Students in the Mattapoisett Free Public Library’s summer reading programs put on a performance they wrote themselves Friday afternoon in their outdoor theater outside of the library. Check out our pictures below! Photos by Katy Fitzpatrick.
Mattapoisett Police Investigating More Break-Ins
Mattapoisett Police are investigating both a house break-in and an attempted break-in that occurred late yesterday morning, Thursday, August 2. The actual break-in occurred on Park Street, and Police Chief Mary Lyons said the suspect took jewelry and a laptop. Today, the police are checking with local pawnshops to see if any of the stolen items have turned up. Additionally, investigators lifted the house for fingerprints.
The attempted break-in happened on Pocohontas Way, where Lyons said a neighbor saw a male suspect dressed in all black approach the back of his neighbor’s house. When police arrived, the suspect had fled, but managed to break a window to try to get into the house.
These two incidences are only a fraction of the amount of robberies and attempted robberies all three police departments in the Tri-Town have faced this summer.
“This summer it seems we have had more than we usually do,” said Lyons. “This is an easy time for people to break into homes because most people are leaving their windows open.”
Last week, Mattapoisett recorded three other robberies; one on North Street and two on Route 6. In Marion, police responded to a breaking and entering on Ichabod Lane last Wednesday, July 25.
“We are out patrolling and doing the best we can looking for suspicious people in cars,” said Lyons. “But the neighbors are our best defense.”
Lyons encourages residents to notify the police of potentially suspicious activity as it is happening and not waiting until hours after the fact; something Lyons said residents have been doing, making it harder for police to catch suspects.
Here are some other tips to help keep your home safe:
•Keep car doors and house doors locked.
•Don’t let mail or newspapers build up outside your home if you go on a trip. Have a trusted neighbor take care of them for you if need be.
•Keep your lawn looking somewhat neat. If burglars see an overgrown yard, they may be more inclined to take a closer look at the house it belongs to.
•If you see suspicious people or vehicles, call the police. Try to get a license plate number or description if you can.
•When casing homes, many burglars will ring the doorbell and engage in a quick conversation if someone answers the door. Don’t open your door to someone you don’t trust.
•Use motion lights for night security.
•Be vigilant and watch your neighbors’ homes.
By Katy Fitzpatrick & Eric Tripoli
Helen Ruth (England) Kenison
Helen Ruth (England) Kenison, age 81, of Salem, NH and Mattapoisett, MA died June 28, 2012 at Parkland Medical Center, Derry, NH.
Mrs. Kenison did clerical work at Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation, Boston, MA; Loom Weave, Lawrence, MA; National Security Agency, Ft. Meade, MD; and MFE Corporation, Salem, NH.
She was born in Cambridge, MA and graduated from Somerville High School class of ‘48’ and Bryant and Stratton, Boston, MA.
She was a member of Pleasant Street United Methodist Church, Salem, NH and served on many committees including President of United Methodist Women, Pastor Parish relations, Nominations, Flower Chairman, Vice President Women’s Society and Sunday School teacher (also in the Philippines and Germany).
She was Past Matron of Somerville Chapter No 206, Order of the Eastern Star in Massachusetts and member of Salem Chapter No 57, Salem, NH. She received the Rose Award for Recognition of Service Excellence by General Grand Chapter, Washington, DC. She served as the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls in both Germany and Salem, NH and received the Grand Cross of Color.
She was a volunteer at Salemhaven Nursing Home since 1987 and also volunteered at the VA Hospital, Manchester, NH. She was very active in the Young at Heart Program at the Salem Athletic Club for many years as well as Senior Friends at Parkland Medical Center, Derry, NH. As a member of the Salem Senior Center and the knitting club, she knitted slippers for service men and women. She also was part of the Friends of the Elderly, Mattapoisett, MA and a member of the Rockingham Rubies Red Hat Society, Salem, NH.
She loved doing picture puzzles, gardening and traveling with her husband and family throughout the fifty states and overseas. She was an avid bowler in military family leagues, the MFE Corporate team and in recent years as a member of the Senior Leagues at Park Place Lanes, Windham, NH.
She leaves her husband of 57 years, retired CW4 Damon W. Kenison Sr., son, Damon W. Kenison Jr. and wife Heather of NC and daughter and her husband, Mary Lou F. and Frederick H. Gould Jr. of NH. Brother, John A. England Jr. of NC. Four grandchildren; Damon W. Kenison III and wife Lynn of AR, Jamie M. Kenison of VA, Angela R. Normyle and husband Christopher of NH and Christopher M. Mata and wife Christina of NC. Six great grandchildren; Brady C. and Carter A. Normyle, Jonathan J. and Nathaniel N. Mata and Taylor and Michael Kenison as well as many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Pleasant United Methodist Church, 8 Pleasant Street, Salem, NH 03079, or a charity of one’s own choice.
Calling Hours were held on Monday, July 2, 2012 at Douglas and Johnson Funeral Home, 214 Main Street, Salem, NH 03079.
Funeral Service was held on Tuesday, July 3, 2012. Burial followed at Pine Grove Cemetery, Salem, NH.
Lesley J. (Sackman) Kelley
Lesley J. (Sackman) Kelley, 71, of Mattapoisett passed away at home on Wednesday August 1, 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was the wife of the late Paul M. Kelley, Jr.
Born on September 3, 1940 in Hackensack, New Jersey, the daughter of the late Eugene R. and Dorothea (Winslow) Sackman, she was raised in New Jersey and New York, and moved to Mattapoisett when she was 17 years old . She and her late husband enjoyed spending time during the winter at their home in Vero Beach, Florida.
She was a graduate of Fairhaven High School and Virginia Intermont College.
Lesley worked as a registered nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital for 26 years.
Her passions were being around her children and grandchildren, reading, and watching the Boston Red Sox.
She is survived by her three children, Donna M. L. MacDougall and her husband Chris of Marion, Katherine A. Linhares and her husband Edgerton Coble of Melrose, and Donald Linhares Jr. and his wife Catherine of South Dartmouth; two sisters, Nancy Makuch of Stagecoach, Nevada and Janet Day of Lebanon, Indiana; her grandchildren, Jonathan and Hannah MacDougall, Alicia and Lilly Coble, and Miles and Gretchen Linhares; and her cousins, Peggy and Penny Dervitz of New Jersey.
The family would like to thank the caregivers from Tender Hearts Home Health Care for their support and unconditional care provided to Lesley.
Her Funeral Service will be held on Monday (Aug. 6th) at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, 124 Front St., Marion. Burial will follow in Cushing Cemetery. Arrangments are by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hawthorn Cancer Center, 537 Faunce Corner Rd, Dartmouth, MA 02747 and Community Nurse & Hospice Care, P.O. Box 751,Fairhaven, MA 02719. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
Police Find Missing Marion Woman
Multiple police departments and emergency response teams worked together to find a missing 84-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s Disease who went missing early Friday morning from her Marion home.
On Friday, August 3 at 2:29 am, the Marion Police Department responded to a report of a missing 84-year-old female with Alzheimer’s Disease in the area of Converse Road and Aucoot Ave.
A preliminary search was conducted, with officers of the Marion Police Department, Mattapoisett Police, Rochester Police, Wareham Police, firefighters from Marion Fire/EMS and K-9 units from Mass State Police and Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department.
Also responding to the search were officers from the Marion Harbormaster’s Office and the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council Search and Rescue Team.
At 4:13 am, a K-9 from the Mass State Police located the missing female, asleep in the marsh off Aucoot Cove, a few hundred yards away from her home. She was treated by Marion Fire/EMS and transported to Tobey Hospital, with non-life threatening injuries.
Robert P. Balzarini
Robert P. Balzarini, 64, of Rochester, died July 31, 2012 in the Boston Medical Center, Boston. He was the husband of Michelle A. (Dupuis) Balzarini and the son of the late Peter J. and Nellie T. (Gallerani) Balzarini.
He was born in Wareham and lived in Rochester all of his life.
Bob graduated from Old Rochester Regional High School, Massasoit Community College and Southeastern Massachusetts University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
He was a Seabee in the United States Navy. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War having served 3 tours of duty.
Bob worked in the Cranberry Industry for 29 years at Decas and Hiller Cranberry Companies. He managed the fresh fruit division. After retiring, he enjoyed being at his wood lot cutting and splitting firewood.
A lifelong Rochester “townie”, Bob served as a volunteer firefighter and worked for many town departments including the police, highway, and cemetery departments. He loved hard work and helping others, he was tough, strong and dependable. But what mattered most to Bob at the end of the day was his family.
Survivors include his widow, Michelle A. (Dupuis) Balzarini; his daughter, Ashley M. Orander of Rochester; his sister, Marie Weigel of Rochester; a brother, Peter Balzarini and his wife Anne of Wareham; his mother and father in law, Jerry and Margaret Dupuis of Wareham; his sisters in law, Danielle Fagundes of Wareham and Renee Hodgkinson and her husband Bob of FL; several nephews, nieces, cousins and many friends.
His funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 4, 2012 in the First Congregational Church, Rochester. Burial will follow in Sherman Cemetery, Rochester.
Visiting hours are from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham.
ORR Remembers: Class of 1962
Well, the day is almost here. Members of the 1962 class of Old Rochester Regional High School will soon be gathering to celebrate their graduation from ORR 50 years ago. Yikes, where did the time go? It really can’t be 50 years since we’ve seen each other. Well, not really. We did have a 15th and 30th year reunion, but this one is special. Our committee has been hard at work planning this reunion for over a year and before we know it, the weekend will be over and we’ll be left with the memories of a wonderful event and the passing around of telephone numbers and email addresses.
As we started planning our reunion, we knew we, in some way, wanted to give back to Old Rochester Regional for the start it gave us. We easily decided we wanted our class gift to be a monetary award to a 2012 graduating senior from ORR. As we reviewed the applicants for the class gift, we had a daunting task to choose just one winner. The outstanding senior chosen to receive the award was Mikayla Florio from Mattapoisett, who will continue her education at UMASS Dartmouth in the field of Nursing. We congratulate Mikayla and are sincerely pleased to award our 50th reunion class gift in the amount of $1,700 to her.
Over the past 50 years, Old Rochester has changed, the tri-town area has changed, the world in general has changed and, needless to say, members of the class of 1962 have had many changes in their lives. The only thing that remains constant is that we will forever be the first graduating class of Old Rochester Regional. It might not have been special to us on that day in June 1962 when 75 young people received their high school diplomas, but it certainly has special meaning to us today. We thank The Wanderer for giving us the opportunity to share some memories of our lives in another time.
As we gather at our reunion, the years will dissipate, stories will be told, and maybe embellished upon, but nonetheless, it will be an event to be remembered and hopefully we can all gather to do it all again in the near future. Here’s to old friends and new memories.
Taber Library Book Sale
The Elizabeth Taber Library will hold its annual used book sale on Saturday, August 11 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Music Hall on Front Street in Marion. There will be a variety of hardcover and paperback books, as well as DVDs and audio books. Proceeds from the sale will be used to help support the library and its many programs. Donations of books are welcome at the library through August 8, then at the Music Hall until August 10. For more information, please call Nita Howland at 508-748-0769 or Susan Schwager at 508-748-3570.
Marion Philanthropist Heading to Nepal
This September, Sally Hunsdorfer of Marion, and a small group of intrepid women will embark on a trip through Nepal and over the border to the remote regions of Tibet. Sally, founder of The Himalayan Project, has been visiting this part of the world for fifteen years delivering fleece jackets to those in need and spearheading community projects to help preserve the culture of indigenous people of the Himalaya.
This is Sally’s 12th trip to Nepal since her love affair with the country began in 1997 when she backpacked around the world for a year with her husband and two teenage sons. She felt an immediate connection to the Himalayan region for its beauty, people and culture – a connection that led Sally to found The Himalayan Project (THP) in 2004 with a focus on three core areas:
•Education: Raising funds to help remote villages in Nepal expand educational opportunities for local youth.
•Community Development: Expanding resources for local Gompas or Monasteries to better serve their communities as well as funding fresh water projects, installing solar panels, and other community advancement projects.
•Social Outreach: Educating American school children about the struggles of their counterparts through a presentation titled “A Day in the Life of a Nepali Child” which nurtures awareness and compassion. The students then collect gently used fleece clothing which is hand delivered by Sally and her THP traveling companions to those most in need in the Himalayan region.
The September pilgrimage will include six women ranging in age from 58 to 72 delivering more than 500 fleece jackets to the Northwestern, and most remote region, of Nepal before crossing over the border to reach the holy Mount Kailas in Tibet. The mountain is considered to be the center of the universe for a billion Hindus and millions of Tibetan Buddhists, Jains and Bonpos.
There, they will make the 32-mile ‘kora’ (holy walk) trek around the mountain sharing the trail with other pilgrims, who for a 1000 years have been coming to pay homage to the sacred mountain. After completing the rigorous trek they will drive eastwards by jeep along the Tibetan plateau, stopping to explore several ancient Tibetan monasteries on their way to Rongbuk and the North Everest Base Camp in Tibet.
They will then visit the ancient town of Lhasa and the Potala Palace, which was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising.
To learn more about the The Himalayan Project visit: http://www.himalayanproject.org/.
Old Rochester Hires New Technology Director
Old Rochester Regional School District and Massachusetts Superintendence Union #55 is proud to announce that Mr. Ryan McGee will be the new District Technology Director beginning in August of 2012. Mr. McGee is presently the Director of Technology for the Barnstable Charter School in Barnstable, MA. Prior to being the Director of Technology in Barnstable, Mr. McGee was a technology teacher at Saint Francis Xavier Prep School in Hyannis, MA. In addition, Mr. McGee has served as an adjunct professor at Johnson and Wales University and has worked as a project manager for Contempo Manufacturing.
Mr. McGee has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Sciences from the Johnson and Wales University as well as a Master of Business Administration. He also has a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study of Education in Educational Leadership from Bridgewater State University and is currently working on his Doctor of Education at Northeastern University. Mr. McGee presently lives in East Falmouth, MA.
As the District Technology Director, Mr. McGee will apply his expertise and technical knowledge of networks and computer troubleshooting and manage multiple projects, such as the creation of and increased usability of school and district websites. Mr. McGee has extensive knowledge of the reporting requirements of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as the data privacy laws and practices for both personal computing and Macintosh computer use.
Using his communication skills, Mr. McGee will have the capacity to work effectively with the four budgets of our Superintendence Union and also work effectively with students, faculty, staff and administrators to develop and implement 21st century technologies. Additionally, he will be able to move easily between academic content areas, technologies and software tools that engage our stakeholders to support new collaborations. Mr. McGee’s direction will strengthen and help integrate technology into our curriculum toward the achievement of important, essential student learning outcomes.