Our Flag of Freedom

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To the Editor;

            Our Flag of Freedom

            While watching T.V. it bothered me as I saw some men burning our flag. No one there put it out, loud words they did shout. They just treated it like some kind of rag. Don’t they know God has given to us this land so rich and so free from the Atlantic to the Pacific and up to the Bering Sea?

            Much to our flag I would rather brag about our soldiers on Normandy who fought side by side, many suffered and died to defeat the enemy.

            And brag about our marines who lifted our flag up high on a hill on Iwo Jima under a smoke filled sky.

            Brag about our Navy who valiantly fought on the sea. Many were lost and they paid the cost to bring home a victory.

            Brag about our Air Force who battled up high in the sky. They weathered the flak, some did not come back, but their courage will never die.

            Brag about our Coast Guard protecting us on our shores, bringing us peace and comfort, no enemy will knock on our doors.

            Our flag is a perfect symbol of just how much we are blessed. God’s gift from above filled with His love, it is truly our “treasure chest”. So with a tear in your eye let our flag fly high and with hearts that will never forget the Armed Forces of our nation. It is to them that we owe our debt. Amen.

            George Smith, Rochester

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence. All letters must be typed and submitted directly to: news@wanderer.com.

Health Updates and Inspections

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The Marion Board of Health met on Thursday, June 4 in the Marion Police Station. There were many updates provided by town officials as well as updates to the Code of Marion discussed.

            The meeting immediately began with updates from the Public Health Director, Lori A. Desmarais. The director began with a discussion on covid vaccines, to which she stated she reached out to Moderna for information on the pricing of that corporation’s version. Currently, she said the town has access to the company’s Spikevax vaccine, but the mNEXSPIKE is also produced by Moderna, which Desmarais said produced a higher immune response in older recipients. She is still awaiting a response from the corporation.

            Desmarais then noted the town’s Health Department received the first notice regarding mosquito spraying. Residents who had requested sprayings received their first dosage last week.

            She added the town had held a Rabies information panel the day prior, but due to little attendance, the event was unfortunately cancelled. She said they will likely try again in the spring at possibly a different time of day.

            Updating the board on food/restaurant permits, Health Agent Gabriella Almeida noted the new managers of the Marion General Store, Amy and Will Felder, wish to open sometime in July, though the town has not yet received their application. The store still has a tobacco-sales permit paid through the end of the year, and though the new owners stated they will not sell tobacco products, inspections are still required. There is also the farmers’ market in Washburn Park, which she noted will require routine inspections.

            The Marion Board of Health then began its Public Hearing to amend the Marion Sanitary Code, particularly Section 8: Food Service. The changes provide definitions to common terms, increased descriptions of various establishments/events that serve food to standardize who needs inspections, and information on service animals and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance. The hearing was closed with few public questionings, followed quickly by a vote to approve the changes.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for Thursday, June 18 at 4:30 pm in the Marion Police Station conference room.

When in the Course of Human Events…

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            This week in Revolutionary War history, let’s check up on what was going on 250 years ago in New England and the northern Thirteen Colonies. Last week, General George Washington sat in and spoke at meetings of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. There, he pressed for support as the congress voted to send more men and arms to guard the faltering northern front. Various towns in the colonies, mainly in Massachusetts, have declared their independence from Britian, as delegates in congress itself openly speak of uniformly doing the same.

            On June 7, 1776, Washington has been back in New York for a day when Brigadier General John Sullivan writes from Sorell, Canada (today Sorel-Tracy). He asks for direct assistance from the general, wondering “if it be possible for your Excellency or General Lee to come here – I am well persuaded that Canada would be ours from the moment of your Excellency’s arrival.” Washington does not offer a known reply, though he does stay in New York, taking command of the city’s defenses.e a

            That same day, he announces in his General Orders that Horatio Gates of Essex, England be promoted to Major General and Thomas Mifflin of Pennsylvania be promoted to Brigadier General in the “Army of the United Colonies.” Neither Gates nor Mifflin have yet to make a name for themselves, though both will become prominent figures as the war progresses, with the latter being a signatory of the United States Constitution.

            Historians do not look upon June 7 for the previous events, however. Crucially, that fated Friday would be the day Virginia Delegate Richard Henry Lee formally put forward the topic of independence on the floor of Congress. Following the May 15 Virginia Convention passed in Williamsburg, the Lee Resolution brought that zeal to Philadelphia. In it, Lee states, “That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.” John Adams of Massachusetts seconded the motion, and thus, Congress was officially locked in discussions regarding formal independence from Britian.

            Washington, unaware of the discussions in Philadelphia, jockeys between messages from Canada and attempting to prioritize the defense of New York City. On June 10 in the north, British General William Howe, following months of preparations (since the evacuation from Boston on March 17), departs Halifax, Nova Scotia with 9,000 troops destined for New York. At the same time, General Henry Clinton is enroute with an expedition of British and Hessian troops to the Carolinas.

            On June 11, the Continental Congress is locked in discussions regarding independence and creates a new committee: the Committee of Five. This committee is composed by five congressional delegates from across the colonies: John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Robert Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut. The committee operated largely away from both the public and government eye, with no minutes being recorded of their meetings.

            The committee was created to present the congress with a declaration of independence. Having read many of Jefferson’s works, Adams recommended he be the author of the first draft, which he and Franklin would later edit. Though the final draft would be different, it was around this time that these words were written:

            “When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the Earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

            The first draft would be written at Jefferson’s apartment at 700 Market Street, Philadelphia and would be presented to Congress in a couple weeks, on June 28.

This Week in Revolutionary War History

By Sam Bishop

Deborah Anne Cook

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Deborah Anne Cook, June 15, 1959 – May 17, 2026

Deborah was born in Saint Alban’s, Vermont.  She moved to Amherst, New Hampshire at a young age, where she attended grade school.  She was an athletic child, swimming on the Jasper Valley Swim & Tennis Club’s swim team and playing tennis for Milford High School, where she graduated in 1977.  She went on to graduate from Plymouth State College with a degree in art.

Deb also spent her youth and adult life at her family’s cottage on Point Connett in Mattapoisett, MA, where she enjoyed the ocean.

Deb had a love for animals, and all were drawn to her.  Wherever she lived, she always had a special cat or two to love and cherish.  They were one of her great joys. She was an avid reader and spent many an hour curled up with a cat and a book.

Deb had a gentle soul and a wanderlust.  Shortly after graduating college, she decided to go west.  She drove a 1961 Buick Special from New Hampshire to California.  She ended up in Los Angeles, where she lived from 1977 to 1999.  There she worked as a graphic design artist and painted on her own.  She started painting ceramics. She found it very satisfying and turned it into her own business.  Her specialty was very vibrant-colored sunflowers, birds, and fish.

Eventually, Deb came back east.  She lived in New Bedford, MA for a while, moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico for a few years, and lived the last part of her life in Belfast, Maine.  She loved the ocean, and other than her short time in Santa Fe, she always lived near it.

Deb was stricken with Frontal Lobe Dementia a couple of years ago.  The disease took away most of her abilities; first her speech, then her body.  She died at her brother’s home in Lisbon, NH with grace and ease.  Her beautiful and infectious smile was with her to the end.

Deb was predeceased by her parents, Carleton Everett Cook and Nancy McLean Cook.  She is survived by her sister Cathy Gibbons (Sean) of Newport, NH, brother Robert Cook (Katrine Barclay) of Lisbon, NH, her niece Katie McCarthy (Eric Brown) of Claremont, NH, Aunt Janet Zetterberg, of Dover, NH, Aunt and Uncle, Arthur and Alberta McClean of Mattapoisett, MA, and cousins Jennifer Kaiser (David) of Mattapoisett, MA, and Sarah McLean Loomis (Jason) of Sarasota, FL.

If you would like to do something in memory of Deb, put down your devices and shut off the TV.  Draw, color, or paint on paper, wood, rocks, or an old door in the shed using a pencil, crayons, or paints.  Create a sunflower in Deb’s memory; enjoy the moment.  It’s FUN!

Buzzards Bay Area Habitat For Humanity Celebrates 30 Years

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At June 4th event at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Gardens, Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity (BBAHFH) celebrated the nonprofit’s 30th anniversary. During the event, longtime Executive Director Christine Lacourse said, “When the members of Saint Gabriel’s Church in Marion met all those years ago, they saw a need to help low-income families with housing. Who knew that thirty years later, the nonprofit they started would still be going strong! What a difference our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate has made in the region for the families we have served, including the 25 children who have lived in the homes our community built. We are so thankful for our volunteers and supporters who were instrumental in making this all happen!”

            BBAHFH has identified New Bedford as the location of its next three home builds. In May 2025, BBAHFH purchased property in New Bedford and has been working with the City on the permitting approval process. Work on the site of the affiliate’s 14th home is anticipated to begin in the early Fall of 2026. The other two home builds will follow consecutively.

            According to Josh Amaral, Director of Housing and Community Development in New Bedford, “For the last three years, we have been on a mission to develop houses in response to the housing shortage that has driven up rent and driven up home prices. As a core part of that strategy, we believe in the power of home ownership, building equity and having a place for raising your family, owning your little corner of the world and the positive benefits that it has for a whole neighborhood. You can drive down any street in New Bedford and pick out the houses that are owner-occupied. They are better taken care of and often have meticulous landscaped.

            We are very excited that Habitat is building its first house in New Bedford, first of three houses in New Bedford. It is an anchor in that neighborhood, a developing neighborhood. It’s in an area that sorely needed more ownership and a high-quality design to uplift the whole area. It’s close to a train station; better transport options, and other complementary developments in the area. That is going to be a really great place to live. We are so glad that Habitat is partnering with us and I can’t wait to be at the ribbon cutting!”

            According to Lacourse. “We will be starting the application process soon for those families interested in applying for a home. We are looking for low-income families who have the ability to pay a monthly mortgage estimated to be around $1,200 to $1,500 and can invest 300 hours of sweat equity into building their new home. Preference will be given to families that can fill all three bedrooms, with second preference to those that can fill two bedrooms. Interested families may visit www.BuzzardsBayHabitat.org/Homeownership for more information on how to qualify and apply for a Habitat home.”

            Concurrently with the New Bedford home builds, BBAHFH will continue to provide metal wheelchair ramp installations. Since 2024, BBAHFH has loaned 53 ramps out to families in need of accessibility to their homes and worked with another 10 families on critical home repair projects. “Helping someone stay independent and safe in their home is very important, especially as so many of the recipients are elderly or disabled,” added Lacourse.

            Over the past year, BBAHFH has collaborated with several other organizations and nonprofits in the South Coast including the local Councils on Aging, Veteran Service Officers, Coastal Neighbors Network, Westport Disability Commission, Association for the Relief of Aged Women (ARAW), Coastlines for the Elderly, SouthCoast Health, and a number of churches. BBAHFH has also worked on BWK projects with a number of local businesses including Travelers, BayCoast Bank, Thrivent, and Eastern Bank.

            Volunteers are the key to BBAHFH’s ability to provide these programs to the community. All land, material, and monetary donations to Habitat are tax-deductible. For more information on how to donate or volunteer, visit www.BuzzardsBayHabitat.org, email BuzzardsBayHabitat@yahoo.com, or call 508-758-4517.

Annual Sunflower Planting at Dunseith Gardens

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Early morning on June 4, Dunseith Gardens came alive with the excited chatter of second-graders as they gathered for the annual planting of sunflower seedlings raised in their classrooms. Four beds of sunflowers were planted under the direction of Mattapoisett Land Trust member Don Cuddy, Center School teachers, and Head of Science Ben Squire.

            The program had its early beginnings during COVID, when in 2021, MLT members Ellen Flynn, Wendy Copps, and Mary Cabral and Old Hammondtown teacher Michelle Barry led students in planting seeds in an outdoor tent. Students then raised their seedlings at home.

            The current program was started by Don Cuddy in 2023 in solidarity with Ukraine. Mr. Cuddy does the heavy lifting, digging, and provides compost, while the students plant their seedlings and water them. Each class gets to plant a bed and participate in other parts of the program. Ms. Cabral, a former science teacher, leads each class through an interactive program on the life-cycle of the sunflower from seed to seedling, sprout, adult plant, and finally, wilted plant. The children then wrap up with a story walk, “Plant Secrets.”

            The event is sponsored by the Mattapoisett Land Trust in cooperation with Mattapoisett Schools.

SHS Presents Dr. Paul Rubinson on the Invention of American Science

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The Sippican Historical Society and its members invite the public to an evening of local connection and historical discovery. On June 18, its Speaker Series features Dr. Paul Rubinson, speaking on “Benjamin Franklin and the Invention of American Science.” The event will take place at the Marion Music Hall, located at 164 Front Street in Marion. The evening will begin with the Sippican Historical Society’s Annual Meeting at 6:30 pm, followed immediately by Dr. Rubinson’s talk at 7:00 pm.

            This presentation will dive into the reasons why Benjamin Franklin and his peers believed the United States was the ultimate leader in scientific exploration. How did early American scientists define the discipline as a fundamentally American activity, ultimately helping the United States become a global scientific powerhouse?

            Dr. Paul Rubinson is a Professor of History at Bridgewater State University. He has written extensively on the intersection of scientists and nuclear weapons and is the author of the forthcoming book from Cambridge University Press, “American Scientists and Human Rights from the Early Republic to the Cold War.”

            This evening is free and open to the public, made possible thanks to the generous support of Sippican Historical Society members. Donations are always gratefully accepted to this non-profit, and new members are warmly welcome.

Academic Achievements

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Stonehill College is pleased to recognize Amelia Joseph of Mattapoisett, Hannah Squires of Mattapoisett, Nathan Yurof of Marion, Andrew Poulin of Rochester, Caroline Williams of Marion, and Allison Winters of Rochester, named to the Spring 2026 Dean’s List. To qualify for this honor, undergraduate students must have achieved a semester grade point average of 3.50 or higher with a minimum of 12 credits from courses graded with standard letter grades.

            Students named to the Dean’s List for the Spring 2026 semester at Clarkson University include Torsten Brickley of Mattapoisett and Trent Crook of Rochester.

            Kelly Quinlan of Mattapoisett has been named to the Dean’s List at East Stroudsburg University for the Spring 2026 semester of the 2025-2026 academic year, as announced by Margaret Ball D.M.A., the university’s provost and vice president for academic affairs.

            Western New England University (WNE) is proud to recognize Steven Morrison of Rochester as one of 805 students who have earned a place on the Spring 2026 Dean’s List, reflecting their dedication to academic excellence, perseverance, and commitment to achieving their educational goals.

            On Friday, May 15, David Strom, who majored in Mechanical Engineering, was bestowed a BS/MS degree at WPI’s 157th Commencement. Nearly 1,200 undergraduate degrees were awarded during the ceremony.

            On Friday, May 15, Isabel Friedrichs, who majored in Environmental Engineering, was bestowed a bachelor’s degree at WPI’s 157th Commencement. Nearly 1,200 undergraduate degrees were awarded during the ceremony.

            Assumption University has announced Caileigh Calabro of Mattapoisett and Caitlin Sweeney of Marion have been named to the University’s Dean’s List for the spring 2026 semester. Students named to the Dean’s List must achieve a grade point average of 3.5 for a five-class, 15-credit semester to be included on this prestigious list, which is announced at the completion of the fall and spring semesters.

            Henry Bailey of Rochester was named to the Champlain College Dean’s List for the Spring 2026 semester.

All Stars All Over

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There were many local athletes named All Stars by the South Coast Conference (SCC) this week:

Boys and Girls Track

            Senior Malik Washburn was named the SCC MVP, as Ryan Calderone, Jacob Gear, and Henry Berry were named SCC All Stars. Senior Noah Thorell was an SCC All Star honorable mention. On the girls’ side, Cassidy Carroll, Genevieve Hebert, Phoebe Cowles, Morgan Patraiko, Delilah Post, Annalise Milhench, and Bentley Killion were named SCC All Stars. Hannah Thorell and Rayn Lauradin were SCC All Star honorable mentions.

Girls Tennis

            Senior Neva Matos was named the SCC MVP, as Caroline Houdelette, Grace Hebert, Ella Bishop, and Zadie Goyette were named SCC All Stars. Junior Molly Franco was an SCC All Star honorable mention.

Boys Tennis

            Subhav Parajuli, Andrew Hebert, Luke Pierre, and Caden Gonsalves were named SCC All Stars. Lucas Hadley and Luc Silveira were SCC All Star honorable mentions.

Girls Lacrosse

            Liz Kilpatrick, Taylor Cook, and Reilly Patraiko were named SCC All Stars. Kaitlyn Rodrigues and Rylee Cusick were SCC All Star honorable mentions.

Boys Lacrosse

            Seniors Chase Kuppens and Tucker Cook were named SCC All Star. Nolan Blanchette and James Devoll were SCC All Star honorable mentions.

Baseball

            Junior Nolin Vieira was named an SCC All Star. Juniors Dimitri Raposa and Malcolm Bean were SCC All Star honorable mentions.

Softball

            Claudia Surace was an SCC All Star honorable mention.

Sports Roundup

By Aiden Comorosky

Marion Invites Residents to Coffee

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On June 9, the Town of Marion invited residents to a new event and the first of its kind: Coffee with the Town Administrator. The informal meeting will run for around an hour, starting at 9:00 am on Wednesday, June 17 in the Marion Town House Annex, 14 Barnabas Road.

            The meet-up is beneficial for both residents and the Town Administrator, as it allows for less restrictive conversations and more frank discussion of town projects, events, and other topics. The official announcement states: “Whether you have questions about Town services, ongoing projects, upcoming initiatives, or simply want to share ideas and concerns, all are welcome to stop by and join the conversation.”

            The event is referred to as the “first” Coffee with the Town Administrator, signaling a continuing saga of talks or at least a more regular casual and relaxed venue for discussions between public servants and residents. With no agenda for the meeting and no limitations that are present with the typical public meeting agenda format, residents will be free to give feedback, collaborate, and get answers they didn’t receive at a scheduled meeting.

            Coffee and light refreshments will be available on the morning of Wednesday, June 17 for the talk.

By Sam Bishop