Title Games Bring out Best

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            The Tri-Town Basketball League wrapped up an exciting season with its championship games on Sunday, March 15, held at Old Rochester Regional High School. The league continues to provide an inclusive and flexible opportunity for boys and girls in Grades 3 through 8 across the Tri-Town communities to develop their skills, compete, and enjoy the game of basketball.

            The first finals matchup of the day featured the Grade 5-8 Girls division, as the Tarheels faced off against the Irish in a competitive and hard-fought game, with the Tarheels securing a 15–11 victory. The Tarheels took an early 4–2 lead behind Fiona Gately and Vivi Spindle and extended it to 7–5 in the second quarter with additional scoring from Spindle and Bailee Cusick. The Irish responded in the third quarter to take a brief 9–7 lead, led by Emma Grace Daniel and Estelle Griffith. However, the Tarheels finished strong in the fourth quarter with key baskets from Spindle, Violet Soares and Cusick – including a three-pointer – to seal the win. The Irish were led by Griffith, along with contributions from Madeline Moronta, who hit an amazing three-point shot, Daniel, and Cali Mills.

            The second game featured the Grade 3-4 Girls division, where Duke defeated the Friars 25–8. Duke set the tone early with baskets from Ellie O’Brien and Liana Janicki, while Charlotte Medeiros scored for the Friars. In the second quarter, Rose O’Brien added to Duke’s lead, while Zella Ladetto responded for the Friars. Elena Towinho contributed in the third quarter for Duke, while Ladetto added more points for the Friars. Duke pulled away in the fourth quarter with a strong performance from Kyra Judge, who scored 12 points on six baskets, along with a basket and foul shot from O’Brien and additional scoring from Natalie Morgan. Hadley Long scored for the Friars in the final quarter.

            In the Grade 3-4 Boys championship, the Irish defeated the Tigers 22–10. Zach Pitts opened the scoring in the first quarter, and the Irish built their lead in the second quarter with contributions from Will Boucher, James Pitts, Cole Harrison, and Adriel Bettencourt, including a put-back basket by Bettencourt. The Tigers stayed competitive with scoring from Shane Tavares and Griffin McKay, but the Irish pulled away in the third quarter as Zach Pitts added four points and a foul shot while holding the Tigers scoreless. The Irish sealed the victory in the fourth quarter with additional baskets from Boucher, James Pitts, and Bettencourt, while McKay added the Tigers’ final points.

            In the Grade 5-8 Boys championship, Wichita defeated Syracuse Orange 25–15. Wichita was led early by Phillip Lucci, who scored six points and a foul shot in the first quarter, while Syracuse Orange received contributions from Aiden Zhou, Ben Reece, Cody Davis, and Zayden Agcatas, who knocked down a three-pointer in the second quarter. Wichita extended its lead in the second quarter with additional scoring from Bo Randall, who added a basket and a foul shot. In the third quarter, Wichita continued to build momentum with baskets from Oliver Costa, JB Ebert and Able Philbrook, while Reece added four more points for Syracuse Orange. Wichita closed out the game in the fourth quarter behind Flynn Carroll, who scored four points and two foul shots, along with additional scoring from Jack Calder, while Vinny Baptista added a basket for Syracuse Orange.

            The Tri-Town Basketball League season began with placement sessions in late October, followed by practices in November and games starting in December, culminating in March playoffs. The program emphasizes skill development, teamwork and flexibility, allowing participants to balance other activities while enjoying competitive play. Congratulations to all players, coaches, and families on a fantastic season!

Sippican FY27 Budget Hearing

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            The Marion School Committee met on March 18 in Sippican School for a Public Budget Hearing as the town continues preparations for Fiscal Year 2027. All school committee members were present, along with Superintendent Michael Nelson, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Sharlene Fedorowicz, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Jamie Curly, Sippican Principal Lynn Dessert, Assistant Principal of Sippican School Gregory Thomas, and Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Melissa Wilcox. Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howard Barber attended virtually via Zoom.

            The first agenda item for the committee and school administration to tackle was the FY27 budget for Sippican School Public Hearing. “We are in a place where we have done quite a bit of work to get to this point regarding the Sippican Elementary school budget,” Superintendent Nelson began. Assistant Superintendent Barber gave a presentation on the process by which the proposed FY27 budget has been developed. First, Barber explained the “core values” used in ascertaining the budget priorities. They were listed as:

            “THINK: Cultivate a culture of academic rigor and integrity which encourages critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration and effective communication. LEARN: Strive for academic excellence in educating the whole child through authentic, rigorous and evidence-based learning opportunities that foster real world application and a continuous pursuit of learning. CARE: Ensure a caring and safe environment for all school community members by promoting a sense of belonging and respect for all.”

            Barber noted the important steps in developing the budget, noting the importance of this public hearing in the process as it pertains to review and revision.

            First, he noted “funding offsets,” or funds obtained through grants or other revenue streams that can be deducted from the town’s contribution to the budget. He noted Sippican School as receiving $105,225 in funding offsets, with Student Services having $215,582 and Facilities having $25,000 respectively. Most of these offsets are given through grants by the state, but others come from the $30,000 in Project Grow Grants or $25,000 in Sippican Building Rental.

            Barber then spoke about the General Funds Proposed Operating Budget for Marion Public Schools. For budget amounts,

            Sippican School: $5,083,459

            Central Office: $254,591

            Student Services: $1,173,256

            Transportation: $805,525

            Technology: $118,304

            Facilities: $577,001

            The total FY27 budget lies at $8,011,135. It was noted that the current year, FY26’s budget is $7,553,549, marking a $457,586 or 6.06% increase. The largest increases were from Sippican ($178,803 more than FY26), Student Services ($124,670 more than FY26), and Transportation ($84,943 more than FY26).

            The assistant superintendent then spoke on the significant changes leading to the increase in costs. For Sippican itself, he noted a “reduction of two positions but we are adding one position in a different capacity. He said the loss of two regular education teachers led to an estimated $130,000 decrease, though he stated union-mandated step increases have led to higher costs, as well as a math interventionist cost estimated at $70,000

            He noted the Student Services increases as being out-of-school placement costs and transportation being an increase in the contracted cost.

            After the presentation and some discussion, the Marion School Committee approved the proposed FY27 Marion Public School Budget with a unanimous vote of approval.

            The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for June 2.

Marion School Committee

By Sam Bishop

Janet F. Jenney

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Janet F. Jenney, 95, of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts passed away peacefully on March 27, 2026. She was the daughter of the late Edmund and Catherine Ferry, and beloved wife of the late David S. Jenney of Mattapoisett.

            Janet, known by her friends and family as Jan, was raised in West Roxbury Massachusetts and spent every summer in a cottage at Crescent Beach in Mattapoisett. Her favorite childhood memories were of sledding in the street near her house in Boston and sailing the sweet breezes of Mattapoisett. She graduated from Wheelock College and taught grammar school children in the City of Boston School System.

            Jan met the love of her life, David, while racing Herreshoff-12 sailboats on Buzzards Bay in Mattapoisett. Their lifelong love for the water and sailing brought them together first as racing opponents while crewing for her father, then racing partners, and finally as husband and wife in 1953. Throughout their 65 years of marriage, their love for each other was deep, pure, and incredibly inspiring to their family and friends. David and Jan raised three children in Stratford, CT where David worked at Sikorsky Aircraft, and spent every summer in their favorite beachside town of Mattapoisett. The summers were filled with sailing, swimming, and enjoying family time sharing stories and lunches around the picnic table.

            Jan was selfless and always thought of others before herself. She was an amazing mother who juggled three children, two cats, and a beagle while making it all look easy. An exceptional cook, every Sunday after church included family dinner enjoying the fruits of her labor. Jan and David were very active in their Congregational Churches in both towns where they lived. They shared a love of music and were loyal members of the church choirs as well as being active in many church groups and committees. Jan and David sponsored many children across the world as part of Plan International USA. They were also part of the “Big Brothers/Big Sisters” program mentoring a child for many years. Jan enjoyed gardening and being involved with the Garden Club and Women’s Club in both Stratford and Mattapoisett. In Stratford, she volunteered at the hospital delivering flowers to patients.

            Jan loved to spend time with her four grandchildren and great-grandson while playing at the beach, traveling to local adventures, creating fun snacks, teaching them how to weed the garden and sharing her joy life and importance of family. Jan lived each day to the fullest, loved with all of her heart and believed each day was a gift….

            She is survived by three children, Laurel Carlson of North Attleboro, MA, Faith Ball of Mattapoisett, MA, and John Jenney and his wife Diana of Southbury, CT, her four grandchildren, Catherine Ball of Mattapoisett, MA, Samantha Ball of Charleston, SC, Spencer Jenney of Southbury, CT, Ashley Ghent and great-grandchild Jonathan Nunez of Stratford, CT.

            Her visiting hours will be held on Friday April 24th from 4-7 pm at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. Her Funeral Service will be held on Saturday April 25th at 11 am at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church at 27 Church St. Mattapoisett. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her name to Plan International USA, PO Box 9747, Providence, RI 02940-9420 https://www.planusa.org

Taste of Italy

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The Marion Social Club located at 44 Pumping Station Road will be holding a “Taste of Italy” dinner on April 12. The dinner will include Antipasto, Lasagna, Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo, Chicken Parmesan, Bread and Italian Pastries. The price is $16.00 per person. If interested in attending, please call Betsy Youngson to reserve your tickets at 508-295-8253 before April 5th. Dinner will be served at 1 PM, and the Club will open at 12 for socializing. As always, the Social Club is looking for new members if you would like to join.

Sippican Students Speak with Industry Professionals

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While some classrooms shared St. Patrick’s Day cheer, March 17 held another exciting event for fifth and sixth-grade students at Sippican Elementary School.

            Students participated in Sippican’s annual Marion Occupation Program (MOP) event and spent the day exploring career paths through conversations with industry professionals.

            Organized by the Volunteers at Sippican Elementary (VASE), MOP was an opportunity for students to meet individuals from the Marion community and learn about various careers.

            During the event, students spoke with professionals in an array of fields. Adults shared their experiences in healthcare, engineering, emergency response work and other industries.

            Each professional had a table where they displayed elements of their career, including uniforms, equipment, pictures and models. Students interacted with the materials and were inspired to ask questions.

            Students heard from many volunteers, including:

Louise Racine Bastarache, nurse midwife

Kathy-lee Alves, nurse

Catherine Riberio, physician assistant

Wendy Rocha, waterfront engineer at Foth Engineering

John Miller, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Katelyn Anthony, engineer

Dr. Albert Pizzi, dentist at Artistic Dentistry of Hanover

Nick Tuhacek, commercial property manager

Members of the Marion Police Department

Members of Marion Fire and Rescue

Mirian Nawoichik, Seaside Decorations

            “Thank you to all of the community volunteers who took the time to speak with our students,” said Superintendent Michael S. Nelson. “Hearing from professionals in different career paths sparked curiosity and led to many great conversations. MOP is a great opportunity for our students to learn about some of the career options available to them, and I was happy to see the excitement the day inspired.”

            “We wish to thank VASE for their hard work in organizing this event,” said Principal Lynn Dessert. “Our students always look forward to MOP and the chance to speak with industry professionals. The event is always filled with insightful conversations and opportunities for the students to learn about careers they are interested in. We are grateful for everyone who participated, from our VASE group to all of the community members who spoke about their careers.”

Marion’s Jigsaw Puzzle Master

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            Though you may not have heard of it, yet, jigsaw puzzle speedrunning is on the rise, and we have a professional in our midst! Twenty-two-year-old Emma Williamson of Marion is one such professional, having competed last September in the annual World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship in Spain and is competing this weekend in the USA Jigsaw Nationals in Atlanta.

            It is fairly self-evident, if you couldn’t tell by the name, but competitive speed puzzling sees jigsaw puzzlers race to complete a jigsaw puzzle in as short a time as possible.

            We spoke to Emma’s father, Roger, who said proudly, “Whenever I tell people about it, which you can imagine is all the time…” before commenting on her time in Spain. He said, “On the second round, she won it. Which is huge! She didn’t even realize she had won, so she had this incredible reaction that rippled through the speedrunning community.” He added, “She’s quickly become nationally and internationally renowned.”

            Emma grew up in Marion, attending both Sippican and Old Rochester Regional schools. Emma told us, “I got into jigsaw puzzling through my grandmother. She is an avid puzzler and always has a puzzle going. Puzzling has always been a way for me to relax and quiet my brain.”

            On how she went from ordinary jigsaw puzzling to completing them competitively, she said, “I first learned of competitive speed puzzling through an Instagram reel that my dad’s partner Erin shared with me. I was about to start my winter break of my junior year of college, so I was about to have a lot of free time and figured I could capitalize on it by seeing if I was any good at speed puzzling. I found that I really liked it and figured it would be a good way to make friends outside of college. I went to the Massachusetts State Championship and the Northeast Regional Championship and did really well and made a lot of puzzle friends! They found me a team for last year’s Nationals, which led to me competing in the World Championship in September and returning to Nationals this year.”

            Both she and her father commented on the warm welcome she received from her first moments entering a competition. On the importance of the friends she has made and community she was welcomed into, she exclaims, “The community is absolutely amazing. The first time I went to a competition by myself, I got ‘adopted’ – puzzlers worked to find me a pair for the pairs competition and gave me lots of snacks. Since then, I’ve gotten to meet puzzlers from around the world, and everyone is so nice and so excited for speed puzzling to grow! I’m mostly excited to go to Nationals to see my puzzling friends, since they are spread across the country and I haven’t seen many of them since Worlds.”

            On to the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship, the 2026 competition will again be held in Spain, specifically Valladolid in Castile and León, beginning on September 16. For worlds, Emma said, “Worlds was absolutely insane. I went in just expecting to have a good time and hoping to place top-ten in the team competition (which we did). I didn’t have a lot of expectations for my individual performance because I knew that there were a lot of really strong puzzlers attending who had much faster times than me.” Though she just recently began competitive puzzling, she stated, “however, I can now say I’m the 20th best puzzler in the world! The real highlight of my individual performance though was winning my semifinal! I’m the only American to ever win a semifinal at Worlds, and I beat the eventual World Champion. It really put me on the map – I gained 300 Instagram followers overnight and was invited on the Piece Talks podcast.”

            Following her time in Spain last year, she added, “what really stuck out to me in that moment was the overwhelming support, both from the puzzling community and my friends and family back home. When I left the dome (Worlds is held in an overheated dome), I was greeted by hugs from my teammates and fellow competitors. I had so many people back home say that they got their friends invested in watching, so the people watching varied from (veterinary technicians) at the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to recent Tufts graduates to my mom’s third grade class at Center School.”

            So, what’s next for Emma? As stated, she has Nationals this weekend and will likely return to Spain in September. She said another goal for her is to bring competitive puzzling back home, specifically fostering its growth in the area, with her saying, “I’m really excited by the growth of speed puzzling, and one of my goals is to bring speed puzzling to the South Coast! I would love to host a competition in the Tri-Town someday, and if folks are interested in speed puzzling (or even just puzzle swaps!), they should definitely reach out to me.”

            You can see Emma’s continuing rise and speed puzzling on her Instagram @emmaswilliamson.

            The USA Jigsaw Nationals, run by the USA Jigsaw Puzzle Association, will be held this weekend in Atlanta. It is a race against the clock, as are all great speedrunning events! The national competition features individual, pair, and team competitions over the three days. The individual and pair bouts see competitors race to complete a 500-piece puzzle as fast as possible. For individuals, there are four preliminary rounds of 200 competitors, each concluding in a final round of the best 50 times from each round. Pairs see two preliminary rounds of 200 pairs each, ending with a final round of the best 100 times from each round. The team’s competition is a bit different, with 100 teams in two rounds completing a 500-piece puzzle and immediately moving to complete a 1,000-piece puzzle, with the timer ending when both are complete. The final round sees the top 50 teams from each previous round completing two separate 1,000-piece puzzles.

            You can watch Emma and the Nationals live either on YouTube @usajigsaw or on Twitch by visiting twitch.tv/usajigsaw. We will be watching! Go Emma!

By Sam Bishop

McKim Nominated As Full Member

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The Marion Marine Resources Commission met on March 18 in the Maritime Center on the coast for a meeting that involved applicants to open roles in the MRC, as well as numerous other action items and updates.

            Following the approval of last month’s meeting, the commission moved on to discuss MRC membership. Chair Vincent J. Malkoski, Jr. noted they are seeking one full member and two alternates. There were three applicants present, with Malkoski recommending the positions be filled in order of application.

            Member Michael Moore suggested an alternative, which is what was done in years prior, being a formal interview process. He said this would be a way to get feedback as to what the applicants believe they can bring to the body. It was then said that the MRC does not have the final say, and they can only recommend a choice to the Select Board who would then perform the appointment.

            The chair’s original proposal was eventually accepted however, making Trisha McKim MRC’s recommendation for the commission’s open Full Member position.

            Marion Police Chief Richard Nighelli spoke next, mentioning the role of Harbormaster is currently vacant. There are currently around 15 applications for the role, with Nighelli saying the screening process will not be performed by solely police officers but with other town boards and committee’s involvement.

            The next meeting of the Marion Marine Resources Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15.

Marion Marine Resources Commission

By Sam Bishop

Four Accepted, One Continued Special Permits

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            The Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals met on March 19 for five agenda items, one that had been continued from a prior meeting and four other cases.

            The meeting began by the hearing on the continued case, that of applicant Russell W. Chase Jr. of 7 Ridgewood Road & Sparrow Hill Road. Chase is seeking a Variance and Special Permit for the property that contains a single-family dwelling build just over 50 years ago in 1974. The applicant sought to un-merge the two properties originally merged in 1973.

            The Sparrow Hill Road lot would be developed further with a new house attached to an existing garage, thus needing a Special Permit. The Variance is due to the 5.4-foot rear setback versus the minimum 30-foot required setback. Chair Susan Akin noted there were no notes from abutters, nor none present to speak for or against.

            Chase noted he plans to sell the new lot, once created, and the proposed house is just a placeholder to give the board a public an idea of what could potentially take up the new lot. Both the Variance and Special Permit were eventually approved with unanimous votes of approval. The Special Permit was accepted with an added notation of an 1,850 square-foot maximum on any future dwelling.

            The next agenda item was the application for a Special Permit by Jeffrey A. and Julia H. Hayward of 18 Nashawena Road for the construction of a two-story garage with accessory dwelling unit on the second floor. It was noted proposed structure would occupy the area of an existing shed and the ADU would have 50% of the living space of the existing home on the property.

            The new garage would occupy 884 square feet, though the board stated there is a 864 square foot limit on garage space, with the board requesting 20 square feet be “shaved off” the proposal. The ZBA agreed to move forward with the addition of an amendment that would limit the proposed structure to aforementioned limited size. The permit was granted with a unanimous vote.

            The next hearing was another Special Permit request, this time from Vera B. Gibbons of 9 Pearl Street. This permit was for the addition of a one-story, 134 square foot addition on to the home’s master bedroom’s western side. The owners want to expand out to the room for renovations on the bedroom and the inclusion of a bathroom. Member Aaron Goldberg mentioned it was a “very modest addition,” with the board accepting the permit request as presented.

            The petition by Patric M. and Sharon J. Costello for 41 Fairhaven Road was heard next. The applicants are not the property owners, with that falling to David A. Greece and Judith Wallace through a revocable trust. The applicants sought a Special Permit to re-divide the property in order to construct a house on the northern side of the existing lot, which would abut Wildwood Terrace. The new lot would be 19,270 square feet, along Wildwood Terrace with the remainder of the existing lot being 45,059 square feet along Fairhaven Road/Route 6. Per the plan, the existing dwelling would be demolished.

            The first question by the ZBA was whether they can grant such a permit to someone who is not the property owner, though it was mentioned that the owners dropped off a letter of support. The current applicants are in the process of purchasing the property. This hearing was continued to next month’s meeting.

            The final hearing was for Patricia and Thomas Lee of 14 Barstow Street for a Special Permit for the construction of a new single-family home with an attached garage totaling 2,834 square feet. The representative of the applicants noted the lot’s narrow, non-conforming nature, jokingly referring to it as a “bowling alley lot.”

            The application was accepted as proposed with a unanimous vote of approval.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for Thursday, April 16.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Sam Bishop

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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The lists of Rochester’s Revolutionary soldiers contain the names of Elnathan Haskell, Elnathan Haskell, Jr., James Haskell, and Nathan Haskell along with twelve others that share the same surname. Looking at the elder Elnathan’s family tree, we know that at least three of his and Dorothy Peckham Haskell’s sons fought in the Revolution.

            Two sons, Elnathan, Jr., who was an adjutant to Gen. Washington and followed the war to South Carolina and Nathan, who died at sea, have already been mentioned previously. However, another son, James, also served. He was born in 1757 and died in 1793 at the age of 35 and is buried in the Rochester Center Cemetery.

            James’ Revolutionary War service was more emblematic of the average soldier’s, than was that of his brothers. He enlisted in Rochester as a private in Captain Joseph Parker’s Company, Colonel Ebenezer Sprout’s Regiment for 15 days according to a muster card. Like quite a few other Rochester men who enlisted, he was sent to Rhode Island on a secret mission. For this he was allowed mileage for 70 miles of walking.

            The muster card that details the end of his term of enlistment on Dec.21,1779 has an interesting entry. It states that he was granted both a firearm and a bayonet to replace the ones he lost while retreating from Rhode Island. The muster card shown here is typical of what you can find if you research one of our veterans at MA, Rev War Index Cards to Muster Rolls, 1775-1783.

By Connie Eshbach

RMS Fourth Grader Wins Feinstein Foundation Golden Ticket

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Rochester Memorial School is pleased to announce that fourth grader Tommy Cahill was recently selected as a Feinstein Foundation Golden Ticket winner.

            The ticket earned Rochester Memorial School a $2,000 grant and an additional $500 for Tommy to donate to a charity of his choice.

            Tommy donated his prize to the Forever 1111 Fund, which honors Madelyn Eitas of Rochester, who tragically passed away in February.

            Each Feinstein Jr. Scholar receives an individually numbered Golden Ticket.

            Beginning in October, random drawings are held on WPRI Channel 12, and five student tickets from elementary and middle schools across Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts are randomly selected each week.

            “We are thankful for the Feinstein Foundation’s charitability and the opportunities they provide ticket winners,” said Principal Heidi Letendre. “Our students’ generosity and kindness shines through when they have the chance to make a difference, and that was certainly the case with Tommy. His decision to support a local Rochester family’s cause through the Forever 1111 Fund is admirable.”

            The Feinstein Foundation has also included a $300 grant to fund an End of Year Sixth-Grade Celebration.

            “The Feinstein Foundation’s commitment to teaching the younger generation the values of kindness is honorable,” said Superintendent Michael S. Nelson. “Their work allows students to see the impact good deeds have within their communities and provides them the power to do so in a way that aligns with their own values. Tommy’s choice to donate to the Forever 1111 Fund shows his support and compassion for the Rochester community.”