Mattapoisett Woman’s Club Scholarship

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Mattapoisett Woman’s Club is pleased to offer two $2,500.00 scholarship awards to Mattapoisett residents who are high school seniors, graduating June 2019. 

            In addition there will be a $1,000.00 scholarship granted to a Mattapoisett resident

who is reentering the academic world after graduation and is in pursuit of a post-secondary degree. Contact information below.

            The Mattapoisett Woman’s Club is a philanthropic organization that plans and executes fund raising events to help generate the revenue for these scholarships and other charitable donations. In offering these scholarships, the club supports educational leadership and helps to support the community whom has partnered with the club in its fundraising efforts. 

            For High School seniors the scholarship application will be available in the Guidance offices at the local high schools or preparatory schools. Deadline for returning the completed application is April 30.

            The following schools will be participating: Old Rochester Regional High School, Bishop Stang High School, Old Colony Vocational Tech High School, Tabor Academy, Bristol County Agricultural High School

            Final deadline for returning completed applications is April 30, 2019 – no one will be considered after this date.

            If you have any further questions, you may contact the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club at P.O. Box 1444, Mattapoisett, MA 02739.

Kenneth C. “Kenn” Cutler

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Kenneth C. “Kenn” Cutler, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard (ret.), age 79 of Rochester, MA, passed away February 15, 2019 at Tobey Hospital, Wareham, MA, surrounded by his loving family.

            He was born on May 15, 1939 in Quincy, MA to Charles and Dorothy (Knapp) Cutler. Raised in Abington, MA, he graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT in 1960.  On September 7, 1963, he married Maryann Haugg of New York City.

            After receiving his commission as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, he served on USCGC ESCANABA (WHEC-64), on USCGC VIGILANT (WMEC-617) as plank owner and Operations Officer, and on USCGC VALIANT (WMEC-621) as plank owner and Executive Officer. He was also the Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard LORAN Station in Greenland, District One (Southern) Director of Auxiliary, and an instructor at the National Search and Rescue School on Governor’s Island, NY. His personal awards included the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Coast Guard Commendation Medal. He attained the rank of Commander and retired in 1980 after serving more than 20 years.

            Following retirement, he returned with his family to the house he purchased in Rochester, at the beginning of his Coast Guard career. He purchased a small pallet repair business in Rockland, MA and volunteered many years with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. He was a member of St. Rose of Lima parish in Rochester.

            Kenn is survived by his wife of 55 years, Maryann; their children Lisa Gray, Charles Cutler, Michael Cutler and his wife Deborah, and Casey Cutler and his wife Wioleta; grandchildren Evan Gray, and Sage, Simon, and Amelia Cutler, all of whom brought great joy to his life; brother Robert S. Cutler, and sister-in-law Rosemary Cutler; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends. He is predeceased by sister Trudy Kelley and brothers Donald and Lawrence Cutler.

            His visitation will be held from 4-7 pm Wednesday, February 20 at Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 50 County Road (Route 6), Mattapoisett. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10 am Thursday, February 21 at St. Rose of Lima Church, 282 Vaughan Hill Road, Rochester. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, or the U.S. Coast Guard Foundation. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

RMS Draft Budget Shows 3.25% Increase

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            The Rochester School Committee viewed the draft fiscal year 2020 budget on February 7, which sees the general education budget increased by just 1.5 percent ($22,512) more than last year’s budget, and special education up 9.43 percent ($184,722), for a total overall school budget increase of 3.25 percent, or $203,476.

            General education increases revolve around maintaining staffing with some teacher shifts, including moving one general education teacher over to special education and an additional paraprofessional, and 75 new Chromebooks, which means grades 2 through 6 will now use Chromebooks as part of their school day.

            “The big thing that this budget will support would be keep that staffing and the programming and materials that we purchased … and maintain that 1:1 [device],” said RMS Principal Derek Medeiros.

            Social/emotional professional development continues around the “responsive classroom” model, and RMS will seek funding for a new vertical social studies curriculum that teachers will first “test drive” and then pilot with the sixth grade. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elise Frangos said some grant money she has tucked away would provide for some of the cost of the licenses for the digital materials and some hard copy books as well.

            The special education budget has saved some money in out of district tuition and transportation costs, down by $130,133, and the increase in the budget includes that teacher who was shifted from general to special education.

            There was no vote taken that night, as the budget subcommittee must still meet with representatives from Rochester’s Finance Committee, Board of Selectmen, and the town administrator, and then the School Committee will hold a budget public hearing before voting.

            “We’ve asked the Town to help us with some capital expenditures,” said Superintendent Doug White, “one being around our math program, which would allow us to purchase that curriculum for the next three years. I’m hopeful that we will get that support.”

            The proposed FY20 budget rings in at almost $6.5 million.

            Apart from budget talks, Medeiros told the committee that the student population at RMS currently stands at 504 students.

            The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee is scheduled for March 24 at 6:30 pm at Rochester Memorial School.

Rochester School Committee

By Jean Perry

RMS Students Learn Through ‘Play’

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Mr. Tom Kinsky teaches second grade at Rochester Memorial School (RMS) and has pioneered several creative projects including the establishment of a popular organic garden that can be seen and accessed from the playground and an educational classroom production for students and family members.

            The final performance of the “2K Theater” on February 1 included a reception for the actors and audience.

            “On January 31 and February 1, my second grade class at RMS put on a play for parents and classmates entitled “The First Tortilla,” an adaptation they created of a Mexican legend telling how tortillas came to be part of the Mexican diet,” Kinsky said. “The play was a big success, with characters such as villagers, jaguars, a hummingbird, ants, two brave young girls, even a Mountain Spirit.

            “One of the highlights of the play was the scene where an on-stage volcano exploded and lava came shooting out of the crater. After the last performance, students enjoyed Mexican-themed snacks which their parents brought in, before getting to work on the set take-down and room clean-up.”

ORRHS Term 2 Honor Roll

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

            Highest Honors, Grade 9:Amanda Armanetti, Colby Gross, Brooke Hammond, John Kassabian, Amaya McLeod, Maggie Nailor, Emma Thorell, Autumn Tilley, Jennifer Williams, Stephen Arne, Grade 10:Benjamin Austin, Steven Carvalho, Alexander Craig, Mariana Ditata, Jordan Duarte, Rachael Fantoni, Sydney Feeney, Davis Fox, Rachel Foye, Maeve Geraghty, Isabelle Kelly, Madisyn Leavitt, Katelyn Luong, Rebecca Milde, Evan O’Brien-Nichols, Serena O’Connell, Faith Oliver, Bessie Pierre, Daphne Poirier, Evan Smith, William Stark, Kathleen Tenerowicz, Jessica Vance, Emma Vivino, Emma Williamson, Grade 11:Stephen Marston, Ella McIntire, Rachel Perry, Amanda Rapoza, Mackenzie Riley, Kylie Silva, Grade 12:Danya Bichsel, John Harrison Burke, Julia Cabral, Marisa Cofone, Ian Friedrichs, Sydney Green, Kelsea Kidney, Rosemary Loer, Michaela Mattson, Carly O’Connell, Kevin Ovian, Elsie Perry, Lauren Pina, Harrison Riley, Taylor Swoish, Gates Tenerowicz 

            High Honors, Grade 9:William Baltz, Isabella Correia, Matthew Curry, Jillian Ferreira, Mia Hall, Faith Humphrey, Isabella Hunt, Ethan McElroy, Emily Murphy, Olivia Mydlack, Victoria Perry, Marc Pothier, Mackenzie Wilson, Grade 10:Maya Blouin, Curtis Briggi, Emma Carroll, Margaret Carroll, Carly Drew, Abigail Forcier, Prosser Friedman, Meghan Horan, Stefan Hulsebosch, Jillian Langlais, Eva Angeline McCann, Abigail McFadyen, Christian Noble Shriver, Caroline Owens, Eren Salta, Paige Sommers, Sophie Vigeant, Elizabeth Wiggin, Samantha Winters, Grade 11: Colby Alves, Tova Brickley, Jack Cadden, Michelina Ditata, Zoe Kelley, Elise Mello, Aidan Michaud, Luke Mullen, Natalie Nilson, Danielle Nutter, Grade 12:Bryce Afonso, Gabriella Amato, Mary Brulport, Elsie Buckley, Sara Campopiano, Genevieve Grignetti, Daniel Hartley, Holden King, Samantha Nicolosi, Elisa Normand, Avery O’Brien-Nichols, Meghan Rebello, Aidan Ridings, Ashley Soares, Madison Welter

            Honors, Grade 9:Jaelyn Allen, Jasmine Andrade, Jared Asiaf, Nathaniel Bangs, Katelyn Bellemare, Erin Besancon, Sally Butler, Corrine Camara, Palmer Clingman, Erin Craig, Meredith Davignon, Emily DellaCioppa, Benjamin DeMoranville, Caleb DeVoe, Tiago Duarte, Adam Forrest, Isabel Friedrichs, Hannah Furtado, Edward Gonet, Taylor Green, Ava Hall, Aiden Harrington, Isabella Hedges, Mia Hemphill, Isabella Hunter, Quin Kirby, Lauryn Lent, Jake Louden, Sean Lund, Jamie MacKenzie, Sofia Martins, Drew Mastovsky, Isabelle McCarthy, Caroline Milam, Drew Miranda, Steven Morrell, Katherine Nilson, Apollo Prefontaine, Zachary Proffit, Charles Richards, Natalya Rivera, Hannah Rottler, Robert Salit, Desmond Sinnott, Carson Spencer, Callie Tavares, Hannah Teixeira, Emma Thayer, Gabrielle Theodore, Maxwell Tucker, Angelina Vaughan, Allison Ward, Joel Watters, Cameran Weaver, Klara Whalley, Madeline Wright, Emma Wyman, James Yoo, Joseph Ziino, Grade 10:Isaiah Andrade, Novalye Arruda, Alexia Blais, Skylar Cardwell, Shelby Carmichael, Isabella Carrillo, Mia Costa, Andrew Coucci, Jillian Craig, Tessa DeMaggio, Cole Dennison, Sebastian Domal, Joseph Dumas, Lindsy Durgin, Christopher Gauvin, Lindsay Holick, Mia Hurley, Molly Janicki, Sean Lally, Jaeda Lopes, Brianna Machado, Colin Mackin, Aidan McLaughlin, Luke Millette, Aidan Milton, Jason Motta, Samuel Noblet, Tucker Nugent, Lindsey O’Donnell, Brian Palker, Jonathan Pereira, Rachel Pina, Raegan Rapoza, Leah Scott, Kennedy Serpa, Sophia Sousa, Jacob Spark, Nuntanut Subannawong, Anna Terteryan, Mason Tucker, Alexandra Vanderpol, Reily Veilleux, Kayli Vieira, Tyler Wadman, Paige Zutaut, Rachel Zutaut, Grade 11:Felicia Aguiar, Cole Ashley, Kate Beaulieu, Meghan Berg, Sarah Besancon, Peyton Blood, Gabrielle Bold, Jonathan Borsari, Camden Brezinski, Mary Butler, Lucas Costa, Jackson Cote, Thomas Coucci, Dante Cusolito, Jacob Demoranville, Evan DeSousa, Samuel Dunn, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Emma Gabriel, Lilah Gendreau, Grace Greany, Tucker Guard, Hunter Hanks, Ruth Harris, Jillian Higgins, Gabriel Jacobsen, Nicholas Johnson, Audrey Knox, Grant Labrecque, Emily Larkin, Grayson Lord, Alexa McLeod, John Meehan, Gwendolyn Miedema, Alexandra Moniz, Megan Nolan, Rebecca Pacheco, Allison Paim, Mason Pina, Cecilia Prefontaine, Alyssa Quaintance, Robert Ramsay, Byanca Silva, Alexi Smead, Nicholas Snow, Hannah Stallings, Sofia Sudofsky, Gracey Weedall, Aiden Woods, Grade 12;Maggie Arruda, Samuel Austin, Zoe Bilodeau, Lea Bourgeois, Marc Bourgeois, Michaela Braz, Jacob Cardwell, Sophia Clingman, Brielle Correia, Maya Doonan, Nicole Fantoni, Jada Fields, Alexandra Fluegel, Adrian Gleasure, Pavanne Gleiman, Chandler Goulart, Lily Govoni, Madeline Hartley, Mariana Hebert, Jordan Hoeg-Chick, Kristina Hopkins, Abigail Horan, Amelia Isabelle, Kaitlin Kelley, Nikolas Ketchie, Logan King, Tyler Kulak, Victoria Kvilhaug, Nolan LaRochelle, Jake Mourao, Alexander Murteira, Bryce Nightlinger, Claire Noble Shriver, Chelsea Peterson, Lily Poirier, Ana Poulin, Mia Quinlan, Jonathan Riley, Ansley Rivera, Brett Rood, Madeleine Root, Robert Ross, Timothy Saunders, Geneva Smith, Sarah Sollauer, Delaney Soucy, Michael Stack, Robert Sylvester, Adam Sylvia, Nicholas Thayer, Nathan Tripanier, Maxwell Urion Nelson, Natalia Wierzbicki, Samuel Wiggin, Raymond Williams, Mariyah Wright, Lily Youngberg, Lauren Ziino

February Vacation Programs at Plumb Library

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On Tuesday, February 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm at the Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library, 17 Constitution Way, Rochester – Science at the Library: Metal Exploration. Join Ms. Emma, Old Colony Voke welding student, for “Science at the Library: Metal Exploration, to explore properties of metal. Registration is required. Register at the Plumb Library’s Event Calendar found on their website. This program is best for ages 5 and up.

            On Wednesday, February 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, Science at the Library will explore the senses. Join Ms. Beth from Ebb and Flow Wellness for an hour of sensory exploration. Registration is required. This program is best for ages 5 and up.

            On Friday, February 22, 12:30 pm -1:30 pm, Science at the Library: Join Ms. Brenna, Jr. Friend of the Library, for an exploration of pressure and suction. Registration is required. This program is best for ages 5 and up. 

            On Thursday, February 21, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Plumb Library will host Family Bingo! Register on the Events Calendar for a fun hour of family friendly BINGO! All ages are welcome. Adults can play, or help their children. We will play several games. Small prizes will be awarded per game. Please bring a gently used book to donate to the prize selection! THIS IS NOT A DROP-IN EVENT. Registration is required to plan for space configuration and games sheets.

            On Friday, February 22from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, children of all ages (and a grown-up if needed) can register for a “Thank Goodness It’s Friday story time” and craft with Amos, our therapy greyhound, and his “mom”, Holly. Holly and Junior Friends will read stories to Amos and children, and then do a craft project. Registration is requested. 

            For more information about these and other programs at Plumb Library, call 508-763-8600, or email info@plumblibrary.com

Town Stuck with Failing Trash Truck

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Marion is scurrying to find a solution to its continuing saga of its main curbside trash collector truck’s persistent habit of breaking down, delaying trash collection sometimes for longer than one day, and costing the town tens of thousands of dollars in seemingly futile repairs.

            The truck was recently repaired again after its latest breakdown and, according to interim supervisor of the Department of Public Works, Jon Henry, the truck was “all put back together,” as Selectman Randy Parker put it, but it was back at the mechanic soon after.

            “It’s got the same problem it went in there with,” said Parker on February 8. He said the Town was billed “for work that got done that wasn’t needed,” apparently, so the actual problem was not repaired. The work that was done, however, caused a chain reaction, said Parker, which then blew out the truck’s radiator.

            Now the mechanic says the truck needs a new engine entirely at an estimated cost of $50,000.

            “I have no confidence in this truck, even as a backup truck,” Parker said.

            The selectmen know for certain that continuing on repairing the truck is not a long-term solution, and barely is it a short-term solution, either.

            The problem is that buying a new truck, even a used one, will require Town Meeting approval, and the Annual Town Meeting is still three months away. Meanwhile, the truck continues to breakdown. And another costly repair such as this latest one, Parker said, “It’s probably a pretty expensive temporary fix if the voters decide to go in another direction.”

            “We may have to call a Special Town Meeting; I don’t know at this point yet,” said Town Administrator Paul Dawson.

            And then there is still the matter of ordering a new truck, which, by the time the funds are made available on July 1, would likely take until November to be delivered. The selectmen may be forced to ask Town Meeting for funding to lease a trash truck in the meantime, which is currently $1,250 per day, an option the DPW has had to take sporadically over the past few months in order to keep up curbside trash collection. If there is a chance at getting a lower rate for a longer-term lease, selectmen might consider it as a viable temporary solution.

            The selectmen are seeking bids from businesses to outsource the town’s trash collection and may instead ask Town Meeting voters to approve funding for a contract with a vendor, but the discussion will continue as the options are studied.

By Jean Perry

The Vocal Barred Owl

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            Two new friendly neighbors who live nearby on Indian Road of Sconticut Neck in Fairhaven report seeing a barred owl perched during the day on a tree limb above their homes. As avid bird watchers and readers of my wildlife columns in The Wanderer, they both stopped me there on my usual afternoon walk to announce the exciting news of this mid-winter visitor.

            The barred owl gets its name from the deeply colored bars on the feathers of its wings and tail. It is also known as the puffy headed hoot owl with a large sturdy body streaked and spotted with variated brown, buff, and white coloring, as in my illustration.

            It is considered very vocal because in the dead of night it calls out a startling eight loud hoots! The first four sound like “Who cooks for you?” and the second four end with a southern sounding drawl “Who cooks for ya’ll?” It is only one of three owl species with black eyes. This color adaptation renders the barred owl’s sight effective only for seeing in the dark. The yellow eyes of the snowy owl are for diurnal vision of night and day, and the orange eyes of the great horned owl are for dim light of either dawn or dusk.

            Its sudden presence here might be explained because the male of the species only migrates a short distance. It moves into urban habitats like Indian Road for winter, and then in spring back to the thick woodlands. Its diet includes small terrestrial mammals, birds, lizards, and snakes, but also fish, crayfish, and crabs of the shoreline aquatic habitat.

            When barred owls begin to mate in late winter, they give forth a loud series of howling screams that are quite frightening. This scary performance is called “caterwauling.” It sounds like monkeys fighting in the treetops, as in the saying ”Two is company and three is a crowd.” Mating owls are said to perform aerial acrobatics while wildly soaring upward in a mating dance to this unearthly din. The owls subsequently mate and then nest in the cold of winter.

            As as each egg is laid, they are forced to immediately begin incubating, resulting in a size variance that can be detrimental to survival of the last to hatch. Nests can easily be located and identified by finding a number of hairballs all around and beneath the nesting tree. These are indigestible pellets of bone and hair from their diet, regurgitated and spit out to the ground below.

            Nesting owls have been known to dive bomb human intruders approaching a nest of their brood. Consequently, it is better to bird watch from a respectable distance. I will remember that in my future walks, possibly having the third largest owl in New England, after the snowy and great horned, watching my every move in passing down Indian Road.

            Let me conclude my tale of this wise old owl with its anthropomorphic existence keeping us awake at night with its human-sounding conversation. I hope that I have painted a natural and mystical picture of lasting impression to enjoy with me, in environmental awareness, on one of my afternoon walks.

By George B. Emmons

Tabor’s Winter Music Recital

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Join the Tabor Community at the Applied Music Recital on Monday, February 18at 6:30 pm in the Lyndon South Auditorium of the Stroud Academic Center, 242 Front Street, Marion. The recital is free and open to the public.

            Students involved in the Winter Applied Music Program have been studying their instruments with private music teachers at Tabor. In all, there are 13 private music instructors who come to campus to teach weekly lessons on voice and a variety of instruments. The students in the Winter Applied Music Program dedicate their afternoons to work both individually and in small groups to increase their proficiency and improve their ensemble skills. 

            The recital will feature seniors Kelly Chang (cello) and Ayi Dolby (piano) as well as junior violinists Xuanru Liu and Kyohei Tabata and junior cellist Violet Southwick. They will be performing an eclectic mix of music ranging from Maria Theresia Paradis and Georg Eduard Goltermann to a blues piano piece by Martha Mier, with two movements from a violin concerto by Giovanni Battista Viotti as well. 

            Please come and share in the fun and excitement of this live musical performance.

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To the Editor:

            Benjamin Franklin is credited with once stating, “It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.”

            Though not initially perceived by many, the general public has always been the main watchdog of governmental action, activities, and decision-making at all levels.

            It is the use of important civic mechanisms like the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law that helps keep state, regional, and local government both transparent and accountable. This in turn helps government to appropriately serve the persons it is meant to serve, the public itself.

            Whether it is on Beacon Hill, at the county complex, or the municipal town hall, it is truly unfortunate that sometimes those in government appear to forget this very simple, yet key fact, and why they are supposed to be there. They are supposed to be there to promote the public good and protect the public interest.

            If you believe that a public committee, board or commission meeting has been conducted improperly, or that resulting decisions may be contrary to the public interest, then it is time to file an official Open Meeting Law complaint, or make inquiries with the Attorney General’s Office, Division of Open government via email at: openmeeting@state.ma.us or by phone at: 617-963-2540. 

Ron Beaty, Barnstable County Commissioner

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wandererwill 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 Wandererreserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderermay choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wandererhas the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wandereralso reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.