Upcoming Events at the Elizabeth Taber Library

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May’s full moon is the flower moon. Join us on Monday, May 12 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm for our full moon party. We’ll make tissue paper flowers, flower presses, and find hidden flowers around the library.

            May is Water Safety Month, and the Elizabeth Taber Library will be hosting the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for a Family Water Safety Day on Thursday, May 15 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Join us outside at the library for activities, demonstrations, giveaways, and more.

            On Saturday, May 17 at 1:30 pm join the Elizabeth Taber Library and Morgan Browning, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, for a Fun with Feelings Storytime. After the story, we’ll make a craft that can be used as a tool to help kids check in with their big feelings.

            Banned Book Club will return Tuesday May 13 at 6:00 pm. May’s banned book title is “Year of Wonders” by Geraldine Brooks. Find copies available at the circulation desk.

            Starting this May: The Cozy Cup Book Club will begin meeting on Wednesday mornings at the library. Join us for snacks, sips, and cozy conversations. The first meeting will be Wednesday, May 14 at 11:00 am. The first title selection is “The Gardener’s Plot” by Deborah Benoint. Find copies available at the circulation desk.

            For more information on the Elizabeth Taber Library visit us at www.ElizabethTaberLibrary.org or email the library at ETLibrary@sailsinc.org.

Unified Game Day

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            Superintendent Michael S. Nelson and Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Dr. Jaime Curley are proud to share that students from the Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55 joined with others at Tabor Academy in Marion to celebrate Unified Game Day on Wednesday, April 30.

            The annual Unified Game Day, held in partnership with Special Olympics Massachusetts, was a celebration of inclusion, teamwork and community, drawing hundreds of students and educators from throughout the state. Other school districts that participated included Dartmouth Public Schools, New Bedford Public Schools, Wareham Public Schools, Carver Public Schools and Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative.

            The event was run and hosted by Denise Larrabee, Manager of the Inclusive Schools Program for Special Olympics Massachusetts, and Tamar Cunha, Science Department Chair and Director of Community Service at Tabor Academy.

            Michael Hogan, a senior at Old Rochester Regional High School, who earlier this year bowled a perfect game, and Jacob Castanhinha, a student at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School, represented the Old Rochester Regional School District during the opening ceremony for the event known as the Torch Walk. The Special Olympics Torch was held by an athlete from New Bedford.

            Throughout the event, students rotated through a variety of stations, featuring sports and games, encouraging collaboration, movement and joy. Students took part in rowing, relay races, volleyball, football tackling drills, and teamwork activities involving a hula hoop.

            This day of fun, friendship and athletic challenge is designed to not only promote physical activity but also foster a spirit of inclusion and shared achievement between students of all abilities.

            Each of the student athletes, from those in kindergarten through postgraduate up to age 22, was paired with another Unified Sports athlete from Tabor Academy as they went through the various stations together.

            The event was a day of service for Tabor Academy involving hundreds of volunteers, from students to faculty to lunch staff, working tirelessly together to make it an unforgettable day of fun, competition and inclusion.

            The event was also attended by Superintendent Nelson, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Curley, Old Rochester Regional Junior High School Principal Silas Coellner and Marion Police Chief Richard Nighelli.

            “It’s always great to celebrate inclusion and to challenge ourselves with physical activity. It was an honor to be involved with the cause,” Principal Coellner said. “It was awesome to see my students take part and create valuable opportunities for friendship and understanding through shared sports experiences.”

            “Tabor Academy’s Unified Game Day is one of the most exciting and heartwarming events of the year,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Curley. “The day is packed with smiles, high-fives and fun, celebrating friendship and inclusion.”

            “We are proud to support Unified Game Day. And I’d like to thank Special Olympics Massachusetts for helping to make this all possible,” said Superintendent Nelson. “This event has become an important way to promote inclusion and ensure that students of all abilities are able to have fun playing sports.”

Short-Term Rental

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To the Editor;

            As proposed, the draft Short-Term Rental (STR) bylaw is contrary to the Marion Master Plan goals of Village Style residential areas and expansion of affordable housing for families and empty nesters. It ignores the Marion Housing Production Plan goals: (1) promote housing options for those with moderate and fixed incomes, (2) produce housing options to support safe and accessible housing for all ages.

            Zoning is the use of ordinance to partition the Town into sections reserved for different purposes (residence, business, industry). Residence is defined as the act of dwelling in a place for some time, the place where one actually lives; as distinguished from a place of temporary sojourn (a STR). The draft STR bylaw ignores these established concepts.

            Previously I raised important questions with respect to the STR bylaw: (1) what is the justification for proposing by-right, non-residential use in all residential zones, (2) what is the justification for no cap on the number of STRs in Marion, and (3) what is the justification for having no limit on the number of STRs owned by a single entity? These questions remain unanswered.

            As written, the proposed bylaw will result in the disruption of family residential neighborhoods. Who will be your neighbor tomorrow? It will result in the loss of any reasonably affordable housing in Marion. It is not in the best interest of Marion residents.

            Norman Hills, Marion

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.

Warrant Approved!

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            Rochester’s Select Board and the Finance Committee Monday officially recommended all 25 articles on the May 19 Annual Town Meeting Warrant after tweaking four problematic budget proposals.

            In the Select Board’s previous meeting, Town Administrator Cameron Durant had said he wanted to re-vote one part of the town’s FY26 operating budget (Article #4) to remove $100,000 from free cash to help eliminate a $260,000 borrowing debt on an Ambulance and a Fire Truck. This debt reduction would free up money to spend instead on the Rochester Memorial School Special Education account (Article #11), boosting that line item by an equal $100,000. Board Member Adam Murphy halted an immediate recommendation vote on both, saying he wanted more information first.

            On Monday, the board recommended Articles 4 and Eleven after Murphy reported he had been educated on the complex realities of special education budget funding that makes the move a good idea. He had a lengthy meeting with ORR school superintendent Michael Nelson and Finance Director Suzanne Szyndlar, he said, where he learned the intricacies of the state’s Circuit Breaker program, which reimburses the cost of delivering high-cost special education services to public school students but only in the fiscal year after the expense had been incurred. “I feel more educated now,” Murphy said. “I feel better about this expense now.”

            Article 16 proposes establishing a Facilities Management reserve account with $20,000. Here too Murphy and the other board members had requested more information on this plan, which would grant Facilities Manager Andrew Daniels funds for emergency maintenance work. On Monday, Murphy elaborated that there needs to be a better plan for granting Daniels emergency funds. He wanted to know what exactly this $20,000 will be spent on. “We need to create a budget for him,” Murphy said.

            The board members recommended this article after tweaking its language. They agreed to work on a better plan for funding the department in future years and, meanwhile, to add to this year’s article the language that services under $1,000 may be authorized by the town administrator; expenses over that amount must be approved by the Select Board.

            The board then tweaked the budget proposal for the Capital Improvement Fund. It agreed with Murphy’s proposal to decrease that line item to $150,000; the original proposal was for $250,000. The board agreed that the $100,000 saved will now be free to spend on future special education stabilization funding.

            Rochester’s total budget proposal for FY26 will be $27,022,457.

            In other action, the board approved the appointments of retired Massachusetts State Police Sergeant David Mackin and retired Acushnet Police officer Paul Melo as Rochester Police Department reserve officers.

            The board granted three conservation restrictions for Rochester properties. As requested by Buzzards Bay Coalition representative Allen Decker, the board endorsed CRs for 80 acres of Snipatuit Pond Cedar Forest off the northeast side of Neck Road that the Rochester Land Trust will hold and that will be available for passive recreation, 27 acres of the Paul property on New Bedford Road that the town of Marion will hold because the parcel is a drinking water aquifer, and 365 acres of Sippican East off of Cranberry Highway that the town land trust will hold as plans develop to restore the property to normal wetlands. This parcel currently contains cranberry bogs.

            The board approved a new street name, Gates’ Path, for a new subdivision, Freetown Farms, off of Dr. Braley Road. Board Chair Brad Morse added to this motion that the Police, Fire and EMT departments must respond that this is not a duplicate street name in town.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Monday, May 12 at 6:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

Plants with a Purpose Sale

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Three student groups from ORRHS (Environmental Club, Transition, and Life Skills Program) are unified together in assembling indoor plants, perennials, and pansy baskets for sale for you. We will also be selling lemonade and homemade snacks. All just in time for Mother’s Day!

            Kitty, from “Buzzards Bay Bee Company,” will also be there with a bee display and items for sale.

            Visit us in front of Old Rochester Regional High School, on Saturday, May 10, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Shop local, upcycle, and repurpose. Cash, checks (made out to ORRHS), or Venmo @ORRUnified will be accepted as payment. All proceeds from the sale benefit our work in gardens on campus.

            For more information about this event contact karenbrowning@oldrochester.org or emmafenton@oldrochester.org.

For Men Only; How Does my Prostate Grow?

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            Of our many organs, the prostate gland seems to offer the most annoyance to men as we age. The prostate produces most of the fluid that carries semen and so is critical to reproduction. It is located near the bladder outlet and in young men is about the size of a walnut. As men age, the prostate grows. Unlike heart disease, there is nothing one can do with diet or healthy habits that impacts the prostate.

            The two major problems that impact men’s health are prostate cancer and blockage of urine flow from a growing gland.

            Growth of the prostate, called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), is a normal part of aging, and occurs in essentially all men. Because of the location of the gland, it can impede flow of urine out of the bladder. It is a good rule that a 60-year-old man, however healthy, should not expect the urine flow of a 20-year-old.

            What one does about BPH is entirely based on symptoms. The hallmark of BPH is incomplete emptying of the bladder. You may finish urinating and then feel you need to go again. Most older men will get up at night to void. It may cause urgency – the feeling that if you do not get to the bathroom you are going to lose control.

            If these symptoms are mild, no treatment is needed. If they are more severe, medication can help. One class is alpha-blockers, that make it easier to void, that were originally developed to treat high blood pressure. They are generally easy to take, though may be a problem if you tend to have low blood pressure.

            The more definitive treatment is to take a testosterone-blocker. Finasteride in low dose is used to treat male-pattern baldness (Propecia) and in high dose to shrink the prostate. It has been shown to reduce the need for surgery and the likelihood of complete urinary blockage. The downside is reduced sexual drive and erectile dysfunction (ED).

            ED drugs like tadalafil help urinary flow and may be a good option to improve flow while also treating erectile dysfunction. Your insurance may not pay for this, as most still ration these drugs.

            Prostate cancer occurs in the same organ, but otherwise is unrelated. Cancer occurs in small glands and huge ones equally. As men age, prostate cancer occurs more often and at the same time becomes less aggressive. If a 50-year-old has prostate cancer, unless it is surgically cured, he will probably die of this cancer. If an 80-year-old has prostate cancer, he will almost certainly die of something else, with his cancer but not due to his cancer.

            I must also note that African-American men have almost twice the risk of white men.

            While prostate cancer can be detected on a rectal exam, by this time it is usually advanced. Early detection is done with a blood test, the PSA (prostate-specific antigen). To say that PSA testing is controversial is an understatement; arguments for and against have raged in the medical literature for years.

            I can best sum up the thousands of pages written by saying that screening men with regular PSA testing modestly reduces death from prostate cancer but has minimal effects on overall death rates. There is also consensus that PSA testing should stop at advanced age, though exactly when is debated. I would suggest 75.

            If the PSA is elevated, in 2025 the best next step is an MRI of the prostate to detect and quantify any cancer. In low-risk patients, “watchful waiting” is a very viable option. In high-risk men, complete removal of the prostate offers the best chance for cure, with radiation therapy an acceptable alternative. Both treatments have significant side-effects, including bowel and/or urinary incontinence and loss of erection, hence the idea that not all cancers should be treated.

            Prostate disorders are clearly conditions in which dialogue between the patient and doctor are key and second opinions critical. Do not accept the first option offered.

            Edward Hoffer MD is Associate Professor of Medicine, part-time, at Harvard.

What Does The Doctor Say?

By Dr. Edward Hoffer

Emergency Certification Denied

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            On April 28, the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission reopened a hearing regarding landscaping and other modification done to property owned by Robert Beauregard, 2 Jowick Street. Abutter notifications over concerns that a planned pouring of a concrete pad might cause drainage issues, brought to light that the property had been heavily modified without permits being sought through the commission.

            On this night, Beauregard was once again represented by Robert Rogers of G.A.F. Engineering. Rogers said that since opening the Notice of Intent hearing at the previous meeting, Beauregard had paid the fine (double filing fees). He also said that photographic evidence that a stream on the property was not perennial stream but intermittent was resolved to the satisfaction of the commission and the agent, Brandon Faneuf.

            There was considerable discussion regarding an exterior light attached to a tree and electrical service near a water source. However, it was suggested that those questions likely belonged to the Building Department, not the commission.

            Fanuef declared that the work now before the commission was in the buffer zone. There was more discussion regarding stones that lined the brook, a cement pipe, the removal of boat stands in the buffer zone and shading caused by an unpermitted bridge.

            The case was continued to the next meeting, a date to be announced.

            An Emergency Certification requested for 47 Cove Street was denied. The commission suggested instead the relocation of propane tanks, confirmation of the mean highwater mark, and the placement of sandbags to help further curtail erosion of the barrier beach sand. Further the applicant was given six months to file for a Chapter 91 Waterways permit for more intensive shoreline repairs.

            A Negative 2 decision was given for a Request for Determination of Applicability by Timothy Fisher, 4 Mattakisett Road, for the removal of a shed and garage for a new shed.

            Another RDA filed by the owners of lots 28, 28A, 29, 29A, Goodspeed Island for the installation of a sewer extension received a negative 2 decision.

            A Notice of Intent filing by Andrea Yelle and Setareh Yelle 0 Angelica Avenue was conditioned for the construction of a single-family home.

            A Notice of Intent filed by Joyce Beal, 0 Park Place for the development of a single-family home was conditioned.

            A Request for an Amended Order of Conditions filed by Richard and Jacqueline Leclair, 2 Holmes Road, for a plan modification to change the footprint of a new home which will result in a reduction in the scope of work was granted.

            A Certificate of Compliance for 19 Shore View Avenue owned by Jane Finnerty was granted.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission will be posted prior to meeting day and time.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

Upcoming Events at the Rochester Historical Society

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May 21 at 7:00 pm we’ll be having our annual ice cream social, preceded by music with Tom and Sheila Perry. If there’s an old song you’d like to hear and sing along to, let me know the title by May 10 and I’ll see if they can include it in their set list. Send it to me at eshbach2@aol.com or call and leave a message at 508-763-4932.

            Our June speaker will be Connor Gaudet, Curator of the Mattapoisett Historical Museum, and he will be speaking about all aspects of the Wanderer whaling vessel. The meeting will be at our museum at 7:00 pm on June 18. Refreshments will follow.

            July will be a Saturday, daytime event. Date, time and additional info will be available soon, but we will definitely be having a Strawberry/ Blueberry Bake Sale and will be looking for bakers. We need to boost our treasury after a hefty insurance increase, but more later.

Mattapoisett Library Artist Series

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The Mattapoisett Free Public Library Artist Series presents an exhibit by Nancy Mitchell entitled “Junk Journals and Paintings in Acrylic. View Mitchell’s work at the Mattapoisett Library between May 4 and May 30.” Mitchell’s exhibit includes junk journals, hand-created from scrap pieces of fabric, lace, paper, beads, vintage book pages colored with gel and more, as well as acrylic paintings. Fairhaven artist Mitchell started painting at the age of 50. Her first painting was from a kit purchased at a local store which was something she had never thought of trying before. Pleased with the results, she decided to take some night art classes from the Greater New Bedford Regional Technical Vocational School. Her teacher was extremely helpful to Mitchell’s quest to learn how to paint. Self-taught, Mitchell also creates junk journals, gaining inspiration by studying the craft online. Mitchell has shown her work and sold paintings and feels it’s a great way to explore one’s creativity while learning at learning at the same time. Mitchell hopes her work will inspire others to create their own art.

Marilyn J. (Parker) Urquhart

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Marilyn J. (Parker) Urquhart, 81, of Wareham, formerly of Marion, passed away on May 3, 2025, at St. Luke’s Hospital, New Bedford. She was the wife of Alexander G. Urquhart and the daughter of the late Benjamin and Gladys (Westgate) Parker.

            She was born in New Bedford and lived in Marion for most of her life before moving to Wareham 8 years ago. She graduated from Wareham High School and Bridgewater State University.

            Mrs. Urquhart worked as an Elementary School Teacher at Rochester Memorial School and later at the Hammond School in Wareham.

            She enjoyed photography, reading, cooking and “secret trips” to the casino. She loved gardening and growing hydrangeas. She was especially proud of her sons, Chip and Greg.

            Survivors include her husband, Alexander G. Urquhart; 2 sons, Alexander G. “Chip” Urquhart, Jr. and his wife, Kerri of Marion and Gregory D. Urquhart and his wife Anne of Marion; her twin sister, Marjorie Borsari of Marion; 5 grandchildren, Mathew, Brian, Alexandra, Colin, and Mason Urquhart; 2 great grandchildren, Bryce and Ashton Davis.

            Visiting hours are from 4 to 7 pm on Friday, May 9, 2025 at Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham. A graveside service will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at Old Landing Cemetery, Rte. 6 & Ryder’s Ln., Marion.

            In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168 Boston, MA 02284-9168 or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105.

            For directions or to share a memory, visit: www.chapmanfuneral.com