Mattapoisett resident Ed Doherty’s two life-long passions spawned his two books, “Seven Miles After Sundown,” his tome on surfcasting for striped bass along the Cape Cod Canal (published in 2018), and his recent release, “Laughs, Lies & American Justice,” which recounts his 37 years as a district court clerk-magistrate.

            In a similar way, the Attleboro native credits both life passions to his summers in Mattapoisett as a boy. He and his family spent those summers with his grandfather Jack Flynn, a detective with the Taunton Police Department who had a home on Prospect Road.

            “I formed an opinion from him to do something in the criminal-justice system,” Doherty said. “The stories he told about his work made me want to do something in that line of work.”

            And his grandfather would take him to the Cape Cod Canal, Ned’s Point and Strawberry Pond, where granddad did not fish but where young Ed Doherty saw the type of fishing that he wanted to do himself. Then came the lesson he learned from one of his first jobs when he was in high school, as a local ice cream scooper. He said he learned he never wanted to be a short-order cook after having to fill in as one briefly that summer.

            After graduating with a degree in English from the University of South Florida in Tampa, at age 25, he became the youngest person in Massachusetts ever to hold an assistant clerk-magistrate position (Attleboro District Court.) Eighteen years later, Governor Paul Cellucci promoted him to the lifetime position of clerk-magistrate at Wrentham District Court.

            Mattapoisett drew him back when he and his wife Joanne bought a condo at the Fairhaven/Mattapoisett line, retiring in 2016 to become full-time residents. Nowadays, Doherty rises between 2:00 am and 3:00 am, goes fishing until 8:00 or 9:00 am, naps, then spends time with his five grandchildren, sometimes taking one of them fishing.

            A career in the court system inspired him to write a second book, “Laughs, Lies & American Justice,” that mixes humorous moments amidst an often, sad setting.

            “Though some stories were not so funny,” he said. “I saw and handled so many, sometimes gruesome, domestic-violence cases over the years that I will donate some of my proceeds from this book to ‘Jane Doe, Inc.’” (Jane Doe, Inc., is the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.)

            One night he set a $5,000 bail for a man charged with domestic violence; telephoned at home, his job sent him to the police station to set arrestees’ bail. That night, the victim asked, “What time do I have to raise the bail?” Some victims are challenged to suddenly cut ties with their assailant, he explained, especially for financial reasons.

            “I could’ve reduced the bail to zero to help her out,” he said. “But I didn’t. It was always a big conflict for me if a bail reduction would really help the victim. Yet every day I saw a woman battered by a coward’s fist and I was repulsed by it. And I was saddened by it.”

            Thus, his effort to recall the funny things that happened over his career.

            In “Laughs, Lies & American Justice,” Doherty tells his life story, emphasizing the intricacies of how the district court system works and humorous anecdotes describing his encounters with prominent lawyers, judges, politicians and defendants alike.

            He recounts Ralph Tavares, a member of the Grammy-winning R&B group Tavares, who was also a court officer periodically working in the Attleboro District Court. “Sometimes arrestees would be acting up and making noise so we would ask Ralph if he would go back to the cell block and calm the prisoners down by singing to them!” Doherty reports.

            He recalls the juror candidate who said he had an “extensive background in law enforcement” because of his record of 17 arrests. And the time reporters believed that Red Sox MVP first baseman Mo Vaughn, who was being tried (and eventually acquitted) on drunken driving at Dedham Court, was getting preferential treatment because a car with the license plate “Mo” was parked in a judge’s spot. The plate belonged to Judge Maurice H. Richardson, who shared Vaughn’s nickname.

            Vaughn also factored when Doherty’s swearing-in as Wrentham Court Clerk-Magistrate conflicted with Opening Day. He and his brother had season tickets. Also a Sox fan, Governor Cellucci agreed on a delay. “Chris and I got to see Mo Vaughn hit a walk-off grand slam in a Sox come-from-behind, ninth-inning victory against the Seattle Mariners before we celebrated at J.J. Foley’s Cafe!” Doherty recalls in the book. “The following Monday immediate family gathered at the State House in Boston to watch me become Clerk-Magistrate.”

            Doherty got the nickname “East End Eddie” from other fishermen who noticed his preferred spot along the Cape Cod Canal.

            The word “Lies” is in the title because, while many litigants tell the truth, many do not. “A lawyer once remarked, ‘you seem to make your living off of listening to people lie to you!’ And I said, ‘yeah, I guess that’s true,’” he admitted.

            Doherty said he wants readers to know the lighter side of district court life but also to know that “most court people are hard-working, state employees. They work late, come in early, and work through lunch. They work hard for the people’s business.”

            “Laughs, Lies & American Justice” was published in August of this year and is available on Lulu Press. “Seven Miles after Sundown” is available on Amazon.com.

By Michael J. DeCicco

            Al Caron retired from the New Bedford Public Schools, where for many years he taught English to middle-school students. One of the tools he employed to try and engage the students was keeping a journal. Fast forward, Caron has continued to give students opportunities to explore their writing skills through a very special program.

            In partnership with Old Rochester Regional High School and the Sippican Health Care Center in Marion, National Honor Society students are paired with residents of the facility where, over the course of several weeks, the students gather memories.

            Using a question-and-answer process geared to plumb memories through specific questions, the result is a memoir that the student will produce and gift to the senior participants. A forever keepsake an entire family will benefit from.

            The questions are grouped into chapters framing specific points in a person’s life such as “childhood and adolescence,” “early and middle adult years,” “senior years” and holiday memories and special life events.

            Easing the seniors into their memory banks, the first series of questions asks, where were you born and when do you remember your first date, first job and career paths. By the time the students and the seniors reach the later years, questions of legacy, such as how do you want to be remembered, are sensitively poised. And maybe the hardest question to ask, “What message would you like to share with your family,” comes down to the eternal answer, “I love you.”

            Caron says that over the years that the program has brought together seniors and students, the feedback, especially from family members, has been nothing short of amazing. “They want to tell their stories, share their memories,” he said.

            It is well documented that oral histories are an integral part of the human experience. Through the telling and retelling of history and the associated experiences, entire societies are strengthened and cultures maintained. That is the immensity of oral history traditions. That is what the students and their senior partners are doing for one another.

            To better understand the importance of this work, we asked the students to share their experiences interviewing the residents who participated.

            Theo Cecil reported, “…the resident was open about almost everything … but she got emotional when talking about being in the home (the facility.)” Cecil also shared, “I was surprised how different her childhood was from mine. I learned not to take anything for granted and remember everything.” Cecil stated, “This experience will have a lasting impact on me. The resident lived an admirable life and carried values and stories that I will take with me for the rest of my life.”

            Student Aleeya McCarthy responded, “I was prepared to shy away from more sensitive topics, but the residents seemed very ready to share all of their memories and not just the happy ones.” She went on to say, “they get to share their stories and life experiences … the ability to share their memories and lessons they learned over the course of their lives seemed very valuable to them.” McCarthy was candid in sharing, “This will absolutely go on to affect me for the rest of my life. I would leave each meeting astonished and often extremely emotional. My perspective of life has changed a lot … I ask myself, ‘What am I doing to make sure that these memories I’m making are going to last in my mind for as long as I live?’”

            Caron noted that Ann Bishop, activities director for the health center, was a tremendous advocate for the program and assisted in coordinating nearly every aspect of the program as it related to the residents in her care. He also thanked the ORRHS honor society advisors, Chris Brunnell and Randy Allain, for accepting the memoir program as a community service project.

            Caron further noted that the students given the opportunity to provide community service in this way are also receiving witness testimony to historical events, including World War II, the Kennedy and Martin Luther King assassinations and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

             Yet it may be the personal connections that developed between the students and the seniors that will have the most lasting impact.

            Take for instance Keelin Lienkanp’s comments. She told us, “I believe their biggest takeaway is being able to share their life stories in a way they’ve never been able to tell them before. Not only is this project for them but also for their families … they get to show the love and appreciation they have for the people in their lives.” She concluded, “This is one of the greatest experiences in my life. I am so glad that I was able to volunteer. I learned so many amazing life stories and advice that I will forever cherish.”

            And, Theo Jacobsen echoed that he found residents willing to be open in their responses to questions he added. “It is an immensely tricky thing to represent (a personal story) because you want to make sure you’re accurately representing them. … This definitely has a massive impact on me.”

            The project has now ended. On November 1, the students were scheduled to present the seniors with their memoirs. Each family will receive one as well. Over cookies and juice, the valley of time will once again be bridged, two generations, once separated by time and place will come together to reflect on the project – an entire life’s journey.

By Marilou Newell