Pam and Oren Robinson of Rochester have always been cat people.  More often than not, a few furry felines would find a comfortable home with their family.

“They’ve always been a passion of ours,” said Oren.  “We adopted a few from shelters but that wasn’t really solving the problem.”

The problem is too many cats.  Whether feral, abused, neglected, or just not fixed, there is a large surplus of cats in the Tri-Town area.

In 2009, the Robinsons decided to try to help reduce the problem by starting their own shelter from their home in Rochester, named It’s All About The Animals.  Since its inception, the no-kill shelter, which the Robinsons financed exclusively, has found homes for over 250 cats.

“We put a lot of time and effort into these animals.  They are our children,” he said.

“We’re the only shelter where, when you adopt a cat from us, that cat has everything it needs for its first year,” she said.

The facility is made up of several small buildings, each with a specific purpose like the clinic and the dormitory.  Cats almost always roam freely within the buildings and are caged only on occasion.

“When we first get the animals, they have to be isolated for two to three weeks before joining the other cats,” she said.  “In the past, we’ve gotten a mother and her litter and we had to keep them in a cage while they nursed.  Kittens are very susceptible to sickness.”

Around the dormitory, the cats socialize constantly, whether by napping with one another or playing with the myriad amount of toys around the floor.

“Socialization is the key.  It makes all the difference,” she said.

The shelter is also a registered non-profit, recognized and certified by the Massachusetts Attorney General.  The operation is supported mostly through donations and directly by the Robinsons.  The money they receive isn’t enough to alleviate the full financial burden associated with a full-service, seven-day-a-week shelter.

“We’re here all the time, this is our home.  If people need to call me at three in the morning, I know that it must be serious and they need us,” she said.

In March of 2011, Pam and Oren began the application process to be granted 501(c)3 non-profit status.  If the federal government recognized their facility, donations would be tax deductible and the Robinsons are hoping to see an increase as a result.  They are still waiting to hear back from the IRS, 10 months after completing the paperwork.

“We want to be able to help people out more.  We’d like to be able to subsidize spaying and neutering the cats,” he said.

The Robinsons have been working with the Town of Rochester because there are very few by-laws in the state dealing specifically with cat shelters.

“She’s been digging through the Massachusetts General Laws and hasn’t really found anything.  There’s some for kennels and dog shelters, but not for what we have here,” he said.

The Robinsons hope to schedule a public hearing in January of next year with the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals to discuss those complications.

Adoption fees range anywhere from $110-$160 per cat, which is low considering the preparations for each animal undertaken by the Robinsons and the 24/7 assistance they offer each family that adopts their cats.

In order to adopt, each family meets with Pam, where they discuss why they are interested in a cat.

“I sit down with them for about an hour and we just talk.  It’s amazing what people will tell you if you just sit there and listen.  I learn all sorts of things about people,” she said.

Honesty is the best policy with her and if she senses anything else, she won’t allow them to adopt.

“I know if something is going on.  If I feel like I have to schedule an in-home visit, you’re not getting an animal,” she said.

Their policy of honest adoption goes both ways.  The Robinsons provide all the information they have on every animal to each adopting family.  That trust has blossomed into friendships in some cases.

“We always get phone calls from people and a lot of our families send us Christmas cards,” he said.

At the close of 2012, all of the cats at the shelter have been adopted and are waiting to be picked up.  There are always more cats that need care but It’s All About The Animals has a positive track record so far.

“This area needs a shelter.  Marion doesn’t have one.  Mattapoisett doesn’t have one,” she said.  “We’re trying to serve a good purpose for the community.  We’re here for the cats of the Tri-Town.”

By Eric Tripoli

On Tuesday, December 25, many Tri-Town residents braved the chilly temperatures and jump into Mattapoisett Town Beach for the 12th Annual Christmas Day Swim.  All of the proceeds benefitted the Helping Hands and Hooves organization, which provides therapeutic horseback rides to people with disabilities.  Photos by Felix Perez. 

Since 1951, Christmas at Tinkhamtown Chapel has been a Mattapoisett tradition.  At first, a service was held on Christmas Eve, a format that endured until about 30 years ago when it was moved to the Saturday before Christmas.  For the last few years, the chapel has hosted an annual carol sing-along for the community.

The carol sing, which happened on Saturday, December 22, attracted scores of people from around town, so many that there was standing-room only by the start of the service.

“It’s a team effort,” said organist and co-organizer Gail Roberts.  The chapel is named for her family, the Tinkhams.

“My uncle Howard is the care-taker.  He helps decorate the chapel, he lights the gas lamps,” she said.

Roberts has been attending the Christmas service since she was a child and the memories are still vivid in her mind.

“Ahh, the smell of kerosene and wood fires.  It reminds me of Christmas,” she said.

Growing up, her grandmother was the chapel organist, a position that Roberts inherited many years ago. She led the group in singing a variety of traditional carols and hymns like “Silent Night” and “Deck The Hall.” Young children were also invited up to the altar so they could lead the crowd in singing “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Jingle Bells.”

“I’ve always loved this for as long as I can remember.  It’s special because you don’t see traditions like this very often anymore, but here, it’s strong,” said Roberts.

By Eric Tripoli

Since 2009, Mattapoisett resident William Huggins has been battling colon cancer.  He was first diagnosed when he was 37 and was treated successfully.  But the cancer came back and metastasized, spreading to his liver, and quickly advancing to Stage IV.  There is no Stage V.

As a result, Huggins under went extensive surgery during which 75% of his liver was removed.  He is now living back at home with his family and is slowly recovering.

 “His surgeries are done, his chemo is done.  It’s a relief,” said Huggins’ wife, Michelle.

Fighting cancer is more about having great doctors.  The community that surrounds a family dealing with the disease is just as vital for the well-being of those affected.

“Our friends and family, this whole community has really wrapped their arms around us, taken care of us, and helped us in so many ways,” she said.

One of those supporters is BAM Foundation, Inc., which works to raise money to donate to local people like the Huggins family, who received aid from the group.

Cancer is expensive to treat and the peripheral costs are numerous.

“You have to pay for gas, you have to pay the bills, child care, co-pays.  It all adds up really fast,” she said.

BAM was founded by Alycia Halle, a breast cancer survivor and family friend of the Huggins clan.  One hundred percent of the proceeds raised by BAM go to South Coast families.

So as a gesture of thanks, the Huggins family has helped organize the upcoming Freezin’ For A Reason polar plunge on January 1, 2013.

“We felt it was our responsibly to pay it forward to other people who have reached out to embrace our family and helped so much,” said Huggins.

The plunge, to which many local businesses have donated goods or services, will serve to raise money for BAM so that another South Coast family may feel some financial relief.

“We think her organization is great.  There are a lot of people out there locally who are dealing with the same stuff.”

Huggins said they aren’t requiring people to donate a specific amount, but will have a contribution jar at the plunge.  They have worked with many local businesses, which are donating food, drinks, and t-shirts.  She said she expects about 300 people to attend.

“The turn-out is going to be astronomical.  It’s a great way to start off the new year.”

For more information on the Freezin’ For A Reason polar plunge, visit the BAM Foundation, Inc. Facebook page.

By Eric Tripoli

The boom in energy efficiency technology has been steadily progressing despite the world’s resistance to upgrading to a greener standard.  It isn’t as easy as putting some solar panels on the roof or turning down the heat.  Municipalities, especially, have been hard-pressed to “go green” in an effort to save taxpayer dollars that could be diverted to other things.

For the Tri-Town, the age of the facilities is a big determining factor in how to update their energy systems.  The other factor is money.  While there are many municipal programs out there for towns to consider in order to get funding for such projects, the costs can still be high.

Then there is the case of Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School in Rochester.  The school, which was built in the 1970s, recently underwent a renovation of the climate control and infrastructure equipment.

The installation of a new roof-top heating and ventilation systems coupled with a high-efficiency boiler help maintain better control of the temperature of the building.  The school also installed more energy-efficient lighting to reduce the use of electricity.

There is even a solar panel array on the roof, which directly generates some electricity for the building.

“The 3.3 kilowatt photovoltaic array is used primarily for educational purposes. Power produced is fed directly to the main supply for use in the facility,” said Melanie Boulay Becker, a representative from Trane, the company that designed the renovations.  “The upgrades at Old Colony High School have cut their energy consumption by 50%,”

While the renovations to Old Colony were extensive, they were achieved without increasing taxes or tapping town coffers.

According to Boulay, the upgrades were paid for by a special tax-exempt municipal lease.  The money to pay for the lease is taken directly from the energy savings provided by the new equipment.  This style of “performance contract” allows public schools to use future operational and energy savings to fund these projects, rather than requiring the schools to pay a large amount up front.

By Eric Tripoli

December 3 was warmer than expected for this time of year so Dan White of Mattapoisett decided to take advantage of the balmy temperatures and brought his four Scottish Terriers to Washburn Park in Marion for a walk.

They had spent many an afternoon previous strolling the paths around the park and White decided to let the four dogs off their leashes.  They usually stick close to him.

“It’s always there in the back of your mind.  I knew something could happen if I let them run free,” White said.

As he and the dogs moved down a path, two of them became distracted and ran.

“Bella and Angus took off.  I went to go grab them.  Mosley stayed with me.”

When White finally caught up to the other two dogs, the oldest of the quartet, Hasty, was nowhere to be found.

He secured his other three dogs to their leashes and began searching the grounds for the missing pup.

“I went all around there, every path I could remember.  I was scared and I was reluctant to call my wife.  But when I did, she came down and brought me a flashlight,” he said.

White was joined by his daughter, Ashley, and her husband, John.  The group continued the search until about 8:30 pm but did not find Hasty.

At home, White began to come to terms with the reality before him.

“I was thinking I had lost my dog.  ‘I can’t believe I don’t have her.  She’s gone,’” he said.  “That was when it really hit me that I may have lost her.”

Hasty, the smallest of the four dogs, also suffered from a condition known as “Scottie Cramp” which causes spasms in the legs, making running difficult.

“She’s the most defenseless of all my dogs,” White said.

The next morning, he went back before sunrise to continue searching for his lost dog.  After two hours of looking, White decided to knock on doors around the area in an effort to spread the word about Hasty.

“That’s when I went to the horse farm up there next to Washburn Park,” he said.  “I didn’t think she was alive.  I was just going to let them know as a formality.

White was met by Laura DeCosta, one of the custodians of the horses at the stables.  “You mean you didn’t get her back yet?” she asked.  “She was here yesterday.  One of our riders brought her in.  Your dog is safe.”

White was in disbelief and began to well up with tears.

“I didn’t buy it at first because I didn’t see her.  Can I believe this?” he said.

While White and his family were searching for the dog around the park, Hasty had found her way over to one of the paths used by trail riders from the local stable.

“I was riding my horse in the woods and she was sitting by the side of the path.  Nobody was with her,” said Nicole Snell, the 17-year old resident of Carver, Mass.  “I rode on for a little bit but I came back to her and no one had come around.  She was alone, so I took her home.”

When Snell dismounted from her horse, Hasty went right to her.  She was shaking.  Snell picked her up and walked the horse back to the stable.

“I would have felt bad if I just left her there,” said Snell, who has dogs of her own at home.

Once Snell returned home with the missing Scottie, Hasty got comfortable.  According to White, she slept with Snell’s older brother.

“I couldn’t believe it,” White said.  “Her mother even recognized that Hasty needed a different diet and fed her special food.”

Later that day, White met Snell, who presented a very happy dog to him.  With tears in his eyes, he thanked her for taking Hasty home and making the effort to help find her owners.

“On the way home, she sat in my lap in the car the whole way,” said White.  “I’ve come to realize that it’s the unknown that really scares you.  I’m just happy to have Hasty back.”

By Eric Tripoli