Opinion

Opinion: It’s time to draw the line on Marion land purchases

To the Editor: I was not able to attend the Special Town Meeting on Nov. 5, but I have watched the video of the Meeting. I want to contribute my thoughts about the Hoff property discussion. First I want to emphasize my concern for protecting the...

Opinion: Marion’s tax tide is rising

To the Editor, Imagine you are standing in three feet of water, the tide is coming up an inch every few minutes, and you can’t swim. You are being told, don’t worry, it’s only rising inches at a time. Eventually you will drown. That is where we are...
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Opinion: Elizabeth Taber continues to put ‘some snap’ back in Marion

To the Editor: In the time of Covid, the legacy of Elizabeth Taber endure and thrives. Not only was there a statue in her memory in Otober but there was also a pop up concert series at the Music Hall five Thursdays this summer. Elizabeth Taber built...

Opinion: Hoff property purchase is good for Marion

This letter in response to Ted North’s Nov. 1 letter to the editor regarding the town acquiring the 33.7 acre Hoff property To the Editor: First, an update on the financials; the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission will be buying the...

Opinion: Marion’s $9.5 million burden going unnoticed by state

To the Editor: Most residents are aware that our Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) is undergoing what was an estimated $8,000,000, now potentially $9,500,000, of upgrades as a result of a consent order signed with the Environmental Protection...

Opinion: Marion Open Spaces Acquisition Committee’s problematic $250,000 charitable contribution to the Sippican Lands Trust

To the Editor: Marion Open Spaces Acquisition Committee’s Town Meeting warrant article (five) requests up to $250,000 for the purchase of a conservation easement on a 33.7-acre property to be owned by the Sippican Lands Trust. MOSAC recently...

Opinion: Thank you from the Marion Garden Group

To the Editor, The Marion Garden Group Beautification Initiative would like to thank all the people responsible for helping us keep the lovely gardens around town looking their best this summer. Because of the limited resources the town could...

Opinion: Marion Town Meeting Open Space articles provide much value

To the Editor: The proposed addition of open space in the Town of Marion will provide many tangible and intangible values to the residents of Marion. The existing woodlands will be protected from land development thereby maintaining its function to...

Opinion: Vote yes for Hoff property on Nov. 5

To the Editor: Attention dog lovers, nature walkers, bird watchers and outdoor enthusiasts: There are open space articles on the Marion Fall Town Meeting warrant that need your voice. We all enjoy the beautiful woods around town, and a YES vote on...

Opinion: In favor of the Hoff property purchase at Marion Town Meeting

To the Editor: I would like to encourage residents of Marion to support the Hoff project and come, if possible, to the Fall Town Meeting at Old Rochester High School’s auditorium on Nov. 5 at 6:45 p.m. You may have seen concerns about the value of...

Letter to the editor: Vote yes at Marion Town Meeting for the birds

Fellow Marion bird watchers, Please attend Marion’s Town Meeting on Nov. 5 at 6:45 p.m. and vote YES on articles five, six, seven and eight. This will preserve an approximately 42 acre forest block for bird and animal habitats, which, as you are...

Opinion: Clarification on Marion Open Spaces Acquisition Committee’s land deal

This letter to the editor is in response to a previous letter written by Ted North. Ted, Let me respond to your concerns that you expressed last week. Q: “A partnership or joint venture appears to have developed among conservation groups...

Letter to the editor: Marion Open Spaces Acquisition Committee land deal’s substantive problem

A partnership or joint venture appears to have developed among conservation groups and individuals including The Marion Open Spaces Acquisition Committee and the Sippican Lands Trust along with individuals aligned together to bring 43 acres of open...

Letter to the editor: A thank you from the Friends of the Rochester Council on Aging

To the editor: I am sending along a special thank you to all donors to the Friends of the Rochester Council on Aging Fabric and Craft Supply Sale. No words can express my gratitude for all the volunteers. Customers were happy to follow the rules for...

Letter to the Editor: Working towards a practical Harbormaster’s facility

To the Marion Selectmen, Mr. Isaac Perry, Harbormaster, and the Marion Marine Resources Committee Here are some ideas regarding the proposal for a new Harbormaster’s building at Island Wharf. Let’s start with the basic requirements in a building to...

Letter to the Editor: Building a Taj Mahal on Sippican Harbor

To the Editor: It was great that so many residents turned out to hear the presentation on the new harbormaster facility, to be called the Maritime Center. The discussion was good and, in general, a positive reaction to the concept of having a...

Letter to the Editor: Keeping Marion affordable

On more than one occasion over the past couple years in a public meeting, I referred to Marion as being in financial trouble. With balanced budgets and our A-rated debt, people ask me why. The answer is we are becoming increasingly unaffordable for...

Letter to the Editor: A ‘thank you’ from the Strom family

To Our Most Beautiful Tri-Town Community and Beyond, To our Marion Village, To Tabor Academy and The College of the Holy Cross community, To our Kool Kone and Verizon families, To our beautiful friends, family and neighbors everywhere, To our...

Letter to the Editor: Support your local Post Office

To the Editor: As a longtime member of our local League of Women Voters, which has always promoted free and fair elections, I am outraged by the recent moves by this administration to curtail the services of the United States Postal System. Whether...

Letter to the Editor: Reopening schools is not one size fits all

To the Editor: I am writing to express my concern about the one size fits all approach to reopening schools. The current plan grants all student age groups the same access to in-person instruction, specifically discounting a tiered approach by age...

Letter to the Editor: Ask for ethanol-free gasoline

To the editor: It’s that time again. A couple of days of heavy rain have spurred your lawn to rapid growth; the mower needs to be dragged out of the garage. You tug on the starter cord once, twice, three times, then…nothing. A little triage tells...

To the Editor: Support Marion’s students in a trying time

To the editor: The Marion Scholarship Committee has two funds: The Scholarship Fund raises money for scholarships for graduating high school seniors; the Education Fund helps provide capital expenses for Sippican School. These are difficult times...

Guest Opinion: Want to contain covid? Don’t let your guard down

Massachusetts remains among a handful of states that have contained the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak, sickening more than 3 million Americans. But continued vigilance will be essential for a year or longer until a successful vaccine and effective...

To the Editor: Thanks and update from Tri-Town Against Racism

To the Editor: The leadership team of Tri-Town Against Racism is grateful to the residents of Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester who have shown us such overwhelming love and support by trusting us with their stories, donating funds, and the many,...

Letter to the Editor: Sewer changes are unnecessary and secretive

To the Editor: Why is the Marion Board of Health considering mandatory unnecessary private nitrogen reduction sewer treatment plants for all property owners not served by town sewer? The same group who are pushing this agenda failed to prove the...

Letter to the Editor: Claims about Marion’s sewer should be backed by evidence

To the Editor: In the June 18, 2020, Sippican Week pg. 6, “Marion residents weigh in on proposed sewer change,” Mr. Sherman Briggs states that he has installed several nitrogen-reducing systems and is “concerned about cost and ongoing maintenance.”...

Letter to the Editor: Norm Hills for Selectman

To the editor: We the undersigned strongly urge Marion voters to support Norm Hills for Selectman in Marion. Our town leadership team is extremely strong and effective now, and it deserves to remain at the helm and to stay its course. Experience,...

Letter to the Editor: Response on Mattapoisett election information

To the Editor: I am writing in response to the letter to the editor that appeared first in the online edition of Sippican Week on Friday, June 19, 2020. First, I want to make clear the fact that every effort is made to keep the public informed about...

Letter to the editor: A timeline adjustment on bobolinks

To the Editor: As one of the trail stewards and bird box monitors for The Trustees Of Reservations (TTOR) at East Over Farm, we're very happy to see an article mentioning the Bobolinks. They may be threatened bird here in the Western Hemisphere, but...

Letter to the Editor: A pressing question on Marion’s police chief

To the Editor: This is a response to the ongoing conversation about the hiring process for the next Town of Marion police chief. I have a pressing question during this time of change and transparency that any Marion town official can feel free to...

Letter to the Editor: Mattapoisett election misinformation troubling

To the Editor: I have recently become a resident of Mattapoisett from a neighboring town, and I found it highly troubling that there was misinformation regarding the date of the 2020 Mattapoisett Town Election on the website managed by the town of...

Letter to the Editor: Best practices absent in police chief hire

To the Editor: Re: “Lt. Nighelli deserved his promotion” (page 13, June 18 edition): The lesson I draw from Police Chief John B. Garcia’s letter is that taxpayers should not question how their money is spent. Chief Garcia talked mostly of the...

Letter to the Editor: Another candidate running for Marion School Committee

To the Editor: My name is Jody Dickerson and I am running for one of two vacant seas on the Marion School Committee. I am running as a write-in candidate. I believe that public education is intimately tied to the vitality of our community. Investing...

To the Editor: Proposing a Public Safety Partnership

Letter to the Editor, My parents moved away from New England in the mid 70’s and eventually settled in Maryland. They missed all things New England, but my Dad told me with frank honesty that he loved the "county system approach.” The school system...

Letter to the Editor: On police accreditation and Lt. Nighelli’s promotion

Letter to the Editor, I am writing in response to the letter submitted by Eileen Marum dated May 18. My initial thought after reading the letter was to not respond at all. In light of recent events, I realize that I made a mistake. There is some...

To the Editor: Think critically, listen more when it comes to race

To the Editor: First, I sympathize with your position to be an impartial forum for community discussion, particularly in your opinion/editorial section. However, I was relieved to see the response letter from MaryGrace Brogioli, who is incensed, as...

Letter to the Editor: Perpetuating systemic racism

To the Editor, The revision of the letter to the editor that you published, titled “ORR school district should not abuse its public platform,” is abhorrent. It is about an issue that is not controversial. As the editor of the paper, you suggested...

To the Editor: Racism is real, and it is here

Letter to the Editor: In light of a recent post, I decided I simply could not hold my tongue. In our community, ignorance towards how severe racism is here is a very large part of the culture. So, I hope you choose to continue reading and hopefully...

To the Editor: ORR school district should not abuse its public platform

To the Editor: I want to start off first by saying I whole heartedly denounce racism. Of course black lives matter, as all lives do. Racism is very real, but seeing the ORR School District claim it is a “systemic” issue is controversial and quite...

Letter to the Editor: Rules for wearing masks

To the Editor: Enclosed/attached is a copy of the official order # COVID -19 Order. 31, dated 1 May,2020, with an effective date of Wednesday 6 May, 2020, signed by Governor Charles D. Baker. I think this memo will clear any doubt about the issue of...

Sign removal in Mattapoisett – is it censorship?

To the Editor: This pandemic has affected all of our lives, but none more than African Americans. As of May 11, African Americans made up 13% of the population, but account for 27% of the deaths! You take these alarming statistics as a backdrop to...