The ORR Lady Bulldogs Varsity Basketball team dominated Dighton-Rehoboth 50-24 Thursday night in front of a home crowd in the ORR gymnasium. The girls went on a 16-2 run in the first quarter and never gave up their lead. The team improves to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the South Coast Conference. Sophomore Gabby Reuter and Junior Haley Dickerson each had 14 points and 10 rebounds apiece. Check out our action shots by Felix Perez.
Across the nation, housing markets are still stifled from the collapse in 2008. Growth remains slow but prices were up 3.6% in the third quarter from one year ago, according to Standard & Poor.
In the last few months, Mattapoisett has seen a significant increase in local residential real estate development. The number of qualified home sales skyrocketed in the third quarter and construction of new homes is on the rise.
“It generally speaks to a strong economic situation. It can only be good for the town,” said Mattapoisett assessor Kathy Costello. “In the first quarter of 2012, there were six qualified sales. In the second quarter there were seven. But we had 19 sales in the third quarter.”
Sales information for the fourth quarter is not available until January of 2013.
Strong home sales can often affect the assessed tax rate of the town, in same cases decreasing the town rate. But due to the budgets that were voted into effect at the Annual Town Meeting, Mattapoisett’s assessed tax rate has increased from $11.85 to $12.28 for FY13.
“It went up because the levy went up. The levy is what the town needs to pay for,” said Costello, who added that the Assessor’s Office is always open to the public for questions and information on how the town assesses tax rates.
That is not to say that Mattapoisett wouldn’t see a decrease in the tax rate for FY2014, but according to Costello, it is too early to know what rates will look like that that far down the road.
New home construction in the town has been moderately strong all year. Seventeen new homes were approved between January 1 and November 30. According to the Building Department, 10 more applications were filed in December alone, for a total of 27 new homes in 2012.
“For a small town with little land for development, this is big,” said Building Commissioner Andrew Bobola. He said the beginning of the year was poised to start off well if a new subdivision is approved for land off Deerfield Road.
“I think this could have a direct effect on the tax situation,” he said.
“We’re lucky here because the town really knows how to prepare for a rainy day. Some communities haven’t prepared financially the way Mattapoisett has. These new homes, in time, will help add to the operating budget of the town.”
Bobola sees the benefits far beyond the act of new home construction. When the real estate market booms, a ripple effect throughout the community can be seen.
“You have all these engineers and construction companies coming into town. They frequent the local businesses and it’s a huge benefit to them. You have more people buying gas in town, they goto our restaurants. A lot of them will rent bedrooms or apartments around town for their laborers. It all goes back to the town,” said Bobola.
By Eric Tripoli
After a disappointing 0-2 start, the boys’ basketball team was desperately seeking a win. They found it at their home court last Friday, where they defeated the Seekonk Warriors 87-74.
The first quarter set the tone for the rest of the game. After one quarter of play, Seekonk was up by 2 points. The lead would have been greater had it not been for a buzzer-beater by junior Jeremy Bare to cut the lead to only two points. Bare played great the rest of the game, scoring a total 18 points and nabbing 8 rebounds.
The Bulldogs had a less productive second quarter, where the Warrior lead expanded to 6 points. The boys came out strong after halftime however, outscoring the Warriors 28-13. Going into the final quarter, the Bulldogs had a 65-57 lead, and they never relinquished it.
Junior Mikey Pruchnik had a phenomenal game for the Bulldogs, scoring a team-high 21 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Sophomore Raekwon Phillips had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Senior Captain Chris Marchisio chipped in with 14 points.
The game was well-attended by students, parents, and alumni returning for the holidays. Several rowdy students screamed and cheered for their peers, providing some encouragement.
The boys’ next game is on Thursday, December 27 at Dighton-Rehoboth High School at 6:30 pm.
By Michael Kassabian
The Old Rochester Regional High School Cheerleaders worked hard all season to earn a spot in the National Championships in Florida, but they need your help to get there! They have until February to raise $12,000 in order to afford the trip to Orlando.
In order to reach their goal, the ladies have coordinated several fundraising events to raise money.
•A fundraising page at https://rally.org/Cheer-2-Disney is an easy and quick way to make an online donation.
•A Family Movie Event will be held on Friday, December 28 at the ORRHS Gym startring at 6:30 pm. Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Lorax” will be featured. Admission is $5 per person. Drinks and snacks will also be available.
•For adults, their is a Foxwoods event for Saturday, January 19. For $40, adults will receive roundtrip transportation, a $10 food voucher and $15 keno voucher. The bus leaves at 8:30 am and returns at 5:00 pm.
For more information, contact Dawn Underhill at aldenunderhill@verizon.net. Help get these girls to Florida!
Gerard O. Gallant, 91, of Mattapoisett died December 24, 2012 at the Oaks Nursing Home after a period of declining health.
He was the husband of Irene M. (Bibeau) Gallant.
Born in New Bedford, the son of the late William and Eva (Ethier) Gallant, he lived in New Bedford before moving to Mattapoisett in 1979.
Mr. Gallant was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Church in Mattapoisett.
He was formerly employed as a firefighter on Ladder 4 at Station 8 with the New Bedford Fire Department for 31 years until his retirement.
Mr. Gallant served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and participated in the battles of Wake Island, Guam and Guadalcanal.
He was an unassuming, fun loving, hardworking man who enjoyed spending time with his family at many family functions and traveling in his younger years with his wife and relatives.
The family would like to thank the staff at the Oaks Nursing Home for their compassionate care.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Janine Lebeau and her husband Donald of Acushnet; 2 sons, Gerard Gallant and Paul Gallant and his wife Jean, all of New Bedford; 4 grandchildren, Christine Oliveira and her husband Roger, Matthew Gallant and his wife Danielle, Brian Gallant and Jeffrey Gallant and his wife Jennifer; 2 great-grandchildren, Taylor Oliveira and Matthew Oliveira; several nieces and nephews.
He was the brother of the late Florian Gallant and Robert Gallant.
His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday at 11 AM in St. Anthony’s Church, Mattapoisett. Burial will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Visitation at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett, Friday 9-10:30 AM prior to the Mass. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
Oil Painter Margot Wizansky knows how important animals are to people. That’s why she has dedicated a good portion of her time for her latest exhibit painting animals and doing pet portraits. Now, Tri-Town residents will have a chance to see the artist’s latest exhibit as it makes its way to the Mattapoisett Library.
“It’s interesting, because two of the paintings that aren’t actually in the show were done for people whose pets later died,” said Wizansky, who resides in both Brookline and Mattapoisett. “It is so important to them to have this remembrance and to have this image of their pet while it’s still alive. Animals are very much part of people’s families.”
It was a few years ago when Wizansky ordered feed for a sheep when a pig showed up butchered and packaged that she got her real inspiration for her animal paintings.
“I felt that I needed to humanize them in a way, that they are not just a hunk of meat in a package,” she said. “I tried to look into their lives and see how they were as creatures.”
Wizansky’s work did not go unnoticed by Mattapoisett Library Director Susan Pizzolato, who invited the artist to display her work inside the library.
“I’m grateful for the library for wanting to feature me,” Wizansky said. “I’ve been involved with the library for many years.”
In addition to art, Wizansky is also a poet. She has worked with the library in the past to coordinate several programs during National Poetry Month. Whether it’s through poetry or art or any other medium, Wizansky knows how important it is for people to have that creative outlet.
“I’ve really been painting my whole life,” she said. “I would say that all of the arts are so important, especially in the schools. It requires learning in so many different areas and gives them a chance to express themselves. “
Wizansky’s exhibit will be on display during the month of January at the Mattapoisett Library. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 12 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.
By Katy Fitzpatrick
•Mites 1: The Mite 1 team came from behind to beat the SC Panthers in Falmouth. After a slow start, the team picked it up a notch and finished strong. Matthew Quinlan lead the charge with multiple goals and clean, physical play that resulted in good positioning. Matthew Paling had a sweet shot that scored from the red line. Coach Schultz awarded the game puck to the entire team for not giving up when they were down.
•Squirt 1: The Ice Wolves remained undefeated in the Yankee Conference beating Braintree 7-1 Sunday. After a sluggish start, the Ice Wolves pulled away in the third period. Scoring were Tyler Lovendale with another hat trick, Quirino doCanto with 2 goals, and Kaleb Riggle and Bryan Gallagher with a goal each. Chipping in with assists, doCanto with 3 and John Rodrigues, Riggle, Gallagher each with one. Thomas Galavotti earned the win in net for the Ice Wolves.
•Bantams: Gateway recorded their fourth straight win with a 4-2 victory over Hanover Saturday night. Again, Gateway took control of the game with a pretty two on one that saw Brady Smith draw the defender and the goalie before sliding the puck to Brian Holmes who buried the eventual game winner. Heading into the third, Gateway dug deep and created a force field in their defensive zone to help goalie Teaghin Andre frustrate the Hanover offense. Clinging to a slim lead, and outnumbered on the ice, Kelso iced the game and finished his hat trick by sending the puck through the Hanover defenders legs and into the empty net with less than a minute to play.
•Middle School: The Wareham Vikings middle school team had another victory over Oliver Ames at Raynham CDL on Friday, December 21 with a 9-6 tilt.
Wareham pulled ahead early with four quick goals in the first period. Cam DeMarco once again scored the first goal of the game, Will Paling followed with an unassisted goal, and Sean Kelso found the net while Connor Kelley finished out the scoring in the first.
Mike Houdlette came out firing in the second, scoring a goal with an assist by Kelley and a second unassisted goal. Goalie Chase Cunningham left at the halfway mark with a shutout after an excellent performance in the net.
At the end of the second period, Oliver Ames got on the board, scoring with under two minutes left. In the third, they found their rhythm, scoring a goal as the period started. Houdlette answered with an assist from Paling, giving him his hat trick for the night.
All classes are free and limited in registration. Please call the library 508-748-1252 or email Judie jkleven@sailsinc.org.
•Estate Planning Basics: Wills, Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxies, by Jenessa Gerard-Pateakos and Danielle Poulin. Saturday, January 12, 1:00 to 2:00 pm at the Elizabeth Taber Library. With over 25 years experience between them, the all-female New Bedford Law Firm of Pateakos & Poulin will talk about Estate Planning and answer your questions. Have an Estate Plan; have peace of mind.
•Using your Kindle: How to use the SAILS Library Network to download books onto your Kindle. Saturday, January 26 10:00 to 11:00 am. Participants should bring their charged Kindle, library card, and have already established an Amazon account. Taught by Eileen Lonergan, the Elizabeth Taber Library Webmaster.
•Starting a WordPress blog: This is a four week series on setting up a WordPress blog, strategies behind a successful blog, writing techniques, how to add images and videos and then how to find an audience. Taught by Eileen Lonergan, who has built over 50 WordPress websites and blogs. Class to meet Thursday nights at the library from 7:00 to 8:00 pm starting Thursday January 24, Thursday, January 31, Thursday February 7 and Wednesday, February 13.
Week 1: setting up a WordPress account, an introduction to your dashboard, adding pages and blog posts.
Week 2: What makes a good blog post – how a post is different from other forms of writing. We will discuss the development of your topic and organize content.
Week 3: Adding images and videos to WordPress
Week 4: How to build an audience for your blog
Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop or an iPad.
•Why eBay? By Cliff Lander, 14 year eBay-trained Specialist, Tuesday, January 22, 6:30 to 7:30 pm at the Elizabeth Taber Library. A Marketplace for anything you can think to sell or to buy with a no cost entry franchise fee. Come learn the ropes of a business you can manage from your home.
•How to Sell on eBay: How to make it pay and how to price your items right! By Cliff Lander, 14 year eBay-trained Specialist, Tuesday, February 12 6:30 to 7:30 pm at the Elizabeth Taber Library. Plenty of people sell or attempt to sell on eBay, with some never making a nickel. Like everything, in the end, it all comes down to pricing and 14-year eBay Specialist Cliff Lander will show you how to research your item and find a price that will make it sell! Lander will also field questions afterward.
For more information of to register for the classes, call the Elizabeth Taber Library at 508-748-1252.
The Mattapoisett Historical Society, in partnership with the Mattapoisett Free Public Library presents a Lecture Series on Russia The History of Russia Under the Tsars and Transition and Reality Check in Post-Soviet Russia. Seth Mendell, President of the Historical Society and former teacher of Russian history at Avon Old Farms School, will trace the development of Russia from the grand princes of Kiev in the ninth century to the fall of the Romanovs in 1917:
•Lecture I-Kiev, Moscow and the House of Ivan
•Lecture II-Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great
•Lecture III-Empress Elizabeth and Katherine the Great
•Lecture IV-Alexander I, Napoleon, Nicholas I
•Lecture V-Alexander II, Nicholas II and Revolution 1917
The Series will conclude with a 6th Lecture by Rachel Deery entitled “Transition to Reality Check: American witness to change and adjustment in Post-Soviet Russia”. Ms. Deery, who sits on the Board of the Mattapoisett Library, will speak about her experiences as an expatriate and journalist in Moscow during the early 1990s, and her return to Russia in 1998 after the economic collapse of the newly capitalist country.
Lectures will be held in the meeting room of the Mattapoisett Free Public Library on consecutive Saturday afternoons from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm starting on January 12 and concluding February 9. Those wishing to attend the seminar (6 Lectures) are encouraged to sign up, as there will be handouts. Please contact Susan Pizzolato at 508-758-4171 or spizzolo@sailsinc.org. However, the seminar is open to anyone who may wish to attend one or more of the lectures.
The Florence Eastman Post 280 will hold a Ham & Bean Supper at the Legion Hall, 3 Depot Street in Mattapoisett on January 12. Supper will be served from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm.
Tickets will be available at the door: $ 10 for adults, $ 25 for family (parents or grandparents and young children). Please join us for a great meal with good fun and conversation.
For information or reservations please call Mike at (508) 758-9311. See you there!