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 533 Mill Street. Route 6 existed as a Native American coastal trail for centuries before the first English settlement of Marion in 1679. The Cape Cod home at 533 Mill Street was built in 1818, but is said to incorporate a room that dates to the late 17th century. The first identified owner of this home was Barnabas Holmes. He was a Quaker school teacher descended from Isaac Holmes, one of the original members of a local Congregational Church founded by Rev. Samuel Arnold in 1703. Barnabas Holmes and his wife, Sarah, left considerable property to the Town of Marion. The Holmes estate left $2,000 to the Old Landing Cemetery Association to “beautify the cemetery in which my family is buried”.

Richard J. Barrett

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Richard J. Barrett, 73 of Mattapoisett died December 30, 2019 at Brigham & Women’s Hospital after a period of declining health. 

            He was the husband of Patricia Nicholson. 

            Born and raised in New Bedford, son of the late Edward and Yvonne (Masse) Barrett, he lived in Mattapoisett most of his life. 

            He was formerly employed as an instructor in the automotive department at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School for many years until his retirement. 

            “Dickie”, when not helping others or out and about socializing with his large network of friends, could usually be found in his work shop, affectionately known as the “Sawdust Café”.  He was a true perfectionist when working or helping others with projects.  He had a lifelong interest and knowledge of all things mechanical and structural. He always was willing to help his friends with anything at anytime, anywhere if they had an emergency. Those who knew him could count on him and he was always at the ready and available to provide advice, tools, or with anything related to all aspects of construction, word working, or home projects regardless of the magnitude of the job.  He took pride in his ability to remain true to his Northern New Bedford roots and stayed close with his very large family.  Dick was most proud of his professional accomplishments and the students whose lives he positively affected while working and retiring as an automotive instructor at the Greater New Bedford Vocational High School.  Dick loved participating in all outdoor and athletic activities that were available to him, including, skiing, boating, riding his Indian motorcycle, tennis, softball and working out at the “Club”. In his later years, he participated regularly in yoga and pickle ball. Dick had a unique ability to meet a stranger while out socializing and shortly thereafter become good friends with them because he possessed the ability to connect with others either with his sense of humor, or easy way of communication.  His smile is legendary, and exemplified the good natured man that he was.  Needless to say, Dick will be sorely missed by all those whose lives he touched.

            Survivors include his wife; 5 brothers, Roland Barrett and his wife Patti of Milford, James Barrett and his wife Nancy of Mattapoisett, Rene Barrett and his wife Dawne of Easton, Edward Barrett and his wife Evelyn of Lakeville and Charles Barrett and his wife Cheryl and Godson CJ of Dartmouth; 3 sisters, Jeanine Sasseville and her husband Gene and Goddaughter Susan of New Bedford, Claire Tellier and her husband John of Norwich, CT and Celeste Paleologos and her husband Phil of New Bedford; and many nieces and nephews. 

            He was the brother of the late Marc Barrett. 

            His Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, January 11th at 11 AM at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 121 Mt. Pleasant St., New Bedford. Visiting hours will be Friday, January 10th from 3-8 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Rt. 6, Mattapoisett. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Mattapoisett Community Sailing Association Inc., P.O. Box 947 Mattapoisett, MA  02739. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Robert Niemi

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Robert Niemi, 78, of Rochester, died peacefully Wednesday, January 1, 2020 surrounded by his family at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford after a long illness. He was the beloved husband of Judith E. (Cusick) Niemi.

            Born in Wareham, he was the son of the late Everett E. and Theresa L. (Mestieri) Niemi. Mr. Niemi received his Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering from Southeastern Massachusetts University, now UMass Dartmouth and owned and operated Niemi Electric for over 40 years. He was also a third-generation cranberry grower.

            Mr. Niemi was a member of the Redmen Cromesett Tribe # 156 and the Wareham / New Bedford Lodge of Elks # 73. He was an avid hunter, enjoyed golf, fishing and spending time with his grandchildren.

            Survivors include his wife, Judith of Rochester; his children, Sally Niemi-Farhoody and her wife Nassrine of Auburn, Stephen Niemi and his fiancé Trisha Osborne of Wareham, Jeffrey Niemi and his wife Lisa of Rochester, and Jennifer Proffit and her husband Steven of Rochester; his sisters, Elizabeth Galavotti of Cheyenne, WY, and Catherine Doris of Westport. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Michael and Mary Niemi, Zachary and Jake Proffit, Cameron and Courtney Osborne, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

            His funeral will be from the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., (Rt. 28), Wareham on Fri., Jan. 10, 2020 at 9 am followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Patrick’s Church, High St., Wareham at 10 am. Interment will follow in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Wareham.  Visiting hours will be Thurs. from 4 – 7 pm at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Assoc. of MA/NH, 309 Waverley Oaks Rd, Waltham, MA 02452.

Cougars Goal: Refinement

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Old Colony boys basketball is playing well, but they are far from satisfied.

            For the Cougars, the 2019-2020 year was going to present a challenge the program hadn’t dealt with over the last four seasons. That’s because the Cougars’ roster doesn’t feature Jake Jason for the first time since the Old Colony alum was in the eighth grade.

            But the Cougars have responded well to his departure. JoJo Cortez and Hunter Soares were major contributors for Old Colony’s 2018-19 team and so far have taken charge of the team this year. As of now, the Cougars are 3-1 and have defeated Coyle Cassidy by over 40 points and Bristol-Plymouth 64-33 in their latest matchup, a game in which Cortez scored 21 and knocked down four 3-pointers.

            “[JoJo] shot extremely well,” Old Colony coach Matt Trahan said about his point guard’s performance against the Craftsmen. “Our defense played well. We crashed the glass like we like too, and we got out on the run. We scored in bunches and played sound defense.”

            However, Trahan and his players got together on the morning of New Year’s Eve. They wanted to tighten up a few things.

            Even though they’ve won by significant margins, the Cougars identify there is plenty of room to improve.

            “We’re playing well, the problem is there’s things within the game that need to be done in a cleaner fashion,” Trahan said. “We turned the ball far too much in our last game. It really kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.

            “We’re just kind of holding the kids accountable for – yeah, great you won the game, but we’re still not playing to our ability, so we got back in the gym [Tuesday] and kind of corrected some things,” continued Trahan. “We certainly need to work on taking care of the ball and protecting the possessions.”

            Part of what’s led to the Cougars’ turnovers has been the team’s unselfishness. Old Colony doesn’t solely rely on Soares or Cortez to provide the offense. Soares wasn’t even Old Colony’s second-highest scorer in the win over Bristol-Plymouth. (Jarrett Taylor scored 11 and Ryan Scott had eight).

            But when the game is on the line or Old Colony’s opponent is taking control of the contest, the Cougars will need Cortez or Soares to take control.

            “They’ve already proven to me that anybody at any time can take the ball and really make it happen. They’re really unselfish… It’s a fine line. You don’t want to be selfish, but there are times where they have to know, ‘I have to take it on my own,’” Trahan said. “ I think they know it’s going to be JoJo or Hunter who’s going to take that final shot.”

            Unselfishness is not a problem that Trahan minds, though. Ultimately, that approach should make it easier for the Cougars to work toward their greater goal of being a more refined team by the end of the year.

            “I’d say that we’re a very talented team that definitely has the ability to mature throughout the season and can certainly fill up the basket,” Trahan said. “But we need to do all those things that kind of make us – we want to play clean basketball. We’re not there yet.”

High School Sports Update

By Nick Friar

Selectmen Call Another Special Town Meeting

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            The Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen has scheduled another Special Town Meeting for January 14 in order to amend the language of one part of a warrant article adopted at the October 21, 2019 Special Town Meeting.

            Article 20 as a whole authorized the town to borrow $2,535,000 for various the Public Works project. The part the town needs to amend pertains road and drainage improvements to Industrial Drive, a new pedestrian crossing signal at the Park and Ride on North Street, and the construction of a shared-use path from North Street to the Mattapoisett/Marion town line.

            The article specified that the work would only proceed if the town received two particular grants – a Mass Works Grant from the state and a federal US Economic Development Grant for a grand total of $1,470,000; however, according to Town Administrator Michael Gagne, the town only received the US Economic Development Grant in the amount of $750,000.

            The amendment proposed deleting the section specifying that the work would only proceed pending the two named grants and adding in the following: “The Town’s share of the project cost $1,665,000 must be matched dollar for dollar from Federal and State Grant/Funding sources to be used towards the project.”

            “The feds are very strict about having all your authorizations in place,” said Gagne on December 27. He called the article amendment a “housekeeping” matter and confirmed that the town’s bond counsel has approved the new language.

            Gagne is still optimistic that the town will be awarded a state grant within the $650,000-$750,000 range.

            “We think we have the strong possibility of getting some more grant money from the state,” Gagne stated. “We’re working closely with the state and our representative and it looks like we may have some money as early as July 1.”

            According to Gagne, an additional $50,000 in funding has been offered from the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path.

            Gagne said the delay in the possible receipt of the state grant would not impact the timeline of the project, adding that the design plans should reach 75-percent completion by the end of the month, and the permitting process should proceed come February.

            “[January 14] is not the greatest time to have a town meeting,” commented Gagne, but if the town can get a special town meeting quorum of 50, he said, the project would be $750,000 closer to fruition.

            The Special Town Meeting is scheduled for 6:30 pm on January 14 at Old Hammondtown School.

            The next regular meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen is scheduled for January 14 at 7:00 pm at Old Hammondtown School following the Special Town Meeting.

Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

Free Job Coaching Sessions at the Mattapoisett Library

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Looking to change careers or to get back into the workforce? Executive coach Debbie Pickup is offering free one-on-one sessions over six weeks at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library.  Interested persons can sign up to meet for resume assistance, interview skill-building, and other career support by calling the library at 508-758-4171 or emailing spizzolato@sailsinc.org. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 pm beginning on January 7. Sign up for one or more sessions and receive discreet support and skill building to meet your career goals.

            Debbie Pickup has an extensive background in healthcare, human resources, and coaching. As a career coach, Debbie has helped individuals align their professional goals with personal values by building awareness and creating action plans that deliver results. Her coaching style is that of an objective listener who provides straightforward feedback encouraging individuals to view things differently in support of their goals and strategy for change. She holds a Master’s of Science degree in Management and a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Salve Regina University in Newport. She was certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and is a certified Myers-Briggs practitioner.

Making it an Early New Year’s Eve

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            Some of us stay up till midnight to ring in the New Year and some of us don’t. And the general pattern of the New Year life cycle is a seemingly common one.

            When we are very young, try as we might, the odds of making it to midnight on New Year’s Eve are against us. A little older and perhaps none the wiser, staying up until midnight is not only easy, but also fun! Welcome a baby or two into the family and nothing is worth losing precious sleep over. After a few more years, staying up for the countdown – however physically possible – often feels far too overrated. Then comes a point when it starts getting harder and harder to make it to midnight even when we want to.

            Few are the years in life when making it to midnight on New Year’s Eve is both possible and practical. This might be why these midday mock-midnight New Year’s Eve-Day parties are catching on.

            At midday at the stroke of 12:00 pm, there were at least two places in the Tri-Town holding a celebratory space for the populations that find it the hardest to stay awake to welcome the New Year: those who’ve experienced the fewest years, and those who’ve racked up the most.

            At the Elizabeth Taber Library on December 31, Children’s Librarian Rosemary Grey welcomed the youngest partygoers to a festive gathering in the children’s room with party hats and tiaras, horns, prize poppers, cookies, and a little bubbly apple juice for a “pretend it’s midnight” party.

            “Come on in; we’re having a party!” said Grey as she welcomed the steady trickling-in of guests.

            It was an intimate assembly of half-a-dozen little girls and their parents and grandparents who enjoyed some coloring, puzzles, snacks, and some books, of course.

            After a few first lessons in celebratory horn blowing, everyone gathered around the big screen for a visual countdown to the start of the unofficial 2020 New Year.

            Over in Rochester, the Council on Aging hosted its annual New Year’s Eve-Day party at the Senior Center where guests enjoyed their own version of a mock-midnight party with Chinese takeout, a round of non-alcoholic bubbly, and a barrage of noisemaker clatter all their own.

By Jean Perry

Indicted Refuse Director Ray Pickles Dies

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Former executive director of the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District and Marion’s former executive secretary, town clerk, assessor, and building commissioner Ray Pickles died on December 20 just two days after turning 86, according to an obituary posted by Bartlett Funeral Home.

            Pickles was facing criminal charges that stemmed from his role as the executive director for the Carver/Marion/Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District, a position he held for 28 years.

            The board that oversees the CMWRRDD terminated Pickles’ employment in February 2018 after a number of financial inconsistencies surfaced, which was followed by a civil lawsuit alleging that Pickles had stolen over $800,000 since 2012.

            Pickles was indicted by a grand jury on March 18, 2019, and charged with six counts of Grand Larceny for allegedly stealing $675,000, punishable by up to five years in state prison, a fine of up to $25,000, or imprisonment in jail for up to two years.

            Pickles was to face a trial by a jury of his peers beginning on February 24, 2020.

            A representative from Attorney General Maura Healy’s office told The Wanderer on December 30 that the office is aware of Pickles’ passing and is currently reviewing the case. The process will involve an official filing of Pickles’ death certificate with the court and will likely result in the eventual dismissal of the charges.

            Criminal charges against former Carver Health Agent and former CMWRRDD Board Chairman Robert Tinkham, Jr., however, will still move ahead.

            Tinkham faces one count of Grand Larceny and one count of Presentation of False Claims.

            Pickles is survived by how wife, Diane Bondi-Pickles, 67, who is also named as a defendant in the CMWRRDD’s civil suit.

            Bondi-Pickles was listed as the president of the now-defunct Moss Hollow Management, Inc., the corporate entity under which Pickles operated and was paid since 2000, even after June of 2017 when it was involuntarily dissolved by the Secretary of State’s Corporations Division.

            As far as the CMWRRDD Board’s civil suit against Pickles, Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 228, Section 7 states that if a defendant in a personal action dies before final judgment, “…the action may be prosecuted by the surviving… defendant, as the case may be. If all… defendants die, the action may be… defended by or against the executor or administrator of the last surviving… defendant, respectively.”

            Pickles, a Marion resident, was still serving as town clerk when the civil suit was filed, and the Board of Selectmen asked Pickles to resign from his town clerk position back in April 2019 after criminal charges were filed.

            Town Meeting subsequently voted to de-fund the town clerk position for the 2020 fiscal year, and Pickles eventually resigned on September 3, 2019, due to health issues.

By Jean Perry

Route 6 Corridor Study Meeting

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The Southeastern Regional Planning Economic Development District (SRPEDD) will hold a public session to present and discuss the completed traffic analysis and gather input from Marion residents and business owners on possible designs and future improvements for the Route 6 corridor. The meeting will be held on January 6 at 6:00 pm in the Sippican School Auditorium, 16 Spring Street in Marion.

            The study, initiated by Marion’s Transportation and Circulation Task Force, in cooperation with the towns of Marion, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett and Wareham and MassDOT District 5, is examining the existing conditions on Route 6 and determining what future improvements can be considered for a safer and more inviting roadway for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists.

            The Route 6 corridor runs approximately 13 miles from Route 240 in Fairhaven to High Street in Wareham. 

            Phase 2 of the Route 6 study, which focused on possibilities for future improvement, is now complete. The design alternatives will attempt to balance the need to accommodate future traffic and improve safety while providing better features and safer access for pedestrians and bicyclists. 

            Phase 1, which collected data on existing conditions and gathered general input from community members regarding their concerns, was completed in November 2018.

            For more information on the project, please visit the Town of Marion’s website or the SRPEDD Route 6 Corridor Study Home Page.

Mattapoisett Recreation Winter Program Openings

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There are still openings in the following MATTREC programs starting after the new year.

            Finger Knitting on Tuesdays at Center School starting February 4, is open to Grades 1-6.  Yoga on Thursdays at Center School open to Grades K-3 starts January 9. Author’s Workshop is on Tuesdays at Center School and begins on January 7. Center School Robotics is on Thursday afternoons and OHS Robotics is on Tuesdays – both have limited spots available. A new program, Creative Clay, is on Mondays at Center School and is open to Grades K-3 starting January 13. More information and online registration is available at www.mattrec.net