After Four Stormy Decades, Lawrence Retires His Plow

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If you ever wondered what type of person spends his entire adult life’s worth of winter storms plowing Rochester’s roads, meet Glenn Lawrence.

“The plowing and sanding, I’ve been doing that since I was eighteen,” Lawrence said with a modest shrug. “I’m sixty-two now.”

Glenn’s last day as a member of the Rochester Highway Department was Friday, October 13, and his wife, Laurie, posted about it in a couple of Facebook groups. The response was quick and refreshing, as folks from town and beyond weighed in to appreciate Lawrence’s service.

“I don’t do that Facebook thing. I guess it’s not my era or whatever,” Lawrence said. “But she does, and the amount of people who came forward to say nice things and thank me for my work, that was awesome. That really humbled me.”

He grew up the son of a plowman for Rochester, and when he turned 18, he became a plowman for Rochester, too. He and his father ran the still-active family excavating business, and when the winter hit they were out there pulling the all-nighters a storm requires.

Lawrence has seen a lot as a town EMT, firefighter, and a member of the Highway Department for the last 10 years. He’s proud to have been part of a great group, and the plowing and sanding team – usually about a dozen people – was his life for decades.

It was a hard job, and one of the reasons the Facebook outpouring meant so much was because he took it so seriously.

“You know, we really tried to do a great job, and succeeded for the most part,” he said. “The few that throw the shovels at you when you back into their mailbox, stuff like that, they kind of stand out because you think everybody feels that way. But it’s really not.

“I think maybe a lot of people in this town don’t realize that the guys that are out there doing plowing and sanding, those are the same guys you’re going to see when you have a stroke or a fire or any problem. They’re your firemen, your EMTs.”

His wife Laurie, who runs her own business, has been by his side since she was 18, and she was happy to see her husband get some recognition.

“He deserves it,” she said. “I think they all do.”

The Lawrences have made their Rochester plot a home in more ways than one. There’s a version of the American Dream that seems to fit the town – work hard, plant roots, and watch them grow – and the Lawrences are living it.

Building their home from a kit, they raised three kids and became an integral part of the community over three decades together. Their daughter Sarah was married in their makeshift function hall – an airplane hangar that houses Glenn’s beloved 1940 two-seater and a small home church where the Lawrences and others gather for bible study.

As they near retirement (not there yet for either of them, as they continue to run their own business), it’s clear they’ve built something strong and special.

So, why was this the last season for the lifelong plowman?

“Honestly?” he said. “I’m getting old, and I’m tired.”

“And also,” his wife interjected, “I really kind of pushed him toward it. You know, when we looked at it at the start, it was get your ten years in, and so we stuck to that plan. The plowing, the not sleeping, the going two or three days straight … it’s not healthy for you, and that’s the most important thing. It’s exhausting.”

But the camaraderie and the honor of the duty have always offset the negative. Lawrence credited Jeff Eldridge of the Highway Department with setting a great tone.

“He grew up in town too, so he has that special heart I have, we all have,” he said. “He’s phenomenal. You can’t imagine a better boss. You never look at him like he’s your superior. He’s right there with you.

“We really are close-knit, the whole team. In the winter time, you’re with your partners more than you are with your spouse. It’s that much, in bad winters it is. You’re very rarely home, and when you are, it’s to get some shuteye so you’re not a zombie, and then you’re right back out there. We’ve got each other’s back, and not just plowing. That’s the tough part to be away from.

Lawrence will enjoy more time with his wife and family, and with his red hand-propped plane he calls “my baby, the only thing that keeps me sane sometimes.”

And when the first storm of the season finally does come crawling across the weather map and reaches the skies above Rochester, Laurie said she will be ready.

“I’ll do something,” she said, grinning on a mild fall day from her front porch. “I’m going to make him go in the spa, or cook him some cookies, keep him distracted.”

“Yeah,” Glenn agreed. “It’ll be weird for me to be home, especially hearing the guys out there – but to miss it? Hanging with the guys, maybe.

“But the plowing? ….”

The thought trails off as he gazes off into his green lawn, long dirt driveway leading to the clean black hardtop ahead.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow….

By Jonathan Comey

Tri-Town Youth Basketball Registration

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Marion and Mattapoisett Recreation are pleased to announce that it will once again team up to offer a Fall/Winter Youth Basketball program for participants in Grades 3-6. Deadline for registration is November 2 and cost is $95 per player. Games are played on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and practices are an additional night during the week depending on age. There are three divisions: Girls Grades 3-6, Boys Grades 3 & 4, and Boys Grades 5 & 6. More information is available on our websites. Participants may register online.

Marion residents sign up at marionma.gov/recreation-department.

Mattapoisett residents sign up at www.mattrec.net.

Rochester residents can sign up at either website.

Mail in registration forms can also be downloaded and dropped off to your recreation department. Email nvaughan@marionrecreation.com or mattrec@mattapoisett.net with any questions.

Trick Or Trot

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Come support the Class of 2020 at Old Rochester Regional High School. Bring your trick or treat bags and be ready to move. Join us on a course around ORR with candy stops along the way. Fill your bag with treats and walk or run the course in costume. Come on down anytime between 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon on Saturday, October 28. Tickets cost $7 (or $5 if you wear a costume.) Open to all ages.

Solar Bylaw Article Fails

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The citizen’s petition to place restrictions on solar farms along Route 105 and any future scenic highways failed to garner the two-thirds votes a bylaw change requires during the October 23 Rochester Fall Special Town Meeting.

The article was vetted two weeks prior during a Planning Board public hearing on October 10, at which time Planning Board Chairman Arnie Johnson told the resident bringing the article to town meeting, Sara Johnston, that the Attorney General’s Office would likely not approve a 1,000-foot setback.

As written, Article 6 was to add an amendment to the Town’s solar bylaw: “Large-Scale ground mounted solar installations are not permitted within 1,000’ of any commonwealth or town designated scenic road unless existing topographic features of the landscape preclude observation of the solar arrays from the scenic road.”

During that Planning Board meeting, Johnston proposed decreasing it to 500 feet, and then Chairman Johnson surprised everyone by proposing an outright ban on large-scale solar farms on any current or future state- or town-designated scenic highways. Johnston agreed to make the motion at Town Meeting using the language the Planning Board devised for her to use in place of the printed article, and the Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend the amended article, not to propose the 1,000 feet, but to propose the ban.

At that time, Johnson said Town Counsel Blair Bailey gave the nod for Johnson’s suggestion – but during a follow-up with Johnson after Town Meeting adjourned on October 23, Johnson said Bailey changed his opinion days later, which led to the series of events that occurred that night.

At 7:14 pm, the final of the six articles was called for a motion; no one stood to make that motion.

“If you don’t make a motion, we can’t go anywhere,” said Town Moderator Kirby Gilmore. “We can’t talk about it until someone makes a motion.”

Johnston was nowhere to be found, and the voters appeared visually confused.

One resident approached the microphone and read the article as it was written with the 1,000-foot setback, but town counsel said the motion was not fashioned properly.

Another resident took the microphone and made the motion for the 1,000-foot setback and the motion was seconded by a number of voters seated.

Johnson told the voters that the Planning Board could not recommend the article, saying the board did recommend a prior amendment, but could not recommend this version.

Then Planning Board member Ben Bailey said that although he voted as a Planning Board member to recommend the amended article, as an individual he opposes it.

“First, it’s the hypocrisy,” said Bailey. “The Planning Board does a very good job making sure that solar farms are shielded,” whether by berms, fences, or both, he said. “It’s just not that intrusive.”

Bailey then publically criticized Sara Johnston for a “huge white plastic barn” on her property, saying he did not think a white plastic barn particularly fit in with the character of the town, either.

It was then that Johnston entered the RMS cafeteria – late.

“Now she’s gonna tell people they can’t have a solar farm?” continued Bailey. “Do you really want to start telling land owners what they can and can’t do with their properties?”

Johnston stood in the rear of the room listening.

“Because we can all find reason to object to something,” said Bailey.

Resident John Sheehan rebutted, saying, “You do not have the right to do whatever you please on your own property in this town, particularly when you consider other landowners in this town whose property values could be significantly [affected],” said Sheehan. “I would never buy a house across from a 13-acre solar farm. That’s just me.”

Sheehan tried to get a show of hands on who would buy a house in front of a solar farm from the voters, but was shut down by the moderator for being out of order.

Sheehan then criticized the Planning Board, accusing the board of being complacent, and perhaps complicit, in solar farm growth in town.

“They seem to be very willing to sell out the town to outside interests,” said Sheehan, until Johnson stood up and angrily interrupted him.

Going on the record, Johnson shot back, “That is highly offensive to the entire Planning Board who work very hard for many hours for no pay!” said Johnson, before moving the question to “shut this down.”

The motion to move the question was made, seconded, and followed by a unanimous ‘aye.’

Resident Kenneth Cutler tried to speak further at the microphone but was stopped by the moderator. Cutler claimed he did not know what his ‘yes’ vote would entail and demanded to continue discussing the article. He was not allowed.

“You’re ignoring a man’s comments from the floor,” Cutler said.

Town counsel explained Robert’s Rules of Order and Cutler sat down.

As for the final vote on the article, it was 41 in favor of adoption, 64 opposed. The required two-thirds vote failed. All three selectmen voted it down, as did the town administrator and three of the four Finance Committee members on the stage.

Articles approved were:

– Article 1 to accept the provisions of MGL Chapter 59, Section 57A, which allows the collector to send one tax bill for payment and interest on real and personal property tax bills of $100 or less. The Town had already accepted the amount of $50 or less.

– Article 2 for $30,000 to fund the negotiated police union contract agreement for fiscal year 2017.

– Article 3 for $60,000 to supplement appropriation previously adopted during the 2017 Annual Town Meeting for the FY2017 police budget to fund the negotiated police union contract agreement.

– Article 4 for $10,000 to supplement the FY2017 police budget to address staffing.

– Article 5 for the sum of $2,400 to supplement the FY2017 Planning Board budget for a part-time recording secretary.

Rochester Fall Special Town Meeting

By Jean Perry

 

After 20 Years, Another Mayflower Football Title for OC

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Coach Brandon Mendez and the Old Colony football team have a good thing going, and there’s only one thing better than a good thing.

More of a good thing.

Six straight wins, including a 29-8 win over Cape Cod Tech last weekend, left the Cougars with their first Mayflower Small championship since 1997 – yep, 20 years.

While there was excitement over the feat, it was tempered by the fact that there are bigger goals afoot. The Cougars play in the Division 8 South playoffs on Saturday against Sacred Heart, so it was right back to work on Monday in Rochester.

“It was certainly something that we had looked at from the start of the season,” Mendez, in his third year at the OC helm. “It’s always a goal to win our conference. That’s where we start. But there’s also the playoffs tournament, there’s the vocational tournament, and we have our Thanksgiving Day game as well.”

But the win over CCT last Saturday was sweet.

Led as usual by the senior tandem of Brad Plissey and Jarred Gagne, who combined for four touchdowns in the win, there was plenty of time for the Cougars to savor their championship.

While the two seniors are both known for their offensive reliability and leadership (and touchdowns), they may be more important on the defense.

With most teams on the schedule running some version of run-first, pass-almost-never offenses, Plissey and Gagne are at the two most valuable spots on the field – outside linebacker.

“Their jobs are to set the edge, contain the run, so everything else comes back inside,” Mendez said. Waiting there are inside linebacker Lucas Ferreira and defensive tackle Robby Frates, who have been fundamentally sound and effective.

The Cougars have allowed just 12.6 points a game over the six-game streak, which Mendez credits to his four seniors up front.

Their next opponent was also their first opponent of the season – Sacred Heart, which capitalized on late mistakes for a 20-0 win over OC on opening day.

With a league title earned, a playoff run in the picture, and a shot at in-season revenge over a rival, you’d think things would be pretty hyped up in Rochester.

Mendez hopes not.

“I think the key for us, it’s kind of business as usual,” he said. “Maybe with a little more focus and intensity, because everything gets tuned up a little bit for a playoffs. But we always have a certain flow to the week, looking at last week, looking at this week, and we’re going to prepare the same way.”

To reverse the outcome of the opener and advance in the playoffs, the formula is simple.

“The mistakes can’t happen,” Mendez said. “We know that. We talked about focusing on the task at hand. I was pretty clear and adamant about that Monday when we got together after the break, and I think the message got across.”

            Old Colony hosts Sacred Heart at 1:00 pm on Saturday on school campus.

Meanwhile, at Old Rochester Regional, the Bulldogs will be under the Friday night lights, hosting Dedham in the Division 6 South playoffs at 7:00 pm.

The Bulldogs are one of the most successful running teams of the decade on SouthCoast, led by the tandem of Harry Smith and Will Garcia. Old Rochester has yet to be held under 30 points in any of their seven games, with six of them wins.

ORR faces Dedham as the No. 2 seed and looks to avoid last year’s opening-round upset loss to Dighton-Rehoboth.

If the Bulldogs – all fired up with new logos and a whole lot of pep in their Mattapoisett home – are going to make a run, they’ll need the defense to step up. In ORR’s two games against opponents who also made the playoffs, they allowed 40 points (to Wareham) and 36 (to Somerset Berkley).

Another team expecting a deep playoff run is the ORR girls’ soccer team, whose undefeated season came to an end with a 4-2 loss to Apponequet on Monday. But at 15-1-1, ORR is likely to earn a No. 1 seed in the postseason and will look to test its young stars against more experienced tourney opponents.

There’s some big news at Tabor Academy, where Tabor alum and standout hockey goalie Jeramie Forget committed to play for Princeton University. Forget, who is from Quebec, graduated from Tabor in 2017 and has been playing for Carleton Place of the CCHL.

While some of the fall Tabor squads have been toward the bottom of the standings in the newly joined Independent School League, girls’ soccer was 5-2-3 and at .500 in the conference. Cat Barry leads the league with 18 goals and 11 assists, while freshman teammate Jaydah Bedoya is fourth in the league in scoring.

By Jonathan Comey

 

Rochester Council On Aging

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October Day Trip: October 26 – Day Trip to Salem Witch Museum and Pickering Wharf. Admission to the museum is $9. Leave at 8:30 am and return at 5:00 pm.

Call the Rochester Council on Aging at 508-763-8723 for more information regarding this event. If you need transportation, please call the Senior Center at least 24-48 hours in advance. Thank you.

October Events: Soup and Sandwich Mondays. Join us for a soup & sandwich lunch on Mondays at noon. A different menu offering will be served each week, along with chips, salad and always a dessert to top it off. All are welcome. We ask that you call us in advance to give us a head count of attendees; we need an accurate count to prepare enough for everyone. A suggested donation for the meal is $4.

Fall Potluck Cookbook Club

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Everyone has a favorite family recipe. Join us and bring your best dish to share on Thursday, November 2 at 6:00 pm at the Elizabeth Taber Library for our fall potluck cookbook club. Registration is required. To register, please call the library at 508-748-1252 or email eoneill@sailsinc.org.

Please join us on Thursday evening, November 16, at 7:00 pm for an author talk with Maureen Boyle at the Marion Music Hall. She will be discussing her book Shallow Graves: The Hunt for the New Bedford Highway Serial Killer. A book signing will follow.

Rochester Halloween Festival

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Plumb Corner Mall is hosting a Halloween Festival Saturday October 28 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Plumb Corner Mall. There will be a haunted house, dancing with DJ Howie, a costume contest at 2:00, a pumpkin pie bakeoff judged by local chefs, trick-or-treating, arts & crafts, a reptile exhibit, creepy experiments with the Friendkenstiens, spooky story time with Amos, Plumb Library’s reading dog, and most importantly a food drive for local seniors sponsored by the Rochester Police Brotherhood.

Rochester Women’s Club is hosting CPR

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Come and join us for an evening of learning how to save someone’s life. We will be having a class on how to perform CPR and how to us an automated external defibrillator (AED). It is very easy to learn. Cost for the program is $35 per student. Cost includes instruction and certification card. Call 401-603-8876 to register. Class size is limited. Please reserve your spot by October 29.

The Rochester Women’s Club is at located at 37 Marion Road (Route 105) in Rochester.

This course is taught by Dick Torrey of Coventry, Rhode Island.

Gateway Youth Hockey

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Mite House – The Gateway Mite House team faced off with the Canal Sharks on Saturday morning in Falmouth. In the end the Sharks skated away with a 6-1 win, but not without a hard fought battle from the Gladiators. In net, Brodie Yeaw saw plenty of action and turned away more shots than could be tracked. On offense, Brooke Whiteley scored the lone goal for the Gladiators. The entire team played great and all left with smiles after another great team effort.

Mite C – The Gladiators Mite C team suited up for their second game of the season Saturday, showing a great deal of progress. The Gladiators had a slow start, but started scoring late in the first half. Scoring goals on the day, Kaden Silva (5), Tomas doCanto (3), Caden Kosboski (2), Desmond Murphy, Will Manning, and Keegan Heewak (1). It was definitely a step up from their lone goal in their first game just a week ago. Playing solid in net in his goaltending debut was Jake Lovendale, who made a good amount of saves and stood solid in net.

Pee Wees – The Gateway Pee Wees had a rematch with Nantucket on Sunday afternoon in hopes of avenging and early season loss. After a slow start falling behind 4-0, the Gladiators got going on two unassisted goals by Matt Paling midway through the second period. Will Harrop continued the offensive attack with several great opportunities, but was unable to beat the stellar goaltending of Nantucket. In net, Ryan Killion played great but was beat by some great passing and shooting by Nantucket’s offense. The final score was 9-2.

Bantams – The Gateway Gladiator Bantams (5-0) faced off against a tough S.W.S. Chiefs team Sunday afternoon at Tabor Academy. The Chiefs scored late in the first period to give them a 1-0 lead. In the second they would add to that lead with two more goals to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Gateway looked tired throughout the first two periods, but with some inspiring words from Head Coach Dave Rebeiro, the third period was a different story. With renewed energy, Gateway got on the board with a goal from William Harrop assisted by Matt Paling and Chase Coture. Next Coture would score an unassisted goal to make it 3-2 midway through the third. With momentum turning, Matt Paling scored the tying goal assisted by Ace Crowell late in the third. However, that would be the end of the comeback and the scoring, as the teams remained tied 3-3.

Midgets – On Friday night, the two Gladiators Midget teams matched up for Gateway Youth Hockey Night. It was the Blue team that skated away with a 7-2 victory at the end of the night. The Blue team jumped on the board a little over a minute into the game, when Robert Maloney deflected a bouncing puck past the goaltender, with Coleby Paling getting the assist. The teams continued battling and keeping the score close when Bryan Gallagher found the back of the net for his first goal of the game, assisted by Tyler Lovendale and Quirino doCanto. A few minutes later, Lovendale and doCanto found Zack Lovendale open and he put in a goal. Gallagher finished off the first period scoring, taking a feed from doCanto. The White team started the scoring in the second half, when a shot by Jackson St. Don, deflected off a defensemen and sneaked by the Blue goaltender. The game remained pretty even, with Jack Martins stealing a puck and beating the Blue goalie unassisted, and Jared Robbins assisted by doCanto, and doCanto assisted by Gallagher, adding their own goals. It was a good battle with all the goaltenders playing great — Steven Strachan (White), Ethan Allegrini and Alex DeMarco (Blue).

In their second game of the weekend, the Gladiators Blue team beat the North Stars White team 4-2. The North Stars jumped on the board first, but the Gladiators evened it up two minutes later when Tyler Lovendale took the feed from Quirino doCanto and Jared Robbins, beating the goalie. The next goal came a few minutes later when Lovendale returned the favor to doCanto, sending him in on a breakaway, and doCanto finished with a goal over the goaltender’s shoulder. Ethan Harrop scored the next two goals for the Gladiators, with doCanto and Robbins getting an assist on the first goal. The Gladiator goaltenders played well in net, Alex DeMarco (11 Saves), Ethan Allegrini (12 Saves). The Blue team travels to the Vineyard next Saturday for their next game.