ORRHS Fourth Term Honor Roll

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The following students have achieved honors for the fourth term at Old Rochester Regional High School,

                   Highest Honors: Emily Abbott, Ella Bartholomew, Clara Bonney, Nolan Bushnell, Aiden Cabral, Gavin Coffey, David Costa, Failenn Fitzpatrick, Julia Foye, David Fredette, Paige Fuller, Dillon Furtado, Jacob Hadley, Alexander Harrigan, Corinne Hibbert, Sakurako Huynh-Aoyama, Sara Kroll, Neva Matos, Zoe Pateakos, Jiya Patel, Quinn Perry, Scarlett Sylvia, Hannah Thorell, Amanda Tomasso, Sasha Volkema, Linden White, Allison Winters, Molly Wronski, Emily Wyman, and Sarah Wyman.

                  Honors: Caroline Achilles, Greta Anderly, Wesner Archelus, Ryan Arruda, Rudy Arsenault, Maura Bailey, Chloe Bairos, Lila Bangs, Ava Barrows, Chloe Bean, Gage Beauchemin, Sylvie Benson, Gabriella Berg, Henry Berry, Chase Besancon, Ella Bishop, Hunter Bishop, Jaeleigh Black, Kyle Borges, John Bowman, Torsten Brickley, Caroline Brogioli, Elizabeth Bumpus, Reese Burger, Patrick Burke, John Butler, Ella Caesar, Murray Callahan, Erin Cardinal, Jorge Carrillo, Theodore Carroll, Matthew Carvalho, Eloise  Casi, Emily Cavanaugh-Fauteux, Theodore Cecil, Russell Chace, Delaney Chase, Kelsi Chick, Tyler Chick, Quinn Chisholm, Rosemary Clark, Caitlin Collier, Charlotte Cook, Tucker Cook, Lilly Cook, Henry Cooney, Murray Copps, Raegan Correia, Melissa Correia Silva, Aidan Costa, Sara Costa, Rylie Coughlin, Julia Crain, Makenzie Crowley, Sarah Curry, Alia Cusolito, Grace Custadio, Matthew DaRosa, Gianna DeLeo, Makenzi DeMello, Luke DeVoe, Brady Dias, Hailee Ducharme, Lillian Dumoulin, Eden Dupre, Amalia Dupre, Aidan Eagle, Hannah Eaton, Matthew Eby, Amber Engel, Isabella Feeney, Elizabeth Feeney, Alexandra Fiano, Katelyn Fisher, Bryce Fortin, Brendan Foster, Ethan Furtado, Lila Galavotti, Giada Gandolfi, Brandon Gates, Zachary Gates, Connor Gauthier, Cole Goldie, Tara Goldman, Emerson Gonet, Leo Grondin, Eliza Guard, Chloe Guttenberger, Mason Hanks, Sebastian Harrigan, Elizabeth Harrington, Logan Hart-Bonville, Keira Hart-Bonville, Eva Hartley, Dylan Hartley-Matteson, Ian Hartwig, Madalyn Haverty, Aurora Hayden, Jack Hebert, Aubrey Heise, Mallory Henesey, John Higgins, Elizabeth Higgins, Brody Hiles, Derek Hiralall, Caroline Houdelette, Elizabeth Houdelette, Brendan Hubbard, Chloe Hurley, Jacob Iappini, Amanda Ignacio, Macy Ingham, Sofia Irish, Theo Jacobsen, Emma Johnson, Lily Johnson, Riley Karo, Matthew Kennefick, Elizabeth Kilpatrick, Emily Kilpatrick, Hadley King, Olivia Kinney, Rosemary Lally, Jack Langlais, Storm Lanzoni, Ashley Lawrence, Peter le Gassick, Philip le Gassick, Logan Leblanc, Cormac LeClair, Aubrie Letourneau, Aiden Levasseur, Keelin Lienkamp, Nicole Londergan, Madison Lucas, Caitlyn Lund, Mackenzie Luong, Jenna Lynch, Ty MacKenzie, Logan Maher, John Marmelo, Alexander Marsden, Jacksen Martin, Rhianna Martinez, Landon Maxwell, Tiera McCarthy, Aleeya McCarthy, Megan McFadyen, Katherine McIlmail, William McIlmail, Ava McLeod, Iain McManus, Carly Mello, Madison Mello, Zachary Mendes, Noah Mendes, Owen Modracek, Blake Moreau, Zack Mourao, Caillaigh Mullen, Emma Mullen, Jacob Newton, Jonathan Nguyen, Alexander Nguyen, James Noblet, Phoenyx Nunes, Camryn Nye, Quinn O’Brien-Nichols, Caitlin O’Donnell, Brenna O’Donnell, Aidan O’Donnell, Heer Patel, Scarlet Patnaude, Abigail Paulette, Kaitlin Peck, Jayden Pedro, Marilyn Pepin, Anna Pereira, Emilia Perriera, Logan Perry, Emma Petersen, Varunyu Phimolmas, Nina Pierre, Ava Pimentel, Gabriela Pinhancos, Maeve Pires, Alexander Pither, Audrey Pither, Noah Pittsley, Andrew Porter, Tyler Porto, Delilah Post, Andrew Poulin, Alice Prefontaine, George Psichopaidas, Leah Ptaszenski, Kelly Quinlan, Jeffrey Radek, Lauren Rapoza, Brady Reardon, Alaina Redsicker, Jaxon Resendes, Corinne Robert, Shay-ann Robertson, Marcus Robichaud, Matthew Rock, Reagan Rock, Kamryn Rodrigues, Gabriella Romig, Allison Root, Walter Rosher, Grace Rousseau, Sienna Roveda, Mariah Ruell, Noah Santos, Kira Sarkarati, Norah Schiappa, Austin Scully, Christina Shultz, Ella Shultz, Haralambos Sivvianakis, Kyle Smith, Molly Souza, Reese Souza, Devin St Germaine, Stefan St. Louis, Alexa St. Louis, Mariana Sudofsky, Aubrey Sylvia-Everett, Avery Tavares, Audrey Thomas, Ezra Thompson, Katherine Thomsen, Noah Thorell, Alexandra Tobin, Jason Tobin, Angela Tomasso, Landis Treichler, Arielle Troupe, Rachel Tse, Cameron Van Ness, Emma Van Ness, Isabella Vanderpol, Jackson Veugen, Mackenzie Vigeant, Arianna Vinagre, Emma Welter, Tyler Williams, Samuel Williamson, Tessa Winslow, Jenna Woodward, Braden Yeomans, Tyler Young.

New ETL Tee Shirts

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A new batch of colorful tee shirts will be for sale at the Book Sale on July 7 & 8 on the grounds of the Elizabeth Tabor Library at 8 Spring Street in Marion.  The sale will run from 10 to 3 both days, with a rain date set for the following week.  Co-chairs for this event are Paula Meere and Sharon Markowski.

            These periodic sales and other events are run by the newly founded Friends of the Elizabeth Taber Library to help with ongoing budgetary needs, as well as special programing.  To join the Friends or to volunteer to help on projects, contact FriendsOfTheETL@gmail.com.

            Donations of gently used books (no textbooks, please), puzzles, games, and dvds, as well as vinyl records in original sleeves, are welcome year round, and can be dropped off at the library.

Third Annual Nolanfest Music Festival

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Three years ago our community lost a gifted young musical artist, Nolan Gibbons, to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). The Nolan Gibbons Memorial Fund is excited for this year’s NolanFest and to celebrate our 12 scholarship recipients. NolanFest is a community music festival that will be held on July 15 at Silvershell Beach in Marion, beginning at 5 pm and ending around 9 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Please bring your own chairs and your appetite for the food trucks.

            This year we welcome the acclaimed a Capella group Hyannis Sound for a special performance and are thrilled to be auctioning off a personal video from Grammy-winner and Pentatonix co-founder Scott Hoying.

            Local performances by Break a Leg Theatre Company, Showstoppers, The Cast of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat from The New Bedford Festival Theatre, and many more! Last year attendees enjoyed live music, delicious food from local food trucks, merch, raffles, and more.

            We could not put on NolanFest without our many sponsors. To volunteer and help with the event, please go to www.nolangibbons.org/nolanfest and click on the volunteer link.

            All proceeds from NolanFest go to The Nolan Gibbons Memorial Fund.

A Night at the Movies That’s Out of This World

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On Friday, July 7, the Marion Concert Band begins its Friday evening concert series with a program of music based on two themes. The first half of the program will feature soundtrack music from a variety of motion pictures and TV shows. The second half of the program will  feature movie music with a “space” theme. The program is as follows:

American Legion March – C. Parker

Fall River Overture – R. Sheldon

Concerto for Clarinet – W. A. Mozart (Rondo)

Daniel Moniz, clarinet

The Sounds of Hollywood – J. Higgins

Bond…James Bond – arr. S. Bulla

Hooray for Hollywood – arr. W. Barker

Prime Time Toon Revue – arr. T. Ricketts

Theme from The Summer of ’42 – M. Legrand

Jurassic Park Soundtrack Highlights – J. Williams

Star Trek Through the Years – J. Moss

Dr. Who: Through Time and Space – M. Gold

Theme from E.T. – J. Williams

The Trombone King – K. L. King

            Daniel Moniz, clarinet soloist, performs regularly with several local ensembles. He is the principal clarinetist of the UMass Dartmouth Wind Ensemble and a member of the Swansea Community Musicians. He performs regularly with the St. Cecilia Philharmonic Band from Fall River and has been a member of the Marion Concert Band since 2005.

            The concert will be held at the Robert Broomhead Bandstand, Island Wharf off Front Street in Marion. The program, under the direction of Tobias Monte, will begin at 7:00. All concerts are free and open to the public. “Like” us on Facebook at “Marion Town Band” for up-to-date announcements and rain cancellation notices.

Warren Michael “Mike” Ailes

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Warren Michael “Mike” Ailes of Mattapoisett died peacefully on July 2, 2023 at home. He was born in Pittsburg on April 20, 1947 to Jean Straub Ailes and Warren Ailes. He graduated from Brown University and got his MBA from Boston University. Mike was a serial entrepreneur, IT consultant and 7th grade math teacher (which was his favorite job). Mike was married to his best friend, Melinda Lee Ailes, until a day before his 47th anniversary. He had two daughters Linae Leavens (husband Rich) of Ouray, CO and Caroline Ailes who lived with him for the last 8 years. He had 3 absolutely perfect grandchildren, McKena, Mason and Michael, and 4 wonderful great grandchildren. Mike will always be remembered for his wit, his kindness and his all-consuming love of family. And for him, his family included sisters, brother, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, out-laws and friends that he chose, or chose him, like Anita Regan, her sisters and our hospice & care partners. We can see him now doing the things he loved: playing cards, playing tennis, sailing, hanging at the beach, eating anything sweet and laughing, always laughing. Mike chose not to have a service, but we will be having a celebration of his life some time in the future. Contributions may be made in his honor to Dana Farber Cancer Institute or Parkinson’s Foundation.

Murphy Named Interim Harbormaster

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            The Marion Select Board emerged from a 56-minute executive session on June 29 with a brief action to vote Adam Murphy as interim harbormaster.

            The opening was created by the recent departure of Isaac Perry, who after two decades left to become Mattapoisett’s harbormaster, a job that opened in the spring with Jamie McIntosh’s decision to join Wareham’s Fire Department.

            It has been an eventful 2023 for Murphy, who in May won a seat on the Rochester Select Board on his third attempt. Murphy has been working for the Town of Marion as deputy harbormaster and shellfish officer.

            Prior to his most-recent appointment, he told the Marion Marine Resources Commission that the summer schedule had been worked out so that in Perry’s absence, he, Assistant Harbormaster David Wilson and Andrew Miller would have all the shifts covered.

            Officially, the board’s executive session was pursuant to Purpose 3 of General Law Chapter 30A, Section 21(a)(2) to conduct collective bargaining or strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel or litigation or if open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the board’s ability to do business.

            A substantial discussion followed on the meeting’s other agenda item: a 2% cost-of-living increase in the Plymouth County Retirement fund. The adjustment, from 3% to 5%, is retroactive to cover FY23.

            “I don’t think that’s aggressive,” said Select Board member Randy Parker before the board voted unanimously to approve the adjustment.

            Prior to Marion’s vote, the county had secured approval from 17 of its 23 municipalities. Marion’s last such increase occurred in 2020.

            So far in FY23, Marion has paid $36,263, including $4,997 for county mosquito control.

            Select Board Chairman Toby Burr asked Finance Director Judy Mooney about the logistics of payment, having read that the Town of Mattapoisett is spreading it out over three years, per a report in The Wanderer.

            The FY24 appropriation is already determined. According to Mooney, the increase sticks and becomes a permanent part of the rate going forward.

            The board was not clear on how much this will cost the town. Mooney called it “a moving target” because the number of retirees is always changing. Marion’s pension is just under $1,400,000 for 186 people including 93 active employees, 23 who are inactive, and 70 retirees. Mattapoisett has approximately the same number of retirees as Marion, while Rochester has 42.

            According to Town Administrator Geoff Gorman, $30,000 per beneficiary is the estimated cost for the anticipated life of the applicant.

            The county needed the vote ahead of the close of FY23.

            The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, July 18, at 6:00 pm at the Police Station.

Marion Select Board

By Mick Colageo

BookRemarks from Plumb Library

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Greetings from Plumb Library. Welcome to BookRemarks, our new monthly feature focusing on all things library related.

            The Summer Library Program: it’s not just for kids. Summer reading programs are a familiar part of summer for many families with kids. But did you know the Library offers a summer reading program for adults? Yep, you read that correctly, any adults 18+ are welcome to join in the summer reading fun. The program has changed and evolved over many years and exists in its current form as a regular part of our summer library activities. We try to keep things as basic as possible to encourage busy grown-ups to keep reading for fun throughout the summer months.

            This year’s program began on June 16 and will run through August 5. It’s not too late to sign up and join us. Just go to the Library’s website www.plumblibrary.com, sign up and stop in to pick up a logging sheet. We also have a special BINGO sheet to keep your reading choices interesting and inspired throughout the summer. Keeping a log is easy. Just track your reading in half-hour increments or read 5 books during the seven weeks of the program, and yes, you can back-date to the beginning of the program. Then, turn your log into the Library by August 5. If you have a completed log, you earn yourself an invitation to free ice cream on August 12. Who doesn’t like free ice cream? We hope you’ll consider joining us this year.

            As always, your Library Staff, Kristen, Jen, Lisa and Bridget are here to help you find what you need. Feel free to call 508-763-8600 or email us (info@plumblibrary.com) with any questions. Better yet, come by and say hello.

Marion Natural History Museum

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We will be meeting at Brainard Marsh on July 7 from 9 am to 12 noon to discover a little about our local seaweeds. We’ll be taking a look at what products we use every day (including food) which contain seaweed without our realizing it. Seaweeds are used for a variety of purposes, including medicines, biofuel, fertilizers, cosmetics and so many more. We’ll be collecting and inspecting the seaweeds we find with microscopes and magnifiers, and each student will be making a seaweed pressing to take home.

            We’ll also be pulling out the seining net to explore what types of fish use Brainard Marsh area for shelter. Please dress to get wet and possibly muddy.

            To register for this program and view our other Friday morning programs, please visit our website: www.marionmuseum.org.

Rochester Historical Museum Ice Cream Social

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It’s July and it’s time for our annual ice cream social at the museum at 355 County Road. The evening begins at 7:00 on July 19. After a short meeting, we’ll have music with Tom and Sheila Perry and then ice cream. Anyone with questions may call Connie at 617 750 2818 or email eshbach2@aol.com or Sue at 508 295 8908 or email sash48@comcast.net.

            It’s time to start cleaning out and gathering items for the Rochester Historical Society yard sale on August 5 and 6.

Benoit Sets Fourth New Standard

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“Small town” by John Cougar Mellencamp was blaring over the sound of cheers, while runners chugged along Barstow Street toward the finish line. Moments later, cheers deafened the finish line as Bill Foley, 68, of Mattapoisett, carried an American flag before he crossed.

            “This is how Mattapoisett celebrates July 4,” said one onlooker.

            As this small-town tradition celebrated its 51st year on Tuesday, Mattapoisett Road Race Director Bill Tilden said that for the first time, the race route was cut from 5 to 4 miles. “It would be a much easier course to manage and much easier for our runners,” Tilden said, just as the first few runners crossed the finish line.

            The decision seemed to be a good one. The “4 on the 4th” edition of the race attracted 1,055 runners and people of all ages. Humidity and heat were factors, and the intermittent rain showers on Tuesday morning did little to relieve any humidity.

            Spirits were not dampened, however.

            Some runners even pushed carriages with a young child in tow as they bolted through the course, ending near Shipyard Park.

            Due to the changes in the course, records were necessarily set, albeit without fanfare. Nonetheless, Fairhaven’s Will Benoit, 20, impressed onlookers and fellow runners by winning the race at an impressive 19:54.

            Shortly after the race, Benoit said he has been running since he was around 8 years old, but this is the first time he has participated in his neighboring town’s signature running event.

            “It was fun. I’m in summer training now,” said Benoit, who runs competitively for UMass Lowell.

            Margot Appleton, 20, of Mattapoisett, was the first women’s finisher at 23:31, placing 16th overall. A runner to the core, Appleton conducted a “cool down” run after the race, according to Tilden, and was not available for an interview.

            Adam Sylvia, 23, of Mattapoisett, finished second overall in 20:14.

            “I trained him,” Tilden said proudly after Sylvia crossed the finish line. Tilden, the longtime track-and-field coach at Old Rochester Regional High School, will go revive a more prominent role training the Bulldogs now that the administrative work as ORR’s Director of Athletics is behind him.

            Sylvia, also a college runner, has been running in Mattapoisett’s race since he was 9. Like Benoit, Sylvia said the race is a good training ground for his college running.

            “It was pretty humid – that first mile,” said Sylvia, but said the light rain helped him gather momentum.

            Appleton is not new to the race and is a former record holder. Running appears to run in her family, as her brother David Appleton, 22, finished 15th overall at 23:23.

            The race was held in honor of Bob Gardner, who with wife Doris Gardner started the race in 1971 with just 10 runners. Gardner passed away in 2018.

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Age Group Finishers

Male Open

Place, Name, Age, Hometown, Time

1. Will Benoit, 20, Fairhaven, 19:54

2. Adam Sylvia, 23, Rochester, 20:09.6

3. Tim Bolick, 43, Marion, 20:27

Female Open

1. Morgot Appleton, 20, Mattapoisett, 23:30.6

2. Kimberly Dixon, 30, Marion, 23:56.3

3. Erin Lohrenz, 38, Charlestown, 26:03.8

Female 1-13

1. Annie Defalco, 13, Shrewsbury, 31:28.2

2. Nora Czerkowicz, 11, Mattapoisett, 33:10.6

3. H. Mello, 8, West Roxbury, 33:57.6

Female 14-18

1. Madalyn Duarte, 15, North Dartmouth, 29:20.7

2. Charlotte Hayward, 17, Weston, 29:43.8

3. Samantha Hayward, 17, Bridgewater, 29:43.9

Female 19-29

1. Katherine Deloreto, 24, Tolland, CT, 27:05.2

2. Lily Valcovic, 20, East Taunton, 27:25.4

3. Gwenyth Taradash, 23, North Dartmouth, 27:46.2

Female 30-39

1. Adelaide Backer, 30, Mattapoisett, 28:38.5

2. Melissa Hickey, 34, Arlington, VA, 29:56.9

3. Bethany Couto, 38, Mattapoisett, 30:17

Female 40-49

1. Lynn Vasconcelos, 48, Fairhaven, 27:15

2. Nancy McGee, 41, Marion, 27:50.5

3. Kyla Valcovic, 48, East Taunton, 29:19.2

Female 50-59

1. Deeann Johnson, 53, New Bedford, 26:41.9

2. Julie Craig, 56, Mattapoisett, 28:51.9

3. Alice Murphy, 58, Wellesley Hills, 30:02.6

Female 60-69

1. Mary Cass, 61, Westport, 26:26.9

2. Margery Bellisle, 68, Warren, RI, 30:32.2

3. Karen Concci, 60, Mattapoisett, 30:53.8

Female 70-79

1. Patricia McCarthy, 71, Portsmouth, RI, 43:49.8

2. Ruth Griffin, 72, Mattapoisett, 53:14.1

3. Mary Farrell, 76, Mattapoisett, 56:09

Male 1-13

1. W. Lucy, 12, Mattapoisett, 27:13.1

2. Jacolby Canto, 13, U.S., 29:25.2

3. Jack Czerkowicz, 13, Mattapoisett, 30:06.4

Male 14-18

1. Owen Martin, 15, Middlebury, CT, 21:58.4

2. Wesley Kaukas-Quinn, 17, Winchester, 22:25

3. Lowell Copps, 16, Mattapoisett, 22:43.8

Male 19-29

1. Nate Deangelo, 20, Bristol, CT, 20:33.4

2. Ben Davignon, 20, Acushnet, 21:34.6

3. Jack O’Reilly, 26, Morristown, NJ, 22:33.1

Male 30-39

1. Whitney Hall, 37, West Warwick, RI, 22:55.7

2. Matt Petrocci, 38, San Francisco, 23:12.3

3. Nathen Brito, 31, Providence, 24:17.5

Male 40-49

1. Douglas Hickey, 40, Arlington, VA, 22:35

2. Robert Bourassa III, 49, Boylston, 24:34.9

3. Robert Norcott, 42, Berkley, 25:16.8

Male 50-59

1. Patrick Callahan, 50, Needham, 23:48.1

2. Laurens Goff, 51, Cambridge, 26:54

3. Sean Gormley, 58, Mattapoisett, 27:11.1

Male 60-69

1. Scott Noyce, 61, West Palm Beach, FL, 26:51.1

2. Goncalo Rego, 60, South Dartmouth, 31:34.2

3. Joe Fenton, 62, Longmeadow, 31:44.8

Male 70-79

1. Peter Frates, 71, Wareham, 35:37.1

2. Jeffrey Osuch, 73, Fairhaven, 36:26.9

3. Kevin McCarthy, 75, Portsmouth, RI, 36:44.7

Male 80-99

1. Maurice Bourque, 81, Lakeville, 48:08.9

2. Brian Grant Sr., 81, Fall River, 55:53.5

3. John Paul Garber, 80, Mattapoisett, 58:02.4For overall results, visit Race Wire at runsignup.com/Race/Results/146149