News

News

Scouts show their drive at drive-through cookie sale

MARION — Girl Scout Troop 67047 braved the frigid temperatures to hone their entrepreneurial skills Sunday, Feb. 6 during a drive-through cookie sale at 345 Front St. This is the second year the troop has held a drive-through sale. Starting because...

Route 6 Wareham-Marion bridge to be replaced

The Rte. 6 bridge connecting Marion and Wareham is set to be reconstructed, thanks to a combination of funding from the state and the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The project, estimated to cost $39,323,002, is one of 146 bridge repairs and...

In the heart of Mattapoisett, a permanent valentine is created

MATTAPOISETT — Some men give their loved ones flowers or chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Bruce Rocha Sr. of Mattapoisett has bigger plans. After years of planning and painstaking mowing, he has created a heart shape in a field he owns on Driscoll...

Mattapoisett Woman’s Club to present “Tales from Great Grandmother’s Closet’

MATTAPOISETT — For the February meeting of the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club, Abby Field will present “Tales from Great Grandmother’s Closet’’ Feb. 17 at Mattapoisett Congregational Church, 27 Church St. The social hour for the meeting will...

Tri-Town schools to dismiss early due to weather

Due to the weather forecast and freezing conditions that are expected this afternoon, Tri-Town schools will follow an early release schedule Friday, Feb. 4. The schools will dismiss today at: ORR Junior High School and ORR High School, 11:20 a.m.;...

Marion hosts Covid test distribution Feb. 7

MARION — Marion will hold a drive-up COVID-19 test distribution from5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7 at the bus loop behind Sippican School, 16 Spring St. Households of four or more people will receive two kits (four tests). No more than two kits will be...

Covid cases continue steep decline from post-holiday spike

New Tri-Town covid cases continued to decline from their mid-January peak in the week leading up to Feb. 3, according to state covid data. Among the towns, Marion had 35 new cases, Mattapoisett had 30 and Rochester had 23. In total, the Tri-Town had...

Infrastructure called a priority in Mattapoisett master plan

MATTAPOISETT — The Planning Board Master Plan subcommittee will get more time to work on the Master Plan, as the town is working on negotiating a contract with a regional planning group that provides technical assistance for the process. The...

United Way Changemaker Grant applications available

United Way of Greater New Bedford is seeking applications for their Changemaker Grants (formerly the Community Building Mini-Grants Program). All-volunteer groups in Greater New Bedford can apply for up to $2,500 to complete projects that are...

Preliminary Marion budget up 3.55 percent

Town Administrator Jay McGrail presented a preliminary FY23 town budget of just over $26 million to the Select Board at their Tuesday, Feb. 1 meeting. The projected preliminary budget of $26,189,671 represented an increase of 3.55 percent over the...

Marion hydrants to be flushed Feb. 2, 3 and 4

MARION — In an attempt to remedy recurring dirty water issues, the Marion Water Division plans to flush hydrants on Wednesday, Feb. 2, Thursday, Feb. 3, and Friday, Feb. 4. The area of focus will be Mill Street, Mill Street Extension, and Benson...

Marion Senior Center schedules February events

MARION _ The Marion Council on Aging, located at the Benjamin D. Cushing Center at 465 Mill St., will sponsor a variety of events in February. These include: Valentine’s Day luncheon and matinee, noon, Feb. 14. After a lunch of chicken cacciatore,...

Friends of Rochester Senior Center host breakfast cafe

ROCHESTER _ The Friends of the Rochester Senior Center host The Friends & Family Breakfast Cafe, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday at the center, 67 Dexter Lane. The public is invited to dine at the cafe. All ages are welcome. The menu...

Marion trash collection delayed by a day

MARION _ Due to the recent storm, Waste Management will be running on a delayed schedule this week. All rubbish collection days this week will be delayed by one day.

Remembering the happy campers at Camp Snipatuit

(During this snowy and cold winter, thoughts of summer camp can bring warmth. Connie Esbach of the Rochester Historical Society looks back on Camp Snipatuit in Rochester.) The earlier article about the disappearance of Bonney Hill got me...

Mattapoisett Land Trust offers scholarship

The Mattapoisett Land Trust is seeking applicants for their $1,000 Blanche B. Perry Scholarship. This award is available to a Mattapoisett resident interested in the field of environmental studies, sciences, technology or a related field, and is a...

New playwright program at Marion Art Center

MARION _ The Marion Art Center Theater has introduced the Playwrights Incubator, a program for first-time playwrights to see their work realized on the stage. Finding theaters to produce new or unpublished plays can be an obstacle for any new...

After stormy Saturday, Sunday is for digging out, looking back

The scraping of shovels and whirring of snow blowers fill the air Sunday as the area digs out from one of the biggest storms in recent years. Mattapoisett received 18 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. No totals were...

Storm images shared by our readers

Our readers have captured some lovely images of the storm. Jennifer Shepley shared these beautiful images of the Winnatuxett Beach Road area in Mattapoisett during the storm this morning. The hard-working crews of the Marion Department of Public...

Goal reached for community center pavilion

MARION _ A pavilion for outdoor events at the Benjamin Cushing Community Center will soon be in place, thanks to the support of the community. Residents stepped out to reach the $180,000 goal set by the Friends of the Marion Council on Aging for a...

Kindergarten registration scheduled

The Old Rochester Regional School District is hosting kindergarten registration information sessions via video conference from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9. Sessions will be held regarding incoming kindergarten registration for Sippican School, 16...

Rochester Fire responds to storm accident, issues warning

Rochester _ The Rochester Fire Department reminds residents to stay off the roads, hours after responding to the first storm-related crash. A car struck a pole overnight on Snipatuit Road, the department reports. Fortunately, the operator was not...

Nearly all power restored in Tri-Town as of Sunday morning

UPDATED: Virtally all power has been restored in the Tri-Town-Town as of 9 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 30. Fewer than three customers in Marion and Mattapoisett remain in the dark, while power has been restored to all Rochester customers, Eversource reports...

Hole lot of fun: Taber Library hosts indoor minigolf

MARION — Fore on the floor? The Elizabeth Taber Library transformed its children’s section into a minigolf course on Friday, Jan. 28, as it hosted an indoor minigolf after school activity for local kids. “It’s just a little activity before the storm...

Hovan ousted as Southcoast Health CEO

Keith Hovan has been ousted as the CEO of Southcoast Health, according to an email sent to employees on Jan. 28. The Rochester resident was on a leave of absence after an alleged November domestic violence incident . Although charges from that...

Blizzard heads for Tri-Town

A blizzard is headed for the Tri-Town, and the area is set to receive 17 to 22 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service’s forecast at 11:30 a.m. Friday. The storm is forecasted to begin late Friday night and last through midnight on...

Covid cases decline again as Omicron shows signs of slowing

The Omicron surge may finally be receding in the Tri-Town as new covid cases continued their decline in the week leading up to Jan. 27, according to state covid data. Among the towns, Marion had 87 new cases, Mattapoisett had 42 and Rochester had 54...

Area bracing for potential 20 inches of snow, strong wind gusts

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter storm watch for eastern Massachusetts for Saturday, Jan. 29 in anticipation of a storm that could see accumulations of up to 20 inches and gusts potentially approaching 65 miles per hour. The...

Ice job: Rochester Fire practices skills on frozen waterways

ROCHESTER — Members of the Rochester Fire Department traded fire for ice as they sharpened their ice rescue skills. Department members visited the Neck Road boat ramp area Jan. 19 to test out the new inflatable ice and swift water rescue boat and...

Transfer station closed due to pending storm

MARION _ Due to the impending winter storm, the Marion Transfer Station will be closed on Saturday, Jan. 29. The town anticipates that all DPW employees will be needed for snow operations. The transfer station will reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2.

More Portuguese classes to be added at ORR

MATTAPOISETT — The Old Rochester Regional District School Committee has approved a new program of studies for the high school that will add an additional Portuguese course and change the options for grade 12 English. Old Rochester Regional High...

Covid test kits to be distributed in Marion Feb. 1

MARION — At-home covid-19 test kits will be available for Marion residents to pick up at a drive-up distribution event from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1 at Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center, 465 Mill St., Town Administrator James McGrail, Public...

Rochester Senior Center reopens Jan. 31

T he Rochester Senior Center will reopen on Monday, Jan. 31, Senior Center Director Eric Poulin has announced. The center was closed the month of January in anticipation of “higher number of cases due to the Omicron’’ variant of Covid 19, he said...

Marion lagoon project gets additional funds

MARION — Marion will receive $250,000 in state capital project funds through the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to assist in funding the town's ongoing lagoon lining project, Town Administrator James McGrail and Rep. William...

Rochester recycling facility to be sold to major industry player

New Bedford Waste Services, which includes a recycling facility on 48 Cranberry Highway in Rochester, is set to be sold to one of the largest waste disposal companies in the country. The buyer, Waste Connections U.S. Holdings Inc., is the third...

Mattapoisett students help diamondback terrapin get head start on survival

This school year, students at Center and Old Hammondtown schools have a new classmate, one that swims in a tank rather than sits at a desk. Bubbles, as the students have named him, is a diamondback terrapin, a type of turtle that is listed as...

Long-time Rochester building commissioner to retire

ROCHESTER _ The town’s Building Commissioner, James Buckles, will retire in April after 38 years of working for the town. He notified the Select board on Jan. 24 that his last day will be on April 15. Select Board member Woody Hartley asked that the...

Old Rochester Youth Baseball registration available

Registration is now open for the 2022 spring season of Old Rochester Youth Baseball. Four Cal Ripken divisions will be offered this season: Tee Ball, Farm, Minors (46/60), and Majors (50/70). Registration is open to all residents of Marion,...

Covid cases decline after three weeks of record infections

After three-straight weeks of record highs, new covid cases began to decline in the Tri-Town in the week leading up to Jan. 20, according to state covid data. Among the towns, Marion had 91 new cases, Mattapoisett had 46 and Rochester had 84. In...

Marion town employees to receive cyber-security training

MARION — A total of 55 town employees will receive grant-funded cyber-security awareness training. The funds came from the Massachusetts Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program, which funds training to help government and school employees...

Committee aims to return fireworks to Marion

MARION _ Fund-raising efforts are under way to return fireworks to the skies over Marion for the Fourth of July holiday. Mail requests for donations are scheduled to go out to all town residents soon from the Marion Fireworks Committee, said Cameron...

Arts in the Park registration opens in February

The registration and jury process for Arts in the Park 2022 at the Marion Art Center will begin in February. Arts in the Park is the Marion Art Center’s signature outdoor artisan market and occurs annually in July. This year ‘s event is scheduled...

ArtStart 22 registration opens Jan. 28

MARION _ Registration for ArtStart 2022 at the Marion Art Center opens to center members only on Friday, Jan. 28 at marionartcenter.org/artstart. Non-member registration will open on Friday, Feb. 18. Center members have access to early registration...

Rehearsals to begin for Mozart concert

MATTAPOISETT _ Rehearsals will begin for the Sippican Choral Society’s springtime “Mostly Mozart” concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 26 Hammond St. Everyone is invited to participate, with proof of vaccination. “We...

Snow geese add beauty to Rochester fields

The light snow falling on the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 20 provided a fitting backdrop for a scene captured by a reader: Snow geese feeding in the corn stubble at Vaughan Hill Road and Route 105 in Rochester. The image was taken the afternoon of...

Waterman will not seek re-election, lends support to Hoffer

Marion select board member John Waterman will not be seeking re-election and is instead throwing his support behind Board of Health chair Edward Hoffer. “I decided it’s time to move on,’’ Waterman said in an interview Wednesday, Jan. 19. “I feel...

Lego donation to bolster STEAM programs at Mattapoisett schools

MATTAPOISETT _ Center School and Old Hammondtown School have received LEGO Spike educational sets to enhance elementary STEAM learning, Principal Rose Bowman and Superintendent Michael S. Nelson have announced. The schools’ technology programs...

Dirty tap water the result of unscheduled pump testing, Marion officials say

MARION _ Marion residents who are noticing dirty tap water in the area of Mill and Main streets should let their tap run for a few minutes, the town reports. That should clear the water within a few minutes, the town reports. The water issue is...

Rochester company cited for wage violations in Mattapoisett project

A Rochester company and its owners have been cited more than $1.2 million in restitution and penalties over allegations that they did not pay prevailing wages to employees on various public projects, including for the Town of Mattapoisett, Attorney...

ORR track star headed to nationals

He ran like the wind. Old Rochester’s Colby Gross qualified for nationals in the 400 meter at an indoor track event on Sunday, Jan. 16. Gross set the meet record for the race with a time of 49.83 seconds at the Northeast Invitationals at the Reggie...

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