Point Road Residents Weary of Rodents

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            To demolish a home in Marion, one might soon have to get a rodent report before moving forward.

            The Marion Board of Health on November 20 met with Zoning Commissioner Robert Grillo after a home was scheduled for demolition on Point Road. According to Point Road residents who appeared at the November 6 meeting, many Point Road homes were infested with rodents after the last home was demolished.

            The Board of Health asked Grillo about whether the board could require residents to garner a rodent inspection before a house is razed. He said, per state law, homes need a lead and inspection report before demolished or before a home is occupied. Grillo said the state does not have a regulation about mandatory rodent inspections, but certain communities require one per local board regulations.

            “I feel like whatever the board decides, it’s good to have it as part of the regulations rather than the policy because then you have teeth,” said Grillo, adding that he would be able to withhold a permit until an inspection is conducted.

            Grillo and Board of Health members said that some residents are not even aware that their homes are infested with rodents. The board asked Public Health Director Lori Desmarais to look through the regulation so the board could add it to the sanitary code. Grillo also said local boards could also require an asbestos inspection prior to demolition, but Board of Health Chair Albin Johnson said it might be unnecessary given that the state requires it.

            In other health board news, the board mentioned that the “Be Safe – Be Seen” program is going well.

            The board purchased 400 reflective vests for walkers and joggers who walk or jog at night. Board member Dr. Edward Hoffer mentioned he nearly struck a pedestrian one night and said people should be walking with reflective gear.

            Just two weeks later, health officials said only 75 vests were available, with only 25 adult-sized vests available. The board said they will wait and see before buying more.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for Thursday, December 4.

Marion Board of Health

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

ORRHS First Term Honor Roll

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            The following students have achieved honors for the first term at Old Rochester Regional High School:

            Highest Honors: Seraphina Arruda, Phoebe Cowles, Grace Custadio, Alexander Dai, John Ferreira, Ava Figueiredo, Giada Gandolfi, Lucas Hadley, Isabella Hollis, Neva Matos, Faelyn McCarthy, Tiera McCarthy, Miah Motta, Jiya Patel, Isabella Perez-Dormitzer, Luke Pierre, Nina Pierre, Hannah Thorell, Amanda Tomasso, Nathaniel Tse, and Molly Wronski

                  Honors: Caroline Achilles, Elizabeth Achilles, Jayden Aguiar, Chase Almeida, Logan Amaral, Lily Ambrosi, Katie Anderson, Sophia Anesti, Penelope Angeley, Gianna Annunziato, Chloe Bairos, Mia Balestracci, Abigail Balsis, Isaac Barrett, Benjamin Bartholomew, Riley Barton, Claire Bates, Malcolm Bean, Kensi Bearce, Gavin Bellanger, Henry Berry, Adam Berube, Allison Bodeau, John Bongiorno, Charles Bonney, Cadel Bosma, Sydney Bosma, Jonathan Botelho, Rose Bouley, Sophie Bozzo, Makayla Brissette, Laila Brown, Samuel Brown, Nathanael Bushnell, Aiden Cabral, Brianna Cabral, Ethan Cabral, Lucas Cabral, Bobby Calder, Sophia Campione, Keira Canto, Cassidy Carroll, Sibley Casi, Liam Cassidy, Russell Chace, Wyatt Churchill, Grace Clark, Rosemary Clark, Gavin Coffey, Sophia Cole, Aiden Comorosky, Belle Comorosky, Abigail Conley, Morgan Conner, Ashton Cook, Charlotte Cook, Taylor Cook, Tucker Cook, Owen Cooney, Elizabeth Correia, Kendall Correia, Bridget Coryer, Emma Costa, Madeline Costa, Matthew Costa, Nina Costa, Cadogan Crete, Olivia Crowley, Rylee Cusick, Charlotte Dargelis, Matthew DaRosa, Mariana De Melo, Emma Debonise, Quin DeMello, Averee Depina, Jax Deskin, Chloe Desrosiers, James Devoll, Mara Donnelly, Sara Duane, Rafael Duarte, Abbigail Dupont, Rachel Durocher, Ava Dzerkacz, Sage Elia, Mason Fagan, Riley Ferreira, Alexandra Fiano, Connor Foley, William Fortier, Bryce Fortin, Brendan Foster, Katherine Foster, Phoenix Froh, Brendan Fuller, John Galavotti, Caroline Gallagher, Connor Gauthier, Jacob Gear, Lillian Gendreau, Madeleine Gendreau, Daniel Giandomenico, Caden Gonsalves, Clara Gouveia-Silva, Harrison Govoni, Isabel Govoni, Zadie Goyette, Aubrey Griffith, Katherine Guevara, Madison Hardy, Sadie Hartley-Matteson, Madalyn Haverty, Laney Hayes, Genevieve Hebert, Grace Hebert, Ava Henriquez, Meredith Higgins, Brody Hiles, Olivia Hills-Medeiros, Caroline Hilton, Estella Holbrook, Hunter Horsey, Grace Horta, Caroline Houdelette, Olive Huggins, Emma Iappini, Jacob Iappini, Taryn Jackson, Emma Johnson, Frances Kakley, Chase Karo, Lanie Kazen, Jazmin Kearns, Genevieve Kelly, Hazel Kelly, Bentley Killion, Elizabeth Kilpatrick, Leighton King, Olivia Kinney, Chase Kuppens, Hadley Kuppens, Violet LaFountain, Tenley Lane, Austin Lassiter, Alexandra LeColst, Michael LeColst, Bree LeFavor, Griffin Leverone, Trystan Lienkamp, Lucy Lombard, Samuel Long, William Lucy, Caitlyn Lund, Aiden MacLeod, Addison Mahar, Paige Mailloux, Abigail Mansfield, Joshua Marcolini, Matthew Marrano, Isabel Marujo, Kenley Masse, Iain McManus, Benjamin Meighan, Carly Mello, Charlotte Mello, Annalise Milhench, Elise Modracek, Xavier Monteiro, Maya Morrison, Avery Muirhead, Grady Muldoon, Caillaigh Mullen, Desmond Murphy, Ava Murray, Connor Nelson, Piper Newell, Ella Normandin, Max Ohrenberger, Grady Oliveira, Isabelle Ortega, Mollie Osetkowski, Morgan Paiva, Zoe Papadakis, Subhav Parajuli, Elijah Patnaude, Morgan Patraiko, Reilly Patraiko, Avery Paulo, Fiona Payne, Owen Pelland, Eamon Perez, Marley Perry, Quinn Perry, Nicholas Peter, Benino Petrone, Eva Pinhancos, Juliana Pinhancos, Logen Pinto, Tyler Porto, Delilah Post, Elsa Pothier, Jasmyn Pumphery, Dimitri Raposo, John Redler, Zackaria Rezendes, Tessa Ripley, Thatcher Ripley, Noah Robert-Howley, Noah Robitaille, Sebastian Romig, Erin Root, Grace Rousseau, Fiona Roveda, Addison Roy, Emerson Roy, Julian Sanchez, Noah Santos, Rebecca Schaefer, Austin Scully, Ian Shultz, Benjamin Silva, Ella Silva, Chase Silvia, Eve Skomal, Mila Soares, Chelsey Soltau, Boden Soucy, Molly Souza, Stefan St. Louis, Claudia Surace, Heather Surace, Catherine Sylvia-Everett, Gus Tallman, Blair Thomas, Jack Thompson, Katherine Thomsen, Noah Thorell, Piper Tobia, Nathan Tobin, Bella Tourinho, Owen Travers, Morgan Tripp, Rachel Tse, Claire Vergoni, Nicholas Victorino, Connor Villafranca, Montana Virgadamo, Burkley Vlaco, Nathaniel Wadsworth, Phoebe Wainio, Oliver Ward, Benjamin Welter, Benjamin Wesoly, Avery White, Linden White, Liam Whittaker, Tanner Wright-Texeira, Katherine Young, Jocelyn Yurof, Westgate Zell, and Kennedy Zussy

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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It’s always hard to write a Thanksgiving themed historical article. First, Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln made it one and second, days of thanksgiving in the early colonies were most often spent in church, praying and asking God for something, like the end of a drought or thanking him for rain or some other positive event.

            The Pilgrims’ feast that is the inspiration for our Thanksgiving was a celebration of finally having a good harvest in their new world. Harvest celebrations were common and most often happened at the end of the growing season in early fall. When they did this, they may not have known that it had long been a yearly ritual for the area Native Americans.

            Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the Wampanoags who inhabited our area were farmers, hunters and gatherers. In the spring, they would move to fields near the coast that they cultivated, growing maize, beans, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, Jerusalem artichokes and tobacco. Planting them all together in one field had the effect of improving the soil. The corn and beans were planted in the same mounds. This created high yields of crops with harvests of 25-60 bushels on only one or two acres.

            Their proximity near the ocean meant they had a plentiful supply of fish and shellfish. In the last days of summer at the end of the growing season, they would have a celebration with food and games, before preparing to move inland for the winter months. Inland areas were more protected from the weather, closer to prey and near their storage pits.

            Their last act before moving on was to set fire to their fields and living areas. There were several reasons for this from assuring open fields for farming to keeping pathways from being overgrown. A side effect of the burn was the positive effect that the fire residue had on the soil, enriching it for the next growing cycle.

            Unfortunately, the arrival of settlers to Plymouth and surrounding towns disrupted the centuries old way of life of the Native Americans. Unlike the Wampanoags, the English newcomers believed in owning the land and setting up boundary lines and fences which left the original inhabitants who had roamed freely, little to be thankful for.

            An FYI to anyone interested in our search for Rochester’s Revolutionary veterans is that our how-to packet for the research is now available on the town’s website under the Rochester Historical Commission section. There are also packets at the Plumb Library and the COA.

            As an aside, reading over the report of my talk in Mattapoisett on Veteran’s Day, it highlighted some of the difficulties in doing the research. Over generations, families reused names and often used what I think of as variations of the same name for multiple children. IN Rochester there was a Nathaniel Haskell, a Nathan Haskell and an Elnathan Haskell and two of them were brothers. It was actually Elnathan who was an aide to Washington and in the painting in the Capitol. Also, Rochester’s first birthday celebration was the 200th. Everyone was too busy with the Revolution to celebrate 100 yrs.

            Happy Thanksgiving.

By Connie Eshbach

Scholarship Wreath Sale

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The ladies of the Rochester Women’s Club will be having their annual Scholarship Holiday wreath sale on Saturday, December 6 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The club house is located at 37 Marion Road, Route 105 in Rochester. Our beautifully hand-crafted wreaths are only $25.00. Your donation goes directly to the Women’s Club Scholarship Fund. Each year the club gives three $1,000.00 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who reside in the town of Rochester.

            This year the wreaths will be decorated not only with great love but within the themes of re-purpose, vintage and nature. Keeping in mind less waste and the natural things you might find in your back yard or at the seashore.

            The Rochester Women’s Club would like to publicly thank Polly and Max Lawrence and Sunny-nook Farm for their constant support of the club and our scholarship fundraising.

            The club meets the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm from September thru May.

            Marsha Hartley 508-322-0998 for club information.

Improving Fire Communication System

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The Marion Fire Department has trouble contacting personnel around the Front Street area near Route 195 and close to the Rochester town line via County Road. The department requested $25,309 from the town’s Reserve Fund to pay for a communication upgrade. The Marion Finance Committee at its November 19 meeting at the Town Hall Annex requested more information before approving the transfer.

            The committee, in fact, spent a good portion of the meeting asking questions about this potential transfer, which would reduce the total amount of Reserve Fund money from $65,000 to just under $40,000.

            Finance authorities mentioned that this represents almost one-third of what is in the Reserve Fund. They asked questions such as whether or not the repair, which is asking for a transmit combiner, would represent a “Band-Aid” approach to the problem. They also asked how long the department has been using the system and if the capital-improvement account was initially sought out.

            Committee members also questioned how long the repair would take.

            “It sounds like it does need to get done and does need to get approved, but from a process standpoint we need a real-life example (of what specifically will get fixed and when),” said Finance Committee Chair Sean Healy.

            Fire Chief Brian Jackvony filled out a form and described that it was a safety concern, especially considering the department loses contact with personnel in that area.

            Healy and fellow Finance Committee members expressed no opposition as long as details are provided. He noted that it speaks to a larger issue, noting that Finance Committee members need more details before approving a funding transfer request in the middle of a fiscal year.

            The Finance Committee also completed their liaison assignments, making each member a financial liaison to a department in town.

            The committee expressed approval of the first November 24 Town Meeting article, which seeks to update the town’s stormwater-management bylaw in line with newer state and federal guidelines.

            The committee made no recommendation on the second article, a Citizens’ Petition which asks for a policy that allows homeowners, at their own request, to install a secondary water-metering system for “water usage, such as lawn irrigation, gardening, feeding of livestock, swimming pools, or other non-sewer activities.”

            Committee members noted that this policy has no financial implications on the town or Finance Committee-related business.

Marion Finance Committee

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

William L. Long

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William L. Long, 85, passed away at his home in Marion, Massachusetts on November 24, 2025. Bill was formerly of Marlborough, Pembroke and Jamaica Plain.

            Bill grew up in Jamaica Plain, and attended Wentworth, and Northeastern University, majoring in electrical engineering. His career evolved from hardware to software engineering, and he worked with McDonnell Douglas, Raytheon, Stratus, and Cisco Systems, from which he retired.

            Bill is predeceased by his wife, Sheila, after 49 years of marriage. He is also predeceased by his brothers Tom, John, and Bob and his parents William and Margaret ‘Peg’.

            He is survived by his brother James (Kathy), his daughters Heather and Lisa, his grandchildren Sara and Dan Cashman, his sister-in-law Sandy, and nieces & nephews, Laura, James, Joe, William ‘BB’ and Robert, as well as a myriad of wonderful Canadian and American cousins.

            Bill was an avid Boston Bruins & Patriots fan, enjoyed exploring his Irish-Scottish heritage, and listening to Celtic music as well as the Pogues, U2 and AC/DC. Bill was known in Marion for his love of fishing, his dry sense of humor and his regular walks along Delano Road with his beloved terrier, Darby. His interests included traveling with his wife, driving to the beach, boating and fishing.

            A visitation will be held at Chapman Funerals and Cremations – Wareham, 2599 Cranberry Hwy. (Rt. 28), Wareham on Saturday, December 13, 2025 from 10 am – 11 am with a celebration of life, prayers and remembrances beginning at 11 am. A luncheon will follow.

            In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Marion Council on Aging, 465 Mill St., Marion, MA 02738 or your local council, as they support aging in place in our communities.

            For directions or to leave a message of condolence visit: www.chapmanfuneral.com

Friends of the Elizabeth Taber Library

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Until December 3, during library hours, the Friends of the Elizabeth Taber Library are accepting “gift worthy” donations of books/puzzles/games/DVDs (no textbooks, please).

            Gift Basket Raffles are currently on display and tickets are available for purchase.

            On the afternoon of December 4, our Holiday Book Sale begins. Enjoy light refreshments during our Preview Day while purchasing sale items. Hours are as follows: December 4 from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm, December 5 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and December 6 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

            The Elizabeth Taber Library is located at 8 Spring Street, Marion. If you have any questions, please call the library at 508-748-1252. Library hours are M/W/F: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, T/Th: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, Saturday: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Sunday: Closed. All proceeds benefit the library.

Jane H. Lonsdale

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Jane H. Lonsdale, 95, of Mattapoisett, died Saturday, October 18, 2025 after a period of declining health.  She was the wife of the late Adrian L. Lonsdale and the daughter of the late Frank P. and Mildred R. Swett.

Jane was born in Arlington, MA and graduated from Arlington High School.  She then attended Connecticut College where she majored in music.  While there, she met Adrian who was attending the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and married in 1950.  They were married for 66 years.  Jane first came to this area in 1966 when Adrian took command of the Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant, then stationed in New Bedford.  In later years, she lived in several places including Thousand Oaks, CA, Arlington, VA and Cape Elizabeth, ME.  Upon Adrian’s retirement, they moved back to Mattapoisett.

Jane completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology at George Mason University and her master’s degree in science at the University of Maine.  She applied her knowledge to help others in recovery from addiction.  She was a clinical supervisor at Edgehill alcohol treatment facility, Newport RI, and later a program director at Gosnold addiction treatment center, Falmouth, MA.

Music remained an important part of her life.  Jane had taught piano lessons and served as a church organist and choir director.  She was a member of the choir at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Marion.

Survivors include her children, Darcy Lonsdale of Northport, NY, Karl Lonsdale and his wife Siriwan of Tampa, FL, and Ross Lonsdale and his wife Maureen of Cape Elizabeth; seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren, five nephews and two nieces.  She was the sister of the late Priscilla L. Reed and Frank P. Swett, Jr.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 11 AM at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, 124 Front St., Marion.  Donations in her memory may be made to St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 545, Marion, MA 02738.

Arrangements by Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham.  For directions or to leave a message of condolence visit: www.chapmanfuneral.com

Department of Transportation Public Meeting

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To the Editor;

            The Department of Transportation Public Meeting will be held on Thursday, December 4th, 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm at ORR High School Auditorium. This is the Last Chance for residents to ask the experts questions about the Main Street, Water Street, Beacon Street and Marion Road reconstruction plan that is currently on the Town Website for viewing. It is the last time for us, the people who live and love Mattapoisett to speak up about the plan’s impacts before it is determined to be put into action. Please attend if you can and read on for further information on submitting your opinions and thoughts.

            My research on this new plan tells me that a few of the trees that were scheduled to be removed, have been saved. My analysis of this plan also shows that only 5 new trees are on this plan and furthermore, as we know from a survey of the existing trees, many of the trees that have been saved have questionable life spans after the disturbance of the road is complete. What is missing from this current plan, and all of the plans that have been presented to us, are ideas that show us a new vision, not just a plan which replaces worn underground utilities and drainage while smoothing out the new surface so that cars and trucks will travel faster.

            I, and many others in this community, have envisioned a plan for the heart of our Village and Waterfront which will enhance the enjoyment of bicyclists and pedestrians, including the aged and handicapped with their assistive devices, not motor vehicles and snowplows. This can be done in a plan with dramatic changes from those previously and currently proposed. A design with features such as bump-outs for tree plantings and benches which provide shade for the people of the community and are proven to slow traffic.

            It is common practice in DOT projects for the landscape architects and arborists to weigh in after this 25% plan is approved, but in our village with space limitations well beyond the norm for DOT projects, it will be too late to provide the space needed for tree plantings and their ability to thrive and grow and provide many benefits for years in the future. Therefore, our voices must be heard now. Written project inquiries, statements and other exhibits regarding this plan may be submitted within 10 business days of this hearing to Carrie E. Lavallee, P.E., Chief Engineer, via email to MassDOTProjectManagement@dot.state.ma.us or via US Mail to Suite 7550, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Project Management, Project File No. 607440.

            I urge all who can to attend, view the hearing on the DOT website if you cannot attend, and submit your thoughts within the limited time frame to see that our Village of the future is the village you hope it will be.

Sandra Hering

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence. All letters must be typed and submitted directly to: news@wanderer.com.

Communal Victory: Nearly 300 Attend Thanksgiving

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On Sunday, November 23, the 32nd Annual Tri-Town Thanksgiving Banquet was held at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School. The event is planned by the Mattapoisett Council on Aging. The event was open to the nearly 300 seniors of the Tri-Town who attended, about 100 from each town.

            ORRJHS students manned the helm, with student-volunteers greeting guests at the door and guiding them to the cafeteria and to seats. Dinner was served shortly after opening statements, with desert being apple pie, a New England fall staple. Finally came the raffle, held every year, with many guests winning ornaments, gift cards, and other goodies.

            Sarah Landry, director of the Mattapoisett Council on Aging, said “The event was fantastic!  The students were kind, thoughtful and energetic all at once. Everyone was quick to introduce themselves and be as helpful as possible to each and every guest.”

ORRJHS Annual Tri-Town Thanksgiving Banquet

By Sam Bishop