Surfcasting the Cape Cod Canal for Striped Bass

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The Mattapoisett Library is pleased to announce that East End Eddie Doherty will be presenting a fishing seminar including a PowerPoint demonstration featuring stunning color photography by world renowned professional photographer and legendary surfcaster John Doble. “Surfcasting the Cape Cod Canal for Striped Bass” will be presented by the Mattapoisett Free Public Library via Zoom on March 13 at 2:00 pm. The free event is open to the public, but attendance is limited, so reserve a spot by sending an email to jjones@sailsinc.org for registration. A Zoom link will be sent by Library Director Jennifer Jones the day before the event.

            Doherty is a retired Massachusetts District Court Clerk-Magistrate and the author of “Seven Miles After Sundown,”which was announced on Amazon as the #1 New Release in Fishing and selected as an Award-Winning Finalist for American Bookfest in the Sports Category at the 2019 International Book Awards in Los Angeles.

ORR Made Most of Opportunity

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            It would be hard to blame any athlete or coach for turning on cruise control and coasting through the 2020-21 winter season. Given everything that went on in 2020, simply having the chance to participate in sports again could have been enough. During a point in time when the world is still in an odd place, games and practices provide athletes and coaches with a shred of normalcy.

            Rick Regan had reason to settle for that as much as anyone, entering his first year as head coach of the Old Rochester Regional girls basketball team. Not to mention, he only had one senior, Meghan Horan, on the roster. But he and his players showed from day one they had no interest in simply getting back on the court, capping off their perfect 10-0 season with a 41-35 victory over Dighton-Rehoboth in the South Coast Conference championship game.

            “We tried to take it a day at a time, and we talked about getting better every day. That goes for the girls, and that goes for the coaches, too,” Regan said. “We try to work at it so that way we prepare them. That’s our job. We prepare them, but they go out and do it. They just do a terrific job of listening and trying to do what’s in the best interest of the team.

            “What’s great about them is they’re not concerned about their individual accolades; they’re more concerned about coming together as a team. I think that was one of the big reasons (for our success), and Meg is a big part of that because she’s our leader and follows that idea and brings it forward. And the girls follow her.”

            As was the case most of the season, Horan led the Bulldogs with 16 points and 13 rebounds in their SCC title win. The lone member of the Class of 2021 on the roster won’t be forgotten as she closes this chapter in her basketball career, but her teammates will remember her for more than her strong play.

            “Although this season turned out the way it was— and it probably wasn’t how she wanted her senior year of basketball to go— I think Meg did a great job of being our captain,” junior Logan Fernandes said. “She held us all together. Whenever we were down, even if she was fouled out or not in the game, I would hear Meg screaming for us on the court. I think she was a great influence for the whole team. She was a great captain. I think she was a good leader, and I think Coach (Regan) did a good job.”

            On multiple occasions, Horan has expressed her excitement for ORR basketball going into next season. But her willingness to help guide her teammates wasn’t rooted in her investment in the team’s success next season, as important to her as that is. It’s just who Horan is. Being able to be herself in a strange, though successful, season allowed her to learn an important life lesson.

            “Flexibility and adapting to change,” Horan said. “This year, it was important to adapt to change quickly. From that, I was able to become more of a leader and a bigger voice on the court because I was flexible and grew into my position. Being able to accept that it was only going to be a 10-game season and working with other changes was important.”

            For those who will be with the program again in 2021-22, the experience from this season was extremely valuable. The Bulldogs, who battled various types of adversity, including a shortened schedule and pause in play to quarantine, were committed to working as one unit and were successful. The sky’s the limit next season.

            “I’m excited,” Maggie Brogioli said. “We’ll have a strong senior class. The majority of us have been playing together since sixth grade. I think we’ll be strong and have a good season.”

Sports Roundup

By Nick Friar

Drive-In Left Lasting Memories

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            People of a certain age will have memories of going to a drive-in movie theater. As little children, the back seat of the family car became a playground until it was time for the movie to begin. Then we’d be admonished to settle down with our buckets of popcorn, piles of candy, and tankards of soda pop.

            But who can remember when you didn’t need to leave the Tri-Town area to enjoy going to a drive-in? Rochester was home to one of the first drive-in movie theaters on the south coast. We cast a wide net to capture as many memories as possible of those days when people could go to a drive-in right here in Rochester.

            The Carreau family lived on Mattapoisett Road in Rochester. A large family with 10 children (six boys and four girls), the father worked long, hard hours as an overseer in the mills of New Bedford. Leo was an enterprising man who must have had a good amount of imagination coupled with know-how. As his son, the now 89-year-old Gerard, walked down Memory Lane, we were introduced to a father who was a fascinating and dynamic man.

            Carreau said his father held a high position in the mills where he worked long hours. His son said that “as a hobby,” he struck upon the idea of building a drive-in movie theater in his own backyard. “It was located next door to Church’s farm,” Carreau began. “There was a stage and a big screen in the backyard.” He described how his father constructed berms in two loops across the lot so that “the cars would pitch upwards at the nose.” The speakers were strung among the nearby trees.

            Carreau’s memories come to him as a river flows in spring, fast and easily. Exhausting a burst of memory, he waits quietly until another thought comes along. “He rented the films, I suppose, like ‘Frankenstein Meets the Werewolf.'” He chuckled gently at that memory as he also recalls the cowboy movies and cartoons.

            More memories came knocking. “At intermission, he’d play a game like ‘Name That Tune’ and, if you guessed right, you’d get a pot of big silver dollars!” Carreau laughs again, enjoying the opportunity to share what are obviously very fond memories. There was dancing and singing up on the stage, his memory offered, with everyone getting into the fun.

            Carreau said that his father also purchased a building shaped like a bucket from the Doane family of Rochester. He placed the building at the entrance to the lot and sold ice cream, candy, and, he thinks, possibly hot dogs and hamburgers. That structure would later be sold, he said, to Poyant’s Cider Mill in Acushnet. “The kids, us, we had to prep the food, you know.” It was all hands on deck, he said.

            The cost to enter the drive-in was either 25 cents a carload or 50 cents a carload, depending on whose memory one taps. Carreau said that he was about 12 when the theater was in operation around 1951. Others thought it ran until the 1960s. Carreau said his father only had the theater open for about five years, but, regardless of the cost of admission or the timeframe, the experience left an impression on many in the Tri-Town and surrounding area.

            “There would be crowds on the weekends,” Carreau recalled, but for him and his siblings, “We could watch the movies from our living room.”

            To protect possibly the most significant investment of all, the projector, the senior Carreau built a little house, his son remembered. “It was dug into the ground so the cars could see over it.”

            “This was before TV, you know,” Carreau stated, an era when going to the motion pictures was a popular form of entertainment as leisure time became a reality for working people.

            The first outdoor theater is said to have been built sometime in the 1910s, but the first patented drive-in theater came along in 1933. Richard Hollingshead of New Jersey was granted a patent. It must have been a significant personal triumph. As that story goes, Hollingshead wanted his mother to be able to comfortably watch movies. But the narrow seats in the indoor theaters were simply not wide enough for her. Later Hollingshead marketed the concept of outdoor movies as a welcoming place for the whole family, including noisy children.

            Taken as a whole, the popularity of drive-in pictures had a relatively short lifespan. The heyday came during the 1950s and ’60s as families grew in suburban sprawl farther away from town and city centers. In areas where large tracts of land were still affordable, business-minded folks only needed about 15 acres for a drive-in theater. Like this, new recreational attractions, many with playgrounds and some with full restaurants, sprang up across the country. There were an estimated 4,000 drive-ins during this time. Affordable for the family and suitable for date nights, drive-in theaters were extremely popular.

            Then came the ’70s. Technological advances in color televisions and later compact recording equipment made watching films at home convenient. Indoor theaters survived the advent of the video cassette recorder, but the drive-in became an endangered species as cars became smaller and land more expensive. As attendance at the outdoor venues dwindled, owners sold their land to developers. The age of the drive-in movies slipped away. Today there are only 300 drive-in theaters in the country.

            Herbert LaFleur recalls the Rochester Drive-In this way: “They had a big screen in the back of the house.… It cost 50-cents [and] every time I go by that place, I think about it.” Lois Ennis remembered the ice cream stand and the movie screen, but other images have faded with time. Art Brenner recalls the scary movies and going there with his mother, father, and brother occasionally. Several more people could remember the location of the theater, but memories of going, other than to say they went, were simply gone like the theater itself.

            But wait, one senior citizen remembers the Rochester Drive-In as if it were an oasis in a desert. Brad Hathaway of Mattapoisett was a young teenager when his father purchased land on Wolf Island Road to carve out cranberry bogs.

            “Oh, it was awful, hard, terrible work,” Hathaway began as his memories were revealed. His father conscripted him and his brother to the bullwork of turning swamps into bogs. “We wanted to be with our friends on Saturday, but we had to work on those bogs.” He described the blood, sweat, and tears of those Saturdays toiling in the swampy woods, but come evening, they were treated to movies at the Rochester Drive-in Theater. “It was great fun; it was our joy! If we didn’t have that to look forward to, we would have lost our minds,” Hathaway said with a laugh. He recalled Tarzan, Wolfman, and cowboy movies. “It was great; I could never forget the Rochester Drive-In.”

            Sadly, the Carreau family has no documented evidence that the Rochester Drive-In ever existed on Mattapoisett Road. But they do have many lasting memories of their childhood, including having one of the first TVs in Rochester and later one of the first color TVs. And yes, even a bowling alley in the basement for the family’s personal use. “We had pool tables, too,” said Gerard Carreau. “My father knew how to keep us busy.”

            Leo Carreau not only provided for his large family, but he also gave them and many others something far more valuable, the gift of happy memories.

By Marilou Newell

Mattapoisett Seed Library Ready for Checkouts

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Just restocked, the new and improved Mattapoisett Free Public Library’s Seed Library is ready to fill requests! Patrons can now pick exactly the variety of seeds they want by filling out an easy form. The form lists the many varieties of vegetables, flowers, herbs, etc. that we have to offer. After the form is submitted, patrons will be contacted to arrange pick up of their seeds. Participants must be SAILS library patrons.

            If you are interested, you can find a link to the form on our website mattapoisettlibrary.org. If you have any questions or would like to request a link, you can email Michelle Skaar at mskaar@sailsinc.org or call the library, 508-758-4171.

ZBA Approves Revised Waterfront House

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            Stephen E. Goulston of North Easton was awarded his special permit to build a new waterfront house at 27 Nashawena Road under the condition that the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission vet the roof-runoff aspect of his site plan.

            Before the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to grant Goulston the special permit during its February 18 Zoom meeting, revisions to the plan were discussed by board members and Building Commissioner Andy Bobola, along with representatives of the applicant and abutters to the property.

            Attorney Dan Perry and Spencer Lynds of Prime Engineering Inc. represented the applicant, and Dave Davignon of Schneider, Davignon and Leone Inc. represented multiple abutters to the property.

            A main concern, the height of the house, was revised to 34 feet, 10 inches.

            As Perry explained on Goulston’s behalf, “We agreed with the concurrence of Mr. Bobola and the state not to rely on the existing permits and conform the design to existing flood-plain standards.”

            Perry felt that the redesign that lowered grade by 1.5 feet and also lowered the building by 1.5 feet satisfied the height concern. He further stated that the new site plan moved the drainage system to the side of the property.

            “We think we have an application now that is satisfactory to the neighbors and consistent with all the requirements,” he stated, hoping to achieve a vote at the meeting.

            “It appears to me that [the height requirement] has been met,” said Davignon, who asked for clarification on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s involvement. “I’m not clear as to what the explanation was from Attorney Perry relative to why [the applicant] went to FEMA. That was very confusing to me and made me think that the plan of record I have before me has changed. I’d like a little clarification on that if I could.”

            At Perry’s request, Spencer Lynds of Prime Engineering Inc. explained that “The FEMA regulations require you not to exceed 2 feet in fill on the property, so we made grading changes to be in line with FEMA regulations, and those are reflected on the plan …”

            To further clarify, Davignon identified the site plan before him as dated January 21, 2020. Lynds confirmed that one as the plan of record.

            Turning his attention back to the board, Davignon pointed out that the pool was not part of the application. “In my opinion, the pool with its setbacks would require a special permit. Particularly, there’s a deck shown right to the rear lot line…. They did not apply for that, so I just want to make it clear to the board members that there was not a legal ad that was run that included the pool, and any approval tonight for the dwelling to be reconstructed would not include the pool as a part of that application or decision.

            “It may have been approved by [the Conservation Commission], but from a zoning perspective, it would require its own special permit and evaluation by the ZBA.”

            The subject was briefly addressed earlier in the discussion by ZBA member Mary Ann Brogan, who was reminded by Building Commissioner Andy Bobola that the ZBA is “only asked to apply a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ to the construction of a house.”

            Perry acknowledged that the pool might require separate permitting. “If the board acts tonight, it can reference that issue in its decision,” he said.

            Davignon identified a second issue, roof runoff, which is now planned to be directed to a pipe network to the rear of the building and discharged at the point of the seawall. “If we could simply request that the ZBA make it a condition of approval that this plan be vetted through the Conservation Commission, that will be the only way to assure that it’s constructed in accordance with the site plan,” said Davignon, noting that the process would require a new filing or an amendment to the original permit. “If the ZBA puts it in there, then they have no choice but to do that. We would just be concerned that there would be no policing of the pipes being installed properly as it’s not really a zoning issue.”

            Perry said the applicant would agree to submit the site plan to the Conservation Commission, anticipating that it can be handled as an informal amendment to the plan without a new filing. “If you simply reference in your decision our obligation (to file with ConCom), we’ll comply; we have no objection,” said Perry.

            The presence of a swimming pool on the revised site plan was also discussed, but Bobola repeated that, while the pool is a permitted item subject to inspections, its presence on the site plan is not in the purview of the ZBA. The decision relates to the plan for the house only, not the pool.

            Lot coverage did not change from the former plan.

            ZBA members unanimously approved the application with the agreed-upon conditions.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett ZBA is scheduled for Thursday, March 18, at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Mick Colageo

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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Krakatoa was a small volcanic island in what is now Indonesia. As part of the Dutch East Indies, located in the ocean about 100 miles from Jakarta, it was the main one of three volcanic islands probably created by a major eruption around the 5th and 6th centuries. In August of 1883, the volcano which made up the main island of Krakatoa erupted. Earlier in May, there had been reports of tremors, and people claimed to have heard explosions, but everyone believed the volcano to be extinct since its last eruption in 1680.

            The volcanic eruption occurring on August 26, 1883, was one of the most devastating in human history. More than 36,000 people were killed, most not by molten rock or toxic volcanic gases but by the ensuing tsunami. The explosion was so powerful that it sent six cubic miles of rock, ash, and debris into the atmosphere, which caused the darkening of the sky and vivid sunsets around the world.

            As interesting as this is, you’re probably wondering what it has to do with the Rochester Historical Society. There are two connections. First, one of our collection items at the museum (pictured here) is a vial of ashes from Krakatoa donated by Harold Taylor; however, there is no information as to how he came in possession of them. If anyone knows anything about that, I would love to learn the answer to that question.

            The second connection to the Historical Society is that Abraham Holmes, in his memoirs, writes of a day that had many Rochester residents believing the end of the world was upon them. In a letter to his daughter in 1836, Holmes wrote that May 19, 1786 (50 years prior to his letter) was “that remarkable dark day which arrested the attention, the surprise, and the apprehension and fears of all the people thro’ the New England States.”

            He recounts that the darkening began on the banks of the North River and, by 11:00 am, reached Rochester. By noon it was at its height. People lighted candles indoors, “cattle came up and laid down where they usually spent the night; the Dunghill fowl went to roost and the Whip-poor-will sung as usual, as in the evening.” Without the scientific knowledge for an explanation, the most common reason was that the world was ending.

            Interestingly, Holmes’ s date doesn’t line up with New England’s “Dark Day,” which occurred on May 19, 1780, but then all history, especially local history, relies on memory and anecdotes as well as facts. Scientists in the 2000s believe the “Dark Day,” which stretched from Maine to New Jersey, was caused by thick fog and cloud cover created by massive wildfires in Canada. They determined this by examining tree rings and comparing the ring size with related atmospheric or weather events of corresponding years.

By Connie Eshbach

Foster Care

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To the Editor;

            According to the Department of Children and Families annual report, the department provided transition services to 2,742 young adults in the foster care system in fiscal year 2019. Providing youth exiting the foster care system with proper transition services is imperial to a path for continued success. Per the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, the current law in Massachusetts states a transition plan must be personally designed within 90 days prior to the youth’s emancipation whether age 18 or 22 and tailored to the youth’s direct needs.

            The major mission of the Children’s League of Massachusetts is to promote the overall welfare of children and their families in Massachusetts by directly influencing legislation and public policy. The Children’s League supports and advocates for children, youth, and families by focusing on direct needs and common action. One of the current bills the Children’s League is sponsoring is Ensuring Positive Transition for At-Risk Youth. This bill will mandate all youth in the state’s foster care system to be discharged with a detailed, written transition plan. This process will begin when the youth reach age 14. This ensures there is ample time for the youth to transition from the foster care system to a successful adulthood. Supporting this bill would have a direct impact on Massachusetts young adults exiting the foster care system as all programs and services and options will be addressed and approved by a caseworker assigned to the youth.

            You can help these at-risk youth by contacting your local representative and urging them to become familiar with this bill and potentially voting to pass the Act Ensuring Positive Transition for at Risk Youth.

Danielle Bassett, Rochester

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.

George F. Zine, Jr.

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George F. Zine, Jr., 71 of Wareham, died Friday, February 5, 2021 at Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston due to complications from diabetes. He was the husband of Diane M. (Valois) Zine.

            Born in Wareham, he was the son of Ruby Zine of Wareham, and the late George F. Zine, Sr.  George graduated from Wareham High School, Class of 1967 and worked as a machinist for Morse Cutting Tools in New Bedford, and A & M Tool Grinding in Acushnet.

            Active in his Catholic faith, Mr. Zine was a communicant of St. Patrick’s Church in Wareham where he served as eucharistic minister and usher. He also taught Faith Formation at the parish and was Custodian of the N.E. Region for the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate.

            George enjoyed golf, greyhound racing and most recently birdwatching. Most importantly he enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren.

            Survivors include his wife, Diane of Wareham, his mother, Ruby of Wareham; his children, Melissa Olean and her husband David of Fairhaven, James Zine and his wife Annmarie and Peter Zine and his wife Heather all of Wareham; his brother, Michael “Mickey” Zine and his wife Debra of Wareham; 9 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

            Relatives and friends were invited to visit on Tuesday, February 9th at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy. (Rt. 28). Funeral Mass was celebrated on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at St. Patrick’s Church, 82 High St., Wareham.

            Donations in his memory may be made to Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity, 3501 Solly Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19136 OR American Diabetes Assoc., P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA  22116-7023.

Hilda Fernandes (Lage) Laliberte

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Hilda Fernandes (Lage) Laliberte, 88 years beautiful, passed away on Friday, February 19, at her home. She was the wife of the late Edmond Laliberte and daughter of the late Daniel and Anna (Gonsalves) Lage. She was born in New Bedford on February 16, 1933 and was a resident of Acushnet for 60 years. Hilda graduated from Normandin middle school in 1947 and from New Bedford High School in 1951, where she was voted most “happy go lucky”. Hilda and Edmond were married on November 25, 1954 at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church. As a young woman, she worked at United Fruit and later as a saleswoman at Delilah’s Boutique and as a bookkeeper for Smith’s (a local seller of fine goods and products). She was a communicant of St. Francis Xavier Church. Survivors include her children Edmond Laliberte Jr. of New Bedford, Michel Ferguson of New Bedford, Donna Laliberte of Rochester and Mark Steven Laliberte of New Bedford, her elder brother Fernando Lage of Acushnet, her grandchildren, Shawn Ferguson, Jennifer Ferguson, Michael Laliberte, Christopher Laliberte and Julia Laliberte. She is also survived by 5 great grandchildren. Hilda loved being with her family, being outdoors, the ocean and camping. She spent many summer’s camping at Mary’s Pond. She enjoyed traveling with her husband. Hilda was an avid animal lover and enjoyed giving to her favorite charitable organizations, including St. Jude’s, Salesian Missions and various VA support organizations. Her family would like to thank Compassionate Care Hospice team, especially nurse Danielle Charbonneau, CNA Wendy Stevens and Chaplin Ken Hart for their continuous love and support. Also Beacon Hospice nurse Larissa Hoff, Chaplin Daryl Gray and CNA Dulce Mota. A special thank you to Dr. Ahmet Dirican for his loyalty and gift of Elder Home Care Specialist, his office manager Karen for their exceptional love and loyalty to their patients. A special thank you to mom’s loyal private caregivers Doreen Smith and Lenox Rose, for the past 3 years, Paula Almeida and former caregivers Gabriella Medeiros, Bonnie Lee and Rebecca Maldonado. Services will be private with a Memorial Mass at a later date. Arrangements are by the Boulevard Funeral Home 223 Ashley Blvd. New Bedford, MA. For online guest book please visit www.boulevardfh.com.

Gloria Jean (Lunt) Precopio

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Gloria Jean (Lunt) Precopio, 74, of Mattapoisett, MA, passed on Thursday, February 18, 2021, at the McCarthy Care Center in Sandwich, MA, after a brief illness. She was the wife of the late Ralph M. Precopio Sr.

            Gloria was born in Yarmouth, ME, spent her childhood growing up on Frenchboro Island, ME, then lived in the Lewiston-Auburn and Phippsburg areas until moving to Mattapoisett, MA. Gloria is known for her hospitality, always welcoming people into her home and cooking up a storm for friends and family. A creative and fun-loving person, Gloria loved various art forms, cooking, sewing, and is known for her beautiful quilts and papercrafts. For several years, Gloria was the co-owner and a familiar face at the farmstand at East Over Farms in Rochester, MA, where her delicious homemade pies and cookies kept everyone well fed.

            Her friends and family will miss Gloria tremendously. She will always be remembered for her kindness, love, and blueberry pie.

            She is survived by her daughter, Maria Precopio-Giddings of Providence, RI, and her son-in-law Patrick Giddings.

            Memorial arrangements are postponed until warmer weather when it will be safer to gather and celebrate Gloria’s life. The family asks that donations be made to the Cape Cod Commercial Fishing Alliance in place of flowers. Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.