Is It “Taber” Or Is It ‘Tabor?’

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Sippican Historical Society’s new exhibit, “In Her World: The Life & Legacy of Elizabeth Taber,” opened on Friday, October 10 and will be viewable until next spring. The exhibit showcases much of the history of Elizabeth Pitcher Taber, the altruistic woman who donated much to the development of the Town of Marion and its institutions. Many of the town’s most notorious buildings draw their origin to Taber, including Tabor Academy, the Elizabeth Taber Library, the Congressional Chapel, the Marion Town House, the Marion Music Hall, and many others.

            Containing many artifacts from Taber’s home and life, the exhibit, presented in the historical society’s Ellis Gallery facing Front Street, showcases the times and life of the town’s important historic benefactor. A chair from one of her homes, a diatonic button accordion, some local maps, a doll and doll bed, and a collection of books from her home, including hymns, poems, and even One Thousand and One Nights.

            There are also a reproduction of an oil painting portrait and examples of her signature through the years. The first showcased signature originates from some time before 1872, having her last name spelt “Taber” with an “E.” Around 1880, signing a diploma, she signed her name “Tabor,” with an “O.” Why did she change? Sippican Historical Society Executive Director Alanna Nelson explained, “Well, we’re not really sure.” At some point around 1880, she just began signing her name differently. This led to the strange difference between sites in town, like “Tabor” Academy and “Taber” Library.

            Though she died 137 years ago at the age of 97, Elizabeth Taber’s legacy is present all over town and, for a few months more, can be further inspected and learned of in the Sippican Historical Society.

Sippican Historical Society: In Her World Exhibit

By Sam Bishop

The Rochester Haunted Grange Returns

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Join Troop 31 Saturday October 25 for its 2nd Haunted Grange Halloween Event. This is an all ages, free event, will take place from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Rochester Grange, located at 205 Hartley Road in Rochester. Along with laughs and scares, there will be snacks and drinks. Parking is limited and the line last year was around the building, so come early.

            This event is 100% designed and executed by the youth Scouts of Troop 31 and if your child would like to join in our shenanigans, please see one of the leaders at the event or reach out to us at 774-564-6939.

Public Health is Not a Partisan Issue

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This fall has seen a major outbreak of listeria, a bacterium that can spread via many foods, sickening people in 15 states, with at least 19 hospitalized and four deaths. The outbreak has been tied to packaged pasta meals made by Fresh Realm.

            How did we know this and so were able to recall products sold by Fresh Realm? We knew it because of the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, commonly called FoodNet. This highly successful program monitors labs in 10 states around the country and actively investigates possible food-borne illnesses.

            Despite its critical role in protecting Americans from food-borne illness, the program was drastically curtailed recently. While not closed, staffing was cut and henceforth only two of the prior eight pathogens will be monitored – listeria one of the six cut, along with campylobacter, even though these two bacteria made thousands sick and killed 72 people in 2022.

            More recently, draconian cuts were made to the staff of the Communicable Disease Center (CDC), supposedly due to the government shut-down and President Trump’s goal of destroying “Democrat programs.” [Note that about half the staff fired on Friday were reinstated over the weekend!]

            When I need to know about the description of a tropical disease that may have been imported to the U.S. or want to follow disease outbreaks anywhere in the world, the first place I look is the CDC-published MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports). This publication is usually the first to report on new and emerging infectious diseases.

            No longer, I guess, as virtually the entire staff of MMWR were fired last Friday.

            Despite RFK Jr’s insistence that his top priority was the burden of chronic disease in America, most of the staff guiding our response to chronic disease was also fired, along with those monitoring and responding to the opioid crisis.

            The Director of the CDC was fired last month because she refused to be a rubber stamp for ideologues and said she would rely on science rather than politics in her decision-making.

            I have met many CDC employees over the years. They are dedicated professionals who could generally be earning more in the private sector but believe in the life-saving mission of the CDC.

            We cannot sit idly by while the agencies that keep us healthy are gutted. Write to the White House. Write to your senators and representative. Public health protects Republicans, Democrats and independents. It must not be allowed to fall victim to partisan politics.

            Edward Hoffer MD is Associate Professor of Medicine, part-time, at Harvard.

What Does The Doctor Say?

By Dr. Edward Hoffer

Farming under Panels Ruled Minor

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            The Rochester Planning Board began its meeting Tuesday by endorsing a plan to allow farming underneath the solar arrays at 109 Neck Road as a minor change rather than one that requires a new public hearing.

            The applicant’s representative, Hank Moinet, attending the meeting on Zoom, said the plan is to plant rye grass in the winter and other types in other seasons. He said he was appearing before the board to see whether the new plan would be judged as a major change, which would require posting a new public hearing for a new permit, or a minor change which would be more of a procedural approval change.

            The board unanimously approved the new cropping plan as a minor change after noting an extensive plan that excludes grazing animals has been submitted with the request for a decision. Chair Arnold Johnson said the fire chief was concerned that winter grass could dry out and cause a fire hazard. Moinet said he could live with a condition that the grass be regularly mowed.

            Next, the board reviewed new information on the plan for a floating and ground-mounted solar array at 53 Dexter Lane before ultimately continuing its Site Plan Review and Special Permit hearing until October 28. Project representative Sarah Sterns of Beals and Thomas Engineering reported that floating panels have been removed from the northern end of the project site. The height of the panels is being reduced by 2 feet. A more extensive screening plan will include an olive-green stockade fence behind a raised berm with a long row of evergreens and other trees.

            Abutter Lena Finch of 70 Parlowtown Road re-enforced her past concerns about the project’s impact on her and her husband’s property. She wanted to know what happens when the fence blows down in a storm. She said the glare of the panels would directly hit her home. “My concern is safety and glare,” she said. “If it isn’t properly screened, it will impact the value of our property.”

            Both Planning Board members and the applicants’ representatives responded that the screening would work and be durable.

            “I think this proposed screening is the best possible,” said Johnson, who asked the applicant if there will be screening around the battery storage area as well. Sterns said yes.

            After reviewing new information, the board continued to October 28 the Site Plan Review hearing for a 68-unit, age-55-and-over, senior-living apartment building at 22 Cranberry Highway within Rochester Crossroads.

            Joseph Sanda, representing developer Ken Steen Realty, revealed that, after reviewing notes from the town’s consulting engineer, Ken Motta, the apartment building with 68 units for residents ages 55 and up on a 24,000-square-foot lot has been enlarged by 20 feet. The water drainage will now connect to the other developments on the lot. Three hydrants will be installed. Fellow Steen representative Phil Cordeiro cautioned they are responding to Motta’s penciled notes. Motta’s written comments and more documentation on easements and other expected obligations will be filed soon.

            In other action, the board continued to its November 10 meeting the Definitive Subdivision application hearing for a plan to turn an 8.67-acre parcel at 19 County Road into three lots, involving a plan to retain the existing house lot and create two new lots for additional four-bedroom residential housing.

            The Rochester Planning Board’s next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 27 at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Planning Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

Volunteer

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Dear Editor,

            Several years ago, I was asked by Major BethEllen Parkhurst of the Salvation Army in New Bedford, MA why I volunteered my time there. After some serious thought, this was my answer:

            When I think of all the teams, civic groups, business associations, and committees I have been on during my 79 years of life, volunteering at the Salvation Army has been my most rewarding experience.

            Jesus, in Matthew Chapter 25:31-46, shared something vital with those in the position to help. His pleasure lies with the compassionate folks who sacrifice to meet the needs of the less fortunate. How encouraging it is to see this in action at the Salvation Army in New Bedford.

            In my estimation, the local outreach ministry of the Salvation Army superbly represents the working church of Christ and shines as our area’s Center of eternal hope. For over 135 years, it has faithfully and effectively served others, transformed lives, and brought hope.

            Admittedly, there are no perfect people or organizations. The highly effective missionary work of Salvation Army, however, speaks for itself. On a Christ-like basis, multitudes of the least, last, and lost among us are fed, clothed, supported, and encouraged. The labor of love saturates the atmosphere in this New Bedford service community.

            My reader friend, please consider how you are investing your time, talents, treasures, and energies. The work to be done in our communities for those in dire need is constant, comprehensive, complex, and challenging. By God’s grace and your willingness to join the cause, your local Salvation Army or comparable Christ-driven organization will have the human power and resources necessary to not only fight poverty and despair, but to win the battle in dramatic fashion.

            With Thanksgiving and Christmas soon approaching, will you consider joining me as a volunteer at a Salvation Army facility or similar ministry near you? I promise — you will find it more than worth it.

            Sincerely,

            Steven J. Bouley

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.

From the Land to the Shore: The Wampanoag of Mattapoisett

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On Thursday, November 6 at 6:00 pm, the Mattapoisett Museum is proud to unveil its new, permanent exhibit entitled “From the Land to the Shore: The Wampanoag of Mattapoisett.” Curator and Administrator Connor Gaudet acted as coordinator, curator, and facilitator of the exhibit. Aquinnah Wampanoag historian Linda Coombs was the consultant, curator, and primary author of the text, who writes in her voice from her perspective – that of a Wampanoag person. Steven Peters of SmokeSygnals Indigenous Creative Productions in Mashpee, MA, designed the exhibit panels.

            This exhibit explores the history and culture of the Wampanoag People who have continuously inhabited this part of New England for at least 12,000 years. It follows the story of the Early Contact Period and Colonization through King Philip’s War, and its outcomes on the Wampanoag culture and community as they exist today. The exhibit weaves in local, Tri-Town-Area-related examples of broader historical narratives whenever possible.

            The topics that will be covered in the exhibit include: the early history and traditional life of the Wampanoag, the Great Dying, the contact period and early European settlement and colonization, causes and impacts of King Philip’s War, historical erasure, and the Wampanoag today. Featured will be an authentic diorama depicting a Wampanoag summer village. It was created in the 1990s by the Old Rochester Regional High School art teacher and students and has recently been completely restored.

            Mattapoisett-specific Wampanoag history has been difficult to find because of the impacts of colonization and indigenous displacement after King Philip’s War. What has been found, and some of what will be explored in the exhibit are examples of erasure of the Wampanoag presence from the Town’s physical landscape as well as the historical record.

            Coombs began her museum career in an internship at the Boston Children’s Museum and later worked there in the Native American Program. Coombs also worked for 30 years in the Wampanoag Indigenous Program (WIP) of Plimoth Plantation, now called Plimoth Patuxet, including 15 years as WIP’s Associate Director, and 9 years at the Aquinnah Cultural Center. Presently, she does independent museum consulting and cultural presentations.

            In her latest book, Colonization and the Wampanoag Story, Coombs aims to educate students about the Wampanoag perspective of the European colonization of New England. It was published in September of 2023, as one of five titles in Penguin Random House’s Race to the Truth series of similarly themed stories intended for middle grades. She is also co-author (with Mark Skipworth) of The Massachusetts Chronicles: The History of Massachusetts from Earliest Times to the Present Day, published in 2020 in partnership with Plymouth 400. It aims to provide a new way of looking at Massachusetts history, incorporating perspectives from both the English settlers and the Indigenous people.

            Because the Museum could never fit everything into the panels, a scrapbook that expands on the information in the panel “blurbs” will be included for those who want to dive deeper into various topics and learn about primary sources.

            This exhibit was supported in part by grants from the Mattapoisett Cultural Council, the Marion Cultural Council, and the Rochester Cultural Council, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

            For more information, please contact Katherine Gaudet at katherinegaudet52@gmail.com or visit www.mattapoisettmuseum.org. Additional imagery can be found here.

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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With all the stone walls in our area, I wonder how many people have asked themselves one or two questions concerning them. The first and easiest is the why. Our New England soil is known for being rocky and Rochester’s soil was no different and presented the early settlers with not just how to remove the rocks, but what to do with them.

            Since farm animals would be grazing in fields, there was a need to provide a barrier to their wandering off. A stone wall was the perfect solution. In the case of larger animals, like the ones imprisoned in a town pound, such as the one on Snipatuit Road, the pound walls would simply have been built higher.

            It’s questions about how a farmer with his horse could move the large boulders that we see in some of our area walls that are answered by the “rock scoop” featured in our current exhibit. If you look closely at the picture, you may be able to see the hooks on the sides. There are also spaces for wooden handles. the farmer would hitch the scoop to his horse with the sharp edge facing front.

            When he and his horse approached a boulder, the sharp edge would be placed under the rock and a signal to his horse would have the horse move forward scooping it into the scoop. Then it would be dragged to where the wall was being built. This very old and rusty rock scoop was found in a stone wall at the back of a farm property.

By Connie Eshbach

Garage Hearing Continued Again

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The Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals’ short October 9 meeting continued again its hearing into the variance application for a plan to build a three-car garage in excess of the permitted 1,000 square feet at 447 Neck Road.

            At the board’s September 25 meeting, applicants Chris and Molly Fournier filed the first continuance request for their hearing. The continuance request on October 9 clarified why. Chair Donald Spirlet reported the Fourniers have announced they’ve received a civil engineer’s site plan for their proposal. But that plan is “incorrect and missing pieces required by the town.” He added, “the wheels of engineering move slowly.”

            Spirlet agreed with that sentiment. “I’ll go along with that,” he said as he motioned to continue the hearing to October 23. Board administrator Andreia Lacerda reported the case will be heard on that date.

            In other business, Lacerda reported a new Zoning Board associate member, Keith Riquinha, has been appointed by the Select Board. Riquinha did not, however, attend the October 9 meeting. Town Clerk Marjorie Barrows has yet to officially swear him in.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals will be held on Thursday, October 23 at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals

By Michael J. DeCicco

New Exhibit Draws Nature Close

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As I’ve often said, we are so very fortunate to have in our mists an art center that enriches our lives with theater, song and visual arts, from the one and only Marion Art Center.

            The Nor’Easta couldn’t stop us from traveling down Route 6 to take in the newest art installation that opened on October 13, featuring the creative pursuits of Nanci Worthington and Margaret Bruzelius.

            Both artists draw inspiration from the natural world and have presented visitors with examples of just how magnificent imagination and skill can be.

            Worthington has spent decades drawing butterflies as well as flora and fauna that surrounds her Berkshire home. She is a practitioner of nature journaling, a process by which one becomes an intentional observer of the natural world, from the minuscule seeds spread by animals to the towering white pines and oaks that are shade canopies, from the fungi to the insects and birds. Everything captured by the eye becomes a page in such journals.

            As an artist who has provided nature illustrations for Audubon publications, Worthington butterflies, now on exhibit, also demonstrate her amazing ability to capture not only the spirit of animals but bring them realistically to life, animals that could easily lift themselves from the page.

            I asked how she achieved such velvety quality to the butterfly wings created from pencil. She explained that many of the butterflies were intended to be painted in watercolor. Technical aspects of managing watercolors changed her mission to employing color pencils, applied meticulously, layer upon layer, until a near-3D quality emerges.

            After taking in Worthington’s art, for you really must, you may find yourself nature journaling in your own backyard.

            Margaret Bruzelius’ works employ a variety of skills. First and foremost, the inspiration and imagination needed to take woolen materials and through a labor-intensive process turn them into felt.

            Bruzelius said that by taking old woolen articles of clothing she “up-cycles” them. She cuts the soon-to-be-woven items into strips, washes and prepares the textiles for the next phase of their rebirth, as a hooked rug, or wall-hanging. Her use of one of nature’s most hard-working products, wool, connects this artist to a centuries old craft.

            Bruzelius previously worked in the fashion business as a designer for handknits for magazines such as Vogue Knitting and McCall’s Craft and Needlework.

            After shifting her career direction, Bruzelius earned a PhD in comparative literature from Yale University and proceeded to teach in literature programs at Harvard University and Smith College. For the last several years she has dedicated her time to the art of hooking.

            She claims to be retired, but methinks that is just another way of letting the world know she’s focusing on what brings her joy, taking a piece of woven fabric and turning it into a textural work of art.

            On Saturday, November 1, between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, Worthington and Bruzelius will hold an Artist’s Presentation at the art center.

Marion Art Center

By Marilou Newell

Salty’s Silvery Moon Soiree

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            Join us on Saturday October 25 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm for an evening of fun, family-friendly, fall activities. The soiree takes place at Dunseith Gardens park on the corner of Route 6 and North Street in Mattapoisett (aka Salty the Seahorse Park). We will have music by Jeff Dunn, storytelling by Karen Chace, a toasty bonfire, and plenty of s’mores making materials. Our latest Storywalk will also be posted at the park: “Owl Moon” by Jane Yolen

            Please park in the village and walk, do not drive, to the soiree; there will not be parking available at Dunseith. Bring a flashlight with you to find your way back to your car at the end of the night.

            You won’t want to miss this quintessential autumn evening. All are welcome.