Carolyn S. Titcomb

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Carolyn S. Titcomb (Mattapoisett, MA). The United States of America lost one of its oldest and most loved citizens this past Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at the age of 106 years, 46 days.  In addition, Red Sox Nation and Patriot’s Nation also lost one of their biggest fans. From April to October she could usually be found in front of her TV starting at 7:00pm cheering for her favorite Red Sox over the years: Pedro, Manny, Pedroia, Varitek, and of course Big Papi. In the fall, Carolyn could be found every Sunday cheering for her favorite players Gronkowski, Edelman, Welker, Vinatieri, and of course Tom Brady.

            Carolyn passed away peacefully in the comfort of her own home with her beautiful granddaughter Julie at her side. She was born and raised in Bridgewater, MA. Right from the start of her life, she was a strong woman having survived a case of the Spanish Flu in 1918 at 18 months old. She graduated from Bridgewater High School in 1934, and was a proud member of the Girl’s Basketball Team. At the time, girls were only allowed to play on half of the court, because in the 1930s it was against the rules for the girls to run up and down the full length of the basketball court! She married her husband (because he had a motorcycle) and proudly raised her 2 boys during World War II when there were no men around because they were all off fighting in the war. During her lifetime, she lived in several places including Keene, NH, Brockton, MA, Assonet, MA, and Mattapoisett, MA. Carolyn was a proud member of the Republican Party dating back to 1933. The 90 year grudge against Democrats began because her father was the Postmaster of Bridgewater, MA, and at the time this position was affiliated with the political party of the President. When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (a Democrat) was sworn into office in March of that year, her father lost his job in the height of the Great Depression. She never let that one go.

            Carolyn was predeceased by her husband Millard Titcomb, her sister Jane (Carroll) Welch and her husband Donald, and her nephews David and Kenny Welch. She is survived by her sons Peter Titcomb (Supply, NC) and William Titcomb (Marion, MA), her daughter-in-law Sharon Titcomb, her grandsons Peter Jr. (wife Tracey), Timothy (wife Nancy), Julie Whittemore (husband Richard), and Joshua (wife Cathey), and her 7 great-grandchildren: Peter Titcomb III, Anna, Lillian, Jack, Rory, Axel, and Ellis. She is also remembered by her nephew David’s partner Margo Melnicove of Wayland, MA.

            A special Thank you goes out to her much loved Helper of many years, Ann Rodriguez, and her Nurse, Emily Field, who were also a part of her chosen family. Carolyn was loved by so many friends and extended family at the Mattapoisett Housing Authority’s Village Court on 1 Acushnet Road. In her final days, she made the decision to generously donate her body to Harvard Medical School (HMS), to see if they can unlock some of the secrets in her body that lead to such a long and fulfilling life. If they don’t find anything on the inside, here are just a few secrets she displayed throughout her life on the outside. When you tell someone you love them, say “love you to pieces,” when you thank someone you know, say “thanks a million,” when it comes to cell phones and social media, she would say “it isn’t the real world” so put it away, give lots of hugs, think happy thoughts, count your blessings, make your bed every morning, don’t be afraid to hold a nice long grudge, have a bowl of Cheerios with a banana every morning for breakfast, and eat lots of Little Debbie Snack Cakes!

            In honor of Carolyn’s wishes, there will be no funeral services. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Community Nurse Home Care/ Hospice of Fairhaven, MA.

Kimberly I. Meyer-Pelletier

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Kimberly I. Meyer-Pelletier, 68 of Fairhaven, MA died peacefully on Friday, June 2, 2023 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was the loving wife of Richard C. Pelletier for 39 years.

            Born in Hinesville, GA daughter of the late Arthur H. and Dorothy G. (Lavallee) Meyer, she grew up in a close-knit family in Wrentham, MA and spent her summer months in Mattapoisett enjoying all the beauty that Buzzards Bay had to offer. Once married she moved to Coventry, CT where she started a family and grew her own private practice as a Physical Therapist. Eventually she planted roots in Fairhaven, MA where she continued her life’s work as a PT, healing those who were burdened with grief, trauma, and physical and emotional pain through mind, body, and soul connection.

            Kim, had a zest for life and a taste for adventure. She spent many winters skiing in snowy Vermont. She traveled the world whenever the opportunity beckoned. More recently, she took up pickleball which complimented her competitive and fun-loving nature. She was a warm, caring, and compassionate person who was always eager to help others in their time of need.

            In addition to the obituary, here are some heartfelt memories of Kimberly Meyer-Pelletier:

-Kim was Miss Wrentham 1973 during the tricentennial celebrations.

-Kim had a green thumb and nurturing her garden brought her great joy.

-Kim cherished the holidays. She loved spending time with her family, cooking delicious meals, and giving thanks for all the blessings in her life.

-There was nothing quite like being on her boat in Lake Tashmoo watching the sunset with her best friends and her family. She would quite often remark “How lucky are we”

            Survivors include her husband Richard; her children Alexander Pelletier and his wife Celia Bellaloui, and Rachel Pelletier and her husband Alec Desmond; her siblings Dwight D. Meyer, and Jennifer Meyer-Feeney and her husband James; her sister-in-law Carole Meyer; and her nieces and nephews Jay, Megan, William, Michael, and Lauren.

            She is predeceased by her brother, A. Gregory Meyer.

            On Saturday June 17th a celebration of Kim’s life will take place at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett, MA. Family welcomes visitors from 1 to 5 pm. We invite you to wear colorful clothing to celebrate Kim’s joy of life. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Kim can be made to the Buzzards Bay Coalition.

TikTok, Earbook and Tweeter

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            I haven’t been paying attention to the national news lately … it is too depressing … so when I happened to see an old newspaper headline saying, “Montana is the first state to ban TikTok,” I was confused and surprised. Confused because at first glance, I thought it meant clocks were being banned, particularly cuckoo clocks. Why would anyone want to ban cuckoo clocks? Surprised because I haven’t seen a cuckoo clock in years.

            I confess, I’m like the sage of Foxboro Bill Belichick who once said he doesn’t do “Earbook or Tweeter.” I now know that TikTok is an app for your phone that allows people to video themselves doing silly things and disseminate their creations across cyber space. For the life of me, I don’t know why anyone would embarrass themselves that way, but it is a brave, new world out there that is passing me by.

            Apparently, the app is very controversial. It is owned by a Chinese media giant ByteDance. Authorities around the world are concerned that the data it collects could be passed on to the Chinese government. Why the Chinese government would care about some 13-year-olds who wrap themselves in bubble wrap and dance the Watusi (I guess that shows my age) while lip-synching a Beyoncé song is beyond me.

            I guess I have not been paying attention for some time. The app was first introduced six years ago, and it is bigger than just teenagers being foolish on camera. You can create your own “brand” on TikTok, which is why even big companies sell their products on the platform. They say it allows them to connect with younger audiences.

            They call it their “social media strategy.” I have one of those … I don’t do social media. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Dunkin’ (didn’t they used to sell donuts?), the NBA and The Washington Post are all on TikTok. They say they are trying to reach the Z generation … or is it the X generation? Maybe the Millennials. I can’t keep up. It sure is not the Boomer generation.

            The Governor of Montana said that it is his “priority to protect Montanans from … “communist surveillance.” Good luck with that. Did he hear about those big balloons floating over his state a while ago?

            The advocates for the app say that the new law infringes on the First Amendment Rights of the “hundreds of thousands of people” who use it in the state. ByteDance says their sole purpose is to inspire creativity and bring joy. So Montana doesn’t want their citizens to be creative and experience joy?

            I trust our federal government is on the case. They have already banned the app on all government-issued phones. I don’t know whether to be paranoid or just suspicious. I have already banned it in my house, but the missus does whatever she wants.

            TikTok has over 1,000,000,000 daily users worldwide with 150,000,000 in the USA and growing. Methinks the genie has been out of the bottle for some time.

            Mmmm, it appears that money can be made. A marketing company called Ubiquitous will pay $100 per hour to watch TikTok for 10 hours. My kind of job, sit and stare at my phone. I can do that. Maybe I’ll even create my own brand, wrap myself in bubble wrap and sell cuckoo clocks.

            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.

By Dick Morgado

June in Bloom

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Are you looking for even more signs that summer is just about here to stay? If so, join us at the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club’s June in Bloom. This year’s biennial Garden Tour will be in full display in our quaint seaside village on June 24 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

            Several expansive gardens will be waiting for ticket holders, each of which has been specially selected from a variety of styles including formal to informal, woodsy to cottage, seaside to secluded and even a monochromatic garden. The gardens highlight the use of annuals, perennials, herbs, shrubs, trees and even spectacular container plantings. Besides simply viewing the beautiful gardens, visitors will find that all of them emphasize steps that can be taken to improve home gardens as well.

            Advance tickets, priced at $30. You can find them for sale at local businesses, including at Pen & Pendulum, Isabelle’s, Town Wharf General Store and Ying Dynasty in Mattapoisett; in Fairhaven at Periwinkles and What a Find! and in Marion at Eden Florist and Garden Shop. You can also purchase tickets to the Garden Tour at the MWC’s online sales kiosk at mattapoisettwomansclub.org.

            On the day of the Tour, tickets will be $35.00 and will be available only under the tent beside the Ying Dynasty Restaurant on Route 6 in Mattapoisett. This is the same area where all attendees must stop to pick up their Tour Maps after 9:30 am on the day of the Tour, and it is also where day-of-sale tickets will be available. At 2:00 pm all ticket sales will stop to allow participants adequate time to see as many gardens of their choice as possible.

            On Saturday, the MWC will also be holding a raffle for a beautiful double Adirondack chair. Tickets are $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00. The winner need not be present to win (but we hope the winner will be able to take it home on the same day.)

            The proceeds from this year’s Garden Tour and the raffle will benefit the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club’s Scholarship Fund as well as the Club’s philanthropic efforts, public programming and community outreach. The Club is always open to new members from the greater SouthCoast area. For more information about the Club and/or a membership application, please see our website at mattapoisettwomansclub.org.

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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As most of us know, this past weekend was the 89th Mattapoisett River Race. Begun by Rochester’s Jim Hartley as a project for his 4H group, the race down the river from Grandma Hartley’s Reservoir became a yearly event. When William Watling became the Herring inspector for Rochester, he realized that debris in the river made passage difficult for the herring and coincidentally, for the boat racers.

            He was the founder of Alewives Anonymous, which like the boat race continues today. The two have become closely allied with the President of Alewives Anonymous, Art Benner, along with others (including the race’s sponsor the Rochester Fire Dept.) clearing the river and organizing many aspects of the race prior to the Memorial Day event.

            Recently, I came across a document at the museum, which highlights the historical importance of alewives (herring.) The document is a water control agreement from 1805. The agreement is between a committee appointed by the town of Rochester and Nathaniel Hammond and Abel Howes, owners of the Hammond Gristmill “known by the name of Hammond Mill” and located on the Mattapoisett River.

            While the owners of the mill along with their heirs have exclusive right to the control of the water at the Hammond Dam (associated with the mill) the agreement states that they “are to furnish & provide sufficient passageway for the fish called Alewives to pass up & down said river through said Dam forever and after Commencement of the first day of April until the twenty fifth day of May annually every year after the date hereof forever the said passageway to be fifteen feet wide and be simeler(sic) to the one now in use which was made by Jonathan Church”.

            It goes on to say that the passageway should be kept in the “same place where the one is now” and it is “to lay four feet & three inches below the surface of the water on the upper side of said Dam. During the said term from the said Twenty fifth of May said passageway shall be kept open the fish may have a free and uninterrupted passage through said Dam and all Mills on said Dam are to stop going during said time”. For agreeing to these conditions, the mill’s owners would receive a “sum of money equal to one eighth part of the amount of the sales of privileges of taking said fish”.

            Today the mills are gone and unfortunately, so are many of the herring. However, both the boat race and Alewives Anonymous continue and with them the hope for an increase of “fish called alewives.” The picture with this article, also from the museum files, is of Bob Sherman and Cliff Vaughan, the race winners in 1957.

By Connie Eshbach

Spring Birding Walk

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Join the Mattapoisett Land Trust and the Nasketucket Bird Club on Saturday June 10 8:00-9:30 am for a beginner’s level birding walk. This birding walk will be led by Justin Barrett, President of the Nasketucket Bird Club. It will be a lovely, relaxed morning in nature and a wonderful opportunity to learn about local wildlife. Justin will lead us through the woods and out to the beach, identifying birds by sight and sound.

            The walk will take place on MLT’s Munn Preserve trail. Meet just before 8:00 am at the parking area at the end of Mattapoisett Neck Rd., just before Antassawamock Rd. in Mattapoisett, MA. Bring your binoculars and dress appropriately for the outdoors, including sturdy footwear. This is a free event open to all, no matter your birding ability. Hope to see you there.

Mattapoisett Library: Write a Pen Pal

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This summer, the Mattapoisett Free Public Library is participating in the National Library Pen Pal Project.

            This nationwide program pairs patrons from libraries across the country to be pen pals. Patrons will be paired with a similarly aged pen pal, and all of the mailing will be done by the library.

            The library will provide the post cards and ensure they are mailed on time. You just need to write. This program is for ages 8 to adult. To participate, you must register on the library website by June 12.

            If you have any questions, contact Michelle Skaar at mskaar@sailsinc.org or by calling the library.

Academic Achievements

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Riley Anne Knight of Mattapoisett graduated with distinction from Trinity College, Dublin Ireland, with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering.

            548 students processed at Stonehill College’s 72nd Commencement on Sunday, May 21, including Kevin Ovian of Rochester, Andrew Rayner of Mattapoisett and Aidan Ridings of Mattapoisett.

            Bishop Stang High School held a Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2023 on May 26. Tri-Town graduates included: Redmond Podkowa of Marion, Luke Tougas of Marion, Julia Downey of Mattapoisett, Liam Gormley of Mattapoisett, Cameron Letourneau of Mattapoisett, Hannah Ramalho of Mattapoisett, Eleanor Senna of Mattapoisett and Charlotte Sisson of Rochester

            On Saturday, May 13, Michaela Mattson, who majored in Biomedical Engineering, was bestowed a Bachelor’s degree at WPI’s 154th Commencement. Nearly 1,100 undergraduate degrees were awarded during the ceremony.

            Holy Cross celebrated nearly 762 Bachelor of Arts degree recipients at its 177th Commencement held in person on Friday, May 26 at the DCU Center in Worcester. Included in those receiving degrees were Thomas McIntire of Mattapoisett and Benjamin Shachoy of Marion.

            Springfield College has named Dylan Aguiar from Rochester to the Dean’s List for academic excellence for the 2023 spring semester. Aguiar has a primary major of Health Sci / Pre-PT.

Barn Swallow Global in Appeal

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            The Barn Swallow is one of the most active insect and mosquito predators, fortunately well distributed around most of the natural world. It is very common everywhere across the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, and it patrols the biggest part of the northern hemisphere.

            It ranks in public opinion as one of the most essential, bottom-line benefactors for a healthy environment of insect control. In the fall, all the Swallows migrate to the southern hemisphere.

            As in my illustration, it also ranks as the best, eye-catching flying predation as it swoops and dives, skimming across the water to catch and eat in one graceful motion of predatory flight.

            Across the shoreline of Buzzards Bay, the Barn Swallow favors finding a nesting home under manmade buildings and overpasses, especially under the roofs of horse and cow barns. The coming of Swallows to our shores have always been a natural sign of the arrival of the spring season.

            Under one of the overhead structures, they usually build a cup-shaped nest out of grass and loose feathers, using their own mixture of mud pellets to cement it to the overhead. Over the years, the construction has been known to be repaired again and again over a long tenure.

            The nests survive the passage of time by standing as welcome shelters for their continued return, using the homing instinct like this homecoming phenomena inspired the writing of the popular love song you most remember: “When the swallows come back to Capistrano, that’s the day I pray you’ll come back to me.”

            In nautical literature, ancient mariners painted the arms with tattoos of Swallows as a positive omen of safe return after thousands of miles around the world. In medieval culture, the Swallow was believed to be descended from the eternal spirit of nightingales. Today, the Swallow is depicted on postage stamps in many old-world countries and has been the national bird in Austria since 1969.

            Recognition on a national basis is the highest tribute of public opinion of the Barn Swallow that I have written about and illustrated to earn your recognition and positive evaluation of what has been a normal, common phenomenon that attracts your unexpected attention and understanding.

            What more can I say and illustrate for your entertainment?

By George B. Emmons

June Rose (Delaney) Clancy

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June Rose (Delaney) Clancy, 89, of Marion, MA, died unexpectedly at Tobey Hospital on June 1, 2023.

            Born in Brockton, MA, daughter of the late William and Rosanna Delaney, she graduated from Brockton public schools. She also earned a certificate in business and then married Gerald S. Clancy, Sr. They were married for 68 years before both died on the same day, within 12 hours of one another: June at Tobey Hospital and Gerry at home after a period of declining health. Together they raised seven children, living in East Bridgewater and then Marion, MA.

            Throughout her life, June was involved in her children and grandchildren’s sports and activities, an active participant in her church and community, and beloved by countless friends and relatives. She was the long-time Secretary for Camp Rockne, a camp for girls in Dublin, NH. In Marion she volunteered at the Sippican Healthcare Center and St. Rita’s Church, where she established the weekly Eucharistic ministry program to offer communion to Catholic residents at the Healthcare Center. She and her husband, Gerry, also designed, planted and maintained the gardens at St. Rita’s for many years. In 2006, June received the Marian Medal diocesan award from the Bishop of Fall River in recognition of her dedicated service and on-going devotion to St. Rita’s Parish. 

            June was a passionate and accomplished gardener and took great delight in her gardens at home and in sharing cuttings with friends and relatives. She also enjoyed golf, traveling and the many activities around Marion including, in her later years, the Council on Aging.

            June is survived by five sons Gerald, Jr. (Elizabeth), Kevin, William, Thomas (Nanci) and Michael (Susan); two daughters Patricia Kashgagian (Greg) and Susan Dougherty (Dan); 14 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who will cherish her memory.

            A Funeral Mass for June and Gerry will be held Friday, June 9th at 11 AM at St. Rita’s Church in Marion, with the public invited to meet directly at Church. Interment will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Marion. Calling hours will be Thursday, June 8th from 4-7 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Marion Council on Aging, 465 Mill St., Marion, MA 02738. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

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