SRPEDD Makes Its Next Stop

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Officials from the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District met with the Planning Board on Wednesday to present an interactive map showing the results of regional land use research that they have done in Rochester and 27 other surrounding towns. SRPEDD initially performed land use surveys in each of those towns in 2008 in [...] Read more »

Solar Bylaws Lose and Win in Marion

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Article 30, the first of the Solar Bylaws proposed by the Marion Energy Management Committee, failed by four votes during the final night of the Marion Town Meeting on Tuesday. It would have formalized the process for installing residential solar arrays. After an informative presentation from Jennifer Francis of the Energy Management Committee and a [...] Read more »

Safety Issues Discussed for Cape Rail Project

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Selectmen met with officials from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to discuss safety concerns that the Board had over the railroad crossing on County Road. The crossing will be used by the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority’s newly announced commuter rail, which will run between Middleboro and Hyannis. At [...] Read more »

Balanced Budget Makes Town Meeting A Breeze

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On a breezy spring evening and in spite of a low turn out, Mattapoisett voters came out in sufficient numbers to allow the town to move swiftly through its 32 Article Town Meeting Warrant.  With a balanced and very conservative budget to go through, the voters were eager to keep up their record of one [...] Read more »

Voters Run Numbers Through the Ringer

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Marion voters didn’t make it easy on officials during the first of what looks to be at least a few nights of Town Meeting. Residents approved with minimal discussion on Monday a 2 percent increase in salaries for elected officials and a total Fiscal Year 2014 operating budget of $19,222,999, representing a 2.26 percent jump [...] Read more »

Officials Align on Policies

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Members of the Old Rochester Regional Joint School Committee on Thursday night laid the groundwork for updates to its best practices policy via the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, as well as to its Professional Development Plan and administrative contracts. Christine Winters of the policy subcommittee gave officials a glimpse of the work ahead, as [...] Read more »

Later Class Start Under Discussion

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Old Rochester Regional High School Principal Michael Devoll and the ORR School Committee discussed a pilot program that would change the start of the school day from 7:30 am to 8:30 am for next year, with the Committee ultimately approving a motion to allow Devoll and his staff to continue to plan for it. The [...] Read more »

Lightning Strikes Home in Mattapoisett

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A brief yet violent storm moved through the area this afternoon creating large puddles and damaging at least one home. Just after 4pm the Mattapoisett Fire Department was called to Bridal Path for a home that was struck. The homeowners reported they also smelt smoke in the house. After the initial investigation the Fire Department reported that [...] Read more »

Dogs Allowed on Planting Island Beach

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The current signs on Planting Island Beach say “No Dogs Allowed,” but that was inaccurate, according to the Marion Town Bylaws and confirmed by the Marion Conservation Commission at their meeting on Wednesday evening. Four new signs, stating “No Dogs Allowed on Beach May 1-Oct. 1” will be made and installed at Planting Island. The [...] Read more »

Route Six Crash Injures One

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Traffic between Mattapoisett and Fairhaven was a bit tied up this morning with a multi-vehicle crash that occurred at Route 6 and Mattapoisett Neck Road. The crash, which started with two passenger vehicles colliding, sent one of the vehicles into the oncoming lanes and head on with a dump truck. One person was injured and [...] Read more »