Bikeway Down to Details

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            The South Coast Bikeway and walking path will go through Marion, and the town’s Pathway Committee met on Tuesday to begin finalizing plans.

            The committee met with Jeff Oakes, the town’s representative to the South Coast Bikeway Alliance, to iron out some of the small issues pertaining to a 4-mile bike and walking stretch that will go through Marion near the Washburn Park area.

            The short meeting took place via Zoom and consisted of some housekeeping matters for this path, which connects to neighboring Mattapoisett and is part of a regional path that encompasses many South Coast communities.

            Committee Chairman John Rockwell said the committee will approach recreation officials about parking issues at nearby Washburn Park. The park is on town-owned land that is open to the public and can become congested when the Washburn Park Trust holds events.

            The committee has designated parking, but it is nearby an abutting resident. Rockwell said the town is contemplating planting trees as a buffer from the property. The resident requested a different parking location, but it does not appear there is any room for such an accommodation.

            “The parking issue has been discussed at length for some time. The parking lot on the other side of the park is owned by the Washburn Park Trust and they generally fill it up when they have an event. With the (Massachusetts) Department of Transportation requirement for dedicated parking, the existing road network, field locations and configuration, and wetlands, the spot stood out as the only spot,” Rockwell wrote to the neighbor.

            The path will stretch approximately 4 miles and will require dirt removal. The action will require a state environmental-impact report.

            Oakes said he will advocate for the project, and both he and committee members do not anticipate any issues.

            “In terms of environmental justice, this is an amenity to the environmental justice community,” Rockwell said.

            Oakes said he will get a letter of approval from the South Coast Bikeway Alliance.

            The Marion Pathway Committee did not schedule its next meeting upon adjournment.

Marion Pathway Committee

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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            In a town as old as ours there are many locations that have gone through changes. In the center of town, the building created to hold the” Academy” is the current church vestry. Streams dammed for foundries later powered sawmills.

            One such place off of Rte. 105 has been home to some very disparate uses. Today, on the left as you head towards Marion, you pass the “Pines at Hathaway Pond”, a residential development begun in the early 2000’s. However, the pond’s creation goes back to the early 1700’s. It was then that Joseph Burge built a small mill called the “Sippican Mill.” The mill was only in operation for 20 years, but it is safe to credit him with the damming of the river to create the pond.

            Others took over the mill with little success. At one time the property was owned by Theophilus Pease. Later, Joseph Smith built the first gristmill in Rochester Center in 1803 on the site of the old mill.

            The gristmill and later sawmill had many shareholders who had various rights of flowage and to the mill pond stream, the dam, flume raceway and mill yard. These rights were accrued through labor and/or the advance of money for building and equipment.

            There is an 1852 deed at Town Hall for David Lewis that gave him three undivided parts of the corn (gristmill) on the river along with the corresponding parts of the dam and water rights.

            The Hathaway name, still in use today, was that of Capt. Judah Hathaway who came into his 7/8 of the corn and 1/3 of the sawmill through his marriage to Hannah Ellen Lewis, daughter of David Lewis. The Hathaways lived at 56 Marion Rd., and he ran the sawmill into the 1900’s.

            A very different use of the property came along in more modern times. The Knight and Look Campground with its motto, Family Camping at its “BEST” under “Tall Pines” became a destination for seasonal trailers, small campers and tents. In its heyday, on a bluff over the pond or tucked into the trees, campers could enjoy the 50 ft. swimming pool, play horseshoes, softball or basketball. For many years it was a true family camping experience with some returning year after year. There were community dances and dinners along with campfires under the trees. Of course, there was JJ, the resident swan.

            This all ended on Oct.11, 2004, when owner Janice Look closed the campground and sold the large property to the Hartley-Zell Housing association for $1,325 million. One long time camper said the closing was like the “breaking up of a family.”

            After an extensive cleanup in which the sign of the campground rules was liberated from a trash can, the creation of The Pines at Hathaway Pond began. This brings us up to the present day and the realization that the one constant in this spot has been the pond, dammed so long ago by Joseph Burge.

By Connie Eshbach

Special Town Meeting Set for January 22

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            Rochester’s Select Board has set a Special Town Meeting for January 22, 2024, for what Town Administrator Glenn Cannon called “a few cleanup items, including town financials.”

            During Monday night’s public meeting held at the Senior Center, Cannon elaborated after the Select Board’s approval of the Special Town Meeting date that 11 articles are currently on the warrant. He said these articles will include a necessary move to increase the budget for police overtime and a zoning article related to adding a parcel to the town’s Cranberry Highway Growth Overlay District.

            Most noteworthy, however, is the project not expected to be on the meeting warrant. Cannon said that none of the articles will involve the high-profile, public-safety facilities renovation and construction plan that the town has been formulating for the past year.

            “We are not yet ready to move it forward,” he said.

            That plan’s current focus is creating two separate buildings to address those departments’ inadequate space needs. The plan calls for the current police station to be renovated with a small addition and a new fire station to replace the existing facility adjacent to Rochester Memorial School.

            The Select Board opened the warrant for the Special Town Meeting on December 11 and will close the warrant on December 20.

            The board began the meeting by approving a request from Zoning of Appeals Chairman David Arancio that he be appointed chair of the new Zoning By-Law Review Committee only temporarily. He asked the board to dub him temporary chairman so the new board can elect officers at its first meeting. He explained he was too “tapped out” with other commitments to take the reins full-time.

            Next, the board approved a request from Town Planner Nancy Durfee to use town property to install monitoring wells at Snipatuit Pond for a hydrological study of the pond’s water flow.

            The goal, Durfee said, is “to get a better understanding of the complex’s aquifer.” A flow gauge will be installed with ARPA funds totaling $20,000, and it will be the town’s responsibility to monitor that gauge, she said.

            The project’s technical consultants chose two possible sites for the gauge, both town-owned, she noted. They are the town forest across from the Northern Avenue cemetery and at the Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School.

            Conservation Commission chair Christopher Gerrior asked bluntly for a deeper reason why these two spots were chosen. Were they the best places for the wells or the best town-owned places?

            Southeastern (Massachusetts) Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) consultant Helen Zincavage said these spots best mirrored the characteristics of the pond that the study needs for the review. Durfee admitted that being town-owned made access to the land less complicated.

            After the board endorsed allowing access to the 0 Northern Avenue site, Durfee thanked Rochester Water Commissioner Fred Underhill for his help educating her on the pond’s problems and needs. “I thank Fred for taking me under his wing,” she said.

            In other action, the board approved an amendment to the Red Barn Farm Conservation Restriction, adding 12.44 acres to the existing 60 acres at Rounseville and Vaughn Hill Roads.

            The board also endorsed the Planning Board’s referral that another town parcel be added to the town’s Cranberry Highway Growth Overlay District. Cannon said later that this is the amendment that will need Special Town Meeting approval.

            The Rochester Select Board is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, December 20, to approve the warrant for the January 22, 2024, Special Town Meeting.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

Yoga Group Prepares for African Mission

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Yoga is all about mindfulness and self-improvement.

            But to a group of area residents – many connected to the yoga-based studio in Mattapoisett – they will take that mindfulness and balance and look to bring it to Botswana, Kenya, according to Mattapoisett resident Kerin McKinnon, who will lead a group of 18 people and travel March 1-11 to help with an orphanage in Botswana, Kenya.

            Some of the participants will travel from as far as Georgia and Texas, but many attending will be from the south coast. They will work on construction projects, childcare, afterschool programs and orphanage care, according to McKinnon.

            The orphanage houses 42 children, ages infancy to Grade 3.

            “All with disabilities, mostly who have been abandoned by their families,” says McKinnon, who adds that some have HIV, physical and mental disabilities. “It’s a collective group that is going on the trip. I met them through the yoga community. It’s exciting.”

            McKinnon said her aunt and uncle were missionaries who traveled to Tanzania. In 2012, McKinnon was inspired and began volunteering in Haiti.

            “It is so dangerous that short-term missions are not going there. I decided I wanted to organize a trip – Haiti wasn’t an option,” she said. “We just want to do whatever they require us to do, working with the children, but we want to serve where there is a need. Most of us are active volunteers in our hometown and home state, but it is more critical in a place like Africa and not here.”

            Along with McKinnon, other volunteers will include: Patty Maccini, a Mattapoisett resident; Michael Coffey, a former New Bedford firefighter and Mattapoisett resident; and Marcia Hathaway, the studio yoga teacher and Dartmouth resident.

            Other local participants include Janet Rose, Barbara Lamy, Tabitha Tripp, a Marion resident with a practice in Mattapoisett and Julie Boren.

            McKinnon said the group will also have some fun; the area is home to 80,000 elephants and the group will likely do sight-seeing.

            The group is also collecting used laptop computers.

            For more information or to donate, visit lovebotswana.org.

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Holiday Sing-Along

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Come one. Come all. Join the Mattapoisett Museum at 5 Church St on Sunday, December 17 at 4:00 for its all Holida Sing-along. Led by Steve LaValley and accompanied by Gail Roberts, the song list will include old time favorites such as Jingle Bells, Rudolf, Deck the Halls, White Christmas and many more. Santa will also be making a special appearance, and participants will enjoy some festive refreshments. Please join the Museum for this jolly event.

Howland Marsh

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To the Editor;

            On December 2, 2023, I arrived at Howland Marsh to assist the Sippican Land Trust with trail maintenance. I was shocked to see so many empty beer cans thrown in the bushes across the street on land trust property, so I put on my gloves, grabbed my pickers, and removed four bags of trash from the property. Most of the trash consisted of empty beer cans of the same brand, but there was also a fire alarm and some take-out containers. It is disturbing to see how little respect was shown by the litter tossers to the land trust property, and the town of Marion. One would expect those who consume adult beverages to act like adults and place their trash in the appropriate trash containers.

Lorene Sweeney

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.

William “Bill” Standish Bradford

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William “Bill” Standish Bradford passed away peacefully in his 90th year in Marion Massachusetts. He was the loving father of three children, Laura, Stan and Jamie.

            Born on December 29, 1933, in Hampstead Heath, England to American parents William and Helen Bradford. Bill spent his childhood on Cape Cod and in southern Massachusetts. He attended the Taft School and graduated from Tabor Academy. At Boston University he received a degree in English. Bill was an avid athlete, excelling in wrestling, sailing and football while in prep school. In his later years, he loved tennis, road races, water skiing and most outdoor activities. As a young father, his favorite activity was playing “Roof-Ball” with his children. As he got older, he could be found hiking, jogging on the beach with his beloved dog Jasper or riding his bike around Ocean Drive in Newport.

            As a child, Bill’s summers were often spent with his grandfather (writer Thornton Burgess) at Laughing Brook in Hamden, Massachusetts. It was here that Bill discovered his passion for the natural environment, and perhaps where he began his absolute love of dogs.  Bill enjoyed acting and was involved with the Marion Art Center and the Newport Playhouse where he honed his skills. Bill had a unique ability to connect with people, he was loved by those around him.

            Bill was predeceased by his brother and his three sisters, Robert, Frannie, Rosemary and Jeannie. He was cared for by his daughter Laura Zell and leaves behind two beloved grandchildren Alexa and Will. Bill also leaves behind two sons, Stan and Jamie Bradford of Marion.

            A private memorial service will be held in Marion. In lieu of flowers the family is asking for donations to the Thornton Burgess Society in Sandwich Massachusetts (www.thorntonburgess.org/donate) or the Mass Audubon Society – Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary (www.massaudubon.org)

            Arrangements by Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham.  To leave a message of condolence visit: www.chapmanfuneral.com

Ernest J. Davoll, Sr.

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Ernest J. Davoll, Sr., 88, died Sunday, December 10, 2023 at his home in Rochester just a few days prior to his 89th birthday. He was the husband of the late Arabelle (Burns) Davoll.

            Born in Middleboro, he was the son of the late Irving E. Salley and Ruth (Henshaw) Davoll. He moved to Rochester at the age of 15. Mr. Davoll was a general contractor and the owner of Quality Carpentry. After his retirement, he worked full-time operating his hay farm.

            He was a longtime member and former deacon of the First Congregational Church in Rochester, and was a volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 31.

            Survivors include his children, Monica and her husband Lenny Gillis of Norwood; Ernest J. Davoll, Jr. and his wife Bing of Tiverton; RI and Victor Meservey of Ocala, FL; his sister, Harriet and her husband Robert Sherman of Rochester. Ernest’s numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, will miss his wisdom and companionship greatly. His survivors will look fondly on their memories of his quick wit and warm smile.

            Relatives and friends are invited to visit on Thurs., Dec. 14, 2023 at Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham, 2599 Cranberry Hwy. (Rt. 28), Wareham from 4 – 7 pm. His funeral service will be held on Fri, Dec. 15th at 10 am in the First Congregational Church, 11 Constitution Way, Rochester. Interment will follow in Rochester Center Cemetery.

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

Upcoming Events at the Elizabeth Taber Library

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Indoor Holiday Book Sale through December 23 – Find great gifts for the whole family at our annual holiday book sale at the Elizabeth Taber Library. Get books, puzzles, DVDS, games, library T-shirts, and raffle tickets to an array of prize baskets.

            3D printed holiday ornament kits – Available starting December 4. Convert drawings into 3D printed holiday ornaments. Makes a unique holiday keepsake. Pick up a kit with instructions and materials and return your design to the library to be printed. View the website for more details.

            Dreidel Crafts – Thursday December 7 to Friday December 15 – Learn about Chanukah and make your own dreidel out of clay.

            Krampus Karaoke – Thursday December 14 at 6 pm – Food, fun, and music at the library. Join us to celebrate the season with Krampus Karaoke.

            Nutcracker Storytime – Friday December 15 at 11 am – Go backstage at the Nutcracker with dance educator Kay Hanley Alden. Celebrate the classic holiday tale with dancing, props, and a few surprises.

            For more information on the Elizabeth Taber Library, visit us at www.ElizabethTaberLibrary.org or call us at 508-748-1252

Friends of the Mattapoisett Bicycle and Recreational Path

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Friends of the Mattapoisett Bicycle and Recreational Path ask residents who are enjoying the Shining Tides Mile to consider the “bike path” in their year-end giving plans. We’re now working with the Town on Phase 2 which will extend the Mattapoisett Rail Trail from Depot Street into the Park Street neighborhood and over to Marion. We’ve pledged a $50,000 contribution as the local match to a $200,000 dollar MassTrails Grant which will finalize design for Phase 2A so that construction funding for a “shovel ready” project can be requested. We’re ¼ of the way to our goal using the funds raised by the 2023 Tour de Crème. A generous donor is matching all contributions up to $2500.

            Hopefully, people have read about the significant progress on the Marion Pathway. Friends’ funding match of the last mile in Mattapoisett will keep the safe connection to Marion moving forward without pauses, creating protected road crossings of Route 6 and North Street. Learn more at our website www.mattapoisettrailtrail.org.

            Contributions to the Friends can be mailed to PO Box 1336, Mattapoisett, MA 02739 or made through GoFundMe. All funds received will be used to support the completion of the path and path amenities. Thank you.