The Marion Town Party had been an end-of-summer celebration for more years than anyone can remember until the last two years. In 2019, because of the threat posed by the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus and last summer by COVID-19, the party was cancelled.

            But on August 28, as cool shore breezes made being outside comfortable, the community family-friendly party was on, and at a new location that provided scenic views and plenty of room for little ones to run freely as children should – Silvershell Beach.

            The town’s primary party planner (one of many hats worn by this town employee), Donna Hemphill, said that originally the VFW hosted the party on its former Route 6 grounds now known as the Cushing Community Center, which serves as headquarters of the Marion Council on Aging and the town’s Recreation Department. Once the property was turned over to the town, another venue was sought for the annual event.

            Spring Street in front of the Town House and the surrounding grounds became the new home for the party for a number of years, but this year it moved again, this time to Silvershell Beach where parking and safe open spaces are aplenty.

            Supporting the event were a number of local businesses as well as non-profits such as the Boy Scouts, the Volunteers at Sippican Elementary (VASE), and the MMR recruitment program for the Tri-Town fire departments.

            “We are delighted to continue this tradition,” said Hemphill as a group of tiny tots went racing by on their way to the next exciting activity. “It’s a celebration of the end of summer,” and kids going back to school, she chuckled. “This year it’s extra special.”

            The event was free of charge with the exceptions of food and drink of which the grounds were awash, and the party featured carnival-type games for small children and their willing parents. But it was the rock wall which saw the most action and longest lines.

            In the center of the grassed space were row upon row of family-style tables and chairs where hungers were quenched with hot dogs, hamburgers, and even scallops. Grill master and Town Administrator Jay McGrail was delighted to be grooving to the music blasting from the nearby DJ tent and cooking up meats for the partygoers.

            “I had heard about this great town party, but in the three years I’ve been here this is the first time I could actually participate,” said McGrail, punctuating what he believes is a truism: “Marion is an amazing town.” Turning to look out at the several hundred people enjoying the party atmosphere, he added, “Things like this make it amazing.”

            The chorus of praise included the following comments from Chairman of the Select Board Norman Hills: “I’m glad to see it come back! …Seeing all the people show up, having a good time, getting something to eat – it’s great.”

            Surrounding the perimeter of the lawn were several non-profit organizations geared towards helping young people explore their full potential as well as having fun. The Boy Scouts of America, slowly rebranding to simply Scouting, were popping up buckets of corn, filling the air with mouthwatering aromas, and engaging youngsters who stopped by to learn more.

            The members of VASE spoke to attendees about volunteer opportunities at the Sippican School. Their new slogan, “Give 2 in 21-22,” stands for their quest to get as many parents and interested others involved with school programs for as little as two hours per school year.

            And last but not least was the MMR (Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester) Fire Department Recruitment program which provides training to high schoolers interested in learning more about fire service opportunities and the possibility of joining the ranks of those who serve. Handling questions and sharing their personal stories of what the program has meant to them were Domenic Fringuelli, Jaden Soares, and Paetyn Tripp.

            With her clipboard firmly at her side, Hemphill was making notes for next year’s party – so, fingers crossed. If it can be planned, there is no doubt it will be planned.

            Hemphill expressed her gratitude to the many people who pulled together to make the 2021 event a great one, especially Brooks Wilson, Kristen Saint Don-Campbell, Terri Santos, and Jody Dickerson. She also thanked the Department of Public Works and Marion Fire Department.

Citing “additional discovery,” Robert Nolan, the attorney for recently retired Mattapoisett Police Chief Mary Lyons, requested and received a new pre-trial date of Thursday, September 30, while addressing Falmouth District Court on Tuesday morning. Nolan and Lyons were both present at court via Zoom.

            On July 19, Lyons entered a not guilty plea to the charge of Operating Under the Influence in the wake of a July 17 arrest by Massachusetts State Police in Bourne on charges of operating a vehicle under the influence and a marked lanes violation on Route 28 north.

            Lyons, 61, was placed on administrative leave after the arrest, from which she was release on personal recognizance. Nolan disputed the charges after Lyons’ arraignment and said he anticipates the case going to trial.

            On August 5, the Town of Mattapoisett announced that Lyons had permanently left her position with the Select Board’s acceptance and approval of terms for her early retirement.

            Since Lyons’ arrest, the town’s Police Department has been under the interim command of Captain Jason King.

By Mick Colageo

            The Marion Natural History Museum is one of those rare places where we may pause, study an aspect of our natural world in a meaningful unhurried manner, and contemplate the importance of all life, not just our own.

            That was just the case on August 20 when Ph.D. candidate Valentina Lagomarsino, who studies biological and biomedical sciences at Harvard Medical School, gave a presentation on emerging concepts of how trees communicate with their surroundings and with other trees.

            Lagomarsino began by explaining, in the briefest and most simplistic terms for the benefit of her audience, the neuropathways in the human body, her main topic of academic pursuit. But she has come to believe that when human neuropathways are compared and contrasted to processes employed by trees, there are consistencies that cannot be denied.

            One of those consistencies, Lagomarsino pointed out, is that a tree’s ability to survive is also dependent upon its ability to communicate with the natural environment surrounding it beneath the surface, a system called the mycorrhizal network. This network is made up of fungal cells that help to regulate water, carbon, nitrogen, and other nutrients and minerals that trees require.

            Some scientists call the mycorrhizal network the “Wood Wide Web.” The tongue-in-cheek label alludes to a web of fungi spreading messages from one tree to the next. Lagomarsino also said that some researchers find convergent evolution, the process whereby distantly-related organisms independently evolve similar traits in order to adapt to similar needs, are present.

            Lagomarsino told the audience that trees are the lungs of the planet and “…The carbon sinks, taking on greenhouse gases.”

            Of researchers working to better understand the communication capabilities and necessities of trees, Lagomarsino named Peter Wohlleben, who has worked for over 20 years for the forestry commission in Germany, and Dr. Suzanne Simard, a professor with the University of British Columbia who earned her Ph.D. in Forest Sciences at Oregon State University. Wohlleben wrote “The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate” in 2015, and Simard published “Finding yhe Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest” this year.

            Another source found on the topic is an article authored by Richard Grant and published in the March 2018 issue of Smithsonian magazine. Grant writes of his time in a forest with Wohlleben. One surprising moment in the article reads, “Once, [Wohlleben] came across a gigantic beech stump in this forest, four or five feet across. The tree was felled 400 or 500 years ago, but scraping away the surface with his penknife, Wohlleben found something astonishing: the stump was still green with chlorophyll. There was only one explanation. The surrounding beeches were keeping it alive by pumping sugar to it through the network. ‘When beeches do this, they remind me of elephants,’ he says. ‘They are reluctant to abandon their dead, especially when it’s a big, old, revered matriarch.’”

            Simard’s characterization of certain trees as “mother trees” is also discussed in the article. Grant writes, “Mother trees are the biggest, oldest trees in the forest with the most fungal connections. They’re not necessarily female, but Simard sees them in a nurturing, supportive, maternal role. With their deep roots, they draw up water and make it available to shallow-rooted seedlings. They help neighboring trees by sending them nutrients, and when the neighbors are struggling, mother trees detect their distress signals and increase the flow of nutrients accordingly.” That sounds like a mother for sure.

            Lagmarsino’s interest in the topic of tree communication was intriguing and inspirational, causing one to think about the life of trees that surround us in the Tri-Town area in a far more personal way, mixed with a sense of ‘There is so much more to learn.’ Yes, the Marion Natural History Museum is a rare space where one may explore the learning continuum regardless of one’s age.

            Visit marionmuseum.org to learn more about programming for children and adults.

By Marilou Newell