Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Wednesday,
March 20, 2013
photos/EverythingWestport.com
Quick
Article Index . . .
Police call Westport church
break-in a family affair.
Bristol District Attorney to
sponsor free family fitness and fun day.
WRWA to
sponsor photo contest to highlight River Day 2013.
2013 River Day festivities
will take place at the Head of Westport landing.
School Committee Chairwoman Michelle
Duarte formally announces her candidacy.
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Police call Westport church
break-in a family affair. EverythingWestport.com Monday,
March 18, 2013 Photos/EverythingWestport.com
Left: Rev. Leonard Hindsley inspects the damage
inflicted on the church’s 1870’s bible. Photo/EverythingWestport.com Westport
Detective Jeff Majewski said accomplices were
involved in both driving the brothers away from the scene, and a mother who
concealed items in her New Bedford home that she knew were stolen from the
church. Martin Cutler was
arraigned Monday morning on a host of charges, including desecration of a
place of worship. Jesse Cutler will be arraigned at a later date. Martin Cutler is
due back in Fall River District Court on April 17 for a pretrial conference. District Court
Judge Thomas S. Barrett set bail for Cutler at $15,000 cash on his latest
charge. The judge also revoked his bail on four pending breaking and entering
charges out of Wareham District Court. Prosecutor Keith Paquette said Martin
Cutler also has convictions out of Taunton District Court for distributing
drugs and a break. Cutler is charged
with intimidation of a witness, a civil rights violation, desecration of a
place of worship causing over $5,000 in damages, breaking and entering in the
night time for a felony, malicious damage and larceny over $250, and a hate
crime. More charges
could come against others. Cutler is also
charged with use of a poison with intent to injure. Police allege Cutler, who
has hepatitis C, urinated infected bodily fluids into the church’s holy
water. An incident
involving an amount of a toxic substance sufficient to cause death or that
could inflict great bodily injury can result in imprisonment for life or for
any term of years. The holy water
was thrown out when the church was reconsecrated. Majewski said he contacted the Westport Board of Health
and the state Department of Public Health to notify them.
The Tabernacle,
made in 1911, has a reported worth of $10,000. Hindsley said he's grateful arrests
were made. “It helps to
bring closure and healing, and it’s quite a large violation to have this
happen in your parish - the Eucharist was stolen,” Hindsley
said today. Right: Rev. Hindsley talks with NBC10 newscaster
Mario Hilario Monday, March 18th. Photo/EverythingWestport.com "One of the
local churches gave us everything we needed for celebrating Mass the next
day, and I very much appreciate the parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi
Parish in Swansea," Hindsley said. Majewski said the suspects are being
charged with a hate crime because “because they did more than just
steal." They broke the crucifix, urinated into the holy water, and stole
the prayer book," Majewski said. The suspects also
damaged the clasps and binding of the church bible when they threw it to the
floor. This bible was printed during the reign of Pope Leo 13th in the 1870s.
“The bible was donated to us by a parishioner,” Hindsley
said.
Above: Rev. Hindsley stands near the Tabernacle on loan to the church
form St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Swansea. Three churches merged in the
area, and St. Francis was able to provide St. John the Baptist with
“everything we needed for celebrating Mass the next day, and I very much appreciate
the parishioners of St. Francis in Swansea," said the Rev. Leonard Hindsley, pastor of St. John the Baptist.
Photo/EverythingWestport.com The candlesticks
shown in the above photo were in the original church built in 1919, and were
“pulled out of storage in our basement, polished up and used for Mass,” said
Rev. Hindsley. The tabernacle,
chalices, candlesticks, a Roman Missal Prayer Book and other religious items
were stolen; a statue was turned to its side and a crucifix was damaged. The tabernacle is
a fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is
"reserved" (stored). Bristol District Attorney to sponsor free family fitness
and fun day. EverythingWesport.com Wednesday, March
20, 2013 The University of
Massachusetts Dartmouth has teamed up with Bristol County District Attorney
Sam Sutter’s Office to bring to the community the third Free Family Fitness
and Fun Day. The goal is to
bring families together and to provide a fun day full of health and fitness
related activities, nutritional information, cooking tips and local resources
that are available to families. Live better, live stronger,
build families. The event will
take place on Saturday, March 23, at Tripp Athletic Center, 285 Old Westport Road,
Dartmouth from noon to 4 p.m. The Family
Fitness Day is free and open to families across Bristol County. It is
sponsored by UMass Dartmouth and the Bristol County's DA office. Parking is in Lot
10. Free food, free
gifts, raffle items and more! Special guest speaker former Boston Red Sox
MLB pitcher Brian Rose. "We're
talking nutrition. We're talking fitness. We're talking about making the
right choices," said Brian Rose, the former Boston Red Sox pitcher who
serves as the sports clinic program director for the district attorney. Activities will
include: Zumba warm-up, stretch and stress relief;
free health screenings by Southcoast Hospitals and
Mobile Health Services; active games, obstacle course and a boot camp workout
with the UMass Fitness Team; UMD Shotokan Karate Club techniques and training
section, nutrition and cooking demo with UMass Dining Services; free spine
and subluxation screenings by Chiropractic USA; and a resource section /
informational tables and much more. Start a new way
of living, don’t miss out. Free sports bag with fitness and nutrition packet. For a flyer with
all the details and to register please visit: www.bristolda.com/DA/Events_files/DA_13_Fitness.pdf.
PDF WRWA
to sponsor photo contest to highlight River Day 2013. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, March 24,
2013 The Westport
River Watershed Alliance is sponsoring a photo contest and is seeking
photographers who love the river and the natural world. All entries will be
judged and on display at WRWA’s River Day Festival, Saturday, June 22, at the
Head of Westport Landing. Prizes will be awarded for the following
categories: adult and junior (grades 1 to 12). All entries must
be submitted via hard copy and digital format to WRWA. Photographers must
email JPG-format images to water@wrwa.com by June 1. Each entry must also be
printed and matted as an 8-by-10-inch photo and mailed or dropped off at the
WRWA office with ATTN: PHOTO CONTEST to 1151 Main Road, PO Box 3427,
Westport, MA, 02790 on or before June 1. Each photo entry
must be ready for display entry and labeled on the back with the photo’s
title, name of the contestant, address, phone number and entry class. In addition,
a 3-by-5-inch card must accompany each entry with the title, name of
photographer and entry category. While reasonable
care will be taken, WRWA will not be responsible for lost, stolen or damaged
photographs. Contestants must pick up their photographs at River Day or at
the office before July 1st. With permission
of the photographer, WRWA reserves the right to use photographs in any
published materials with credit given to the photographer whenever possible. 2013
River Day festivities will take place at the Head of Westport landing. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, March 24,
2013
On Saturday June 22nd
the Westport River Watershed Alliance will host a full day of 2013 River Day
festivities that will take place at the Head of Westport landing.
Activities are numerous and fun for all
ages: v
Annual 3.5 mile kayak and canoe paddle from Hix
Bridge Landing to the Head of Westport Landing. WRWA members $40 (day of $50); nonmembers
$50 (day of $60). v
Westport Historical Society walking tours of historic Head neighborhood
and exhibits in the Bell Schoolhouse. v
Exhibits celebrating Westport’s farming and fishing heritage. v
Green businesses, energy options (solar/wind), wastewater solutions,
and sustainable practices. v
Children’s games-stilt making, fish printing, “wee boat” building, old
fashion hoop rolling, face painting, and much more. v
Entertainment and food. v
Photo contest with winners’ photos on display. v
Paddle Participants may print and fill out a waiver for faster
registration on day of the event. Click here to
register. Click here to print waiver form. Mark your
calendars and celebrate our watershed and the Westport River - resources for
current and future generations. If you would like to volunteer to help or
have a table as a green business - email Gay Gillespie g.gillespie@wrwa.com.
Left: the Paul Cuffe
School of Providence sponsored a “wee boat” building demonstration. Center: Miracle Fish Puppets - Bubble Fish and Baboo (pictured here). Right: a
demonstration of an early game called "rings and sticks."
Left: May pole dancing was
extraordinarily difficult to organize but a delight to watch. Right:
Westport Fishermen's Association selling raffle tickets for their annual
kayak raffle. School
Committee Chairwoman Michelle Duarte formally announces her candidacy. EverythingWestport.com Friday, March 22,
2013
Candidate Statement: "I am running for re-election to build on the positive progress we
have made over the past two years. While working with very tight financial
constraints, the district has been able to improve programs, successfully
focusing our efforts in the classrooms. We have continued with budget
transparency, decreased class size in most grades, improved classroom
technology, and implemented creative and cost effective teaching tools, like
online classes, to provide a solid education that will prepare our students
for the future. Working from our district improvement plan, we have already
identified crucial areas that we will continue to focus on."
Date and Place of Birth: April 26, 1971, New Bedford,
Mass. Address: 25 Longwood Drive, Westport, Mass. Office Sought: Westport School Committee Political affiliation: N/A Current public Office Held: Westport School Committee,
Chairperson Prior public office held: N/A Employment History: Currently I am a Stay at
Home Mom. Previously, I worked as a
Software Support Technician for Corporate Software. I also worked St
Vincent's Home for Children as a residential counselor. Education: BA Psychology, University
Massachusetts Dartmouth Clubs, Organizations, Honors, Achievements: Vice-President of Westport Music Boosters PTA member Previous co-chair Westport Cares School Committee Liaison to the Finance
Committee School Committee Liaison to the Board of
Selectmen © 2013 Community Events of Westport. All rights
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