Daniel L. McQuillan, Jr.,

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Daniel L. McQuillan, Jr., 69, of Mattapoisett died peacefully at home on Monday, August 23, 2021 after a long journey with Atypical Dementia. He was the husband of Maureen (Sullivan) McQuillan.

            Dan was born on January 30, 1952 to the late Daniel L. McQuillan, Sr. and Joan (LeClair) McQuillan.

            He graduated from Mount Greylock Regional High School where he captained the football and basketball teams and he was awarded a football scholarship to Middlebury College.

            Dan is survived by his wife, Maureen, his son Daniel L. McQuillan, III and his wife Lauren Duda McQuillan of Eagle River, AK and his son Padraic J. McQuillan of Mattapoisett, a sister Kayne McQuillan Torman and her husband Shelly of Sarasota, FL and four grandchildren Michelle Comfort, Padraig McQuillan, Isla McQuillan, and Eoin McQuillan, and many loving cousins, nieces, and nephews.

            He was predeceased by his parents, his daughter Caitlin McQuillan, and his sister Karen McQuillan.

            Dan started fishing with his grandfather as a young boy and followed this interest for a career at sea. He was a commercial fisherman for many years on the east coast, Alaska, and Russia. Crews loved him and fish feared him. After fishing, he operated tug boats along the east coast.

            He was a recreational aircraft pilot spotting swordfish for the boats, taking his family on trips to the islands, flying his open cockpit biplane inverted over the bay. Dan, a cancer survivor himself, committed to riding the Pan Mass Challenge, a 182 mile 2 day cycling fundraiser for cancer, in honor of his mother in law in 2007. He continued to ride and raise funds for 10 years, completing his final ride with diagnosed dementia.

            When he was diagnosed with atypical dementia, Dan responded with grace and humility. He was always interested in any clinical study or trial knowing there was little in it for him but wanting to help others. Unfortunately we all knew that it wasn’t a fight we could win, but yet he fought till the end nonetheless. His brain has been donated to research at Mass General Hospital, so in a way he continues his fight against the disease posthumously.

            Thank you to everyone who helped care for him and provide us with much needed assistance.

            A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 10 am at the Seamen’s Bethel, 15 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Memory Cafe C/O Marion Council on Aging, 465 Mill St., Marion MA 02738 or South Coast VNA Hospice, 200 Mill Rd., Fairhaven, MA 02719. For online guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Student’s Concept Grows into Reality

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A high school junior at the time, Avanna L’Homme didn’t realize what she was getting herself into when she turned in the “fun, little project” assigned her computer-automated drafting class at Upper Cape Tech.

            A project that began as classwork developed into two years of extracurricular activity, and at age 19, the Wareham native finds herself a core contributor to plans for a renovated senior center in Marion.

            “Shocked” is how L’Homme considers her plight. “I’m so happy that this is finally happening … seeing money being raised, seeing how incorporated the town is with this project. I love it, I absolutely love it.”

            Not every day are a teenager’s opinions juxtaposed alongside the concerns of municipal stakeholders, including elected and appointed officials attempting to address the most passionate subject in their community: aging in place.

            Members of the Marion Council on Aging have long held hopes for the Cushing Community Center, but the COA’s leaders wanted to see what some young minds from Upper Cape’s CAD class would produce in the way of concept designs. L’Homme’s was among a few plans that the COA liked the most, but she especially stood out by sustaining her pursuit, engaging her elders, accepting their feedback, making adjustments, and staying the course.

            “I don’t really mind change because everyone has their own views on it, and whatever they want to do, to change it, to make it better, I’m fully open to it because that means that they’re taking it, they looked at it, they liked it and they wanted it to move forward. So that’s what matters to me,” said L’Homme, who had originally turned in a plan that included a beautiful garden with a fountain. “I don’t think they’ll have enough space, necessarily, for all that.”

            The placement of certain features was altered, but the walking path remains central to the effort.

            “That was the main thing – the walkway and the gazebo – so they could all sit outside, have lunch, enjoy themselves,” said L’Homme. “There were a lot of changes, though, along the way. I think I did about six plans through my junior year and senior year of high school.”

            Her involvement in the project complete since graduating from Upper Cape two years ago, L’Homme is not in college and has not committed to a career pursuit.

            “I’m open to anything, honestly,” she said. “Anything I put my mind to, I know I can do it.”

By Mick Colageo

Baseball Fundraiser Gets Go Sign

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The Rochester Board of Selectmen granted Old Rochester Youth Baseball a Special Permit for a one-day liquor license so the 501(c)(3), non-profit organization can hold its annual Parents Night Out fundraising event on Saturday, August 28, from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm at Arch at the Meadow located at 332 Mendell Road in Rochester.

            The selectmen, acting in a specially called meeting on Monday morning, had received the request in a letter in which ORYB explained that the league relies on the fundraiser to offset most of its operating costs throughout the year. The event, last held in 2019, will feature dinner and dancing and will hold raffles to raise money for the league. Matt’s Blackboard restaurant will cater the event.

            In other business, the selectmen voted to act on recommendations to negotiate to hire a new town planner and a new town treasurer. The Town Planner Search Committee recommended Nancy Durfee, and the Town Treasurer Search Committee recommended Kory Lydon for those respective open positions.

            The selectmen also voted to accept a SEMASS PILOT payment of $371,149 for the month of July, and the motion was approved to grant an early closing of town offices on Friday, September 3, in order to hold an employee appreciation luncheon at the Highway Barn.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled to be held on Monday, August 30, at 6:00 pm.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Mick Colageo

Rochester Herring Counts

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This year’s count of herring in the Mattapoisett River was 1,886, an 88-percent decrease from the 2020 total of 16,049. Counting conditions were ideal this spring, and the counter appears to have functioned without errors.

            This year’s count of fish in the Sippican River was 57. It seems unlikely that any of the 57 fish counted were herring as the number is an accumulation of low counts on numerous days. I believe that count includes only pond fish moving up and down the ladder through the counter.

            The moratorium against the taking or possession of herring from the Mattapoisett River and the Sippican River, as well as many other rivers in Massachusetts, remains in effect. Over the years that the moratorium has been in effect, the herring population in the Mattapoisett River had increased from about 6,000 to just over 55,400 in 2014 then was followed by some years of declining counts. The counting effort will continue and provide the necessary information to manage a future harvest in the Mattapoisett River; however, continued improvements in the counts are needed to support a sustainable fishery plan and to justify an opening. Once the herring population reaches a point where a sustainable harvest plan can be formulated, filed with Division of Marine Fisheries, and approved, harvesting could be resumed.

ORR Proposed Mask Mandate Update

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Superintendent Michael S. Nelson and the Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55 would like to share an update regarding the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) proposed mask mandate for the 2021-22 school year.

            This week, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met and voted to give DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley the authority to institute a mask mandate for the beginning of the upcoming school year. The mask mandate is expected to be formally issued later this week by Commissioner Riley.

            With the issuance of the proposed mask mandate, all K-12 students, educators, and staff would be required to wear a mask while in schools through October 1 to ensure schools fully reopen safely and to provide ample time for more students and educators to get vaccinated.

            After October 1, the policy would allow middle and high schools to lift the mask mandate for vaccinated students and staff only if the school meets a certain vaccination rate – at least 80% of students and staff in a school building are vaccinated. Unvaccinated students and staff would still be required to wear masks. Additional information regarding masking policies would then be shared by individual districts.

            Community members should also note that under the DPH’s mask advisory, masks are mandatory for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, while using public transportation and rideshares, and while inside healthcare facilities and other settings. As a result, students riding any district bus or visiting any of the district’s health offices must continue to wear masks at all times while in these settings.

            “We will continue to do everything we can to ensure students and staff are able to learn and work safely in our buildings, and this will include adhering to the expected mask mandate once it is issued,” Superintendent Nelson said. “As always, we are carefully monitoring state and local public health guidance and will continue to keep families informed regarding DESE guidance as well as any decisions made at the district level.”

A Century of Sailing: The Beetle Cat at 100

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Join William Womack on Thursday, August 26, at 7:00 pm for the Sippican Historical Society Speaker Series presentation (via Zoom). The year 2021 marks the 100th Anniversary of the Beetle Cat sailboat. This will make the Beetle Cat the oldest one design that has been continuously produced out of wood and continues to be competitively raced for the past 100 years. The boat continues to be handcrafted by true craftsmen working together using traditional methods to preserve the integrity and quality of the boat.

            The boat is a big part of New England history, sailing, wooden boats, and wooden boat building. Its distinctive silhouette is known at a glance; the name brings back memories of learning to sail, first tries at the tiller, and, of course, the smell of cedar, varnish, and pine tar. It is the preservation of a hand-crafted art form used to produce a sweet little boat out of a living tree.

            Bill Womack, owner of the “Beetle Cat Boat Shop” is a direct descendant of Miles Standish of the Mayflower. He was born and raised in Alabama and spent all his early summers on Onset Island in Massachusetts sailing Beetle Cats and developing a love for traditional wood boatbuilding.

            After three tours in Viet Nam with a Navy Seabee team, Bill worked as a civil engineer in heavy highway construction building bridges, highways, and tunnels around the country for 40 years before taking up ownership of the Beetle Cat Boat Shop in 2003.

            Bill Womack, the fourth caretaker of this proud little boat in the last 100 years, will take us through the history of the boat from its development by the Beetle family of New Bedford in 1921 to its present-day home in Wareham.

            Bill will present the construction of the Beetle Cat from the cutting of the trees to the finished sailboat. The building of the boat, using very traditional, tried and proven boat building methodology, using hand tools and individual craftsmanship, is very much an art form. The boat is all hand made in the USA.

            The presentation will provide the viewer a glimpse into the past of traditional wood boat building. The aroma of the cedar wood, pine tar, and varnish will fill the air and dreams of sailing down Buzzards Bay in a traditionally-built wood boat and will take you back in time to when men were iron and ships were wood.

            You may request the Zoom link by emailing info@sippicanhistoricalsociety.org.

Mattapoisett Cultural Council

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Mattapoisett Cultural Council invites grant proposals for community-oriented arts, humanities, and science programs beginning September 1 – October 15 at massculturalcouncil.org/communities/local-cultural-council-program/application-process/. Grants are available to support cultural projects and activities in and around Mattapoisett, including exhibits, festivals, field trips, short-term artist residencies or performances in schools, workshops, and lectures. These programs promote the availability of rich cultural experiences for Mattapoisett residents. Council members are municipally-appointed volunteers who help determine how to disburse available funds to individuals, schools, and cultural organizations who apply for project support.

            Applicants are encouraged to review local funding priorities at https://www.mass-culture.org/mattapoisett. Applications are evaluated with respect to how well the program meets local priorities, community support and involvement, evidence of track record, ability to address diverse cultural needs, financial need, and demonstrated planning.

            Recently funded projects included theatrical, literary, science programs for children and adults at Mattapoisett Free Public Library, concerts by SouthCoast Children’s Chorus and Tri-County Symphonic Band, music education for Mattapoisett students by New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, programs and exhibits at Mattapoisett Museum, and in-school and summertime arts and science programs sponsored by the Mattapoisett PTA, Mattapoisett Recreation, and Mattapoisett Land Trust, among others.

            To contact Mattapoisett Cultural Council directly with questions, or if you are interested in becoming a council member, please email us at kcdamaskos@gmail.com.

Friends of Marion COA Steadfast

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            Who says the Post Office owns the adage “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night…?” Just ask the Friends of the Marion Council on Aging and they will tell you, “…We are moving ahead.”

            On August 19, the gala fundraising event long planned by the Friends group took place on a magnificent coastal property located at 1 Water Street in spite of a day with heavy downpours and late afternoon threatening skies and murky atmosphere. Yes, in spite of all that, the venue, donated by property owners Laurie and Jamey Shachoy, was spectacular. The partygoers were treated to sweeping water views as well as live music and delectable hors d’oeuvres served by volunteers.

            The primary purpose of the ticketed event was to raise funds for a pavilion planned for the grounds of what is now known as the Cushing Community Center, the former VFW building on Route 6. COA Board of Director Chairman Harry Norweb reported that at the end of the evening, estimates reached beyond $85,000 in hand for the project.

            Avanna L’Homme, a 19-year-old Wareham native in attendance on August 19, was thrilled to see the conceptual design she created while attending Upper Cape Tech developed into a plan that is becoming a reality. “I’m so happy that this is finally happening … seeing money being raised, seeing how incorporated the town is with this project. I love it, I absolutely love it,” she said.

            These days, the Marion COA department is being run and managed as a fully operational entity with Director Karen Gregory, her staff, and Town Administrator Jay McGrail overseeing operational key points. The emergence of such support has, after much contemplation, resulted in reorganization within the COA.

            “The Planning Board is reviewing the bylaw for the COA Board of Directors, which has been in place since the 1970s,” said Norweb, who noted that volunteerism on the part of both people on the COA Board and those on the frontline of fundraising for the Friends is phenomenal.

            Of the fundraising efforts, Norweb said that monies donated directly impact programming and projects that are geared towards seniors. The proposed 26-by-30-foot covered structure “will be the biggest of its kind in the area,” he stated.

            Yet the building of a pavilion on the community center grounds is viewed and is being touted as a place where the entire community can come together for musicals, theater, parties, exercise classes, and so much more. Bringing seniors together with the wider community is viewed as a necessity for quality of life.

            That is exemplified by the Friends embracing of the World Health Organization’s Global Age Friendly precepts. Noted on the WHO website are the statistics that, in 2006, 11 percent of the global population was part of the senior sector with projections that, by 2050, 22 percent would be in that category. The website states, “In the next 50 years, 80 percent of the world’s seniors will be living in developing countries,” prompting the health organization to recognize the importance of programs that help the aging.

            To further the concepts and framework needed for quality of life for seniors, WHO has established for seniors, the FOMCOA fundraising venue displayed banners announcing various WHO precepts such as recreation, education, relaxation, socialization, celebration, support, participation, and inclusion. On the community center grounds, a recently completed walking path that is fully ADA compliant is ready for use.

            “Marion is a World Health Organization Age Friendly community,” Norweb asserted with a smile.

            The Marion COA currently provides programming and services that span everything from shopping to health screening to artistic expression and educational presentation, and so much more.

            To learn more about the Friends of the Marion COA, visit fmcoa.org or call the COA at 508-758-3570 for programming information.

By Marilou Newell

Reduction Goal in Marion’s Cross Hairs

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            The officials on the field have asked for a measurement, and the Town of Marion isn’t looking just for a first down, it’s looking for a touchdown.

            After chasing down records of deliveries of gas, propane, and oil to the town so he could manually enter that information into the MassEnergyInsight program’s online databank, Bill Saltonstall had some inspiring news for his fellow members at Monday’s Marion Energy Management Committee meeting.

            “Surprisingly, Table 2 (which tallies energy savings) totals approximately 20 percent. We made some savings in areas I hadn’t expected,” said Saltonstall on the August 23 Zoom meeting. “Apparently, we will be able to make it all the way to 20 percent [energy reduction] this year.”

            Marion is in Year Four of its pledge to the Green Communities program to reduce the town’s carbon footprint by 20 percent in energy reductions over the prescribed five-year period.

            Up to recent months, Saltonstall, the EMC’s lead hound sniffing out every energy sucker that Marion could potentially upgrade, had relied on the advice and computer expertise of Town Planner Gil Hilario, who is no longer working for Marion after taking a new job in the same role in North Attleboro.

            Figuring that Eversource has apparently made changes to some streetlights, Saltonstall told EMC members that he plans to contact Lisa Sullivan, the regional supervisor of Green Communities, to make sure he is handling the clerical end of the mission thoroughly.

            Marion’s final project report is due to Green Communities by September 3. All outstanding questions must be solved no later than 5:00 pm October 1; if the application is not closed out, Marion may not put in another grant application. The deadline to submit new grant applications is October 8.

            EMC Chairman Christian Ingerslev told Saltonstall that Town Administrator Jay McGrail will lend assistance in completing the MassEnergyInsight annual report by the November 19 deadline.

            The EMC remains intent on pushing for electrically-powered town vehicles and is looking to learn if the town can purchase vehicles presently being leased. A prompt resolution, suggested Ingerslev, would enable a decision on whether to put the question onto the article warrant for Town Meeting, “Because that’s where the money will come from.”

            EMC member Alanna Nelson said that the mileage on the Mitsubishi Outlanders being leased are low, “So, it makes all the sense in the world [to purchase them if possible.]”

            Along with electric cars, the EMC is hoping to influence the renovation of the Cushing Community Center to build any extension of the building with a roof strong enough to support solar panels.

            Citing advice from Town Counsel to stick with the wind farm, Ingerslev said he is not sure that new construction would be bound by that advice.

            “I don’t think it’s really a major installation, and it might fit within the net-metering [program],” said Saltonstall of the south-facing roof.

            Nelson suggested that, if possible, solar arrays should put their generated energy back into the municipal buildings rather than send it back to the grid.

            In committee business, EMC member Tom Friedman, informed that he was voted as the new clerk for the committee during a prior meeting he could not attend, cheerfully accepted the role.

            Once again, the EMC batted around strategic wording for an updated name for the committee.

            “I think ‘resiliency’ breaks down climate change into locally manageable tasks,” said EMC member Eileen Marum, explaining her suggestion of “Energy and Climate Resilience Committee.”

            Marion’s Hazard Mitigation Plan will be submitted to the state by September 30, then the state sends it onto FEMA for its approval. “Until this Hazard Mitigation Plan is finalized, they don’t want us to be doing any practical work,” said Ingerslev.

            Marum explained that the Hazard Mitigation Plan has seven foundational goals, and everything else is built around those goals.

            After discussion, the EMC decided to push the matter of its identity down the road until the Hazard Mitigation Plan is in place. “Everyone has to be on board,” said Marum. “Greenhouse gases is driving this.”

            The next meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee is scheduled for Monday, September 27, at 5:00 pm.

Marion Energy Management Committee

By Mick Colageo

Friends of Mattapoisett Council on Aging

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The Friends are having a Luncheon at noon on September 9. Come and join us for burgers, hot dogs, French fries, and ice cream. Punch and coffee will also be served. Please bring a donation of canned goods or school supplies to the luncheon. Reserve your spot by calling the Mattapoisett Council on Aging office, 508-758-4110, by September 7.