Since last fall, the Mattapoisett Museum, Old Rochester Regional High School, and Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School have collaborated to create a coloring book titled: “Mattapoisett, Then and Now: A Coloring Book.” The final product will be unveiled at the museum on May 14.

            The creation of the coloring book was the culmination of the work of many. To start off, history students at ORRHS in Colin Everett’s tutelage researched 18 Mattapoisett landmarks. They then passed their findings along to art teacher Kate Butler’s students, who created pictures of said landmarks. Finally, it was all passed along to Marie Foscaldo’s students at Old Colony, where the cover was produced and the books themselves were printed.

            ORRHS Social Studies Teacher Colin Everett began with, “I would highlight that Ms. (Karen) Browning was the central figure in pulling in the disparate parties and focusing the project.” On his role as an educator, he said, “I teach the ’Local History’ history class, and the major challenge is that our sources are scattered through different archives, databases, and books. Finding reputable sources for all of the locations and then deciding what story to tell about a site was challenging for the students.” For highlights, he added, “The major highlight in Local History was defining the aspects of historical significance, such as profundity, importance, and relevance, and then exploring what sites in Mattapoisett met the standard as a ‘significant’ place.” Everett also emphasized the importance of students researching and writing on their own backyards.

            Browning, a Mathematics teacher at ORRHS, explained a few things on the challenges coming with the large-scale collaboration: “We were looking for a map online that we could include in the coloring book. Many maps had too much information or not enough, and I tried to use a google map screenshot and edit that, but it was getting difficult! I shared this challenge with Marie (Foscaldo), the teacher at Old Colony, and one of her students took it and ran with the task! He sketched a map on his own, using the classroom’s software. Then he made a ‘key’ with the symbols representing each landmark and placed them on the map. Then he shared it with us, and we readjusted some of the locations in comparison to others… so, this was truly a collaborative effort, and the final product was exciting to see. Now, we all have an appreciation for the details of map making, and we learned a lot through this collaboration.”

            Browning also spoke on her viewpoint and a mathematics background, saying, “As math teacher, I really enjoyed hearing how students completed their research for their historical summaries, for the coloring book images, and for the layout, printing and binding of the final product. Teachers put a lot of thought and time into preparing the lessons for students, as this had never been done before – choosing and providing the resources, asking open-ended as well as pointed questions, outlining a process where all students could be successful, and reviewing student work and giving feedback. This process had many more steps than people might realize; the final product is ‘better’ due to this collaboration.”

            She also said, “It was an honor to work with all parties involved – the Mattapoisett Museum, the three teachers from different fields, and to see the student work appear on our Google documents! It was a challenge for people in three different locations, all with different schedules, to meet. We valued this project and communicated well; we leave with an appreciation for the roles we all play in educating young people.” She added, “We looked at a coloring book from a museum in Connecticut, but we really had no idea what our final product would look like; it truly was a collaborative process with lots of changes along the way, to get to the finished product!”

            Kate Butler, Art teacher at ORRHS, said “It was a pleasure to be a part of this collaboration!” As one of two art teachers at ORR, she said students in her Visual Design class created the images in the coloring book. She said, “The class includes a wide range of skill levels, and all students were able to meaningfully contribute to the project. Katherine and Connor embraced the student work.” On the difficulty of creating images of real objects or landmarks, she said, “One of the main challenges was having students create realistic images without simply copying a single photograph. To address this, students researched multiple reference images and developed their final compositions by synthesizing information from at least three different sources. This encouraged both observation and original interpretation.”

            Toward the end of the process, she mentioned, “A highlight of the creative process was seeing all of the individual pieces come together in the final coloring book. Students took pride in knowing their work contributed to a larger, collaborative project connected to their community.” For a coloring book, art is obviously paramount, with Butler saying, “As educators, we aim to make art both personal and meaningful. This project accomplished that by connecting students’ work to the local community they are part of. It also serves as a strong example of how art can exist beyond the classroom and have a real-world purpose.”

            Connor Gaudet, curator and administrator at the Mattapoisett Museum, spoke on some of the work the museum did in the collaboration effort, as well as helping cultivate historic interest. He said, “The museum tried to let the students and their teachers take the lead and just act as a resource for them. They (Dr. Colin Everett’s Local History Class students) picked the landmarks they wanted to include. They wrote the historical profiles about each place. We edited the text for clarity and factuality but otherwise left the language as it was written in order to honor the students’ voices. We wanted the students to take ownership of the project and have this really represent these students at this moment in time.”

            On the importance of the book itself, he said, “Even though this is ‘just’ a coloring book, it’s also a publication of the Mattapoisett Museum, and as such I treated the students as I would anyone submitting an article or other scholarly work for publication, asking them to keep things on a factual basis and to cite sources (in pre-publication draft edits – there are no footnotes in this coloring book!) to back up their statements. I hope it was a valuable learning experience for the students, exposing them to the town’s history but also a bit of the academic and technical aspects of creating a published work. I’d love for this to pave the way for other collaborations in the future – whether in the form of another book or a student-curated exhibit – or something completely different.

            “We are excited to have the book launch just in time for summer. We’re doing a limited first print run of about 100 to see how sales go in order to judge how many we should get for the next order. We are hoping we’ll sell enough to know how many we should order before Old Colony (and their print shop) closes for the summer. In addition to those 100, an anonymous donor made it possible to print an additional 80 so that every participant could have one free of charge without any loss of inventory or sales proceeds for the museum.”

            Gaudet commended the work of the others in the effort, saying, “One challenge for me was letting myself take a step back and let the Education Committee – and particularly the chair of the committee, Katherine Roberts-Gaudet (who, full disclosure, is my mother!) be the driving force for the museum on the project. Adding a project of this size and scope to my workload would not have been possible without her and the committee coordinating with the teachers and administrators, setting up meetings, following up on the text and artwork, right through the final editorial processes. Karen Browning at ORR, was the counterpart to her, constantly keeping things moving forward on the school’s end as well. It would not have happened without either of them. Marie Foscaldo at Old Colony was also a huge help.”

            Each facet of the process worked well and hard through the challenges that presented themselves naturally across so many different organizations and fields. The unlikely team all praised the hard work of each other, and also, through their hard work and collaboration, laid the foundation for student engagement and fostering interest in their town and its history. Katherine Gaudet told us “Mattapoisett, Then and Now: A Coloring Book” will launch at the Mattapoisett Museum on Friday, May 14 at 6:00 pm.

            Not only is Bree LeFavor a local author, but she is also a 15-year-old sophomore at Old Rochester
Regional High School. LeFavor recently released Splash Safe With Sandy The Starfish: A
Swim Safety Story, an independently published story written to teach readers valuable lessons to stay safe in the water.

            The story follows Sandy the Starfish and her friend Benny on a sunny day at Silvershell Beach, as they navigate a day at the beach and explain water-safety skills they’ve learned in their time at sea.

            But the lessons aren’t just learned from a starfish, Bree learned them herself through her own time at the beach in the past. We talked to Bree’s mother, Julie LeFavor, who told The Wanderer she made the beach in her story Silvershell due to her time going there as a kid.

            She also told us some of the reasons Bree wants to highlight the importance of beach safety. “She almost drowned when she was little,” Julie said. “She has very, very vague memories of looking up from the water.” Julie described the family’s trip to the Caribbean, where Bree began to go under, and Julie had to ask the lifeguards for help as “the adults had too many children and didn’t see her go under.” She remembers the whistles blowing and herself screaming for help. She ran out and said she was lucky to find Bree as her hat floated away.

            She then said roughly two years ago, Bree and her father were out on their boat around Thanksgiving when her father went overboard. Though they were wearing their life jackets, his leg was pinned and he was under the boat. The Harbormaster had to help in the rescue, as Bree and her dad almost had hypothermia.

            Thus explains the importance Bree LeFavor places on ocean, pool, and beach safety. Along with being on the ORRHS swim team and recently being Miss Somerset’s Teen, Bree often visits local preschools to read swim safety books and draw in coloring books with students. She often volunteers her time to help teach about its importance and was inspired to write her own book. Bree wrote and illustrated the story over the last few months. She published the book, which is now available on Amazon.

By Sam Bishop

Select Board Candidate Spotlights

Carleton “Toby” Burr – Select Board

            My name is Toby Burr, and I seek election to the Marion Select Board.

            I have lived in town for 44 years with my wife Barbie. We raised two children on Ichabod Lane, and they each now own homes in Marion, so I get to see my grandchildren play in places I played as a child. I feel very lucky.

            My family has been in Marion for four generations because it is a great place to work and raise a family. For 40 years, I worked at Burr Brothers Boats, a family-owned business. Now I am retired, and my son Tucker is at the helm.

            Public service has always been an important part of my life. I was on the Marine Resources Commission for over 30 years. In 2022, I was elected to the Select Board. Serving on the Select Board is a big commitment, and when I first joined four years ago, there was a lot to learn. When it came time for re-election, I felt very comfortable stepping aside and letting somebody new with a fresh perspective have a turn. I think that that person has done a very good job.

            Now, after a sabbatical, I’m ready to return with valuable experience. If elected, I’ll bring the advantage of already knowing the job, which allows me to hit the ground running and serve more effectively. I also have a clear vision for our town: I want to see more state aid and less state control, along with greater public input and participation in local decisions.

            We have affordability issues. Our sewer is the most expensive in the state. Housing costs have risen to absurd levels, and young people starting out as well as seniors downsizing are priced out. Our town government cannot just pass costs onto taxpayers who are having their own troubles keeping up.

            I want to work with the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and our state representative, and our state senator and other towns in the state, to stop the state from giving us more mandates, and get the state to help us pay for the burden they’ve already put on us.

            I want to broaden the tax base by encouraging small businesses. We have empty buildings at Tedeschi’s, Marion Sport Shop, Lockheed Martin and The General Store. I want to see them filled up. I want to make it easy for businesses to move in and help us with the tax burden. Businesses provide goods and services, create jobs, and help foster our town character.

            I hope to work on building a consensus on harbor management, Marine Resources and Island Wharf parking. Island Wharf is the public access to Sippican Harbor. We need to have consensus for what we want from the Harbor Department. Once we have that consensus, everything else will fall into place.

            Please vote for me, please, on Friday, May 15, and I will do my best to help Marion be an affordable place to live and work.

Norman Hills – Select Board

            It’s Marion election time again. The only contested position this year is for the Select Board. I am running again, bringing nine years of direct experience as a Board member. That nine years is backed up by 22 years of experience as a member of six other Marion boards or committees and Marion’s representative on two regional committees. This is backed by 43 years of management and leadership positions in government and private industry.

            Residents should be proud of the recent above-ground infrastructure improvements highlighted by the new Harbormaster and DPW buildings and the renovations at the Town House. The multi-year Pavement Management Plan for road and sidewalk improvements is underway.

            The aging, underground, wastewater collection piping infrastructure is a different story. Some Inflow and Infiltration problems have been addressed by lining some of the pipes. More may be lined, but some must be replaced. We are planning for our most immediate challenge, the EPA-mandated Phosphorus upgrade to the Wastewater plant, which will start next year. Concurrently, we are negotiating with MassDEP/EPA to increase our discharge rate so that we can implement Comprehensive Waste Management Plan improvements. These improvements combined with new housing production will increase the number of users, spreading the costs. I will note that there are two bills at the State Legislature that, if approved, would establish a Southeast Wastewater Financing Commission to help us fund these improvements. Regionalization of our wastewater system with Wareham was proposed in the past but has proven to be much more expensive than Marion initiating Comprehensive Waste Management Plan improvements on its own. The state recognized this, which is why we have to make the Phosphorus upgrade.

            Water supply is not a problem even with some wells offline. What may become a problem could be the state restricting our withdrawal rate due to drought conditions.

            Residents are encouraged to attend board/committee meetings addressing subjects that are of interest to them. The state Open Meeting Law requirements are specifically focused on ensuring transparency and accountability in town-government activities. Town employees and boards/committees are there to help and are always open to comments and suggestions.

            My town knowledge is extensive and detailed. My experience is unmatched in this election.

George “T.J.” Walker – Select Board

            I’ve lived in Marion with my wife Kelly and family for 40 years. I’ve participated on the Planning Board and Board of Assessors, (19 years of elected service), so I am very familiar with how town government works. I also have a law degree, so I understand and respect the rule of law. I have managed businesses in the hospitality and maritime fields for many years, so I am very experienced in prioritizing issues, searching for cost efficiencies, solving problems collaboratively with stakeholders and getting things done.

            What makes me different from the other two worthy candidates running for Select Board? Both of them have been elected Select Board members in the past. They have both had the chance to demonstrate to you, their problem solving and leadership skills, their transparency and accountability, their fiscal discipline, and their willingness to insist that your decisions are prioritized and respected.

            The results from their past service illustrate that they have been content to put band-aids on town problems, bury them, or postpone them when problems arise. That’s why we currently are facing crumbling roads and sidewalks; water and sewer rates among the highest in the state, a total lack of affordable housing, especially for seniors; an accounting practice of underestimating town revenue, to increase taxes, ensuring “free cash” at fiscal year end.

            Here’s why I’m different from the other two candidates:

            I want to seek answers from the Town Administrator and Select Board about these issues. That’s not being aggressive or meddlesome or exhibiting personality clashes – voters have a right to know – it’s about putting good government principles above personalities. I passionately believe in transparent government, community engagement, fiscal discipline, and economic growth. I believe the voters deserve to know how I feel on the issues and how I intend to work collaboratively to address our needs.

            Affordable Housing: I will suggest the possibility of relocating the Fire Station on Spring Street, to Route 6. Its current location is in a dangerous spot between two schools. Possibly using that site could encourage building an affordable senior housing alternative on Spring Street.

            Water/Sewer Rates:I will serve as a voice to explore regionalization with neighboring communities to reduce costs, address infrastructure inefficiencies, and provide meaningful relief to our residents.

            Island Wharf Issue: I want to ensure public access is respected, but does not use treasured parkland for paved parking, does not move the bandstand, and does not interfere with the existing swale which filters water entering the harbor. I’d encourage a collaborative attempt to work with neighbors on a win-win solution.

             Maintenance/Repair of Town Infrastructure:I will press to have a cost-effective fiscal PLAN that does NOT postpone known problems, but deals with them, even incrementally, at the time the problems arise or are identified.

            Fiscal Discipline/Accountability:I will insist on transparent budgeting. I will recommend the establishment of an audit committee with community input, to provide time-sensitive oversight of financial reporting and internal controls, review the annual town audit, etc. Some South Coast communities already have such committees.

            Together, we can build a stronger community and make a difference! If you want your Select Board and Town Administrator to inform you thoroughly, to seek your input, to welcome your participation, to find creative and collaborative solutions, to implement your decisions and to be accountable to you, I promise to do just that and I respectfully ask you to vote for me.

Marion Town Election

ORR School Committee Candidate Spotlights

Katharine McAuley – ORR School Committee

            Despite wearing many hats throughout my life, the one I can unequivocally say I am most proud of is that of a parent. With children in the ORR school system, the primary reason I am running for School Committee is that I have an informed and vested interest in what happens now and in the future.

            Graduating with a Bachelor’s in Mathematics from Stonehill College, I continued my education, earning a Master’s in Public Administration and a Master’s in Teaching from Northeastern University. I recently completed a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Liberty University. This is complemented by graduate specialist certificates, multiple educator licenses, and an innate desire to be a student of my profession. My own education, coupled with experience working in the field of education for the better part of two decades in various capacities, provides me with a strong understanding of the profession and the challenges facing today’s schools. Our district deserves steady, knowledgeable leadership from the school committee with a clear focus on what matters most – students.

            I am committed to ensuring our district gets the fundamentals right – high-quality instruction, strong academic and behavioral standards, and support for every student to succeed. This includes ensuring transparency, maintaining a strong fiduciary responsibility, and making thoughtful, responsible decisions to help move our schools forward together.

            Our current schools build our future communities. What kind of community do we want?

Margaret McSweeny – ORR School Committee

            Incumbent Margaret McSweeny is seeking a third term as the Marion representative on the ORR School Committee. First elected in 2020, she helped the district successfully navigate the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

            With over 18 years of experience in education and a master’s degree in the field, McSweeny brings a seasoned educator’s perspective to the committee. She is seeking re-election because she believes “there is still vital work to be done, and I have the experience and drive to see it through.”

            Beyond her duties on the ORR and Joint committees, McSweeny serves as the Policy Subcommittee Chair and the Vice Chairperson of the Tri-Town Education Foundation Fund. She is also an active member of the Equity Subcommittee. She notes that serving on the ORR School Committee requires significant “behind-the-scenes” work, demanding a commitment to long hours on the various subcommittees and a collaborative spirit with fellow members and administrators.

            “My goal remains constant,” she said. “To ensure every decision prioritizes student achievement and well-being, upholds our community values, and aligns with our long-term district goals.”

            Regarding the issues facing the Old Rochester Regional School District, McSweeny identifies the budget as a primary concern. “Like many public-school districts across Massachusetts, Old Rochester is at a financial turning point,” she explained. “While the FY2026 budget increases Chapter 70 aid by 6.7% to $7.36 billion, this increase does not fully offset sustained inflationary pressures or the 4.5% cap on Chapter 70 funding. With the rising costs of transportation, utilities, and health insurance, our district must bridge a widening gap. This reality necessitated this year’s budget increase, and continued collaboration with our towns and advocacy at the state level remain essential.”

            McSweeny acknowledges that, if she is re-elected, hard work lies ahead. However, she knows that the effort is worth it. “The quality of our schools directly determines the quality of our investment in future generations.”