Rochester Looking at Big Picture

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            The Town of Rochester held an Interdepartmental public meeting on November 2, allowing the department heads to put their heads together in a rare setting to discuss several key topics and issues facing the town.

            As the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) looks to expand into Rochester with the South Coast Rail, the state is looking to leverage towns into providing multifamily, affordable-housing communities near rail stations.

            With assistance from Representative William Straus and Senator Michael Rodrigues, Rochester’s pushback against the drafted guidelines reduced amount of required housing, according to Town Administrator Glenn Cannon.

            “We believe that the zoning for that 40R (residential/commercial development at the corner of Routes 28 and 58) will meet the MBTA requirement,” he said.

            The Feasibility Study for a new public-safety building(s) awarded by the Select Board to Cambridge-based Ted Gallant Architectural Studio (TGAS) is still in contract negotiation. The Select Board considered all three finalists to be qualified firms but went with TGAS because of its exclusive commitment to public-safety structures.

            The town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan is also part of the feasibility discussion, and a presentation is expected to go before Spring Town Meeting.

            The agenda started off with the Prioritization Preservation process to be informed by resident rankings for Rochester open space according to agriculture, forestry and water-supply protection as yielded by an online survey.

            Cannon says, as Rochester purchases preservation land, the Planning Board wants to have some type of idea in what types of land the taxpayer is most interested.

            Visit townofrochestermass.com and navigate to Government, then Planning Board, then on the left margin “Ranking Land for Preservation Value in Rochester.”

            Also discussed was Rochester’s interest in improving its voice in the Assawompset Pond Complex Climate Action Plan (Rochester not a full voting member.) Since the complex has opened up to recreational uses, the potential for unlawful and/or hazardous activities is also higher. Hiring environmental police would come at a high cost.

            As of now, Cannon said, town residents are only allowed to vote on Rochester-specific matters. Town officials disagree with the notion that they should be left out of votes on regional issues.

            “It’s hard to sit back and say these issues don’t affect Rochester. You’re drawing down the water table,” said Cannon.

            Finally, the subject of an updated Master Plan is on the table. Cannon believes the town last produced a Master Plan in 2009, and it was crafted in house.

            The town recently received a $100,000 Rural and Small Town Development Fund Grant and is working with SRPEDD to get the Master Plan updated on a two-year window.

            The next meeting of the Rochester department heads has not been scheduled. The gathering was posted as a public meeting, as the Select Board was in attendance.

By Mick Colageo

Finding Her Voice

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            We recently had the opportunity to meet one of Mattapoisett’s senior citizens who, at the age of 94, is still seeking ways to connect to other people, Hope Bradley Finley. Her soft-spoken and gentle demeanor belies an inner strength and grit. As a working mother of four children, she pushed through exhaustion and the demands of a busy family to help support her loved ones. Finley typifies what it means to sacrifice wants and needs for the good of the family unit and faith that a higher power would help to sustain them all.

            Now, as she faces the challenges of aging and the loss of hearing and eyesight, she has time to contemplate a life that has been filled with love, joy and yes, loss. Finley chalks up her natural optimism to her father and to her strong belief that everything is in God’s hands.

            Beyond all of that, Finley also possesses the ability to express herself in poetic stylings that have touched those who’ve had the privilege of reading her essays and poems, some of which will now be printed in this publication or, as Finley frames it, “My voice will be heard at last.”

            Finley came to our attention through the Friendly Visitor Program provided to seniors whose lack of mobility has confined them to home. The program partners seniors with a Council on Aging volunteer whose company brings social engagement and in Finley’s case, champions who promote the senior’s talent.

            Her story begins in New Bedford where she was born, raised and taught the importance of a religious life in the Baptist Church. She enjoyed singing hymns both in church and at home, a passion she enjoyed until a medical issue robbed her ability to sing in more recent years.

            Finley worked for four decades as the evening hostess at the former Cathay Temple. Of those years, she recalls strong friendships that developed not only with other employees of the iconic restaurant but also with patrons whose weekends often included listening to live music and meeting up with friends, including her.

            “It was my family,” Finley demurred of those relationships that began with her friendly hello. “I served four generations of the same families.” The strong relationships she shared with so many have dwindled over the years, as many friends have passed away, and their descendants never knew Finley or the Cathay Temple. But she recalls vacations on Cuttyhunk, an airplane trip to New York City and many boat rides, “on their yachts!” Thus, even though she was working, standing hours and years on her feet serving customers in a manner few would experience today, they were good years.

            Though Finley’s inspired writings had stopped when she was about 16 to work to help support her parents and sibling, they began once again decades later after she remarried. After becoming a widow for the second time, she remarried the widower Rev. Donald Finley, a close family friend and the longtime Mattapoisett Congregational Church minister and poet. She said it was his poetry that got her thinking again about writing the words that came to her often at night.

            “I’d wake up, and I’d have to get up and write it down,” she told us, explaining that she never wrote except when the words came to her rather than her seeking them out.

            Today Finley enjoys the hubbub of a home filled with multigenerational family members (including a great-grandbaby of one year old) and a quiet cup of tea while chatting with Lynne Markinac, COA volunteer.

            As she graciously shared her story with us, we found the following poem a good way to introduce you to Finley’s writing, which will recur in The Wanderer under the subtitle “The Poetry Corner.”

            Looking Back, by Hope Bradley Finley:

            As I look back through all the years,

            I remember the laughter and the tears,

            The joys and also the fears,

            These and so much more,

            Now that I am 94.

            I appreciate the precious gift of my four children,

            My grandchildren and great-grandchildren,

            I marvel at their talents and their love,

            That makes my spirits soar,

            Now that I am 94.

            I’ve had the best and the worst,

            I’ve been sometimes the last and sometimes the first,

            I’ve known triumph and disappointments,

            I’ve known love and I have known loss,

            And opened every door,

            Now that I am 94.

            My faith in God has taught me many things,

            He has been beside me every step of the way,

            And sustained me in every experience good and bad,

            What I feel is gratitude for His love,

            And the love of family and friends and more,

            Now that I am 94.

SHS Speaker Series Presentation

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The SHS Speaker Series continues with a presentation on November 17 at 7:00 pm by Madeleine Deschamps at the Marion Art Center’s Anne Braitmayer Webb Theater. The talk entitled, “The Creation of la Côte d’Azur: How the Southeastern coast of France became myth and reality as the French Riviera.” The presentation will be a free, illustrated lecture by Madeleine Deschamps, PhD.

            Madeleine Deschamps is an interior designer with specialties in high-end residences and hospitality, and an art historian specializing in the Decorative Arts and in Art Crafts, Métiers d’art. She was Senior Designer with Peter Marino Architects in New York for over eight years, then Senior Designer and Head of the Materials and Finishes department at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in New York.

Marion Historic District Study Committee

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The Marion Select Board recently approved the request of the Marion Historical Commission to appoint a seven-member Local Historic District Study Committee to explore the possibilities of establishing a local historic district in the Marion Village area.

            This process is based on the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s provisions under MA General Laws, Ch. 40C. It will begin with public informational meetings about historic districts and why they are considered the national standard for protecting historic areas. There will be much opportunity for public input through meetings and resident surveys in order to develop a plan that considers all facets of concern in the community. Generally, it takes at least one year to complete the process.

            The first step in appointing the Study Committee is to review volunteer applicants and nominations from the AIA, MA Board of Realtors and Sippican Historical Society. Other fields of expertise that would benefit the committee include contractors, historians, architects, village property owners.

            Local residents interested in serving may complete a Volunteer Application online or by printing it out and submitting it to the Select Board. The form is available on the marionma.gov website: www.marionma.gov/select-board/webforms/volunteer-opportunities. Deadline for submission will be December 10, 2022.

            Questions or additional information should be addressed to Meg Steinberg, Chair, Marion Historical Commission, through the Historical Commission webpage: www.marionma.gov/historical-commission.

JSC Disrupted during Public Comment

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            At the recommendation of ORR Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson, the agenda to the November 7 public meeting of the Old Rochester Regional Joint School Committee/Superintendency Union #55 was rearranged to put Open Meeting Law complaints at the top.

            Two complaints filed relative to the Joint School Committee, one was against Anne Fernandes, a member of the Rochester School Committee and the Superintendency Union #55 side of the JSC, and the other against Joe Pires, a member of the ORR School Committee and that committee’s side of the JSC.

            Both complaints, noted Nelson, cite the members’ roles in the Joint School Committee. As a result, explained Nelson, the JSC is required to follow procedure outlined in the attorney general’s Division of Open Government.

            Those requirements include that the respective chairpersons share the complaints with all committee members and that the committees respond to the complaints in writing within 14 business days. Since the JSC was not to meet soon enough to comply with that requirement, Nelson told the JSC he sought and got an extension from the state that would encompass the November 7 meeting of the JSC.

            Nelson recommended the JSC sides vote to delegate/authorize attorney Peter Sumners (in attendance via Zoom) to respond on behalf of the JSC to the complaints. Sumners is already representing the ORR School Committee in the matter, while the prior complaint filed against the Rochester School Committee was delegated to Rochester Town Counsel Blair Bailey.

            As noted in recent ORR and Rochester school committee articles in The Wanderer, the allegations filed by Rochester resident Rhonda Baptiste stem from Facebook posts made in a public forum discussing sexual content in books in the high school and junior high libraries.

            In summarizing the situation to the members of the JSC, Sumners said, “Neither I nor Attorney Bailey identified any Open Meeting Law violations, based on our reading of the attorney general’s determination concerning social-media posts.”

            After both sides of the JSC voted without dissention to authorize Sumner to respond on behalf of the JSC, Sumner told the meeting he would provide the membership with his response.

            In the Open Comment session that immediately followed the committee’s dealings with the Open Meeting Law complaints, Baptiste, attending in person, spoke in her role as director of Community Engagement for the citizens’ group Tri-Town Against Racism.

            She shared a discriminatory act that was reported to TTAR, stating that “There were members of the (school) committee didn’t believe there was an issue in our community or that there wasn’t any change necessary or any action that needed to be taken.”

            In response, said Baptiste, TTAR “created a mechanism where community members could report discriminatory incidents that happen throughout the community.”

            Baptiste reported 14 incidents, 12 of which she said were school related. Ten of those, she said, happened since the 2022-23 school year began at the end of August. Five incidents occurred at the junior high school, five at Old Hammondtown Elementary School (Mattapoisett), and two at the high school, she stated.

            Nine of the incidents, she stated, involved racism – Baptiste reported three incidents of racial epithets – and two involved homophobia and transphobia. Two incidents involved disability and two involved general appearance, Baptiste stated.

            More than one discriminatory category can apply to the same incident in TTAR’s reporting mechanism, according to Baptiste.

            Baptiste concluded her remarks by announcing her intentions to report those incidents and any subsequent discriminatory incidents to the Anti Racism Subcommittee when it meets in January.

            Art Leclair of Mattapoisett spoke next about the content in books in ORR schools, comparing his experience long ago and suggesting that while he has a problem with the content in some of today’s books, he qualified his remarks as against the banning of books, putting the onus on parents to raise their children and guide their decisions.

            Alison Noyce, a member of Tri-Town Against Racism, spoke about a meeting she attended billed as “What Are Your Children Learning in School?” a meeting that she said did not match its billing. Instead, Noyce said she encountered a list of books apparently disapproved by the meeting’s organizers.

            Noyce then read a letter previously shared in recent school committee meetings that expresses citizens’ concerns about the efforts of some to censor materials that they believe support principles of inclusion and “underrepresented” children, including those of color, who are indigenous or with diversities in sexual orientation or identity. The letter was signed by 631 people, including over 500 community members.

            Noyce reminded those listening into the meeting that parents have the option to request that their children not read certain books.

            Vanessa Miller of Marion, who described her ethnicity as Mexican, said she has a problem with the books containing sexual content in the school libraries. “My heritage, my culture, does not go with that,” she said, stressing her approval of racially diverse subjects.

            Kate Hartley of Marion said, “This book ban is not about protecting our kids from data, documents, images (or) pornography, what this book ban is is an attempt to (promote) fear literature and to pull BIPOC literature out of our schools, which is one of the only places that some kids can access literature that may be the only (source) they have that represents how they’re growing up.”

            Hartley gave many examples of the content in required reading already on the shelves in public schools when she was interrupted by an attendee, at which point ORR School Committee Chairperson Michelle Smith instructed the person that any comments must be made toward the committee chair.

            “The thing is, if your kid is looking for that information, if your child is queer, they are going to find it. Would you not rather they find it in a place that is safe?” Hartley asked.

            LGBTQ youth, asserted Hartley, are more than four times likely to attempt suicide than those not in those categories, reaching 45%. She said one of the things that combat those tendencies are affirming places.

            At the conclusion of the Open Comment session that reached its maximum, 15-minute time limit as governed by statewide policy, another outburst occurred, causing commotion to the meeting, which was hastily adjourned.

            There will be no school across the district on Thursday, November 10 (professional-development day) and no school on Friday, November 11 (Veterans Day.)

            The next meeting of the Joint School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 6:30 pm at the ORR Junior High School media room and accessible via Zoom.

ORR Joint School Committee / Superintendency Union #55

By Mick Colageo

Edmund F. Arruda, Sr.

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Edmund F. Arruda, Sr., 96, passed away November 9, 2022 at Sippican Healthcare Center. He lived most of his life in Rochester and was a communicant of St. Rose of Lima Church.

            He was predeceased by his wife, Madeline Daly Arruda; his parents Octavio and Emily; a brother, Alvaro and a sister, Palmeda Daggett.

            Survivors include two daughters; Sandra Kamins and her companion Bob Shaughnessey of Clinton, MA and Deborah Norris and her husband Jeff of Naples, FL; a son, Edmund F. Arruda, Jr. and his wife Jeanne of Rochester; six grandchildren, Heather Kamins and her husband Dimitri Labarge, Andrea Kamins, Kyle Nurzyk and his wife Emily, Lindsay Norris and her husband Ethan Smith, Ryan Briggs and his wife Shauna, and Alex Arruda; and several nieces and nephews.

            Eddie will be missed by his family and also by the many birds, cats and wild animals he fed.

            His funeral service will be held Thursday, November 17th at 10 am at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6) Mattapoisett. Burial will follow at Center Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Wednesday, November 16th from 5-8 pm. The family is grateful for flowers or donations made in his name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Elizabeth C. Walker

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Elizabeth C. Walker of Marion died peacefully Monday, November 7th at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. She was the daughter of the late Henrique and Mary (Britte) Fernandes and ex-wife of the late Randolph Harvey Walker of Durham, NC.

            Betty was born in Marion at her family home. She graduated from Wareham High School and from Kinyon-Campbell School in New Bedford.

            Mrs. Walker lived in Boston, New York City, Washington DC and Durham, NC before returning to live in Wareham and Marion. She worked at the Wareham Visiting Nurse’s Office for many years where she met her good friend the late Janet Konavis Tassinari. Betty worked at Otis Air Force Base, first as a Top Security Clearance Communication’s Specialist and then in Payroll where she worked until retirement in 1989.

            Elizabeth loved her family and became a valued caregiver to her aging parents and young grandchildren where she passed on her values of higher education and a steadfast work ethic. She was giving and caring to all she touched.

            She was an avid golfer and played often with her brothers and sisters especially at the annual Family Golf Tournament. An enthusiastic football and basketball fan, watching any sporting event with her was a joy as she cheered, “Go get’um!” to her favorite team be it the Wareham Tigers, high school, college, or professional sports. She was quite the athlete herself playing defense on her high school basketball team, playing softball with her family and friends and a member of a bowling league showcasing her unique follow through but successful style.

            Her love of water and swimming had her visiting “Portagee” Beach and Hathaway’s Pond each summer with her children. That loved turned into a love of water aerobics and exercise walking as time passed.

            A dedicated thrifter, she was a Penny Pincher Store enthusiast and would share her bargains to all who would listen! Betty enjoyed watercolor painting and was a fantastic cook. She was famous for her fried chicken and meatloaf recipe. She shared that skill at the Fernandes-Pina family reunions at Washburn Park in Marion until they ended.

            Betty was very dedicated and thankful to the Lord for protection and blessings. She was a communicant of St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Marion

            Elizabeth was pre-deceased by her brothers, John Teixeira, Hank Fernandes, Jr., Manuel Fernandes; and her sisters Flora Pina, Jean Barbour and Nancy Concholar. Survivors include her sister, Julie Gomes and her husband Tony of Wareham; her brother, Steven Fernandes and his wife Mary of Bourne; her son, Mark Walker and his wife Natasha of Milton; her daughter, Monique Walker Brown and her husband Troy of Wake Forest, NC.; her grandchildren Marcus Walker and his wife Karen of South Gate, CA, Cori Walker and his wife Lupe of Lynwood, CA, Myles Brown of Washington, DC, Imani Walker of Jamaica Plain and Nia Brown of Brooklyn, NY, and many nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren.

            Relatives and friends are invited to visit on Saturday, November 19, 2022 at Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham, 2599 Cranberry Hwy. (Rt. 28), Wareham from 9 to 11 am followed by a funeral service at 11 am. Burial will follow in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Wareham.

            In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Tribute Research Fund at act.alz.org or by mail at: 225 N. Michigan Ave, Fl 17, Chicago, IL 60601.

South Coast Chamber Music Series Presents Benediction

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The South Coast Chamber Music Series (SCCMS) presents “Benediction”, a musical banquet to close your Thanksgiving weekend in grand style. A quick, quirky trio by Philip Glass fascinates – then vanishes. Max Bruch’s lyrical Piano Quintet, one of his few chamber works, weaves a delightful spell surprisingly reminiscent of Mendelssohn. In conclusion, Beethoven’s sublime E-flat Major string quartet Op. 127, a work of luminescent beauty and genius, evokes deep gratitude for the twin gifts of life and art.

            On Saturday, November 26, the Chamber Music performance will take place in Marion at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church (124 Front Street.) On Sunday, November 27, the venue is in South Dartmouth at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (351 Elm Street.) Both concerts begin at 4:00 pm. Tickets are $25 and must be purchased in advance at nbsymphony.org/chamber-series-2022-2023/. Please check the website for current COVID-19 safety policies.

            This SCCMS weekend features NBSO principal musicians Jesse Holstein, violin; EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks, violin; Anna Griffis, viola; Leo Eguchi, cello; as well as SCCMS Artistic Director Janice Weber, piano.

            The NBSO is a professional orchestra that annually presents a concert series of classical and pops music with internationally acclaimed guest artists, as well as an outstanding chamber music series. In addition, the NBSO’s innovative and nationally recognized educational programs reach 8,000 students each year. The NBSO is dedicated to building a community of music in the South Coast. Visit www.nbsymphony.org today.

Howard Tinkham 100

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The Tri-Town Veterans Office in conjunction with American Legion Post 280 would like to extend an invitation to all to attend the 100th Birthday Party for Mattapoisett’s very own Mr. Howard Tinkham on November 20. Mr. Tinkham has been a pillar of our community and is one of our last remaining WWII veterans.

            The party will kick off with a parade beginning at the American Legion Hall on Depot Street at 1:00 pm. The parade route will go along the water down Main Street and Water Street, continue around Ned’s Point and finish back at the Legion Hall. The party will begin immediately following the parade.

            Come for the parade. Come for the free refreshments. Come for the entertainment. But most of all, come to celebrate someone special in your community with your community.

            For additional information, please contact the Tri-Town Veterans Agent, Chris Gerrior at 508-758-4100 x214 or vso@mattapoisett.net for additional information.

Banning Books

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To the Editor

It is my opinion, Sharon Schneider and Nicole Demakis, both of Mattapoisett, are missing the point. The argument isn’t about banning books, it’s about determining if the books in question are pornographic. Are they appropriate for our school-aged children? Should they be in a school library where, I doubt, parents are seldom found perusing the shelves?

            The public library is entirely another matter. If the books in question, are deemed pornographic, they should be kept in the library where pornographic material is acceptable.

            In the attempt to empathize with the struggles facing today’s youth, I could offer (off the top of my head) a long reading list. Literature about youth overcoming social, moral and ethical hardships. Kidnapped by R.L. Stevenson, for example, or Great Expectations by C. Dickens. Even Call of the Wild by J. London, Go Tell it on The Mountain by J. Baldwin, or Ann Frank. How about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by B. Smith, Cane by J. Toomer and even The Invisible Man by R. Ellison? These books emphasis character, true grit, determination, self-respect, and, as a plus, are examples of good literature as well as history.

            I suggest, we as adults, look at these questionable books that expound upon AND illustrate explicit sex acts and ask ourselves: is this what we want our children reading? Does this build character and morals? Will this truly solve the myriad of social ills? I doubt it. And I believe it will rob the innocents of little children who may still see their world as a good place.

            I admit, I don’t have a solution to child abuse, racial discrimination, or the sexual identity crisis, but I do know there are many parents who want to protect and nurture their children and teach them to become descent adults who will strive to make this world a better place.

J Reinhart, Marion