Candidates Night at Town Hall

The Plymouth Area League of Women Voters will host a Candidates Night at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 30, at Plymouth Town Hall, located at 11 Lincoln St.

Candidates for the Board of Selectmen and School Committee will participate, including Eric Dykeman and current Selectmen Chairman Ken Tavares, candidates for the one open three-year term; Kevin Canty, Betty Cavacco, Shelagh Joyce, David Malaguti and Harry Salerno, candidates for the one-year vacancy created by the resignation of now-state Rep. Matt Muratore; and incumbents Dennis Begley, Margie Burgess and Kimberly Savery Hunt, and challenger Jay Ferguson; the candidates for the three available seats on the School Committee.

The program will be cablecast live on PACTV (consult local listings for the dates and times of replays). Questions for the candidates may be emailed to Voter Service Chairman Martha Vautrain at cvautrain@verizon.net.

Saint Mary's Centennial Celebration May 16

Saint Mary's parish, which serves the people of the North Plymouth/Kingston area, will commemorate its centennial anniversary with a Mass of Celebration to be celebrated by Cardinal Sean O’Malley at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 16.

Throughout the past 100 years, St. Mary’s has been a fixture of faith and practice in the North Plymouth neighborhood. The parish beginnings were established through its early parishioners’ dedication and hard work. Many Italian, German and Portuguese immigrants arrived in the community and worked in various industries at Cordage Park and the surrounding areas. After long days of work, these early immigrant parishioners traversed up Court Street carrying tools and pushing wheelbarrows to shovel and lay the foundation and cellar of the present day St. Mary’s Church. They dedicated their evenings to building a church where their families could practice their faith.

These loyal and devout patriarchs of St. Mary’s worked over a period of years to construct the beautiful, quaint church that has been a beacon of hope to faithful folks of a number of nationalities. The parish’s first pastor, Father Austin E. Doherty, celebrated with this hopeful hardworking community, and he helped immigrant families establish a home of faith and community. Over the century, St. Mary’s Parish has marked a number of anniversary celebrations with traditional foods, family and friendship and always the practice of faith in Christ.

During World War II and subsequent conflicts, many of St. Mary’s young men and women served overseas sacrificing their lives for freedom and religious beliefs. Post World War II Plymouth heralded a vibrant and faithful core of young people who brought an energy and purpose to the parish, which prepared it and them well for the future. The next several decades at St. Mary’s saw a growth in strength of numbers and of faith.

1985 ushered in 26 years of committed pastoral care from the hand and heart of Father Frank O’Hara, who remains, though now long retired, a faithful parishioner of Saint Mary’s. His commitment to his people, along with his Irish wit and tendencies, endeared him to the parishioners, who on the occasion of his retirement, dedicated the meeting room of the church in his name. It is now familiar to all as the Father O’Hara Room, a place where many current parishioners gather for friendship, prayer, and planning for the future.

One welcome and important change over the course of these years has been the addition of a burgeoning Brazilian community to Saint Mary’s. These parishioners have brought a zeal and vibrant style of prayer and liturgical celebration to the parish, and their community continues to grow.

The years 2010 to the present have anticipated the celebration of 100 years as a parish community under the spiritual direction and sacramental service of Father Joseph MacCarthy. Father Joe has enjoyed the opportunity to gather the faithful parishioners of St. Mary’s from North Plymouth, Kingston and beyond into a faithful community of all ages and cultural backgrounds. This diverse community can call St. Mary’s Parish their spiritual home. At St. Mary’s Parish, all 

Spire Center for Performing Arts Launches Summer Season

The Spire Center for Performing Arts, the entertainment mecca of Plymouth, presents a eclectic season of summer entertainment at The Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 ½ Court Street, Plymouth. 

Summer kicks off with the second annual Plymouth Rock Assurance Jazz Fest throughout Memorial Day weekend, Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 24. Jazz Fest 2015 is produced by Johnny Souza, through the generous sponsorship of Plymouth Rock Assurance Company and Eastern Bank. Special guest jazz radio host Eric Jackson serves as emcee for Friday and Saturday’s events. Tickets for Jazz Fest are $30 per evening for Saturday and Sunday’s performances, or $50 for a Friday/Saturday combination ticket. Tickets for the All Star Open Jazz Jam Session are $10 for audience members or performers. 

On Friday, May 22, 7 pm, the Festival kicks off with The Johnny Souza Quintet, The Marshall Wood Quartet featuring Donna Byrne, and The Harry Allen Quartet. On Saturday, May 23, 7 pm, Yoron Israel & High Standards, Cassandre McKinley and the Paul Broadnax Trio, and The Joey Calderazzo Trio take the stage. On Sunday, May 24, from 2 to 5 pm, the All-Star Open Jazz Jam Session welcomes musicians to take the stage with the house band during, comprised of some of the area’s finest jazz musicians. 

On Friday, May 29, 8 pm, one of America’s true original troubadours singer/songwriter David Mallett performs. With a career spanning four decades, Mallett has recorded 14 albums, with hundreds of covers of his songs being performed across the US, Canada and Europe. Known for his carefully written, poetic offerings, his body of work has provided material for an eclectic list of artists that includes Alison Krauss, Pete Seeger, Hal Ketchum, Emmylou Harris, John Denver and The Muppets. Singer/songwriter Maurice Dickson opens. Tickets are $25.

On Saturday, June 6, 8 pm, The Doo-Wopp Hall Of Fame Of America® by Harvey Robbins presents their best in concert, including The Tune Weavers ("Happy, Happy Birthday Baby"), featuring two original members from 1957 and Doo-Wopp Hall Of Fame Of America Lifetime Achievement Award inductees, Tony Funches, long-time lead singer of Herb Reed's The Platters, singing their everlasting hits ("Only You", "The Great Pretender", "Harbor Lights", My Prayer", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Twilight Time"), The Elvis Presley Review with Dana Z, and the Royalty of Rock ‘n Roll All Star Band. Tickets are $37.50.

On Thursday, June 25, 8 pm, The Greg Hopkins Jazz Orchestra appears with special guest vocalist Renese King, sponsored by Rockland Trust. A teacher at Berklee College of Music since 1974, Hopkins was dubbed “a real find” for the Buddy Rich Orchestra by The London Times. Whether he is leading his own band or performing as a sideman, he is stablished as one of the genre’s most respected performers, composers and arrangers. Hopkins has performed with legendary artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Joe Williams, Tony Bennett, the Supremes, Burt Bacharach, Nancy Wilson and Lou Rawls. Tickets are $25.

On Saturday, June 27, 8 pm, powerhouse vocal trio Red Molly delivers gorgeous harmonies, crisp musicianship and infectious songwriting. Laurie MacAllister (bass), Abbie Gardner (Dobro), and Molly Venter (guitar) weave together the threads of American music, from folk roots to bluegrass to barn-burning honky tonk, through crystalline three-part harmonies. Folk/pop singer-songwriter and fiddler Eva Walsh opens. Tickets are $20.

Also appearing are The Dark Side of Grassroot: A Tribute to Pink Floyd on May 30, and Steve Smith & The Nakeds, Zack Tyler opens on June 5. 

 
Tickets for all performances are now available, advance purchases are recommended, seating is limited to capacity. The Spire is handicap accessible, public parking is available streetside, and in public lots in close proximity. For more information, to order tickets online, or to learn more about The Spire, please visit www.spirecenter.org, or follow Spire Center for Performing Arts on Facebook.

About Spire Center for Performing Arts

The Greater Plymouth Performing Arts Center, Inc. (GPPAC) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2010, dedicated to performing arts and educational programs, supporting the vibrant arts community in the greater South Shore region. The organization founded The Spire Center for Performing Arts, a town-owned venue to serve as a mecca for the arts, dedicated to showcasing music, theatre and dance performances, and arts education appealing to all generations from across the Southeastern Massachusetts region. The Spire’s 225-seat performance hall features superior acoustics, custom state of the art lighting and sound systems and original period architectural details, offering patrons an exceptional performing arts experience. The historic 3-story building resides in the epicenter of America's Hometown, where the growing arts vibe infuses the historical and cultural district with creativity year-round. The Spire’s lower level is dedicated to classrooms for performing arts education and theater troupes, a state of the art recording studio, rehearsal studios and community activities. A vast variety of music performance and eclectic theater productions fill out the majority of The Spire’s yearly entertainment calendar, including concerts, master classes, theatre events, variety shows and music festivals, offering Plymouth a more diverse entertainment scene than ever before. The Spire is located at 25 ½ Court Street, Plymouth. For more information, to order tickets online, or to learn more about The Spire, please visit www.spirecenter.org, call (508) 746-4488, or follow Spire Center for Performing Arts on Facebook.

4/27 Pilgrim Hall Museum's Historic Art Restoration Reception

The nation’s oldest continuously operating public museum, Pilgrim Hall Museum, presents Behind the Scenes of the Sargent Painting Restoration wine and cheese reception on Monday, April 27, from 5 to 7 pm at 75 Court Street, Plymouth. The special free event is the first in a series celebrating the conservation-in-progress of their trademark mammoth historic artifact, The Landing of the Pilgrims by Henry Sargent. Donations to support the project are gratefully accepted.

A work of national significance, The Landing of the Pilgrims painting played a role in establishing the Pilgrims as “forefathers” of America, and the landing a central story in the greater narrative of the founding of the United States. The artwork, currently under restoration in the museum’s main hall, presents a rare opportunity to museum, history and art lovers alike to witness the process. Nationally renowned conservators from Olin Conservation are working tirelessly, making significant progress in the painting’s restoration, less than a month into the process. Removal of nearly two centuries of surface grime, dust and numerous layers of varnish have exposed the original façade of the Museum’s beloved trademark work, an astonishing sight to behold. 

Gold Leaf Studios conservators have just begun restoration on the painting’s historic 16’ wide ornate frame by John Doggett on site. The gilt frame is receiving treatment for blackened surfaces and ornamentation, and repair to damaged or missing details and ornaments.

Behind the Scenes of the Sargent Painting Restoration reception allows visitors to view the restoration in progress, meet the conservators, and engage in a question and answer discussion about the project and the restoration process. Interpretation and education on the conservation process and the importance of the historic painting will be offered by Chief Conservator David Olin, of Olin Conservation Inc., Great Falls, VA, and frame conservator, historian and master gilder William Adair of Gold Leaf Studios, of Washington DC. 
 
Olin is renowned for his work on the nation’s most historic works, including portraits of early U.S. Presidents in collections at the Smithsonian, the National Archives and at the nation’s Capitol. Adair, a frame conservator for the Smithsonian Institution and exhibition curator, learned his specialized trade in the Renaissance tradition from master gilders across Europe. The founding Director for the International Institute for Frame Study and a founding member of the Society of Gilders, Adair frequently writes and lectures on frame history and conservation.

Admission to Behind the Scenes at Pilgrim Hall Museum reception is free, reservations are recommended as space is limited to capacity. To make a reservation, please email Robin Nutter at development@pilgrimhallmuseum.org. For more information about Pilgrim Hall Museum, visit www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org, call 508-746-1620 or follow the Museum on Facebook and Twitter.

About Pilgrim Hall Museum

Pilgrim Society, founded in 1820, built Pilgrim Hall Museum in 1824. It is the oldest continuously operating public museum in the country and America’s museum of Pilgrim possessions. Pilgrim Hall’s extraordinary collection of 17th century artifacts, some of which arrived on the Mayflower, illuminates the story of the founding of Plymouth Colony. The Museum is located at 75 Court Street in Historic Plymouth, MA, and is handicap accessible. For more information, including business hours, programs and tickets, visit www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org, call 508-746-1620 or follow the Museum on Facebook and Twitter.

Grab Some Friends and Register for the 26.2 Challenge!

Grab five your your running buddies and don’t hesitate to register for the 26.2 Challenge to be held in Plymouth, Massachusetts on Saturday, April 25th.

Visit www.therunninggriffin.com for more information.

Join us April 23rd for Living Proof: A Craft Spirits Tasting Event!

Happy Easter from Around the Mayflower

Seasonal Dog Restrictions Resume April 1

The seasonal, partial, dog ban on Long Beach, which was initiated by the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) in 2010, will continue for the 2015 season.

The ban goes into effect Wednesday, April 1, and continues through Sept. 30. It impacts all town property on Long Beach north of the Day Parking Area, the four-wheel-drive parking area located approximately one mile north of the main parking area.

Leashed dogs will be allowed on Ryder Way and the beachfront from the main parking lot north to the Day Parking Area, excluding areas closed for shorebird nesting.

State law requires that the town comply with the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA). Under MESA, the town is obligated to protect threatened and endangered shorebirds that use the beach for nesting and foraging.

Plymouth Long Beach is a regionally significant area for nesting piping plovers, least terns, common terns, arctic terns and roseate terns, which are all protected under state and/or federal laws. The town’s obligation includes ensuring that these shorebirds are not negatively impacted by unleashed dogs.

In 2008, the DFW issued a conditional “No Take” determination for the Plymouth Long Beach Management Plan and required the town to implement certain measures to prevent unleashed dogs on the beach, which included monitoring dog activity during the 2009 season. Based on the 2009 monitoring data, the DFW determined that modifications were necessary to prevent an adverse effect on nesting shorebirds by unleashed dogs, and required the town to ban dogs from the most sensitive nesting areas to prevent a “take,” which under MESA is defined as “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, hound, kill, trap, capture, collect, process, disrupt the nesting, breeding, feeding or migratory activity or attempt to engage in any such conduct.”

As required, the town continued monitoring dog activity through the 2014 season. The level of compliance with dog restrictions has fluctuated over the years.

Last season, the highest numbers of dogs were observed off leash since Plymouth started collecting data in 2009. The number of dogs in restricted areas was fairly high as well.

In order to prevent further dog restrictions, and to create the possibility of lifting the current restrictions, the town urges dog owners to comply with the partial ban and leash laws in allowable areas. Violations of the ban and/or the leash law can result in fines up to $100.

For more information, call the Plymouth Department of Marine and Environmental Affairs at 508-747-1620, ext. 201, or go to www.plymouth-ma.gov/marine-and-environmental-affairs/pages/long-beach-information.