From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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One of the side benefits of working on an exhibit for the historical museum is discovering people and stories of which I hadn’t been aware. The military part of our new exhibit, which opened October 2, was full of such stories. They were found in news clippings saved over the years by Rochester residents. The clippings, reporting on events during the years of World War II, evoke all the emotions that must have been felt by the friends and loved ones of those who’s stories they tell.

            One such story is the war saga of Edward C. Humphrey of Rochester, shown in the left of the picture included here. Lt. Humphrey received his commission in March of 1943 after graduating from Armored Force Officer Candidates School at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was assigned as a junior officer with the Armored Divisions and Tank Battalions.

            On February 29 of the following year, he saw action in Italy as a paratrooper and was reported missing in action, according to the information received from the War Department by his wife who was living in Rochester with the couple’s 3-year-old son. The problem with many of the news clippings saved over the years is that they are mostly undated, but it would seem that Humphrey went missing in 1944 after the landing in Anzio prior to D-Day on June 6,1944.

            Later, some of his family’s deepest fears must have been allayed when they were informed that he had been found but was a prisoner of war in a German prison camp. The story doesn’t end there, as another news story reports that Lt. Humphrey was one of 1,500 U.S. soldiers, former prisoners of war, who arrived in Boston on April 9, 1945, on a troop transport after being liberated by U.S. troops advancing into Germany.

            The more tragic story of Rochester native Edward Cebula was a two-part drama. Cebula, 29 years old, had wanted to be an Army paratrooper, but that plan failed due to health reasons. As a result, he turned to the sea and went to work on a merchant vessel carrying needed supplies across the ocean. This was dangerous work and that was made clear when his ship was torpedoed by an Axis submarine. He survived by clinging to a crate after the lifeboat he was in sank. He was in the water for one and a half hours before he was picked up by another lifeboat and taken to a United Nations ship. He returned to the U.S. to recover from his ordeal before reporting back to sea. Only a short time later, his family received news that he was reported missing at sea and believed to have been lost at sea off the coast of Africa.

            I want to thank Patricia, Mary Nutes’ granddaughter, for sharing the newspaper clippings her grandmother had saved.

By Connie Eshbach

Suellen Aiken

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Suellen Aiken, 72, of Mattapoisett passed away peacefully at home on Sunday October 10, 2021 with her beloved life partner Richard W. Walker by her side.  She was the daughter of the late Dorothy M. (Fell) Aiken and Warren V. Aiken, and the sister of the late Robert W. Aiken.

            Suellen graduated from Fairhaven High School and Westfield State University with a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education.  She landed her first teaching position on her twenty-first birthday.

            Suellen taught school in Granby, Connecticut for four years before moving home to teach in Mattapoisett.  She bought her home in 1973 and started teaching at the Center School.  Later she transferred to Old Hammondtown School and taught grades 4 and 5 there for many years.  After retiring, she served many students at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School as a long-term substitute teacher and private tutor.  Mattapoisett has always been known for its dynamic school system and Suellen always felt blessed to be a part of maintaining that excellence.  She also cherished her friendships with many former students and co-workers.

            Aside from teaching, she was also a food server for thirty years.  She enjoyed serving her customers at Mildred’s Chowder House in Hyannis, the Skipper Restaurant in Fairhaven, and Louie’s on the Wharf in New Bedford.  Her last restaurant gig was at Matt’s Courtyard Restaurant in Fairhaven, where she retired from in 2009.

            Suellen also served her town of Mattapoisett as a deputy shellfish warden for five years.

            In her younger days, she enjoyed playing tennis, skiing, gardening, and relaxing at the beach.  Later in life, her passions turned to being an avid golfer, traveler, and reader.  She was a member of the ladies’ golf leagues at Rochester Golf Course and Acushnet River Valley Golf Course for years.  She made many great memories and friends.

            She and Richard were Diamond members on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.  They spent as much time as possible cruising in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and throughout Hawaii.  She also enjoyed immensely her vacation months with Richard in The Villages, Florida.  She was known for being a very sociable person and was loved by many.  She enjoyed entertaining and being entertained by others.

            Suellen is survived by her beloved Richard, her aunt, Marjorie Kidd, and her very close cousins, June and Bill Dumas, Kellie Dumas Cain, and Robert Dumas.  She also leaves behind several nieces, nephews, and cousins, and many dear friends.  Sadly, Suellen leaves behind her gorgeous little pooch, Lola.

            Relatives and friends are invited to attend a graveside service at Riverside Cemetery in Fairhaven on Thursday October 14, 2021 at 11 AM.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to It’s All About the Animals, Inc., 103 Marion Rd., Rochester, MA 02770, Humane Society and Shelter – Southcoast, 31 Ventura Drive, Dartmouth, MA 02747, or Community Nurse Home Care, 62 Center St., Fairhaven, MA 02719.  Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett.  For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Anne Braitmayer Webb

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Anne Braitmayer Webb, of Marion, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, October 6th, 2021. Born in New York City to Otto E. Braitmayer and Marian Schoeffel Braitmayer on February 2nd, 1930, Anne was raised in Marion, MA. She graduated from Vassar College in 1952, and then went to work for the W. D. Busch Company in NYC, where she became reacquainted with her future husband, Richard Davis “Dick” Webb. Anne and Dick were married in January 1954 and settled in Greenwich, CT.

            An avid sailor, Anne loved racing Herreshoff 12’s on Buzzards Bay in her youth, and cruising and day-sailing throughout her life. With a sharp and curious mind, she was a voracious reader who never stopped learning, and the Sunday crossword was never far from her lap. She loved a good joke and a quick wit and loved to entertain and be entertained. Anne was forever gracious, and her welcoming smile was known by friends and family alike.

            From the outset, Anne and Dick split their time between Greenwich and Southern Pines, NC, where Dick was an avid equestrian. As retirement loomed, they transitioned away from Greenwich to Marion. The two had the opportunity to travel regularly, and Anne loved seeing new places, and experiencing new cultures.

            Anne was passionate about the communities she lived in and was supportive of many causes. In Marion she was a longtime member of the Beverly Yacht Club, an ardent supporter of the V.A.S.E. program at Sippican School, and a trustee of the Braitmayer Foundation. In Greenwich she was president of the Community Answers Program at the Greenwich Library and served on the Conservation Commission. In Southern Pines she was a trustee of The O’Neal School.

            Anne is survived by her beloved husband Dick and her two children, R. Davis Webb, Jr. (Jennifer) and Nancy Webb Corkery (David); three grandchildren, Kevin Corkery (Lucie), Kyle Corkery, and Audrey Webb; and one great-grandson, William Webb Corkery. She is also survived by her twin brother John W. “Jack” Braitmayer (Nancy) and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her four sisters, Margaret Braitmayer West, Kathleen Braitmayer Shaw, Josephine Braitmayer Demarest and Jane Braitmayer Howell Smithers.

            A celebration of Anne’s life is being planned. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Marion Art Center or the Elizabeth Taber Library in Marion, MA.

            Her Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, October 20th at 4 PM at the Beverly Yacht Club, 99 Water St., Marion. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Marion Special Town Meeting

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The Marion Special Town Meeting will be held Tuesday, October 19, at 6:45 pm in the auditorium at Sippican School (16 Spring Street). Masks will be required, and we ask that you socially distance as appropriate. There are 13 articles on the warrant, which may be viewed at www.marionma.gov.

            Everyone is welcome to attend; however, you must be a registered voter to participate in the meeting. The last day to register to vote is Saturday, October 9. You may register in person in the Town Clerk’s Office during regular business hours (Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, and Friday 8:00 am – 3:30pm), online at www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr, or at the Marion Police Station (on Saturday, October 9, only from 9:00 am – 8:00 pm). If you have any questions, please call the Town Clerk’s Office at 508-748-3502, or send an email to lmagauran@marionma.gov.

‘Healthy’ Free Cash Estimated

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            Coming before the Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee on October 4, Town Administrator Mike Lorenco shared the good news that, although free cash is just an estimate at this point in time, all indications point to a “healthy” number, he said. Early estimates peg the free cash number at $1.900,. With that in mind, he said that some projects could be funded in full or in part and still maintain savings in stability funds.

            A draft copy of the Special Town Meeting Warrant was shared with the Capital Planning Committee members, a jumping-off point for further discussion.

            The current draft lists 11 articles, most notably: Appropriation to Reduce OPEB $100,000; Appropriation to Debt Stabilization Fund $150,000; Appropriation to Capital Stabilization Fund $150,000; Cyclical Annual Property Revaluation $36,000; Supplemental Funding FY22 (estimate) $173,500; Capital Improvement Project Funding projects totaling $745,173: fire engine $640,000, transfer station loader $35,000, dump truck $70,000 (estimate); and Grant Matching Funding $50,000.

            Lorenco said that a new Old Rochester Regional School District stability fund is planned at the request of the school district administration via the updated regional agreement. The fund, while not under the purview of the tri-towns but of the school committee, would allow the school to plan for capital expenses in a measured five-year scheme. Lorenco said that the Town Meeting article will simply ask Town Meeting to allow the fund to be established. Any future spending from the fund will also be at the discretion of Town Meeting.

            Other areas Lorenco discussed included the need to pay accrued liability for retiring staff members, additional sums for debt stabilization, OPEB, and capital stabilization funds. A fund for grant matches was another expense the administrator believes would help manage grant matches required for nearly all grants received by the town.

            Under the umbrella of building repairs and maintenance, Lorenco said approximately $65,000 should be earmarked for repairs to Center School’s roof and landscaping, security cameras in the town wharf area, and the moving of the Transfer Station main gate with security cameras.

            A new 1-ton dump truck for snowplowing was deemed needed now versus later by the committee. Pegged into the Capital Plan for 2024 was a 550-model dump truck for an estimated $85,000. Lorenco supported buying the vehicle now, saying, “I have to plow roads.”

            The committee revisited the need to buy a new fire engine, a cost not originally planned for review until 2023. Lorenco said that Fire Chief Andrew Murray was negotiating a lower price from the current estimate of $640,000. This prompted committee member Mike Dahill to ask if a professional should be brought in to review the specification, a confirmation of what the department chief was asking for. Member Barry Denham said the fire chief knows what the department needs to protect the town, saying, “That’s why you have a chief.” But sentiment seemed to move towards seeking outside assistance. Lorenco said he’d look into the matter.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee is scheduled for Monday, October 18, at 6:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee

By Marilou Newell

Upcoming programs at Marion Natural History Museum

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Free programs for adults on Wednesdays 10:30 – 11:30 am at the Marion Natural History Museum:

            October 20 – Forestry Health with Felicia Hubacz, MA DCR Forester. Join DCR Forest Health Specialist Felicia Hubacz as she discusses the State’s major forest health issues of the last year. These include beech leaf disease, white pine needle disease, emerald ash borer, and the Asian longhorned beetle. Learn to identify current and future threats to our forest and how the DCR Forest Health Program monitors and manages for them.

            October 27 – Tick-borne diseases with Blake Dinius, entomologist with Plymouth County Ext. Service. When it comes to preventing tick bites, it’s all about knowledge, not fear. In our workshop, we’ll bust myths and learn practical applications based on scientific research.

            November 3 –Future of Natural History Museums with a focus on small museums like the Marion Natural History Museum. This event is from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Zoom access will be sent upon pre-registration. Speaker is Eric Dorfman, author of the book, “The Future of Natural History Museums.” Dorfman is director and CEO of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, a member of the Executive Board of the International National Council of Museums (ICOM), and an adjunct faculty member of North Carolina State University in the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences. He is an author of several popular books on New Zealand natural history and climate change, as well as scholarly papers on museum education, public programming, Egyptology, and the ecology of wetland birds.

            Dorfman completed a master’s degree through San Jose State University studying the behavioral ecology of porpoises in Monterey Bay, California, and a doctorate at the University of Sydney on wetland ecology in eastern and central Australia. Current research includes scale-dependent habitat use of waterbirds in human-dominated landscapes.

            Contact the Director at Director@marionmuseum.org to preregister for these events.

Cushing Cemetery

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The Board of Trustees will be holding a meeting at the Mattapoisett Library on October 20 at 6:00 pm. All members are asked to attend, and any interested parties are welcome to attend. We will be discussing our new Cemetery Find Website that will soon be online, and general cemetery business.

DOT Offers Route 6 Options

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            The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is now at the forefront of the Route 6 redevelopment plan that once bore the fingerprints of the Southeastern Regional Economic Planning and Development District (SRPEDD).

            A SRPEDD member sits in on the DOT conference calls, but the commonwealth’s new leadership sits well with members of the Marion Planning Board and the Transportation and Circulation Task Force.

            On September 29, the two Marion entities met on Zoom to digest, discuss, and review a presentation that highlighted options that the state is looking at for the redesign of Route 6, especially in the area between Front Street and Barnabas Road.

            “I’m impressed with the presentation,” said Jennifer Francis, who together with fellow Transportation and Circulation Task Force member Kerry Saltonstall have formed a subcommittee task force of sorts. Town Administrator Jay McGrail is in on their every call and Select Board Chair/Planning Board member Norm Hills is always involved.

            Based on Marion’s Master Plan and three prior meetings, including an August 4 meeting with stakeholders, goals and safety issues are being addressed in a plan to get Marion more connected between the town’s north end and the historic village.

            Route 6 in Marion was last paved in 1987, and no one has debated how dangerous it has become to ride a bike on the route.

            The “two flavors,” as Francis described the options during the September 29 meeting, address the “rural” Route 6, where two 11-foot lanes with a sidewalk on the north side and a 10-foot shared-use path on the village side are recommended, and the “gateway area” (from Barnabas Road to beyond Front Street), where three 11-foot lanes, including a middle turning lane along with a bike path on the water side and a sidewalk on the inland side, are recommended.

            New intersections would turn some of the speed-inducing, angular junctions into T-shape, non-lighted turns with a left-turn pocket. Converse Lane would be among the modified intersections, and dedicated left-turn lanes would be featured in both directions on Route 6 at Front Street.

            The gateway area has had the most accidents in Marion, so the town is being asked to consider three options.

            Option 1 reconstructs the intersection of Spring Street to become more perpendicular, taking away the ability to drive directly across Route 6 to continue on Spring. A median dividing Route 6 would make left turns illegal but possible for emergency responders.

            In Option 2, Spring Street becomes a one-way street north of Route 6 heading toward Route 6 so no entry onto Spring Street north of Route 6 would be allowed from Route 6.

            Option 3 places a signal light at Spring Street, but Option 3 is least likely because, in the opinion of Hills, Marion will never meet the state requirements for lights at that intersection.

            Quick-build opportunities would include curb extensions designed to sharpen turns and slow the speed of traffic, test network changes with temporary barriers, and signal-timing adjustments such as a dedicated left turn.

            A full-build implementation would begin with construction in the area of Spring Street and Front Street, and the sequence would build out from the middle. The proposed reconfiguration may or may not reach out to the Mattapoisett town line in the vicinity of Old Rochester Regional High School.

            Transportation and Circulation Task Force member Steve Kokkins commented on the quality of the presentation and asked if the central section redesign proposals can all fit inside the total right-of-way. Francis confirmed that, despite the shared-use (bicycle) path, sidewalk, and buffers, the new designs all fit within the existing boundaries of Route 6.

            Members debated the merits of a left turn from Route 6 westbound onto Spring Street, some arguing for that egress while others said it is impossible to please everyone and achieve the goals of the redesign. The premise of prohibiting the left onto Spring Street in the direction of Tabor Academy is a left-turn signal onto Front Street.

            Saltonstall told the meeting that data indicates that drivers do not turn left onto Route 6 out of Spring Street, but turning left onto Spring Street from Route 6 west is necessary to avoid overloading Ryder Road, the next logical turn for those who would be forced into going left onto Front Street.

            Francis said Option 2 provides a dedicated left-turn lane onto Spring Street.

            As for a one-way Spring Street heading toward Route 6 from Brew Fish restaurant, the 28-unit residential development planned by Sherman Briggs would require using Route 6 just to cycle back to Front Street in order to drive out to I-195.

            “We’ll have to wait to see what the surveys tell us,” said Hills.

            “This is the most challenging piece,” said Francis, agreeing with Saltonstall. “We can’t accept that you can’t turn left onto Spring Street.”

            Marion resident Barry Gaffey joined the meeting and called Spring Street “a tough nut.” He similarly avoids Route 6 around Creek Road. “I personally drive to Point (Road) and let the light make it easy for me,” he said.

            Kokkins noted that the Creek Road intersection is among those that, in the redesign, will become more perpendicular.

            Marion’s feedback to the DOT will lead to more revisions and another presentation before any final decisions are made.

Marion Planning Board/Transportation and Circulation Task Force

By Mick Colageo

Wells Draw Closer Look

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            The recent detection of Escherichia coli bacteria in a private well-water test in Marion has the Board of Health pursuing the framework for a new regulation that would require regular testing in the 40 private wells designated by their owners for drinking water supply.

            In her October 5 report to the board, Public Health Director/Nurse Lori Desmarais noted that the town has no testing requirements on private wells, and BOH member Dot Brown noted a recent singular exception that was made in conditioning an approval decision with annual testing because of a County Road well’s proximity to a former cranberry bog and the resultant probability of higher risk.

            As it stands, only at the time of construction or upgrade is testing required. The state regulation dictates that if public water is available, a homeowner is required to connect to it. How to enforce that is another question entirely.

            “Once they have the well, there’s nothing to prevent them from hooking it up to their house,” said Brown, who has a background in geology. “It would be a lot better if Marion required people to have wells tested.”

            While the obvious concern is E. coli, Brown said such a test can look for a whole list of contaminants. “I can say it would be a good idea to write a regulation,” she said.

            Board member Dr. John Howard said that a test that costs approximately $250 thoroughly looks for trace elements and pesticides, “roughly 39 to 40 different chemicals.” He said the test is “extremely detailed” and indicates safe levels and limits recommended for healthy use.

            Brown thinks the right way to go is the more stringent test, less frequently but with regular testing in between for E. coli.

            Administrative Assistant Maureen Murphy told the board that the town keeps an Excel spreadsheet that lists 200 wells in town categorizing them according to usages, be it agricultural and irrigation-related or primarily for water supply.

            Dr. Ed Hoffer, the chairperson of the Board of Health, noted that the state has a boiler-plate regulation that town could use to build its own requirement. Howard suggested checking to see what neighboring towns may have in place, and Murphy reminded the board that Town Counsel Jon Witten has offered to help the board navigate through the matter.

            In other matters, Marion has had 503 total COVID-19 cases, according to Desmarais, who reported five cases were active as of October 5. There were 39 cases in September and one since the beginning of October. Of the 39, 31 were eligible to be vaccinated, and 14 of those cases had been vaccinated.

            Sippican Elementary School has three students or staff in the Test and Stay program, one person in quarantine, and five positive tests in isolation (there have been eight positives since the start of school).

            At the junior high school, one person is in quarantine, and none at the high school (there have been five in quarantine at ORR since the start of the school year).

            ORR is still conducting Test and Stay, but any exposures at home do not qualify for the Test and Stay program.

            Tabor Academy has one case in isolation, and anyone in contact is also testing this week. Tabor conducts weekly testing on Thursdays for day students and faculty. This week, the prep school is conducting sample testing of 100 people of the campus population, including boarding students.

            Desmarais also reported that 134 people attended a drive-thru flu vaccination clinic last week at the Cushing Community Center. On Thursday, October 7, a flu vaccination clinic will be held at Little Neck Village and at the Marion Town House for employees. In the future, Desmarais said, the town plans more clinics for Marconi Village, Marion Village Estates, and the Council on Aging.

            Hoffer said he anticipates approval for a Moderna COVID-19 booster. Johnson & Johnson is also applying for such approval. Pfizer already has a booster shot approval.

            Desmarais reported that there will be no further testing for mosquito-borne diseases this fall, but the state urges residents to take necessary measures, including the use of repellent, until the first hard frost.

            A visit via Zoom from Jodi Stevens of the Marion Art Center led to a decision to host the MAC-sponsored Halloween Parade on Sunday, October 31, at 4:00 pm in pop-up tents outside the Music Hall rather than inside the historic building.

            The event, canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, typically distributes 300 goody bags to children.

            Health Agent Ana Wimmer is expected to return from maternity leave on Tuesday, October 12.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for Tuesday, October 19, at 4:00 pm.

Marion Board of Health

By Mick Colageo

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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The picture accompanying this article shows a calm and lovely Mary’s Pond, but as I looked through a scrapbook at the museum, I found an article that showed a very different scene on a May Day about 75 years ago. In the 1940s, Rochester residents were used to seeing planes maneuvering in the sky as the Navy practiced by dropping dummy bombs, targeting an island in Snipatuit Pond, so no one was paying particular attention to the two scout bomber planes out of a Rhode Island Naval station.

            The two planes spent the day on flying maneuvers and making continuous circles overhead. At one point, the pilots flew off with one going north and the other west to come back in another circular route. The plane that had been heading north began to dive while the second plane flew beneath it. The consequences of those two moves were disastrous. The diving plane struck the tail of the one below, shearing it off and losing its own two wings.

            The tailless plane plummeted into the pond, skidding across the surface before it disappeared beneath the water. The other plane spun in lazy circles for a few seconds before it crashed and burned in the bog less than 100 ft. from Mary’s Pond Rd. It crashed at such speed that it forced itself into the ground and threw the pilot out of the plane. Both pilots who were flying alone were killed instantly. One pilot was found to the east of his plane still wearing his safety belt around his waist and the cord on his chute hadn’t been pulled.

            The Navy Rescue Crash Truck crew came from Quonset and found the second pilot in the water near his plane. The plane sank in 80 feet of water. Debris from the crash was strewn over an area of up to a half mile. The tail of one plane and the wings of the other were at opposite ends of the crash site. Pieces of the planes and their contents were everywhere, and crowds quickly gathered.

            Rochester Police Chief Walter Jenkins took charge of the scene with the help of conservation officers and town police until two State Police sergeants from the Bridgewater Barracks and two State Police patrolmen from the Wareham barracks arrived. In the confusion, one young man from town found a machine gun that had detached from a plane and took it home. The crowds were cleared and a Marine stood guard through the night until a specialized salvage team was sent to raise the sunken plane and clear the wreckage.

            Between the practice bombing runs over Snipatuit Pond and the plane crash, many people went from searching out old bottles and Indian arrowheads to looking for plane parts and bits of bullets and bombs, and, oh, yes, the day wasn’t over when there was a knock on that young man’s door and the State Police were there to recover the machine gun.

            I want to thank everyone who attended our October 2 event and viewed our new exhibit, which was supported by the Rochester Cultural Council, a local agency, supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. We hope you will join us for our October 20 meeting at 7:00 pm where Malcolm Phinney will present, “Parlor Entertainment at the Turn of the Century.” The museum will be open Sunday, October 10, and most Sundays through November.

By Connie Eshbach