Deep Dives Key Budget Strategy

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            While Chairman Shay Assad made it explicitly clear that every member of the Marion Finance Committee is invited to participate in every aspect of the town’s budget discussion, he introduced a strategy aimed at minimizing the possibility that the committee could miss something important.

            In explaining the workings of the committee to four new members on December 6, Assad said he has asked particular members to take deep dives, dividing their efforts to every important section within the budget “so that we’ve got at least one or two members who are intimately familiar with all the detail, rather than simply having (a department head) come and make a presentation that night.

            “It’s not like we’re trying to pigeon-hole people into certain sections, but we found that we get a better rapport with department heads, for example, like somebody’s got to look at the revenues for the town, and sit down with the finance director and understand, okay, where are we with all our revenues? … Why did we project what we projected?”

            Assad divided budget categories by Fire and Police departments, the Department of Public Works, Water/Sewer, and schools.

            “I’ve spent the last three years – and Bill Marvel has been part of that – looking at the schools, and we have kind of changed things a little bit,” said Assad, alluding to a former lack of transparency in the budget process and the tri-town finance committees’ frustration. “We had a really poor relationship with the (Marion) School Committee and with the schools, we really did. And it was more of an inquisition than it was working as stewards of a town and trying to understand … I think people all had their best interests certainly, but it was not productive.”

            Assad’s concerted effort toward that end coincided with new administration at Old Rochester, where Superintendent Mike Nelson and Assistant in charge of Finance Howie Barber became the district’s key stakeholders.

            Greater transparency was eventually achieved, and the process became more of a partnership. Even so, Assad anticipates a difficult budget process for the ORR District, especially given adverse effects of remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic. He told the committee that many children are on individual education plans as a result.

            “Our role isn’t to set the requirements for the town,” Assad explained. “In the past … we stepped back and forth in arguing more about requirements than about … do we have the wherewithal to afford what it is that the town wants to do? … Our principal role is to recommend to the townspeople should they or should they not accept certain financial articles. That’s what our responsibility is.”

            Assad identified the statewide decline in enrollment as a key issue but said the FinCom works as a financial advisor to the school committees, the voting bodies. Assad clarified that FinCom’s role is not to vote on the school budget but to decide if the town can afford that budget.

            Jay Pateakos, Assad pointed out, served on the school committee and is an example of expertise that the committee can draw upon when it comes together to discuss the information revealed in any designee’s deep dive into a particular department’s budget. Assad also clarified that he is not trying to establish liaisons to departments. The job is to get the information.

            “And we’re looking at, like each budget you’re looking at ‘under 2 percent increase,’” said Pateakos. “So usually, when the budgets get over 2 percent, that’s when we start getting to work on why is it higher than 2 percent. … I think the schools did a great job last year. Sippican was under 2 percent, which is the first time I think I’ve seen that in a long time.”

            “They’re hurting this year, though,” said Assad, referencing the high cost of special education.

            “Special (Education) is probably the best example. We just have to pay, we have no choice,” said Pateakos.

            New member Shawn Healy volunteered to accompany Assad in the school budget process.

            Pateakos also warned the new members attending the December 6 meeting that the Capital Improvements Planning Committee meets weekly for 6-8 weeks and is a job for a retired committee member. Fred Mock had already volunteered to sit on the CIPC. Assad anticipates $100,000,000 in total projected proposals under the consideration of the CIPC.

            In general, this is the calm before the storm for the Finance Committee. Assad noted that Town Administrator Geoff Gorman is interviewing department heads and getting his comprehensive house in order before the FinCom begins its analysis of each department’s requests for FY25.

            “It starts to get hot in the kitchen in January. … Basically, Geoff is expecting to get his budgets from town departments in the next week,” said Assad, explaining that Gorman’s discussions with department heads will culminate in several meetings with the Finance Committee beginning in mid-January and lasting through the first week in March.

            At the start of the meeting, Assad welcomed four new members to the committee.

            Tom Crowley, a Tabor Academy graduate … went to the Naval Academy in 1974 and had been working for the Navy as a civilian up until about two years ago. “I moved back to the town in the spring, look forward to contributing.”

            Healy moved to Marion in 2021 but noted that his wife is from Rochester. They have four children, the older two attending Sippican Elementary School. Healy has a background in financial services and worked at Putnam for 15 years and has an MBA in Finance and is a member of the CFA Society in Boston.

Michael Sudofsky, a 22-year Marion resident, told the committee he started at Case Western University and worked as an engineer in Germany building plastic products, then imported products to the U.S. He owns a couple of commercial properties in Marion and is “very involved in the village.” Like Healy, he lives on Front Street.

            Dave Herron moved to Marion in 2016 after “14 years exiled in Chicago.” He worked in the Chicago Stock Exchange and in the financial-services industry for Charles Schwab and later Fidelity Investments.

            “It’s great to have a full committee,” said Assad, who noted that Gorman and Select Board representative Toby Burr were unable to attend because they were attending a CIPC meeting being held simultaneously.

            The next meeting of the Marion Finance Committee is scheduled for Wednesday January 3, 2024, at 7:00 pm at the Town House conference room.

Marion Finance Committee

By Mick Colageo

Remembering Ma

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If Ma’s issues were being addressed today, her life and that of her children might have been easier. But in the 1950s, women’s issues and emotional wellbeing weren’t a top priority. Her comfort fell to us and Dad.

            And so, speaking for myself, I felt responsible for her happiness even at an early age. Dr. Phil would have a field day. Yet I know we are not that unique. We were your average, dysfunctional, co-dependent family trying to avoid conflict. We rarely succeeded.

            Ma and Dad would spend 70-plus years together, but they didn’t belong together as a couple. Need I say more? They are gone now, and, in spite of her verbalized wish that he would disappear, a mantra we listened to our entire lives, when she finally said goodbye to him the cumulative regrets poured out. He was 92 when he passed away – their unhappy life together was over.

            Because their marriage failed them, Ma turned to her children to fill the space that should have been her husband’s. Thus we became our Mother’s soul mate, pal, and buddy. One spends a long time figuring this all out.

            There were good times, too. Honestly there were. Ma loved to laugh and we loved to see her happy.

            She grew up loving the movies. As her mother cleaned the theater between shows, Ma was allowed to watch the films for free. An early form of employer-provided child care.

            Later on she watched all the old black-and-white movies that were broadcast on TV, teaching us the names of the actors and being one of the first film critics we would know. Her opinions were very strong. She hated Betty Davis, John Wayne, and James Cagney. She loved Sophia Loren, Cary Grant, and Rock Hudson.

            TV was a big deal. We were taught not to ask her anything as she watched Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Perry Mason, and many afternoon soap operas. These were the staples of her life. These were her cultural outlets and her distraction from pain.

            Ma was also a reader. An insomniac her entire adult life, she’d read well into the early morning hours authors like Frank Yerby, Pearl Buck, Taylor Caldwell, and Agatha Christie. I know because we shared a bed most of my childhood.

            I loved cozying up to her at night, feeling her warmth, the smell of talcum powder, touching her lovely dark hair. She was peaceful, and I was happy for that. For hours, I wouldn’t move, wouldn’t disturb the calm façade. Earlier in the evening after a long day of housework, cooking, laundry, she relished a sit-down with a cup of instant coffee and a cigarette.

            As a kid, I became the official errand girl. Several times a day, I’d be sent to one of the markets that once dotted the main drag of Onset village. Her neatly written list and money would be tied in a linen handkerchief. I’d give this to the shopkeeper who’d then collect the items, bag them, place the change and list back in the handkerchief and send me on my way. Once I got home, Ma would teach me how to count the change back – a lost art.

            We had a TV when others in the neighborhood did not, so when Elvis was featured on the Ed Sullivan Show our living room became the place to be. What excitement, the females of all ages were panting over his image on the tiny screen. Afterwards they seemed exhausted and glowing. I didn’t understand what they were all talking about, but it seemed so important and thrilling. I was a witness to the power of Elvis.

            Early on, Ma taught me the basics of good housekeeping; domestic tranquility ruled her home, and I picked up the importance of keeping a home clean and orderly. I learned to cook simple meals and starch and iron everything from undergarments to sheets. She took pride in a home free from dirt, and I followed her example putting great emphasis on these tasks.

            Order carried through the holidays. Christmas trees were decorated with each ornament having its own spot. Tinsel was made from aluminum and reused so it had to be handled gently. She showed us how to place individual pieces at the end of every branch. It was so painstakingly slow but resulted in a resplendent finished product.

            I have only a gauzy memory of Ma doing her own shopping. By the time I was 10, she stopped leaving her property line, eventually not even smelling a breath of fresh air unless someone left a door open a bit too long. Imprisoned by extreme anxiety and depression, her laughter became harder to induce, her anger so ready.

            We drifted apart as I became a teenager. A pretty common thing between parents and children, but for us we stood on opposite sides of a great breach. I left home at 18 years old. She felt my departure was treason. I felt it was an escape. She was a mother however, and when I really needed her, she was there in essential ways.

            When my son was born, she taught me how to change diapers, keep him bathed and warm and how to treat colds and sore throats. Her practical nursing abilities seemed boundless. She knew a little bit about a lot of things. She needed to pass along these wisdoms. It was all she had to give, and they have stood the test of time. And, oh, how she loved that baby.

            Years later when she was again able to leave the boundary lines of her tiny home, I took her on numerous day trips and two overnights out of state. These were a really big deal for her (and me, too, if I’m being honest).

            I’d drive until I was exhausted, covering hundreds of miles. She was amazed by mountains covered with forests, farms dotted with cows, leaves in fall color, and rolling coastlines. I wanted to give her a chance at seeing the joy. At 70 or so, old habits of thought are hard to break, but I believe she tried. By then, she was in her 70s.

            When I married and moved to Mattapoisett, I continued to spend as much time with her as my schedule would allow. She appreciated every moment without ever saying so. I knew she didn’t take my time for granted.

            You never know when the last time for doing something is, in fact, the last time. So I don’t know the last time I took her out for lunch and shopping, but I do know we would have enjoyed it. We’d laugh, maybe cry, I’d listen to her laments about my father, well-worn terrain I endured.

            She never tired of telling me the same anecdotes about her childhood. They were peppered with joy and pain. She had the freedom to roam from morning to night, but also the responsibility of caring for her ailing father while her mother worked. She recalled the gas explosion in Onset when her mother spent the entire day searching for her youngest beloved son, fearing he had been killed, and then the flooding relief when he was found unscathed.

            So often did she relive her own childhood, I can recite the stories as if they are mine. I’ve spent thousands of hours as my mother’s companion and confidant. I listened to it all, but now cannot recall the sound of her voice.

            The last few years found her confined to a nursing home where unfamiliar hands attended to her every human need. She could do nothing for herself. She spent her final days wandering the streets and back alleys of her mind. Strokes and old age, deafness and heart failure made speaking very difficult for her. She tried. I listened. We managed. Sometimes we shared only a few words as I spent the time rubbing her face and hands with lotion, massaging her feet that no longer walked. Touching is so critical.

            Visiting her was so emotionally difficult for me but so necessary. I promised myself I wouldn’t miss her. The lies we tell ourselves. The void she left is slowly filling – slowly. Ma passed away peacefully on January 23, 2014, when no one was looking.

            We didn’t have a shared religious system to comfort us. We won’t be meeting on the other side. But I’ll always remember we held hands as she took me along with her, back to 1930 when she skipped along the streets of Onset free from pain, youthful and laughing.

This Mattapoisett Life

By Marilou Newell

Dexter Road Embankment Solved

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            Stephen and Jane McCarthy were issued an Amended Order of Conditions for their proposed house reconstruction at 43 Dexter Road during the December 13 meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission.

            The embankment at the site was a sticking point in the continued public hearing, when their representative, Dave Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone, Inc., said the retaining wall can be rotated so that the changed to the required 1-to-1 slope would not make the revision more injurious to the conditions.

            Commission Chairman Jeff Doubrava had questioned the manner in which the slope would achieve its required grade, reiterating his concern that the altered slope not become more impactful. Conservation Agent Doug Guey-Lee shared Doubrava’s concern.

            In making his motion, commissioner Emil Assing amended his initial motion that the stone embankment structure maintain a 1-on-1 slope as stated on the site plan and that it not further encroach on the beach side of the house. He also listed several conditions leveraging a strong management of stormwater runoff.

            The commission issued an Order of Conditions to the Robert Glenn Seiple Trust for residential pier-facility improvements at 53 Piney Point Road.

            Project representative Dave Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone, Inc., described a complicated pier reconstruction around and atop somewhat-unstable boulders. Davignon said that Marion Harbormaster Adam Murphy was consulted, that Murphy told the commission he would look at the project and the Weweantic project also designed by Davignon, but Davignon said he had no comments from Murphy.

            Likewise, the commission voted to issue Weweantic Realty Trust an Order of Conditions for similar work at 312 Delano Road. The application had been approved for improvements four or five years ago, according to Davignon, who explained that the last two steel posts holding up the last two sections of the pier, rebuild the walkway.

            The 8×20-foot float would be expanded to 10×20 and be moved seaward and its bottom-anchor-chain system replaced by piles and an electric-powered, hydraulic system operating from above. The chains will remain for dual use.

            The commission voted to issue 133 Wareham Road, LLC, an Order of Conditions for the construction of a 45×35-foot commercial building with associated parking, drainage, utilities and grading at the corner of Route 6 and Point Road. The area is approximately 15,295 square feet (23.5 acres) and is located in a flood zone. The building will be used by an aesthetician and associated spa workers.

            Conditions include the management of runoff with hay bales on the site and management of slope. The owners will be responsible for any maintenance of the stormwater-management system.

            Kent Bennett, Six Point Road LLC, was issued an Order of Conditions to construct a wood deck around an existing house and reconfigured in-ground pool location, spa, patio area and gravel driveway with associated planting areas in a mapped Flood Zone VE at 6 Point Road.

            Commissioner Matt Schultz conditioned the order with the requirement of an additional minimum of 20 feet of floatation fencing or 10 hay bales and that the pool discharge into a dry well.

            The commissioners voted a three-year extension to the long-held permit as filed by Alewives Anonymous, the volunteer organization cleaning up the Sippican River from County Road to Dogget’s Brook to keep the river passable for herring migration.

            The Marion Conservation Commission was scheduled to meet on December 27 and is next scheduled to meet on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Mick Colageo

Machacam Club

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The next meeting of the Machacam Club is scheduled for Wednesday, January 3. Chief Colby is planning another wholesome meal for us. We meet at the American Legion Eastman Post on Depot Street. Doors open at 5pm for social time followed by dinner at 6pm. Our speaker program begins at 6:45. New members are always welcome. Please contact Chuck at cwmccullough@comcast.net with questions.

Alan O. Stickles

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Alan O. Stickles, of Marion, MA & Venice, FL, passed away on December 18, 2023. He was the loving husband of Jocelyn M. Stickles whom he was happily married for over 63 years. Born in Springfield, MA, he was predeceased by his parents, Homer and Ethel Stickles of West Hartford, CT and his brother Homer (Bud) Stickles of East Hartford, CT and Edgartown, MA.

            He is survived by his wife Jocelyn Stickles of Marion, MA and Venice FL, his sons Robert (Allison Vibert) of Marion, MA, Richard (Jayne Neville) of Port Charlotte, FL, five Grandchildren Sarah Tuetken (David) of North Smithfield, RI, Holly Weeden (Evan) of Mattapoisett, MA, Robert Stickles II (Elisabeth) of Plymouth, MA, Taylor Stickles of St. Petersburg, FL, and Jillian Stickles of Hamden, CT; three great grandchildren Hadlee, Thomas and Madeline.

            He attended the University of Connecticut where he was an active member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, and Class Treasurer of his graduating class of 1959. After completing his military service in the army, he joined the Travelers Insurance Company group Sales Department completing a distinguished thirty-three-year sales management career. In 1993 he established the independent brokerage firm, Stickles Insurance Agency, which his son Robert continues to own and operate.

            Al was very active in the Communities he lived in. He was a past Commodore and long-time member of The Beverly Yacht Club serving on many committees and as an active racer. As an avid golfer, he was a member of The Kittansett Club participating in numerous tournaments and as part of the “Wobblers” group. He was also a member of the Pelican Pointe Club in Venice, FL and enjoyed playing golf with friends and mixed tournaments with his wife. Lastly, he was a long-term member of Bay Colony Associates enjoying the many friendships he made.

            Al had a great sense of humor, was quick-witted, making his friends smile often. His smile resonated to everyone he met. No matter if it was his nephews, nieces, grandchildren or the neighborhood kids, Al always seemed to be at the epi center of fun.

            He loved spending time with his family, never missing his son’s hockey, baseball and football games in the younger years and was never happier than when he was with his family. He loved all outdoor activities including playing tennis and golf with Jocey, as well as racing his Bullseye at the Beverly Yacht Club with his 2 sons. Al & Jocey enjoyed a wonderful life together, traveling with friends to numerous destinations, never turning down social events or cocktail parties, often being the life of the party. It was a life well lived, and he will be greatly missed.

            A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date.

            In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Community Nurse Home Care, 62 Center Street Fairhaven, Ma 02719.

            Baldwin Brothers of Venice is honored to serve the Stickles family.

Leslie Marion (Pendexter) Perrone

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Leslie Marion (Pendexter) Perrone, 63, of Simsbury, CT, beloved wife of Jerome Frank Perrone, Jr., died Sunday, December 17, 2023 at Hartford Hospital. She was born October 11, 1960 in New York City, daughter of the late John Fowler and Karla Marion (Dougan) Pendexter and had lived in Mattapoisett, MA for many years prior to moving to Simsbury, CT 12 years ago. Leslie was a graduate of Darien CT High School, Colorado College, Class of 1982 and the University of Oregon, Class of 1992, having received a Master of Fine Arts Degree. Mrs. Perrone was an English Teacher in CT and MA for many years. She was a member of a local Writing Club and wrote “The Amethyst Sisters: Reflections on Life” published in 2023 and had enjoyed family time, swimming, travel, skiing, kayaking, fishing and the beach.

            In addition to her loving husband of 23 years, she is survived by her son, Nathaniel J. Perrone and brother Geoffrey Pendexter and wife Elizabeth of North Hampton, NH, and brother Jay Pendexter and wife Venessa of Framingham, MA.

            Calling hours will be held at the Vincent Funeral Home, 880 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, CT on Saturday, January 13th from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. A reception will follow the visitation. Please visit Leslie’s Book of Memories at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online tributes.

Hobby Barn Composition a Concern

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            Rochester’s Historic District Commission on December 20 reviewed revisions to a plan to construct a hobby barn for collectible cars at 0 New Bedford Road and generally liked what they saw.

            The original plan for the parcel, which is within the town’s historic district, was a single 100×200 square-foot, pre-engineered, metal building to house both a barn to store the vehicles and a shop to restore them.

            The new plan presented on December 20 by property owner Ashley Briggs and Jason Maurer of Cape Building Systems splits the proposal into two buildings facing each other, a 9,000 square-foot shop and an 11,200 square-foot car storage barn.

            “We want to make sure our plans are heading in the right direction,” Briggs said, explaining the new plan will create “a smaller mass” because the two purposes are now in separate buildings.

            She added that both buildings will be single-story. An observatory in a silo-type structure would feature a telescope. A small car lift would be placed in the shop building.

            “We are hoping to preserve the existing landscape and trees and keep in harmony with the existing site,” Briggs said.

            Maurer then said what became the board’s main concern. He said the planners are considering metal siding in a dark shade that will blend with the historic district’s style. Board member Sara Johnson said if the board approves metal siding in the historic district for this project, it would set a bad precedent. Any future project would be able to request a metal structure.

            Commission Chairman Matt Monteiro also emphasized that this is the one aspect that may be the problem with approving the plan for the historic district. The commission has approved vinyl siding for district structures and metal only for agricultural use, over which the commission technically has no jurisdiction.

            Briggs asked what the planner’s next step should be. More detailed plans for the Planning Board? Or more detailed plans for the commission? They don’t want to move forward on a plan that another board would ultimately reject, she said.

            Monteiro said the order of which board approves the plan doesn’t matter. Both have to agree on the ultimate plan.

            Briggs then admitted that what probably comes first will be special permit variance that the project needs and the state’s environmental review, followed by more specific plans that town boards will be able to review.

            The commission concluded with words of encouragement. Johnson said she felt the plan changes were going in the right direction, “pending real, more specific drawings. It feels like the buildings will fit in with the community.” Board member Theodore Brillon said the new plan was a vast improvement.

            The Rochester Historic District Commission adjourned without scheduling a future meeting date.

Rochester Historic District Commission

By Michael J. DeCicco

Mattapoisett Tree Committee

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To Mattapoisett Selectboard, Mattapoisett Town Administrator Mike Lorenco;

            Regarding the December 13 Tree Committee meeting, I want to thank Mike Lorenco and Jodi Bauer for their attendance and the Sippican News and The Wanderer for their coverage. At our meeting the loss of mature shade trees and financial impact of the project were discussed, among many other things. I hope that a future Town public meeting will be held in the next month and recorded specifically to inform residents and taxpayers about the other issues impacting the Village Roads Project: utilities, tree removals and protection, harbor water quality protection plans, process, et cetera.

            I understand the project was initiated back in 2013 and received widespread attention in 2017 and 2018 when VHB engineers were hired to lead the Town through a complicated and restrictive State DOT-TIP process. My research suggests that the last public meetings for the project were in 2018. We’ve missed an estimated 2022 construction timetable. As Selectboard noted in their September 12, 2023 meeting, aspects of the proposal changed significantly in the 2023 round of DOT reviews. Therefore it will be a good thing for the residents to be given the broad picture of a DOT funded reconstruction project looking back and forward prior to the DOT hearing.

            At DOT required public hearings residents are encouraged to state their pro/con opinions to help DOT decide if a specific project should go forward. I understand a two week period follows a hearing so residents may send written opinion after hearing presentations.

            The Town is at year 10 trying to get a competitive state grant which is estimated to be funded in 2026. Will that target date hold? Meanwhile we’ve already reconstructed 1.5 miles of Village roads using municipal bonds- while staying sensitive to Town character.

            In closing, the December Tree Committee meeting was a small step in the right direction. In the words of one of the citizens attending the meeting, “I had no idea that this project was moving forward again with important decisions being made during the recent Select Board meetings, so shame on me.” A public hearing in late January is a perfect time for many more citizens to learn about the current plans and understand the impact on the town we love, Mattapoisett.

            Best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year,

Sandra Hering

Chairperson, Mattapoisett Tree Committee

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence. All letters must be typed and submitted directly to: news@wanderer.com.

Michael J. Kauranen

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Michael J. Kauranen, 78, of Rochester, died Monday, December 25, 2023 at his home in Rochester after a long illness. He was the husband of Patricia (Stowe) Kauranen. They had been married for 60 years.

            Born in Cambridge, England, he was the son of the late Joyce (Chandler) and Uuno N. Kauranen. Mr. Kauranen was a union carpenter and a member of New England Carpenters Local # 346 in Weymouth. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war from 1962 to 1965.

            Mr. Kauranen enjoyed fishing, hunting, and camping, but most importantly spending time with his grandchildren.

            He is survived by his wife, Patricia Kauranen of Rochester; his children, Terri Vroom and her husband Charles of Wareham; Kerri Correia of Rochester, Michael J. Kauranen, Jr. and his wife Melissa of Wareham and Mark Kauranen and his wife Michelle of New Bedford; his siblings, Maureen Rounds, Kevin Kauranen and Robert Grassi all of Wareham. Also surviving are 13 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter, the late Sherri Ashley.

            Relatives and friends are invited to visit on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham, 2599 Cranberry Hwy. (Rt. 28), Wareham from 4 – 7 pm. A funeral service will follow at 7 pm. Interment will be at a later date.

            For directions or to leave a message of condolence visit: www.chapmanfuneral.com

Gardening Project Inspires Healthy Choices for Kids

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            The Marion Institute’s Grow Education Farm-to-School program proves that, if children learn about dirt, seeds and the sun, they will live healthier lives. Some third-graders at Sippican Elementary School already know their way around a garden, thanks to their parents and, in some cases, grandparents.

            “My dad has a garden in the back, and I help him all the time,” said Amelia Whinnem, 8. “He grows kale, carrots, beets, butternut squash, cucumbers … he grows tomatoes. … I eat plain cucumbers, I just cut off the top and I just eat them.”

            “My grandma grows, like, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash,” said Amina Goodman, 9. “Me and my little cousin … we like to help. We even have our own little wheelbarrow and gardening tools.”

            “My nana is a gardener, too, she used to have farm animals traveling and she had two horses,” said Abel Philbrook, 9. “Every single year she grows, like, every single vegetable including watermelon, cantaloupe and pumpkins.”

            “My grandfather, he does all these tomatoes, and when he’s going on a trip we go and pick them, so we end up with all the tomatoes,” said Liv Chase, 9. “I used to eat too much candy, now I’m a fruit person.”

            “My grandmother … she has a garden, and she mostly does tomatoes and flowers, but she also has strawberries, too,” said Rowan Berube-King, 8.

            The five third-graders, with teacher Tracy Anthony, took The Wanderer on a tour of the Grade 3 gardening project that began at Sippican Elementary earlier in the year.

            “Every class did something a little different,” said Anthony, who first joined fellow third-grade teachers Mary Jane Couet, Tracy Feeney and Kimberly Souza on a professional-development day. “When we went to the Round The Bend Farm (in South Dartmouth), they were telling us it’s about switching and trying to eat more vegetables and fruits that are grown locally to help with local farming.”

            Convenience and price tags relentlessly compete against a plant-based diet, but third-grade classes at Sippican and in other districts such as New Bedford and Westport are more connected to their outside world and are increasingly cognizant of what they consume.

            “I know that probably it would be good to, like, buy cranberries more often because we have a lot here in Massachusetts,” said Amelia.

            When Nate Sander of the Marion Institute visited in the fall, he introduced many students to general gardening practices, and the outcome was the planting of garlic and clover in brand new, raised gardening beds. Protecting those seeds for the winter months required the planting of pees as a “cover crop.” Now, the beds look like they are covered in green grass or a layer of hay.

            The students recalled that Sander brought blackberries that the students planted along the fence, and some of the students planted wildflowers including milkweed to attract Monarch butterflies. “Monarchs only like one flower,” said Rowan.

            The students also planted blackberry bushes, and some helped construct the trellises on which the vines will grow next year.

            “Every day we did it, it was like a half an hour maybe,” said Abel.

            “The sun keeps coming out every time we go out there. We went out there once and it was raining, and then it stopped raining once we got out there,” said Amelia.

            “We are thrilled to partner with Sippican’s third-grade teachers and the Marion School District to bring our Grow Education Farm-to-School (Grow FTS) programming to the Tri Town,” stated Liz Wiley, executive director of the Marion Institute in a press release. “These school gardens are microcosms of our regional food system where students learn about plants’ parts, lifecycles, and health benefits as well as the environment and its impact on local food. It is so important for our youth to be connected to their world in this way. We look forward to a great year at Sippican and to growing the partnership across the district’s elementary schools.”

            Sander will present in two virtual field trips this winter, then return after April vacation to lead a study of the Monarch butterflies, preside over early-spring plantings before conducting the garlic harvest in June before the end of school. Sander will also be present to discuss the Grow Education project during Sippican’s Arts in Action night this winter.

            “It’s wonderful to see our students participate in the Grow FTS program,” stated Sippican Elementary School Principal Marla Brown in the press release. “Having this hands-on learning experience fosters a connection to nature and promotes skills that extend beyond the classroom.”

            “Witnessing the positive impact of our new partnership with the Grow Education Farm-to-School program has been truly inspiring,” stated Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson in the release. “Together, we’ve cultivated a learning environment that goes beyond textbooks by nurturing tangible skills and passion in our students.”

By Mick Colageo