News

Marion harbormaster facility is now ‘open for public access’

MARION — Marion’s highly anticipated new harbormaster facility is now open to the public following a passing elevator inspection, announced Marion Town Administrator Geoff Gorman at the Marion Select Board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 22. For the...

Marion begins talking accessory dwelling units, rentals

MARION — The Marion Planning Board is getting ready to propose its version of the accessory dwelling unit bylaw, but is looking for ways to simultaneously protect existing rentals. In August 2024, Massachusetts passed the Affordable Homes Act and...
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Residents find proposed historic district and commission ‘arbitrary’

MARION — Arbitrary. That’s the word many residents of the proposed historic district in Marion used to describe the recommended bylaw , focusing on preservation and protection, at the Public Hearing held at the Council on Aging Wednesday, Jan. 15...

Child care available during Rochester Special Town Meeting

ROCHESTER — Child care will be available for those attending the Rochester Special Town Meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27. Child care will be available in the PTO Room at Rochester Middle School during the meeting. Children will be engaged in a...

Rochester Special Town Meeting to address rentals, solar, town employees, future projects

ROCHESTER — Voters will make a decision on the role of the Town Administrator, short term rental and solar development restrictions as well as spending for several projects at the Monday, Jan. 27 Special Town Meeting at 7 p.m. in Rochester Memorial...

Changes to fees, invoicing proposed for Marion harbor permits

MARION — Harboromaster Adam Murphy says too much of his department's time is spent chasing the ownership of unpermitted, unregistered boats in Sippican Harbor. To fix the problem, he has proposed revisions to the waterways regulations that would...

Mattapoisett Select Board to proceed with new building commissioner

MATTAPOISETT — In a unanimous vote Tuesday night, Jan. 14, the Mattapoisett Select Board voted to proceed with Bill McGrady in their search for a new Building Commissioner and will start by making reference checks. McGrady began working in...

Marion Public Works changes office hours

MARION — The Department of Public Works Office announced that effective Jan. 21 hours at the at 50 Benson Brook Road office will be changing to better serve the public. The new office hours are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Mattapoisett Land Trust hires new Operations Manager

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Land Trust has hired Sarah French Storer as its new Operations Manager, effective Jan. 1. As Operations Manager, Storer will manage the organization’s community engagement and land stewardship activities. Storer, who...

Local group hosts dinner to support those still struggling after hurricane

MARION — The Saints Youth Group Mission Trip Team of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Marion is hosting a spaghetti dinner fund-raiser to support their upcoming trip to North Carolina to assist in Hurricane Helene relief efforts. The dinner will...

Plumb Library hosts two book clubs in January

ROCHESTER — Plumb Library has two book clubs for adults that run monthly and are open to anyone 18 and older. The Council on Aging Book Group meets the third Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. at the Rochester Council on Aging. The January book is “...

Marion harbormaster facility just about complete

MARION — The new harbormaster office building will be completed and open to the public soon as the project only awaits state inspection, Marion Town Administrator Geoff Gorman announced at the Marion Select Board Tuesday, Jan. 7. Gorman said he...

Rep. Mark Sylvia takes office

Newly elected State Rep. Mark D. Sylvia was sworn Wednesday, Jan. 1 to represent the tri-town and the rest of the 10th Bristol District in the State Legislature. Sylvia, a Democrat, is taking over from Democrat Bill Straus, who served for more than...

Taber Library remains open despite construction

MARION — Construction has begun on Elizabeth Taber Library, but the community is still welcome to stop by to pick up books, access computers and drop off materials. Though, the library warns, visitors may be disturbed by the occasional noise and a...

Proposed bylaw looks to protect, preserve Marion’s historic village

MARION — After a year and a half of work, the Marion Historic District Study Committee plans to move forward with its bylaw recommendation that would establish a historic district in town to be overseen by a commission, focusing on its preservation...

Short-term rental regulations on agenda at Special Town Meeting

ROCHESTER — Voters will consider two proposals that make changes to the zoning bylaws at the Monday, Jan. 27 Special Town Meeting and, if passed, would significantly regulate short-term rentals. The first zoning bylaw change voters will consider...

Rochester voters to consider gun restrictions at Special Town Meeting

ROCHESTER — On Dec. 30, the Select Board recommended that voters at the upcoming Special Town Meeting consider an article aimed at reversing a recent state law that bans licensed gun owners from carrying firearms in municipal administrative...

Museum program Jan. 22 to explore winter habitats

MARION — The Marion Natural History Museum will host an afterschool program, “ Creating a Winter Habitat,’’ from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22. Winter can create some survival difficulties for area animals. In this program, participants will...

Rochester Police flying high after owl, hawk rescues

ROCHESTER — Rochester Police swooped in to protect, serve and save two birds of prey _ a hawk and an owl _ during separate rescues in recent days. The hawk was saved Jan 4 after its flight path hit a detour in the form of a car window. Quick-...

The Sippican Lands Trust starts the year on the right foot

One step at a time, the Sippican Lands Trust walked away from 2024 and into 2025 as they led a group on a hike to start the year off on the right foot. The hike took place Wednesday, Jan. 1 and members of the land trust led a group on a three mile...

State Sen. Kelly Dooner swears in

Newly elected State Sen. Kelly Dooner, was sworn Wednesday, Jan. 1, to represent Marion and the rest of the 3rd Bristol and Plymouth District in the State Legislature. Dooner, a Republican, is taking over from Democrat Marc Pacheco who served for...

Unseasonable warm New Year’s Day allows 200 to ‘Keep on Plungin’’

The unseasonably warm New Year’s Day temperatures made the tradition of jumping into the water at the Mattapoisett Town Beach less of a shock than in previous years. About 200 people crowded the beach to “Keep on Plungin’” for the 10th year in...

Sippican Lands Trust volunteers refurbish Osprey pole nesting platform

It was a raw, gray, rainy Saturday, as a group of volunteers hiked through the gloomy wooded wetlands to reach the shore area where an osprey pole sits in the Sippican marsh. The Sippican Lands Trust held a work party on Saturday, Dec. 28 of about...

Design review district proposed for Marion village

MARION — The Marion Historic District Study Committee plans to move forward with a proposed bylaw for a design review district in Marion village. A preliminary study has been submitted to the Massachusetts Historical Commission. The Marion Historic...

‘Trial by fire with a ton of support’ for Rochester’s town administrator

ROCHESTER — Cam Durant got the bug for municipal government when he served a pair of terms on the Board of Public Works in Fairhaven. He loved hearing stories about what was going on, seeing the inner workings of the town. He ran unsuccessfully for...

Rochester Council on Aging adds new minivan

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Council on Aging added in December another car to its fleet of vehicles. A new, accessible minivan will be used to bring Rochester residents age 60 or up to medical appointments, including long-distance trips to Boston,...

Three dozen swimmers plunge into Mattapoisett water on Christmas morning

MATTAPOISETT — Mattapoisett resident Louis Casi is originally from the island of Martinique. He was one of about three dozen who swam Wednesday, Dec. 25 at Mattapoisett Town Beach in support of Helping Hands and Hooves, a local nonprofit that...

Revisiting 2024 in the Tri-Town

With 2025 in sight, Tri-Town community leaders and residents can look back on an eventful year of triumphs, losses, opportunities and new directions in a collection of memorable occasions that made 2024 unique. The year began with Tri-Town Select...

Pine Meadow Alpaca Farm delights visitors with sparkling Holiday Extravaganza

MATTAPOISETT — Pine Meadow Farm held its first ever “holiday extravaganza” on weekends during December. The extravaganza featured more than 20,000 lights in addition to blowups, hot chocolate, animals to feed, snow and other attractions, according...

Alleged open meeting law violation filed against Rochester Parks Commission

ROCHESTER — In the midst of a saga surrounding renovations to Gifford Park Playground, the Rochester Parks Commission, in charge of signing off on the project, is now facing allegations it violated Open Meeting Law. On Nov. 21, Charles Morgan filed...

With biggest cookie she had ever made, Marion baker wins Food Network show

MARION — For about eight months, Debi Lindsey-Morrison had to keep her experience competing on a Food Network baking competition a total secret. Yet there was, in fact, one clue as to what Lindsey-Morrison, a Marion resident, had accomplished on the...

Mattapoisett places moratorium on public meeting space in town buildings

MATTAPOISETT — The town of Mattapoisett placed a moratorium on the use of public meeting space in town buildings Tuesday, Dec. 17. The moratorium, issued by the Mattapoisett Select Board, comes after the town has faced some complaints, issues and...

Computer servers, radio equipment among items approved for ARPA funding in Mattapoisett

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Select Board approved spending more than $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds across five different items Tuesday, Dec. 17. The funding, $208,365 in total, will be used for expenses and to purchase equipment for...

Marion awarded $150K for harbor management plan

MARION — A $150,000 infusion of state funding will enable Marion to create a management plan for the town’s harbor. With the grant funds, announced Dec. 10 by Gov. Maura Healey’s administration, Marion will hire a consultant to assist in designing a...

Rochester Town Planner hired in Lakeville

LAKEVILLE — Rochester Town Planner Nancy Durfee will be leaving to take the same role in Lakeville. Durfee, who currently serves as the Rochester Town Planner, was selected by Lakeville Select Board members to fill the town planner position at their...

Rochester Special Town Meeting to include short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units

ROCHESTER — Residents will be asked to approve bylaws regarding short-term rentals and accessory dwelling units at Rochester’s Jan. 27, 2025 Special Town Meeting. Other votes will include deciding the method for selecting the town clerk and...

Buoy tree lighting at YMCA is ‘magical evening’

MATTAPOISETT — On a cold night in late fall, more than 100 people gathered on the beach at the Mattapoisett YMCA for a buoy Christmas tree lighting Thursday, Dec. 12. The event is a fundraiser for the Mattapoisett YMCA’s annual campaign, at which a...

Santa and co. disembark at Shipyard Park

MATTAPOISETT — A caravan of Mattapoisett Fire Department vehicles drove through the town village — lights on, horns blaring. The convoy turned into the wharf, where Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and...

Old Mattapoisett fire station finds new life

MATTAPOISETT — After years of being a base of public safety, Mattapoisett’s old fire station at 26 County Road will soon serve a different purpose. The property was purchased earlier this year by Sakonnet Properties, a real estate development...

Taber Library to relocate during renovations

MARION — A renovation project to make the Elizabeth Taber Library more accessible and improve the building’s spaces will temporarily relocate the library in early 2025. The project aims to make the center of the library compliant with the Americans...

Former Select Board member chosen to fill Department of Public Works director role

MARION — A familiar face has been chosen by the Marion Select Board to assume the role of director of the town’s Department of Public Works. Jody Dickerson, current supervisor of the Marion DPW’s highway division and former select board member in...

Plymouth County presents two large checks to Rochester Select Board

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Select Board was met at its Monday, Dec. 2 meeting by Plymouth County Treasurer Tom O’Brien, State Sen. Michael Rodrigues and two large checks, in both size and value. On behalf of Plymouth County, O’Brien presented the two...

First phase of Mattapoisett historical survey completed

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Historical Commission announced that the first phase of a community-wide survey of the town’s historical and cultural resources has been completed. The survey identified buildings and structures that are historically...

Grand re-opening of Mattapoisett Bogs attracts crowd

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Bogs are a place Town Administrator Mike Lorenco considers “very personal” as he grew up close by and learned how to ice skate on the bogs’ frozen surface during cold winters, which started his passion for the game of...

Road by Rochester Town Hall to be examined

ROCHESTER — A case of improper parking has prompted Rochester to take a closer look at the street directly in front of town hall. Vehicles were found parked on and adjacent to a patch of brickwork recently built around the Revolutionary War monument...

Mattapoisett Bogs reopen

MATTAPOISETT — The property west of Acushnet Road had been used to cultivate cranberries for about eight decades when the nonprofit Buzzards Bay Coalition acquired it in 2011. The Mattapoisett Bogs, as they’re known, were retired at that time from...

Mattapoisett’s compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act evaluated

MATTAPOISETT — A town commission has been tasked with assessing and prioritizing a list of compliance issues with the Americans with Disabilities Act throughout Mattapoisett based on a report conducted by a design services nonprofit. Representatives...

Old Rochester girls cross country to compete at state championship

DEVENS — After snagging seventh place at the Division 2 Cross Country Championships, the Old Rochester Regional High School girls varsity cross country team will progress to the next stage of competition. Both the girls and boys varsity teams...

‘Always remain strong’ retired Navy captain tells Marion on Veterans Day

MARION — World War I, which concluded in 1918, was once called “the war to end all wars.” “If that was true, many of us wouldn’t be here in uniform at this time,” Navy Captain William Hollman said Monday during Marion’s Veterans Day ceremony. “There...

Alleged open meeting law violation against Marion Select Board

MARION — The Marion Select Board has been accused of violating open meeting law by communicating opinions on the Point Road bike path outside of a public meeting. On Oct. 21, Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission Chair John Rockwell filed a...

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