Winter Guests Overstay Welcome

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            Let me make this perfectly clear, I have nothing against Mickey Mouse.

            Everyone likes Mickey, who has always appeared to be a fine character, even though his boss is cheap and didn’t pay very well. Disney once sent me a bill for 36 cents, saying they had overpaid me for an illustration I created for them! After a year of receiving this bill every month and ignoring it, I finally put 36 pennies in an envelope and mailed them their money. That was the end of my working for the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

            Unfortunately, Mickey’s relatives in our neck of the woods are not as nice as old Mickey. They have cost me a pretty penny recently, and it is not the first time.

            Recently, driving down the highway, I turned my headlights on, as I usually do on a cloudy day, when suddenly my horn started blowing, the windshield washers started spraying, and the wipers began swiping back and forth. What the heck!? I turned the lights off and tried again. Same thing. I’m not one to swear, but a truck driver gave me a thumbs-up as he passed, hearing the nasty words that were spewing out of my mouth because I knew what the problem was. Off to my favorite garage.

            As I suspected, my mechanic said Mickey’s country-mice cousins, who reside in our garage during the winter, had overstayed their welcome and have appeared to have eaten the wiring in my dashboard, causing a short circuit, setting off the blowing, spraying and swiping. It is not the first time Mickey’s cousins have cost me money.

            After recovering my truck from three days in the shop, I have resumed my annual mouse hunt. I have enough mouse traps spread around the garage to trip up a bear, but the little devils just ignore them. I know because we set up a camera and watched them dancing around the traps. I bought one of those electronic thingies that claim to emit a sound that purports to hurt the critters’ ears and chases them away.

            Not!

            I have seen the little buggers gather around the device and enjoy the concert. I even tried a bucket of water with a ramp, hoping they’d take a swim. No luck. I have filled every hole I can find in the garage, but mice can squeeze through an opening the size of a dime.

            I have consulted every article on Google to find a solution. The best experts can suggest is spraying peppermint oil around the garage and the vehicles, which I have been doing religiously for months, purchasing gallons of the brew at great cost. Supposedly, the tiny monsters hate the smell. Apparently not.

            Some say the cause of this problem is that automakers use soy-based wiring in their vehicles. The little rodents apparently feast on soy. Others say this is a myth with which I tend to agree. They also attacked my wife’s new car, eating much of the wiring and all the foam padding under the back seat. That little feast cost my insurance company $2,000 and me another $500 to cover the deductible.

            I have avoided putting poison down because I don’t want to harm the cats and bunnies that visit the yard or to call an expensive exterminator. Maybe old Mickey Mouse, whom I have always spoken well of despite his boss’s stinginess, could encourage his rodent relatives to move to sunny Florida or at least send me 36 cents to begin replenishing my mice-control budget. Eh, probably not.

            Editor’s note: Mattapoisett resident Dick Morgado is an artist and retired newspaper columnist whose musings are, after some years, back in The Wanderer under the subtitle “Thoughts on ….” Morgado’s opinions have also appeared for many years in daily newspapers around Boston.

Thoughts on…

By Dick Morgado

Join the Friends of the Mattapoisett Library

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Seeking a few good friends. If you have spare time and an aspiration to get involved in supporting the library, the Friends would love to have you join them.

            Time commitments are minimal and usually includes a monthly meeting plus a weekend book sale for a total of four hours each month. The Friends are a charitable corporation whose proceeds from book sales and other fundraisers support the purchase of museum passes and fund programming for all ages. Without this support, the library would face the need to limit the amount of programs and offer far fewer museum passes. The Friends are crucial to the success of the library. Membership materials are available at the library, so stop by to join today. Membership levels start at $20 for individuals and $35 for families. Members always have early access to the Harbor Days book sale and the annual Jewelry and Accessory sale with the Members Only Preview Sale.

            Members of the Friends will meet next on Wednesday, July 12 at 6 pm in the Marine Room of the Mattapoisett Library. A zoom option is often available; email to jjones@sailsinc.org for the link. Meeting topics will include volunteer needs for the book sale, recruitment of new members, and filling vacancies on the board for vice-president, secretary, and membership.

            The Harbor Days book sale will take place on Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15 from 10 am until 2 pm both days. Members will enjoy preview sale hours on Thursday, July 13 from 5 to 7 pm.

            For more information about these events, call the library at 508.758.4171 or email to mfpl@sailsinc.org. Check the library’s web page for more information about the Friends of the Library.

FCCM Summer Fair

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The First Congregational Church of Marion Summer Fair is coming soon. Join the fun on Saturday, July 29 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. The Fair happens right on Main Street and throughout the church grounds at 28 Main Street. This is the Fair that everyone looks forward to each year.

            Children can enjoy Free Kids’ Activities: bouncy castle, crafts, street chalk art and more. It’s a delight for children of all ages. On the church grounds you’ll find a Bake Sale with tables filled with yummy desserts, homemade pies, cakes, cookies, candy and more from the church’s best cooks.

            Stop by the White Elephant tables to discover treasures of all kinds. At the Silent Auction, you can place your bid to win goods, services and so much more. Stay for lunch and get delicious food hot off the grill.

            The Penny Pinchers’ Exchange will also be open to shop for clothes, household goods and many other special finds. This is the area’s best place to find amazing prices and selection.

            For more information, visit the church website at: www.marionfirstchurch.org.

            Parking is available at the Island Wharf public lot (Front Street across from Music Hall) and on streets surrounding the church. Come one, come all.

Academic Achievements

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The spring sports American Rivers Conference all-academic teams were announced and 57 Central College student-athletes were honored for their academic and athletic excellence. Adam Sylvia, Class of 2023 from Rochester, is on the Men’s track and field team and earned a 3.65 GPA majoring in business management.

            Chase Guard of Marion has been named to the Plymouth State University Dean’s List for the Spring 2023 semester. To be named to the Dean’s List, a student must achieve a grade point average between 3.5 and 3.69 during the Spring 2023 semester and must have attempted at least 12 credit hours during the semester. Guard is majoring in Business Administration at Plymouth State.

Rocked Boat Seeks Stability

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Dale and Laura Briggs hope their boat docked at their 23 Dexter Road property will stop getting pushed around.

            During the June 28 meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission, the Briggs’ Notice of Intent application was heard, the proposed solution being installation of boat-mooring piles.

            Their representative, David Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone, Inc., gave the commission a summary of backstory, including numerous filings. An Order of Conditions is open for construction of a single-family house, and the owners have certificates of compliance for a seawall, a pier jutting out from the seawall and a boardwalk from Dexter Road to the island.

            The new application is for the installation of three 16-inch diameter piles on the south side. Davignon said they will align with existing piles on the north side. The reason they are needed, he explained, is because boat traffic does not slow down and creates waves, causing the owners’ boat to smash against the piles.

            Davignon said he checked with the Waterways Department to see if it could be a minor project but was told a new filing was necessary.

            The commissioners decided that they should wait for a comment regarding a nearby wildlife habitat, and the hearing was continued to July 12.

            Great White Realty Trust, Frederick and Cindy Mock, was voted a Negative Box 2 and 3 Determination of Applicability to relocate a footpath on their property at 5 Moorings Road.

            Brian Grady of G.A.F. Engineering said he is looking to bring the path inside the recorded easement. No change in grade, bark mulch when cleared, stabilized the path and revamping the lawn, will restore the existing path or it will grow back on its own.

            Todd Hunter, trustee of the Eleanor L. Hunter 1990 Trust, was issued a Negative Box 2 Determination of Applicability for minor site grading and landscaping, trench and backfill for connection to a watermain and portion of the driveway at East Avenue.

            Rick Charon from Charon Associates, Hunter’s representative, told the commission there is a flood zone that comes up from the cove.

            The commission discussed apparent clearing and the installation of a shed at 882 Point Road that Conservation Commission Chairman Jeff Doubrava suggested should have filed a RDA. Commissioner Shaun Walsh agreed and mused that the owner may not have been aware that the land is subject to coastal-storm flowage.

            Walsh suspected that such an application would yield a negative determination but thought Conservation Agent Doug Guey-Lee should write a letter to the owner, seeking permission to conduct a site inspection, in part to educate the owner as to the prescribed process.

            The commission voted to grant a full Certificate of Compliance to Arthur Solomon for construction of an outdoor kitchen at his 538 Point Road home.

            The commission voted to appoint Walsh as representative to the Stewards of Community Open Space.

            Doubrava, the chairman of the Community Preservation Committee, sought the appointment of a new representative after he explained the mechanics of the CPC’s distribution of Community Preservation Act funding.

            Commissioner Matt Schultz agreed to shadow Doubrava through the 2023 round of meetings on the premise that he would take over chairman’s duties in 2024.

            Walsh thanked Doubrava for his work chairing the CPC, noting that it “funds a lot of things that probably would not get funded.”

            The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, July 12, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Mick Colageo

Frederick Douglass Remembered

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On July 1, the Benjamin Cushing Community Center in Marion was the venue for a first-of-its-kind event: a community reading of Frederick Douglass’ July 4, 1852, speech. The event was hosted by the Marion Art Center, Tri-Town Against Racism and the Marion Council on Aging.

            Before the community reading, keynote speaker Dr. Moise Saint-Louis, interim associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs and director of the Frederick Douglass Unity House, set the stage by giving the audience members context.

            Who was Frederick Douglass? How did his agency help to frame the Abolition Movement? But moreover, how did his very life, his work, his struggles help the world to comprehend the true horror of slavery during his lifetime to the present?

            Saint-Louis said, “His insistence that there should be no slave in a nation that claims all men were created equal, no three-fifths of a human being in a nation that professes the inalienable rights of all … his demand that the nation should live up to its creed and ideals, that, we, should live up to them, provide us with a historical framework for understanding every social movement, every call for justice and equity, and every struggle for rights and fairness in our nation’s history.”

            When Douglass gave his speech regarding Independence Day, he was not fully a free man. Although he had managed to escape his enslaver, finding some semblance of freedom in the north, he had to pay his former master, pay for the release of his very body from legalized bondage before he could breathe freely. Yet he still was not considered a whole human being.

            “The Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850,” Saint-Louis reminded the assembled. The result was a perpetuation of slavery. He spoke to Douglass’ first-hand knowledge of the crimes against humanity he witnessed and experienced as a slave. He reminded us of the cruelty wrought on people of color: rape, murder and total exploitation.

            Slaves represented an engine that fueled the American economy, and white slave owners were not giving that up easily. Keeping black people in a category of living beings that was not 100% human justified their imprisonment.

            After Saint-Louis ended his rousing speech, 15 members of the community, a group of volunteers from around the area, began reading Douglass’ speech. The group represented a wide swath of society, young, older, male, female, black, white. It was moving to witness young black men and women speaking the lines written by a hero of justice for all. It was unifying to see white, senior citizens nearly brought to tears as they spoke iconic lines of the former slave.

            The Douglass speech does not pull any punches.

            “The crack you heard, was the sound of the slave-whip; the scream you heard, was from the woman you saw with the babe. Her speed had faltered under the weight of her child and her chains! That gash on her shoulder tells her to move on. Follow the drove to New Orleans. Attend the auction; see men examined like horses; see the forms of women rudely and brutally exposed to the shocking gaze of American slave-buyers. See this drove sold and separated forever; and never forget the deep, sad sobs that arose from that scattered multitude. Tell me citizens, WHERE, under the sun, you can witness a spectacle more fiendish and shocking. Yet this is but a glance at the American slave-trade, as it exists, at this moment, in the ruling part of the United States.”

            Douglass implored his audience 171 years ago to “…look in the mirror.” Saint-Louis echoed that charge.

By Marilou Newell

Events at the Mattapoisett Library

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            Cool off at the Mattapoisett Library with film and art. Take in a classic film on Friday, July 7 at 1:00 pm as our series, First Fridays Film Club, continues in the summer. Enjoy some popcorn and air conditioning as you watch an 80’s cult classic. No registration is required and the film is rated PG. Find out more about the film series and discover the movie title on our website, mattapoisettlibrary.org.

            Get in touch with your artistic side on Saturday, July 8 at 2 pm with the help of Creativebug. For this workshop, we will learn how to paint with gouache together as we view a tutorial on our crafting database. No experience necessary and registration is required as supplies will be limited. Canvases, paints and brushes will be supplied by the library. Register online through our calendar of events to reserve your space today.

            For more information about these events, call the library at 508-758-4171 or email to jjones@sailsinc.org. Check the library’s events calendar for more upcoming programs and book discussions.

Mattapoisett Library Children Programs

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Summer reading has begun at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library. Visit the children’s room anytime to sign up and receive a badge book, book BINGO sheet and a necklace.

            On Thursday, July 6 at 3:30 pm, children ages 8+ can create some fun art out of sea glass. Visit our website to register.

            Wednesday, July 12 at 3 pm will be hosting Big Ryan. Come and enjoy some of Big Ryan’s original stories, puppet play, a bit of music, movement and a whole lot of fun. No registration required, all ages welcome.

            Wednesday, July 19 at 3 pm, come to the library and learn about the birds in your backyard with Hands on Nature: Beginning Birding. Make a simple feeder to take home and attract birds to your yard. Ages 5+, no registration required.

            On Friday, July 21 at 3 pm, children 8+ will learn two simple folds to transform a worn-out book into art by making a Recycled Book Hedgehog Craft. Registration is required.

            Check the events calendar on our website to register and for a complete list of all our programs. If you have any questions please contact the library at 508-758-4171 or email mattchildrens@sailsinc.org.

Getting Tougher on Tardiness

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            The COVID-19 pandemic has had a lingering decay on the urgency among a segment of students to be at school on time, according to Old Rochester Regional High School Principal Mike Devoll.

            As a result, ORR implemented a new attendance policy mid-year, stressing the importance of arriving on time, then tightened and refined several policies in the Student Handbooks for both the high school and junior high as presented to the ORR School Committee during its June 21 meeting.

            Assistant Principal Vanessa Harvey said the administration has received feedback from the school council.

            Tardiness will be met with warnings, and upon the third unexcused tardiness, a Saturday detention will be levied. A fourth unexcused tardiness will result in the loss of driving privileges for the duration of the school term. For students who do not drive, a fourth unexcused tardiness would result in a parental meeting.

            Students scheduled to participate in an athletic event or extracurricular activity on any given day must now be in school by 8:00 am that day.

            Students will be cut more slack when it comes to wearing earbuds. Harvey noted that previously students were not allowed to use their earbuds in the bathrooms, cafeteria or hallways, but the policy changed so that students can wear them in the cafeteria.

            In a year-long course, a fifth unexcused absence will result in an attendance warning letter, and a ninth unexcused absence will result in the loss of credit for the course even if the student passes the course. That schedule becomes more severe for half-year courses (third absence letter, fifth absence no credit.)

            The “Make-up Work – Sickness” section of the Student Handbook has been truncated to just “Make-up Work.”

            Several other handbook tweaks have been made, including one that strictly prohibits food deliveries to students during the school day.

            The School Committee discussed an appeal of two books, “Felix Ever After” and “Push,” both of which were upheld by the Standards Committee, according to committee member Matthew Monteiro.

            Resident Karen Thomas said she is opposed to the book “Push” and cited experts’ criticisms. Monteiro argued against the presumed objectivity of one of the sources cited. Committee member Joe Pires then thanked Thomas for her comments. “It’s clear our material needs to be age-appropriate,” said Pires.

            Committee member Margaret McSweeny pointed out that the books are located in ORR’s library but are not part of the curriculum. “They’re not taught by the teachers, they’re there for the students who identified them and need them and who have parental approval to use them,” she said.

            Committee member Jason Chisholm would echo that point when the discussion shifted to the book “Push.”

            Citing that the book has been in the ORR library since 2008, Monteiro sought to confirm the current complaint to be the first. “To our knowledge,” said ORR Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson.

            Devoll said that no complaint had been launched against the book during his tenure, which began in 2008.

            Committee member April Nye suggested that the committee get the word out and explain the process by which a parent or guardian can opt out to make selected literature off limits to their children.

            Pires said communication with parents needs improvement, based on feedback suggesting that in some cases, they do not know what’s in the library or what’s being taught in class.

            Before the vote approving the decision to uphold the inclusion of “Felix Ever After” in the library, McSweeny noted that Time magazine ranks it among the top 100 young-adult books of all time. Pires’ was the lone dissenting vote.

            Pires said there is a significant amount of people in the school district with opposing views. He said he hopes for compromise “so that both sides are met. Both sides have needs.”

            In answer to Pires’ comment, McSweeny recalled the partial acceptance of Greg Hardy’s proposed book donations during the school year.

            Pires was also alone in voting against keeping “Push” in the library.

            In her Chairperson’s Report, Michelle Smith celebrated achievements in athletics. Project 351, concerts and the DECA business club.

            In his report, Nelson publicly thanked departing Director of Student Services Craig Davidson.

            Dr. Shari Fedorowicz, ORR’s assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning, was happy to report the arrival of a literacy program embraced by all three of the Tri-Towns.

            Smith was enthusiastically nominated to continue as chairperson of the ORR School Committee, and Chisholm was voted to serve as vice chair.

            The committee voted to schedule meetings on Thursdays for the 2022-23 school year. There is one exception, the first meeting of the new academic year on Wednesday, September 6, due to an Open House conflict. Subsequent meetings have been scheduled for October 12, November 16, December 21, February 1, March 7, April 11 and June 6.

            The committee voted to accept the following donations: $250 from the Marion Garden Club to ORRJH for the “outside” courtyard classroom; from the Tri-Town Education Foundation, $1,916.99 to Brian Almeida for STEAM night (student computing displays); $2,000 to Richard Laprise for students to participate in the composition project New Music to Our Ears and $1,000 to Allison Barker to improve the high school library’s Commons Makerspace; and from UMASS Dartmouth technician (and parent) Glenn Volkema three PASCO Roller Coaster kits at $1,429 each;, six Vernier LabQuest Mini at $189 each and nine Vernier Photogates at $55.

            Respective high school and junior high principals Devoll and Silas Coellner reported on their School Improvement plans, both reaching completion in 2023.

            Pires reported on the dissolution of the Communications Committee but said administration is working on long-term programs to enhance and improve communications. Committee member Rose Bowman offered her support, and the committee voted to dissolve that subcommittee.

            The committee voted to approve facilities and food reports from Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber.

            During Open Comment, Rochester resident Rhonda Baptiste told the committee she received a call from Coellner on May 15 saying that her son was found unresponsive outside during gym class, that Emergency Medical Services was called and that he was being taken to the hospital.

            She thanked all who were involved in responding to the situation, especially teacher Chuck Jancaterino for even noticing during the chaos of a softball game.

            “I will forever be grateful to you all for that day,” she said.

            Retiring Superintendent at Greater New Bedford Vocational-Technical High School and Rochester resident James O’Brien addressed the committee, telling a story of an encounter indicating a lack of community confidence in the system. He cautioned Pires against taking his views to social media, to which Pires objected, calling O’Brien’s remark a personal attack. O’Brien insisted he was not attacking Pires.

            “One of the challenges moving forward, you have to put your feelings aside and do what’s best for the mission, the strategic plan and the respect, the administrative team and the procedures that are in place,” said O’Brien. “There is no trust within this school committee, and the bridge has been burned. This committee has to reflect on what is best for the schools to build that bridge.”

            Long-time staff members Kathy Dranchak, Kate Souza and Kevin McCarthy were recognized with the dedication of books upon their retirements.

            The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, September 6, and the next meeting of the Joint School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, September 28. Both meetings are to be held at 6:30 pm at the ORR Junior High media center.

ORR School Committee

By Mick Colageo

Walk, Trot, Cantor

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            On July 2, the 76th annual Marion Horse Show once again proved that the venue and the attendees alike are magnificent.

            The venue, Washburn Park off Front Street in Marion, features an arena fit for royalty. According to the show’s website, the event was founded in 1947 by Charles R. Washburn as a fundraiser with monies going to local youth groups. The Tri-Towns pooled their resources for a 4th of July celebration with festivals and a parade.

            The stated mission today is to preserve the horse tradition of Marion with the annual show, its jewel in the crown or, should I say, bridle. And it’s an open show, open to all who wish to test their equestrian mettle. Once again, the show did not fail to entertain or challenge the riders.

            The show tests the riders and, of course, their horses in a wide variety of categories. Over 70 different skillsets were listed in the program. For the casual observer, it all looks difficult to execute, but for the rider who has spent endless hours working with the horse partner, it’s a matter of understanding what the horse is willing to do based on trust and training.

            There is a variety of riding styles, such as English, Western and Saddle seat.

            Some of the challenges the teams faced included a trail class, where horse and rider had to perform a series of tasks without hesitation such as walking backwards, gathering a sack, riding with sleigh bells and ignoring a small, lighted Christmas tree.

            The glossary of terms for horse-related activities is mind boggling. There are Hunters, a class of horse and rider that is judged based on the horse’s movement. They should appear relaxed with smooth rhythmic movements. Equitation is based entirely on the rider’s position and control of the horse.

            To add another layer to the complex world of competitive horseback riding, there are different types of judging. The Pleasure style judges the horse. Equitation, as previously noted, judges the rider, while In Hand looks at the ability to lengthen strides.

            While horse shows have been a part of the agrarian culture for hundreds of years, a report noted that as far back as when Rome was the center of the world some type of horse racing or competition has taken place. In 1918, the Association of American Horse Shows formed on the eastern seaboard. Thusly began what today riders and horses must train to do, work together, in strict conformance to regulations, standards and traditions.

            The Marion show featured primarily female riders from girls to women. Dressed in crisp shirts with collar closures neatly tucked into breeches, and short jackets, riding boots and helmets, they looked professional and in full possession of equestrian form.

            There is also the tradition of placing ribbons in the hair of females and on the horses’ manes. The colors are silent messages. Green means the horse and/or rider are new to competitive riding, but red on a horse’s mane means it likes to kick – beware.

            While this event is now in the books, mark it in your calendar for next year. You won’t be disappointed to see riders and their horses putting their best foot (hoof) forward in the hope of earning a ribbon, and it’s a great way to kick off summer fun with the whole family.

By Marilou Newell