Charles W. White

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Charles W. White, a beloved English Professor for over five decades, passed away peacefully at his Marion home, on Saturday, April 4, 2020 after a long illness. He was 83.

            Born in Boston, the son of the late Charles W. and Anna (Haley) White, he grew up in the Allston neighborhood, and fondly remembered his childhood in the 1940s — particularly playing with his pals at Ringer Park and spending Saturdays at the movies. He graduated from Boston Latin School in 1954 and received his BS degree in 1958 from Boston University, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi. After entering the workforce, White realized the importance of pursuing a career he loved, and returned to school to study Literature.

            He attended Tufts University where he received an M.A. in English and taught his first college courses. In 1967, White completed his Ph.D. in Literature at Harvard University; his dissertation, “Benjamin Franklin: A Study in Self-Mythology,” was later revised and published by Garland Press.

            White was a Professor of English, at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, for a record 51 years before his retirement in 2017. His courses — which spanned from large lectures surveying American Literature and Film, to in-depth seminars on Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Wharton, Thoreau, and Melville — were popular for his insightful interpretations, breadth of knowledge, and funny personal anecdotes. His decades-long career was underscored by his activism and passion for free speech.

            Two of his favorite courses to teach were “The American Dream” and “Films of the 1940s,” both of which he created. White also founded UMD’s International Film Series, hosting students and community members for 20 years. Additionally, White was a member of the part-time faculty at Northeastern University for 35 years and taught briefly at UMass Lowell and the University of Hawaii.

            In his spare time, White travelled extensively in the United States and Europe and spent many summer vacations in England. On road trips, he shunned highways and stopped to read historical markers. He enjoyed friendly neighborhood card games, New England sports teams, pub trivia, golf at Allendale Country Club, dining out, attending theater and, of course, reading — especially mysteries and historical novels.

            He is survived by his wife, Patricia (Benham) White of Marion, MA; his children, Sarah (White) Ricard and her husband, David, of Los Angeles, CA; Jennifer White Smith and her husband, Christian, of New Bedford, MA; Jessica White and her husband, John Foster, of Atlanta, GA; Paul Barton and his wife, Nicole, of Plymouth, MA; eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son, Alexander Charles White and his brother, Roger S. White.

            Due to the current health crisis, a celebration of his life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements by Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, Wareham. To leave a message of condolence, visit: www.ccgfuneralhome.com

Communicating About a Communicable Disease

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            Three days before the Town of Marion confirmed its first COVID-19 case, Board of Health Vice Chairperson Ed Hoffer insisted the public gets that information immediately.

            In a March 27 emergency meeting of the Marion Board of Health via Zoom video conference, Hoffer, a practicing physician, said residents need no further information such as address, age or gender because the resulting precautions would be no different than the “stay at home” lifestyle already ordered by Governor Baker.

            “A single positive case is knowledge the public should have. There may be 20 people around town that have normal, winter upper respiratory (illnesses)… this is different legally,” Hoffer told the full board.

            It was pointed out that Hingham’s health nurse was besieged with panicked calls when that town’s first case was announced last week.

            “I know that if I had someone call me right now and wasn’t terribly sick, I’d say… ‘Stay home for 14 days and treat yourself,’” said Hoffer, pointing to over-the-counter treatments. “A lot of people are not taking (social-distancing practices) seriously.”

            Hoffer suggested that, once Marion has a positive case, the town should respond to any inquiries that it is not allowed to give further information and leave it at that.

            It was suggested that, given Hingham’s problems, the board might consider waiting until there are five cases, citing HIV and other diseases communicable by other people or insects.

            Hoffer said that coronavirus is different. “An innocent person does not get HIV by standing in line at the grocery store… you catch HIV because you made a decision to have sex with (an at-risk person),” he said.

            One thing the board apparently agreed on in Friday morning’s meeting was the belief that coronavirus was already in Marion and that it would be naive to think the absence of an officially documented case means the town is safe. That would become a moot point on Monday.

            Friday, the Board of Health moved on a motion for a 14-day quarantine request upon those entering the town from coronavirus hot spots, Town Administrator Jay McGrail and the Board of Health posted a message to the town’s website requesting “that all persons arriving in town from outside of Marion after visiting large metropolitan areas, airports, and other crowded areas, whether homeowners, seasonal residents or visitors, self-quarantine for a period of 14 days upon arrival.” The message also urged anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms to notify their doctor or call the Southcoast Health coronavirus hotline at 508-973-1919 and to refer to marionma.gov for updates.

            New York has been widely recognized as the hottest of hot spots for COVID-19 cases, but Board of Health Clerk Dot Brown suggested including Boston, Chicago, Detroit and “any big city” from which migrating people have begun arriving to area summer homes.

            In light of the $25,000 grant coming into the town from the state, Marion is working on a standard contract for the school nurse, a paramedic, and Council on Aging person.

            A main concern as Friday’s meeting drew toward its conclusion was tracking COVID-19 cases. It was agreed that the town will need to dedicate a person at least part time to track cases and form a central database of information.

Marion Board of Health Emergency Meeting

By Mick Colageo

Mattapoisett Museum Journal Project Seeks Your History

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“Wet and cold again… The cholera seems to increase in England… Rode out and visited an aged woman, quite low. Am troubled with a stiff neck. Omitted going to Rochester, as I intended, on account of the weather.” – Diary of Thomas Robbins, Mattapoisett. April 28, 1832.

            The Mattapoisett Museum wants to document your lives during this historic pandemic. We want to record life in Mattapoisett during the COVID-19 emergency by encouraging you to keep a journal of your life and activities as a witness to this unprecedented time. In addition, keeping a journal can help you cope with the stress and anxiety we are all experiencing. 

            Everyone is having unique experiences at this time such as having kids out of school, working at home, serving the public as a first responder or providing other essential services. Recording these experiences of your day to day lives for posterity gives future generations insights into historic events from a personal level. Keeping a journal can also allow you to reflect on and cope with your experiences.

            While you may think your day to day lives are mundane and trivial, future generations will want to know what you thought and experienced during this time. At a later time, the Mattapoisett Museum wants to collect your journals to record your history and that of the community during this unique period in history.

            You can document your lives by thinking about how your daily routines have changed. Think about your interactions with family, friends, neighborhoods, work colleagues, and religious or volunteer groups, your thoughts and feelings on the current crisis, or anything else you wish to write about.

            The Mattapoisett Museum plans to catalog, preserve and make available any donated journals. Your journal can be handwritten, typed and printed or written digitally (PDF, Word, etc). Please include your full name as the author of the journal and the dates of your entries including the year. The museum will be asking for journal donations at a later time.

            For any questions or if you would like to be contacted to donate your journal, please contact the Mattapoisett Museum at director@mattapoisettmuseum.org or leave a voicemail at 508-758-2844. Please note that the museum is currently closed and voicemail will only be checked periodically. 

Music Moves Body in ‘Better’ Direction

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            Okay, so here we are facing an invisible enemy that has superpowers. Every moment of every day we are now drenched in media, public and social, that reminds us just how bad everything is and how much worse it will become in the following days. What’s a person to do to keep up happy dialog with partners, express joy to children whose intuitive capabilities are sharp, and take care of the sick, the aged, those unable to care for themselves? One step at a time.

            Speaking strictly for myself, that’s the only way I know how to get through hard times. But even after decades of practice, this current problem is creating new opportunities to wonder, “How do I get through this?” It is, after all, much like everything else in life, a very personal journey.

            Just prior to the Governor’s urging that we all stay home, I had three doctor appointments, follow-ups for various physical problems. Those appointments were all canceled in quick succession, leaving me to my own medical interventions.

            Thankfully – and I say that without a hint of irony – I have been in physical therapy off and on for the last, oh, 20 years or so. I’ve had so many mechanical issues over the years that nearly every joint and at least one long bone have been in rehab. Slowly, ever so slowly, each episode of re-educating my brain to tolerate the pain associated with getting soft tissues to respond has also equipped me with a new chapter in my personal, medical, movement encyclopedia.

            There have been months of mending, stretching, embracing the process that says one day soon walking will be better but, in the meantime, “Hold for 30 seconds, go ahead, you can do it, Marilou.” And yes, with steady, hard work, improvement did come, but here’s the shadow, returning me to not quite what I was before the injury or overuse.

            Aging process be damned.

            Now in the void of professional guidance to help me build up and manage problems with my right ankle, left shoulder, L4 and L5 scoliosis, bone spurs in the neck, and the stiff muscles that come with essential tremors; I refuse to give up. I’m working out at home with a vengeance.

            Over the last four years, I’ve collected all the pages of “how-to” perform movements intended to strengthen one’s body parts, as distributed by the clinic(s). I have resistance bands in nearly every color, small hand weights, and even a twin bed turned into a PT table. Add to that the music and well, “Let’s get her done!”

            Turning the tunes to maximum force (well as loud as the dog will allow without yapping), I Zumba my way throughout the house doing warm-up routines. Nothing does a body and soul better than music. I sing at the top of my lungs, and take deep cleansing breaths in a type of yoga I created just for me that incorporates gospel, R&B, and rock music. And in my head, I visualize myself some 30 years younger and stronger, long hair bouncing around – man I could dance all night long. At the end of a tune when I open my eyes and come back to the here and now, everything feels more bearable. The pains are easier to cope with, while the spirit is buoyed once again.

            After a few dance tunes, I return to the repetitions necessary to complete a full-body workout. I count and check-off what I’ve done in my mental notebook of all things good. I feel refreshed, empowered, mood elevated, hope renewed.

            For me, each morning begins the same way. Doing a body scan, smoothing out my thoughts and visualizing fully compliant muscles, strong bones and accepting once again – this is my job. It is my responsibility to take care of my head and body. It’s the least I can do for my family. They have other things to dwell on, they don’t need to be worrying about my health and wellbeing.

            I’ve got this.

            Until I can return to the clinic and hear those words of encouragement once again, “Well done Marilou,” I must try my hardest on my own. As James Brown said, “Get up offa that thing and dance till you feel better!” Trust me, it works.

‘I’ve Got This’ Mattapoisett Life

By Marilou Newell

ORR’s Alex Craig Keeps Training through Unique 2020

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            At the end of the fall sports season, Alex Craig was dealing with a hip injury. It was not one he thought would be a major issue going forward, but something that could become a larger issue if he didn’t handle himself properly. The injury sidelined him for two weeks; then he was only allowed to run lightly for the next two weeks. After that month-long period, the Old Rochester junior was able to start rebuilding his strength and endurance.

            Unfortunately for Craig, the winter indoor track schedule started soon after his period of rest and rehab ended so he decided it was best for him to not compete for ORR during the winter.

            “I knew I wouldn’t be able to race in a lot of (the meets), and I didn’t want to feel pressured to race in them,” Craig said. “I knew if I raced too soon that I wouldn’t fully recover from my injury and it might bug me for a while.

            “It was a tough decision. I thought about it for a while. I definitely didn’t take that decision lightly. I thought it was the best thing to do.”

            But Craig wasn’t throwing in the towel on the 2019-20 season. He was just putting things on hold.

            “There (were) a lot of meets up at (Boston University) in the winter so, I figured, just enter one of those when I felt like I was ready to race again and then see how it went from there,” he said.

            Suffice it to say, it went pretty well for Craig.

            The ORR junior crushed his personal record of 4:36 in the mile, improving it by 17 seconds down to 4:19. Craig also set a personal best in the 3,000 meters with an 8:38 run.

            Those times qualified him for the New Balance Nationals Indoor at the New Balance Track and Field Center at The Armory in New York City in the mile, 2-mile and 5K events. The dates for the meet were March 13-15, the day Governor Baker ordered all Massachusetts schools closed. All extracurricular activities including sports were also suspended and the novel coronavirus outbreak became a much more significant issue in the United States.

            Craig learned on March 12, the day before, that he would not get his chance to compete on the national stage. “It would have been my first time in New York City,” he said. “It was too bad. I was excited for it.”

            With students remaining at home into May, the 2020 MIAA spring sports season hangs in the balance. Craig was hoping to compete with his ORR teammates again after running his own schedule of solo events in the winter. He doesn’t expect there will be a 2020 outdoor spring track season, but he still has something to train for.

            “I have resorted to a Plan B, where there (are) a few local meets that Battle Road Track Club puts on and they’re pretty competitive. They’re up at Bentley College (in Waltham),” Craig said. “They’re called the Twilight series, and those haven’t been canceled yet. There (are) four meets and they’re all fast and they have the mile, 2 mile and 5K so I’d be able to race some of those if they’re not canceled.

            “Some of the earlier ones might get canceled, but I think they have one in early June, which hopefully isn’t canceled. That’s definitely an option to be able to race. Or, if I can’t race, I’m just doing a base-training phase from now until the end of summer getting ready to cross country.”

            As for his training, Craig is still going outside. He’s keeping his distance, which has been a recurring message from the experts dealing with the novel coronavirus outbreak. But he won’t stop working.

            “I’m just having to adapt,” he said. “I’d say I actually have more time for running and focusing on training right now than I normally do, which is good. The classes, they’re still giving us work, but it’s not nearly as rigorous as it would be if we were actually in school so it leaves a lot of open time. And I’m just upping my mileage… and getting my endurance back. So it’s going pretty well.”

Sports Roundup

By Nick Friar

Rochester Land Trust

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The Rochester Land Trust wants to let everyone know that we are not closing our properties. It is a great time to get outside in wide-open spaces and nature.

            We have noticed an increase in the use of our properties (even more than usual for this time of year – the beginning of Spring! 

            Please enjoy the trails and fields, and follow the appropriate federal, state, and local guidelines, as well as being mindful of social distancing.

            Keep dogs leashed so that they do not enter others’ personal space.

            You can find information on our land at this website -www.rochesterlandtrust.org/properties/.

            There is also a link at the top of the page to a trail guide that includes additional public wild Rochester properties.

Rochester Annual Elections Postponed

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            On March 26, the Rochester Board of Selectmen held its meeting in separate locations as members navigated, called in and, after several attempts, found the way to see and hear each other. It’s a new day in conducting the town’s business, as remote-access meeting platforms are taking center stage. After a bumpy start, however, the board members were ready. The public meeting notice listed the log-in details granting full access to the general public. Once all participants identified themselves, the meeting began.

            Chairman Paul Ciaburri called the meeting to order with Selectmen Greenwood Hartley and Brad Morse attending, along with the Town Counsel Blair Bailey and Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar. Listening in were Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon, Chairman of the Rochester Conservation Commission Mike Conway and Town Planner Steven Starrett.

            The primary reason for the meeting was to take a formal vote to postpone the annual town elections. The prepared text for the vote stated in part, “Pursuant to Section 1 of Chapter 45 of the Acts of 220 and because of the state of emergency declared by the governor pursuant to executive order 591, Declaration of a State of Emergency to respond to COVID-19, the municipal town election scheduled for April 8, 2020 is hereby postponed and the Board of Selectmen move the following: to postpone Rochester’s Annual Town Elections scheduled for April 8, 2020, to a date before the end of June 2020… to be scheduled with at least a 20 day notice.”

            The vote also noted the last day to register to vote would be 10 days prior to the date of the election. The local board of registrars will hold registration session on that same date from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and again between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm. The motion also included that absentee ballots would be counted, including any additional absentee ballots received by the town clerk prior to the close of polls on the date of the postponed elections.

            One final point on elections was that all elected officials would retain their term until a successor is “…elected and qualified.”

            After the unanimous vote was recorded, Ciaburri said of the town’s employees under the conditions imposed on everyone due to COVID-19, “Everyone is doing a good job – no grid problems.”

            Szyndlar added that town hall would remain closed until at least April 7. She said that work goes forward, however, with many employees working from home. Of the virus, she said to date there were not any confirmed cases.

            Hartley said that, if legislation drafted by Governor Baker is passed, residents could look forward to relief in real estate tax payments with a postponement until June.

            The selectmen also granted use of remote-access platforms to conduct the town business and to hold public meetings. Bailey said he would work with boards and commissions to assist in the process.

            Starrett asked if the 20-day appeal process would also be extended. Bailey responded, yes, if the governor’s package passed.

            At press time the next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen had not been posted.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Marilou Newell

Sippican Historical Society

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Marion (Old Rochester) is one of the oldest towns in the United States, and the Sippican Historical Society maintains an extensive collection of documentation on its historic buildings. In 1998, the Sippican Historical Society commissioned an architectural survey of Marion’s historic homes and buildings. Over 100 were cataloged and photographed. SHS will feature one building a week so that the residents of Marion can understand more about its unique historical architecture.

            This installment features 35 Pleasant Street. The home at 35 Pleasant Street is a compact, early 1900s Queen Anne residence that was carved from an enormous tract of land owned by salt industry entrepreneur Ebenezer Holmes. The Holmes’s land extended eastward from Pleasant to Front Street and from the backlot lines of house lots bordering Pitcher Street, almost as far south as Allen Street.

Mattapoisett Congregational Church

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In an effort to promote social distancing and prevent the spread of the COVID 19 virus, the Mattapoisett Congregational Church building will remain closed until May 3, however, please be aware that we are having a “virtual worship service” via Facebook every Sunday morning with a YouTube link that will be posted to our website the following week. So “like” us on Facebook or go to our website: mattapoisettcongregationalchurch.org/sunday-sermons/

            For any questions and/or concerns, please contact the church office at mattcongchurch@gmail.com or call 508-758-2671 as both are monitored daily. 

Rochester Confirms First Case of COVID-19

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Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar and Health Director Karen Walega confirm that the Town of Rochester has been notified by Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) officials of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Town.

The individual is currently in isolation per DPH orders. Additional contact tracing by health officials is underway. Close contacts (defined as someone who has spent more than 15 minutes within six feet of a positive case) if any, will be identified, contacted by health officials, and may be ordered to quarantine. Those who are quarantined will be monitored by Rochester health officials to limit the risk of spread.

In order to protect the resident’s medical privacy rights, no additional information will be disclosed.

Health Officials Urge Residents to Stay at Home

Public health officials urgently direct all residents to practice social distancing and remain at least six feet away from others while avoiding congregating in groups larger than 10. Regardless of your age, and no matter if you feel sick or not, follow social distancing guidelines and stay at home away from non-family contacts at this time.

Social distancing will help to minimize exposure among people, especially given that COVID-19 is highly contagious and people may be contagious prior to exhibiting symptoms. Parents should be sure to talk to their children about proper hygiene and prevention methods as well as the importance of social distancing.

Due to the evolving spread of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, Gov. Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory outlining self-isolation and social distancing protocols earlier this month. Massachusetts residents are advised to stay home during this time in order to curb the spread of this virus, with the exception of essential activities such as going grocery shopping or picking up medication.

Town officials would also like to inform residents of the critical importance of not congregating in groups outside. While residents are encouraged to get outside for fresh air, it is unsafe to have groups of people at the playgrounds or playing team and contact sports.

Additionally, all Town Offices, Plumb Library, Council on Aging and Highway Barn are closed until May 4th. All non-essential businesses in Rochester are also closed until May 4th per an order by Governor Baker.

Additional Guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the following guidance for how COVID-19 spreads. In an effort to prevent the spread of flu, colds and other respiratory illnesses, residents should follow the recommended actions from the DPH:

  • For a minimum of 20 seconds, wash your hands frequently with soap and hot water
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
  • Avoid close contact with those who are sick
  • Use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, then throw the tissue away and wash your hands.
  • Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces

As always, if anyone displays symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, cough or shortness of breath, they are advised to contact their primary care physician.

COVID-19 Information Resources

Rochester officials encourage everyone to stay informed regarding COVID-19. The following websites are recommended for the most updated information:

  • Town website: www.townofrochestermass.com
  • Massachusetts Department of Public Health: www.mass.gov/covid-19
  • Massachusetts 2-1-1 general COVID-19 information: Click here or dial 2-1-1 (24/7)
  • Sign up for the Massachusetts COVID-19 Text Message Notification System to receiveimportant updates: text “COVIDMA” to 888-777
  • United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov

Additional updates will be provided as information becomes available.