Seahorse Explorer Summer Campers

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The Recreation Department’s Seahorse Explorer Summer Campers theme of the week was “Mattapoisett is Special,” and to discover why, campers headed to the Mattapoisett Museum just around the corner from their home base at Center School. Campers ages 4-7 (Starfish and Crabs) and ages 8-12 (Rays and Sharks) visited on consecutive days.

            Curator and Administrator Connor E. Gaudet introduced them to some pertinent vocabulary about artifacts. The Rays and Sharks enjoyed a walk through the village to learn stories about Mattapoisett’s history from Carole Clifford and Lee Heald. They also participated in a scavenger hunt through the Museum as Education Team volunteers explained the meaning or significance of certain displays or artifacts.

            The Crabs and Starfish enjoyed a seek and find activity with pictures of artifacts on their papers. When they found an item with their group, they received a sticker to put on it.

            All campers wrapped up with Gaudet and were given time for sharing their favorite artifacts in the Museum and to ask questions. The 1940s phone, the blacksmith shop with its huge bellows, anvil and tools, the model of the saltworks and its pans and covers as well as the diorama of the Wampanoag village were all mentioned as favorites.

            Campers and volunteers left after their visits with a better idea of why Mattapoisett IS so special.

Upcoming Events at the Elizabeth Taber Library

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Young readers can visit the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout June for exciting library programs. Our Book Explorers program for grades 1-3 meets at 11:00 am on Tuesdays or 2:00 pm on Thursdays. Library Adventurers for grades 4-6 meets on Tuesdays at 2:00 pm or 11:00 am on Thursdays. Make crafts, discover exciting new books, and level up at your library this summer.

            The Friends of the Elizabeth Taber Library will be hosting “Donation Days” at the library on Saturday, Saturday, July 26, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm in anticipation of the annual Summer Book Sale on Friday and Saturday, August 8 and August 9, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Music Hall in Marion located at 164 Front Street. Additionally, Friends will accept donations on Thursday, August 7 and Friday, August 8 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Music Hall. Books in good condition (no textbooks) are requested, as well as items like DVDs, puzzles, games, and Legos. All proceeds support programming at the library. Please do not bring donations to the Elizabeth Taber Library outside of the Friends’ hosted Donation Days.

            The Elizabeth Taber Library is excited to host baseball players from the Wareham Gatemen at 10:30 am on Friday, July 25. Listen to the players read stories and then play catch.

            In lieu of our regular story time on Wednesday, July 30 we’ll be hosting children’s musician Matt Heaton for a special concert at 11:00 am. Come prepared to sing and dance along to a lively, engaging show. This program is recommended for kids ages 0-5, but all are welcome.

            Prepare your stuffed animal for a special sleepover. Kids of all ages are invited to drop a stuffed animal off at the Library before 6:00 pm on Thursday, August 7 and then pick them up after 12:00 pm on Friday, August 8. You’ll be able to read all about their adventures and receive a special picture of your stuffie.

            Get in the summer spirit with Campout Storytime on Tuesday, August 12 at 6:30 pm. Bring a blanket or towel to sit on the library lawn and listen to camping themed stories, explore a tent, and even make s’mores. This program is recommended for kids ages 0-5 and their adults.

            Celebrate the end of summer reading with Mini Golf from One Up Games on Friday, August 15 between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Rain or shine you can come play 9 holes of glowing golf at the Library.

            Join the Library throughout the summer for yoga on the lawn, Tuesdays starting at 8:30 am. Please bring your own mat.

            For more information on the Elizabeth Taber Library visit us at www.ElizabethTaberLibrary.org or email the library at ETLibrary@sailsinc.org

Planning Board Will Vet ADU’s

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            During the July 22 meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board, the members continued discussion on a new Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) bylaw. Chairman Tom Tucker said, “We’ve been talking about this for months now and we’ve been putting it off because they’re waiting for a full board.” He said it has been difficult to seat a full board, especially during the summer months, but the time had come to put a draft before the public for their review and consideration before Town Meeting in the fall.

            The board will present a bylaw that makes the Planning Board, not the Zoning Board of Appeals, the permitting authority for ADU construction. The same was suggested for the draft for the construction of cottage-style housing in the Route 6 corridor.

            In the matter of crafting new language for the Route 6 corridor, the members agreed that the Route 6 corridor should match general business requirements, usually 400 feet back.

            Member John Mathieu stated, “I would like any lot that has excess property over that line, that 400-foot line, the remainder of the lot shall be included as usable space under the bylaw so, if the lot is 500 feet deep, they can use it all 500 feet back just to extend it.”

            Member Karen Field queried, “Where do we stand with affordable housing?” Tucker noted a developer is welcome to present a plan, but due to economic restrictions no one has come forward to date.

            Resident and well-known businessman David McIntire has been present during the board’s public meetings regarding various types of housing and property-development concepts. On this night, he said he’d been waiting for, “many many years,” to build housing but not 40B housing. He prefers a type of housing that complements Mattapoisett absent the financial restrictions likely to be associated with housing that receives public funding. He said there are details he needs to share in a public forum. He said fine points needs to be articulated, but he expressed concern that sometime these points are lost in debate.

            The board will announce a round of two public hearings to flesh out public comments and fine tuning of bylaw changes and creating new bylaws.

            The board moved to finish bylaw drafts for both the Route 6 corridor (cottage-style housing units) and ADU’s and to post public-hearing notices in the coming weeks.

            In the matter of updated rules for roadway acceptance, updates and recommendations will be sent to the Select Board for their review and consideration.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, August 4.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

A History of the Mattapoisett Town Band

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            Mattapoisett has had a town band since the mid-1800s. It’s likely it was formed the same year the town was incorporated: 1857. Archeological forensics notwithstanding, what we do have is very compelling.

            Thanks to the Mattapoisett Museum, we have photographic evidence, historical instruments, and early handwritten musical scores. Photographs show the Mattapoisett Cornet Band. The band is shown at a town event with Civil War veterans but no veterans from World War I. This leads us to believe the photo was taken between those two major wars (1865-1914). These bits of historical data help to establish a time frame for the band.

            Digging a bit deeper in our quest to establish a date for the band, we found the museum has an instrument called an “ophicleide.” This fascinating wind instrument looked like a saxophone which plays in E- flat. This brass horn was invented in 1817 and was produced until 1920. The ophicleide was replaced by the helicon in the mid-19th century.

            Playing a significant role in the transition of instruments used in marching bands and brass bands was the helicon. Its design was critical in the development of the sousaphone in 1893, while the ophicleide would become the saxophone in 1841. Inside the case holding the ophicleide is a book of music, hand copied in 1867.

            J. White band music and instrument depot of Boston produced the book of music. White passed away in 1885, and the depot closed around 1909. There is a J. White band music catalog in the Library of Congress archives.

            The Mattapoisett Cornet Band’s drum lettering changed with the word “Cornet” disappearing around 1900. It was replaced by just “Mattapoisett Band” by 1905.

            Unfortunately, we do not have a precise date for the Mattapoisett Band. We can, however, confirm with certainty that 1900 is the year the Mattapoisett Cornet Band disappeared. Therefore, we have chosen 1900 as our starting point.

            Please join us for our 125th celebration on Wednesday, July 30, at 7:00 pm at Shipyard Park. The band will receive a citation from Massachusetts State Representative Mark Sylvia in recognition of our long history, and we will perform a special musical program.

By Band Director Jayson E. Newell

Edward J. Sylvia

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Edward J. Sylvia, 84, of Mattapoisett passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on Monday, July 21, 2025, surrounded by the members of his family who loved him – Susan, his wife of 56 years, his caring daughter Marjorie Lee and loving grandson EJ, who gave their endless love and support during his courageous battle with cancer, along with his sister Kathleen and several close friends.

            Ed was born in Wareham, MA and grew up in a farmhouse in Mattapoisett, MA with his mother, father, three brothers, and their little sister. One of Ed’s favorite stories to tell was how he would ride his horse, “Sparky”, to elementary school and leave him to graze in the field while he was in class.

            Ed graduated from Fairhaven High School before proudly serving in the United States Air Force as a Basic Airman from 1961-1964, when he received an Honorable Discharge. Ed was so proud of his country and would happily let anyone and everyone know about it. He subsequently went on to receive his BS in Business Administration at Southeastern Massachusetts University, and his MBA at Loyola University in Chicago.

            Ed met Susan in 1967 and they married in 1969. They were each other’s second half. They lived in Longmeadow, MA for 30 years where he and Susan raised their two children. Ed was an avid sports fan. He enjoyed coaching little league baseball and watching his children participate in various sports. His daughter Marjorie was truly his pride and joy and “Daddy’s little tomboy”, who he so proudly raised to be one of the top athletes in Western Mass.

            Ed worked as a Loan Officer for Bank of Boston in Springfield, MA, then fulfilled his life-long dream of owning a sporting goods store, before retiring as an Auditor for the Commonwealth. Ed and his wife retired to his hometown of Mattapoisett, MA in 2008 and spent 17 years of joyful retirement together, which included yearly vacations in Florida to visit friends and family. During retirement, Ed enjoyed his morning coffee with “the men” at the Galley and watching his grandchildren play competitive sports. Ed and Susan always looked forward to their daily chats and weekly visits from their grandson, EJ, and traveled far and wide to watch him play soccer, baseball, and hockey. Ed was so thankful to have been able to watch EJ play college hockey at Bridgewater State University this past winter. Ed held a special place in his heart for his grandchildren.

            Ed leaves behind his loving wife of 56 years, Susan (Briggs), his daughter Marjorie Lee, her husband Eric, and their son EJ, of Carver, MA, his son Matthew, of Southwick, MA, and his children, Joshua Edward, Katelyn, and Megan, his daughter Lauren Applebee, her husband Tom of Levant, ME, and their two children, James and Kaitlin, along with several great grandchildren. He is also survived by his two brothers Albert and John, and his sister, Kathleen, along with several cousins, nieces and nephews. He was pre-deceased by his brother Robert.

            A loving and heartfelt thank you to all of the friends who became our immediate family during this difficult time, and to the doctors and nurses at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, MA, the doctors and nurses at SouthCoast Health Cancer Center in Fairhaven, MA, the nurses and staff at SouthCoast Hospice, Veterans Affairs in Mattapoisett, MA, as well as our caring private home health care nurses, who allowed him to spend his last months comfortable at home.

            Ed’s Funeral Service will be held Monday, August 11, 2025 at 12:30 pm in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett. Burial will follow in the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne. Visiting hours will be Monday from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm, prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ed’s memory may be made to Knights of Columbus Council 4190, P.O. Box 483, Mattapoisett, MA 02739 or SouthCoast Hospice, 200 Mill Rd., Fairhaven, MA 02719. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

The GOP’s Disturbing War on Voters’ Voices

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To the Editor;

            The GOP’s Disturbing War on Voters’ Voices.

            In a healthy democracy, the will of the people is sacrosanct. Elections are held, votes are counted and the outcome, whether popular or painful, is respected.

            In Massachusetts, and in particular, in Mattapoisett, the town meeting form of government is a system whereby citizens directly participate in enacting local laws, passing budgets, and authorizing town spending. It’s a form of direct democracy where registered voters can attend, speak, and vote on matters presented at the meeting, typically outlined in a published Warrant. Mattapoisett’s form of local government is Open Town Meeting.

            At an Open Town Meeting, any registered voter may attend and vote on all, or only some, of the matters presented in the Warrant. Attendance is by no means required. The Warrant is circulated well in advance of the meeting date, and it is the responsibility of the voter to educate themselves on the topics covered in each Article and Robert’s Rules of Order.

            On May 12, 2025, Mattapoisett held its Annual Open Town Meeting and presented voters with a Warrant comprised of 34 Articles on which to vote. Article 34 was the Citizens’ Petition proposing to expand our current select board from 3 to 5 members. It was the last Article on the warrant as is typical with Citizens’ Petitions.

            Article 34 was advanced on the warrant from the last item to be voted on to the 5th. In advance of our Town Meeting, select board member Tyler Macallister appeared on a local radio talk show and discussed how he had planned to ask that Article 34 be moved up on the warrant and encouraged registered voters to vote against it. Neither this sponsor nor its proponents of the Article played any part in asking the Moderator to advance the Article on the warrant for voting purposes. With no objection being raised, Article 34 was voted on as the 5th matter.

            There was vigorous debate in the public forum, and after an effort to derail voting on the substance of Article 34 was voted down, Town Meeting voters approved Article 34 to increase our select board to 5 members by a simple majority, all that was legally required. The Moderator always has discretion to call the vote based on a show of hands or by voice and there was no objection at the time to the vote count nor a request for an actual count under Robert’s Rules of Order.

            After two subsequent Select Board meetings, the Board conceded that legally they could not impede the submission of the Citizen’s Petition to our State Legislative delegation for filing of Legislation, the first step in the process of becoming law. However, not before certain members of our Select Board attempted to argue that the vote on this Article was somehow invalid because attendees left after voting and didn’t stay for the remainder of the meeting; or they felt the vote was further invalidated because non-registered voters participated in the vote, for which there was no evidence.

            In recent years we have seen a growing faction within the Republican Party take a very dark turn, one that undermines the very foundations of democratic rule. We are experiencing a dangerous trend not just of questioning election outcomes, but of actively working to override or suppress them.

            Across the Country we have seen state legislatures stripping power from elected officials simply because they are Democrats. We have read about partisan election boards refusing to certify the results of elections they don’t like. There have been documented instances of brazen gerrymandering and purging of voter rolls in an effort to dilute the voice of Democratic voters.

            The GOP nationally has embraced tactics that prioritize political control over public consent. The seismic moment in this movement was Trump’s refusal to accept the outcome of the 2020 election which he lost. Since then, the GOP across the country, including here now locally in Mattapoisett, has led efforts to subvert the will of the voters.

            As an example of this disturbing trend, look no further than what Chair of the Mattapoisett Republican Town Committee is advocating. The Mattapoisett GOP Chair is circulating a Citizen’s Petition which seeks to override and suppress the will of Mattapoisett voters by “repealing Article 34”. Article 34 passed at Town Meeting by the simple majority legally required.

            The hypocrisy of the GOP is staggering. This party claims to be a champion of freedom and local control. Yet, when those freedoms lead to outcomes they disagree with, it abandons principle for power. This should be alarming to all voters.

            Democracy is not a partisan issue. You don’t have to be a Democrat, Republican or anything in between to recognize the danger in refusing to honor the voice of the voters. When anyone, whether they be elected politicians or a local political party leader, tries to silence, suppress or sideline voters to cling to control, we are no longer talking about democratic disagreement. We are talking about authoritarian drift.

            The voters of Mattapoisett have spoken. Silence in the face of erosion is complicity. Listen to their voices and accept the outcome of the vote at Town Meeting. Drop the efforts to repeal Article 34.

            Respectfully,

            Nicki Demakis, Author of Citizen’s Petition/Article 34

            Mattapoisett

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.

Mattapoisett Yacht Club Race Results

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The battle continues on Tuesday night in the Ensign class as Black Ice and Odyssey again end up tied after the two races. Similar to last week, Black Ice winning the first race and Odyssey the second. Both boats finished second in their other race leaving Odyssey the winner in yet another tie breaker. Both boats share first place in the July Series. Right behind them Brass Monkey beat out Brou Ha Ha in a tie breaker for third place for the night. This leaves only one point between Brass Monkey, Brou Ha Ha and Uncle Fester for the third spot in the hotly contested July Series.

            Wednesday Night PHRF Series – Kindred Spirit continues on its hot streak winning its third straight race in the A fleet July series. Restless came in second with Surprise third, No Quarter Given fourth and Coconuts fifth.

            In B fleet there is a protest filed by Fir Na Tine against Kinsail and the outcome of the protest has a huge impact on the nights’ results. Kinsail ended up the winner of the race but if disqualified Chickadee would become the new winner having come in second to Kinsail. Lindisfarne, finishing third may move into second and Fir Na Tine May move to third. Rounding out the B fleet are Big Dipper in fifth and Seven Belles in sixth. There’s still 2 races left in the series, and this protest is definitely shaking things up.

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church

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Visiting priest, The Rev. Nathan Humphrey, Rector, St. Thomas’s Church, Toronto, Canada will conduct services at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, next to the Town Beach, in Mattapoisett on Sunday July 27. Services, using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, will be held at 8:00 am and 10:00 am. All are welcome to attend.

Parking Headaches and New Patrol Boat

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            From a new police vessel, parking issues at Island Wharf, and delinquent boat-mooring permits, the Marion Marine Resources Commission’s meeting on July 16 at the Island Wharf Dock office led to some long discussions.

            Parking issues around and on Island Wharf, within the village district, remains a growing concern for the MRC and other town entities. Commissioners mentioned that the MRC often is the target of complaints when people attend concerts nearby or weddings on the weekends and see boat trailers parked on the boatyard.

            Harbormaster Adam Murphy and MRC Chairman Vincent Malkoski Jr. say there are permitted commercial vehicles that have every right to park on Island Wharf. He also said that a fence blocking off parking at Island Wharf raised some concerns from residents recently.

            “There is a misconception of trailer parking. We sell commercial permits to any entity that uses the docks, piers and parking for the landing,” Murphy said. “So, when you see boatyard equipment in the parking lots, they are permitted to be there. … What I think is happening is we get a complaint or two, and it gets pushed further than it should be pushed.”

            Malkoski, who is on a subcommittee to address parking in that area, says the Department of Public Works, under the direction of the Select Board, installed that temporary fencing.

            Malkoski said this is a decades-old problem, and he has raised concerns since January. He has also attended three Select Board meetings on the matter. Both he and fellow MRC members say it is an issue that impacts the entire community, including businesses nearby that rely on summer traffic for revenue.

            Malkoski said swales in the area have also reduced the parking footprint over the years. The growth of music at the bandstand and weddings being held nearby have only worsened the issue. Murphy reported that on July 4 weekend, there were 400 cars parked in the area. He said that one positive trend is some Marine Division staff members have directed traffic on some busy Saturdays.

            “Hopefully, we will have some creative solutions,” Malkoski said. “We want people to use the harbor, but we do not patrol parking permits.”

            Murphy also unveiled the new harbormaster police vessel which was procured through a grant. He said this will come with blue lights and distinct lettering, as well as software to run background checks on boaters. It was mentioned the lights will distinguish it as a police boat only because oftentimes civilian marine staff members patrol the waterways but do not have enforcement authority.

            “It will significantly differentiate. People will know, when that boat comes, the police are there,” Murphy said.

            He said the former harbormaster police boat will be auctioned off and revenue will be allocated to the general treasury.    

            Murphy and the MRC are working on a comprehensive harbor management plan, and Murphy also updated the MRC on 50 moorings without vessels.

            Murphy said of those 50, 40 are commercial entities. Those commercial entities will be receiving a letter to resolve the problem. He said the 10 others will get a warning for not having a permit. If they do not pay, they will have to remove the moorings at their own expense.

            He also touched upon wind sticks that have been abandoned.

            Murphy said for the wind sticks, a good policy to adopt will be to send a letter to those people holding spaces, give them a set timeframe to remove them or harbormaster staff members will remove them.

            Murphy prefaced a topic for next month’s meeting: kayak racks at town waterfronts and people who pay for kayak rental space but are not using them. Murphy proposed that kayak rentals should be done on a first-come, first-serve basis but that topic will be addressed at the next meeting.

            The next meeting of the Marion Marine Resources Commission was not scheduled at adjournment.

Marion Marine Resources Commission

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Updates to 1950s Houses Approved

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            The Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals met briefly on Thursday, July 26. The board saw over and approved three Special Permit requests with Building Inspector Bill McGrady present.

            They began with a Special Permit request from 7 Spruce Street, filed by owner Katherine Myatt. The owner seeks to remove the current deck and, in its place, build a three-season, enclosed room. The new room would encompass the already existing footprint of the deck.

            Architect Steve Keller presented the plans, explaining it is “really, a very simple project.” The existing house was built in 1955 and has seen some modification in that time. The new sunroom, the same as the existing deck, will measure 14×16 feet, with no alteration to the existing home. Following the presentation, the Special Permit was granted with a unanimous vote.

            Next was a Special Permit request for 9 Oakland Terrace filed by owner Joan Black. The applicant seeks to construct a 16×28-foot addition. This home was also built in 1955, with the addition to the single-family home adding another bedroom, totally three. The request was approved with a unanimous vote.

            Attorney Chris Markey filed a Special Permit request for 4 Beach Road on behalf of owners who seek to demolish and replace an existing garage with a finished space above, with the addition being classified as an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). The footprint would be “slightly larger,” though there is no major change to setbacks. Due to recent renovations to the home in the last 20 years, the board agreed the new garage would be more consistent with the design of the home. The permit was granted with a unanimous vote.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for Thursday, August 21 at 6:00 pm in Town Hall.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Sam Bishop