Over 100 people gathered under the big tent at Shipyard Park on Sunday, July 15, for the Men Who Cook Summer Sizzler fundraiser, organized by the Women’s Center of New Bedford, which offers help to victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and child trauma.

“For over 20 years, we had the Men Who Cook event in New Bedford,” said Rebecca McCullough, development director for the Women’s Center.  “We would have over 200 chefs and over 500 people attend.  But I wanted to see if people would come to Mattapoisett for it, and they shoved up in droves.”

The Women’s Center of New Bedford has many programs to help domestic violence victims, from a rape crisis center that serves the entire South Coast to three shelters for battered women.

“Domestic violence is in every community.  What’s nice about Men Who Cook is that it’s men helping the fight against violence,” said McCullough.

And there was certainly no shortage of men cooking or people eating.  This year featured 24 chefs, some professional, some amateur, but all offering a wide variety of culinary delights, including but not limited to seafood paella, barbeque ribs, chicken, lasagna, chowder, cookies and cakes.  Yes, this is only a partial list of the menu for the night.

While the smells and flavors of myriad local delicacies wafted about the park, the focus was on the purpose of the cook-out, as well as the community-building that goes hand-in-hand with an event like this.

Colby Rottler, a local private chef, was on hand offering his four-cheese macaroni.  He has participated in the Men Who Cook event for many years.

“The Women’s Center is an excellent organization that helps a lot of women and families.  Today, with all the cutbacks they’ve had, people donating like this means more than ever,” he said.

Across the way, Mattapoisett resident Ken Dawicki was offering his signature chowder.  McCullough approached him and asked if he’d be interested in taking part in the Summer Sizzler.

“I like to give back.  Domestic abuse is a close thing in my life. I’ve seen it go on and I think this is a wonderful way to help people in that situation,” Dawicki said.

At one of the tables, Terry Larson sat with her family, enjoying the food and their time together supporting a good cause.

“I’m here because I think it’s a great cause for the community.  I think it’s really important for the people to get together and support this organization.  You feel good being here because you know all the money will go to the people they help,” Larson said.

In addition to the food, the Summer Sizzler offered an extensive raffle and silent auction which featured items donated from local businesses around the South Coast from New Bedford to Mattapoisett.  For more information on programs offered by the Women’s Center, and how you can help, visit www.thewomenscentersc.com.

By Eric Tripoli

The creation of functional robots had long been relegated to the laboratories of meticulous scientists, who spend years researching and developing new technologies, materials, and methods of robotic construction.

But at the Marion Natural History Museum on Saturday, July 14, kids ages 10 and up were invited to take part in a robot-building session, eschewing traditional materials and tools like steel and arc welders.  Instead, these kids were using LEGO bricks from the robot-based Mindstorms collection, which incorporates light, audio, and motion sensors that respond to software that is programmable by the kids.

The summer program has been offered on and off over the years since the release of the robot sets in the early 2000s.

“We started this a long time ago, in 2003 or 2004,” said Elizabeth Leidhold, the museum’s director.  She and her husband donated the first robot LEGO sets to the program in hopes of attracting kids to a more hands-on approach to science and discovery.

“We wanted to get kids into engineering.  I think there’s a real interest out there,” she said.

While the interest of the children may be strong, the program has been offered sporadically due to a lack of volunteers to guide the children through their building process.

Sidney Batchelder, a summer resident of Mattapoisett, helped revive the program a few years ago, partly because of his history with LEGO robots and his current studies in robotics and engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

“As a kid, I had my own LEGO robotics kit and I loved it from the day I got it,” he said.

A few years ago, he found a write-up online about the robot program at the Marion Natural History Museum from 2005.  He contacted Leidhold in hopes of taking part in the activity last year and returned to help out this summer.

“This is a good start, but it could get better,” he said, citing the need for more volunteers and newer used laptop computers from which to run the LEGO programming software.

Batchelder managed to talk one of his peers from WPI into joining him as a volunteer.  Daniel Miller, who is originally from Nashua, New Hampshire, jumped at the opportunity to work with the kids and to build his own robotic creations.

“I got the kit when I was nine and I didn’t stop using it until college,” he said.

As a youth, he said he would attend a summer day camp that was focused on robotics, and later, went on to teach the program to the new generation of potential engineers.  After college, he has plans to start a robotics company, but not before he has some more real-world experience under his belt.

“Before that happens, I’d like to work in the industry.  After that, I’d like to get into teaching robotics and physics,” he said.

The program at the library is designed for no more than 10 kids, due to the amount of computers and volunteers available.

“In order to get enough one-on-one time for the kids, we have to keep it small,” Leidhold said.

On Saturday, three excited young robot builders showed up to try their hands at building free-style bots using only their imaginations as their blueprints.

“I like LEGO because you build something, then take it apart and add things to it.  And if it breaks, you can fix it,” said 10-year-old Rochester resident Nathan Perry.  Though Perry has never built robots before, he has loved playing with LEGO since he was three.  At the museum, Perry was well on his way to constructing a car powered by a manual air pump.

“I’ve never done robots with LEGO before, but I have done robots,” said Roddy Kavanagh.

The 11-year-old Point Connett resident said he became interested in robots after his godfather showed him a tin can bot with specialized claws that could pick things up.  He was working on creating a two-wheeled remote-controlled robot with a swinging drill bit on the front end.

The third participant, Matthew Bridge of Wareham, built a stationary, two-legged robot with one arm that wielded an axe, and another arm that flung a whip.

“I like how you can program them to do almost anything,” he said.  Bridge, who plays with LEGO every day, said he plans to build robots when he grows up.

The summer LEGO robotics program at the Marion Natural History Museum will be offered all summer long.  The next sessions will be held on July 21st, August 4th and August 18th, from 10:30 am to noon, at the museum. A one-time battery donation of $35.00 is required for the purchase of rechargeable batteries and charging stations. To register for the program please contact the museum at www.marionmuseum.org or call 508-748-2098.

By Eric Tripoli

On Friday, July 13, St. Gabriel’s Church hosted their annual Marion Gardens by the Sea Tour, where six different properties in Marion showcased their beautiful gardens.  Check out some of the wonderful flower species we caught on camera!  Photo by Katy Fitzpatrick.

Have you ever wondered what a 19^th century lighthouse looks like inside and up close?  Now is your chance.  Ned’s Point Lighthouse in Mattapoisett will be open this summer for tours of the historic beacon.

Built in 1837 and first illuminated in 1838, the light house has served both as a warning light for inbound vessels and as the unofficial trademark of the town of Mattapoisett.  The light was even decommissioned from 1952 until 1961, though an old newspaper article from 1957 indicates that the United States Coast Guard continued operation from April 15 to October 15.

“I remember reading that at the time.  I was summering here,” said Burt Theriault, member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 67, the group that adopted the lighthouse in 1993. “Ours was the first unit in the country to adopt a lighthouse.”

Theriault has been the civilian manager of Ned’s Point since 2000, and is responsible for basic maintenance of the building, such as painting, cleaning, and performing small repairs.

“It’s named for one of the old owners, Edwin “Ned” Dexter,” said Theriault.

While the tour hours are limited, the lighthouse draws interest from far and wide.  Jean Deliz lives in Virginia Beach most of the year, but spends a lot of her time in Mattapoisett with her mother.

“I walk around here every day. I happened to be on my morning walk and said, ‘That’s right!’ they’re doing tours,” she said.

Deliz said the then texted her friends and family in the area to come by and take a look.  Though she hasn’t been inside in a few years, the memory is still fresh in her mind.

“Oh it’s just awesome,” she said.

At the top of the lighthouse, Beth Sharp looked out over the softly rolling water of the harbor.

“I love lighthouses,” she said.  “I never even knew this was open. I love it!” Sharp, who got married at a lighthouse, said she wished her husband could have joined her, but she may bring him to Ned’s Point during the next tour.

“I really wanted to go inside,” said six-year-old Nathan Winterhalter.

According to his parents, Mike and Jen, Nathan was bitten by the lighthouse bug by the age of two.  The trio is originally from Florida, but is spending a couple weeks in Marion on vacation.

“We saw the lighthouse yesterday and Nate really wanted to see it.  We saw that there were tours and decided to come by today,” said Mike.

Ned’s Point is only the next lighthouse in a long series of visits the family has made.     “We’ve seen a lot of lighthouses,” Jen said.  “None of them have had elevators. Lucky for us, this is a smaller one.”

Ned’s Point Lighthouse tours continue on through the summer.  Tours held on July 19 and July 26 from 10:00 am to noon.  They continue on next month, scheduled for August 2, 9, and 16, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.  No appointments necessary.

By Eric Tripoli

Renowned leadership expert and New York Times bestselling author Margot Morrell will be the featured speaker on Thursday, July 26 as she discusses her book, Shackletonʼs Way – Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer.  Morrell will examine Shackleton’s epic 1914-1916 expedition and the leadership attributes that helped the explorer and his crew survive as they were stranded on an Antarctic ice flow.

As an authority on Shackleton’s legendary leadership skills, Margot has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and The Globe and Mail and has appeared on the NBC Nightly News, CNBC’s Power Lunch, A&E Biography, BBC and on radio programs around the world.  Shackleton’s Way has sold over 300,000 copies and is available in 10 languages.

Sponsored by the Sippican Historical Society, Ms. Morrell’s lecture is free to the public.  For more information, please email info@sippicanhistoricalsociety.org or call (508)748-1116.

The Mattapoisett Women’s Club will hold its 9th Annual Taste of the Town at Shipyard Park on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. This highly acclaimed food tasting event on the pristine shores of Buzzards Bay features Mattapoisett’s finest dining establishments all together in one place under the Lions Club tent.

“Taste of the Town is one of our biggest fundraisers and is supported by—Gail’s Goodies, How on Earth, Nick’s Pizza, the Inn on Shipyard Park, On the Go, Oxford Creamery, Turk’s Seafood, Ying Dynasty and more,” said Eileen Marum, President of the Mattapoisett Women’s Club. “All of our vendors are tremendous and supportive, and all club members are eager to make this a banner year for students through scholarships.”

All proceeds are given back into the community, either through scholarships or flower plantings. Flowers can be viewed at the post office, Center School, Town Hall and at Town Beach.

This spring, the club awarded an unprecedented $4,000 to Mattapoisett scholars.  “I am grateful to each and every member and our vendors,” Marum said. “We couldn’t do this without them.”

Entertainment comes courtesy of the extraordinary and energetic Showstoppers, a singing troupe of local girls and boys.

$10 will buy 20 tickets for the event.  Each ticket is good for one taste at each table. The event will be held rain or shine. For more information, contact co-chairs Lois Ennis (508-758-2188) or Eileen Marum (508-758-9751).

By Deb Burdock

As the summer continues, so do the programs offered by the Mattapoisett Recreation Committee. While most of the activities offered revolve around athletics, the Recreation Committee added a new program to the mix this year: Adventures in Space.

“We were trying to come up with new activities for the kids and parents of the Tri-Town,” said Recreation Committee chairman, Jeremy Collier. This is the first time the committee has organized an education-based activity for the summer season. “We’re trying to get something that grabs everybody.”

The class, which runs all week at Mattapoisett Center School, is for kids under 10, and is proctored by Taunton resident Dave Heshion.

“This has been part of an on-going program I’ve done since 1986,” he said.

While working for Bank of Boston in the 1980s, Heshion, who has always loved space, said he became involved in some of the educational programs offered by the Museum of Science in Boston.

“I started doing schools in March of ’86 after Challenger, to get kids to understand why it’s important to go into space,” he said.

Over the last 27 years, Heshion has traveled to over 3,000 schools teaching students about all things space.

On Monday, participants learned the history of rockets, propulsion and had the opportunity to build their own rockets, which will be launched on Friday. Throughout the rest of the week, Heshion will teach the kids about space stations, airplanes, and what it’s like to live in space.

And on the first day, the audience was definitely paying attention.

“Whenever the rockets go off, you can’t really control them without wings,” learned eight-year-old Ethan Scully of Mattapoisett.

For Isabella Hunt, also eight years old, getting hands-on piqued her interest.

“My favorite part was building the rockets. I’ve never made one before,” she said.

Maybe this first rocket will inspire Isabella and kids like her to pursue a career in space exploration or development, which is exactly what Heshion is hoping for. He does what he does because of the teachers and astronauts he has encountered on his terrestrial journey through space.

“People traveling into space are only about 50 years old. It’s still in its infancy. I think about what these kids will see. I’m sure in their lifetime they will see man walk on Mars. In the end, they are the ones in this country who will make that happen,” he said.  “I’m trying to hang around long enough to witness it, myself.”

For more information on the Mattapoisett Recreation Committee summer programs, visit www.mattapoisett.net/Pages/MattapoisettMA_Recreation/index.

By Eric Tripoli