Local Resident Earns Student of the Year Honors

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Hollis Dunlop, a member of the Class of 2012, a Marion resident, and a public and community service major at Providence College, recently received the 2012 Service Leader of the Year Award from the Student Activities-Involvement-Leadership office at PC.

This award is designed to recognize a student whose involvement in service activities and projects, has benefited the College and surrounding area. Also, the award honors a student who has significantly encouraged enthusiasm and college participation in service activities, and made outstanding contributions to the community.

During her career at PC, Dunlop has been involved in Campus Ministry. She served as coordinator of S.T.O.P. Hunger (Students Take On Poverty and Hunger), a group that actively engages students in the issues of hunger and poverty by sending them to visit local meal sites weekly. Dunlop also was a Social Justice Student Minister and assisted with the organization of (9) Social Justice groups for Campus Ministry.

In addition to her efforts on campus, Dunlop received a 2010 Fr. Philip A. Smith, O.P., Student Fellowship for Study and Service Abroad, and traveled to Managua, Nicaragua where she taught English classes, crafted workshops for kids and a youth empowerment/storytelling program for young adults.

In her senior year, Dunlop interned for the Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island through the College’s off-campus work study program.

Delineations Approved for Capital Improvements Plan

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Two representatives of CDM Smith, the agency working with the Town of Marion to create its village area capital improvements plan, spoke to the Marion Conservation Commission at its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 23 about the extent of the work to be completed.  Con Com members, primarily Chairman Sherman Briggs, queried the representatives about the work, encouraging the agency to refine its plan in preparation for the upcoming Town Meeting.

While CDM Smith came before Con Com to verify the wetlands delineations and determine what permits are required for work to commence, Briggs led the discussion to other aspects of the plan.  “My opinion is I would like to see effort on the discharge pipe and the manhole above the discharge pipe,” Briggs said.

Briggs dismissed CDM Smith’s concerns about the wetlands delineations, explaining that there should be sufficient records of prior delineations from past roadwork in the proposed locations.

“Based on the projects that have been going on and on, it’s been delineated there three or four times.  I think if you pulled up some of the files … that would save us money.  As a taxpayer, I want to see that 27 million come down to 5,” Briggs said.

CDM Smith responded that the agency is trying to be fiscally responsible.  The work that the Town of Marion and the agency would undertake would be to tear up the village area roads, to replace pipes, and to improve some of the outfalls, which have had tidal influence.  Ryder Lane would account for the most amount of work because its paving is in rough condition and the road foundation is deteriorating.

“We’re not just looking to improve the roads and infrastructure, but to improve the water quality in Sippican Harbor,” CDM Smith said, explaining that the village area capital improvements plan called for rain gardens in addition to improvements in the outfalls.

“I presume that sometime in the future there will be a notice of intent,” Con Com Vice Chairman Norman Hills said, tabling the discussion.  CDM Smith was instructed to check the delineation records and verify their estimates for rainfall to ensure that the data is accurate and current.

In other business, Con Com issued a determination of applicability for 185 Wareham Street, accepting the charted wetlands delineations.

“Unless someone proves differently, I’m not sure it’s a show-stopper,” Hills said.  “All that does is get you the line.  You’re going to have to come back with a notice of intent.  It’s going to be another piece of paper you need to submit.”

Con Com members raised questions about what the lot line would be, but such discussion was beyond their jurisdiction.  “We are only approving the wetlands line,” Briggs said.  “The lot line is going to be the wetlands line, probably.”

In its last business, Con Com addressed the notices of intent from two neighbors who are seeking to make the same improvements on their properties: reset stones in existing groins, maintain concrete access planks, and add beach nourishment. On one property, maintenance of the concrete access planks is necessary, but it is not on the other.  Both properties have the stumbling block of requiring possible licensure for the jetties.  Con Com was loath to accept the notice of intent without clarifying if the two homeowners need Chapter 91 licenses.

“We’d be approving the maintenance of an illegal structure,” Con Com member Joel Hartley said.

“We can permit this under the condition that the homeowners sort out the license,” Briggs concluded.  He advised the homeowners to license everything they could.

The next regular meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission will be on Wednesday, June 13 at 7:00 pm.

By Anne Smith 

High School Innovator Creates Search Website

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Marc Gammell, a senior at Old Rochester Regional High School, hasn’t let the tough economy get the best of him. As jobs and internships for high school students grow more scarce, Gammell strove to make the search easier for students in the Tri-Town community by creating a forum website providing free job listings.

Parents who run their own businesses, as well as local businesses, can use the website to advertise job and internship openings directly to interested students.  Gammell created his website, High School Connect2Success (HSC2S), for his senior project, which all graduating seniors are required to complete during their last term.

“Originally I was going to do [my senior project] on practical jokes,”  Gammell said. “But I came up with the website idea on my own and decided to pursue that.”

Gammell explained that he conceived the idea while surfing the Internet during school. He had been thinking about his brother’s recent co-op experience in college and wondered if there might be an easier way for students to find jobs.

The website contains a number of features that appeal to different students. One page lists current jobs and internships and operates as a forum that registered student users can access. This page also houses job and internship forms and information about how website members can use those forms to apply for positions.

Another section of the website contains blogs. The first blog is for website news and success stories. This blog allows Gammell to update website members about the website and allows members to post about their HSC2S experiences.

“[It’s for] success stories of people who found jobs or parents who are happy with students’ work,” Gammell said.

The second blog that HSC2S produces is called Create/Innovate. In this blog, Gammell said that students can post about their own projects and promote themselves.

“I left that one open to interpretation,” Gammell said. “I created something out of nothing, so I created that blog for people with creativity.”

HSC2S is still a growing website, and Gammell stressed that it now needs support from parents and local businesses to increase the number of job listings. Gammell has gotten in contact with parents of current high school students through the school’s email system, but he says that local businesses must email him at marcgammell@gmail.com. Local businesses that query Gammell will receive step-by-step directions for creating an account.

Gammell hopes to keep HSC2S a free resource for Tri-Town students. Eventually, he would like to relinquish control of the website to school administrators.

HSC2S is for all high school students and even eighth graders, although Gammell thinks it would have the most appeal to seniors.

“We’re looking for summer jobs and we are trying to find out what career path [interests us],” Gammell said. “The website helps with this.”

The value of HSC2S stems from its localized natured, Gammell said.

“It’s really similar to LinkedIn but more localized. It creates a safety net. You know who you’re dealing with – parents, students,” he said.

Hopefully, parents will be joining the website and posting job listings for the high school students. Gammell stresses that these job listings can be for anything as small as some yard work or babysitting as large as job shadowing. These internships may be either paid or unpaid, perhaps in a situation where a parent wants to have a student help out in the workplace.

“The student gets an idea of the career,” Gammell said. “And the parent gets help.  It’s a win-win.”

Parents and local businesses are encouraged to join the website, Gammell said, because they’re a networking connection.

“There’s a ton of successful parents around here and on the way to success, they’ve made connections.”  Gammell hopes that parents might even use the website to post not just their own job listings, but comments about job openings that they’ve heard about.

“I tried to keep [the website] as simple and user-friendly as possible,” Gammell said.  “That’s one of my selling points.  It’s easy to use.  The more parents and local businesses that sign up, the more success the site and students will see.”

HSC2S came about with some assistance and guidance, Gammell said.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my mom, Lee Shionis, Michael Devoll, and Judy Johnson,” he said.

HSC2S can be found at www.thehighschoolconnect2success.weebly.com.

By Anne Smith

Coastal Bank Stabilization Project on the Table

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The Mattapoisett Conservation Commission met on Wednesday night, May 23,  for their final meeting of the month.  They heard from Dave Davignon of Schneider & Associates, who was representing Daniel and Laurie DaRosa, who filed a Notice of Intent to install sand-filled coconut fiber envelopes along a coastal bank on their property, and to plant salt tolerant grasses and shrubs.  Geologist Stanley M. Humphries, from LEC Environmental Consultants, Inc. was on hand to explain how the plan would mitigate coastal erosion.

“This is a bank stabilization project, using biodegradable materials that will absorb energy from wave attacks,” he said. “We want to protect this fairly low-lying bank that lies in a velocity zone, knowing full well that a hurricane is inevitable,” he said.  “The proposal is a minimum of one foot of sand cover.”

Conservation Commission member Tom Kopps seemed supportive of the plan but worried about it becoming a trend.

“If it was an open beach, I’d be worried about down-earth erosion.  These things tend to multiply quickly. If you build one here, next to it you get some erosion, people will build another and another,” Kopps said.

The hearing was continued until the next meeting of the Commission because the item does not yet have a file number, and the specifics of the plan have not yet been finalized for presentation to the Commission.

In other business, the Conservation Commission approved an RDA for the Desnoyers family to build an elevated deck on property at 17 Bay Road. They also approved an RDA for the installation of an in-ground pool with cement apron and perimeter fence at 4 Seabreeze Lane. An abutter to the property was present and declared that she took no issue with the plans for the pool.

They also discussed possible plans for what to do with the 840 cubic yards of material removed during the upcoming dredging of the Eel Pond East Channel.  Commission Chairman Peter Newton was in favor of redistributing the material on land to replenish beach area over an alternative of trucking the material to the land fill.

“We could also distribute it around the West Breach. The Town owns the land down on that end,” said Town Administrator Mike Gagne.  The Commission decided that was the best plan and approved the project.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission will be on Monday, June 11, at 6:30 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli

 

Matt Hlady Achieves Eagle Scout Rank

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Matt Hlady epitomizes what it means to “Be Prepared,” the motto of the Boy Scouts of America.

The 16-year old “encyclopedia of knowledge” recently earned the Boy Scouts of America’s top honor – Eagle Scout – after nine years of dedication to the Marion Cub Scout Pack 32 and Boy Scout Troop 32. He is the troop’s only scout that achieved this honor this year.

“Matt is an extremely well disciplined learner, student, leader and scout. The scouts all look up to him a great deal due to his vast knowledge of seemingly all things,” said Scoutmaster Doug Breault.

Only a sliver of Boy Scouts end up achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. About two million out of 84 million have since 1911, which is about 2 percent overall – according to Breault.

Hlady began his scouting career with the belief that his involvement would look great on a college resume. “Yes, I was thinking about those things in fifth grade,” Hlady admitted.

But as he immersed himself, scouting ended up meaning much more, he said.

“After a while, it wasn’t so much about college credit. I found out I was learning useful things earlier in life. I wasn’t exactly gregarious, but I actually learned I liked being around people,” Hlady said.

Achieving the Eagle Scout rank requires a capstone public service project, and Hlady took on improving a public path at the Brainard Marsh Wildlife Refuge on Delano Road in Marion. The 440-yard path leads to a beach on the Weweantic Estuary, where seals commonly are spotted on the rocks.

He led about 15 scouts in the undertaking, which was a joint venture with the Sippican Lands Trust.  In particular he worked with Bill Saltonstall, the head steward of the trust, to devise a strategy to get the work done.

“We pretty much rebuilt the trail that leads down to the beach. The trail was an absolute mess,” he said. The work entailed cleaning out the broken glass, removing weeds, filling in potholes, laying down a weed suppressant tarp, and covering the path with dense gravel stone.

“I was surprised by how quickly they were able to move seven cubic yards of pile out onto this path,” said Bill Saltonstall. “They did a morning’s work in what I thought would take a couple of days. Matt was so organized in getting help down there,” he said.

“Matt turned out the people. That is often the hard part on a Saturday morning … The path is great. It was Matt’s ability to organize all the people that made it possible to do. He did a great job,” he added.

Breault also complimented the scout’s execution of the project at Hlady’s Court of Honor, the ceremony where Hlady officially was awarded his Eagle.
“Matt ran his Eagle project very efficiently, ahead of schedule, and showed excellent leadership skills. The final outcome of Matt’s project will be available to our town for decades to come, and we thank him,” he said.

Breault also credited him for engaging the younger scouts and keeping the troop going even when scout numbers dipped.

“Helping the lower ranking scouts learn various scout knowledge has been a big part of Matt’s scouting life. Matt participated in many boy scout events, and this was great considering Matt’s entire original patrol was gone, and he was placed in our new Dragons patrol with boys two to four years his junior,” he said.

Breault said perhaps most impressive about Hlady is his sheer knowledge.

“I remember once reviewing one of his badges and I was questioning him about the various treatments for things, and I mentioned cancer, and he replied ‘Which type? If you mean…’ and he went on to ramble off about seven different types of cancer. I might be forgetting parts of exactly what happened, but I remember that the depth of his knowledge blew me away,” he said.

In life outside of scouting, Hlady maintains high honors at Tabor Academy, plays in the wind ensemble, jazz band and performs in musicals. He is also involved with the youth group at Unitarian Universalist Church in Fairhaven, and earned his black belt in Ken-Po karate.

For Hlady, he encourages scouts to pursue the Eagle rank – and said to start early to enable enough time to complete each rank.

Now with Eagle Scout on his resume, he is planning to attend Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio and study martial arts and creative writing.

By Laura Fedak Pedulli

Fire Safety

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More fires start in the kitchen than anywhere else in the home and in 2010, there were 9,806 home fires in Massachusetts involving cooking…but that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of your stove or eat out all of the time.

There are several tips you can do to help reduce the chances of a fire starting from cooking:

•PUT A LID ON IT! Covering a pan fire with a lid is the safest way to put out a stovetop fire. Once covered, turn off the heat to the pan and leave the pan covered until it cools.

•Never move a burning pan. You can be badly burned or spread the fire.

•Never throw water on a grease fire. Water will only spread the fire.

•Stand by your pan. Be sure not to leave food, grease or oils cooking on the stovetop unattended.

•Wear short or tight fitting sleeves when cooking. Loose fitting clothing can easily catch fire.

•Stop, Drop & Roll to put out the flames if your clothes happen to catch fire. Place burned skin under cool running water and call 9-1-1.

•Keep pot handles turned inward to prevent accidental spills of hot contents.

•For fires inside an oven or microwave, KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED. Turn off the appliance, call 9-1-1 and exit the home, waiting outside for the Fire Department.

•Keep combustible objects such as pot holders, towels, paper or plastic bags away from heating elements.

•Do not store items inside of your oven.

Whether you are cooking the family dinner or a snack for the children, practicing safe cooking behaviors will keep you and your family remains safe. In the event of a fire, do not spend a significant amount of time attempting to put it out. Get out first, then call 9-1-1 and give them your complete address, the location of the fire and inform them as to whether or not anyone is still inside the house. No matter the reason, never go back into the house and remain outside at your safe meeting place in the front of your home.

These and other Fire Safety Tips can be found on the Mattapoisett Fire Department web page at www.mattapoisett.net. Any additional questions regarding Fire Safety, contact Lt. Patrick Saltmarsh at 508-758-4150 or by emailing: psaltmarsh@mattapoisett.net

Point Road Memorial Forest Walk

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The Point Road Memorial Forest (PRMF)is a place of tranquil unspoiled beauty. The spirit of this enterprise is to return our physical selves to the earth with loving and natural commemoration.

In 1994, the Stone Family donated two acres to the Town of Marion for a public cemetery located off Point Road adjacent to the Blankenship Cemetery. The Point Road Memorial Forest was created in 2000 by an inspired collaboration of a generous family, a talented landscape architect, energetic volunteers and the Town of Marion.

Patty Wylde, landscape designer, took inspiration from the distinctive landscape features and the native flora to create an elegant woodland place of permanent repose. Due to the topography of the land, the burial of cremated remains only is mandated and is limited to the residents of Marion and their relatives.

Please join us on Sunday, June 3 at 4:00 pm for a walk through the forest along with an informal talk about its history and its future.  The Advisory Committee (Margie Baldwin, Chrissie Bascom, Tess Cederholm, Margaret Nash and Cathy Stone) will be on hand to guide you and to answer any questions that you might have.

The PRMF is the smallest of the six cemeteries in Marion and is permanently endowed.  It is the only one limited to cremated remains. There will be brochures at the site as well as at the Department of Public Works, which will explain in detail the genesis of the cemetery and the burial procedure.

RMS Miles for Memorial Fitness Challenge

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On Wednesday, May 30 the Rochester Memorial School community will be participating in the Second Annual “Miles for Memorial School Kid’s Fitness Challenge”. This daylong, community service event will be dedicated to promoting “Physical Activity” and the health and wellness of RMS students, while providing a grassroots fundraising effort in support of fitness and fun.

This year’s challenge course will be open to all students from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The 2-mile loop of supervised roadways that surround the Memorial School, challenges students to move their bodies at a moderate to vigorous pace (brisk walk, jog, run, etc.) from beginning to end.

With support from their teachers, students will set personal and/or group fitness goals. Data will be collected and analyzed by students, at the discretion of classroom teachers. Throughout the day, raffle tickets will be distributed to students who are “caught” engaging in behaviors that support the health and wellness of themselves and others. Tickets can then be entered into a drawing to win prizes that help support student engagement in physical activity. New this year is the addition of “drop in” activities, where students can take a break from the challenge course while still remaining physically active.

In support of our student fitness challenge, financial sponsor donations are being sought from friends and family members. These donations will help in the construction of the Rochester Memorial School playground. To make an online sponsor donation using PayPal, please visit the RMS-PTO website!

This community service-learning event creates opportunity for students and teachers to make real-world connections to school curriculum and instruction. Our event is also rooted in the National Association for Sport and Physical Education standards that support the development and maintenance of good health in students throughout the United States. The goal of RMS Physical Education is to develop individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity!

ORRHS Class of 1962 Remembers

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Any school’s senior prom is time to get all dressed up enjoy one of the last events of your senior year at High School.   In 1962, Old Rochester Regional was no different …well maybe a little different than today.  Gil Ferro and his Orchestra held our senior prom, the first for the new school, at the Marion Tennis Club on June 1, 1962 with music.

The theme of the prom was “Blue Hawaii”-most likely a reference to Elvis’ movie.    Proms were held locally unlike today when they’re turned into a destination prom and in some cases, an all night event.

Judy Furnans, of Mattapoisett, was named the Queen of the Prom with her court consisting of Connie Hardy, Ruth Ann Tripp and Carole Woodcock. Kids were able to get their parent’s car for the night to pick up their dates. There were no stretch limos around to rent and what student had their own car?

Are receiving lines in existence anymore? Good manners back then required one. It was made up of the Superintendent, Principal and faculty members.  How weird was it going through the receiving line and trying to act grown up in front of the principal?

Some classmates recall going to Ned’s Point Lighthouse after the prom to extend the night and have breakfast at a classmate’s house.  Others went to the beach with a 6-pack for 4 people and had some left over.   Drinking wasn’t a big thing. People just wanted to hang out.    Quoting from the Standard Times in 1962, “Success of the prom set a fine precedent for future events of this type.  For the seniors it was almost their most important activity, being second only to the formal graduation…”

Our graduation was held June 15, 1962 with 75 students eagerly waiting to receive their diplomas and get on with their lives. “Pomp and Circumstances” played as the students filed into the ORR auditorium.  Ross Hopkins, our class president, welcomed everyone to the graduation; a vocal solo by Sandra Briggs preceded a piano solo by Peter Sawyer.  As students received their diplomas from Dr. Benjamin Tilden, chairman of the Regional School Board, the female graduates were given bouquets of white carnations and the boys were given a single buttonhole flower.  Filing off the stage at ORR, we were now officially the first graduating class of Old Rochester Regional High School:  an honor that no other class can claim.

Marion Police Fundraiser

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The Marion Police Brotherhood is proud to bring their annual Summer Concert to the Community on Saturday, July 14, at 8:00 pm. This year, “Yellow Brick Road,” an Elton John Tribute, will be featured. The concert will be held at Silvershell Beach on Front Street in Marion. This special evening starts at 6:00 pm with children’s performer Wayne Potash and the Music Fun Band, followed by modern country band and recording artists, “Girls, Guns and Glory” at 7:00 pm. Local businesses and residents will be called over the next few weeks to help support this cause. All proceeds benefit the various charities supported by the Marion Police Brotherhood throughout the year. FMI on this event email alex@ecmgevents.com or visit

www.marionpolicebrotherhood.org.