Mattapoisett Bike Group Discusses Outlook

on

The Friends of the Mattapoisett Bicycle and Recreational Path met at the library on Tuesday, February 28 to discuss their upcoming year of events and fundraisers.

President Bonne DeSousa, with about 12 in attendance, began the meeting by providing some exposition regarding bike path business that was discussed late last year. The group wants to build a new permanent bridge across the Eel Pond breach, spanning about 30 feet. The current pedestrian bridge in recent years has fallen in disrepair and the Friends of the Bike Path want to install a temporary structure.

According to Ms. DeSousa, the new aluminum bridge would be safer and more convenient. “It’s easily installed and can be easily removed in the case of bad weather,” she said.

But progress on getting approval for the permanent bridge has been slow. The group has been working with the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission to ensure they are in compliance with state laws and regulations set by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Funding, too, is tight and will need to be acquired over time. The entire project has a price tag of $2 million, which would be raised over the course of four successive fiscal years.

The Friends are also organizing, in conjunction with YMCA Camp Massasoit and South Coast Health Systems, a fitness and fundraising challenge on June 24 to benefit the Mattapoisett Rail Trail Design and Path Improvements Fund. Registered participants can walk, run, or bike the course anywhere from one to forty miles, followed by a family friendly picnic, with music, overlooking the Mattapoisett Harbor.

The group, which has been around since 1996, has been responsible for helping to oversee the maintenance and repair of the bike path. Three years ago, they began a project to pave the course.

Having a biking area away from the winding roads of Mattapoisett is important to many residents. Renee Pothier has been a member of the Friends for 12 years and her family, which includes four children ages 12 and under, all use the path.

“I think it’s fabulous for them to have a safe place to ride their bikes, somewhere off the roads,” she said.

In addition, they are planning two safety talks during the month of April. For one of these events, they will partner with the Mattapoisett Police Department to teach local students the importance of bicycle safety.

By Eric Tripoli

Tabor Academy Hosts the JV Prep New England

on

After one year of practicing/conditioning, varsity meets and tournaments, Tabor Academy’s junior varsity wrestlers finally earned a chance to show off in a tournament of their own. Although the junior varsity team had attended tournaments in Pembroke and Natick, this tournament presented the team with the unique chance to become a New England champion at home.

After three hours of unrolling mats, carrying tables and chairs, and taping the boundaries, Tabor’s other wrestling team was ready for tournament time. Around 9:30 am, weigh-ins began and by 10:30 am, the tournament had begun.

Schools from all over New England, from Maine to Connecticut, traveled to Tabor Academy to enter their junior varsity teams. Broken into 8-man brackets, each wrestler was guaranteed at least 3 matches.

These brackets were filled out at the 8 scoring tables by some Tabor varsity wrestlers and other volunteers. The first, second, third, and fourth place finishers were awarded medals at the end of the tournament. Each match was broken into one 2 minute-period and two 1 minute-periods; matches could be won on pin falls or points.

At the start of the day, many Tabor wrestlers were surprised early. Plenty of the junior varsity athletes were bumped into the conciliation round. However, as the tournament progressed, many Seawolves managed to wrestle their way back into a contest for third and fourth.

Tabor junior Roger Tan and Tabor freshman Mason Johnson, in a unique situation, wrestled each other in a bout for third place. Although Roger ultimately emerged victorious, Mason’s hard work despite an injury earlier in the year paid off in the form of a fourth place medal.

Junior Michael Kadison wrestled an outstanding first round against Michael Sotirou, pinning his opponent in the second period. In the second round, competition stiffened and every Tabor wrestler besides Kadison was bumped into the conciliation rounds, while he edged out a 6 to 4 victory over a tough Hyde School-CT wrestler. In the championship match, Kadison hung on for a 4 to 2 victory over his Phillip Andover Academy opponent and became Tabor Academy’s only 2012 junior varsity New England Champion.

Throughout the day, various helpers and volunteers contributed to make the tournament work. Coach Leary and Coach Townsend operated the head table and worked to make the tournament function as smoothly as possible.

The wrestlers who did not compete worked at the scoring table, excluding varsity athletes Miko McGuire and Clayton Caliendo who filled in for Leary and Townsend and worked as coaches for Tabor’s junior varsity wrestlers.

Ms. Harding and Ms. Jacobs managed the concession stand all day, serving food to hungry wrestlers, families, table-workers, and referees.  Everyone’s contribution facilitated Tabor Academy’s junior varsity wrestling tournament. The tournament and this cooperation once again proved to be an enormous success.

By Jake Farias

Toe Jam Puppet Band Concert

on

The Tri-town Project GROW Parents’ Group invites you to a Toe Jam Puppet Band Concert on Saturday, March 17, at 1:00 pm. They will perform in the Center School Gymnasium in Mattapoisett. Admission is $10 per family and proceeds benefit the Project GROW Scholarship Program. Bake sale items and snacks will be available for purchase.

Mattapoisett PTA Community Spelling Bee

on

On Friday, March 9 at 6:00 pm at the ORRHS Auditorium, the Mattapoisett PTA is holding its First Annual Community Spelling Bee. The PTA is signing up 20 teams of three (*with one back up teammate) to compete for the status of “Town’s BEST Spellers”.  Teams are adults and students 14 years+ on a team. For a contribution of $50, you and two* other fabulous spellers will have the chance to show us what you know! Prizes will be awarded. Deadline for entering is Friday, March 2. For additional information, visit www.mattapoisettPTA.org or contact: Kris Higgins at khiggins43@verizon.net or Amy Wiggin at amywiggin@verizon.net

Michael Rock from Fun 107 will emcee the event with music by DJ Mike Bowman. The Word Announcer will be Kevin Tavares, OHS 4th Grade Teacher and judges will be Rose Bowman, Center School Principal; Matt D’Andrea, OHS Principal; Sue Powers; OHS Secretary. Teams will be listed on the www.mattapoisettPTA.org website. In addition to spelling words correctly, there will be raffles and a concession stand. General Admission: $2 per person. Don’t miss out on this night of fun for the whole family.

ORR Junior Class Talent Show

on

The Old Rochester Regional High School Junior Class will be holding a Talent Show on Wednesday, March 7 at 6:30 pm in the school’s auditorium. Tickets can be purchased for $5 at the door.

The show will feature a variety of acts including singing, dancing and music. All proceeds will benefit the junior class and their upcoming semi-formal. For more information, contact the class of 2013’s advisor Jeanette Raposa at jraposa@orr.mec.edu.

Mattapoisett Cultural Council

on

The Mattapoisett Cultural Council invites you to join them at 10:00 am on Saturday, March 10 at the library for a public meeting.

Woven through the fabric of our life experiences here in Mattapoisett are cultural events that highlight traditions, create learning opportunities and draw our community together. You may be surprised to learn that many of them are funded, in part, by your Local Cultural Council.

Some examples include the Harborfest, field trips for Mattapoisett school children, live performances in schools, the Council on Aging, the Free Public Library and other venues and the ORCTV Telethon.

Your Local Cultural Council also supports arts, humanities and sciences regionally, such as the Teen Artist Internship Program at ArtWorks!, the Buzzards Bay Musicfest and both the SouthCoast Children’s Theatre and the SouthCoast Children’s Chorus.

We need your interest and support to keep the Council connected to opportunities in the arts, humanities and sciences throughout our community. Please join us for our public meeting. You can also contact us at MattapoisettLCC@gmail.com.

Plumb Library Events

on

The following are the programs for March at the Joseph H. Plumb Memorial

Library, 17 Constitution Way, Rochester:

•Nonfiction Book Discussion Group — The Nonfiction Book Discussion Group will meet Thursday, March 22 at 6:30 pm to discuss In the Garden of the Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson. Larson, author of Devil in the White City and Isaac’s Storm, this time turns his gaze to Berlin at the start of the Third Reich. The American ambassador, William Dodd and his family have just moved to Germany. His warnings about Hitler fall on deaf ears as his daughter has affairs with a powerful Nazi and with a Soviet spy.

•Cafe Parlez — Café Parlez’ selection for March is The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Orphan, clock keeper and thief Hugo lives in the walls of a Paris train station. When he becomes friends with a bookish girl and a crotchety old toy seller, his undercover life and most precious secret are put in jeopardy. This book won the Caldecott Award for Illustration in 2008 and was recently made into a movie. We will be discussing Hugo Cabret on Thursday, March 29 at 6:30 pm. Books are available at the desk, or bring your own copy.

•Knitting Group — Join fellow knitters and crocheters at Mary Leonard’s Knitting Group on Friday afternoons  from 2:00 – 3:30 pm.  Knitters and crocheters of all levels are invited to drop by to enjoy tea, cookies and the company of fellow crafters. Beginners are welcome.

•Coffee with the Candidates — Being an informed voter is the best way to participate in a democracy. With that in mind, the Plumb Library offers its first Coffee with the Candidates.  Join us on Saturday, March 24 from 9:30—11:00 am for an informal “meet and greet” with the candidates for the local election. Refreshments will be served thanks to the Friends of Plumb Library. Drop by and meet your neighbors who are running for local offices such as Selectmen, Library Trustees, Water Department and more.

•Irish Music and Fun — Children ages 4-10 are invited to take part in Music ‘n’ Fun Class with Aoife Clancy: A St. Paddy’s Day Celebration on Saturday, March 24 at 11:30 am. Aoife Clancy brings her years of music experience and her unique style of teaching to incorporate traditional Irish music, song and dance from her Celtic roots. Aoife feels it’s important to get children involved in music class, so she’ll be demonstrating a simple Irish jig along with songs her father taught her growing up in Ireland. She will share stories of Irish mythology dating back hundreds of years. All of this will be done in a very informal and fun way. The class should run about 50 minutes in length, and space will be limited. Comfortable clothing should be worn and shoes will be removed to avoid little people from getting hurt. Call 508-763-8600, drop by the library at 17 Constitution Way, Rochester, or email info@plumblibrary.com to reserve a space. This program is sponsored by the Friends of Plumb Library.

To find out more about these and other programs at the Plumb Library, visit our website at www.plumblibrary.com and check the Events Calendar. You can also check our blog at plumblibrary.wordpress.com, or “like” us on Facebook.  The 100th person to “like” us wins a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card.

Maconchu Club

on

In lieu of a regular meeting for March, the Maconchu Club of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church will be attending The Boy Friend, ORR Drama Club’s spring production, on March 25 at 2:00 pm. Tickets for members can be picked up from Carol Atkinson or ordered from Carol at 52 County Road, Unit 29, Mattapoisett. The price will be $12 and checks should be made out to the Maconchu Club.

Rochester Rabies Clinic

on

There will be a rabies clinic on Sunday, March 25, from 12:00 to 2:00 pm at the Grange Hall on Hartley Road in Rochester. The cost is $12 per shot. All animals must be properly restrained; all dogs must be leashed, all cats in cat carriers. Licensing will be available for Rochester residents.  The cost is $10 for intact male or unspayed female; $7 for spayed or neutered. Contact Anne Estabrook, ACO at 508-649-9813 with any questions.

ORYF Pop Warner All-American Scholars

on

Several ORYF Bulldogs were recently chosen as 2012 Pop Warner All-American Scholars for the New England region. To be eligible to receive this honor, a student must be a football player or cheerleader with a minimum grade point average of 96 percent. Team placement is determined by each scholar’s academic achievements along with their extracurricular activities and community service. All of the scholars have now moved on to be evaluated at the All-American national Level. The 2012 Scholars are:
            •Fifth Grade: First team: Jake Mourao. Honorable Mention: Robert Ross, Maxwell Urion Nelson.
            •Sixth Grade: First Team: Michael Kennefick II.  Second Team:  Jenna Aruri, Noah Fernandes.
            •Seventh Grade: First Team:  Lillian Healy. Second Team: Tessa Camboia, Nathan Garcia, Jordan McArdle, Tyler Mourao.
            •Eighth Grade:  First Team: Riley Johnson, Thomas Winters.
The scholars are invited to attend the New England region banquet at Gillette Stadium to celebrate their outstanding accomplishments.