from “kill pens,” and some that are retired horses. She said that 13 total horses are the most they can house at one time. Said also said she has a Stable License.

“It’s my opinion at this time that this academy is compatible with this district,” Gilmore said.

By Nick Walecka

 

Art Students Win Scholastic Competition

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Seven ORRHS students were acknowledged by the Boston Globe Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards this month, collectively pulling in two Gold Key Awards, two Silver Key awards and four Honorable Mentions.

The two Gold Key Awards, the highest placing, were awarded to Kylie Faison for her charcoal drawing entitled “Stairway” and Marisa Paknis for her charcoal self-portrait. The two Silver Key Awards were given to Jacob Rioux for his pen and ink drawing “Side Door Hall” and Nancy Pope for her charcoal drawing “Tree Portrait.” The Honorable Mentions went to Jacob Rioux for his “Self Portrait,” Andrew Cardwell for his “Bedroom,” Madeline Meyer for her “Madeline Rose” and Brittany Hotte for her “Self Portrait.”

Gold and Silver Key Award winners from throughout the Northeast region gathered on March 3 at the John Hancock Building in Boston for a ceremony presenting their art and acknowledging their accomplishment. Those award winners will also have their pieces displayed in the State Transportation Building at 10 Park Plaza in Boston until April 11.

While these awards run nationally, the Boston Globe sponsors the Northeast region. The competition on all levels seeks to promote the Humanities and, at the national level, to provide scholarships to those seeking a future career in art or writing. There are multiple categories involved with local, regional and national levels with students from 7-12th grade welcome to enter.

For Old Rochester, 20 entries were sent in to the local competition. The pieces were dropped off at Plymouth South High School where they awaited judging. ORRHS’s eight pieces moved on to the regional level where they were awarded the honors previously listed. While no national awards were given to ORRHS students, art teacher Joann Barrett says that is a future goal.

“This was the first year our students have been recognized under my teaching. Winning one of the national awards is definitely a goal we hope to reach in the future,” Barrett said.

Barrett said the Boston Globe awards were not the only competition left on the agenda. Art All-State is the next event for ORRHS art students. Two students from 70 different schools across Massachusetts are invited to spend a weekend at the Worchester Art Museum and Clark University to participate in a collaborative event.

The students are grouped into rooms of 20 students each and receive a small group of visiting professional artists as supervisors. Each group of students and artists, from different mediums of the visual arts, gathers to create an exhibit of their own in their room. The students work Friday and Saturday on their exhibits and present them on Saturday night. Students sleep at Clark University.

Barrett says the event “has a bigger intensity level. It gives the students a good idea what it is to be in a college setting for the arts. It is almost like Project Runway, where these students and artists are all thrown together, each with different talents and passions, and expected to create something. They create such cool things. It is a really great opportunity.”

Art All-State will take place on May 24 and 25. Students will hear back on April 5 whether they were chosen to join in the collaborative event.

By Jessica Correia

Destination Imagination Teams Prep for State

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If you thought Massachusetts was left without any teams in March Madness when Arizona beat Harvard in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, you were way off.

After strong showings at the Destination Imagination Cape Cod Regional Tournament on March 13, eight teams from Rochester Memorial School advance to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute this weekend for the statewide competition. Other teams from the Tri-Town participated, as well, but RMS represents the most formidable contingent.

Destination Imagination, incorporated in 1999, is a New Jersey-based nonprofit organization with international reach. Its mission is to teach students from kindergarten to college three skills: creativity, teamwork and problem-solving. Massachusetts ranks fourth in the United States in participation with upward of 800 teams, only 60 of which have qualified for this weekend’s competition.

Volunteer Director Tina Rood has overseen RMS’s PTO-funded program for eight years.

“It’s an amazing thing for me to be a part of, but really just to witness, because the work is all the kids’,” Rood said. “As manager, you are there as the adult, the one in charge, and to help your teams with some of the skills, in general. But you cannot help them with the challenges: They have to come up with everything about those themselves. You are there to corral.”

The challenges Rood references change annually for Destination Imagination, and they fall into the following categories: Science, Structural, Improvisational, Fine Arts, Service Learning and Early Learning. In addition, each presentation must tell a story that includes a beginning, middle and end.

“They all tie back into core curriculum, while incorporating each other,” Rood said. “Obviously, experiential learning is a big part of this.”

For the 2013 State Tournament on March 30, RMS’s fourth-grade team will present In Disguise – which involves voodoo, Medusa, the Coliseum and a raccoon – in the Fine Arts category; the fifth-grade team will present Twist-O-Rama – wherein the students have built a device weighing 50 grams and measuring 8.25 inches that can withstand 350 pounds and multiple “ram” impacts – in the Structural category; and the sixth-grade team will present Wind Visible – which features kinetic art, wind power and such ambitious stagecraft as a tree fashioned from tomato cages – in the Science category.

The sixth-grade team is a veteran-laden squad and has competed together for four years. They are considered a favorite this weekend, and have already won a Renaissance Award for their exceptional performance.

“Our whole team, we’ve all been friends throughout the whole thing,” said sixth-grader Brett Rood, Tina’s son. “We’ve grown as a team and worked as a team, and every year we’ve spent our vacations working on this, and we have fun. It’s about learning, but it doesn’t feel like it. ”

RMS parent and Destination Imagination volunteer Jen Kulak agreed.

“This is my first year doing it, and to watch these kids with different backgrounds and abilities transform into a cohesive group that works together, to see their communication skills develop in a just a few months, it’s just such a positive thing,” she said. “In the competition, everyone supports everyone else.”

Kulak added that this attitude starts at the top with Rood.

“Without Tina, there would be no Destination Imagination at this school. She’s the driving force. She’s the leader.”

For her part, Rood said she is looking forward to the atmosphere at WPI’s Harrington Auditorium this weekend. The event is open to the public.

“It’s a celebration of all of the work that has been done during the season,” she said.

As for the students?

Said one team in unison: “The food!”

“The buffet,” Rood laughed, “is always a big hit.”

By Shawn Badgley

Tri-Town Firefighters Train

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More than 50 firefighters from Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester participated in a live training session on Rounseville Road Sunday morning, March 24, at a former two-story residence that is set to be demolished.

“It’s the best training we can supply because we can make it the most realistic,” Rochester Fire Chief Scott Weigel said.

Weigel said that they’ve been able to make use of the structure for about a month now, and that Sunday’s burn is the last stage of several practice sessions that have taken place there. On Sunday, crews lit multiple fires with hay bales and practiced different fire control and search and rescue scenarios called “evolutions” in the burning, smoke-filled building.

“We try to make the most use of the building that we can,” Weigel said. “We’ve been very lucky to have it.”

He also added that at least four or five participants from each town’s departments were either in the fire academy or had recently completed it.

“It’s great training for them,” Weigel said. “This is the time to find out if they’re not comfortable doing it.”

The part of Rounseville Road where the session took place was temporarily blocked to through traffic by Rochester police, and Rochester EMTs were on hand to ensure the crew’s safety. Several onlookers from the neighborhood gathered to watch the firefighters in action.

Weigel said that the departments get this opportunity to train once a year if they are offered a building. Oftentimes, when homes are scheduled to be demolished, the fire department is notified so that it can utilize them for these practices.

Weigel explained that several steps must be taken, such as checking for asbestos, before a burn on the house can take place, and that the departments need to apply for various permits in order to proceed.

“We want to keep everything as safe as we can,” Weigel said.

By Nick Walecka

Katherine (Dingle) Bacon

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Katherine (Dingle) Bacon, 95, of Wareham formerly of Marion, passed away March 26, at Forestview Nursing Home with her family at her side.  Katherine was the wife of the late Frederic S. Bacon Jr.. She was born in Proctor, Texas the daughter of the Late U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dr. William P. and Gertrude (Friend) Dingle. Katherine formerly lived in Winchester, Wellesley, Reading and Melrose prior to moving to Marion in 1958. She was an avid Bridge player, instructor and late member of the Mattapoisett & Dartmouth Bridge Association, Grand Master American Contract Bridge Association, Agawam Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, Daughters of the American Revolution and a late parishioner of Saint Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, Marion. Katherine is survived by two sons; Frederic S. Bacon III of Marion and William P. Bacon Kansas. She is also survived by 5 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren and many loving relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be private. Memorial gifts may be made to www.shrinershospitalforchildren.org 51 Blossom St. Boston, MA 02114.

Demolitions Under Discussion

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Proposals for two Marion homes to be demolished and replaced by new homes were considered by the Conservation Commission on Wednesday evening.

Dr. Henning Gaissert of 28 Front Street discussed a Notice of Intent to demolish the existing dwelling at 28 Front Street and construct a new dwelling and driveway. At issue was an isolated wet area on the boundary line at Gaissert’s property and the abutter. Fred and Betty Danhauser, the abutters, addressed the board with their concerns regarding the proposed driveway being in the wet area on the boundary between the two properties.

After much discussion, it was agreed that the applicant would mark the boundary of the property and present plans that show the wet area in relation to the boundary line. The commission will revisit the property after the boundaries are marked and discuss their findings at the next meeting to be held on April 10.

Next up was Paul Murphy of 14 Doran Way discussing a Notice of Intent to demolish the existing dwelling and construct a new dwelling and deck. John Churchill of JC Engineering Inc. represented the applicant. The proposal was required due to a wetland that runs behind all the lots in the area. The commission reviewed the plans and noted that a stream near the wetland was not shown on the drawings. The board asked Churchill to rework the drawings to show the stream and determine whether a shed on the property, near the wetland, would be relocated or removed. The hearing was continued until April 10.

In other business, Diane Bondi-Pickles addressed the board with a request for Determination of Applicability to add and grade approximately 155 cubic yards of fill in a low area of the site at 29 Cove Street. Ray Pickles said that the fire hydrant on the property was substantially above the surrounding property, showing the need for fill to have proper grading. The Pickles’ plan to return the area to a state where water will not constantly puddle.

“We’ll use non-structural fill, seed it, and get it back to it’s natural state,” Pickles said.

A discussion of the Town of Marion’s Sprague’s Cove project on Front Street, near Silvershell Beach was discussed. Susannah Davis of Davis Land Design Inc. addressed the board and presented plans for plantings and a possible fence repair to be initiated prior to the beach opening in the summer.

Davis volunteered her time and effort to assist the town in tackling the multiple issues surrounding the Sprague’s Cove project. “We need a good mowing strip and plantings that will be easily maintained by the town,” Davis said. The board thanked Davis for her initial plans and will work with her to improve the area.

The board also had an appointment with Frank Cerkovitz regarding his Chapter 61A land conversion update. Cerkovitz has agricultural land with a water flow he plans to divert to another area. “We’re trying to move the water in another direction,” Cerkovitz said. The board told the applicant that they weren’t familiar with the details of the Chapter 61A requirements and filing needs and would contact the individuals Cerkovitz worked with to learn more about the project. “We haven’t seen something like this before,” Board Member Norman Hills said. “We want to learn more about what the requirements are for this project.”

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

ORR Athletic Reunion

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On Saturday, March 30, there will be a reunion for all past athletes, coaches, cheerleaders and supporters at the Reservation Golf Club in Mattapoisett from 5:00 pm until closing. Alumni from all years are welcome to attend. There will be food and a cash bar. Come reminisce and share with fellow athletes. Bring a scrapbook to share. March Madness will be in full swing. Hope to see you there.