ORRTTEF Fund Advances Disc Golf Course Expansion

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Flying discs and friendly competition are becoming a more familiar sight at Old Rochester Regional High School, where students are aiming to build up the sport of disc golf on campus, thanks to a $2,000 grant provided by the Old Rochester Regional Tri-Town Education Foundation.

            During the 2024-25 school year, the Old Rochester Regional Tri-Town Education Foundation awarded a $2,000 grant to support the continued development of the disc golf course at Old Rochester Regional High School.

            A $2,000 grant was awarded by the Old Rochester Regional Tri-Town Education Foundation Fund to Old Rochester Regional High School social studies teacher Andrew Apperson to support the school’s Disc Golf Club as it seeks to enhance and improve the on-campus disc golf course. The grant will enable the school to continue the work of improving the course and expanding it into a full 18-hole experience, providing a healthy, accessible and inclusive recreational activity for students.

            “Disc golf is a sport that students of all skill levels can enjoy, and it encourages them to get outside, stay active and spend time together,” Apperson said. “This grant helps us continue building a course that students can be proud of and that the school community can enjoy for years to come.”

            The Old Rochester Regional School District and Massachusetts Superintendency Union #55 are pleased to share this story and the outcome of a total of more than $9,400 in private grants provided by the nonprofit Old Rochester Regional Tri-Town Education Foundation for the 2024-25 school year.

            The Old Rochester Regional Tri-Town Education Foundation Fund is a growing endowment under the umbrella of the SouthCoast Community Foundation. Supported by community donors, the fund helps educators pursue innovative, high-quality learning experiences for students throughout Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester.

            This is the fourth in a series of articles describing the impact of grants awarded by the Tri-Town Education Foundation Fund to support innovative teaching and student enrichment across the Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55.

            Apperson applied for a Tri-Town Education Foundation Fund grant last year to advance the work of the school’s Disc Golf Club, which has been developing a course on the high school campus since 2022. The Disc Golf Club hopes to expand the course beyond its current nine-hole layout into a full 18-hole course on campus.

            Initial development of the course began through fundraising efforts and a mini grant, which allowed the club to purchase nine simple baskets that have been temporarily used as targets, or holes. The new funding will help the club continue its progress toward installing permanent high-quality baskets and other course features, including tee pads, signage and additional equipment.

            The disc golf course supports both competitive club play and informal use during and after school hours.

            Students have personally contributed to the maintenance and enhancement of the disc golf course, including in November during the school’s Community Service Day, when several volunteers teamed up to remove overgrown vegetation.

            “We had over 30 volunteers helping to clear the course and get it ready for further expansion with more permanent baskets in the future,” Apperson said.

            Early Childhood Coordinator Doreen Lopes said the project is evidence of the district’s dedication to supporting creative and innovative ideas that focus on the students and promote their wellness and engagement.

            “Projects like this demonstrate how student interests can grow into meaningful opportunities for recreation, connection and learning,” Lopes said. “The Tri-Town Education Foundation plays an important role in helping educators bring these kinds of ideas to life.”

            To support future grant-funded programs like this one, community members are encouraged to donate to the Old Rochester Regional Tri-Town Education Foundation Fund. Please go to the Old Rochester Regional Tri-Town Education Foundation Fund donation page: cfsema.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1304.

Thoughts on… March Madness

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It’s March! March Madness has arrived when a large portion of otherwise normal people in offices, schools, and mancaves throughout the country fill out their brackets trying to predict which college basketball team will win the annual NCAA basketball tournament and be crowned the best team in the nation. Many of them are obsessed fans who bet heavily on the outcome of the games that span three weekends. That’s why it is called March Madness. Most of these people, including myself, don’t know the difference between the University of South Carolina and the University of Antarctica.

            The tournament began in 1939 and now consists of 68 teams that play in eight rounds starting with the First Four and leading to the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight and the Final Four. (My, they do like alliteration, don’t they?) The championship game is called…er, The Championship. My choice for a tournament winner is Gonzaga University because I like the name. Just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? Gon-Za-Ga. The”Zags” have been in the tournament since 1999. They have reached Sweet 16 twice, Elite 8 six times and Final Four twice, losing every time. Now that’s Madness”!

            The schools receive a large trophy, bragging rights, and a lot of money. The players who do the actual work do not get paid but can and do make millions by selling the rights to their names and images in commercial deals. The whole thing has become a bit of a circus. So, buckle up and enjoy the circus and the madness.

            Speaking of circuses and madness, the current tenant in America’s most famous public housing has again made writing satire easy. (You didn’t expect me to not comment on the circus, did you? Really?) Taking a break away from ballroom and arch construction, the Leader of the Free World in an address at a GOP retreat on Florida referring to the current Middle East excursion, uttered the now immortal words that there are “people who died are walking around (over there) without legs, without arms.” That pearl of wisdom comes on the heels of another immortal phrase “…they are eating the cats, eating the dogs…” spoken at a presidential debate in September 2024.

            Trying to be positive, I imagine our chief executive took a break from world leadership to enjoy a couple of films in the White House movie theater. Rumor has it that the classic the “Sixth Sence” was on the marquee. The 1999 film starred Bruce Willis, (A great actor who sadly, now suffers from dementia.) He played a psychologist treating a young boy who sees dead people walking.

            On the second bill might have been “The Madness of King George” a comedy about the downfall of Britain’s King George III. He was called “The Mad King’ who is said to have “lost America” in the American Revolution. Despite receiving four “Thumbs Up” from the late film critic Roger Ebert it did not do well at the box office, bringing in about half what it cost to make.

            Our First Lady’s husband is not the only public official who sees things that are not there and can’t be.  According to a CBS TV affiliate in Lake North Beach, Florida, a woman was stopped by a local police officer and given a ticket for holding a cell phone in her right hand. Despite her protests the officer insisted and wrote on the citation he ‘saw the phone in her right hand.”  The thing is…the woman has no right hand! She intends to appeal and her hearing is on April1, which by the way, is April Fool’s Day.

            Now that’s Madness!

            Mattapoisett resident Dick Morgado is an artist and happily retired writer. His newspaper columns appeared for many years in daily newspapers around Boston.

By Dick Morgado

Water Main, Erosion Controls, and Pier Modifications

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The Marion Conservation Commission met on Wednesday, March 11 with a packed agenda. However, most of the hearings at Marion Police Station’s conference room were connected to routine matters, many projects falling within buffer zones.

            After approving minutes from their February 11 meeting, the committee moved on to discussions with the Department of Public Works. The DPW sought approval to install a water main on Island Wharf Road to accommodate expansion. The ConCom had questions of whether the water chlorination process would discharge anything into the harbor, but project representatives said there will be safeguards in place.

            The Conservation Commission had issues with some erosion control measures, but committee members said the DPW can put more safeguards in place.

            A few projects sought replacing existing structures, such as one on Point Road. Another Allens Point Road proposed by Creative Property Solutions applicant sought approval for construction of an accessory garage and an accessory dwelling unit above an existing septic system.

            ADUs have been popular in Marion and other areas. The Conservation Commission weighed in on matters pertaining to stormwater flow.

            David R. Hooke Trust on Delano Road sought modifying an existing private pier to improve access to nearby waterways. Project applicants mentioned that the pier does not provide access to the waterways and helps the area meet today’s standards.

            The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Police Station.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Board Clarifies Cottage Neighborhoods

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            The March 16 meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board was especially noteworthy as the new bylaws the board has been working on for just over a year have been completed. The Public Hearing for a new Cottage Neighborhoods and Accessory Dwelling Units were studied one more time before the board voted to close the public hearing and send the documents off for legal review.

            Several times during the course of the board’s deliberation in these matters, the Cottage style developments were referred to as “affordable,” causing some confusion.

            Town Planner Victoria Alfaro confirmed that the new cottage bylaw is not for the construction of subsidized units or housing units geared towards income-restricted persons. Board member Bill Winnerberg stated, “these are not affordable units, they are attainable housing.”

            A copy of the drafted bylaws is available from the Planning Board office.

            A continued site-plan review for 92 Marion Road for the construction of 24 motel units, as proposed by Sonal Patel/Krishi Kishan Corp, was not heard as the applicants withdrew the application.

            A small land transfer to the Mattapoisett Land Trust for a lot located at 0 Cove Road was granted under Approval Not Required.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for April 6.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

Rochester Cultural Council

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The Rochester Cultural Council (RCC) is pleased to announce its grant recipients for 2026. The RCC is composed of volunteers appointed by the Rochester Select Board and is funded by the Mass Cultural Council. Each year, the RCC awards grants to support arts, humanities, and science projects that enhance the quality of life in the Rochester community. Proposals may include programs such as school field trips, afterschool programs, concerts, festivals, lectures, theater, dance, music, film and STEM projects. In 2026 the RCC awarded $5,900 to seventeen organizations including the Rochester Council On Aging, Rochester Historical Society, RMS PTO, Marion Art Center, Mattapoisett Land Trust and the Friends of Old Rochester Drama, Inc. A full list of 2026 grantees can be found at our MCC page at massculturalcouncil.org/local-council/rochester/.

            If you have a great idea for bringing culturally enriching programming to the Rochester area and need funding to make it a reality, we can help. Applications will be accepted in September of 2026 for the next grant cycle. Quick links to tips for grant writing and the application process can also be found at bit.ly/RCCTips. Finally, the RCC is always looking to welcome new members. To find out more about us, check us out at www.facebook.com/rochestermaculturalcouncil, feel free to attend one of our open meetings, or email us directly at rochesterculturalcouncil@gmail.com. We would love to have you join us.

Blanche B. Perry Scholarship

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The Mattapoisett Land Trust is seeking applicants for its $1000 Blanche B. Perry Scholarship. This award is available to a Mattapoisett resident graduating from Old Rochester Regional High School, Bishop Stang High School, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, or Tabor Academy by June 2026, and pursuing education in the sciences and/or environmental studies or a related field.

            The scholarship is made available through the Edith Glick Shoolman Fund, a bequest left to provide support for children in the community.

            Application forms are available in the guidance offices of participating schools listed above and at the Mattapoisett Land Trust website: mattlandtrust.org/education/grants-and-scholarships/.

            The deadline for submitting the complete application and accompanying materials is April 17. The recipient will be notified by mail by May 15.

            The actual award will be disbursed after the student submits an official college transcript

documenting a successful completion of the first semester in college to the Mattapoisett Land Trust.

MRC Speaks With UMass Boston

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            The Marion Marine Resources Commission met on Thursday, March 11 in the Maritime Center and touched upon the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, the harbor management plan, various capital improvement projects, and the development of more kayak racks in town.

            The main talking point was a meeting with UMASS Boston representatives about the importance of implementing a formal harbor plan.

            The school members noted that such a plan would engage the public more. MRC members said that a plan could help alleviate confusion as to whether the plan represents an arbitrary regulation instead of something that people helped develop.

            UMass representatives noted that it could improve access to shoreline, including for those with disabilities. It was noted the work can also help educate the public on how climate change can impact future access to shorelines.

            There is funding in place for a master harbor plan, and commissioners said the MRC would help with engaging the community while UMass could help with technical aspects and collect data from the public. They mentioned that in one community there was a public outcry for more public access in one area that was once seen as not accessible.

            UMass said they would like to have a kickoff meeting with the public in the spring, followed by a public survey. After collecting data and analyzing it in the summer and fall, the consultants expect to share a draft in the fall.

            Once the MRC reviews it, it will then go back to the public, usually in the winter. After that, it would seek final approval. The school representatives said they have other options for implementing the strategies.

            MRC members stated they are an advisory committee; the Select Board would get final approval. Members added that the town’s Open Space plan is relatively new and might be a good resource to understand public needs and understanding. UMass responded that that situation is standard, so there would not be a need to start a new committee.

            The next meeting of the Marion Marine Resource Commission was not scheduled at adjournment.

Marion Marine Resource Commission

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Springing Forward

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            “Spring is icumen.” The change of the seasons is perceptible now — can you see it? More importantly, can you feel it? With the rebirth going on all around us, it’s natural to experience a sense of rejuvenation and hopefulness.

            While the weather report isn’t exactly blissful, I’d rather the rain than snow and the climbing temperatures are encouraging. Early March has been living up to its reputation “in like a lion” but we can expect that to tame so that it lives up to the other part of the proverb “out like a lamb.”

            Even the common adolescent takes note as my students brighten when the sun shines and then deflate when the temperatures dip. Agreed, everything is more tolerable with the sun. And subtle changes are happening: more birdsong, catkins on the hazelnut tree, and a softer feeling in the air that says spring is almost here.

            These awakenings travel to our nerve centers and elicit responses. For the gardener, it’s time to begin another cycle of planting as nature reinvents itself again. Nature’s clock has been fast forwarded, urging us to make contact with the ground and nurture what is growing.

            This first session in the garden may not appear romantic – a hunched figure in coveralls overseeing a brown canvas with a few green splotches doing mundane tasks. But for the gardener who has been inside for too long, it is a thrilling time of abandon. The mind cranks ahead, not seeing a drab patch of dirt with tattered remains of last year’s plants, but rather the garden that will be. You’re getting acquainted all over again with a place that holds some of your innermost dreams. You try to comprehend how this or that grew so large, recalling how tiny it was when you planted it several years ago. Even the obnoxious weeds like onion grass bring a momentary smile. It is nearly spring and you are in step.

            And, as every year when you first venture out, there are memory lapses. It’s unlikely that every plant you put in the ground is memorized, so there will be markers or the plants themselves as reminders. The loop along the front border where I introduced new perennials last year I can only half recall. I will just have to wait to see what comes up where.

            Then there is another kind of memory game or gap, known as “name that plant.” It is a plant whose name you know as well as the names of your children. But for a second or two it’s gone. You stare at the leaves and all you can think of is romaine lettuce. Let’s see, verbascum? No, too early. Foxglove? Still early. Then it rises up and trippingly comes off the tongue: primula! Oh yes, with unique green flowers! It’s like seeing someone familiar in an unexpected setting. A snag in the old mental rolodex. Spring is also for oiling the mind.

            I always take pleasure in the simple things – rediscovering lost plants or uncovering their markers, finding plants that have survived… I wonder if the nigella will come back? …and the occasional item that has nothing to do with gardening (namely plastic dinosaurs and long-lost plastic Easter eggs). These revive memories of the summer long past and reinforce the idea that gardening is ongoing and not fixed.

            Enjoy springing forward!

            “There is a blessing in the air,

            Which seems a sense of joy to yield

            To the bare trees, and mountains bare,

            And grass in the green field.”

-William Wordsworth, “The First Mild Day of March”

The Seaside Gardener

By Laura McLean

The MAC’s first Unplugged for 2026

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The MAC is thrilled to announce its first Unplugged concert for 2026. It will take place on March 27 with two shows – one at 7:00 pm and one at 8:30 pm, each one lasting one hour. The show will feature Donn Legge with Ed Ledwith. Two guitars – an exciting new approach to the Unplugged concept. The shows take place upstairs in the MAC’s Patsy Francis Gallery, located at 80 Pleasant St, Marion. Tickets are $15 for MAC members and $20 for nonmembers. More information and tickets at marionartcenter.org/events.

            Donn Legge is a busy performer on the South Coast of Massachusetts. He can be seen playing with Blues Train, South Coast Jazz Orchestra, Patrice Tiedmann’s Seaglass Theater, Dori Rubbicco, NB Rude Boys, and Kareem Sanjaghi on Cape Cod. While living in Miami Florida for a number of years Donn played with the “Miami Heat Band” in the late ‘80’s and also with Gogi Grant, Rich Little and Trini Lopez. Donn accepted his first teaching job in Miami in ‘85 and taught full time music in public high schools until ‘00 when he and his family returned to Massachusetts. Donn continued teaching music in the public schools until his retirement last year. Donn was featured in a duo with jazz pianist Matt Richard at the first Unplugged at the MAC in April of 2023.

            Ed Ledwith is a freelance guitarist and retired school music teacher. He’s been performing music in a wide variety of styles since the 1970’s. Ed has played music in recording studios and performance venues in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. He was a featured performer in the long-running “Singing for Shelter” concerts in Newport, RI. Ed has also performed in collaboration with musical theater organizations in Fall River, Attleboro, and Dartmouth, MA. An independent release of Ed’s original music, “Find Me,” was released in 1995.

ORR Budgeting with Superintendent

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            The Marion Finance Committee, in their mission to square away the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, met with Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson and Assistant Superintendent Howie Barber on March 12 to go over school budgets across the Tri-Town: specifically, ORR and Sippican.

            They began by highlighting big changes going forward into the next school year/fiscal year. Nelson began by mentioning the total yearly budget would be $5,360,000, which had been pushed down closer to $5,100,000 per request from the FinCom. There have been two major changes, Nelson said, since the last time the committee saw the budget.

            “There has been some changes, fundamentally,” said Nelson. “We have firmed up our projections around enrollment, knowing our kindergarten numbers.” He also referenced Special Education needs, which have been accounted for in the revised budget. He also said from the previous budget that the FinCom saw, there has since been the removal of two full-time employees.

            Barber would state the current budget has not yet been approved by the school committee, though this is what will be presented to them. He also clarified that the mentioned loss of full-time employee positions, or FTE’s, would not incur any active job cuts as they “are not going to be impacted by active staff. We have enrollments, and because of the attrition … the steps and levels of those, the staff members are and so forth, it allows us to make these updates without impacting staff that are currently in our bargaining groups.”

            That is to say, these positional cuts will not affect any active staff and would instead only affect future postings. Barber reiterated that these proposals would not impact any staff members. There is one retirement and one transfer, meaning those positions would not retroactively be filled.

            The superintendent went on to refer to a “steady decline” in enrolment. He mentioned rising costs, saying, “I understand it may be hard for a lot of families or young families to move into the Tri-Town.” He’d add, referring to future enrolment, “I don’t see a big spike coming in the near future.”

            Funding for DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) was also brought up, which serves as a screener for literacy levels that then, in turn, allows for early intervention. Nelson stated it was, “to see if kids are progressing where they should developmentally.” He added the three-year grant that covered DIBELS is now expired. He said the schools cannot go without this program due to state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) regulation. Therefore, the program will now have to be paid without state or federal assistance.

            FinCom member Shay Assad said he noticed legal costs on the budget were up 25%, asking, “do you anticipate some issue that you’ve got to deal with?” Barber responded, saying historical, legal costs have continued to rise without the budget thus far accounting for the gradual change. He clarified it is based on a potential need without citing any exact legal challenge in the future.

            Next, the large jump in costs for a school psychologist were brought up, from $66,000 to $103,000. Nelson said they had been unable to hire in that crucial position, necessitating it be contracted out either “retirees or companies that will do psychological assessments that we are required to do.”

            He would follow up, saying, “Point blank, there are certain positions that are very difficult to fill for school districts. School nurses, speech and language pathologists, and school psychologists are the top three, in my humble opinion, and we do not think it makes fiscal sense to continue to budget at a step-two, step-three (level), which is what we do with classroom teachers. So, with a school psychologist, we believe that we need to be fiscally responsible and have a more realistic job-salary range. We think it actually will save money compared to contracting out for each.”

            For further increased costs, Barber would mention the new health insurance provider, Mayflower, highlighting increased premium costs would be around $420,000, though this will rise or fall depending on enrollment numbers.

            The next meeting of the Marion Finance Committee was scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 at 6:00 pm where the committee was to discuss the Town Meeting Warrant.

Marion Finance Committee

By Sam Bishop