ORR Golfers Go Top-10 in PGA Nationals

            In their first-ever appearance on a national stage, the Old Rochester Regional High School golf team added to its 2022-23 legacy last week with a top-10 finish in the July 17-19 PGA National High School Boys Invitational Tournament.

            The Bulldogs, who earned their invitation to the Frisco, Texas, event by winning the MIAA Division 2 state tournament last fall, finished in a three-way tie for ninth place with Boston College High (the MIAA Division 1 champion) and the Utah representative.

            Markus Pierre, Braden Yeomans, le Gassick brothers Philip and Peter and Gabe Deblois represented ORR, as each of the 50 competing schools was limited to five players. Each team’s top-four scores were factored over three 18-hole rounds played on different par-72 courses in the area.

            “We started on the hardest course,” said ORR Coach Chris Cabe, whose team began on July 17 at the Fields Ranch East Course, where Pierre and Philip le Gassick shot rounds of 78, while Yeomans shot an 83 and Deblois a 91. Peter le Gassick’s 92 was left out of the tally.

            ORR was ranked 27th after the opening day, but the Bulldogs picked up their play as they went.

            “The kids got down there the prior Thursday,” when Cabe said they played three practice rounds, followed by the tournament Monday through Wednesday of last week.

            ORR played its Tuesday round at Tribute Golf Links, which Cabe said resembled St. Andrew’s with its wide-open fairways. Philip le Gassick led the ORR with a 1-under-par 71, while Pierre shot 72, Yeomans 75 and Peter le Gassick 78 (Deblois shot 80).

            The Bulldogs climbed to 19th place overall entering the final round played last Wednesday at the Fields Ranch West Course, where Yeomans and the le Gassick brothers shot rounds of 76. Pierre shot 78, while Deblois shot 88.

            The champion from Georgia had its top players finish 1-2 as individuals with respective 5-under-par and 4-under-par scores.

            Leading ORR in individual scoring, Philip le Gassick’s 9-over-par total tied him for 38th, while Pierre finished 53rd overall among 312 golfers competing.

            Massachusetts was also represented by Division 3 state champion Weston, which finished 29th overall.

            This is the first year the PGA Nationals have been held in Frisco, Texas, home of a new PGA center and soon to host the PGA Championship major on the tour calendar.

            “It will be a memory they will have for the rest of their lives,” said Cabe, who will have two of the five competitors back when the Bulldogs reconvene for the 2023-24 fall season on August 21 at The Bay Club.

            Yeomans will be a senior and Peter le Gassick a junior. Rising sophomore Brady Mills, also a member of the Bulldogs’ state-championship team, will join them.

By Mick Colageo

Last Call for Mattapoisett Community Picnic Tickets

Don’t forget to reserve tickets to the Mattapoisett Community Picnic happening Thursday, August 3, at 5:30 pm. Enjoy scenic harbor views on the waterfront at the Munro Preserve, adjacent to the Mattapoisett wharf, while dining on “buck a shuck” local oysters and your self-catered picnic meal. This is a BYOB event and beer is also available for purchase on site. Music will be provided this year by Seth Asser and Gary Brown. Attendees can enter a free raffle for a gift certificate to the Inn on Shipyard Park, and if that isn’t enough fun, prizes will be awarded for the most creative, festive and beautifully decorated tables.

            The Community Picnic is a fundraiser that supports the ongoing activities of the Mattapoisett Land Trust and the Mattapoisett Museum. Tables of four to 10 people or individual tickets are available until July 31 at: givebutter.com/GCP or through the Mattapoisett Museum website. Tickets are $40 per person and include tables, chairs, linens, a great location, one raffle ticket and live music. For more information, visit Mattapoisetmuseum.org or mattlandtrust.org or call: 774-377-9191.

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church

The Rev. Marc Eames, Priest-in-Charge St. John’s Church, Vernon, Connecticut, will conduct services Sunday, July 30, at 8:00 am and 10:00 am at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 34 Water Street, Mattapoisett, next to the Town Beach. During its 139th summer season, St. Philip’s invites clergy from near and far to conduct services each week using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. All are welcome.

Private Compound Pool Permitted

            James and Sharlene Craig of Florida and Aucoot Road, Mattapoisett, have been developing their property as a family compound. A new home is under construction, and a guest house they are currently residing in is complete. On July 20, their representative, David Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone, Inc., presented their variance filing.

            Davignon explained that a hardship was created for their plan to build an 18×36-foot, in-ground swimming pool due to flagged wetlands to the northeast and northwest. He said that setbacks could not be met but that encroachment at the property line created by the main house, now being built, meant they would be encroaching their own property. “There would be zero impact on neighbors,” he said.

            ZBA Chairman Susan Akin asked if the Craigs couldn’t sell off the guest house in the future. Davignon responded that is a possibility but added that potential buyers would know the pool was there and encroaching beforehand. That Special Permit was granted.

            Another proposed pool didn’t fair quite as well when Catherine Murphy, 7 Oakland Avenue, came forward to defend her request for a variance. Murphy explained that the location of her pool needed to be in the backyard but that she couldn’t meet setback of 30 feet, only being able to reach approximately 12 feet. She said that a barrier of ledge precluded putting the pool on either side yard, although setbacks there could be met.

            ZBA members were hesitant to approve the self-imposed hardship, and two neighbors spoke against the pool in the backyard versus side yards.

            Akin said, “I’m not keen on this.” ZBA member Tony Tranfaglia asked why the applicant hadn’t discussed her plans with neighbors beforehand, thus she would have been more fully aware of pushback on their part. Murphy said she wasn’t aware that was necessary.

            Rather than rule on the filing, it was suggested Murphy request a continuance to give her time to review plans with the contractor and to establish dialog with her neighbors. The case was continued to August 17.

            A third pool (16-foot round) hearing for a variance requested by Derek Asiaf, 5 Meadow Lane, was approved.

            In other business, a Special Permit requested by Jordan Medeiros, 13 Park Place, for a family-related apartment over an existing garage was granted.

            The Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to meet again on Thursday, August 17, at 6:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Marilou Newell

Tasty Carrot for Hikers

The Town of Mattapoisett has many picturesque walking trails, and the Mattapoisett Land Trust manager came up with an incentive for families to walk the trails – ice cream.

            Colleen Andrews, working with students at Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School, for a year has planned out a program in which families walk the town’s trails, collect stainless-steel stamps and win a $10 gift card to a local creamery after completion.

            Andrews said there are approximately 11 hiking trails, all of which are either a quarter mile or a half mile. Andrews initially conceived the idea in spring 2022 before the program launched this year. Booklets on the program are available at the children section of the town library, and the stamps can be found on landmarks such as bridges or rock monuments within these trails.

            “I’ve seen this thing done before at different conservation and land trusts,” Andrew said. “We worked through some of the designs and kinks. It took a while to get it out there. … People are definitely intrigued by it.”

            Andrews said the MLT has always worked well with Old Colony’s vocational school in Rochester.

            She contacted Old Colony Voc-Tech Coordinator Bethany Botelho, who then connected the MLT with Michael Ferreira, instructor in the Machine & Tool Technology program, and Kathy Peterson, instructor in the Graphic Communications & Design program.

            Instructors from these programs and their respective students embraced the idea.

            Machine & Tool Technology students helped to design, create prototypes, and then complete the final versions of the stamps cut with the MLT logo and individual numbers.

            The Graphic Communications & Design students printed and binded 100 booklets.

            “We really wanted to make it a community-based program,” Andrews said during a recent interview.

            “Tri-Town students from Mattapoisett and Rochester attend Old Colony Regional Vocational High School, which is part of what makes this partnership so sweet,” Andrews said in a written release.

“Students getting involved in creating something meaningful for their own communities, maybe even for their own families, is something special.”

            Andrews added that the student who took the lead in creating the stamp is a Mattapoisett resident.

            Passport users can take a pencil or crayon, “lay their booklet on top of the stamp, and create a rubbing of each stamp they find on their adventures,” according to Andrews, who noted that, while an ice cream reward comes at the end, the main focus is to get families on the trails and enjoy nature. She said while the stamps are in visible locations, the hikers must walk the trails and put in the effort before finding them.

            “The point is to get them out on the trails and explore,” she said.

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Scott Paradis Ashley

Scott Paradis Ashley, 68, of Rochester, passed away peacefully on July 22, 2023 in the loving company of his wife and daughters. The youngest of four, Scott was born on December 31, 1954, and raised in East Freetown.

            Scott completed his BS in Biology from Murray State University where he also competed on the cross-country running team, and was an active member of the Sigma Pi fraternity. Upon his graduation, Scott returned to Massachusetts to launch his career as owner and operator of Old Tuck Cranberry Corp., continuing the multigenerational profession of cranberry farming.

            Throughout his life, Scott was an avid hunter, trapper and true outdoorsman. He was always happiest outside; enjoying the wildlife on his farm, caring for his apple orchard, landscaping his property, or tending to an expansive vegetable garden. He amassed a substantial antique single shot rifle collection and enjoyed the research and restoration of antique motorcycles. Other hobbies Scott was passionate about included scuba diving, travel, music and reading, particularly American history. Above all, Scott was a social person, he loved being surrounded by family and spending time with his friends. Notorious for his jokes, sense of humor and good-natured pranks, Scott made a lasting impression.

            In addition to his wife, Kymberly, Scott leaves behind his two daughters Rebekah Rubin and Rachel Ashley, sons-in-law Daniel Rubin and Alvaro Ortiz, four grandchildren Ari and Claire Rubin, Lucía and Caleb Ortiz, and his sister, Alexis Blowers of Rochester, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brothers, Edward Ashley and Karl James Ashley III, and his parents Karl James Ashley Jr and Grace Rose Marie (Paradis) Ashley.

            His funeral services will be held on Sunday, July 30th at 2:00 pm at the First Congregational Church of Rochester. Burial will follow in White Cemetery, East Freetown. Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, July 29th, from 1:00-5:00 pm at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 50 County Road, Mattapoisett.

            In lieu of flowers, contributions in Scott’s memory can be made to: Lewy Body Dementia Association; or The Lewy Body Dementia Fund of the American Brain Foundation.

Norrine Anne Burnett

Norrine Anne Burnett – beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend – passed away peacefully on July 9th, surrounded by family.

            She was born on June 12, 1939 in Brockton, Massachusetts to Albina and Robert Looney. Growing up the second of six children in the tight quarters of Winthrop Street, she was affectionately acknowledged as a generous, no-nonsense caretaker to many. She attended Saint Patrick’s Catholic School in Brockton, and earned her teaching degree from Bridgewater State College in 1961.

            She met William Burnett of Whitman, Massachusetts in 1960. They were married in 1962 and remained each other’s closest companions for over 61 years.

            Norrine’s elementary school teaching career spanned nearly four decades. She was admired and respected by her colleagues and students for her high standards, sharp humor, and straightforward ways.

            The years that she stayed home to raise her three children are filled with memories of summers at the family cottage in Pocasset, Mass., creative, well-celebrated holidays – and plenty of chores and projects! She never missed a game, or a play and was always ready with her red pen correcting homework. She taught us all the art of the yard sale bargain. She was a hands-on parent who made her children, and her grandchildren, feel known and loved.

            Norrine and Bill spent their early retirement tending to their 20-acre property and daylily farm in Mattapoisett, Mass, where they lived for 39 years. In 2016, they made their last move together to Brunswick, Maine.

            Norrine is survived by her husband, Bill, her sister Judy, her daughters Laurie and Lisa, her son Michael – and her four grandchildren, Lila, Jack, Clara and Sam.

Jennifer Ann Rusinoski

Jennifer Ann Rusinoski, lovingly known as Jen, passed away peacefully on July 22, 2023, at the age of 66. She leaves behind a legacy of love, compassion, and joy that touched the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her.

            Born in Atlanta, GA, Jen was the daughter of the late Helen (Gifford) and Claude (Cal) Ladner, and William J. Wilson, Jr. She spent the majority of her life in Mattapoisett, where she built lasting connections and became an integral part of the community.

            A remarkable mother and grandmother, Jen found true happiness in the company of her family, particularly her beloved grandchildren. The Rusinoski household was a hub of creativity, as Jen was constantly engaged in knitting, sewing, painting, and other forms of artistic expression with her grandchildren. She also had a loving rivalry with her cousin Phil Gustafson, with whom she would often compete to see who could make the best fried chicken.

            Jen devoted 23 years of her life to Center School and Old Hammondtown School, where her passion for crafts and giving back flourished. She initiated a heartwarming gift basket program, which saw students delivering hundreds of baskets to seniors in the community. Her dedication to fostering a strong sense of community extended beyond her work, as she was an active and committed member of the PTA. It was this strong commitment to the community that named her Mattapoisett Woman of the Year in 2009.

            A fervent New England Patriots fan, Jen’s excitement for football was unparalleled, transforming her living room into her own private stadium for each game. She would also perform her pregame ‘war dance’ to wish the Patriots good luck. Tom Brady, Gronkowski, and Edelman were her heroes, and she celebrated each touchdown with a shot of ‘Fireball’ Whiskey, exclaiming her signature catchphrase, “Fire in the Hole!”. She was also a fierce competitor in Fantasy Football, having won many family leagues. Her enthusiasm didn’t stop there; Jen was also an avid follower of the Golden Globes and Oscars, turning her home into a personal red carpet for these star-studded events.

            Jen’s positivity and boundless drive to make others happy were the cornerstones of her character. She was a true motivator, offering unwavering guidance and support to anyone who needed it. Her impact on those she encountered was immediate and enduring, leaving a lasting imprint on their hearts and lives.

            Jen’s memory will forever be cherished by her devoted husband, Walter J. Rusinoski, her beloved children, Cara Witherspoon and her husband Graham of North Carolina, Brent Rusinoski and his wife Julia of Sandwich, and Blake Rusinoski of Mattapoisett. She also leaves behind her loving sister and brother-in-law, Candace Gifford Toomey and Paul Toomey of West Wareham, four adoring grandchildren, Rylee, Taylor, and Gabe Witherspoon, Odin Rusinoski, and two step-grandchildren Alecia and Michaela Slappey. Additionally, she will be fondly remembered by many nieces and nephews.

            She is predeceased by her siblings, Cliff Wilson and Willene Mann.

            A celebration of life will be held at a later date. For online guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com

MAC Member Day Rescheduled

Members of the MAC are invited to a member appreciation day celebration at the Marion Art Center on Saturday, August 5, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. This event has been rescheduled from the original date in June, which was canceled due to foul weather. During the event, the MAC will offer free ice cream, face painting, lawn games, and live music by Butch McCarthy. This family-friendly event is for all MAC members. Artists participating in the upcoming Summer Members’ Show may drop off artwork before 2:00 pm and stay for the event. Those who wish to join the MAC can do so at the event or sign up ahead of time at marionartcenter.org/join. This event is free to attend, but the members are encouraged to register ahead of time. To RSVP, register online at marionartcenter.org/events, email info@marionartcenter.org, or call 508-748-1266 with name, contact info, and number of attendees including children.

Mattapoisett Road Race Student Awards

The Mattapoisett Road Race Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 college stipends. Since the first race in 1971, over $200,000 has been awarded to college-bound ORR student athletes.

            This year’s award recipients are Jillian LeBlanc, Torsten Brickley, Corinne Robert and Reagan Rock of Mattapoisett, Failenn Fitzpatrick, Rosemary Lally, Kate Feeney and Ella Soutter of Marion, Madeline Dugas of Rochester, and Sofia Irish of Wareham. Receiving the Bob Gardner Award, named for the founding father of the Road Race, is Jacksen Martin of Marion. We congratulate these students and wish them well in their college studies.