Memorial Day Celebration Announcements

            As Rochester’s Events Committee reviewed the plan for its Memorial Day celebration Tuesday, it revealed the town is commemorating the holiday with an entire weekend of events.

            The Memorial Day ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, May 25, starting with speakers at Town Hall at noon and followed by a parade to the Council On Aging senior center (weather permitting). But that’s merely the centerpiece of the festivities. The day before, on Saturday, May 24, a Ham and Bean Supper has been scheduled at the COA from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. On Monday, May 25, a boat race from Grandma Hartley’s Pond will begin at 8:30 am.

            On Tuesday, the Events Committee ironed out details of the above centerpiece event and planned to craft a poster and a flyer advertising all three celebrations. To this end, Committee member Christopher Gerrior presented his first draft of the Memorial Day celebration program. He announced the Showstopper music group of young singers will sing a Patriotic Medley as the ceremony begins. State representative Mark Sylvia will participate with a speech. State Representative William Staus will attend but not speak. The Gettysburg Address will be recited by a junior at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, Cameron Makuch, who was chosen for the task by the Old Colony administration. A state proclamation commemorating Memorial Day will be read by a Rochester Junior High School student who is part of its Project 351 program. The Rochester Memorial School Band will perform. Refreshments will be donated by the Artisan Bakery in Rochester.

            The ceremony will begin in front of Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way. Following this portion of the event, a parade that will include a Fire Department Honor Guard and all ceremony attendees will march to the senior center, 67 Dexter Lane, then to the Civil War monument at Daggart Square.

            Committee Chair Sharon Hartley and board members agreed, however, that any plans for an outdoor parade would be abandoned if there is bad weather, and the ceremony would be moved to take place solely within the senior center. At the meeting’s conclusion, Gerrior said he will speak to the organizers of the supper and the boat race about the details of their events for the flyer and poster and return to the board with a more refined draft of the Memorial Day ceremony program soon.

            The committee scheduled its next meeting for May 13, at 5:30 pm, at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Events Committee

By Michael J. DeCicco

187-Year-Old Getting a Facelift in Rochester

Tri-Town residents are noticing bright yellow construction scaffolding alongside the historic Church Vestry, situated on the church green next to Town Hall. The scaffolding is part of a full structure “facelift” aimed at extending the beauty, longevity, and usefulness of one of the town’s iconic landmarks.

            The Vestry and neighboring Sanctuary are the oldest buildings on the green and have been icons of Rochester Center since the late 1830s. The Vestry, originally opened in 1839 as the “Rochester Academy”, was also used by the town as school classrooms for nearly half a century, from 1905 to the early 1950s. Today, the upper floors are home to the Rochester Christian Learning Center, which offers academic resources for homeschooling families in the area.

            This renovation of the Vestry is the ambitious undertaking of the First Congregational Church of Rochester and is the first of two phases in a $450,000 three-year capital campaign which will later extend renovations to the adjacent church sanctuary. The work involves removing multiple layers of aging clapboard and wood-shake siding and replacing it with composite materials designed to resemble the original historic façade. Windows are also being replaced as part of this effort

            It’s an exciting time for this community church which is looking to provide the town with not only a beautiful backdrop to the town center, but an inspirational and functional center of worship, praise, and study.

            The church welcomes donations from community members interested in supporting this project. Donations by check can be sent to the First Congregational Church of Rochester, P.O. Box 98, Rochester, MA 02770, or made online at RochesterCongregational.com. The church is a registered 501©(3) organization.

            The First Congregational Church of Rochester welcomes the public to join worship services held at 10:00 am every Sunday.

Academic Achievements

Meghan Horan of Mattapoisett was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, at University of Massachusetts.

Frank J. Marston

Frank J. Marston, 88, of Marion died May 1, 2025 at home.

            He was the husband of the late Mary Patricia (Kane) Marston.

            Born in Boston, son of the late Francis and Helen (Dickenson) Marston, he was raised in Dorchester, and raised his family in Westwood before retiring to Marion.

            He was formerly employed as an electrical engineer with Raytheon for many years and served 2 tours with Raytheon in the Kwajalien Atoll.

            Mr. Marston was a graduate of Tufts University and served in the U.S. Navy.

            He was an avid bridge player and won many state awards.  He also enjoyed reading and walking.

            Survivors include his children, Francis J. Marston and his wife Jeanne of Rochester, and Ellen P. Keats and her husband James of Bolton; two sisters, Mary O’Keefe and Barbara O’Hara; seven grandchildren, Owen, Kyle, Danielle, Sadie, Jake, Jonathan and Jason; 2 great-grandsons, Tristan and Dalton; and numerous nieces and nephews.

            He was the brother of the late Jacqueline Marston and Michael Marston.

            His Funeral will be held on Wednesday, May 7th at 9 AM from the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett, followed by his Funeral Mass at 10 AM in St. Rose of Lima Church, 282 Vaughan Hill Rd., Rochester.  Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Marion.  Visiting hours will be on Tuesday, May 6th from 4-7 PM.  For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Matos, Bulldogs Perfect on Courts

The Old Rochester Regional High School girls tennis team played at Somerset Berkley (6-1) on April 23 and won 5-0. It was an impressive victory for Old Rochester, as both teams coming into the match were undefeated. Neva Matos was named the player of the match. The Bulldogs took a perfect 6-0 record into Tuesday’s match against Seekonk (5-2).

Boys Lacrosse

            Old Rochester hosted Bourne (4-4) on April 25 and won 17-5. The Bulldogs’ winning streak reached five as they took a 6-2 record into Wednesday’s match at Apponequet (7-2).

Baseball

            The Bulldogs played Wareham (1-5-1) on April 25 and won 12-0. Old Rochester took a 4-4 record into Wednesday’s game at Fairhaven (3-4).

ORR Sports Roundup

By Aiden Comorosky

Deadlock at ZBA

            The Marion Zoning Board of Appeals met on Thursday, April 24 for their one-and-only April meeting for a hearing on Heron Cove Estates of Wareham Street’s application for a variance to allow the construction of 57 single-family dwelling units on 17 acres. Heron Cove Estates LLC was originally approved for 120 homes and now seek to limit that number due to ballooning development costs. Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Cynthia Callow first cited their correspondence with other town bodies.

            The Board of Health, where she stated that board had no comment on the approval of the application. Callow also read off comments from the Planning Board, who said “the applicant should only be allowed to build at a higher density as permitted by – a process that includes approval at annual Town Meeting.” This basically puts the decision to the town voters. The Conservation Commission commented they believed the application is “non-jurisdictional.”

            Mark Bobrowski, representing Heron Cove Estates LLC, stated the cost of the original plans had risen to $8 million, up from original estimates of $3,375,000. 10% of the 57 houses (so, 5-6) would be able to be classified as “affordable housing,” per the original agreement. The general cost-estimates per unit sit around $400/square foot, or a minimum of $800,000~ per unit. There were many questions of sewage, with the new plan to provide surface drainage systems to each unit.

            The discussion of allottable land for affordable housing was raised again later. Member Margherita Baldwin said, “there isn’t a lot of land to build affordable housing in the town.” The Chair reiterated this assertion, saying “we’re running out of land, and we have other projects coming down the pipe.”

            After much discussion, the motion to continue to another time was waged. That other time being May 8, where a comment from Town Council was also requested by the Board. However, of the five-member board, two voted “yay” and three voted “no.” Another vote was held to approve the variance, where three voted “yay” and two “no.” After some confusion, it was confirmed a 4-to-1 vote is required, meaning the two “no” votes cause the variance request to be rejected.

            The Board tried to “table” the meeting until May 8, or until they receive notice from Town Council. Though, this was “muddy” as one member put it due to the former vote for continuance being rejected. The Chair said, “We didn’t accept to continue, and we didn’t accept the variance. So now, where do we go? So now we need Town Council to tell us what happens.”

            The petitions said they would resubmit and file another appeal the following week (April 28).

            The next meeting was not definitively confirmed, though it seems likely for May 8 at 6:30 pm at the Marion Police Department.

Marion Zoning Board of Appeals

By Sam Bishop

Machacam Club

The next meeting of the Machacam Club is scheduled for Wednesday, May 7. We meet at the American Legion Hall on Depot Street. Social time begins at 5pm followed by dinner at 6:00 pm. Our speaker will be introduced at 6:40 pm. Chef Colby is planning another satisfying meal. Callers, please send your counts by 9:00 pm Monday, April 5, 2025. Please submit inquiries to cwmccullough@comcast.net.

Mattapoisett Grange Honored

            In 1975, the Mattapoisett Grange building, now a four-unit condominium complex situated at the corner of Route 6 and Main Street, received the esteemed designation of qualifying for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places. While it has long stood as a significant piece of the community’s storied beginnings, the building, would now enjoy its rightful place alongside other notable structures.

            More recently, the Mattapoisett Historical Commission presented the property owners with a new plaque noting the building’s inclusion to the register. As the Mattapoisett Historical Commission pursues recognition of numerous structures and locations throughout the community, the former grange hall stands as an icon of that rich past.

            As part of the commission’s designated responsibility to document places of historic significance, the town granted the commission Community Preservation grants to fund professional investigation and documentation that would ultimately place hundreds on the Massachusetts Historical Commission MACRIS (Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System). MACRIS may be accessed by the public and is a wealthy repository for researchers, educators, or even property owners seeking historic details regarding their property.

            The Grange building began life as a Meeting House, The Third Meeting House and has been the site if public meetings dating back to 1816. In spite of modern life and property usages eventually surrounding the building it maintains its elegance. It was built in the Italianate style popular in the 1800’s. As its function changed over the decades from a Meeting House to a school, a church, and a private residence, its massive profile has stood as a beacon of superb architecture.

            For those who love details, the MACRIS website notes; the two-story rectangular clapboarded building rests on a cut granite foundation…with a pedimented two-story central pavilion…all the windows on the façade have round arches on top with hood moldings over the arches. In spite of losing its banneret weathervane in the 1938 hurricane, the building looks essentially much as it did when first constructed.

            Dipping back a bit further into its long life, the state history notes, “After the roof of the Second Meeting house was destroyed in the 1815 hurricane and because the town’s occupation was turning from farming to ship building, the congregation located closer to the sea…”

            As we prepare for our spring Town Meeting its fun to note that the history of the Grange includes its use as a meeting place for town meetings, “…a memorable session lasting from March 6, 1837, to July 10…” as the community dealt with the issue of Mattapoisett separating from Rochester.

            As we move about in our busy modern day lives, we should take a moment to remember the people who help to make Mattapoisett special or should I say the buildings. As commented in the state database, “The Third Meting House, aka the grange, is significant not only for its architectural importance to Mattapoisett, but also for the contributions it has made to the political development of the town and in the field of education.”

By Marilou Newell

Containing Osprey Marsh’s Knotweed

            The last meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission was held on April 23, where the Commission set out to continue a public hearing from the previous meeting, hold four separate public hearings, and go over some correspondence with other town bodies.

            The commission continued its hearing for Robert Luchetti’s Notice of Intent for pier repairs at 548 Point Road. The representative stated the work being done will not be below the mean high-water line and will complain with the pier’s current license. This was also stated to eliminate the need for an Army Corps of Engineers water quality check. In order for the commission to have a better grasp on the situation, they agreed on a four-week continuance to reconvene and issue an approval then, if found applicable. The next hearing will be May 28.

            A hearing for a Request for Determination of Applicability was held for the reconstruction of a front porch at 13 Quelle Lane. The house sits in a flood zone, and the existing foundation goes down about eight inches, according to the construction representative Andrew Perkins. In order to shore up the porch to support weight and weather, the new foundation would go down 48~ inches. The hearing was closed with unanimous approval from the commission.

            The next hearing was for a Request for Determination of Applicability for the removal of four trees at 14 Aucoot Avenue. A representative wasn’t present, though a continuance was requested. That was granted for the next meeting, May 14. The next hearing was for a Notice of Intent filed by the Oren Robinson Revocable Trust 2017 for the reconstruction of a single-family dwelling at 16 Spinnaker Lane. This hearing was also continued to May 14.

            The final hearing was submitted by Sippican Lands Trust, Inc. for a Request for Determination of Applicability for the treatment and maintenance of areas affected by the propagation of invasive Japanese knotweed at Osprey Marsh and 366 Point Road. The trust has recently obtained the property of 366 Point Road, which has been absorbed into Osprey Marsh. Work would begin in late-spring/early-summer with cutting and would take several years to fully contain the invasive plant. The representative from the trust stated the knotweed is “well-established.” The request was approved unanimously, and the hearing was closed.

            The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission will be held Monday, May 14 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Police Department.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Sam Bishop

Hello from Plumb Library

What’s Happening in May at the Library? May is a transitional month at Plumb Library, when the spring program cycle wraps up and we prepare for the start of summer reading. So, while that means we don’t have any children’s programs on the books this month, we do have some upcoming Saturday events for adults that you should check out.

            First up is a Game Day for Adults hosted by our Writer’s Group. From 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Saturday, May 3 drop in for fun and light refreshments. The focus will be card and board games. Anyone 18+ is invited to attend, no registration required. This is a great opportunity to meet new people and learn a new game or two. A good turnout will help in making this a regular reoccurring Library program.

            Next is the Friends of the Library and Savers Clothing and Book Drive. This is your chance to clean out those closets and bookshelves and help the Friends at the same time. From 8:00 am to 3:30 pm Saturday May 10 a truck will be in the Library’s parking lot waiting to be loaded with soft household goods and books. Items must be in resale condition and bagged or boxed. Items for donation can include clothing, shoes, accessories/belts/jewelry, purses/bags, bedding, curtains, table linens, throw pillows, and small kitchen items. Please call us with any questions about what can go on the truck.

            Thirdly we will be joined by Karen Chace and Andrea Lovett for Carving Out Your Story: an Oral History Workshop. These talented storytellers will help you get those family story gems down on paper for future generations to enjoy. Using prompts and activities, they’ll guide you in finding the best parts of your own life story. This program will be held from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm on Saturday May 17 and is limited to 20 people. Please sign up on the Events Calendar on our website.

            Finally, we will wrap up the month with an author talk from local sci-fi writer Richard Cutler. Join us from 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm on Saturday May 31 to hear about the writing process from rough drafts to published books. Richard is an engaging speaker who is passionate about all types of writing, but especially science fiction. He’s happy to answer questions about writing projects and the genre in general. Please register for this talk, as space is limited.

            Other Upcoming Meetings: Board of Trustees 6:30 pm Monday, May 12 (open to the public); Writer’s Group 6:30 pm Thursday, May 15 (new members always welcome.); COA Book group 1:00 pm Tuesday, May 20 to discuss “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston ; Books and Babble Book club 6:30 pm Thursday, May 29 to discuss “The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown. Books for both book clubs are available to pick up at the Library.

            The Library will be closed Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day.

            Please remember that library cards are required for checkout. If you have lost your card, it can be replaced for a $2.00 fee. Always have your card with you by uploading it to the SAILS Mobile app. It’s quick and easy and we’re happy to show you how it works.

            Library hours are: Mondays/Thursdays 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm; Tuesdays/Wednesdays 10:00 am to 6:00 pm; Fridays 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; Saturdays 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We are closed on Sundays and Holidays. The Library can be contacted by phone at 508-763-8600 or email at info@plumblibrary.com. Check our Facebook and Instagram pages for information, upcoming events, and more.