The Rochester Women’s Club will continue to sell fresh Christmas trees and decorated wreaths at the clubhouse (Marion Road, Rochester Center) on Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
Mattapoisett Women’s Club “Great Decisions”
MWC’s Great Decisions Foreign Policy discussions begin January 25, 2012. The popular revolts and upheaval of the Arab Spring have radically changed the face of the Middle East. Come find out what lies ahead for the Middle East’s transition to democracy as the Mattapoisett Women’s Club offers the highly popular and thought provoking Great Decisions civic-education program of the Foreign Policy Association.
For discussions, the group will use the Great Decisions briefing book, which highlights eight of the most thought-provoking foreign policy challenges facing Americans today. The publication provides background information, current data, and policy options for each of the eight issues and serves as the focal text for our discussions. Topics for 2012 include: Middle East realignment, Promoting democracy, Mexico, Cyber-security, Exit from Afghanistan and Iraq, State of the Oceans, Indonesia, and Energy geopolitics.
Great Decisions meets once a week on Wednesdays for eight consecutive weeks from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm beginning January 25, 2012 in the lower meeting room of the Mattapoisett Free Public Library. The expected ending date is March 14. A snow date would extend the meetings to March 21.
Cost for the Foreign Policy Association publication providing background information on discussion topics is $28. The fee includes refreshments. Please make checks payable to: Ellen P. Flynn and mail checks to Ellen P. Flynn, P.O. Box 1312, Mattapoisett, MA 02739 by Monday, December 19, 2011. For more information contact co-chairs: Ellen P. Flynn at 508-758-1312 or Eileen Marum at 508-758-9751.
Old Rochester Youth Lacrosse
Registration is open for Old Rochester Youth Lacrosse, Spring 2012. Lacrosse is known as the fastest game on two feet! Sign up and join the fun. Tri-town girls and boys grades 1 through 8 are welcome. Please go to our website to register & for information: www.ORYLAX.com.
The deadline is January 15, 2012. Contact: info@orylax.com or amcintire@arm-co.com; Andrew McIntire at 508-758-3803 for more information. Old Rochester Youth Lacrosse is sponsored by the Mattapoisett Recreation Department.
Do You Remember?
Football is a big part of most schools and Old Rochester Regional is no different. September 1961 marked the first interscholastic athletic competition for the new school. To mark the opener against Dighton-Rehoboth, more than 300 of ORR’s students were bussed to Dighton to watch the team makes its debut. After being outplayed in the first half, ORR rallied in the second half and won their first game with a score of 14-6, beginning their long history with football in the area. Leading the team to its’ first win were Seniors Charlie Jefferson (Captain), Mike Beauchmin (Center), Juniors Buckey Andrews (tackle), and Billy Jones (end). For this first game, they were not called the Bulldogs. Anyone remember what that name was?
The 4 busloads of students who made the trip to Dighton were waiting at the school when they returned – prompting a victory celebration.
In its first home game, Old Rochester went against Martha’s Vineyard and with a 18-0 victory over M.V. Old Rochester now stood at 2-0 for the season.
Even though Old Rochester did not become a full-fledged member of the Tri-County Conference until 1963, one of players in the 1961 team was selected to the All-conference team by the coaches. Any guesses?
Back in 1961, our school colors were red and white and we had a little bull dog for the team’s mascot. Somewhere in the past 50 years, the colors have changed to black, red and white and the mascot has gotten a whole new appearance.
(Answers: The first team name was the Redwings. The team member chosen to the All-conference team in 1961 was Charlie Jefferson).
Rochester Youth Baseball Registration
Editor’s Note: Rochester Youth Baseball is not affiliated with Old Rochester Little League.
Rochester Youth Baseball (RYB) has opened registration for its Spring 2012 season. Players may register online via its website (www.RochesterYouthBaseball.com), via mail and in-person. An Information/Registration Night will be held on Monday, December 12 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm at Re-Max offices at 140 Wareham Road, Marion (on the corner of Route 6 and Point Road).
RYB accepts all children who are 4.5 through 12 years old on April 30, 2012. RYB is opening its borders for the first time to accept players outside of the town’s borders.
Any player 8-12 years old who registers by December 31 will receive free entrance into RYB’s Winter Baseball Academy, which is led by pro ballplayer Mike Torres. The Academy will instruct not only on baseball skills but also conditioning.
RYB’s divisions are: Major League for players 9 to 12 years old; Minor League for players 8 to 11 years old; Farm League for players 6 to 8 years old; T-Ball for players 4.5 to 6 years old.
There is further information available on the RYB website and on its Facebook page. If you have a question, email RYB President Hal Rood at halrood@gmail.com.
Memorial Plantings in Mattapoisett
The Mattapoisett Tree Committee has recently completed two Memorial Tree plantings: a new Pin Oak tree at Center School and a “Winter King” Hawthorn tree at the Mattapoisett Landing. These Memorial trees have recently been planted to honor the loved ones of two Mattapoisett families.
The holiday is a wonderful time to donate to the Mattapoisett Tree Committee, for preserving and maintaining the tree canopy in Mattapoisett. Donations in any amounts can be made out to Town of Mattapoisett, PO Box 435, Mattapoisett, MA Attn: Tree Committee. For more information, please call Sandy Hering at 508-758-3008 or check the town web page and look for Tree Committee.
Neighbors Respond to CVS Proposal
To the Editor:
The proposed CVS development for Mattapoisett is not a positive step for our community.
A 13,000 square foot building would dominate the Route 6 corridor and change the aesthetic of Mattapoisett forever. In addition, there are 10 retail pharmacy outlets available in the area. This level saturation begs the question of what happens if this site doesn’t prove profitable. The town would be left with an empty big box in one of its most visible locations.
CVS/Caremark has 7,200 stores and $96 billion in revenues. The idea that it will make a significant effort to produce a store reflecting the unique character of Mattapoisett is questionable. More likely, the chain’s designers will “interpret” the architectural vernacular resulting in a big box store with a pseudo-colonial facade. This is the usual course of action.
The elimination of affordable housing on the corner of North Street and County Road must also be considered. The removal of such housing would reduce the diversity of housing available in the Town, which impacts negatively on the community. And as the Planning Board recently noted, traffic on what is already a busy corner and a residential abutting area is a concern.
The suburban sprawl we see in Fairhaven and Dartmouth did not happen overnight. It was a step-by-step progression. The Town must be vigilant. A 13,000 square foot store at the busiest intersection would be a significant step toward that type of sprawl.
The project simply does not provide significant value to Mattapoisett. It should not be built.
Thank you,
John A. Theriault
To the Editor:
I am writing in response to the CVS Presents Preliminary Plan article in the Nov 24th issue.
As a resident who lives very close to the proposed site, I was pleased to read that Chairman Thomas Tucker put on record “no drive-thrus” and stated that the special “village business” district is subject to even stricter bylaws than the general business area. But sadden to learn that CVS’s only obstacle will be to get approval from the Board of Appeals (and we know what happens there, just look across the road at Dunkin’ Donuts/Tedeschi).
A thank you goes to board member, John Mathieu, for pointing out that North Street is a residential tree lined street. Trees, a precious commodity in today’s community, will have to be destroyed to accommodate CVS’ entrance/exit driveways – a reverse action when money is being spent to plant trees in our communities to help our environment.
Shame on you, Mr. Beck the CVS representative from Gershman, Brow and Crowley. You cannot wait eight months for an accurate traffic study. So where do you live in this village? Certainly not on North Street.
Everyone knows that you cannot possibly imagine unless you see it for yourself, what the summer months bring between May and November, endless boats small, medium and very large with their trailers, campers, convoys of SUVs, groups of bikers and pedestrians all hours of the day. Now combine that with our newly paved street, North Street has already become a hazardous street to maneuver from our own driveways. And I haven’t even mentioned the intersection of North and Route 6 at the traffic lights. I have lost track on the number of barely missed collisions. Mr. Beck, you want to put more vehicles on this road. Shame on you.
Please don’t make the argument for a drive thru on the shoulders of our senior population. I have worked with seniors for over thirty years and I have yet to hear a senior say that they prefer a drive thru window to the one on one personal face-to-face attention of the pharmacist. Since it is not uncommon for prescription refills to be mishandled, customers should open and check their medication before leaving the store. That would be a huge inconvenience at the drive thru window. CVS, if you are truly concerned about providing a convenient service to a sick resident of Mattapoisett, then provide free home delivery so all ages would benefit from a local CVS Pharmacy.
It goes without saying that Wayne Walega, owner of the property and a resident himself of North Street (although not close to the proposed site), has every right to sell his property. No one wants it to become a blight eye sore now the stores are empty.
Mr. Walega speaks of a CVS design in keeping with the Cape Cod seaside theme but one wonders how much control he will have when the property is sold. Let’s be honest, CVS is a major business and their goal is to sell products not to be the local friendly pharmacy of days gone by. Once the dust has settled, Mattapoisett will just be another store on their books and the management’s focus will be on competing against Tedeschi.
I am not part of the NIMBY (not in my backyard) group, so CVS, should you decide to be part of our seaside village, please don’t subject us to a drive thru, exits on North or Mechanic, a typical monster building with a neon sign with loud HVAC units going 24/7. Instead, work with the community, meet with the neighbors and abutters, listen to our concerns – they are valid – and not just give us lip service.
After all you want our business and we all know how powerful a group of taxpayers and citizens can sway a situation – just read about Bank of America and those fees!
Yours truly,
Christine Voss
Mattapoisett
To the Editor:
I was pleased to see an article about “Remembering Seniors During the Holidays” in last weeks Wanderer. Laura Fedak Pedulli presented good information about some of the reasons that the holidays may be difficult for seniors. Jackie Ashley, of the Rochester Council on Aging, reminded people of the good work that Outreach workers in Rochester, and all over Southeastern MA do at the holidays and throughout the year.
She, however, reportedly gave some information that I have to take issue with. I am a mental health professional with a specialization in working with elders. Jackie reportedly said… “the elderly of the elderly, they are depressed… Laughter is the best medicine”. No, treatment of depression is the best medicine. Depression is not something that happens to all elders, nor is it a normal part of aging. It can happen at any age. It is an illness. And, there is treatment available.
Please, do visit your elder friends, family and neighbors. Please, do notice if they are suffering from depression symptoms. Frequently, elders tell me they are not depressed, because in their minds depression would mean they would be sitting in the corner crying. More often, depression consists of the individual sitting in the corner doing nothing. There are other symptoms. Depressed people have lost interest in life, they are fatigued, may experience insomnia or be sleeping all of the time, may not want to eat or may overeat, may have difficulty concentrating, may have difficulty remembering things (Depression in elders can create a pseudo-dementia), may be irritable and may have frequent thoughts of death. Please, help people of any age, with the symptoms of depression, to get to treatment. Primary Care physicians, may miss depression because they can only treat what they know about. You can call an individual’s doctor and let him/her know what is going on with your loved one or yourself if you see symptoms.
There are excellent counselors and psychiatrists in private practice and in mental health clinics throughout SE Mass. They have information about depression and can provide treatment. Don’t wait – seek treatment for yourself or your loved one, by looking in the yellow pages, looking on-line, or asking your doctor about resources for treatment.
Chris Korben, LICSW
Rochester
Dear Parents and Friends of Old Rochester Little League (ORLL):
Recently your child may have brought home from school registration materials for Rochester Youth Baseball (RYB), causing some confusion, which we would like to clear up. RYB is an independent baseball league run and operated by parents of Rochester and is not affiliated with Old Rochester Little League. While we have had discussions about merging the two leagues as recently as this year, RYB has decided not to join ORLL. Although we were disappointed, we respect their decision to remain independent. Other Tri-Town area youth sports programs have thrived under this platform (football, soccer, lacrosse) and we are firm believers that it remains in the children’s best interest to have them competing with each other. It also provides the kids with valuable, personal relationships well in advance of them attending middle school together. Above all, ORLL is committed to providing the best baseball experience to the children of Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester.
We would like to share some highlights from the past season:
• Had over 250 children from the Tri-Town area participate in ORLL’s inaugural season
• Fielded over five teams in each of the four levels of competitive play
• Had over two dozen parents from all three towns participate on the ORLL board
• Had over 120 children ages 5 to 8 participate in seven weeks of former MLB player Brian Rose’s baseball clinic
• Fielded tournament teams at the U8, U9, U10, U11, and U12 levels and won numerous tournaments at different levels.
Though ORLL is off to a great start, we have not been resting on our successes. We have been working this off-season to improve the baseball experience for the children of the Tri-Town area and look forward to another great season in 2012.
Please look for registration materials to be sent home with your children from school in the next couple weeks.
Old Rochester Little League is affiliated with Little League Baseball, founded in 1939 in Williamsport, PA, the world’s largest youth sports program with more than 2.8 million children and 1 million volunteers in more than 100 countries. More than 30 million people have played in Little League programs. This year, approximately 300 children will compete in several divisions of play in baseball in Old Rochester Little League.
Have a safe and happy Holiday season! We look forward to seeing you at opening day in 2012.
Sincerely,
Old Rochester Little League
ORR Rolls out the Red Carpet
The seniors and some underclassmen of Old Rochester Regional High School gathered in the auditorium on Thursday, December 1 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm for the school’s second annual Senior Superlatives Gala. Tickets to the event cost $5, serving as a fundraiser for the Old Rochester Regional Athletic Booster Club. The event was designed in the style of the Academy Awards and therefore required students to attend in semi-formal attire. The Masters of Ceremony for the evening, principal Mr. Devoll and drama club director Mr. Sardinha, wore tuxedoes (which Mr. Sardinha accessorized with a tiara). During the event, Mr. Devoll and Mr. Sardinha used a PowerPoint presentation to show pictures of the nominees for the different superlatives. The seniors who won the superlatives (a boy and a girl won for each category) ascended the stage and took the microphone from Mr. Devoll to give a short acceptance speech – some of which were a simple “Thank you,” while others were tongue-in-cheek displays of wit.
Before the presentation of superlatives, the Old Rochester Regional Dance Team performed to Lady Gaga’s hit song, “Born This Way.” Like in the performance of that song in an episode of the Fox television series, “Glee,” the members of the dance team wore white shirts with phrases written on them in black that displayed their most disliked character trait. Each phrase represented one of the senior superlatives – for example, one girl wore a t-shirt that read “hungry,” which paid homage to the “Biggest Appetite” superlative.
Following the dance performance, Mr. Devoll and Mr. Sardinha entertained their audience with an opening monologue. Mr. Devoll complained that he hadn’t won a teacher superlative last year, and explained that he’d decided to try for “Best Dressed” this year – a plan that failed, Mr. Sardinha noted, because he wore too many bowties. Saying that he hadn’t won a teacher superlative this year either, Mr. Devoll then showed a picture of his newborn son, Sawyer Cabot Devoll, so that “he would get something” that evening. The audience made the obligatory “aw” sound for him.
The winners of the senior superlatives for the class of 2012 included the following: Best Hair – Nathan Houston and Meagan Smith; Most Musically Inclined – Seamus McMahon and Hope Anderson; Stayed the Same – Sam Carey and Molly Magee; Most Changed – Scott McDavid and Jae Roullier; Cutest Couple – Anthony Cammarano and Maggie Pelletier; Most Athletic – D.J. McDonald and Gabby Kondracki; Most Likely to Succeed – David Friedman and Megan Merlo; Best Eyes – Michael Durocher and Maggie Pelletier; Best Smile – John Simcoe and Rachael Reints; Drama King and Queen – Kurt Correia and Katie Holden; Best All-Around – Max Sherman and Shannon Frink; Biggest Appetite – Oliver Lizotte and Jacki Schroeder; Best Laugh – Joe Tripp and Ryann Monteiro; Most Artistic – Alex Beard and Sophie Pratt; Friendliest – David Romanowicz and Madison Costa; Class Flirts – Connor Maloney and Stephanie Glidden; Class Clowns – Ian Gray and Cassie Helmar; Best Personality – Forrest Cote and Kylie Bowen; Shy – Jason Davis and Lauren Sylvia; Teacher’s Pet – Colby Stabell and Anne Smith; Best Dressed – Adam Bliss and Leah Saunders; Cutest Best Friends – Max Risch and John Simcoe.
The winners of the teacher superlatives, as decided by the class of 2012, were: Most Talented – Mr. Everett and Ms. Brunelle; Most Inspirational – Mr. Howie and Ms. Brunelle; Most School Spirit – Mr. Carvalho and Ms. Browning; Best Dressed – Doctor Hamer and Ms. Graser; Paraprofessional of the Year – Mr. Sardinha and Ms. Blake.
• Results of the National Honor Society Thanksgiving Basket Drive – Ms. Dall, advisor to the Old Rochester Regional chapter of the National Honor Society, announced that while donations of food items had been low during the week prior to the conclusion of the drive, students rose to the occasion over that weekend and brought in more than enough food to make seven baskets – laundry basket size – for local families in need. The baskets also contained gift certificates to nearby grocery stores for the purchase of turkeys – in total the school donated $140 in gift certificates to the drive. In addition to Thanksgiving Day baskets, the students of Old Rochester Regional donated enough non-perishable food items to fill two large boxes for food shelters in the area. This year’s drive was yet another success.
By Anne Smith
Ready for Winter Season
The fall sports have all finished up their respective seasons, and now coaches and athletes look forward to the upcoming winter months and more athletics. Yes, preseason has begun.
Last season, the girls Winter Track team captured both the SCC title and the State title. The Basketball teams also did very well, as did Hockey, Cheering, and the Dance team. Some teams have a lot to live up to. But every year begins differently and uncertainly with senior athletes having graduated and new freshman coming in to round out the teams. In girls and boys winter track, several star athletes and top scorers have moved on including Dana Dourdiville, now studying at Brown, Ian Knapton, and Christian Lavoie on the boys’ side, and Therese Morse, Emily Roseman, Hannah O’Day, and Alexandra Bare on the girls’ side. For basketball boys and girls, Jordan Babilonia, Shanice DaSilva, and Kelsey Johnson have all moved on, and for hockey, DJ Silva.
Preseason is the time for younger athletes to realize their potential and compensate for the loss of star senior players. It’s the time to build a close team community, and it’s the time to prepare to face other teams and win. Preseason is when athletes and coaches get together not knowing exactly what to expect, and try to make something great out of what they are given. The uncertainty associated with the start of a new season is always nerve-wracking, but when a group of athletes become a true team, (not just a conglomeration of players) things start to fall together.
It’s difficult to tell yet which freshman or newcomers will become the next stars of the team, but after the first game or meet this will become very clear. Athletes will rise to the challenge of the new season without the old players they could once depend upon, and with that hopefully some will realize something about themselves that they never knew. With so much talent bursting at the seams, this is bound to be an intriguing season for ORR sports.
By India Krawczyk
Center School Clock Removed for Restoration
Photo by Ray Andrews
The 1898 Seth Thomas clock at the Center School is one step closer to ringing in Mattapoisett village again.
The clock mechanism was removed from the clock tower on Thursday, December 1, by clock specialist Balzer Family Clockworks, of Freeport, ME. Balzer removed the clock face hands and the weight-driven pendulum section from the clock tower, with the intention of stripping the lead paint and restoring the parts to new working order.
The clock will be restored at their workshop and reinstalled at Center School in spring. The weight pendulum section will be installed in the third floor music room and be placed behind plexi-glass for public viewing, said project coordinator Ray Andrews. It will be the first time in 113 years that the public can view the clock mechanism. When the clock is done, it will be “better than new”, he said.
Mr. Andrews first became interested in restoring the clock when he was the building committee chairman for the Old Hammondtown and Center School restoration project. As early as 2004, he started contacting Balzer about the feasibility of restoring the classic Seth Thomas clock to working order.
The weight-driven pendulum operated the clock and chimed at all hours in the village until the mid-1990s when the gears got gummed up as a result of misguided maintenance. An attempt by the Police Officers Association in the 1990s to fix the clock proved to be a temporary solution. After the clock was permanently silenced, some suggested doing a quick fix with a satellite-controlled electronic system.
Mr. Andrews stayed the course and advocated to restore the pendulum striker to its original glory. The process, however, would be considerably more expensive. An estimate to electrify the clock was between $11,000 to 14,000, whereas the full clock restoration could cost as much as $70,000, with Balzer receiving about $48,000 for their part. Mr. Andrews decided to go to Center School graduates and the Community Preservation Committee to piecemeal that total.
To date, Mr. Andrews has received approximately $19,413 in a drive to collect one dollar from each Center School alumnus. Of the 5,000 students who have passed through the school, about 566 have contributed, including the entire classes of 1935-1938, 1942-1945, and 1953. Some contributors stepped forward to donate on behalf of their whole class, said Mr. Andrews.
The total was enough to start the ball rolling, and Balzer removed the clock to begin work. Mr. Andrews hopes that an upcoming meeting with the Community Preservation Committee will give him a better idea of how much of the Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds the town is willing to share for the restoration.
The Mattapoisett School Committee voted that the new clock would have to be automated, but Mr. Andrews volunteered to be the “clock keeper” for as long as he can.
“Everything comes out piece by piece,” said Linda Balzer, of Balzer Family Clockworks. “These clocks are always restorable. The school can use this as a teaching tool. You’ve got mathematics, physics… the kids just love it. Kids today are so into electronics that they never get to see mechanics anymore. It’s a wonderful teaching tool.”
Two generations of Balzers – parents Rick and Linda and son Chris – worked on Thursday afternoon, joking and laughing in the dusty clock tower while removing the old scrolled hands off the clock face.
“These hands aren’t typical of Seth Thomas,” said Ms. Balzer, saying that the hand pattern was reminiscent of a fleur-de-lis motif.
Seth Thomas, born in Wolcott, CT, produced several quality timepieces throughout New England in the 19th century. According to the Balzers, Seth Thomas’ clock company was bought out by Andrew Steven Hotchkiss in 1867, who continued the Seth Thomas name until his death in 1901. The Center School clock bears the name “A.S. Hotchkiss” on the brass plaque. The 38-inch bronze bell on the clock was manufactured by Meneely Co. out of Troy, NY, another noteworthy manufacturer of the late 19th century.
The clock was just one of many magnificent touches added to the Center School, which was a gift to the town of Mattapoisett from Standard Oil tycoon Henry Huttleston Rogers, who attended grammar school while living with his grandparents in Mattaposiett.
According to Ms. Balzer, a weight-driven pendulum clock, properly maintained, can last for centuries. A similar clock in Salisbury, England, was produced in the 1300s and is still in operation, she said.
Balzer has restored over 30 similar weight-driven pendulum clocks in New England, including Seth Thomas clocks located at the Department of Police Service in North Attleboro, MA, and the Free Will Baptist Church in North Sutton, NH. A full list of restored clocks – including before and after photos – can be viewed on their website at www.BalzerClockworks.com.
Once the clock is restored, it will once again chime in the village, though Mr. Andrews noted that they will keep it silent in the evening to avoid upsetting neighbors who perhaps aren’t accustomed to hearing chimes at all hours of the night.
“But I’d love to hear it again, 24/7,” said Mr. Andrews. “It never bothered me.”
Center School alumni interested in donating to the project can contact Mr. Andrews at andrewscompass@verizon.net, and can make checks payable to: Center School Clock, P.O. Box 882, Mattapoisett, MA, 02739. Please add your year of graduation to the memo line.
By Anne Kakley