David Kendall Pierce

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In Memory of David Kendall Pierce, September 21,1949 to January 14, 2025.

            David Kendall Pierce, a deeply respected member of the Tabor Academy and Tri-Town communities, passed away peacefully on the morning of January 14, 2025.

            With a legacy that spanned decades, David’s contributions to Tabor, the School by the Sea—as an educator, mentor, and coach—will long be remembered.

            David joined Tabor in 1973, bringing with him a remarkable passion for education and science. He played an instrumental role in establishing the school’s observatory and developing the astronomy program, which allows students to explore celestial phenomena through a state-of-the-art Celestron telescope. As the chair of the Science Department, David transformed the curriculum, introducing innovative courses and fostering a love for critical thinking and inquiry in his classrooms. His leadership and vision extended beyond the classroom, inspiring generations of students to pursue studies and careers in scientific fields.

            Known for his meticulous yet engaging teaching style, David taught Advanced Placement Physics, Advanced Calculus, Astronomy, and Geology, often infusing his lessons with humor and thought-provoking anecdotes. Students recall his ability to make complex concepts accessible and commitment to their potential to achieve excellence. He even authored physics texts and laboratory manuals for use in Tabor classroom, working with students to ensure that all levels of science could understand the concepts.

            Beyond academics, David’s dedication extended to coaching and mentoring. As the head coach of the varsity track team, the advisor to the junior varsity riflery team, and the Christian Fellowship Club. He advised the members of the WTBR radio station where he shared his love of 1960s music by hosting a program of oldies hits called, “A Blast from the Past.” In addition, he served as a dorm parent in numerous houses, including Hunt House, Lillard Hall, and Daggett House, where he instilled discipline, perseverance, and a sense of community, leaving an indelible mark on Tabor’s traditions.

            At Tabor, the David Kendall Pierce Chair Award in Math and Science is awarded to faculty members annually; it was established in his name by Jack Boyd Smith, Jr. ’76. Smith wanted to recognize and honor the impact that David had on him while a student at Tabor. Pierce himself was the first holder of the award.

            David’s influence was not confined to campus. His dedication to service and professional development was evident in his involvement with the Advanced Placement Math Teachers Association, the Massachusetts Association of Science Supervisors, and the National Science Teachers Association. David’s work in advancing the use of technology in science instruction, including presentations on the use of graphing calculators and simulations, positioned Tabor as a leader in STEM education.

            Beyond Tabor, David’s intellectual pursuits and personal interests painted a portrait of a life well-lived. A graduate of the University of Vermont and Dartmouth College, he brought academic rigor and a love of learning to every endeavor. He was a man of diverse talents— quoted sharing insights from figures like Robert Frost, Albert Einstein, and Lewis Carroll—reflecting his philosophical and whimsical approach to life. His talks at the Marion Music Hall and his essays in Tabor publications showcase his ability to engage with the broader community.

            David also had an incredible passion for civic responsibility and served in numerous roles in Marion town government. He served as a Marion selectman for many years, led the program development for the Marion Natural History Museum, and continued to attend committee meetings via Zoom until his death. His fascination with Marion’s town history animated research with the Sippican Historical Society.

            David’s legacy is one of excellence, compassion, and dedication. He believed in the transformative power of education and devoted his life to helping students discover their strengths and passions. Retiring in 2020 after 47 years of service to Tabor, yet remaining deeply connected to the School by the Sea, his contributions to Tabor Academy are immeasurable. He wrote a book documenting Tabor’s modern history and was a member of the sesquicentennial planning committee up until his passing.

            David Kendall Pierce’s life serves as a testament to the profound impact one individual can have on an institution and its people; his memory will remain a guiding light for the community he served. Locally based donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made to Tabor Academy, Marion Natural History Museum, and the Sippican Historical Society.  Donations can also be made to the Last Mile Ride, a hospice organization at the giffordhealthcare.org, and Randolph Area Food Shelf at www.randolphareafoodshelf.org/.

            David’s life will be celebrated at Tabor Academy in Wickenden Chapel on March 29, 2025. The service will begin at 1:00 pm. A reception will follow.

Nicholas David Nobrega

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Nicholas David Nobrega, 37, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, January 24, 2025 after a long battle with chronic illness. Nick was a beloved son, friend, brother, and teammate to many.

            Born in New Bedford, MA, Nick grew up in Mattapoisett and attended New Bedford High School. He was a multi-sport athlete and excelled as a member of the varsity soccer and tennis teams.

            Nick graduated with a bachelor’s degree from UMass Dartmouth. Ever the entrepreneurial spirit, Nick held sales positions at various start-ups in the Boston area and earned his real estate license before starting his own business venture in 2018.

            Nick is remembered by many for his kindness, compassion, and strong sense of humor and wit. He was a loyal friend and confidant who prioritized his family and friends and a beloved uncle to his niece and nephew. He was a fan of all things Boston sports and enjoyed spending time in the mountains of western Massachusetts.

            He is preceded in death by his grandparents John and Muriel Lee of Attleboro, MA and Jack and Barbara Nobrega of New Bedford, MA. He is survived by his parents Shannon and David of Marion, MA, his brother Christopher of Cheshire MA, his brother and sister-in-law Patrick and Molly of New Bedford, MA and their two children, Rosalie and Emory, and many cherished aunts, uncles, and cousins.

            His visitation will be held on Thursday January 30th from 3-6 pm at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. His funeral service and burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Autoimmune Association in honor of his memory. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Rose (Pina) Moniz

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Rose (Pina) Moniz, 96, of Rochester passed away on January 24, 2025, at Tobey Hospital, Wareham. She was the wife of the late Edmund Moniz, Jr. and the daughter of the late Manuel Pina and Rose (Silvia) Pina.

            Mrs. Moniz was born in Taunton and spent the first few years of her life there until her mother’s untimely passing. She was then raised by her brother Joseph Pina and his wife Margaret in New Bedford.

            Mrs. Moniz started working at an early age as a stitcher. This experience taught her the fundamentals of the clothing industry. She was a hard worker and enjoyed bowling when not working. This was where she met her husband Edmund and they married on July 5, 1969, and moved to Acushnet where they raised their daughter.

            When not working or bowling, Mrs. Moniz was a “homebody” but loved bingo at St. Mary’s. She loved reading, word searches, shopping, and helping with her grandkids. She continued driving well into her late 80s and early 90s. Mrs. Moniz was loving, kind, witty, and funny.

            Mrs. Moniz is survived by her daughter Patricia A. Moniz-Maxim and her husband Calvin Maxim, Jr. of Rochester; grandchildren Jason Botelho of New Bedford and Kyle Maxim and wife Rebecca of Florida; and nieces Rosalie Esty of Groveland and Renee Carr of Acushnet.

            Services are being held privately.

            Arrangements are by Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham. For online guestbook, visit: www.chapmanfuneral.com.

Doris Ann Moore Gray

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Doris Ann Moore Gray, age 93, of Trumbull,CT passed away January 25, 2025 surrounded by family. She was born on October 23, 1931 in New Rochelle, NY to the late Harvey and Olga Moore. She graduated from Pelham Memorial High School in 1949. She worked at Blair Company, married John T. Gray at Huguenot Memorial Church in Pelham Manor, NY on December 4, 1954. She was a secretary in the guidance office at PMHS from 1974-1987.

            Doris was a former Deacon, Elder and Sunday school teacher at Hugeunot Memorial Church. She was also a member of Mattapoisett Congregational Church in Mattapoisett, MA.

            Doris enjoyed going to church, daily devotions, cooking, gardening, golfing, playing Bridge and spending time with her family. Her pride and joy were her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

            In addition to her parents she was predeceased by her daughter Susan Leslie Gray Cmejla, her grandson Craig S. Lancaster and her sister Lillian Graham.

            Survivors include her beloved husband John T. Gray; her devoted children William Alexander Gray (Lynnette Cubeta Gray), Linda Gray Connolly (Jay Connolly), Karen H. Gray (Tracy Djerf), loving grandchildren, William, John and Lauren Gray, Kelsey Connolly Crawford (Ben Crawford), Ian William Connolly, Keith Lancaster ,Jenny Cmejla Herbst (Gregg Herbst) and Jeff Cmejla, her cherished great grandchildren Charlotte and Jack Crawford, and Caylin and Ashlyn Herbst and her granddogs Lincoln and Silas.

            There will be a celebration of life for her on Saturday, February 1st at 11:00 am at Mattapoisett Congregational Church, 27 Church Street Mattapoisett, MA 02739.

            Interment in the Spring at Huguenot Memorial Church, 901 Pelhamdale Ave. Pelham Manor, NY.

            Memorial contributions may be made to ASPCA (secure.aspca.org) or Moby Kit Rescue (Mobykitrescue.org)

            Arrangements in care of the Cyril F. Mullins Funeral Home, 399 White Plains Rd. Trumbull, CT. For more information or to leave an online condolence please visit www.mullinsfh.com.

Not An ADU

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Coming before the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals on January 16 was architect Charles Rose representing clients Paul and Bettina Henderson, 2 Shipyard Lane. Requesting a Variance to retrofit a garage into additional living space to accommodate a growing family, Rose said the changes would not include a kitchen.

            Rose said that two bays of the three bay garage are not utilized presently and that the conversion would give the family two more bedrooms. The main home building, which is not part of the plan, would maintain its historic façade, the board was told. Rose said the Variance was required primarily because the garage sits on the lot line.

            Member Aaron Goldberg objected to the plan as presented saying it could potentially set the town up for shed conversions. He said that given the number of sheds on lot lines, approving this plan could set the town up for many more structures on small lots, “We’d be setting a precedent.” He warned that with ADUs coming more and more smaller lots could find stand-alone structures being requested on undersized lots. But Chairman Susan Akin said to date no applications for ADUs had been filed. Goldberg held fast to his stated concerns.

            Akin, along with members Colby Rottler and Tony Tranfaglia disagreed with Goldberg stating that cases are taken on their individual merits not precedents.

            Further discussion found the board approving the Variance with the stipulation that no kitchen facilities would be included. The vote was three for granting the variance and one opposed.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals was not scheduled at adjournment.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Marilou Newell

Respiratory Illness Season is upon Us

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COVID-19, Flu, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are respiratory viruses that can cause severe disease resulting in hospitalization and sometimes death. Everyone 6 months and older should get a seasonal flu vaccine and an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against infection, serious illness, and hospitalization. To reduce the risk of becoming sick with a respiratory virus and keep our community healthy, it is important to take precautions, especially if you or someone in your household is at higher risk for severe disease.

            Protect yourself and others by taking these steps to help stop the spread of illnesses like COVID-19, Flu, and RSV:

            -Get Vaccinated

            -Wash Your Hands

            -Cover Your Coughs and Sneezes

            -Mask up if you need to

            -Get Tested

            -Get Treatment

            -Stay at Home

            The Board of Health Office has free COVID-19 tests available for pick up during regular business hours.

            If you have not received your Flu or COVID-19 vaccine yet, please call the Board of Health at 508-748-3530 to schedule an appointment. We have both vaccines available.

Capital Planning Looks at Highway Needs

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The discussion was wide-ranging from drainage systems to the highway department headquarters, from culverts to snowplowing and grass cutting when the Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee met with Highway Surveyor Garrett Bauer on January 21.

            Bauer brought the committee up to speed on repairs and renovations that have been taking place at the department’s headquarters on 5 Mendell Road. He said that exhaust fans, a new sprinkler system, and floor drains, had been completed on a project that is estimated to cost $3,200,000 when complete.

            Next up the committee heard of vehicle needs over the next few years with it clearly noted that new vehicles are taking more than a year to be delivered with long supply chain wait times. It was also clear that Bauer looks to get as much use as possible out of the existing fleet including adding an aluminum liner to one truck to make it more serviceable.

            The importance of repairing and updating north to south running village street drainage systems was touched on. Town Administrator Mike Lorenco said it was imperative to complete some culvert repairs and replacements prior to the beginning of the village street reconstruction project. He said that the Pearl Street drainage project which is currently out for bids will eventually connect to underground storm water systems and that the federally mandated treatment systems of storm water before being discharged into the harbor had to be completed.

            There are four culverts on the plan as well. They are Molly’s Cove, Water Street, Acushnet Road (the Manny Nunes culvert), and Pine Island. Some grant monies are being sought specifically for Molly’s Cove through the Coastal Zone Management process offered by the state Lorenco noted.

            Currently, town departments are fine tuning their FY26 Capital Plans for the spring Town Meeting. The Highway Departments spreadsheet lists the following for FY26; $300,000 annual roadway improvements, $1,300,000 Oakland Street drainage project, $3,200,000 building renovations, $75,000 John Deere Gator (roadside mowing), and an aluminum flatbed for 2015 F-250 sander for a total of $4,895,000.

            Chairman Mike Dahill said that although the committee was not responsible for school capital plans, it was incumbent that the committee include those capital plans so that the public can have the full picture. He asked the committee to avail themselves of a report by the school district that outlined the needs at Old Rochester Junior and Senior High School, an estimated $53,000,000.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee to be announced.

Mattapoisett Capital Planning

By Marilou Newell

It is OK to “Talk Dirty” to Your Doctor

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As toddlers, nothing is off-limits. We are fascinated by the whole world, including our bodies and the things that come out from them.

            As we get older, we are socialized to regard many topics as not to be discussed, and this often colors the way we present ourselves to doctors and nurses, sometimes to our detriment.

            It is said that 70% of the information a doctor needs to make a diagnosis comes from the history. This assumes the history given is accurate.

            One good example is our bowels. While I agree that discussing one’s bowel habits at a dinner party would not be appropriate, the same does not hold true in the doctor’s office. If there has been a change in your frequency or the appearance of your movements, this may indicate disease and so should not be kept secret.

            Ditto urination. Increased frequency of urination, loss of bladder control or change in urine color may all need to be addressed, but this will only happen if you tell your doctor about these things.

            Your sexual habits may put you at higher risk for certain illnesses and may suggest certain tests be done, but these will only be ordered if the doctor is aware of the need.

            Do you drink more than you let on? Do you use injectable drugs? These habits clearly increase your risk of liver disease and other conditions, and it is important that your doctor know about these behaviors.

            Just as a Catholic going to confession feels safe in admitting their behaviors to the priest, a patient seeing their doctor should feel safe in discussing topics they would never bring up in any other situation.

            Unless your doctor has limited their practice to convents, you will not be telling them anything they have not heard before, so there is no reason to be embarrassed. Knowing these behaviors and habits will get you more effective care than will keeping them secret.

            While there is doctor-patient confidentiality, in an era of electronic medical records you may justifiably worry about privacy. If this is a concern, you can ask the doctor specifically not to put what you are telling them in their note. Since, in the U.S., you are entitled to see your medical visit notes, you can verify they have followed your request.

            A well-informed doctor will give you better care. Nothing you say will shock them, so be open!

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

What Does The Doctor Say?

By Dr. Edward Hoffer

Hello from Plumb Library

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Do you have a kiddo who loves to read and wants to share their favorite books with other bookworms? We invite you to join BookBuds, our book clubs for kids! The BookBuds meet monthly to discuss their favorite reads, tell jokes, and share the “good news of the day”! There are three age levels (ages 6-8, 9-12, and 12+) that meet at the Library. The upcoming dates are Saturday February 1 at 10:30 am for ages 6-8 years, Thursday February 6 at 4:30 pm.for ages 9-12 years, and Thursday February 6 at 6:00 pm for ages 12 years and up. Come with a book you’re currently reading and would like to share with the group. Registration is required via the Library’s website, under the BookBuds tab. Refreshments are served. Feel free to call the Library at 508-763-8600 or email Ms. Lisa (lfuller@sailsinc.org) with any questions.

            Plumb Library also has two book clubs for adults that run monthly and are open to anyone aged 18+. The COA Book Group meets the third Tuesday of the month at 1 pm at the Rochester Council on Aging. The February book is “Weyward” by Emilia Hart on February 18. Books and Babble Bookclub meets the last Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm at the Library. The January book is “Chocolat” by Joanne Harris on January 30 and “The Red Tent” by Anita Diamant on February 27. Books are available for pick-up at the Library and may also be available via the Libby or Hoopla apps. The complete lists of titles for 2025 are also available at the desk.

            For those who can’t make it to a book club meeting, but are still looking for a reading activity, check out the Massachusetts Center for the Book Reading Challenge. Each month brings a new theme to keep you reading outside the box! The January theme is “a book published in or about the year you were born.” Stop by for more info or check out their website www.massbook.org/readingchallenge. If you’d like to log your reading with the MA Center for the Book, you will need to create an account. All readers are eligible to win raffle prizes during the Challenge.

            Library hours are: Monday/Thursday 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm; Tuesday/Wednesday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm; Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We are closed on Sundays and holidays. The library can be contacted by phone at 508-763-8600 or email at info@plumblibrary.com. We are unable to respond to email, voicemail, or Messenger outside of normal operating hours.

Academic Achievements

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Bree Killion of Rochester, Brady Lee of Mattapoisett, Drew Mastovsky of Marion, Gracie McCarthy of Marion, George Psichopaidas of Mattapoisett, and Zachary Zutaut of Rochester have been named to the Fall 2024 Dean’s List at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. Full-time students who complete 12 or more credits per semester and earn a GPA of 3.4 or higher are placed on the Dean’s List that semester.

            Dean College is pleased to announce that Emily Kilpatrick of Marion has earned a place on the Dean’s List for the Fall 2024 semester. Students named to the Dean’s List have demonstrated a serious commitment to their studies while at Dean College.

            Annabell Nestler of Kottmar (Walddorf) excelled during the fall 2024 semester at Hofstra, achieving a GPA of at least 3.5 to earn a spot on the Dean’s List. Annabell’s major is Pre-Health.

            Stonehill College proudly recognizes Maxwell Brulport of Rochester, Samuel Parks of Marion, Matthew Curry of Mattapoisett, Amelia Joseph of Mattapoisett, Hannah Squires of Mattapoisett, Andrew Poulin of Rochester, Martha Savage of Mattapoisett, Ella Caesar of Marion, and Allison Winters of Rochester, who were named to the Fall 2024 Dean’s List. To qualify for this recognition, students must achieve a semester grade point average of 3.50 or better. They must also have successfully completed all courses for which they were registered during the term.

            Plymouth State University recognizes Summer Williams, a Psychology major of Rochester and Olivia Lapierre, a Criminology major of Rochester who made the Dean’s List for the Fall 2024 semester.