News

News

Yesteryear: Mattapoisett, then and now

Though businesses have come and gone through Mattapoisett, some places have stood the test of time. The old stone bridge over Mattapoisett River still stands, but it’s now more populated with houses (and it’s actually paved!) Dexter Mill may no...

Sippican Historical Society gives donation for Town House work

MARION — If all goes well, the renovation to the exterior of the Town House should be done by Thanksgiving. Thanks to the donation of up to $250,000 from the Sippican Historical Society, the project will be moving along towards that goal. “It’s a...

Tri-Town Against Racism introduce themselves to Marion Selectmen

MARION — “Start where you live” is the motto of local anti-racism grassroots organization Tri-Town Against Racism. So in an effort to start change, two of the group’s six co-founders, Tangi Thomas of Marion and Alison Noyce of Rochester, went before...

Marion receives $71,000 in coronavirus aid

MARION — Thanks to Plymouth County’s handling of the funds it received from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the town will receive $71,153.57 in reimbursement for covid-related expenditures. This is more than what other...

Aquaculture permits revoked by Selectmen

MARION — Tensions were high after Selectmen, in correspondence with the Harbormaster’s office, revoked two aquaculture permits from oyster farmer Shea Doonan at a meeting on Sept. 8. According to Harbormaster Isaac Perry, Doonan made violations...

Local meal tax under consideration

MATTAPOISETT — Diners in Mattapoisett could see a small increase on their bills in the near future. At a virtual Board of Selectmen meeting on Sept. 8, members discussed proposing a local meal tax as a way to boost town revenue amid significant...

Rochester Planning Board approves array on Sarah Sherman Road

ROCHESTER — A solar array on Sarah Sherman Road will move ahead after the Planning Board approved a special permit and Groundwater Protection District for the project on Sept. 8. Greg Carey with Clean Energy out of Auburn first approached the board...

Negotiations end traffic dilemma for Rochester housing development

ROCHESTER — After months of public and private debate, a housing developer and gas station owner have reached an agreement on exits that will allow planning for a 208 unit development to move forward. Steen Realty and Development Corporation has...

Rochester Fire Department receives $120,155 grant

ROCHESTER — Town Fire Department Chief Scott Weigel said that recruitment and retention of firefighters is an issue for Fire Departments across the country, and Rochester is no different. So to help with the problem, the fire department received a $...

Walrus and Captain, Ying Dynasty highlighted for ‘Taste of Mattapoisett’

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Woman’s Club is holding the “Taste of Mattapoisett” differently this year. The club is featuring one restaurant each week whose donations have contributed to the MWC Scholarship Fund. For the week of Sept. 6, the club...

Sippican Week’s photos of summer 2020

It has truly been a summer like no other. Coronavirus has affected nearly every part of life in the world, and it’s no different here in the Tri-Town. From delayed and socially distanced graduations, to events cancelled all across the board, some...

From the files of the Rochester Historical Society: Voting in the 1930s

The writer of this piece, Connie Eshbach, is the vice president of the Rochester Historical Society. This is part of a series of Rochester history briefs. With all the talk these past weeks of mail boxes, lock boxes, and mailing ballots, it...

Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path seeks donations to connect trail to Marion

MATTAPOISETT — The Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path are asking for donations towards the construction of the “Marion Connector” that would join the path between the two towns. “ We are very excited that we are so close to making this piece of...

Mattapoisett resident named to best lawyers list

Boston-based labor and employment law firm Morgan, Brown & Joy announced that 11 of its attorneys were included in the ‘Best Lawyers in America’ 2021 list, including Keith McCown of Mattapoisett. Lawyers on this list are divided by geographic...

Mattapoisett Free Public Library now open Tuesday nights and Sundays

The Mattapoisett Free Public Library announced its hours of operation have expanded to include Tuesday nights and Sundays. The library’s updated hours of operation will be: Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,...

Labor Day closing and trash pick up changes for Mattapoisett

MATTAPOISETT — Town Hall, the library, the Council on Aging and Transfer Station will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7 in observance of Labor Day. Trash will not be picked up on Sept. 7 and the trash pickup schedule will be shifted by one day because of...

Second grader creates Marion 'Kid's Historical Bike Tour'

MARION — Greta Agnew, a second grader from Pennsylvania who comes to visit her grandparents in Marion every summer, would spend her days riding bikes with her relatives and noticed many unique and historic buildings in town. So, Agnew combined her...

Three Wareham men arrested for armed robbery

MATTAPOISETT - Three men from Wareham have been arrested and charged with armed robbery following a car chase through two South Coast towns on Sept. 1. Spencer Ellenwood, 22, Enrique Gomes, 28, and Saveion Brandon, 22 — all of Wareham — were taken...

Read the Sept. 3 ‘paper’ online

The Sept. 3 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...

Markey wins majority in Tri-Town, turnout near same as Super Tuesday

Three small towns on the South Coast of Massachusetts reflected what a majority of Democratic voters in the state confirmed at the polls, dropping off early ballots and mailing in votes: They want Ed Markey on the ballot in November. The race was in...

Marion Board of Health looking for Community Emergency Response Team volunteers

MARION — The Marion Board of Health is looking for volunteers to be a part of the town’s Community Emergency Response Team. The CERT program is a federal initiative that educates volunteers about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic...

Marion Health Nurse lauds Tabor, talks flu shots for schools

MARION — Marion Public Health Nurse Kathy Downey was on-hand as Tabor Academy students returned to campus and said the school did an “an absolutely amazing job,” at testing and vaccinations a Sept. 1 Board of Health meeting. Only two students who...

Land deal between church, town of Rochester falls through

ROCHESTER — It seemed that a disagreement on the price of a plot of land would stop the First Congregational Church from selling two acres to the town, but in the end it was an environmental concern that shot the deal down. Selectman Ciaburri walked...

Themes begin to emerge in Mattapoisett Master Plan talks

MATTAPOISETT — As residents shared their opinions in a second brainstorming session for the new Master Plan, regional planners listened and immediately identified transportation and communication as themes across both sessions. The goal is for...

A look back at the hurricane of 1938

Hurricane season is in full swing on the east coast of the U.S. Though there are no storms projected to hit the South Coast at the moment, a category five hurricane began its progression towards the Tri-Town around this time in 1938. The storm,...

Marion’s Waste District proposal rankles Wareham, Carver

Tensions rose at a Wednesday night meeting of the Carver Marion Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District Meeting as Marion representatives proposed withdrawing from the district, leaving the other towns with the liability if anything were to go...

Read the Aug. 27 ‘paper’ online

The Aug. 27 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...

Mattapoisett residents weigh in on the future of the town

MATTAPOISETT — Regional planners asked what the town’s priorities should be for the coming years, and residents answered, weighing in on economics, transportation, communication, community, housing costs and culture should be like in town. After...

Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee seeks members

MATTAPOISETT — The town’s Capital Planning Committee is seeking four new members. One member recently resigned, and the board has lost several members in the past and not been able to fill the positions, leaving it with just four members. The...

Selectmen reflect on outdoor Town Meeting, communication needs

MATTAPOISETT — Holding Town Meeting outdoors under a tent in the middle of August could pose a lot of issues. But as Selectmen reflected on the Meeting at an Aug. 26 meeting, they found that it went off without a hitch, and discussed solutions about...

Mattapoisett looking for Master Plan survey submissions

MATTAPOISETT — The town’s Planning Board recently announced the launch of the Mattapoisett master plan project in conjunction with the Southeastern Regional Economic Development District, a regional planning agency that has recently worked with...

Neighbors weigh in for, against Rochester bog array

ROCHESTER — Before the Planning Board closed the public hearing on a set of solar arrays positioned over canals on the Eldredge Bog on Pierce Street, a few neighbors weighed in both for and against the project. Sarah Stearns from Beals and Thomas...

Mattapoisett, Marion highlight water restrictions

Both Marion and Mattapoisett sent out notices on outdoor water restrictions, after the state declared a significant drought. Above-normal temperatures throughout July and early August and more than three months of below normal rainfall led to the...

Rochester Special Town Meeting set for Nov. 16

ROCHESTER — Though the warrant is still open, the town will hold a fall Special Town Meeting on Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. at Rochester Memorial School. The meeting, which is usually held every fall, will be used to address changes in zoning by-laws or...

Friends of the Ned’s Point Lighthouse looks to restore landmark

Editor’s note: The initial online version of this article contained some factual errors. All have been corrected in this version. MATTAPOISETT — For over 175 years, Ned’s Point Lighthouse has guided sailors in Buzzards Bay and been a...

Rochester Scouts try new fundraiser with flea market

ROCHESTER — The Fairgrounds aren’t in use for the Rochester Country Fair this year, but they did see a little bit of use on Aug. 22 for a Scouts BSA Flea Market. The Country Fair is usually one of the scouts’ biggest fundraisers, since they help...

Growers predict bountiful cranberry harvest

This year’s cranberry harvest in the Tri-Town and across Massachusetts is predicted to be slightly larger than last year’s, as growers report their crops are in “good to excellent” condition. The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association’s leadership...

Marion, Tri-Town mourns the loss of a 15-year-old boy

MARION — The Tri-Town is mourning the passing of 15-year-old Nolan Gibbons, who died in his sleep on Aug. 18. In a post on Facebook, his mother Sheila Gibbons called her son’s death, “tragic and completely unexpected.” The rising Old Rochester...

Councils on Aging offer services with caution

The Center School bell tower clock rang out, and suddenly the exercise class happening on the lawn underneath it got a lot harder for seniors to hear. In pre-pandemic times, they worked out in a room just under the bell-tower, and instructor Karen...

Read this week’s ‘paper’ online

The Aug. 20 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...

Early voting in-person and by mail available in all three towns

Ahead of the State Primary election on Sept. 1, Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester will all be offering early voting in-person and by mail. In-person voting will still be available. Marion The will be offering three ways to vote in...

Marion Board of Health considers school reopenings

MARION — As school reopenings approach, the Board of Health discussed school reopening plans at Tabor Academy and Old Rochester Regional School District at an Aug. 18 meeting. Health Nurse Kathy Downey said she has been “working consistently with...

Marion offers online building permits

MARION — Homeowners can now complete building permit applications online by visiting the Building Department website and clicking the "Online Permitting" tab in the left menu, or by clicking here . A kiosk is also available for residents to complete...

There’s still a chance to fill out the census

The 2020 Census will be ending on Sept. 30. For those who have received the census information and have not responded, now is the time. Anyone can complete the census by clicking here . Completing the census is mandatory; the U.S. Constitution...

After budget questions, unanimous approvals at Mattapoisett Town Meeting

MATTAPOISETT — A twice-delayed Town Meeting held “under the big top in the time of covid,” as Moderator Jack Eklund put it, unanimously passed all eleven of its financial articles. Most comments and questions at the meeting revolved around cutting...

Selectmen discuss opinions on church land acquisition offer

ROCHESTER — Though Selectmen were not legally ready to discuss their $150,000 offer to buy two acres of land for Town Hall from the nearby First Congregational Church of Rochester, the conversation was started and opinions were made known on the...

Rochester Council on Aging to make use of new communication methods

ROCHESTER — With the town’s new website, the Rochester Council on Aging will manage their own page on the town’s new site, and make changes there instantly. The page contains current information and a calendar of scheduled events. It will also...

How to properly quarantine, according to the Rochester Senior Center

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Senior Center would like seniors to know what to expect if they or a loved one tests positive for coronavirus in terms of isolating and quarantining. Isolating and quarantining are steps taken to avoid the spread of the...

Marion Music Hall renovations underway

MARION — Over the past months, the town has been working on the Music Hall’s foundation to fortify it and create a new basement floor that will prevent deterioration to the original brickwork of the building. Marion Facilities Director Shaun Cormier...

Camp Massasoit offers summer relief to kids

MATTAPOISETT — The YMCA’s Camp Massasoit has offered some summer relief from coronavirus stay at home measures, giving kids the chance to safely do archery, start a garden and swim in a pool. YMCA Director Stephanie Winterson said that kids are “...

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