The Old Rochester Regional High School Drama Club’s production of “Alice in Wonderland” is set to premiere on Thursday, November 17, at 7:00 pm, with additional performances November 18 and 19 at 7:00 pm and November 20at 2:00 pm at Old Rochester Regional High School.

            Due to an editing error, The Wanderer print edition of this article mistakenly reported that tickets for all shows are sold out.

            Tickets for all shows are for sale at the Marion General Store, Isabelle’s in Mattapoisett, Friends Marketplace in Rochester, at the door and online for a small service fee through Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/orrhs-alice-tickets. General Admission tickets are $12, and students and senior citizens are admitted for $10. Reserve tickets by calling 508-863-0696.

            “There are plenty of laughs and references to pop culture, which make this a play which is best for older children (Grade 5 and up) and their grownups,” reads the ORR press release on the performance. They also note that the ORR High School is currently a latex-free building and ask that no flower bouquets be brought inside the school due to issues with latex elastics.

            Cattarinha Nunes, in her junior year, stars as the eponymous Alice, having also appeared in “Spoon River Anthology,” “Macbeth,” and “You Can’t Take It with You,” and has participated in the behind-the-scenes aspect as assistant stage manager of “Godspell.”

            “I especially enjoy getting to act out the discovery of each new trial Wonderland has to offer and therefore act rather moody when things don’t go Alice’s way,” wrote Nunes in an email correspondence with The Wanderer. “My absolute favorite part of the play is the last scene, with the trial case. I absolutely love that every actor gets to be on stage at the same time, no matter how big or small their role is. It all comes together nicely, and I’m happy that everyone can be featured one final time.”

            Cast members also cited the scene with the Tweedles and the Queen of Heart’s mood swings as favorite moments, but when asked about their struggles, seemed to come up short.

            “I cannot think of a part of being in the drama club (that is) challenging,” mused sophomore Calden Eaton, playing the Cheshire Cat. “Making friends and connecting with the characters are the best and easiest part of the process.”

            “I want to add a little thank you to a special soul that I know is watching over all of us and smiling so big,” said Kathleen Dunn, who plays the Queen of Hearts. “Nolan Gibbons unexpectedly passed away in August of 2020. In my class, now seniors, he was the brightest light and most talented human I ever got to know.

            “Any show you can imagine, he starred in. Talent shows, band, singing groups, camps – you name it, he did it. He was a nationally recognized artist and yet continued to walk into ORR every morning and be a regular student. He genuinely, so genuinely, had the brightest smile I have ever seen. I miss you every day, Nolan, and I know you’re watching over us, singing Lava with your ukulele. Thank you for being an angel before you passed and thank you for all the signs. I do this for you!”

            Maxx Domingos, the Drama Club director and advisor for Old Rochester Regional High School, sang the praises of both the story of “Alice in Wonderland” and the talented students in the cast and crew.

            “Some cast members have been in theater productions throughout their entire high school years, while others are performing with us for the first time. Despite this, all members of the cast are dedicated to producing a fantastic show for the Tri-Town community.”

            Students man the backstage as well as the front, with hands-on participation in lighting, sound, props and set design.

            “The best part about directing a show is seeing the seats in the auditorium fill up on performance nights. The students truly love performing for the community, and the Tri-Town support for the drama club has been incredible,” Domingos said. “The best way to support our students is by coming to see the shows.”

            By last weekend, tickets for “Alice in Wonderland” were gone, but Domingos told The Wanderer that the company will be announcing its Spring Musical during Thursday’s Opening Night performance, so particularly eager theatergoers may want to snag tickets ASAP! ORR thanks everyone who has bought tickets to support the show, students and staff involved.

By Jack MC Staier

On November 11, 2022, at American Legion Florence Eastman Post 280, the Town of Mattapoisett once again invited residents to remember and celebrate military servicemen and women who have given their all, men and women who have sacrificed the comforts of family and home for a cause much greater than themselves – military service.

            The day’s program began as it always does with a prayer led by post Chaplain Langhoff, in which he beseeched the Lord to bring peace into the hearts of all and to protect all service personnel across the globe.

            Post Commander Rachel Perron, who said she had promised herself she would not tear up during the ceremony, indeed found herself moved to tears as the Showstoppers sang “Bless Our Troops,” written by Teresa Jennings. The hymn-like cadence of prayerful lyrics sung by the voices of youth was the perfect sentiment for the proceedings; likely there were others holding back tears.

            Tri-Town Veterans Agent Chris Gerrior welcomed the assembled and presented some facts on the growing needs of the aging veteran populations. He said that 7% of the total population are veterans, that in Mattapoisett, there are 351 veterans or 5% of the town’s population, of which two-thirds are over the age of 60, and that a third of all veterans in town are baby boomers and another third are made up of Generation-X and Millennials.

            Of the younger veterans, Gerrior noted that many served longer tours and multiple tours versus older generations who went to war and then returned home and that many more women have served in recent years versus in the past. “They need different support services.”

            Gerrior, a naval veteran who served for 24 years, has also been a member of the Rochester Conservation Commission for a number of years. He said he believes many veterans have continued to serve by volunteering at the local level and that younger veterans “should look and see where older veterans have stepped away and fill those openings.” Gerrior said community service is needed.

            Added to the thought that veterans can and do continue to serve their country through community-based service, Select Board member Tyler Macallister pointed out that Building Commissioner David Riquinha (Marines) and Building Inspector Stephane Brodo (Navy) are both veterans. He urged the public, “If you see a veteran, thank a veteran.”

            Representative William Straus said it was a day to remember those who came home and that we are obligated to take care of those veterans in need as we continue to pray for peace.

            Keynote speaker for the ceremony was Professor James Holmes of the Naval War College. He told the story mostly forgotten now of a Korean War battle that took the life of Ensign Jesse LeRoy Brown, the first African American aviator to complete the Navy’s flight-training program.

            Brown, along with Fall River’s Tom Hudner, flew into battle as teammates sworn to do their duty and sworn to never leave a fellow officer behind.

            During the Battle for Chosin Reservoir in North Korea in December 1950, Brown’s plane was shot down. He was still alive but trapped in the wreckage. Hudner went in to save his friend and fellow officer. It was not to be. Brown would perish and Hudner would go on, achieving the rank of captain and receiving the Medal of Honor for his effort to save Brown.

            As Holmes told the story of two men held together by honor and dedication to protect and defend, others in the room were perfectly still and held in that moment so long ago when two young aviators gave all that they had to give that day. “They were ordinary people doing unordinary things,” said Holmes.

            As the proceedings ended, the Mattapoisett Police and Mattapoisett Fire Department color guards stood at attention as the New Bedford High School ROTC color guard fell out and retreated the American flag until the next time.

Veterans Day 2022 in Mattapoisett

By Marilou Newell

Good Morning Marion.

          It is my distinct pleasure as a Veteran and Service Member to recognize and honor our Nation’s Veterans. Today, we reflect on what it means to serve. We reflect on the driving factors to serve and the sacrifices that come with military service.

          Regardless of whether you served in the Marine Corp (to which I wish a Happy Belated 247^th Birthday), or whether you served in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, or Space Force, the call to serve is the common denominator that fortifies the strength of our Armed Forces.

          Another commonality among Veterans is the Oath of Enlistment. The Oath of Enlistment is an oath that every service member must promise and adhere to for their entire military career. If entering as an officer, you would take the military Oath of Office.

          In recognition of our Veterans’ devotion to serve, I will now recite the Oath of Enlistment:

          “I … do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

          To add to the commonalities that exist among our Veterans, it is important to reflect on who our Veterans were before committing to serve. They were recruits.

          The accepted ages of recruits into the Armed Forces range from 17 to 39 with the Air and Space Forces accepting the oldest recruits. For those of you old enough – and there are quite a few of you in the crowd – take a moment to reflect on who you were at 17, the age of our Country’s youngest recruits. What were your goals? Life experience? Influences? Had you already graduated high school? Were you submitting college applications? How were you spending your free time?

          Now think about your 20s and 30s. What are some of your most memorable moments? Did you earn your college degree or second degree? Did you earn a certificate or license from a technical school? Did you start your family? Were you able to negotiate your salary and start your career? Did you buy your first home? Did you get your first pet that was not the family pet? Did you welcome your first child? Did attend your 10th and or 20th year high school reunions? Did you lose loved ones or friends?

          Most folks can relate to these life experiences and goals, as they are not overly unique. Now think about coupling these life events with military service.

          So what does it mean to serve in the Armed Forces? The following is a brush stroke’s glimpse of what serve looks like.

          Service is sacrificing time with your loved ones, spending your weekends in support of base exercises and missions. Forgoing holiday rituals and dinners in order to deploy overseas. Missing birthdays and sometimes memorial services and funerals. Not having an opportunity to say goodbye or honor our loved ones. It means missing your child’s firsts … first words, laugh, crawling, or walking. For some, it means uprooting your family just when you started to lay down roots.

          Service also means exploring a new part of the world. Integrating into a new culture by eating foreign foods, listening to music, and observing culture and societal norms outside of your own. Having the chance to travel to other bases in order to receive additional training to further your professional development.

          Service is opportunity. Providing many the ability to earn a living, while learning a new skill that will benefit our country. Allowing folks to earn educational benefits for themselves or to transfer to their family.

          Service is belonging to a community of other servicemembers who often become an extended family member.

          As for me, service meant independence. I enlisted at the age of 18. I knew that I wanted an opportunity to go to college without incurring debt, and I wanted to live in my own space as I was living with my grandfather. And living with my grandfather, rest his soul, meant that I had a curfew and rules. I also wanted to travel the world, especially Spain. I took three years of Spanish in high school and daydreamed about eating paella in Spain. Regardless of the military benefits, I understood that I would need to adhere to a lifestyle that demanded selflessness and there was no way I could avoid adhering to rules … just my Grandpa’s.

          All this to say that today and all of the past Veterans Days I reflect on my reasons for reciting the Oath of Enlistment. I reflect on my commitment to serve and how those reasons evolved and change over the course of my first enlistment up to my current enlistment.

          So, whenever you go to thank a Veteran for their service, it is my hope that you feel a sense of connection to what it meant for that Vet to serve. It is also my hope that families can continue learning more about their loved one’s service, and that the familial bonds of service amongst brothers and sisters in arms continues to build lasting relationships.

          Thank you again for being here this morning to honor our Nation’s Vets. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Veterans present in the audience. Thank you for your service, as it my honor to serve.

Town of Marion Veterans Day 2022

By Mandy Givens

Editor’s note: The following is the keynote address shared by Marion resident and Technical Sergeant of the Massachusetts National Guard Mandy Givens during the town’s Veterans Day ceremony on November 11th at Old Landing.