Scouts MassJam

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The weekend of October 7 to 9, Troop 31 Rochester will join thousands of scouts from around the state at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds for MassJam. This event is held every 5 years and has been since 1985 and features exhibits, challenge activities and competitions and promotes scouting and fellowship. The theme for this year’s event is TOAST – Tomorrows Opportunities Always Start Today and will feature exhibits end events with the opportunities of the future in mind.

            A more traditional event that will happen and something has been going on as long as Scouting itself, is patch trading. Scouts collect patches from camping trips, council and regional events and from scouts they have met around the area, state and world. Scouts then decide to trade under one of several motives: where the patch is from, if it is colorful, or whether it features an interesting animal such as bear, shark or snake

            The weather looks to be wonderful for a fall camporee and should make for another great event for the Scouting program.

Chewy Prescriptions 

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            The three members of Marion’s Select Board agreed during their special September 28 public meeting at the Town House that the Hiring Committee delivered three excellent candidates for the job of finance director to be vacated at the end of the calendar year with Judy Mooney’s retirement.

            “Well, I’ve got to say we had three great candidates. I applaud the committee for bringing them to us … doesn’t always happen that way,” said Randy Parker.

            What they all also agreed on was that Heather O’Brien should get the job. O’Brien came out ahead by a tenth of a point in a scoring exercise based on a rubric assigned by Town Administrator Geoff Gorman, but it was her backstory and present circumstance that convinced the members to vote unanimously to offer her the job.

            Following negotiations, O’Brien accepted the job and beginning on Monday, October 16, will enter a transitional period, working alongside Mooney and learning the ropes.

            The other two finalists were Jack MacDonald, vice president of Finance at Mass College of Art and Design, and Tom Valadao, audit manager at Broniec Associates. With the three finalists all coming from the corporate world (O’Brien has been a practice manager at Ernst & Young for 13 years), the Select Board knew this decision was going to be more complex.

            “We had to base it on some other experiences, some other considerations, and I’d say (O’Brien) has far and away more experience. … She’s exhibited focus and … dedicated, putting herself through college (and worked) through high school. I suspect that if we chose her, she’d be around for a while,” said member Norm Hills during a brief deliberation.

            Neither of the other two finalists were nominated at the September 28 meeting.

            Select Board Chairman Toby Burr reviewed the video tapes of the finalists’ interviews held on September 22 and concluded that O’Brien had the most experience.

            “She was the one that had … most job consistency, working for one company for many years. She showed tremendous ambition over the course of her life, to improve her knowledge and her circumstances,” said Burr.

            Likewise, Parker tossed his hat into O’Brien’s ring.

            “It’s a very difficult decision to make, they’re all very well matched, and I think Heather won out by … a tenth of the point. … I like them all, but I like Heather myself. … I think she stands out from the rest,” he said.

            In her finalist’s interview before the Select Board on September 28, O’Brien noted her move to Marion a year and a half ago and said she sees the Marion job as an opportunity to pivot but stay in finance and be part of the community where her family now lives.

            “The corporate world’s the corporate world, I have no complaints about Ernst & Young,” O’Brien told the Select Board.

            While O’Brien has had employees reporting directly to her in the past, her current position is dominated by peers. She told the board she takes a team approach toward management and that “everyone knows they have a seat at the table” and likes to make her coworkers “feel like they don’t have to be afraid to speak their mind.”

            Hills asked O’Brien how her corporate experience would translate to municipal government and how she intends to educate herself regarding state laws and the municipal processes.

            O’Brien said she has worked with corporate leaders and partners at regional and global levels. She has directly supported executive leaders. She also pointed to her management and coaching experience. Her corporate work required accuracy and transparency.

            Relative to law and process, O’Brien said she had spoken with longtime Finance Director Judy Mooney and intends to pursue her certification in Government Accounting.

            “I know Judy would be a resource for approximately three months, so I would leverage her and sit next to her and absorb all her skills and knowledge that I possibly can,” O’Brien said.

            In her region while working for Ernst & Young, O’Brien helped manage approximately $880,000,000 with almost $600,000 in expenses. For FY24, her team had to show 8.4% growth. While there, O’Brien also helped bridge a complex report reckoning with the different laws and practices of global and Americas.

            During the interview, Parker tried to find common ground in O’Brien’s experience with emergency finance work required of the town when facing something like Marion’s recent sewer-main break. He said Mooney had done an excellent job in running a tight ship while maintaining a flexibility to address emergency situations.

            O’Brien said the pandemic helped her better understand the need to back away from work and find balance.

            Having been raised in Brighton (Boston), O’Brien attended Boston Latin High School and had a part-time job working at American Management Association and after spending some time as a full-time student at UMass, she was hired full time by the firm, which offered her tuition reimbursement to continue taking night courses toward her degree. She would graduate from Boston College.

            Invited to ask questions of the board, O’Brien impressed the members with her prepared written questions leading to explanations of town government that could be used as a beginner’s guidebook.

            After taking a unanimous vote during the follow-up meeting on Sept. 28, the board adjourned the public session and went into executive session.

Finance Director Hire

By Mick Colageo

Sippican Woman’s Club

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On Friday, October 13 at 11:00 am, The Sippican Woman’s Club will meet at 152 Front Street at our clubhouse AKA “The Tavern.” Members are requested to bring their own lunch, followed by a business meeting. We will depart promptly at 12:30 pm via carpool for The New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford. (Parking at the Elm Street Garage, 51 Elm Street.) Starting at 1:00 pm, Jim Verni will lead us on a tour of The Whaling Museum. Mary’s husband, Jim has served as a docent at the Whaling Museum for six years and looks forward to sharing tales of whaling adventures and guiding us through the museum’s historic collections of New Bedford’s past.

            The Sippican Woman’s Club meets once a month during the months of September through March on the second Friday of the month. On Saturday, December 9 from 10 am to 3 pm, the club, along with participating homeowners, will hold its traditional Holiday House Tour. Tour plans are underway with the guidance of Carolyn Kenney VP, Fundraising.

            We welcome visitors to our meetings. Club membership is open to any woman who is able to meet the membership criteria and whose interests include the Town of Marion. For further information, please visit our website: www.sippicanwomansclub.org.

Forest Walk for Mushrooms

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There will be a Forest Walk for Mushrooms with the Marion Natural History Museum on October 21 from 10 to 12. The summer may not have been the best for visits to the beach, but ducks, frogs, and mushrooms were happy with the frequent rain. Join us for a mid-autumn hike where we will look for what mushrooms are still fruiting. We will chat about basic anatomy and diagnostic features for identifying mushrooms as well as how to identify a few beginner edible mushrooms and their closest nonedible look-alikes. Some potential species of fungi we may see at this time of the year include: chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, shrimp of the woods, old man of the woods, various coral and ramaria spp, oysters, honey mushrooms and the iconic fly agaric.

            Adam studied math at UMass Dartmouth where he focused on complex systems and networks before studying Ecological Engineering at Oregon State University where he studied coupled human and natural systems under climate change. He is a biophile, amateur naturalist, enthusiastic teacher and proud father

            To RSVP for this event, please go to the museum’s website: www.marionmuseum.org. If you have any questions, please contact the Museum Director at Director@marionmuseum.org.

Learning Something New Every Day

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            I retired from teaching 13 years ago last month, but not from learning. I learn something new every day. I learned that those 13 years went by in a flash, just like the 64 years that came before them.

            Some of the things I learn are important. Just recently, I learned that tennis balls are the cause of injuries among tennis players. Now I was a pretty good tennis player in my day and, luckily, I never had an injury, but apparently at the professional level the little yellow spheres are a danger to life and limb, or at least to limb. It’s true I wouldn’t want to get hit by a world-class player’s 150 miles per hour serve, but who knew the length of the fuzz on the ball would cause an injury.

            Marketa Vondrousova, a Wimbledon champion from Czechia, recently dropped out of a tournament due to severe arm pain which she suggested was caused by the heaviness of the balls aggravated over the course of the season. She suggested that the length of the fuzz was more than allowed by the International Tennis Federation rules. Who knew they measured the fuzz on the ball? I learn something new every day.

            I learned that a major fast-food chain’s burger is smaller than it appears in menu photos. There’s a surprise! You probably heard that another chain’s foot-long sub sandwich was not a foot long, but I’ll bet my lunch that you didn’t know a burrito is not a sandwich. You’ll probably lose sleep over that tonight, but you learned something new today, didn’t you?

            I learned that you can balance two forks on a single toothpick. It has to do with the center of gravity or the laws of physics or something like that, subjects I know little about so don’t ask me to explain. That’s something I didn’t know … and didn’t think I needed to. I have not tried it, so I’ll take the experts’ word for it.

            Here is something I just learned, and I am not too pleased about. The young crowd is dining in restaurants earlier and earlier. According to an article in a Boston newspaper, dining reservations are all but impossible to get after 4:00 pm. Of course, the restaurants love this, but dining early was once the purview of the senior set. Not anymore! First these millennials, or alphabet generations or whatever they are called, take away pickleball and now the early-bird special. That’s why we boomers can’t have nice things.

            Here’s something you may be glad you learned here. Kissing someone for one minute burns 26 calories. Now there’s a weight-loss plan worth exploring.

            I learned that Albert Einstein could never remember his phone number or to wear socks. They say the brain is 80% water. Do you think he had a leak? Since retirement, I can’t remember what day it is. Glad to know I’m in the same leaky boat as Einstein.

            The missus, who reads my column regularly, came across a story about a specialty school in Japan that has a correspondence course that teaches people how to be funny. She suggested I consider enrolling. Wait! What? So, now she tells me!

            I learn something new every day.

            Editor’s note: Mattapoisett resident Dick Morgado is an artist and retired newspaper columnist whose musings are, after some years, back in The Wanderer under the subtitle “Thoughts on ….” Morgado’s opinions have also appeared for many years in daily newspapers around Boston.

Thoughts on…

By Dick Morgado

Elks Student of the Month

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The Elks of Wareham / New Bedford Lodge No. 73 sponsors the Elks Student of the Month and Student of the Year Awards for students enrolled in local area high schools. The criteria used in nominating a student includes a student who excels in scholarship, citizenship, performing arts, fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school and community service, industry and farming.

            We congratulate Senior, Constance Friedman of Marion, for being selected as Student of the Month for September by the Old Rochester Regional High School Faculty and Staff. Connie is a truly kind and compassionate person. In school, she welcomed a new student, making sure they felt included and helping them with their schoolwork. Outside of school, she goes the extra mile by walking her older neighbor’s energetic dog and spending time with them. Connie is involved in both the school community and her neighborhood. Her acts of kindness shine through in all parts of her life, like participating in drama productions, tea club and helping neighbors in need. She’s an inspiring example of how being kind can make a positive impact on others’ lives both in the classroom and beyond.

Evelyn Ann Ellis

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Evelyn Ann Ellis, 73 of Plantation, FL (formerly of Mattapoisett, MA) passed away suddenly on October 2, 2023. She was born on September 23, 1950, in Quincy, MA, (William and Bertha Simpson). Loving wife of Timothy Ellis of Plantation, FL. The loving mother of Sean Ellis and his wife, Kathleen (Davenport) of Medford, MA. Devoted mother of Nicholas Ellis of Plantation, FL. Loving grandmother of Frankie and Declan Ellis of Medford, MA. Dear Sister of William Simpson III and Thomas Simpson of Mattapoisett, MA, James Simpson of Eustis, FL, Priscilla and her husband Kenneth McDonald of Braintree, MA. Also survived by her nieces and nephews.

            Evelyn graduated from Truesdale Hospital School of Nursing and had a remarkable 40-year career as a registered nurse, working in hospitals, nursing homes, home health, and case management. Her hobbies focused on the arts, primarily painting and the theater. Evelyn was a caring and loving person who truly enjoyed serving Christ through service to others.

            Memorial services will be held at Plantation Baptist Church, 11700 NW 28th Ct, Plantation, FL on Monday, October 9, 2023, at 6:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in Evelyn’s name can be made to Sheridan House Family Ministries, 1700 S. Flamingo Rd, Davie, Florida 33325, www.sheridanhouse.kindful.com.

            An Additional memorial service will be held at Saint Anthony Church, 26 Hammond St, Mattapoisett, MA 02739 on Saturday, October 14th, 2023, at 10 am. Interment will be held at a later date.

Murphy Named Harbormaster

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            Adam Murphy had long been doing the work of a harbormaster in Marion. On Tuesday night, the Select Board saw fit to remove the interim tag from his title after he and his staff got through the summer so efficiently in the wake of Perry’s move to Mattapoisett.

            It’s been a big 2023 for Murphy, the Rochester resident who a year after losing a bid for a seat on Rochester’s Select Board by one vote won convincingly in May. When asked for a reaction as he pulled out of the Police Station parking lot with his family in tow, Murphy said exactly what he said when he won the Select Board seat.

            “This is the calm after the storm, right? The hard part’s getting there, once you’re there, you can put your hard work and effort into play,” he said. “For me, that’s what’s exciting about it. Every day, you get to make it better. Now I can focus on all the projects that we have coming up. Just keep putting the right foot forward, work hard, and when I’m satisfied with where I’ve brought it, then I’ll revisit where I’m at.”

            Before becoming interim harbormaster upon Issac Perry’s hire last spring as Mattapoisett’s harbormaster, Murphy served Marion as deputy harbormaster and shellfish officer.

            In requesting Tuesday night’s promotion, Chief of Police Richard Nighelli summarized the challenges that Murphy, along with Assistant Harbormaster Dave Wilson and staffer Andrew Miller, tackled including day-to-day operations while at work on summer hiring and issues connected to the building of a new Maritime Center, research for a new patrol boat, and Marion’s decaying sea wall.

            Nighelli was happy to point out the large turnout of support for Murphy at the Police Station, including Marion Fire Chief Brian Jackvony, Mattapoisett Fire Chief Andy Murray and a large contingent of coworkers, including Wilson, Miller and members of the Marine Resources Commission.

            Murphy’s appointment filled the conference room at the Police Station with a loud round of applause. “We’ve got a lot to do,” said Nighelli.

            Nighelli also celebrated and supported Murphy’s effort to organize a fundraiser basketball game held last winter to benefit Old Rochester Regional Unified sports. To raise money for uniforms, ORR’s Unified teams will join the high school’s “Build Bulldog Nation” campaign being run by the ORR Athletic Boosters. The website is give2ORR.com.

            In his Town Administrator’s Report, Geoff Gorman said the procurement process for the new Maritime Center is still alive with general bids due by October 13. The plan is to bring an exact price to Town Meeting; the estimated shortfall in funding is $922,000. An informational session will be held on Tuesday, October 17, at the Police Station before the regularly scheduled Select Board meeting.

            Gorman also addressed the new Department of Public Works facility being planned for Benson Brook. The Planning Board continued the case to its October 16 meeting. The DPW Building Committee will meet on November 7 to discuss procurement methods and a construction timeline.

            The Special Fall Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 23, at 6:45 pm at Sippican Elementary School auditorium.

            The Select Board reviewed the 12 articles on the Town Meeting Warrant.

            Article 1 will be a vote to appropriate the estimated final amount of $922,000 to construct the Maritime Center (bonded by the Waterways Account, which acquires its revenue from harbor-related fees.)

            Article 2 will ask voters to support the Collective Bargaining Agreement and 3% cost-of-living adjustment in pay for nonunion employees. This action would be funded by transferring $75,000 from the group insurance account, $10,000 from Water Department retained earnings and $15,000 from Sewer Department retained earnings. The Finance Committee supports the article.

            Article 3 will ask voters to approve the transfer of $30,864.97 that Marion has received to date in the opioid manufacturers’ class-action lawsuit to create an Opioid Remediation Fund to be used by Finance Committee, Police Department and the Board of Health. As part of a statewide distribution to municipalities, Marion receives between $3,000 and $5,000 per month.

            Article 4 will appropriate $56,907 for Fire Stations 1 and 2 communication systems that are over 20 years old and so outdated that replacement parts are no longer available.

            Article 5 will appropriate $12,000 for new audio/visual equipment for the Town House to conduct meetings.

            Requested by the town clerk, Article 6 would require new requirements for swearing in that would match Massachusetts general law.

            Article 7, a repeat from 2022, would combine wiring, gas and electric into one article in the Marion bylaw.

            Article 8 would require that a citizens’ petition must be submitted 60 days before Town Meeting, but the Select Board would have the right to waive the requirement.

            Article 9 was the only article that resulted in less-than-unanimous recommendation of the Select Board. Chairman Toby Burr doesn’t think a tweak to the existing bylaw for beaches and public property requiring dog owners “have a means” to clean up after their pets will work any better than it presently does just saying that they must. Select Board members Norm Hills and Randy Parker support the measure.

            Articles 10-12, voted on Monday night by the Planning Board, only make corrections to existing regulations.

            In other actions, the Select Board dissolved the Finance Director Hiring Committee after Heather O’Brien accepted the job. O’Brien will start October 16 and work alongside Judy Mooney until her retirement at the end of the calendar year.

            The board also approved a sewer connection at 64 Lewis Road, approved the Marion Art Center’s request to close Cottage, Front and Main Streets in the village area for the Tuesday, October 31, Halloween Parade beginning at 4:00 pm (the parade begins at the Music Hall) and approved the following Water/Sewer commitments: $2,135.60 (quarterly billing September 12), $1,712,618.54 (quarterly billing September 15), $155 (reconnection and processing fees September 21), $4,200 (new water services September 25), $1,434.33 (pump repairs September 26), $640.47 (final readings September 26) and $547.06 (credit memo September 26.) Parker abstained from the pump-repair approval.

            The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, October 17, at 6:00 pm at the Police Station.

By Mick Colageo

Old Colony PTO Fall Family Festival

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Please join us on Saturday, October 14 from 11-3 for the 3rd Annual Old Colony Family Fall Festival. Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, 476 North Ave, Rochester. This is a rain or shine event. Suggestion donation is $10 per car. Come and listen to music by The Concept. There will be food trucks, vendors, a caricature & henna artist, tarot card readings and reiki along with a bake sale and raffles. Free events include; giant inflatables, face painting, laser tag, photo booth, balloon animals, candy bingo and crafts. Mr. Vinny the Bubble Guy will be there from 12 – 2 and some characters will be roaming around. There will be a corn hole tournament and more. Visit our Facebook page to sign up for the corn hole tournament and festival updates. We hope to see you there.

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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As I was preparing the Bicentennial portion of our new exhibit at the historical museum, I read about the time capsule that was filled as part of the festivities on Aug. 8, 1976. In the picture are Kathy Gayoski May, chairwoman of the Bicentennial Committee, Walter A. Pierce, Chief of Police and Julia Enroth, Rochester’s first selectwoman.

            The time capsule was made of fiberglass and donated by Raymond Gonsalves of Fiberglass Specialties. Inside the time capsule were placed a copy of the town report, the town census and a copy of the local Growth Policy (an issue relevant today.) The Police Chief contributed a roster of the men on the force, a Police Department patch and a picture of two police cruisers (town owned police cars were new to Rochester at this time. Previously, officers used their personal cars.)

            Once filled, the time capsule was to be placed in the Plumb Memorial vault and herein lies a mystery. Is there a Plumb Memorial vault and if so, where is it and where is the time capsule? With the 250th anniversary of the United States to be celebrated in 2026, it might be a good time to locate our time capsule which will soon be 50 years old.

By Connie Eshbach