Lenine M. Gonsalves

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Lenine M. Gonsalves, 92, of Rochester passed away on Saturday January 11, 2020. He was the loving husband of Beatrice (Rogers) Gonsalves; they had been married for 67 years. 

            Born in New Bedford, he was the son of the late Manuel and Maria Augusta (Mendes) Gonsalves. Following his graduation from New Bedford High School in 1946, he joined the U.S. Army Air Force where he was a GCA technician. During this period, he was selected to attend the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland from which he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1952. He later received his Master’s degree from Northeastern University. He also completed post-graduate work at Brown University, Boston University, MIT, and City College of New York. 

            Len had been a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He began his long and distinguished teaching career in 1953 at the New Bedford Textile School. Throughout the years he helped to build the electrical engineering department into a world class educational operation. At the time of his retirement in 1991, he had taught for close to forty years, half of those as the chairman of the Department of Electrical Engineering. 

            In 1969 Len went to Saudi Arabia for two years where he helped establish an electrical engineering program and outfit the electrical engineering laboratories at the Saudi Arabia College of Petroleum and Minerals. He later spent the 1979-1980 academic year at the Institute for Electronics and Electricity in Boumerdes, Algeria, again helping to establish a new program. 

            He was a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and the American Society of Engineering Education. He had also been a registered Professional Engineer in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

            He is survived by the love of his life, Beatrice; two sons, Jerrold Gonsalves and his wife Opal of Florida, and Mark Gonsalves and his wife Donna of Georgia; his daughter, Jan Marie Aarsheim and her husband Knute of Marion; nine grandchildren, Eric Aarsheim and his wife Courtney, Kirby Apjohn and her husband Andrew, Keith Aarsheim, Stephanie Fritts and her husband Seth, Jeremy Gonsalves and his wife Monica, Taylor Gonsalves, and Sarah, Tyler, and Tobin Blatchford; and five great-grandchildren, Kenzie, Rylan, Gavin, Cameron, and Olivia. 

            He was predeceased by his son, Dennis Gonsalves and his brother, Tony Gonsalves. 

            Family and friends are invited to attend visiting hours on Monday January 13, 2020 from 4-7 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. His funeral service and burial in St. John’s Cemetery in New Bedford will be private. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Shriners Hospitals for Children, 51 Blossom St., Boston, MA 02114. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

ORR Basketball Starts 2020 on the Right Foot

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            Old Rochester Regional boys and girls basketball started 2020 in a similar fashion, with sizable wins over Case, in which they each scored 60-plus points.

            For ORR girls basketball, their first win of the new year was par for the course. They’ve only lost one of their first four contests this season.

            In the win over Case, they made sure there was no room for doubt regarding the outcome. The Bulldogs knocked off their South Coast Conference opponent 64-11. Logan Fernandes outscored ORR’s opposition on her own, finishing with 14 points. Cadence Johnson almost did the same, scoring 10 in the Bulldogs’ win.

            For the boys’ team, this win was a bit more impactful for their standing. ORR improved to 3-3 on the season and has now won back-to-back games. The Bulldogs knocked off Norton 63-47 to close out 2019 and won 65-39 in their first contest in 2020.

            ORR was led by Nick Johnson and Luke Burke in the win over Norton, scoring 17 and 11 points, respectively. Burke helped lead the Bulldogs past Case, as well. He drilled five 3-pointers in his team-high 17-point performance. He had five rebounds, as did Jonah DePina (eight points) and Johnson (five assists).

            ORR girls hockey opened the 2020 portion of their schedule with a 1-1 tie against Plymouth. Isabelle Stone was the Bulldogs’ lone goal-scorer in the tie.

            The Bulldogs are now 3-2-2 on the season, 2-0-1 in the Southeast Massachusetts Girls Hockey League.

Old Colony

            Hunter Soares scored a career-high 27 points in Old Colony boys basketball’s latest win, in which the Cougars knocked off St. John Paul II 69-35.

            JoJo Cortes was second on the team in scoring, finishing with 12 points. He also had three steals in what was a strong defensive effort for Old Colony.

            “[Our] defense was clicking on all cylinders,” Old Colony coach Matt Trahan said. “The [guys] forced numerous turnovers and also rebounded extremely well.”

            Caden Letendre, a freshman, also logged a career-high, scoring 10 points against St. John Paul II.

            Old Colony is now 5-1 on the season

            Old Colony girls basketball has not had the same fortune as the boys team so far in 2019-20. The Cougars dropped to 2-3 on the season following their 41-22 loss to St. John Paul II, whose size was an issue for Old Colony in the loss, a problem the Cougars have dealt with in years past.

            Olivia Perry was the only Cougar to finish in double figures. She scored 10 points. The only other players who scored for Old Colony in the loss were Savanna Halle (seven points), Kat Kirby (three points), and Hailey Hathaway (two points).

Tabor Academy

            Tabor Academy boys hockey is in the middle of a rough stretch, having lost five of its last six games. The Seawolves’ lone win during the six-game span came in a 2-0 finish against Kents Hill. In each of the five losses, Tabor has lost by four or more goals. The Seawolves are now 4-7 in 2019-20.

High School Sports

By Nick Friar

Edward Wright Sylvia

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Surrounded by his family, Edward Wright Sylvia, 83, of Mattapoisett, passed away on January 9, 2020 from complications of Alpha One Antitrypsin Deficiency.

            Born in New Bedford to Joseph E. and Helen Wright Sylvia, Ed is survived by his wife and best friend Sandra (LaStaiti) Sylvia.

            Ed received his Bachelor of Science degree from NBITT (now the University of Massachusetts) where he was a member of the Delta Kappa Phi fraternity. He was inducted into the UMass Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007. He served for seven years in the Army National Guard.

            Ed had a long and successful career in the wholesale beverage industry in both management and sales and was a prior owner of Trio Liquors and Ocean Vending.

            Ed was a man of tremendous energy and enthusiasm. When he got his first rowboat at age 7, boating became his passion and continued throughout his life. Nothing made him happier than being on his boat Moonstruck cruising Buzzards Bay and the Islands with his family and Cuttyhunk Cruising Club friends.

            A member of the Bay Club of Mattapoisett and the Country Club of New Bedford, he was an avid tennis player and in his later years a so-so golfer. He was also a prior member of the Prince Henry Society and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

            Most importantly, Ed was a husband, father, friend and adored “Poppy” to his grandchildren. He loved people and will best be remembered for his tremendous loyalty to his family and friends.

            In addition to his wife Sandy, Ed is survived by his children Pam Callanan and Barry Sylvia and a large extended family including Lisa and Harry Segalas, Laurie and Nick Bolintiam, Duncan and Gretchen MacDonald and Brendan and Maite MacDonald. Poppy had numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren including Meaghan Olejarz, husband Andrew, and children Lila and Teddy, Alyssa Irvine and husband Brian, Matthew Sylvia, Chris Sylvia, Kyle MacDonald and Jonathan Knoll, Haley Sheets, husband Cody and daughters Kimberly and Olivia, DJ MacDonald, Brendan, Zane, Annie and Mack Segalas and Nelson MacDonald.

            Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial service on Saturday morning June 6th at the Bay Club of Mattapoisett. A private family service was held on Saturday Jan. 11th at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals. Burial with military honors followed in Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven. Donations in his memory can be sent to Alpha-1 Foundation, ATTN: Development Office, 3300 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134 or via the website at alpha1.org. or to The Center for Regenerative Medicine (CREM) and the Alpha-1 Center of Boston University and Boston Medical Center, c/o Dr. Andrew Wilson, 670 Albany St. 2nd Floor, Boston, MA. 02118. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.


BOH Sees Lid Put on Tobacco License cap

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            The Marion Board of Health has for some time hoped to reduce the number of tobacco retail sales licenses in Marion for 2020; however, on January 7, the board learned that placing a cap on tobacco licenses is no longer that simple.

            The board was optimistic that one tobacco retailer in Marion was going to forego reapplying for its tobacco retail license and planned to simply not issue any further ones and reduce the current number, six, to five, thinking it would be the perfect opportunity to reduce the venues in town where tobacco and nicotine could be sold.

            However, Marion Health Director Karen Walega reported that the Kittansett Club has gone ahead and applied to renew its current tobacco retail license.

            According to Walega, town counsel has informed her that the board could amend its tobacco bylaw to restrict tobacco retail licenses to a maximum number, but the board could not just take away any of the licenses it has already issued in order to meet that maximum.

            Furthermore, as it stands now, the tobacco bylaw does not specify a maximum number of licenses, prompting Board of Health member Edward Hoffer to point out, “If a seventh came in we’d have no reason to deny it.”

            Walega said the board could change the language of the bylaw to cap the number of licenses at six, and then lower it over time if possible as retailers’ licenses are surrendered or revoked.

            “If we do not have a cap then we certainly should cap it at a certain number,” said Hoffer.

            Amending the bylaw to place a cap on the number of licenses will require a public hearing.

            “The minute it’s written let us know and we’ll schedule a public hearing,” said Board of Health Chairman John Howard.

            Also during the meeting, Walega described the frustrating circumstances surrounding the attempts to deliver Lauren Fisher an official letter ordering her to vacate her Front Street property and her rights in regard to the matter. Fisher’s house and trailer had been condemned as a result of the findings of a December 11 police search.

            Walega was present at Fisher’s property that day along with the police, animal control officer, representatives from the Animal Rescue League, and the building commissioner, and told the Board of Health on December 12 how she witnessed unsafe and unsanitary conditions within the house, including animal feces and an insect infestation, just before the board formally voted to condemn the home.

            Walega said her first attempt to deliver the letter was on Friday, December 19. When that failed, she went to police station and left the letter with police. According to Walega, an officer was to contact Fisher and make an attempt to hand-deliver the letter.

            “Well, that didn’t happen,” said Walega, who did not return to make a second attempt until January 3 after her vacation.

            According to Walega, Fisher was aware of the attempt to deliver her the letter but refused to accept it. Walega said that on January 6 she wrote a cover letter to accompany the original letter and sent it to Fisher via certified mail; however, Fisher again refused to accept it.

            “In the meantime, [Chief Garcia] gave documentation that he had tried to give that letter several times and it didn’t happen,” said Walega. “She did not receive the letter – and she refused to come in [to the police station] and receive the letter.”

            Walega reported that Fisher did finally receive the original letter, but not without further difficulty.

            “Mrs. Fisher said that she would not sign it, she didn’t want it – her attorney told her not to take it,” said Walega. She said the officer attempting to hand-deliver the letter had placed the letter on the ground in Fisher’s presence and left.

            “According to the police officer, they did pick it up?” asked Board of Health member Edward Hoffer. “So we have documentation that this letter was physically placed, if not in her hand, but in her plain sight?”

            “We definitely have that information, yes,” Walega said.

            Walega reported that some cleaning has begun at the property, but she had no further updates to provide.

            “The question that people keep asking me is, is there anything in any of the documentation about not being allowed animals [in her possession]?” asked Board of Health member Dot Brown.

            “That is animal control,” said Walega. “I have nothing to do with that.”

            Fisher was charged with two counts of animal cruelty, one count of interfering with an investigation, and a count of resisting arrest. She pleaded not guilty to those charges during her arraignment on December 13 at the Wareham District Court.

            In other matters, Public Health Nurse Kathleen Downey reported that in 2019 there were 19 confirmed cases of influenza in Marion; 10 of those confirmed cases were in December alone.

            “That may be an indication of the way things are going (for this flu season),” said Downey.

            Hoffer suggested that this flu season could potentially be one of the most severe in some time.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health will be on January 21 at 3:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Health

By Jean Perry

Mattapoisett Woman’s Club

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The Mattapoisett Woman’s Club (MWC) is pleased to have Jennifer McIntire, President of the Mattapoisett Historical Society, as our guest speaker at our first meeting of 2020. Ms. McIntire will talk about Mattapoisett’s rich history and the role of Mattapoisett women in the community.

            Our meeting is on Thursday, January 16 and is held at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church, beginning at 11:00 am and concluding around 2:00 pm. An informal luncheon is provided by our members. We welcome anyone who wishes to attend our meeting(s) and/or join our Club.

            For more information, contact Christine Voss at 508-758-3348 or visit our website at mattapoisettwomansclub.org.

Sippican Historical Society

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In 1998, the Sippican Historical Society commissioned an architectural survey of Marion’s historic homes and buildings. The survey was funded half by the Sippican Historical Society and half by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Due to the limits of funding, not all of the historic buildings were surveyed, but over 100 were cataloged and photographed. The results of the survey are in digital form on the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s website and in four binders in the Sippican Historical Society’s office (and at the Marion Town Clerk’s office).

            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. The Sippican Historical Society will feature one building a week so that the residents of Marion can understand more about its unique historical architecture.

            This installment features 294 Wareham Road. Built between 1855 and 1879, the Greek Revival cottage at 294 Wareham Road was built as a retirement home for Captain Hale. After the whaling industry faded away due to competition from the 1859 discovery of oil in Pennsylvania, a number of those captains retired to Marion. Captain Hale was listed here in 1879, and his widow, Mrs. B.C. Hale, is listed as this house’s owner by the early 1900s. No Hales are listed here in later directories.

Sarah Jane Madison

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Sarah Jane Madison, formerly of Marion, MA, passed away peacefully in Windham New Hampshire on December 3, 2019.   She is deeply missed by her three daughters, two sons-in-law, five grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and Miss Molly, her faithful dachshund.

                  Sally was born in 1937 in Toledo Ohio, older sister to her beloved brother, Pastor Charles Smith. Her parents, William and Ruth Beard Smith, preceded her in passing.

                  Sally completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of Arizona. As an Air Force wife, she moved her young family eight times in twelve years, until settling down in New England. A well-respected U.S. History teacher at Chelmsford High School, she later became Coordinator of Social Studies. She also co-authored Study America, published by Bantam Books in 1976, and was elected president of the Massachusetts Council for Social Studies in 1983.

                  A proud liberal and feminist, Sally worked on the campaigns of Governor Michael Dukakis, and senators Paul Tsongas, and Bob Kerry. She also marched in support of passing the Equal Rights Amendment.  In 1978, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the Civil Liberties Union together represented Sally against the Chelmsford Public Schools in one of the first sex discrimination cases lodged against a secondary school.

                  Later in life, Sally became a Certified Financial Advisor for Waddell and Reed, winning numerous awards, including “President’s Circle.”  She was very proud to see her clients (many former teachers) achieve their financial goals.   Ever the teacher, she also mentored many new Advisors.

                  Sally moved to Marion in 1993.  An avid sailor in her H12, “Eliza Loveland,” she enjoyed racing as a member of the Beverly Yacht Club.  She was also an active member of the First Congregational Church of Marion where she sang in the choir and served at times as Treasurer and Deacon.  Every summer she enjoyed hosting musicians for the Buzzards Bay Musicfest.

                  In addition to conquering the worlds of education, and finance, Sally loved to challenge herself in other ways as well. She ran the Ocean State Marathon in 1977, biked the Pan Mass Challenge twice in her sixties, and, at age 72, purchased a small RV in which she drove across country to visit her California daughters and grandchildren each winter.

                  As a third generation educator, Sally actively supported her children and grandchildren in their pursuit of higher education, and was extremely proud of their success.  Her family will fondly remember how she loved desserts, her loyalty to her favorite stores, and her wise sayings.  Some favorites are “Always try your best,” “Travel light,” and “This too shall pass.”  Her last words were “I love you all.”

                  A memorial service is being planned for June at the First Congregational Church in Marion.  Donations in Sally’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

Marion Adds New Assistant TA Position

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            Marion’s Finance Director Judy Mooney has earned a new title: assistant town administrator.

            Marion Town Administrator Jay McGrail announced the new position at the January 7 meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen.

            Mooney will not be giving up her position as finance director; her new title, according to McGrail, will be “finance director and assistant town administrator.”

            “I want to thank Judy for everything she’s done,” McGrail said. “She’s been my right-hand person since I arrived here. When we started discussing the responsibilities of an assistant town administrator, I realized that the responsibilities are all things that she does already. Judy’s the person I want helping to run this town.”

            His statement came just as Mooney arrived at the meeting, fresh from another meeting involving the search for a new school district superintendent. McGrail reported that he had initially put himself forward to serve on the search committee, but had come to realize that he had several meetings that conflicted with the search committee’s proposed meeting times.

            “Judy put herself forward immediately, despite all of the other work that she does,” McGrail said. “As she always does.”

            Mooney’s new title will be made official at the next Board of Selectmen meeting.

            The selectmen also discussed the proposal of a recreational marijuana retail store put forward at a previous meeting by Lighthouse Dispensary and Ericca Kennedy. While Kennedy had proposed that the retail marijuana facility take over the location of the former Christie’s gas station, Selectman Norm Hills pointed out that the location is not within the Limited Industrial District in town.

            A bylaw passed by Marion voters in 2018 restricts any future recreational marijuana retailers to operate only within the Limited Industrial District.

            “I think that would be a big problem,” Hills said. Fellow selectmen John Waterman and Randy Parker agreed with Hills.

            In other matters, Marion residents will have the option of attending two public sessions, likely in mid-February, McGrail added. 

            The first, a “State of the Town Trash” session, would be held to update Marion residents on the current state of curbside pickup and trash collection. McGrail noted the myriad concerns of residents when Marion switched to curbside trash pickup.

            “We’d like to let the public know how the curbside pickup is going, and listen to any concerns residents might have,” said McGrail. “I know some residents were concerned with how the Department of Public Works might be structured with the new trash pickup, and we can have [Department of Public Works Director] David Willett there to explain. We also know a lot more about the current situation and future of Benson Brook, and we can speak to that as well,” he added.

            The second session involves a current affordable housing bylaw in Marion. The heads of the Marion Planning Board and Marion Affordable Housing Trust are planning to meet with all members of the Board of Selectmen, as well as Town Counsel Jon Witten, to discuss the future of the bylaw.

            If a proposed 40B housing plan along Wareham Road is approved and constructed, Marion will have surpassed a state mandate requiring that 10 percent of housing in each town be classed as “affordable.”

            Hills reported that Planning Board members are slightly concerned about continuing to require the bylaw if the affordable housing quota is met, as the town could miss out on valuable revenue; the taxes collected on regular-rate housing are much higher than the taxes levied on affordable housing.

            The meeting is tentatively planned for January 30, at 6:30 pm, and will be open to the public.

            The next regular meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen will be on January 21 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Andrea Ray

Enter the Wanderer Groundhog Day Cover Contest!

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Calling all aspiring artists! It’s time once again for the annual Groundhog Day Cover Contest!

            Your original work of art might win you $100 cash and the front cover of the January 30 edition of your favorite weekly community newspaper, The Wanderer, for all to see!

            Grab your paints, markers, pens, crayons, computer mice, cameras – whatever your preferred implement of creativity might be – and submit your best rendering of a Groundhog Day-themed work of art. You could be the winner of the 2020 Groundhog Day Cover Contest!

            You can obtain a copy of the official entry form in person by visiting The Wanderer office at 55 County Road in Mattapoisett, or by visiting www.wanderer.com and downloading a copy to print.

            All submissions must be original works of art (we check, so no cheating) and accompanied by a signed official entry form. Participants may enter just one original artwork into the contest.

            Artwork that is formatted in a tall, portrait format will look best on the cover of The Wanderer.

            Deadline for submissions is Friday, January 24 at 12:00 pm. Online voting will begin on Saturday, January 25, and will remain open until Tuesday, January 28.

            The cover contest winner will be announced in the January 30 edition and will be contacted to retrieve their cash prize.

            Full contest details can be found at www.wanderer.com.

            Celebrate the midpoint of winter with The Wanderer on Groundhog Day and hope for an early spring! Now go, get those cover submissions ready and get them to us before it’s too late!

Marion Community Preservation Act Funding

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Applications for Community Preservation Act funding are now available in the Town Clerk’s office at the Marion Town House located at 2 Spring Street, Marion, MA 02738. The Community Preservation Act is a Massachusetts Law that allows participating cities and towns to adopt a real estate tax surcharge supplemented by State matching funds in order to fund community preservation. Eligible projects must be directed toward open space/recreation, historic preservation or community housing. Applications must be received no later than February 7, 2020, to be considered for presentation at the May 2020 Annual Town Meeting.

            Past Community Preservation funds have been used to:

            • Design of an accessible boardwalk and viewing platform at Osprey Marsh.

            • Secure nine affordable housing units having affordable housing deed restrictions for ninety-nine (99) years.

            • Design and secure permits for Phase I of the Marion Pathway (bike path).

            • Install playground equipment at Washburn Park, the Point Road playground and Silvershell Beach.

            • Protect Marion’s drinking water supply through the purchase of lands and conservation interests in the Mattapoisett River Valley.

            • Catalog the Sippican Historical Society’s archives and complete the town’s architectural survey.

            • Restore Marion’s historic 1937 Maxim fire truck.

            • Restore the Marion Town House