Tinkhamtown Chapel Christmas Sing-along

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The annual Tinkhamtown Chapel Christmas Sing-along will take place on Saturday, December 21 at 5:00 pm at the Chapel on the corner of Acushnet Road and Tinkham Lane. Join your friends and neighbors as we sing the old favorites under the light of kerosene lamps and accompanied by an antique pump organ. Refreshments will be served in the Sewing Circle Building next door. If anyone would like to perform a solo instrumental or vocal selection, or if you have any questions, please contact Gail Roberts at 508-758-9559 or by emailing peggsmom@gmail.com.

Pneumonia Cases on the Rise

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The rise of pneumonia among youth in the school district and the issues of homeowners in waterfront districts were the main topics discussed at last week’s Board of Health meeting.

            The meeting was less than 30 minutes but Patrick Tropeano, representing an application’s engineering work at 38 Rocky Knook Lane, detailed issues the owners are having with their beach home.

            Tropeano, a Board of Health member in Wareham, said such waterfront properties face many issues of this sort.

            “This is a plethora of bad news for the owners of the property. They have a water table and wetlands that surround the property,” Tropeano said during a hearing for the owners’ plans for a septic system.

            Tropeano also said the property has some poorly designed piping in the basement that also needs to be rectified.

            “You can’t get any worse than what we have with this one,” Tropeano said.

            The health board approved redrawn plans once the applicant receives clearance from the Conservation Commission.

            Tropeano and the board talked at length about issues with flood zones in this area and how it is difficult for people to build and receive flood insurance in this area. Tropeano, citing his work on the health board in Wareham, discussed how the issue is growing among many South Coast communities.

            Marion health officials acknowledged the issue and how it impacts those who own waterfront property.

            The health board also discussed how COVID-19 and flu numbers have leveled out but that there has been an outbreak of pneumonia this year among school children.

            The board still conducts vaccination clinics, however.

            Health Director Lori Demarais said there are two doses of Covid and flu vaccines available through the health office.

            The board approved a septic system on 99 Allen’s Point Road under the condition that plans are redrawn so that the water line for the home is further from the septic leaching field.

            The board approved plans for Ansel’s Cafe’s proposed connection to Wareham water, which is nearby and more accessible for any firefighting needs. The board received a letter from the state Department of Environmental Protection about the plan.

            Board members also reported that they are in discussions with a Westport representative on how best to use $5,000 in state grant funding through the Southcoast Public Health collaborative.

            The board will meet next at 4:30 pm December 5 at the Marion Meeting house, 2 Spring Street.

Marion Board of Health

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Sippican Historical Society

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The Sippican Historical Society is thrilled to welcome back Dr. Caroline Bruzelius for an extraordinary evening exploring the restoration and reopening of the Cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris. Join us at 6:30 pm on December 12, at Marion Music Hall, 164 Front Street in Marion.

         Dr. Bruzelius, a leading voice in architectural history and digital visualization, will share fascinating stories from Notre Dame’s restoration after the devastating fire on April 15, 2019. The cathedral has not only been fully restored but is cleaner and more magnificent than it has been in centuries. The restoration process allowed architects, historians, and scientists to examine the structure in unprecedented detail, uncovering new insights into the craftsmanship and design of one of the most iconic Gothic cathedrals.

         Dr. Bruzelius has an extensive history with Notre Dame, dating back to the 1980s during a prolonged cleaning of the cathedral’s interior. Her deep expertise, combined with her leadership in digital art and architectural history, offers a rare opportunity for the audience to learn about this monumental restoration from an expert who has dedicated decades to the study of Gothic architecture.

         “Dr. Bruzelius gave us wonderful background on the materials in her Speaker Series presentation in 2021. I can’t wait to hear about the discoveries since then,” said Executive Director Alanna Nelson.

         Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to celebrate one of the most significant restoration projects in architectural history. While you may not be in Paris for the official unveiling, this is a remarkable opportunity to discover the Cathedral’s beauty and history.

         This event is free and open to the public, although donations to support programming by the Sippican Historical Society are greatly appreciated.

When is it Time to Take Away the Car Keys?

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Our ability to safely drive varies enormously. Even though 75% of surveyed drivers felt that their skill behind the wheel was in the top 25%, statistics do apply, and 25% of us are in the bottom 25%.

            Many factors determine whether someone should still be driving a car. Teens and young adults tend to take more risks than older drivers while older drivers have poorer vision, slower reaction time, are likely to be taking medication that may compromise driving safety, and are at greater risk of cognitive decline.

            The latest survey available showed that in 2020, 59% of people 85 and older in the U.S. still had their driving license.

            Older drivers are not necessarily bad drivers; that distinction clearly goes to teenage drivers, who have by far the greatest number of accidents and fatalities. Accidents are relatively low for drivers 30 to 69 and then start going up.

            What is of concern is that the number of fatal accidents rises dramatically in drivers 80 and older.

            So, what do you do if your parent or spouse should not be driving? Many states require older drivers to have their vision checked at license renewal, but none require a driving test.

            You cannot rely on your doctor to be proactive; only six U.S. states require doctors to report people whose medical condition makes it unsafe to drive.

            If you have witnessed unsafe practices such as running lights or stop signs, drifting across lanes or driving way below the speed limit on highways, you should bring the subject up. If this is met with denial, you could contact their doctor and ask the doctor to broach the subject.

            If someone is clearly a risk to themselves and others, you may need to contact the registry of motor vehicles or local police department in a smaller community. In the extreme, you can make the car undriveable by disconnecting the battery.

            The corollary is figuring out how to let them get places without a car – often a major issue for those who do not live in a densely populated area with shops and services within walking distance.

            Sign them up for Uber or Lyft, contact the local Council on Aging about community resources and/or offer to drive them to medical appointments and shopping or arrange for others to do so. In much of the country, to be unable to drive dramatically shrinks a person’s world.

            Just maybe, if you make good alternatives available, they will give up driving and save a life.

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

What Does The Doctor Say?

By Dr. Edward Hoffer

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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One very interesting donation that the Historical Society received this year was a “six-board chest.” This good-sized wooden chest is -have you guessed it? – made of exactly six boards – top, bottom, front, back and ends. The chest is 44″x 20″x 18″, so we know a good-sized tree must have been involved.

         Written on the inside of the chest is the date and place it was made, Rochester, 1750. The chest was rescued from a home that was in the process of being demolished. A contractor was about to crush it and send it off to a landfill.

         Robert Phillips saved it and after seeing the writing on the inside, he contacted us at the Rochester Historical Society, and it was delivered to the Museum in June. We don’t know a lot about it, but we know it was owned by Branch Barrows, born August 25, 1774. He married Rebecca Clark on Thursday, June 17, 1802. As I said, “we don’t know much,” but we do know that Branch always kept his Sunday clothes in the chest and now the chest is back in Rochester.

Readers’ Theatre and Lunch

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Enjoy a light lunch followed by an entertaining Readers’ Theater. The readings consist of poetry, prose, and short plays/excerpts. There will be focus on the holidays. What is a Readers’ Theatre? It is a style of theater in which the actors present dramatic readings of narrative material without costumes, scenery, or special lighting. Actors use only scripts and vocal expression to help the audience understand the story. Readers’ theater performances might be called “reading hours” or “play readings”. Tuesday, December 10 at 12:30 pm at COA, 17 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett. Register by calling 508-758-4110 or email to coadirector@mattapoisett.net

Allegations of Sexism at Marion Meeting

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            Allegations of sexism came up at the Planning Board meeting on Monday when board member Eileen Marum mentioned that since August, some of her meeting minutes have been edited by the board chair to remove emotional language.

            Marum said in the past, she has been ignored by male members of the board. As the board clerk, she has been composing minutes and since August, when some meetings have been contentious, she has noted it in the minutes.

            Board members, including Ryan Burke and Chairman Andrew Daniel, dismissed allegations of sexism. They mentioned that board minutes should not reflect emotional language, and Daniel was not trying to dismiss any concerns raised by Marum.

            The board ultimately voted 3-0 to have the administrative assistant, Danyca Filatreault, take over the duties of composing meeting minutes. Marum and fellow female board member Allana Nelson, the board’s vice chair, abstained from the vote.

            Town Planner Doug Guey-Lee said the issue of town officials writing meeting minutes and subsequent controversy over biased or emotional language is not isolated to Marion.

            He recommended that the administrative assistant conduct the minutes – a more common practice across town governments nationwide. Guey-Lee said that an administrative assistant usually is someone staffed by the town with no political “stake” in the game.

            “Everywhere else I look, it is typically the administrative assistant who has the best chance of being objective and impartial,” Guey-Lee said.

            “It is hard for board members to write the minutes when you have a stake in the discussion,” Guey-Lee said. “The administrative assistant is a staff person, and they have no skin in the game.”

            Marum said that the controversy began last August when contentious issues came forward, including possible open meeting law violations or alleged issues of board members not reviewing important materials before the start of a meeting, she alleged.

            Marum said that there has been a history of sexism against her, with board members ignoring her questions or not acknowledging her raised hand for input. She said Chairman Andrew Daniel editing her wording is a different form of “harassment.”

            Marum said she expected that Daniel would write an addendum to the minutes but not remove her language that expressed the emotional tenor of the discussions.

            “It (the harassment) has taken a different twist, and the chairman has decided he will remove my words from the minutes. So, it is just a different form of harassment,” Marum said.

            Nelson said that Marum for more than three years has written objective and accurate minutes, and these last few months have just been an “ugly pimple” on her mostly impeccable record of writing minutes.

            Some board members took umbrage with Marum’s claims.

            “It is so insanely out of line,” member Ryan Burke said of the sexism claims. “It is disgusting.”

            Members agreed, however, that complaints about the minutes and the emotional language have distracted the board from other issues – including talks about short-term rentals in town.

            In other business, the board delayed hearings on two separate housing developments as the applicants are preparing more information – FSJ Marion Realty on Wareham Street and Mark Zuker’s proposed affordable housing development on Wareham Road.

Marion Planning Board

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Whale Watching and Ghost Stories

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Recently, reports of sightings of whales breaching in Buzzards Bay in the commercial shipping lanes have appeared on social media. Someone suggested that they were coming here to view the sunset from Ned’s Point. At first, I thought that it was a joke. Then I read that someone else actually saw one through their binoculars. Must have been mighty powerful lenses. I know my little plastic ones won’t do. Still, we have had some very beautiful sunsets lately.

            Of course, these reports have spawned a number of other sightings. I just heard that one keen-sighted observer thought they saw a submarine surfacing between Molly’s Cove and the lighthouse. They weren’t sure because it submerged very quickly. It must have seen the person’s binoculars glistening in the afternoon sun through its periscope and figured their secret mission had been compromised.

            I’m guessing that it was the famous Sippican Sea Monster venturing over from Marion for a visit. I’m joking, I made that up.

            Another rumor floating around was that Oprah Winfrey, upset over the election results, has been thinking about leaving the country and was here scouting out the Bay Club.

            Speaking of unexpected sightings in the harbor, the sailboat Arabella, which was launched here with great fanfare two summers ago, was back for a short visit. According to its weekly YouTube channel video, the boat sailed down from Maine where it spent the summer. Steve Denette’s mom passed away this past summer, so he has been land-bound during her battle with cancer. Now he and his crew, Robin, Steve’s partner, and their dog Akiva, are resuming their dream cruise around the world.

            They said if anyone saw them to wave. I did but they didn’t wave back. I even wore my Acorn to Arabella hat. They must have been looking at the whales in the bay…or avoiding the submarine.

            We are not unfamiliar with strange sightings here in town. Just recently, Big Foot has been spotted roaming north of the village. Of course, you’ve heard how old Abner Harlow, former Town Clerk, is known to return from time to time to his old haunts at the Town Hall. Nobody has actually seen Abner…you’d need more that binoculars to spot him. After all, he’s a ghost…but the folks who work there have heard him. Abner was around when the whaler The Wanderer was searching for whales. I’ll bet he was at Ned’s Point hoping to catch a glimpse of our recent visitors.

            Calvin, the Library’s resident ghost, might have joined him. Investigators from the New England Ghost Researchers discovered Calvin when they spent the night in the library some years back. Calvin introduced himself and was reported to have said “I belong here.” In fact, when the library was first opened the custodian’s name was Calvin. Since the renovation, Calvin hasn’t been heard from. Maybe he had enough of ghost hunters sleeping in his home and slipped out of town on the submarine.

            Note to my loyal readers: Speaking of slipping away, this is the last of my weekly “Thoughts on…” columns (for a while?). It is time to take a break and learn how to paint again. Knowing me, if the muse strikes or something sticks in my craw, I’ll be back from time to time. Thanks for reading.

Thoughts on…

By Dick Morgado

Sippizine Releases Fourth Volume Celebrating “Home”

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Sippizine, the South Coast Massachusetts literary journal showcasing local creative talent, proudly announces the release of its fourth volume. Centered on the theme of “Home,” this issue brings together local voices with prose, poetry, and visual art.

         The fourth volume features prose and poetry from Lenore Balliro, Anne-Marie Grillo, Amanda Lawrence, Lilo, Joan McKinley, Sarah Mulvey, Jay Pateakos, Carol Schene, Lorene Sweeney, and Dawn Blake Souza. Visual interpretations by Cara Bean, Nancy Mitton, Carla Reynolds, Gavin Santos, and Dawn Blake Souza add depth and richness.

         “In each issue of Sippizine, the range of perspectives always surprises me,” says editor and publisher Alanna Nelson. “As Sippizine came together this time, the connections between the work are compelling. Clearly, home inspires us all.”

         Local readers and literary enthusiasts are invited to explore all four issues at www.sippizine.art. Prefer print over digital? Print copies can be ordered online or found at select businesses across the South Coast.

         Sippizine is a semi-annual literary and visual arts journal founded to celebrate and connect the vibrant creative community of South Coast Massachusetts. Sippizine highlights local talent while fostering dialogue and collaboration among its participants. Each issue is inspired by a central theme and showcases submissions from poets, writers, and visual artists. For more information, visit www.sippizine.art.

         For additional information, please contact Alanna Nelson, Editor and Publisher at 617-398-0613 or hello@studioilpunto.com.

Mattapoisett Democratic Town Committee

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The Mattapoisett Democratic Town Committee will host Olivia Santoro, Deputy Field Director for Civic Education and Mobilization for the ACLU of MA on December 10 at 6:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Fire Station Public Meeting Room, 62 County Road. Ms. Santoro will present the ACLU’s roadmap for opposing the threats posed to residents of the Commonwealth by Project 2025. Ms. Santoro will speak about the importance of states, cities, and towns building firewalls for freedom, barriers to ensure our state and local officials do not assist anti-democratic forces attacking our civil liberties and civil rights.

         The ACLU of MA has the playbook, and we are ready to fight back to defend our fundamental freedoms. Come join us for an educational evening. Light soft drinks and snacks will be served.