ORR Swim Team Car Wash

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The Friends of Old Rochester Swimming held a car wash on Saturday, July 28, at the Mattapoisett Fire Department to raise more money for the up-coming winter sports season.  The newly formed ORR swim team needs to raise $7,500 by the fall to secure their place for the winter.

FORS is a brand new group, as well.  The members began the process of forming back in January, according to group president, Kristin Johnson, of Marion.

“We ended up talking to everyone from the athletic director to the principal.  It came together rather quickly,” Johnson said.  The school committee voted in June to approve the formation of the group as a fundraising entity for the team.

The last car wash they held raised about $800, according to Johnson, who said that the team cannot hire a coach or officially choose a pool until they raise $7,500 by October 1.

“We’re looking for corporate donations from around the Tri-Town, as well as from the community,” she said.

While the Friends of Old Rochester Swimming raise money for the team, the school has been investigating a handful of area pools that ORR may be able to use, including UMass, Dartmouth, the Wareham YMCA, and New Bedford High School.

Inspiration for the formation of a swim team at ORR came from a variety of sources.  The only high school swim team in the area is Bishop Stang in Dartmouth.  As a result, are many young students in the Tri-Town who swim competitively for municipal teams.

Colleen Beatriz of Mattapoisett is one of those students.  She has been swimming with the Wareham Riptides for seven years.

“Right now I’m also swimming for the Cape Cod Swim Club,” she said.  Beatriz will be in ninth grade at ORR in the fall, and she is motivated by the benefits of the sport.

“It’s great exercise and it makes you feel really healthy.  With the hard work you put in, going to a meet and competing; it feels good,” she said.

Beatriz hopes that having a swimming team at ORR will raise the profile of swimming in the eyes of the community, as well.

“I’m hoping that once it starts, people can see how fun it can be.  I really think it could be one of the biggest sports in the area if people gave it a chance,” she said.

Johnson, a former swimmer, sees the potential for building a strong school community beyond the component of competition.  One of the enduring aspects of her experience as a swimmer was forging relationships that have lasted through the years.

“You meet a lot of people when you swim.  I made friends from swimming who I still talk to today.  It’s a real bond,” she said.

For more information on Friends of Old Rochester Swimming, visit their Facebook webpage at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfOldRochesterSwimmingFors.

By Eric Tripoli

Photo by Eric Tripoli.

Aerial Mosquito Spraying in Rochester a Success

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The town of Rochester underwent a successful pesticide aerial spraying over the weekend in order to reduce the number of mosquitoes in the area. The spraying was a reaction to a recent finding of several mosquitoes carrying the deadly EEE virus in southeastern Massachusetts.

On Friday, July 20 and Saturday, July 21, 21 communities in southeastern Massachusetts were sprayed with pesticides between the hours of 8:00 pm and 2:00 am. In addition to Rochester, the other towns sprayed were Acushnet, Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, Easton, East Bridgewater, Freetown, Halifax, Hanson, Kingston, Lakeville, Middleboro, Norton, Pembroke, Plympton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Taunton and West Bridgewater.

“I am happy to announce that aerial has been successfully completed in these 21 communities,” said Department of Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach. “While spraying reduces the risk of mosquito-borne illness, it does not eliminate it and people should continue to protect themselves from mosquito bites.”

Specialized aircrafts loaded with the pesticide Anvil sprayed the area from dusk through the early morning when mosquitoes are most prevalent. During this time, residents were urged to keep their windows and doors closed, as well as remain indoors with children and pets to prevent contact with the chemical.

For now, the Department of Health says that this past weekend’s spraying is the only one that they have scheduled. For the time being, however, they will still be keeping a close on eye on the state for future problems.

“We continue to closely monitor the risk level of EEE,” said DPH Representative Anne Roach.

Southeastern Massachusetts has been under close eye of the DPH ever since two cases of EEE were reported in Bristol County last year — one of them was fatal. So far in 2012, no cases of EEE or West Nile Virus have been reported. Still, Roach urges residents to take precautions.

“Southeastern Massachusetts has a historic prevalence of EEE and it’s important for residents to take personal protection for themselves against EEE and West Nile Virus,” said Roach.

During the summertime, residents are encouraged to wear a strong repellant as well as long sleeves and pants when appropriate. Also, outdoor activities should be curtailed during peak mosquito hours at night. Homeowners should rid their properties of standing water and make sure all screens are in good condition without holes.

For more information on EEE, West Nile Virus or an aerial spraying schedule, visit www.mass.gov/dph.

By Katy Fitzpatrick

Antique Car Rookie Wins Best in Show

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His car might be from 1965, but Rick Pomroy of Bridgewater has only entered one car show. Call it beginner’s luck, or maybe he has truly found his calling, but Pomroy drove away with the Best in Show trophy after Saturday’s Second Annual Marion Classic Car Show.

“It feels really good, it’s my first show,” said Pomroy. “My two daughters entered me in the show as a Christmas gift. I’m excited right now. It was a lot of hard work.”

Pomroy defeated 18 other entries for the title with his blue 1965 Chevrolet Malibu Super Sport Convertible. He bought the car eight years ago in Plymouth. Since then, he’s been working diligently to restore it. The restoration was finally completed last fall.

“It was a full restoration,” Pomroy said. “We had to find the parts and rehab the parts. It cost a lot of money.”

The Marion Classic Car Show is put on by the Marion Recreation Department annually. All funds raised will benefit various programs in the town.

“In tough economic times, a lot of communities are struggling to make ends meet,” said Selectman and Recreation Department Member Jody Dickerson. “The demand on the Recreation Department is increased, and we have to subsidize our budget somehow.”

The idea to hold the show in Marion came to Dickerson last year after he had previously run shows in New Hampshire. The show was held on the lawn at Silvershell Beach overlooking the water.

“A lot of people have antique cars in the area, and we couldn’t ask for a better location,” Dickerson said.

While the show did draw in nearly 20 cars, Dickerson said the numbers were unfortunately down from last year.

“Unfortunately, there were a lot of car shows this weekend so are numbers are down from last year, but it’s just something we will have to look at as a committee and how we can increase it,” he said.

The lower turnout didn’t seem to faze the participants, who all enjoyed the entertainment and company provided throughout the entire day.

“It was an excellent competition and there were some excellent people,” said Pomroy. “Everyone was very friendly and there were some great cars.”

By Katy Fitzpatrick

Main Street Garage Issue Tabled

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The Marion Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing on Thursday, July 26, regarding the application of Sanford J. Russell, Jr., who would like to replace a carport with a garage, remove a retaining wall, relocating and expanding a boulder retaining wall, reconstruct part of the driveway, and install a trench drain at 5 Main Street.

Architect Will Saltonstall, who designed the proposed garage, spoke on behalf of Russell.

“They are proposing to build a two-car garage.  It is their hope to create a structure to store cars, boats, and various things,” he said.  The building is listed as a storage garage on the application.

Saltonstall indicated that there is a significant drop-off in elevation toward the rear of the property near the water, and would be powered only by electricity.  No hookups for sewer or water have been proposed.

Abutter William Rogerson, who lives at 9 Main Street, said that he believed the proposed height of 25 feet is too tall.

“If you look around the neighborhood, most of the buildings aren’t that high,” he said.  Rogerson was also worried about wind tunnel effects sweeping through the neighborhood as a result of the garage’s proximity to a shed on his property.

Gordon Goodwin, of 5 Hiller Street, was also concerned about effects of construction on his property.

“The problem that we’re dealing with now is that we don’t have a view of the foundation, in relation to the proximity of the footing of the property,” he said.  “I’m worried that our property will be significantly excavated in order for them to get a footing.”

He asked that Saltonstall provide some illustration to better disclose how his property may be affected.

“I haven’t seen drawings of the footings myself, yet, but we’ll share them with you as part of this process,” Russell said in response to Goodwin’s concerns.

Hugh Dyer of 6 Main Street was also on hand to add his thoughts to the public record.

“In my view, it is more non-conforming than the existing structure,” Dyer said, citing the size and volume of the proposed garage, and the increase in the footprint of the building as problematic.

ZBA Chairman Bob Wedge said that while the size of the building could be considered more non-conforming, the movement of the footprint back from the existing location creates less non-conformity.

“You can extend that line back as far as you need as long as you don’t exacerbate the problem,” Wedge said.

Due to the amount of questions and concerns raised by neighbors, Wedge suggested that the Russell’s and Saltonstall table the discussion so that they may meet with the abutters for clarification.

“I feel like this is moving in a positive direction, so you can facilitate more communication,” Wedge said.

The ZBA voted unanimously to table the hearing until their next meeting on August 9, 2012, at 7:30 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli

Mattapoisett Library Dedicates New Marine Room

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The Mattapoisett Free Public Library held a reception to dedicate their new Marine Room on Thursday evening.  Check out the photos below! Photos by Katy Fitzpatrick.

Taste of the Tri-Town

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The popular Taste of the Tri-Town will take place at the picturesque Mattapoisett YMCA, overlooking beautiful Mattapoisett Harbor and Ned’s Point Lighthouse, on Friday, September 7 from 7:00  to 9:00 pm. The evening will feature wine tasting and samplings of the best of Tri-Town restaurants with Spirits of Marion providing the latest wine, liquor and beer offerings.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Lighthouse Fund of the Old Rochester Tri-Town Education Foundation, a fund of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts that provides a number of grants each year to tri-town school projects. Past grants include the Monarch Butterfly Garden Habitat at Center School, Steps to Respect Anti-Bullying at Old Hammondtown School and Time Travel through Genealogy at Rochester Memorial School.

Tickets for the event are $30 and available through any member of the Old Rochester Tri-Town Education Foundation or at the Marion General Store, Lloyds Market in Rochester or Rogers Gallery in Mattapoisett. Tickets can also be purchased by calling Deb Martin at 508-287-1946.  For more information on the Lighthouse Fund, go to www.lighthousefund.org.

Gateway Babe Ruth Fall Ball Signups

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Gateway Babe Ruth is now accepting online registrations for the 2012 Fall Ball Baseball Season. Players living in the Towns of Acushnet, Fairhaven, Carver, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Wareham and surrounding areas who will be 13, 14 or 15 years of age before May 1, 2013 are eligible to play. To download a registration form, go to www.leaguelineup.com/gatewaybaberuth. Forms must be submitted by September 1, 2012. Gateway will be looking for candidates to Coach Fall Ball and 2013 Spring Ball. For more information go to www.leaguelineup.com/gatewaybaberuth.

World Flutes Cabaret Concert

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Join members of the World Flutes Ensemble and Rhythm Section from the Berklee College of Music as they play original numbers and unique arrangements of jazz and popular songs from Argentina, Brazil, Japan and Turkey. Their entertaining “World Flutes Cabaret” will be held on Sunday, August 5 at 4:00 pm in the First Congregational Church in Marion.

Flutists Wendy Rolfe, Kazuyo Kuriya, Shota Ishikawa and Amy Conti, along with guitarist Bhrigu Sahni, bassist Max McKellar and percussionist Ana Barreiro, will be showcasing the captivating repertoire they will be taking to the U.S. National Flute Convention later in August.

Tickets ($15 adults, $10 students) may be purchased at the Bookstall on Front Street in Marion and at the door. For more information and reservations, call 508-748-1734. The First Congregational Church, located at the corner of Front Street and Main Street in Marion, is handicapped accessible.

Flutist Wendy Rolfe is a professor at Berklee College of Music. She performs on historical and modern flutes across the USA, Canada, and Latin America. She has recently returned from Quito, Ecuador, where she was in residence under the US State Department’s Fulbright Specialist Program.

Flutist and composer Kazuyo Kuriya graduated from Berklee College of Music (Jazz Composition). Performances with: Maria Schneider and McCoy Tyner (Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra), Cesar Camargo Mariano, and Eddie Gomez. Commissioned by NFA Jazz Flute Big Band in 2011.

In 2006,  flutist, bassist, and composer Shota Ishikawa was awarded the World Asia Scholarship from Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with a degree in Jazz Composition and Music Performance in 2010. With the Shota Ishikawa Trio, he released the CD “Diversified Triangle” in 2009.

Flutist Amy Conti is a major in Jazz Performance at Berklee College of Music. She earned a degree in Psychology and Classical Performance from Simmons College and New England Conservatory of Music. Performances with: Colleges of the Fenway Orchestra, Boston College Marching Band, and the Tufts Flute Choir.

Bhrigu Sahni is a versatile guitarist/composer-producer/vocalist, currently working with Pakistani neo-sufi artist, Arooj Aftab as co-composer and guitar player. Performances with: Angelique Kidjo, Meshell Ndegeocello, Punjabi folk star Arif Lohar, and Michael McDonald.

Bassist Max McKellar is a student at the Berklee College of Music and also works in the Nashville, TN music scene. Brazilian native percussionist Ana Barreiro graduated from the Berklee College of Music.

Mattapoisett Town Clerk Announcements

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•Annual Street Lists – The 2012 Annual Street Lists are now available. The fee is $10. They are on a first come, first serve basis.  Last year they sold out very quickly so if you wish to have one, please come into the office soon.

•September State Primary – The State Primary is scheduled for Thursday, September 6. The polling place is Old Hammondtown School, at the end of Shaw Street. The last day to register to vote for the primary is Friday, August 17. The office will be open until 8:00 pm that evening.

•Absentee Ballots Available – The absentee ballots for the primary have arrived. Absentee balloting is for use by a registered voter who will be unable to vote at the polls on Election Day due to:

1. Absence from the town during normal polling hours or

2. Physical disability preventing you from going to the polling place; or

3. Religious belief.

OR

A non-registered voter who is:

1. A Massachusetts citizen absent from the state or

2. An active member of the armed forces or merchant marines, their spouse or       dependent or

3. A person confined in a correctional facility or a jail, except if by reason of felony conviction.