Upcoming Events at the Elizabeth Taber Library

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Friends of the Library coffee hour Thursday, March 2 at 9:30 am. Learn more about the brand new Friends of the Elizabeth Taber Library at our recruitment coffee hour.  Serve the community of Marion by supporting the library.

            New Banned Book Club, first meeting Tuesday, March 21 at 6:30 pm – Learn about the history of attempts at banning books in American and international libraries and discuss books that have made the American Library Association’s Banned Book List.  This month, we will be discussing Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five.  Pick up copies at the library throughout the month of March.

            The 2nd Annual Lizzy T Trivia Night Fundraiser, Friday, March 24 at 7 pm – Gather a team of 5-6 members and compete in a battle of wits to benefit the library. Topics include local history, sports, pop culture and more! Find registration forms at the library or on our website.  Event will be held at the Music Hall, refreshments including beer and wine will be available. $200 team entry fee.

            Tables of Content Fundraising event, May 7 & 19 at 6 pm – A fundraising event that pairs a delicious dinner in a Marion neighbor’s home with a lively book discussion! Find registration forms, including available titles at the library or on our website. Tickets are $75 per person

            Join us for story times every Wednesday (baby lap sit) and Friday (all ages) from 10:30 -11:30.

            For more information on the Elizabeth Taber Library, visit us at www.ElizabethTaberLibrary.org or call us at 508-748-1252. ,

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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The new towns of colonial Massachusetts started as theocracies with church and town businesses intertwined. In fact, one of the requirements for the Rochester grant was that “worship should be established within 4 years”. This was clear in Rochester with the 1699 meeting house serving as a place to conduct both church and town business and the setting aside of “Ministry lands”. Indeed, until 1735, all householders were taxed to support the church.

            Due to the close connection of the church to the town, ministers held an important place in the town hierarchy and often stayed on as pastors until they died. The Reverends Arnold, Ruggles and Moore were followed by Oliver Cobb who at the age of 29, first came to the area to preach at the 4th Precinct where a meeting house had been built ( today’s Marion General Store) in 1791 to make it easier for parishioners who lived far from Rochester Center to attend church. The 4th Precinct at this time was not a separate church but rather an adjunct of the First Congregational Church in Rochester Center.

            In 1799, after Rev. Moore was dismissed as pastor of the church in the center, Rev. Cobb was asked to become the new pastor there. An agreement was made that he would split his time between the main church and the “Harbor Meeting House.” Basically, he alternated Sundays between the two churches and lived in a home halfway between them on what is now Marion Road.

            When Rev. Cobb arrived in the area, he was a graduate of Brown University. After graduation, he was offered two possible positions. One was a church in Rehoboth and the other was one in Rochester. In her history of the area, Mary Hall Leonard writes that the new Reverend asked an “Indian” which town he should pick. As the anecdote goes,” The Indian, Yankee-like, replied with a question, ” What are you going to preach for? If you are going to preach for money, go where the most money is; if you are going to preach for souls, go where the most devil is.” As we know Cobb chose Rochester.

            Cobb’s ministry was harmonious and prosperous, adding almost 200 new parishioners to the church rolls. Along the way, he earned a Doctor of Divinity degree from Brown. He worked to preserve the records and history of the church in Rochester and continued for many years to preach in both the 1st and 4th precincts until 1827 when it was decided to separate them. At that time, he continued as full pastor of what was now called the South Church, while Rev. Jonatan Bigelow became leader of the First Congregational Church.

            In 1837, Dr. Oliver Cobb preached the last sermon in the 1811 meeting house where he had presided for 28 years. After his sermon, the old building was torn down, and the church moved into its new home. Cobb continued to work as South Church pastor until his death in 1849. He is buried in Marion’s Evergreen Cemetery.

By Connie Eshbach

Lamoureux Music Scholarship

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The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce that applications are now available for the 2023 Lillian B. Lamoureux Music Scholarship. The scholarship competition is open to all South Coast music students ages 14–21. Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded, one high school student and one college student. The deadline for application (including two letters of recommendation) is Friday, May 12. Students will be asked to submit a video of their audition performance via Dropbox by May 19, 2023. Questions may be directed to Education Director Terry Wolkowicz at twolkowicz@nbsymphony.org.

            The scholarship, established in 2000 to support young musicians who intend to pursue their music education, continues to recognize the legacy of former President Emerita and longtime NBSO board president Lillian B. Lamoureux.

            To download the scholarship application form, visit nbsymphony.org/scholarships.

            The NBSO is a professional orchestra that annually presents a concert series of classical and pops music with internationally acclaimed guest artists, as well as an outstanding chamber music series. In addition, the NBSO’s innovative and nationally recognized educational programs reach 8,000 students each year. The NBSO is dedicated to building a community of music in the South Coast. Visit www.nbsymphony.org today.

Chair Grateful for Normal Student Life

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            In her February 16 Chairperson’s Report to the Rochester School Committee, Sharon Hartley told the members she has been preparing her report to the town for budget season. Part of that preparation has included the reading of the minutes from every School Committee meeting.

            “It’s impossible … to read the pages and pages of meeting minutes without feeling proud of the work that we’ve done, the reports that we’ve heard, the feedback we’ve given and the decisions we’ve made,” said Hartley, citing the fact RMS has zero positive COVID-19 cases, was able to move to a layered, mitigation approach involving some social distancing and is now experiencing student life as it should be.

            Alluding to the committee’s tour of ORR District schools and the joy it has been to “see them like in prepandemic days,” Hartley said, “This (past) fall, we’re no longer discussing mitigation efforts and are able to focus on education …”

            Hartley would later brief the committee on the progress on the FY24 budget, saying the Budget Subcommittee is nearing the end of its work.

            Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson reported that the School Committee’s Budget Subcommittee will meet to finalize its recommended FY24 budget on Wednesday, March 1, at 2:00 pm at Rochester Memorial School.

            Focusing on some of that normal student life in his Principal’s Report, Derek Medeiros announced a transition and welcome event held on February 1 for incoming Kindergarten students. Registration is open online.

            Medeiros also credited the participants in the January 26 fourth-grade concert on an all-around Disney theme.

            ORR Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Shari Fedorowicz told the committee that Hill for Literacy, Inc., Executive Director Darci Burns would be attending its March meeting to present the needs-assessment program that began in district elementary schools in the fall.

            As of February 16, 31 faculty members had expressed interest in participating in program leadership roles, and Fedorowicz said that Medeiros was instrumental in getting the program up and running in Rochester.

            Fedorowicz explained the process, noting that a leadership team has been working with Hill for Literacy, Inc., since the start of the academic year. Once all data is in, the team will in May or June select from options a core program to introduce in the fall.

            The team will meet twice per month with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE.)

            Fedorowicz said up to 150 educators and 176 caregivers are participating in professional development via the Instructional Council. She thanked the committee for its feedback.

            A half-day professional-development day on March 8 will be the team’s first session working with Hill for Literacy, Inc.

            The committee voted to delegate the response to the Open Meeting Law violation filed against the committee by Mattapoisett resident Kathleen LeClair to town legal counsel as recommended by the superintendent.

            On February 14, LeClair filed three complaints with the state, on February 16 updating her complaint regarding the Rochester School Community’s reception of public gifts (donated books) without a vote. LeClair’s other two complaints against the Equity and Policy subcommittees require response by those subcommittees, according to Nelson.

            The committee voted to approve the READS Collaborative Agreement Amendment, the School Health Unit Application through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (allows designated staff to administer certain medications such as an epi-pen or aspirin to students when medical staff is not available such as field trips.)

            In his Financial Report, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber told the committee that RMS still has $875,000 in the FY23 operating budget and updated the members on ice-removal work as reported by ORR Facilities Director Gene Jones. He also reported on free school lunches and the hope that the service can continue into the 2023-24 academic year.

            In the Administration Report, Director of Student Services Craig Davidson discussed the Math Acceleration Academy that would be held during February vacation, some 13 classrooms operating for students in Grades 3-10, all staffed by professionals, teachers and specialists, along with social workers, cafeteria workers and custodial staff, all part of ORR District staff.

            “It is a stipend position, but they’re still giving up their February breaks to educate our own students,” said Davidson.

            In answer to committee member Anne Fernandes’ question, Medeiros explained that students are recruited to attend the Acceleration Academy based on performance data.

            Davidson also reported on RMS special-education liaisons (staff) participating in a February 13 event at ORR Junior High School. The aim of the event is to prepare Grade 6 students for transition to Grade 7.

            Nelson announced the retirement of Theresa Craig, the READS program’s executive director.

            No one answered the invitation to participate in an Open Comment session.

            The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, March 23, at RMS library, and the next meeting of the Joint School Committee will be held on Thursday, March 30, at ORR Junior High School media room. Both meetings begin at 6:30 pm and are accessible in person or remotely via Zoom.

Rochester School Committee

By Mick Colageo

School Committee

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To the Editor,

            We have an election coming up on May 16th to elect Mattapoisett residents to important town positions. (Rochester and Marion also have elections coming up) Unfortunately, not many people vote in the municipal elections and so I say to everyone, mark your calendars!  Vote on May 16th!

            In part, because I have two grandchildren, I care very much about what is happening in the schools and in the world. I am very concerned about what kind of world my grandchildren are growing up in. I am concerned about all kids regardless of where they live or go to school as they are our leaders of tomorrow.

            Before retiring, I was in the field of human services for over 40 years working with people who have significant disabilities.  Without their basic needs being addressed and doors opened, we often see an increase in joblessness, homelessness, dependency on the system, and often involvement with the criminal justice system.

            Because of the discrimination of race, ethnicity, age, disability, and sex, doors are closed, and many people are left to pick themselves up by their bootstraps. But as MLK said, It is a “cruel jest to ask a bootless man to pick up his bootstraps when he has none.”

            We have made a lot of progress in this country over the past 45-50 years yet Blacks represent 13.2%of the population and 24% of the poverty population. Why? Somehow it is become fashionable to turn back the clock. Keep progress from moving ahead. I don’t understand it, and I think it is very wrong.

            The schools have a particular responsibility to keep us moving forward towards a more inclusive society. Schools should provide a curriculum that provides an opportunity for us to learn about our differences and respects those differences, and teaches and practices civic responsibility.

            I applaud the school committee on its anti-racism resolution, which was passed unanimously without one dissenting vote.  The following resolution is particularly important:

            RESOLVED: Marion, Mattapoisett, Old Rochester Regional and Rochester School Districts must guarantee that racist practices are eradicated, and that diversity, equity, and inclusion is embedded and practiced for our students, families, faculty and staff.

            I understand that there is a process for investigating bullying, using hurtful language, assaults etc. We have to have numbers on a monthly basis to help us evaluate how what we are doing each month and to compare previous months.

            We need to make sure that the process we laid out for investigating incidents are being followed, and we have to make sure that the victim and their family are satisfied, or understand the results. We need to know how many complaints got resolved, and how many remain open.

            I know that the schools are putting a system into place, but these numbers should be able to be provided on a monthly basis now. There are not that many incidents but each one (and one is too many) tells us a different story. Without this data, we are left to hear anecdotal information that often leads one to make wrong assumptions

            What is the plan to eradicate racism in our schools and how are we evaluating the program?  I was impressed with the DESE curriculum on Justice. The numbers will not be meaningful until everyone knows that the schools are serious about eradicating racism and all other forms of discrimination through a solid curriculum that is reinforced. Let’s make the school community a microcosm or reflection of the world we all want to live in.

            Thank you

            Nicky Osborne, Mattapoisett

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

Let the River Run: Landscape Photographs

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Come to the Mattapoisett Free Public Library during March 21 to April 14 and see the Let the River Run photography exhibit by Mattapoisett resident David Walega. The exhibit will feature approximately 20 photographs of the Mattapoisett River Valley, captured through a uniquely traditional photographic process. Walega documents the 11-mile journey of the Mattapoisett River on film, starting at its Northern source at Snipatuit Pond in Rochester and ending where its water flows into Mattapoisett Harbor and Buzzards Bay. The photographs capture the unique and fragile ecosystem of the river and its tributaries, while raising awareness for the importance of conservation of natural spaces.

            The Mattapoisett River Valley contains 300 acres of wetlands and is a sanctuary for a wide variety of fish, amphibians and birds. Some of these animals are endangered and rely on this wildlife corridor for their survival. The herring, once so abundant and returning yearly to spawn, have been on a steady decline due to manmade obstacles. Further, the growing human population of the surrounding towns is exerting increasing pressure on the watershed. However, the abandoning of the local cranberry industry has begun to improve the natural flow of water, creating an ideal habitat for fish and wildlife, including species of box turtles, American eels, insects and migrating birds.

            Walega is a designer, artist and established photojournalist who has travelled across the globe to document projects in locations such as Africa, El Salvador and Mexico. He has contributed photographs for Getty Images/Wire Images, publications and international aid organizations. Walega has a personal connection to the area as a native of Mattapoisett, growing up with a love for the natural and wild spaces of Buzzards Bay. With over 20 years of experience as a pinhole photographer, Walega creates a representation of the world that is uniquely surreal, serene and contemplative. “The results are a welcome escape from my work in photojournalism and documentary work.”

Mattapoisett Museum Events

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March 4, 7:00 pm showing of the 1923 silent film, Down to the Sea in Ships, by Elmer Clifton. The film’s premiere was September 25, 1922, at the Olympia Theater in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and went into general distribution on March 4, 1923.

            Though Patience Morgan is sought by many suitors, her father, Charles, insists that she marry a man who is both Quaker and a whaleman. Because Samuel Siggs convincingly poses as both, he is favored by Charles Morgan–despite the fact that Patience loves Allan Dexter, who is neither. Allan embraces the Quaker faith, proves himself worthy as a whaleman when he is shanghaied and tossed by stormy seas and returns to New Bedford just as she is about to marry Siggs.

            The film contains semidocumentary footage of whalers at work and was shot in historic locations in New England, most notably in New Bedford, at the Apponegansett Meeting House in Dartmouth and on Water Street in Mattapoisett.

            The authenticity of the whaling scenes are noted in the opening screen credits, which praise the bravery of both A.G. Penrod and Paul H. Allen, the cameramen, “who, in small boats, stood by their cameras at the risk of their lives to photograph the fighting whales.” The Charles W. Morgan was one of the whaling ships used in the film.

            Doors open at 6:30 for a 7:00 pm start. Pay what you wish for a ticket with a minimum price of $5. All proceeds will benefit the museum. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the museum’s website, www.mattapoisettmuseum.org/events or at the door.

            March 13-April 17, 6 pm-8 pm, Learn to Crochet for Beginners & Advanced Beginners Classes will be held Mondays until April 17. Jackie Sousa, a life-long crocheter is instructing. This class is perfect for those who have never crocheted or may have limited experience. The price is $150 for the session.

            Contact Mattapoisett Museum at info@mattapoisettmuseum.org.

Highway, Fire Pitch Mechanic

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            The Rochester Finance Committee Monday night continued reviewing the proposed FY24 town budget as it wrestled with whether to add new positions despite a $155,000 shortfall between revenue and money requests.

            Highway Surveyor Jeff Eldridge made the case for a new, full-time mechanic that several departments, including his will share, costing his budget an additional $59,946. Eldridge explained that nowadays he and his other employees handle most of the mechanical work themselves, and he and the fire chief help each out in that area as well. But the work takes him and his employees away from other duties. A couple of these veteran employees may soon retire, and the jobs they cannot fix themselves are expensive. His example: $185 for a department truck’s single visit to an expert repair shop.

            “I can save a lot of time by having this person,” Eldridge said. “Hopefully we can have someone like this in the building every day. We haven’t had a new employee since 1997. We’ll share this mechanic with other departments.”

            Fire Chief Scott Weigel said he’s the only one who regularly mans the fire stations. That’s why he would like to add $34,000 to his budget for a new part-time, assistant firefighter. His plan, he said, would be to use two to three part-timers for 8:00 am to 4:00 pm shifts Sundays through Saturdays.

            “It’s becoming too difficult to be just a one-person department,” Weigel said, noting that since January alone the department has fielded 149 calls. He said this new position would be able to help him call runs, do inspections and maintain the equipment.

            Eldridge, who is also the Fire Department’s deputy chief, pointed out the problem with call departments. “You don’t know who will show up,” he said. “This will be a better way.”

            Financial Director Suzanne Szyndler provided the caution on these plans. She reported that the town has had some good years revenue-wise in the past few years but that this budget year is not one of them. New-growth (tax levy that supports the budget) has gone from $400,000 in FY23 to an estimated $175,000 in FY24, she said. “So we are losing revenue,” Szyndler said. “This is very concerning to me; I am struggling with this budget.”

            Town Administrator Glenn Cannon then made an announcement that may alter some salaried positions as the budget process moves forward. The new Town Counsel (Mead, Talerman & Costa, LLC) has informed him that the new Personnel Board does not have the authority to make grade changes for particular employees, a task this new board had set about doing under its goal to achieve a more equitable compensation system.

            Szyndlar said this new information will change some departments’ salary proposals, but she has been careful to keep those proposals out of the department budgets the Finance Committee has been given for its review.

            The Finance Committee ultimately voted to recommend the $737,939 Highway Department budget that includes the new mechanic and the $418,365 Fire Department budget that includes the cost of the part-time firefighter assistant. However, committee members agreed to revisit these budgets as the town budget process plays out.

            The committee agreed to meet next on Tuesday, March 7, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Finance Committee

By Michael J. DeCicco

Country Fair at Crossroads

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            Word that the Rochester Country Fair is ending after a 21-year run in the town is true, but only to a certain extent.

            “After 21 years, there’s a lot to figure out,” fair organizer Kelly Morgado explained. She said the Fair Committee has decided to put the event “on hiatus” for the next two years to see if anyone wants to take over running it or if it should close permanently.

            The Rochester Country Fair has two accounts, Morgado explained, a revolving fund through the town and its own account. The Fair Committee wants to use all of the revolving-account funds to award scholarships to six students from the town’s area high schools this year: Old Rochester Regional, Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School and Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton. The use of the money in its other account is up in the air at this time until the committee makes a decision on the fate of the fair.

            The fair became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in 2019, but it is around that time when the fair’s problems began. In 2018, a lightning storm plagued the event. In 2019, an Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) epidemic interfered. Then came the big interruption of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

            Plus, volunteerism has gone down, from between 75 and 100 in the beginning to around 22 currently, she said. “But I don’t blame the people. It’s an awful lot of work to put on. Becoming 501(c)(3) cost a lot. Then everything tanked.”

            Morgado said praise should go to those who have kept the event going this long, especially co-founder Julie Koczera. “If it wasn’t for her hard work, the fair wouldn’t have gone as long as it has,” she said.

            She is quick to add, “We haven’t made a final decision. We are giving it time.”

            A big unknown is what to do with the fair’s home, 65 Pine Street, she said, noting the town is eyeing possibly using the property as the site of a new fire station. The permanent structures down there were all donated by different entities. Those anchored to the ground would belong to the town; what will happen to the other structures is unknown at this time. Right now, Morgado is preparing a list of the property’s structures and their histories, per the town administrator’s request.

            A big part of her heartbreak over the situation is that the fair might not be here for future generations to enjoy. “I have a three-year-old granddaughter,” she said. “She loves the fair. I live right across the street, and we walk the grounds. She’ll say, ‘Where’s the corn shack? Where’s the corral?’ It’s heartbreaking what’s happening.”

By Michael J. DeCicco

Marion COA Art Opening

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Marion Council on Aging will host an opening on March 9 from 5 -7 for Canal Side Artists. It is one of our largest exhibits to date.

            Art has been created by local students of Kate Furler. Kate is offering a watercolor technique class on Fridays at 9:00 am here in Marion at the Council on Aging for $14.00 each class. Join us at opening March 9 from 5 – 7. Experience the power of art to shake loneliness.