The next meeting of the Machacam Club is scheduled for Wednesday, March 5. We meet at the American Legion Hall on Depot Street. Social time begins at 5:00 pm followed by dinner at 6:00 pm. Our speaker will be introduced at 6:40 pm. Chef Colby is planning another satisfying meal. Callers, please send your counts by 9:00 pm Monday, March 3. Please submit inquiries to cwmccullough@comcast.net.
In recognition of their outstanding academic achievement, Emmanuel College has named more than 1,000 students to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2024 semester. The following students were named to the Dean’s List: Biology major Madeline Wright of Mattapoisett and Nursing major Paetyn Tripp of Marion.
Lily Costa of Marion has made the dean’s list at Wentworth Institute of Technology for the Fall 2024 semester.
On Tuesday night, roughly 50 members of the public and administrators packed into the main hall of the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center for a continued meeting regarding new harbor regulations for the Town of Marion.
Considering the over two-and-a-half-hour-long Marion Marine Resource Commission (MRC) meeting the previous night, most in attendance assumed this meeting would also be extensive. It ended after approximately 15 minutes.
The meeting was held for the consideration of five amendments to the proposed revision to the town’s Waterways Regulation. Select Board Chairman Norm Hills began by stating the fifth of five amendments was “crossed off” and would not be considered.
The fifth proposed amendment stated: “5. Amend Subsection D of Section IV to establish a minimum Per Foot Fee for vessels under 25 feet. All vessels less than or equal to 25 feet will be charged $115 + $200 (Harbor Permit + $8 Per Foot Fee for a 25 feet vessel) and boats over 25 feet will be charged $115 + $8 Per Foot Fee.”
With its removal, MRC Chairman Vin Malkoski stated there would be no rate increases for harbor vessels. All other proposed amendments deal with dates and not rate adjustments.
Malkoski added, “we received a lot of input, and it became clear that at this time we need to table any discussion about fees.” The MRC chairman stressed increased income must be generated, and talks of fees would be moved to the new Harbor Management Plan.
Town Administrator Geoff Gorman added the plan would take roughly 18 months to formulate and would be an “open process” relying on the public.
Harbormaster Adam Murphy clarified the payment end-date of May 15 being the deadline for the upcoming invoices said to be ready to send out over the upcoming weeks. Due to date changes, there was worry among the public that penalties would be levied. “We won’t penalize anyone on the back side of this,” he finished.
The meeting concluded with the Select Board unanimously approving the remaining four amendments. One was to modify the date on which Harbor Permit invoices are paid from May 15 to March 15. A second stipulates that all payments shall be postmarked or received by March 15. The third adds a $100 late fee. The fourth stipulates that those who fail to pay within a month of the due date (April 15) will have their permits revoked. Malkoski had emphasized that the need for these changes was to collect money during the current fiscal year instead of payments being dragged into the following year.
The next regular meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, at 6:00 pm in the Marion Town House Conference Room.
Marion Select Board
By Sam Bishop
They came together to strengthen their resolve, to hear words that heal, not hurt, and to share in the joy of knowing “yes we can.” On February 22, a hearty group braved cold winds at Munro Preserve, a Mattapoisett Land Trust property located on Water Street, to take in the MLT’s latest story-walk installation on the life of Langston Hughes.
Afterward, the group assembled at the Mattapoisett Museum on Church Street to hear remarks centered around Black History Month and the relevance of celebrating Black History Month.
Speakers were introduced by longtime MLT member and education director Ellen Flynn. Flynn also shared a poem she has written to commemorate the occasion and to honor Frederick Douglas, who famously said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
For Frederick Douglas by Ellen Flynn:
Can we speak of a world of tears,
or do we just drink down brown beers?
Can we see spirits drifting through rainfall?
Can we sail against the wind,
to capture heartache and sin?
We skip through racially divided culture,
to watch and record years of torture.
Where are the leaders marching through the rain of tears?
When will they bring us answers to our fears?
We can only show our children her story,
and walk them through history.
TTAR member and director of business partners John Santos said it was important for the three represented organizations to come together in a common purpose, and Mike Huguenin, president of the MLT, said that in these times of stress and confusion getting out into nature was critically necessary. Thus with a smile he suggested, “Take a hike! You’ll feel better.”
This is the third year the MLT has partnered with the TTAR to present story walks that give children and their families an opportunity to get outside together in a meaningful way.
Dr. Moise St. Louis, assistant dean and director of the Frederick Douglass Unity House at UMass Dartmouth, spoke to the current social and political themes facing society today. “Such times require reflection.” St. Louis said that staying silent allowed space for destruction to move in and that people, all people but especially those facing struggles, needed to speak up, “…failing one will cause all to fail.”
St. Louis stated there is a cost to being silent with far reaching implications for future generations and that the spaces created by silence must be closed.
St. Louis quoted from President Obama’s famous Chicago acceptance speech, saying, “…people will try to shut us down…we need to be firm in our conviction…we are dependent on one another…” and of a future that embraces equity and inclusion – “Yes We Can.”
By Marilou Newell
Last year, the Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School boys basketball team won two state tournament games on the road, both far away from Rochester. If the team wants to go far in the tournament again this year, it will once again mean many miles on the bus.
The 17th-seeded Cougars are 20-2 overall going into Friday night’s Division 5 state tournament game against 16th seed Notre Dame Cristo Rey (19-1) in Methuen.
It’s a long way to victory in more ways than one, but the Cougars have been there before. They’ve got a starting five consisting of all seniors, four of those five being Rochester residents.
“For us, we have to be ourselves,” said Old Colony Coach Matt Trahan. “We need to rebound well as a team, get out on the break, and play good, solid team defense.”
The results of those twin focal points has been an average of 66 points per game on offense while allowing 47.4 points per game.
Senior twins 15 Max and Wyatt Smiley improvise to complement whatever is successful or needed on any given night.
“Those two kids are quick, quick, quick off the dribble,” said Trahan. “It’s a lost art; the mid-range jump-shot is now a stretch three. Wyatt won a playoff game last year with a mid-range jumper at the buzzer.”
Senior point guard Landon Hunter scored a career-high 26 points when Old Colony recently won the state vocational Small Division championship with a 71-64 victory over Blue Hills. It was the second straight state Vocational championship for the Cougars, who have gone undefeated in Mayflower Small play three years running.
At the muscle end of the floor, senior power forward Max Finney of Lakeville reached the 1,000-point milestone on opening night of the season, and Trahan estimates Finney enters his final MIAA basketball tournament hovering around 1,400 career points.
“He’s at the point of our press so he’s picking up a lot of balls,” said Trahan, noting Finney’s football background makes him tough in the paint and especially effective in tandem with 6-foot-5 center Nick Fringuelli, who also played football. “They’re a tough matchup for anybody.”
Aiden Deree, 5-8 sophomore from Acushnet, and 6-foot freshman Tyler Johnson of Carver are first to come off the bench. Both punch above their weight. Johnson plays a high-level AAU basketball in the offseason.
Trahan builds the program’s culture around the work ethic of seniors James Simoes and Noah Gomes. Their battle level and dedication have made the Cougars better all season.
“Those two kids, they are the heart and soul of the team, they work extremely hard in practice,” said Trahan.
Even though Old Colony is a regional school without a community feeder system and students tend toward career-driven pursuits, he’s been awestruck by the ownership the alumni are taking in the current squad’s fortunes.
“The network stays the network,” said Trahan, estimating that from 10 to 15 alumni will show up after practice “and simulate the offense or defense that we will be facing. One text, and we had 15 kids two nights in a row.”
A victory on Friday will likely land the Cougars in a tough matchup at top-seeded Pioneer Valley Tuesday at 6:00 pm. That trip is 136 miles by car and lands the visitor within 2 miles of the point at which Massachusetts borders New Hampshire to the northeast and Vermont to the northwest.
ORR girls start at home
The Old Rochester girls basketball team faced New Bedford high school (10-10) on February 19 and won 67-44. Tessa Winslow was named the player of the game in the final regular season game for the Bulldogs, who ended the season with a 15-6 record and, as the 13th seed, will host 20th seeded Arlington Catholic (10-12) in the first round of the MIAA Division 3 state tournament on Thursday, February 27, at 6:30 pm. The winner visits 4th seeded Medway (date TBD).
ORR’s boys basketball team (11-9) is seeded 20th in Division 3 and will travel to 13th seeded Tantasqua Regional (14-6) for its opening-round game on Friday at 6:30 pm. Tantasqua is located in Fiskdale, just north of the Mass Pike approximately halfway between Worcester and Springfield.
The ORR/Fairhaven hockey team opened the tournament at home with a 4:30 pm Wednesday matchup against St. Bernard at Tabor Academy. Those who get The Wanderer online when it is posted on Wednesdays may see this article in time to go and support the Bulldogs at the Travis Roy Rink.
Sports Roundup
By Mick Colageo and Aiden Comorosky
Our traditional Storytime schedule has been temporarily suspended, but we’re working hard with some amazing volunteer readers to still provide a library Storytime experience throughout the month of March.
We would be pleased if you and your 2- to 5-year-old kiddos would join us at the library on the following dates:
Tuesday, March 11, Touch a Truck Storytime with guest reader Alex Wheeler, EMT
Wednesday, March 12, with guest reader Michelle Cusolito, author and educator.
Friday, March 14, with guest reader Kelley Medeiros, library trustee.
Wednesday, March 19, with guest reader “Mister Vinny” (from Toe Jam Puppet Band).
Wednesday, March 26, with guest reader Cam Durant, town administrator.
Friday, March 28, with guest reader Kelley Medeiros, library trustee.
All guest Storytime sessions are scheduled for 10:30 am and will run for approximately 45 minutes. These are drop-in sessions, no registration required. These programs are designed for children ages 2-to-5 years old, but siblings are welcome to attend. If the Storytime needs to be cancelled for any reason, we will post that information to our Facebook page as soon as possible.
Former Library Director Gail Roberts will also be offering a short spring Storytime session for five weeks, starting Tuesday, March 18, and ending on Tuesday, April 15. These Storytimes are scheduled for 10:30 am and will require registration. We have spots available for 10 kids, ages 2-4. Registration will open on Monday, March 3.
Please remember that library cards are required for checkout. If you have lost your card, it can be replaced for a $2 charge. A great way to make sure you always have your card with you is to upload it to the SAILS Mobile app. It’s quick and easy, and we’re happy to show you how it works.
Library hours are: Mondays and Thursdays 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm; Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10:00 am to 6:00 pm; Fridays 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; and Saturdays 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We are closed on Sundays and holidays. The Library can be contacted by phone at 508-763-8600 or email at info@plumblibrary.com. We are unable to respond to email, voicemail, or Messenger outside of normal operating hours.
The Mattapoisett Land Trust protects approximately 900 acres of open space in the town, and each of our preserves, if large enough, is open to hunting during the state-regulated hunting season. We welcome hunters to responsibly hunt on our preserves, even allowing them to place temporary hunting stands in their favorite hunting spot. We only ask two things from hunters who place stands on our preserves: that their name and phone number is written conspicuously somewhere on the stand (under the seat so that it is visible from the ground is a good option), and that the stand is removed at the end of the hunting season. So, if you are a hunter on an MLT preserve, please be sure to remove your hunting stand by March 31 this year. If after that date we find a stand on one of our preserves, we will remove it. Also, if you are wandering in the woods on one of our preserves and see a hunting stand, please call or email us and let us know its location. You can reach us at 774-377-9191 or at manager@mattlandtrust.org.
Atty. Jan E. Dabrowski, 67, of Mattapoisett passed away on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at Tufts Medical Center following a long illness.
Jan graduated from Bishop Stang High School, Boston College, and Boston College School of Law. He was an attorney in private practice in New Bedford for over 40 years.
A proud member of the U.S. Merchant Marines, he served aboard the SS San Antonio, SS Mormacsun, SS Gulf Oil, and the collier SS Marine Electric (RIP Bill Mulberry). He also worked for The Steamship Authority.
Jan was a devoted fan of the Boston College Eagles and served as manager of the basketball team from 1975-1979. He was a member of the Board of Directors of St. Anne Credit Union and served as Chairman of the Board. He was also a member of the Reservation Golf & Beach Club. Jan was happiest at their home on Anna Maria Island, FL.
He was the son of the late Sheriff Edward K. and Helen Dabrowski. He is survived by his long-time partner and best friend Carol Mansfield; his sister Christine Amaral of Parkesburg, PA; his brother Ronald of Arlington, VA; his nephews Joshua Amaral and Zachary Dabrowski; his niece Amanda Dabrowski; and his long-time friend Leslie Power.
In accordance with Jan’s wishes, there are no visiting hours. His family will receive guests on Saturday, March 1st from 12:30 – 1 pm in St. Anthony’s Church, 26 Hammond St. Mattapoisett, followed by his Funeral Mass at 1 pm.
In Jan’s memory, please make a donation to the Jimmy V Foundation, 106 Towerview CT, Cary NC 27513 (https://www.v.org/), where 100 percent of the donations are dedicated to cancer research.
Do three things every day – laugh, cry, and think. If you laugh, you think, you cry that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special. . . .
Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up. Jim Valvano, March 4, 1993
Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett. For online guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
The Rochester Select Board on Monday began its meeting by approving a three-year contract for new Town Planner Michaela Shoemaker, a mere week after the board hired her. Shoemaker is the former Community Development planner in Falmouth and has also served as the town planner in Hanover.
The board also approved new three-year contracts for Assistant Town Accountant Kathy McHenry, Fire Chief Scott Weigel, and the Police Union. The latter contract led to the most noteworthy follow-up discussion.
Town Administrator Cameron Durant noted that, under the new Police Union pact, all patrol officers have agreed to wear body cameras. This change, he said, “will have a positive effect on the town’s exposure.” Durant explained the use of body cameras will cut down on the department’s exposure to liability claims and lawsuits. Proof against such claims will be on video. This will even mean a slight credit/reduction on the department’s liability insurance, he said. In exchange for this part of the agreement, he said the Police Union has been granted a raise in the private detail rate to $65 per hour.
The board then approved declaring a Council on Aging van as surplus property but stopped short of voting to immediately sell it at auction. COA board member Michael Cambra tapped the brakes on this part of the plan by asking if the Friends of the Council on Aging could sell the van and use the proceeds for the proposed renovations of the town’s Senior Center.
“Do we have no ability to do that?” he asked. Durant said he wasn’t sure.
Select Board member Adam Murphy said the van has to be declared surplus first, then the friends group would have the option to bid on it. Durant said the proceeds from any sale of the van by the town would have to go into the general fund, not a COA-specific account. He then concluded he will speak to Town Counsel “to see if we have any wiggle-room.”
Next, a last-minute addition to the agenda, discussion of the Public Safety Feasibility Study Final Report, prompted Murphy to vehemently defend the way the board has handled the plan to build new public safety buildings or renovate the current facilities.
Murphy said a letter from residents criticizes the board for its spending and its lack of “transparency” related to the plan. He and the other Select board member in attendance, Paul Ciaburri, explained that some of the facts in this criticism are not accurate. Ciaburri said the study’s scope was intended only for the need for a new fire station. The study itself ballooned out of proportion to include a $9,000,000 police station.
A Special Town Meeting article in January addressed the police station need another way, Murphy argued, with a $300,000 renovation instead of a $9,000,000 new station. Ciaburri noted the need for a new fire station was identified in 1998 when it would have cost perhaps $3,000,000. And that expense, he said, “would have been paid off by now. … But we kicked the can down the road.”
Murphy said the Feasibility Report has finally been posted on the town website, at his urging. He said he will be available at Town Hall on Thursday, March 6, starting at 5:00 pm to answer any questions on the study. “We will shed light on what we are spending on and where. It’s on us to be as transparent as possible,” said Murphy.
The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Monday, March 3, at 6:00 pm at 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Select Board
By Michael J. DeCicco
On Saturday, February 22, the doors of the new Marion Maritime Center and Harbormaster facility were open to the public. Up until this point, the only look anyone had received was that of released pictures or MRC’s posted meetings. The new building sits near the sea with a system of 360-degree cameras allowing full sight of the harbor – and grounds surrounding the facility, as explained by Harbormaster Adam Murphy upon giving some visitors a tour of his new office. The cameras have extremely high fidelity and resolution, allowing the capturing of license plates on land, or boat registration information at sea.
The layout of the facility is that of a circle. The middle is the central control area, where general harbor monitoring takes place and phone calls are taken. Flanking that on either side are hallways. The main meeting room to the left was full of snacks, like Dunkin Donuts, coffee, and other pastries and snacks. Around the back and right sides are various offices and a locker room. The whole site is built on “stilts” and rests above a garage for a Harbormaster boat and other machinery and equipment.
Construction began in January 2024 with primary work being of the new facility being completed about ten months later, last October.
By Sam Bishop