National Merit Scholarship Program

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The principal, Michael Devoll, of Old Rochester Regional High School announced today that Allison D. Root and Alia M. Cusolito have been named Commended Students in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. A Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC ®), which conducts the program, will be presented by the principal to these scholastically talented seniors.

            About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2024 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2024 competition by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT ®.)

            “Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

Rochester Women’s Club

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The Rochester Women’s Club, located at 37 Marion Road in Rochester, will be having their Scholarship Christmas wreath sale on Saturday December 2 from 9 am to 2 pm. All our wreaths will be naturally decorated in our effort to stay away from plastics and other environmentally hazardous materials. Our wreaths are $25.00 each, and all proceeds go to our scholarship fund. Each year our club offers three $1,000.00 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who reside in Rochester. It does not matter where you attend high school, if your home is in Rochester Massachusetts and you are graduating from high school and have applied to a college or university, you can apply for our scholarships.

Holiday Cheer Comes Full Circle

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            She had ordered two pies from the Cushman Bakery, a home delivery service that came once a week bringing pastries and breads I can still vividly remember. Pulling up to Ma’s kitchen door, the uniformed driver didn’t want to hand two pies to a little squirt.

            “Go get you mommy, little girl,” he said with a jolly chuckle.

            I can’t remember this gentleman’s name, but I clearly remember the delicious, yeasty aroma that oozed out into the surrounding atmosphere. I could have happily eaten the air around me.

            It was Christmastime. The pumpkin and mincemeat pies, along with plum pudding (from a can of course), would be the finale of this day. It was the 1950s, and women were embracing all modern conveniences when it came to cooking, including home delivery of bakery goodies.

            Ma could have made pies from scratch. She had all the tools, including a meat grinder. She knew the techniques. But with so many other chores waiting for her attention, she could trust that the Cushman pies would be appreciated possibly more than any effort on her part. And it was a time to learn kitchen skills.

            I learned how to peel potatoes and carrots, using old kitchen utensils and watching my mother’s hands in action. It was important that the blade be positioned just under the potato skin to ensure that the white flesh wasn’t cut away. The carrot peeler was very old, but the thin blades perfectly removed the carrot peels. Lessons in cutting the vegetables into mouth-sized pieces would come in later years.

            Five pounds of potatoes, two pounds of carrots, half a gallon of gravy, two cans of cranberry sauce and those pies, it was hard to contain my excited, tiny body. There would be leftovers from our traditional meal of turkey and gravy with all the fixings. Yes, there had been a few gifts, new PJ’s, new socks, a stocking filled with fruits and nuts. Better than the Thanksgiving Day meal, the Christmas Day feast outshone all that.

            Although my mother had a sister living very close by and a brother in the neighboring town, their large families precluded them from visiting. No one had a car large enough to hold those tribe members. Nor were we invited to their holiday feasts.

            Whatever the reason, the three siblings never shared a holiday meal together. A cousin had said of those times that their branch was struggling to feed their family of eight, so that’s why invitations were never forthcoming. As for my mother, she never opened her doors either except to a bachelor brother. Thus, our Christmas was a quiet affair.

            When I moved to Mattapoisett with my new husband 32 years ago, we opened our doors to everyone. He had come from a tradition of large, family gatherings, and I longed for them. Shoulder to shoulder, we cleaned the house and decorated the place. I planned grocery lists, and he shopped. I cooked; he washed the dishes.

            Platters of food would be set out buffet style, while my son played the piano in the background, a medley of old-time carols. It would take two days to clean up afterwards, but we didn’t care. He enjoyed the family gatherings, and I was in my hosting glory.

            In those years when my parents were still here, they loved coming over to participate in a holiday feast, seeing grandchildren and hugging everyone in sight. Those gatherings brought a lot of joy to a lot of people, including me.

            Things have come full circle. We no longer labor over holiday house cleaning, we no longer decorate the place or cook massive bowls of mashed potatoes and gallons of gravy, leaving the door wide open to all. We are now invited to our son’s home, bringing along a platter of deviled eggs and a baking dish filled with my popular stuffing. We are the old folks, sitting side by side on the sofa, thumbing through family photo albums, sighing over baby pictures of 50-year-old children and remembering when.

This Mattapoisett Life

By Marilou Newell

Featherbed Solar Project Extended to 2027

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            Some solar projects take a lot longer to complete than others. Rochester’s Conservation Commission on November 21 approved a request to extend the Order of Conditions for the Featherbed Lane South Solar project at 0 Featherbed Lane for three years, until February of 2027.

            Appearing before the board on Zoom, the petitioner’s engineering consultant, Carolyn Booth, explained the developer is working on acquiring funding for required upgrades to the parcel’s infrastructure, and that is why they need that much time to complete the Order of Conditions the ConCom has imposed on the project. With little discussion, the board approved what will be an extension until February 4, 2027.

            In March, the project developers told the Planning Board that Eversource has given them three years to complete the upgrades necessary to accept the additional power expected to be generated by the solar installation.

            The commission then approved a Certificate of Compliance for the construction of a single-family home with sewerage disposal system, utilities, site clearing and grading at 8 Gerrish Road close to a wetland bog.

            No one representing the petitioners was present at the meeting, in which commission member Ben Bailey added the condition that the property owners, Jesper and Jennifer Ingerslev, keep the lawn in front of the bog properly mowed under an ongoing Order of Conditions. The board agreed to add this condition and will respond if the Ingerslevs object to it.

            Next, the board continued two hearings in response to the petitioners’ requests to do so until January 16. One is for a Notice of Intent to build a 15-acre, self-storage facility at Kings Highway and Route 28 that will feature the construction of seven self-storage buildings located within the 100-foot wetlands buffer zone.

            The other is BWC Snows Pond LLC’s Notice of Intent plan to build a solar array on 12.55 acres of a 31-acre parcel at 0 Cushman Road. Both petitioners requested a continuance until December 19. The commission, however, reasoned it may not meet on that date.

            The Rochester Conservation Commission scheduled its next meeting for Tuesday, December 5, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester’s Conservation Commission

By Michael J. DeCicco

Sippican Choral Society Holiday Concert

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Join us as we bring the brass to Wickenden Chapel, Tabor Academy, for our annual Holiday Concert on Saturday, December 9 at 7:00 pm, featuring the majesty of John Rutter’s musical setting of the “Gloria” with full brass orchestra. Come marvel at the ethereal beauty of Felix Mendelssohn’s “Behold a Star from Jacob Shining” and Howard Helvey’s “O Lux Beatissima.” Sing along to “Joy to the World” and sway to the rhythm of Mack Wilberg’s West Indian carol “The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy.” Tickets are $20 general admission, $10 for students, and free for children 14 and under. Tickets can be purchased online at sippicanchoralsociety.org., or from Choral Society members, at Marion General Store, the Symphony Music Shop, and at the door with cash or check.

Rochester Historical Society

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The Rochester Historical Society will be at the Library Christmas Sale selling all things Rochester. We hope to see you there on December 9.

            December 10 at 2:00, we’ll be showing off our organ with a Holiday Organ Sing. This will be followed by refreshments. Please bring an unwrapped gift for a child or teen. We’ll also gratefully accept any donations to our organ fund as we work to repair some of its age -related issues.

Mattapoisett Congregational Church Celebrates Advent

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The Mattapoisett Congregational Church would like to invite the community to several special events to kick off the Advent season. On December 2 from 9 am-1 pm, the Christmas on Church Street Holiday Fair will be held in Reynard Hall with baked goods, handmade craft items, including knitted hats and sweaters as well as handcrafted jewelry and other Christmas décor. The White Gifts Pageant which celebrates the birth of Jesus will be held during worship on Sunday, December 10 at 10 am with a donation of gift cards collected for needy families in our area. A beautiful Christmas Cantata by the Mattapoisett Congregational Church choir and performers from Seaglass Theater will be held on December 17 at 10 am in the sanctuary.

            Every Sunday in Advent will be celebrated with lighting of the Advent candle with a culmination of all the candles being lit on Christmas Eve.

            On Christmas Eve, there are three services planned.

            The Fourth Sunday in Advent service will be held at 10 am.

            The Christmas Eve Family Service will be held at 5 pm.

            The beautiful Candlelight Service will be held at 10 pm.

            Everyone is invited to celebrate the Advent season at Mattapoisett Congregational Church. Please see our website at mattapoisettcongregationalchurch.org for more information.

Trees and the Main Street to Marion Road

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To the Editor,

            The November 14th meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board concerning Trees and the Main Street to Marion Road project is not a consensus. The public should be made aware that the Select Board’s vote to approve Proposal 4, with sidewalks added to the south side, will require the removal of many of the old heritage trees in the Village. And because the electrical wires are on the north side of the street, no new trees will be planted on that side of the street, leaving our Village void of trees between Barstow and North Street and unable to plant new trees in this area.

            The electrical review submitted to the Select Board by Carlos DeSouza, PE suggests ½ mile of the roadway be put underground. This will not only save trees, it alleviates wires crisscrossing the roadway, and it avoids unsightly extensions on the utility poles for mandated clearances. Yes, this option should have been discussed earlier, and now that it has been brought up, are we doing enough to convince Eversource that this is the time to take ½ mile of the many miles of utilities that line our streets of Mattapoisett and put them underground?

            Further down the road on Beacon Street, where Proposal 4 only has a sidewalk on the north side of the street, adding a south sidewalk will again require the removal of many of the old heritage oak trees. And while sidewalks are a good thing as noted during the meeting for the runners and walkers going to Ned’s Point, Ned’s Point Road does not have any sidewalks and we all manage this route. Therefore, adding the south sidewalk on Beacon Street does not need to happen if adequate crosswalks are put into this road plan.

            Sidewalks and crosswalks, when properly placed, enhance walking, safety and access; equally heritage trees in our town enhance Town character and provide needed shade. We can have both without the removal of large parts of our tree canopy. Join me in asking the Town to reconsider their recent decisions to remove so many stately oak trees from Water and Beacon Streets.

            Sandra Hering, Mattapoisett

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.

Robert A. Grome

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Robert A. Grome, 84, of Mattapoisett, formerly of Wellesley passed away peacefully on Monday, November 27, 2023, surrounded by the love of his family.

Born in Newton on February 11, 1939, he was the son of the late Andrew and Mabel Grome.

Bob grew up in Wellesley and graduated from Wellesley High School. He was a member of the Air National Guard. Throughout the years he worked as a maintenance machinist for many different companies including Carlings Brewery, Corning, Balzers, and Contravis.

Bob was married for 31 years to the late Dorothy E. Grome and is survived by his sons Robert W. Grome and his wife Sarah, of Franklin, Allen L. Grome and his wife Laura, of Framingham, his daughter, Brenda L. Swartzel and her husband John, of Holliston and seven grandchildren, Andrew and Melissa Swartzel, Christopher and Nicole Grome, and Katherine, Rebecca, and Rachel Grome. He also leaves his sister Carol Passarello and her husband Al and several nieces and nephews. Bob is also survived by his dear friend, Jo Ann Giovanella.

Visiting hours will take place on Thursday, November 30th from 4 to 7 pm at Eaton Funeral Home, 1351 Highland Ave in Needham, Massachusetts. The funeral service will take place on Friday, December 1st at 1 pm at Carter Memorial United Methodist Church, 800 Highland Avenue in Needham.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in his memory to the American Diabetes Association.

Tough Break on Sewer Bill

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            The Marion Select Board denied two requests for sewer abatements, one of those cases especially painful given its five-figure, bottom line.

            Frederick Mock will have to pay his $11,133.56 sewer bill, despite not being present when approximately 30,000 gallons of water went through his sprinkler system at 5 Moorings Road while he was away.

            Department of Public Works Director Becky Tilden, who recommended against issuing the abatement based on established billing practices, reported to the Select Board that the owner of the private sewer system had not received an occupancy permit until after the billing period. The meter, said Tilden, was installed on July 6 and despite an initial glitch that was rectified the next day, was operable through the billing period.

            Select Board member Norm Hills compared the 30,000 gallons of water to what would be held by 3½ tanker trucks.

            “I’m surprised it didn’t wash away,” he said, explaining to Chairman Toby Burr that even without an occupancy permit, “they still owned the property. Whether they were there or not, the meter was still running.”

            Burr was admittedly torn on the matter. “We know it didn’t go into the sewer,” he said.

            Tilden said an abatement would only have precedence if the inflated bill was due to a leak outside the dwelling, and that would be a partial sewer abatement only if the property owner showed proof that it was a leak. An example would be irrigation but not a faulty toilet.

            Select Board member Randy Parker conducted several electrical inspections on behalf of Marion’s Building Department. He said it is a brand-new house with nobody in the house.

            “I’d like to do something, but I don’t know how,” he said.

            Town Administrator Geoff Gorman relayed from Marion’s legal counsel that there is support on either side of the argument.

            “I would think that volume or property certainly didn’t go through the sewer,” said Parker, who admittedly gained familiarity with the project while on five or six electrical inspections. “I want to do the right thing. I just want to be fair with everyone. … It’s too bad we don’t have some sort of a mechanism.             There’s not that much we can do about it unfortunately.”

            Hills articulated concern against setting a precedent. He further suggested that the owner should be “really upset” with the people running the sprinkler. “We weren’t in drought,” he noted.

            The vote denying the abatement was unanimous.

            Parker recused himself from the discussion and vote on the $516.12 sewer-abatement request made at 460 Front Street by property owner George Linzee.

            Tilden once again explained her recommendation against approving an abatement. She explained a billing anomaly based on estimated bills from two prior quarters.

            “I believe that the bill was due to the two estimated bills (based on the previous three quarters, one of which under prior ownership), and this one is a catch-up,” said Tilden. “I did say I’d bring it forward. … I don’t recommend (approving an abatement) because we would need a reason. Tilden further explained that consumption was running high on both meters, the one in place and the one that replaced it to test.

            The board held a shorter meeting on November 21.

            Among the board’s actions was the approval of a Water/Sewer commitment for $3,332.27 (final readings November 13.)

            Gorman was excited to promote the Old Rochester Regional Unified Basketball Team’s fundraiser game against Tri-Town Police and Fire personnel, which was to follow the meeting at the high school gym.

            Other events coming up include the Senior Dinner scheduled for Saturday, December 2, at 12:00 pm at the Cushing Community Center. Prior registration was required, as was the case for the Marion Police Brotherhood’s “Pizza with Santa” event on Sunday, December 3, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, also at the community center.

            At both events, new, unwrapped toy donations will be accepted for the annual “Fill a Cruiser” drive.

            In other actions made on Tuesday, the Select Board approved the Beverly Yacht Club’s request for a change of officers and postponed the appointment of a police officer at Chief Richard Nighelli’s request. The matter will be taken up at the board’s December 19 meeting.

            The board closed the public session of Tuesday’s meeting and entered executive session to strategize for negotiations nonunion personnel in the Marion Fire Department and the harbormaster and also with respect to litigation with Marion Golf Club.

            The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, December 5, at 5:00 pm at the Cushing Community Center, where the Board of Assessors will also appear for the town’s annual tax-classification public hearing. Immediately following the meeting will be the town employees’ holiday party.

Marion Select Board

By Mick Colageo