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News

Historic survey completed for 70 Marion properties

MARION — Phase 4 of a survey of the town’s historic and architecturally significant properties has been completed by preservation consultant Lynn Smiledge, the Marion Historical Commission announced. Property owners of the surveyed resources will...

Pumped: Early fall sees pumpkins picked across Tri-Town

The swath of pumpkins laid out at Cervelli Farm Stand in Rochester is well-guarded. Towering monuments to Halloween and autumn — statues of various monsters — gazed above the pumpkin collection. As the air turns brisk and the leaves turn amber, the...

Saltwater Country: A love letter from Grace Morrison

Grace Morrison’s upcoming album, Saltwater Country, is part love letter to her hometown, part portrait of a woman who has grown into herself and her music, and part affirmation that her songwriting deserves to be heard and celebrated. “The eternal...

$245,150 of Rochester ARPA funds to cover wheel loader

ROCHESTER — A new vehicle for the Rochester Highway Department will be purchased using town American Rescue Plan Act funds. The CAT 930 wheel loader has been on the department’s list for the Capital Planning Committee since the formation of the...

No people, animals injured in storage building fire

MARION — The cause of a Friday, Sept. 20 fire that started at a storage building at Great Hill Farm is still under investigation, according to Marion Fire Chief Brian Jackvony. The 8,000-square foot structure used for storage suffered a partial...

New farm stand deals local foods along one of Mattapoisett’s busiest streets

MATTAPOISETT — Nobody understands the message better than a pig farmer, Michael King — a pig farmer — said. It’s a message that hasn’t changed in the nearly a decade and a half that King has preached it: Local, sustainable food systems — in an...

More than $350K in ARPA funds designated for Rochester police, fire

ROCHESTER — More than $350,000 of American Rescue Plan Act money will be bringing new equipment and more to public safety departments in Rochester. The Rochester Select Board approved Tuesday, Sept. 17 a total of $355,811 in ARPA funding across six...

‘It’s a labor of love’: Penny Pinchers Exchange turns 50

MARION — Balloons, cupcakes and unbeatable prices were aplenty at the Marion Congregational Church’s Penny Pinchers Exchange on Saturday, Sept. 14. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the thrift shop that is run by volunteer members of the...

Marion receives more than $200,000 in Green Community funds, months after mulling participation in program

MARION — More than $200,000 is coming to Marion for energy saving projects at town facilities. The funding, tied to four different projects at three municipal buildings, is part of the Green Communities program within the Massachusetts Department of...

Point Road playground to be renamed in honor of land’s former Cape Verdean proprietors

MARION — Manuel and Felizarda Pina were a Cape Verdean couple who immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century, settling in Marion. Around 100 years later, a park will be named in their honor in the town they lived and raised seven sons...

Mattapoisett to address failing, undersized water tunnel

MATTAPOISETT — The flooding at Brookside Drive during one particular storm in 2021 was something Mattapoisett Highway Surveyor Garrett Bauer had never seen before. Approximately seven inches of rain hit the town in about three hours, Route 6 became...

Lifesaving efforts by Mattapoisett first responders, bystanders after bike event recognized

MATTAPOISETT — Doug Powers was in Munro Preserve at the afterparty to an annual May fundraising bike tour themed around ice cream when he went into cardiac arrest. Fellow riders and bystanders performed CPR on Powers, who had earlier completed the...

Marion looks to install fast chargers for electric vehicles

MARION — Faster electric vehicle chargers may be coming to Marion in the future. Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman said Wednesday, Sept. 4 that the town has an opportunity to install several level 3 DC fast chargers at various locations throughout...

Historic Rochester farm continues ‘community’ legacy with family fest

ROCHESTER — Silas and Dominic were taking a break from treats. The two donkeys at East Over Farm had had a few too many from the several visitors that came to the property Saturday, Sept. 7. The farm held an open house family fest at which attendees...

Updated: Tri-Town supports Old Rochester school committee member in state primary

Tri-Town Republicans overwhelmingly supported Old Rochester Regional School Committee member Joe Pires to be the party’s candidate in the race to elect a new representative for the 10th Bristol district for the first time in more than three decades...

State senate candidates make their pitch to community

With the State Primary Election quickly approaching on Tuesday, Sept. 3, four candidates running to be the new face of the 3rd Bristol and Plymouth senate district made their pitch to voters and gave their take on affordable housing, state aid for...

Weather can make or break South Coast cranberry crop

The unpredictable and often site-specific New England weather can make a hail of a difference in the success of cranberry crops. A hail storm earlier in the month could dampen the previously rosy outlook for the Wareham area cranberry outlook, said...

Firm outlines next steps for roadway project

MATTAPOISETT — A Tuesday, Aug. 27 meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board resulted in an update from engineering firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin on the ongoing village roadway project and a decision to create a webpage containing information and...

Two candidates face off in Republican primary for 10th Bristol district representative

When Rep. Bill Straus announced earlier this year he would not run again for the 10th Bristol district, it meant Tri-Town voters in 2024 would elect a new state representative for the first time in more than 30 years. Three candidates have emerged...

Meet the Democratic candidates for state senate

MATTAPOISETT — Sen. Mark C. Montigny, who has served 16 terms in the Senate, is up for re-election this year — but he isn’t running unopposed. First-time candidate Molly Kivi and Montigny will vie for the Democratic nomination for the Second Bristol...

Tri-Town at risk to multiple mosquito-borne illnesses

Viruses detected in Tri-Town mosquitoes are making the bothersome insects more harmful than usual. On Friday, Aug. 23, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health declared that Mattapoisett, Marion and Rochester are three of eight municipalities...

Aerial spraying to combat risk of EEE in parts of Middleboro, Rochester, Wareham

Aerial spraying will be conducted in parts of several towns in Plymouth County including Middleboro, Rochester and Wareham to mitigate the risk of contracting the mosquito-borne illness Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). Spraying is scheduled to...

The summer ends at Elizabeth Taber Library

MARION — In June, Elizabeth Taber Library threw a block party event to open up the summer in Marion. But now, as the sun incrementally sets a little earlier and dog days turn to school days, the summer ends. Taber Library held a bash Friday, Aug. 23...

Annual walk-a-thon fetches funds for future Mattapoisett dog park

MATTAPOISETT — Dogs and their humans ambled through Mattapoisett for a fundraiser Saturday Aug. 24, as part of an effort to create a recreational space for dogs in Mattapoisett that’s spanned years. The dog walk-a-thon, held annually , raised money...

Mosquito-borne diseases cancel Marion Town Party

MARION — There will be no town party in Marion this year, due to the presence of two mosquito-borne diseases detected recently. In the wake of both West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis being identified in mosquitoes in Marion, the annual...

Rochester allots $60,803 of ARPA funds

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Select Board unanimously voted to use a total of $60,803 of town American Rescue Plan Act funds on three different projects at a meeting on Monday, Aug. 19. The Rochester Board of Assessors was granted $7,500 in ARPA funds...

Cranberry growers wade into a ‘solid’ expected harvest

Soon, bogs throughout the South Coast will be running red with berries as cranberry growers in southern Massachusetts could expect to see a “solid” harvest this season, according to data released by the National Agricultural Statistics Service...

‘State of the art’ playground coming to Rochester

ROCHESTER — Much to the delight of Rochester children, a brand new playground is on its way to the town. The playground, which will be located at Gifford Park along Mary’s Pond Road, will be “state of the art,” said Parks Commision member David...

Herring count in Mattapoisett River more than doubles from previous year in 2024

ROCHESTER — Alewives Anonymous, a local organization that supports efforts to increase the herring population in Tri-Town waters, has released herring migration figures for 2024. Electronic fish counters were installed on the Mattapoisett River at...

Marion tour reveals ‘secret’ vegetable gardens

MARION — For the second year in a row, it rained during the event. But for a program centered on “secret” vegetable gardens, that weather might be fitting. Community Veg Marion and Friends of the Elizabeth Taber Library organized a tour through five...

Meet Joe Pacheco

While Joe Pacheco is not related to the retiring Senator Pacheco, he is looking to step into the long-time senator’s shoes with his candidacy for the Third Bristol and Plymouth senate seat. Joe Pacheco has served as a member of the Raynham Select...

Meet the Democratic candidates for State Senate

Sen. Marc Pacheco has served four years in the House of Representatives and 32 in the Senate, which has earned him the title of the Massachusetts Senate’s longest continuously serving member. This year will be his last, as he has decided to make an...

Meet Barry Sanders

For Barry Sanders, the choice of whether to run came down to a desire to help. Sanders said that, while he has been able to help thousands of people across a thirty-five year career as a social worker, his more recent position of Taunton City...

Mattapoisett shares early voting information for state primaries

MATTAPOISETT — The town clerk of Mattapoisett, Catherine Heuberger, has announced the dates for early voting in the upcoming primary elections. Mattapoisett will be holding in-person early voting for the Sept. 3 state primary at Mattapoisett Town...

Best of the best take home ribbons from Rochester Grange Fair

ROCHESTER — Fruits and vegetables grown by farmers and gardeners around the Tri-Town and beyond this summer took center stage in competition for the 117th annual Rochester Grange Fair on Saturday, Aug. 17. Anything that could be found inside of a...

50 years of ‘Survivors’ reunite

MATTAPOISETT — Every summer, after Tri-Town seventh-graders finish up their school year and start preparing for junior high, one event brings them all together: Survival. In June, the rising eighth grade class of Old Rochester Regional High School...

Mary’s Pond plays the role of an airport for an afternoon

ROCHESTER — Birds enjoying the breezy sky over Mary’s Pond in Rochester on Saturday, Aug. 17 had to share the air with some unfamiliar flying objects. The Bristol County Remote Control Club held their 14th annual John Nicolaci Memorial Float Fly,...

Summer celebrated with cookout at Mattapoisett Council on Aging

MATTAPOISETT — During schooltime, the lawn beside the building that houses both Center School and the Mattapoisett Council on Aging typically isn’t available to the latter agency. But it’s still summertime, and with school also still a couple weeks...

Two years since fire, Mattapoisett Boatyard continues recovery

MATTAPOISETT — For Mattapoisett Boatyard co-owner David Kaiser, it felt like a nearly foregone conclusion from the general public that the more than 60-year-old family business would be sold, after a fire left his boatyard in charred destruction and...

‘Next generation of sailors’ go head-to-head

MARION — With the Bourne Bridge visible in the distance of a picture-perfect afternoon, around 250 kids and teens raced laps around Sippican Harbor on Tuesday, Aug. 13 for the first day of the Beverly Yacht Club Junior Regatta. “This is one of the...

It’s a sign: Parking rules to be clarified around bike path intersection

MATTAPOISETT — A pair of signs will soon bring added clarity to the parking situation surrounding an intersection of the Mattapoisett Rail Trail. The Mattapoisett Select Board approved Tuesday, Aug. 13 the installation of two “No Parking Between...

Rochester Select Board picks new town administrator

ROCHESTER — A town official from Fairhaven has been selected to be Rochester’s next town administrator. Cameron Durant, who has served as Fairhaven’s human resources director since 2022, was the Rochester Select Board’s unanimous choice after a...

Community garden, tour aim to inspire vegetable growing in Marion

MARION — A grassy triangle is tucked beside the parking lot of the Marion Council on Aging. It’s about three-quarters of an acre in size, according to Barbie Burr. It was at one point the location of a small dump, Burr said, and in the 1970s, a...

Purple Heart recipients honored during Mattapoisett ceremony

MATTAPOISETT — Six individuals who were either killed or wounded while serving in the military were honored during a Purple Heart recognition ceremony Saturday, Aug. 10 at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library. It was the first event of its kind held...

‘An emotional shelter in the storm’: Pets blessed at Mattapoisett church

MATTAPOISETT — Dogs and their owners filed up to the front of Mattapoisett Congregational Church to receive blessings Sunday, Aug. 11. Worshippers sat on the lawn of the church as Rev. Michael Frady and Rev. Dale Thackeray, treats in hand, blessed...

Primaries to see Dems contest Pacheco’s open senate seat

Marion voters will have big shoes to fill in the upcoming primary election on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Two candidates will compete in the Democratic primary for the 3rd Bristol and Plymouth Senate Seat. The seat is currently held by long-time Senator Marc...

Primaries for Tri-Town’s next state representative less than a month away

State primaries are fast approaching, as Tri-Town voters will soon elect a new state representative for the 10th Bristol district for the first time in three decades. Rep. Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisett) has held the seat since 1992 but announced...

Search for new Rochester Town Administrator nears completion

ROCHESTER — The search for a new town administrator in Rochester is nearing a conclusion. The number of candidates for the position, which has been open since May 13, has been narrowed down to three by the Town Administrator Search Committee. “The...

Rochester receives sizable check from Plymouth County

ROCHESTER — A pair of Plymouth County commissioners presented the Rochester Select Board with a big check — in terms of both physical and financial size, at a meeting on Monday, Aug. 5. The large check, presented by commissioners Jared Valanzola and...

Eastern equine encephalitis risk raised to moderate in Rochester

The risk of Eastern equine encephalitis has been raised to moderate in Rochester, after the potentially fatal disease was detected in mosquito samples collected in nearby towns. EEE was detected in Abington, Middleboro, Wareham, and Whitman,...

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