News

Selectmen approve expedited outdoor seating licensing

MARION — To help restaurants get up and running during phase two of the state’s reopening plan, Selectmen authorized Town Administrator Jay McGrail to expedite the approval process for outdoor seating at establishments in Marion. At a June 9 Board...

Mattapoisett postpones Town Meeting, gives election details

MATTAPOISETT — Selectmen voted to delay Town Meeting to a date to be determined, likely in August or September, to get a better idea of what the state would provide for funding. The board also heard how the mid-June election will work. Town...

Rochester Selectmen recommend 19 articles for Town Meeting

ROCHESTER — In a joint meeting between Selectmen, the Finance Committee and the Capital Planning Committee, Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar took members through the 20 articles on the warrant for the June 22 Town Meeting, with a majority of them...

Mattapoisett picks new library director

MATTAPOISETT — Jennifer Jones will be the next Director of the town’s Public Library, if all goes well with contract negotiations. Jones has been at Plymouth Library for 13 years, starting as a youth services librarian and working as a Manomet...

Mattapoisett Library to start pickup June 23

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Free Public Library will offer no-contact pickup of books, movies, music, magazines, and other items at its side entrance, beginning Tuesday, June 23. Patrons may reserve any item owned by the Mattapoisett Library by...

Election preview: Mattapoisett and Rochester

Town Elections in Mattapoisett are on June 16 and Rochester’s elections are the following day. Each town has a contested race for the Board of Selectmen. Polls will be open in Mattapoisett at Old Hammondtown School from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The...

Almost 500 attend Black Lives Matter march

MATTAPOISETT — As protests around the world continue after the death of George Floyd, a black man from Minnesota who was killed by a police officer, 400 to 500 residents of the Tri-Town and beyond participated in a march on June 5 from the Park and...

Tegu dragon crosses the road near ORR High School

MARION — On Thursday afternoon, Mattapoisett Animal Control Officer Kathy Massey was called to the area of Old Rochester Regional High School by a driver who reported a giant lizard crossing the road. By the time Massey arrived, the lizard, which...

Marion develops coronavirus precautions for Town Meeting, election

MARION — Town Meeting and the Annual Town Election will be a bit different this year, as the town takes precautions to avoid spreading coronavirus. Annual Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 22 at 6:45 p.m. The meeting will still be at...

Mattapoisett COA gets update on slow reopening

MATTAPOISETT — Council on Aging Director Jackie Coucci doesn’t expect to open the building fully until July or August, but gave board members a look into the planning process at a June 4 meeting. Coucci said that much of the challenge of reopening...

Planning board member re-elected to regional development commission

MATTAPOISETT — At the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District virtual annual meeting on June 3, town Planning Board member Janice Robbins was re-elected to the commission for another year. The commission, made up of four...

ORR Superintendent passes on guidance on school reopening

MARION — Superintendent Doug White of the Old Rochester Regional School District wanted to tell the Marion School Committee what to expect in reopening, but couldn’t fully do so because the state has not yet told him. From what he has heard from...

Injured rower Hannah Strom returns home to Marion

MARION — Hannah Strom, a Marion resident, former Tabor Academy day student and Holy Cross College student who was involved in a serious accident in January, returned home on June 3 to a surprise parade. Her car was led by Marion Police down Front St...

Tri-Town Medical Workers describe experiences with coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has placed incredible strain on the healthcare system and been a universal problem for healthcare workers. Yet, each doctor, nurse and pharmacist has their own story. Here are three from Tri-Town residents. *** In...

‘Kneeling for Nine’ in Marion

As protestors nationwide respond to the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes, Tri-Town residents also started to publicly protest on June 2. In Marion there...

Marion Water Committee evaporates

MARION — With the retirement of Water Committee Chairman David Pierce, Selectmen voted to dissolve the committee and have Selectmen meet on a quarterly basis instead with Rochester Water Commissioner Frank Underhill and members of the town’s...

Busy first week for reopening businesses

Tri-Town residents can now ride a horse, fix a clock, get a haircut, or get their dog a trim, all things they couldn’t do just a few weeks ago under coronavirus restrictions. And while reopening hasn’t been easy for all small business owners, it has...

Rochester working to reopen Town Hall

ROCHESTER — The town is allowed to open its Town Hall, but plans to take more time to do it safely. Per the coronavirus guidance from the state, municipal buildings are allowed to reopen, at 25% of their full occupancy. In Rochester the limit is...

Rochester Selectmen preview articles for Town Meeting

ROCHESTER — The town’s June 22 Annual Town meeting will focus on making sure the town is in good financial state, potentially moving Town Election date, and several land and road changes related to development in town. Rochester Selectmen met for a...

Old Rochester Regional basketball coach dies

Glenn Gardner, the junior varsity girls basketball coach at Old Rochester Regional High School who was diagnosed with ALS, passed away unexpectedly on May 30. Fairlawn Mortuary in Fairhaven posted an obituary for the 64 year old coach, whose...

Mattapoisett Recreation cancels summer programs

MATTAPOISETT — The town’s recreation department, in consultation with the Town Administrator and Health Agent, decided June 1 to cancel summer recreation programs. Recreation Director Greta Fox said she made the decision because it would be...

Cookie, can donations help scouts make up for lost fundraising

It’s the time of the year when Girl Scouts sell cookies, and Boy Scouts have their annual yard sale to raise money for activities throughout the year. But Melissa Garde Root, the Cookie Mom, or the leader in charge of all of the cookies, for...

Towns take different approaches to encourage voting

While two towns have approved measures to mail absentee voting applications to residents, strategies to improve voting access during a pandemic have not been uniform across the Tri-Town. On May 5, Marion voted to allow its Town Clerk to send...

Mattapoisett Library nears final step of director search

MATTAPOISETT — The Library Director Search Committee and Library Trustees met on May 27 to interview two candidates to replace Susan Pizzolato when she retires in June, but held off on a decision to talk with library staff about their needs in a...

Mattapoisett Board of Health discusses how to handle summer residents

MATTAPOISETT — With the weather warming up, temporary residents will soon be coming back to their vacation homes for the summer, which could be a problem in the face of a pandemic. Town Public Health Nurse Amanda Stone explained to board members at...

Marion Recreation cancels summer programs

MARION — The coronavirus pandemic has led Jody Dickerson to one of the most difficult programming decisions he has ever made: cancelling all summer programs for 2020. Dickerson came before the Board of Selectmen to inform them of his choice at a May...

American Legion celebrates Memorial Day

MATTAPOISETT — The American Legion found small ways to recognize Memorial Day without drawing crowds and being unsafe. A small gathering of veterans met at the Mattapoisett Library to place wreaths on the war memorials there, but decided not to...

Rochester Planning Board hears three solar project updates

ROCHESTER — The Planning Board heard updates on three solar projects, all in different phases, and continued all three projects to a June 9 meeting to allow for further public input. Eric Las of Beals and Thomas, an engineer representing the...

Rochester Planning Board traffic issue almost goes to court

ROCHESTER — Months after Seasons Corner Market raised concerns about road changes proposed by developers of a 208-unit housing development, the two groups have still not found a way to resolve those concerns and were almost ready to go to court...

Marion Selectmen hike water, sewer rates to pay for related projects

MARION — Selectmen increased the water and sewer rates by $257.52 a year for an average household to begin paying off debt for a water main replacement and wastewater lagoon treatment project. Finance Director Judy Mooney told Selectmen at a May 26...

Mattapoisett reopens Town Hall to public

MATTAPOISETT — After closing to the public for nine weeks, Town Hall is now open to the public in a socially-safe fashion from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “I think these hours will work wonders for the town,” said Town Administrator Michael Lorenco, adding...

Marion holds pared-down Memorial Day service

MARION — Marion held a pared-down version of its Memorial Day service, to avoid spreading coronavirus Captain Andrew Bonney led the ceremony, which included Selectman Chairman Randy Parker laying the wreath at the monument at Old Landing while Chris...

Rochester church starts in-person services again

ROCHESTER — The First Congregational Church of Rochester’s website calls it “the church on the green,” but starting May 24, church is held literally on the green. The parish’s leadership team decided to reopen, even as the Mattaposiett...

Habitat for Humanity resumes house build, seeks meal donations

MATTAPOISETT — After pausing work in mid-March due to coronavirus restrictions, the Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity is resuming construction on a single-family home. Starting May 30, the project will resume using only skilled volunteers on-...

Rochester firefighters put out half acre brush fire, no injuries

ROCHESTER — An out-of-control cook fire became a half-acre brush between Bryant Lane and Forbes Road on May 22 before it was put out by the Fire Department Captain Jeffrey Eldridge said the fire did not reach any of the nearby houses. Firefighters...

Marion hires new health agent amidst pandemic

MARION — Hired on May 21, the town’s new Health Agent, David Flaherty, is ready to hit the ground rolling amid a coronavirus pandemic. Flaherty has 18 years of public health experience and has been working with the town as a consultant since Health...

Mattapoisett solar project will see the light of day after all

MATTAPOISETT — The Planning Board approved construction of two solar farms on Bowman Road at a May 21 meeting over the continued objections of the Mattapoisett Land Trust and neighbors because it had no legal basis to deny the permit. The approval...

Skilled nursing facility celebrates employees with a sign

MARION — Sippican Healthcare Center celebrated the dedication of its employees during the coronavirus crisis with a customized sign. Tom H. Lynch, Owner of Artist Design in Mattapoisett, made the sign which calls healthcare workers heroic. The...

Read the May 21 “paper” online

The May 21 eEdition of Sippican Week is now live on our site. It's a pdf version of this week's edition — looking just like the paper version. Our papers are still available at all regular distribution spots that remain open in this pandemic period...

Plumb Library planning for curbside pickup June 1

ROCHESTER — Starting Monday June 1, the Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library will start curbside service. Patrons can call the library at 508-763-8600 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, or email info@plumblibrary.com to request a book, magazine,...

Silvershell Beach parking lot to reopen on May 22

MARION — Though state park parking lots and beaches aren’t open yet, the Marion Board of Health voted at a video meeting on May 19 to reopen the parking lot to Silvershell Beach on May 22. Stickers will be required for entry and the town has worked...

Marion Board of Selectmen talk reopening town

MARION — In a May 19 video meeting on a wide range of topics, Selectmen met with the Board of Health, set Town Meeting date for June 22, the election for June 26 and announced the Town House will be fully staffed but closed to the public starting...

Mattapoisett Lions cancel Harbor Days

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Lions Club has voted to cancel all of its Harbor Days activities for 2020. “It is with heavy hearts that the Mattapoisett Lions Club’s Board of Directors has voted to cancel all Harbor Days 2020 events. This is a...

Eli and the Amazing Technicolor House

MATTAPOISETT — To cheer up neighbors during the coronavirus pandemic, six-year-old Eli Rickson used his imagination to go above and beyond the normal lawn sign or window drawing. He asked his parents, Sarah Storer and Dave Rickson, if they could...

Rochester adjusts budget for a pandemic

ROCHESTER — State budget cuts will likely hit hard in the next few years, but Rochester is in a good place to weather them, the Town Administrator and Finance Committee say. The two met on May 18 to discuss a revised town budget in light of the...

Planning, impatience, confidence from stores, towns as state reopens

Towns are taking advantage of time to plan before they can reopen next week under new state guidelines. Some businesses are putting their hard-earned coronavirus strategies to good use, while others hoped for more freedoms. Governor Charlie Baker...

Marion Finance Committee OKs new budget recommendation

MARION — Between now and March 11, when the Marion Finance Committee initially recommended articles two, three and four, those concerning the town’s annual budget, to the Selectmen, a lot has changed. To reflect those covid-related changes, the...

Rochester Selectmen approve voting application mailers

ROCHESTER — As a precaution, the Rochester Board of Selectmen reluctantly voted to mail residents absentee voter registration applications. New state legislation that allows residents to vote by mail, regardless of their circumstances. At a May 18...

Rochester recycling program has rough first week

ROCHESTER — The first week of a state-funded program to monitor recycling practices in town showed that recyclers have a lot of learning to do. Marcia Kessler, who secured funding for Rochester’s “recycling IQ program,” says that 90% of the carts...

Marion residents learn, ask questions on proposed sewer regulations

MARION — With a hearing on new sewer regulations pending on June 16, residents tuned into a Board of Health Webinar to learn more about changes to reduce nitrates from septic systems and ask some questions. The revised regulations would impact new...

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