Living in our comfortable, gated community, it's all too easy to forget that we are residents of Mashpee as well as Southport. Fortunately, there are many among us who identify with and contribute to the broader community. In this issue, we write about three residents who have stepped forward to help others and to make Mashpee a better place for all of us to live.

In May, Debra Troyanos, a teacher in the MHS Fine Art Department initiated an "inter-generational project to teach [her] students about respecting and appreciating their elders and learning their words of wisdom for success in life." Ten Mashpee "elders" were chosen as "Citizen All Stars" and Ms. Troyanos's students created photographic portraits of them, which were exhibited in June at the Mashpee Public Library. Among the ten people honored were Southporters Allyn Brockman, Charlotte Greenfield and Art Wagman. We have interviews with Al and Art in this issue and will have an interview with Charlotte in the August issue of SVV.

Our Southport Profile this month is about Ann Macdonald. And although unrelated to the Citizen All Star project, it describes another Southport resident who, for many years, has worked with various civic organizations to make Mashpee a great community in which to live.

We congratulate these neighbors for their well-deserved honors. We thank them, and all the other Southporters who volunteer, for their work and inspiring example.  

________________________________________________  

WANTED: 

Storytellers, Essayists, Interviewers, Poets, Etc.  

 

Southport Village Voices welcomes new writers. A monthly commitment is not necessary; an occasional contribution is appreciated. We're looking for residents who would enjoy doing  interviews with Southport residents or writing about  travel, telling stories or writing essays, poetry or memoirs. Let your imagination be your guide. If you want to contribute but prefer not to write, let me know and I'll arrange for someone to talk with you and do the writing.

David Kapp

davidkapp@comcast.net

 

Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, 

but not our hearts. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. 

Ann Macdonald

Ann was born in Providence, the oldest of seven children. Both parents were artists, her mother painted and taught art and her father designed jewelry. While growing up, Ann's family vacationed in the Old Maushop Village in Popponesset, staying in rustic cottages. All nine family members lived in a four-room cottage, and during storms moved the spaghetti pot around to catch the rain coming through the roof.  

Ann feels the basic accommodations and close proximity facilitated close family ties. To this day, all of her siblings keep in regular contact even though they are scattered along the East Coast. Ann's love for Mashpee developed as a result of those family vacations in Maushop Village. Despite trotting around the globe, Ann considers Mashpee her hometown.

In high school and college, Ann was interested in theater. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in theater, she worked in technical theater at Trinity Rep in Providence for several years. During summers she headed back to Mashpee to work at the Popponesset Inn. However, trying to live on her meager theater salary was tough, so Ann started pursuing a career in investments and real estate.

Of course, she did some traveling. For her 24th birthday she went on the obligatory 1960s post- college European backpacking trip. And there she fell in love with her favorite European city, Paris, a city she would return to two more times. On one visit there was a citywide transit strike. Ann relished the make-do cooperation of the Parisians and went with the flow, being helped and helping others reach their destinations, and enjoying the resultant esprit de corps.  

Ann's raspberry scone, served Devonshire style, with cream on the bottom and jam on top, kept her customers coming back to The Tea Shoppe in Mashpee Commons.

From 1991-1995 Ann lived in San Francisco. Being a Renaissance woman who feels that variety is the spice of life, Ann took a pastry chef program at Tante Marie's Cooking School and earned her IACP certificate. She returned to Mashpee in 1995 and in 1997 bought The Tea Shoppe in Mashpee Commons. She likes to say that she dropped the "n" in banker to become a baker. Making her avocation a full time job, and then some, was required to keep her customers coming back. And coming back they did! Her specialty? Raspberry scones. She surprised me three days after the interview with two scones and some Devonshire cream and strawberry preserves. Rule Britannia! I suddenly understood why her teashop was a success.   Ann is not the only food entrepreneur in the family. One of her two stepsons owns a catering business in Falmouth named "Eat Your Heart Out".

However, just doing one thing in her 'home' town was not enough. Ann needed to integrate herself into her community. Taking ownership of her surroundings by identifying community needs and then planning and actualizing those plans satisfied her desire to help build a stronger and better Mashpee. Ann was a trustee of the Mashpee Public Library for eight years, founding member of the Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod, and a member of the Women's Clubs of Mashpee and New Seabury and the Chamber of Commerce . In 2003, the Mashpee Chamber of Commerce named Ann as Citizen of the Year! Anne is still involved in civic activities and, in addition, is a full time sales executive for New Seabury Real Estate. (And I like to think that voting satisfies my civic obligations!)

Oh, I didn't finish telling you about Ann's travels. While she was helping to build a stronger Mashpee, Ann continued to travel. A unique opportunity enabled her to experience travel in an in-depth and meaningful way with a friend from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. Ann relished the idea of learning about international business and exploring some of the most interesting places on the globe. The banker was now also traveler, journeying to six continents.

However, Ann's most memorable trip did not consist of attending a business seminar or exploring a new destination just for the fun of it, but to help rebuild a community far from the town limits of Mashpee. In 2005 Ann learned about a program that her college roommate, Bonnie, and Bonnie's daughter Maura founded. The program was developed in conjunction with the Global Alliance for Africa (GAA), a nonprofit that helps children orphaned or made vulnerable by AIDS/HIV. Maura, a nurse practitioner in Chicago, had seen the impact of the AIDS epidemic on infected babies in Africa. With assistance from GAA, Bonnie and Maura created a foundation that provides nursing scholarships to young women orphaned by AIDS. In exchange for the four-year scholarship, the young women commit to serving as nurses in Africa for two years. A win-win situation for everyone.   

Students at the nursing school in Huruma, Tanzania. In exchange for their four-year scholarships, they agree to serve as nurses in Africa for a minimum of two years.

In 2010 Ann raised money for the foundation by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The mountain is one of the most accessible of the seven tallest peaks in the world; however, it is 19,341' tall! No small feat for a 63-year-old woman. (But did I mention that Ann is energetic?) Ann embarked on an eight-month training program that included yoga, Pilates, weight training, biking, water aerobics, and walking! She had to walk 40 miles just to break in her new hiking boots! I am exhausted just writing about it!  

Ann climbed to Mount Kilimanjaro's Gilman Point Summit,  18,800' above sea level, raising $12,000 to support three four-year nursing scholarships.

The adventure was life changing. Ann made it to the Gilman Point summit at 18,800' and acquired the nickname "Strong Mama" from the African porters. In the end she raised $12,000, enough to send three young women to nursing school for four years.

Ann looks forward to more traveling, though she may skip the mountain climbing on her next trip. She wants to visit Argentina and perhaps Antarctica, to make the seventh continent. Until then she is thrilled to be in her hometown of Mashpee and enjoying her new Southport neighborhood.  

Welcome Home, Ann!

• As you read this the year 2014 is half over. Half over! What the hell happened to it? I remember when a year used to last forever, or at least a year. Now years fly by in just a couple of months. When I was
  15 I wanted so desperately to be 16. I thought of moving my birth date up a couple of weeks to get there sooner.
• If you're looking for a good time - NO, I'm not going to write a phone number on the men's room wall - pay a visit to the Mashpee family picnic and fireworks tonight (Tuesday, July 1) on the athletic fields behind the high school. It starts about 5:30 pm and there are dozens of booths for food, amusement, dunk tanks, etc. If your grandkids are in town, there's face painting, sno-cones and whatnot. Fireworks start when it gets dark. Rain date is Wednesday, July 2.
• What ever happened to lumbago? When we were growing up we all had a parent or aunt or grandparent who complained of lumbago. No more. Did they find a cure for it or was lumbago what's now called rheumatism, or what? Too bad. Lumbago had a nice sound to it: lummmm-BAGO!
• Who's supposed to keep track of these things? A few years ago we received the welcome news that Resveratrol, that miracle substance found in red wine and dark chocolate, was highly regarded by medical "authorities" as a preventive for heart disease and certain forms of cancer. Now JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, tells us maybe not. Come on guys, make up your collective minds. I hope someone will please let me know when corned beef and Genoa salami are officially recognized as health foods.
• Reading an article about rural Vermont in the late 19th century, I noted that the population rarely changed more than a nudge from census to census. It made me think of my college roommate who called Barre, Vermont his home. Dave once made the statement that the population of Barre NEVER changed. "Whenever a kid's born," he said, "some guy leaves town."
• Looking at a TV segment on Tom Brady and Jimmy Garopollo, the Patriots' present and presumptive quarterback of the future, I wondered if there's some secret NFL law that says all QBs have to be movie star good looking.
• Here's a mystery from my friend Dick Clarke: He received one of those annoying "There's no problem with your credit card account, but we can lower your interest" calls. Using his caller ID, Dick saw that the caller had a local Mashpee number. When he called it the person answering the phone claimed no knowledge of anything and hung up. Here's what we think. The credit card companies have wised up and, rather than using 800 lines or running up huge long distance bills, they're soliciting locals to use their number to make calls within that area. Someone tell me where we're wrong.
• Something to think about: A high school in Texas (where else?) built a $60 million dollar football stadium-- that's 60 and six zeros. Ya gotta love Texas values. The best part of the story is that, a mere two years after it was constructed, the concrete portions are starting to crumble.
• FINAL THOUGHT: Ray Schumack points out that where the old sign at the entrance gate warned of a (speed) hump, the new sign refers to it as a bump. Has political correctness finally caught up with silliness?

Art Wagman Photo: Nicole Hambly

Art Wagman graduated from Boston University in 1955 with a BA in economics and finance and, as a member of the Air Force ROTC, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. Shortly thereafter he married Bobby Shuman. The Air Force provided an exciting odyssey during which he and Bobby traveled extensively throughout Europe and lived in Chateauroux, France for two years, where their first child was born.

Completing his active duty commitment, Art returned home and joined his father-in-law's business but the sudden, untimely death of his father-in-law and subsequent sale of the company left him with no job. When an aunt offered to subsidize his return to graduate school, he returned to BU in 1965 and earned an MA in education administration, specializing in school finance.

Art became assistant superintendent for finance in a regional school system in New Hampshire, then moved to a similar position in the Wayland, Massachusetts Public Schools. In June 1975 Art earned his Doctorate in Education from Boston University.

When, in 1981, Massachusetts voters enacted Proposition 2.5, limiting financial support for education, many hard won educational gains were lost; Art left public education to become the bursar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Following his tenure at MIT he became director of school planning for a firm that worked with architects and school boards to develop demographic projections and educational specifications for new and renovated school buildings. Retiring from that job after 12 years, he began a consulting service, Educational Resources Management, working until 2012 when he "officially retired."

Art and Bobby moved to Southport full-time in 2002. His involvement with the Mashpee School System began during a contentious time between the former school superintendent and the town manager over the school budget. Art worked with the superintendent, helping to develop her case for the restoration of school funds and speaking to the Board of Selectmen and at town meeting. In the end $92,000 was restored to the school budget - the equivalent of two teaching positions.

Art joined the Southport Scholarship Committee in 2006 and has served as chair for the past five years, representing Southport at Mashpee High School's annual awards night and presenting the Southport Residents' Scholarships to Mashpee seniors. He has also served as the emcee at Pastabilities. Through these activities Art has established a collegial relationship with the staff at Mashpee High School and become an enthusiastic supporter of the Mashpee schools. He is also a member of Southport's Board of Governors.  

In reviewing the essays that students write when applying for Southport Scholarships,

Art has noted that some are poorly written, representing their needs inadequately. To assist applicants, he prepared a PowerPoint presentation - "How to Write a College Essay" - and gave a well-attended seminar for MHS seniors

Reflecting on the 2014 applications, Art notes that, "There is still much room for improvement. Many seniors still do not write well or tell their story convincingly.

Art recently proposed a mentoring program to Superintendent of Schools Brian Hyde, in which Southport volunteers would work with MHS seniors to improve their skills and help prepare them for life beyond high school. If this idea should take root it could be a way for Southport residents to share skills acquired over a lifetime with young people just beginning to find their way.  

Art Wagman is a strong advocate for the Mashpee Schools. For his efforts, he was nominated as an All-Star by Mashpee High School principal Jane Day, who had this to say about him:

Art with Nicole Hambly, the MHS student who photographed him for the "Citizen All-Star" Project.

"Arthur Wagman has provided wonderful opportunities for MHS students through his work with the Southport Scholarship Committee. His enthusiasm for education and thorough attention to detail when determining scholarship recipients is evident when he presents the awards to seniors on Scholarship Night each year. Furthermore, he is a big fan of the MHS performers who share their talents with the Southport community at the annual Pastabilities dinner. This grand event is a perfect demonstration of how Arthur can rally a crowd to stand behind the school and the students. He is a true gentleman and a friend to Mashpee Schools." Jane Day

Bob Mendes began his career as an advertising copywriter at Doyle Dane Bernbach in New York before becoming senior vice president of marketing for a west coast department store chain. He left that position to start Pacific Sports, a sports and general marketing agency. There he developed "The Reading Team," a children's literacy program sponsored by the National Football League and the American Library Association, which used NFL players as literacy role models. Bob is the author of "A Twentieth Century Odyssey, the Bob Mathias Story." After retiring, he served as executive director of the Glendora, CA Chamber of Commerce. When grandson Adam was born, Bob and Bette moved to Cape Cod, where they recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Neither retires well. He's had a number of part-time jobs, has written two more books, and volunteers. Bette serves on committees at Southport and at the Falmouth Jewish Congregation. Their son Steve is a pediatrician and lives in Marion with his wife Sarah and their children, and a second son, Jeff, practices law in Indianapolis.

Ray Schumack has held positions as a magazine editor, publicity director and an account executive for a Madison Avenue advertising and public relations agency. He served for 15 years as chief communications officer for a Fortune 500 company, responsible for all corporate communications and product promotion literature. His business articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Fortune magazine and elsewhere. He established his own public relations firm and continues to serve several clients in retirement. His recent memoir, News Releases from the Korean War, recounts his experiences as a war correspondent. 

 

Odin Tidemand moved to Southport in November 2011 from Silver Spring, Maryland. He enjoys writing, genealogy, cooking, theater, classical and folk music and being close to his daughter Julie, who lives in Brockton. Before moving to the Cape, he was a property appraiser in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Odin was married for 37 years to Nancy, who passed away five years ago. He enjoys the relaxed lifestyle of Southport, his canine kaffee klatch, and the incredible natural beauty of Cape Cod.

   

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Ann Macdonald for her interview and photographs,

to Odin Tidemand for his photos,

to Al Brockmand and Art Wagman for their interviews,  

to Nicole Hambly and Debra Troyanos for their photos 

         and to my proofreader Billie Kapp.