Not only are Mattapoisett’s Board of Selectmen facing the challenges of being a two-person board, the added necessity of social distancing came into play on March 19. That morning Selectmen Paul Silva and Jordan Collyer, along with Town Administrator Mike Lorenco, consultant Mike Gagne and members of the media dialed in to hear that the […] Read more »
Officially at least, the Old Rochester Regional School District is aiming at a return to school on the state-prescribed April 7 date. Optimism, however, is sparse, and most of the concerns expressed to Superintendent of Schools Doug White during Monday night’s online-only meeting of the Old Rochester/Union No. 55 Joint School Committee were aimed at […] Read more »
On March 19 there was some good news coming out of at least one committee in Mattapoisett – the Fire Station Building Committee. Chaired by Mike Hickey, the committee was the first volunteer group to attempt virtual meetings via telephone conferencing. It went smoothly once everyone calling in found the mute button. Once the ambient […] Read more »
And now for something completely different – let’s talk roadway improvement that is slated to bring economic development to Mattapoisett. That’s what was discussed and taped on March 18 when Highway Superintendent Barry Denham, Town Administrator Mike Lorenco, and former Town Administrator Mike Gagne gave their presentation at Town Hall, albeit to an empty room. […] Read more »
The March 24 emergency meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen served to update the March 19 meeting with new developments and information. It was the second straight Marion Board of Selectmen meeting held via live video-conferencing using the Go to Meeting web program. A key development on Tuesday, March 24, was the board’s approval […] Read more »
The last public meeting held in Mattapoisett Town Hall before the building was effectively closed to public gatherings was a meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee held on Thursday, March 12, at 4:30 pm. The committee has been meeting weekly with various department heads to discuss FY21 budgeting and to share how FY20 plans and […] Read more »
“It’s certainly not a routine first day!” Mattapoisett’s new Town Administrator Michael Lorenco embraced the obvious as he embarked upon his first day on March 16. The Wanderer sat down with Lorenco that afternoon, a day punctuated by difficulties related to COVID-19. Lorenco expressed the challenges of not only beginning a new job but beginning at a […] Read more »
Using remote-access platforms to conduct the town’s public business, the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen declared a state of emergency in Mattapoisett on March 19, 2020. Selectmen Jordan Collyer and chairman Paul Silva voted unanimously to accept the following that, upon their acceptance, would be sent on to the State House for approval. The declaration comes […] Read more »
Appointed and elected officials in Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester have held their meetings and emerged with likeminded strategies to maximize public safety amidst the COVID-19, aka coronavirus outbreak. By Tuesday, March 17, all three of the Tri-Town communities had closed the doors of public facilities and enacted plans to deploy essential staff only. The Marion […] Read more »
Pedro Rodriguez of Solar MA Project Management LLC in New Milford, Connecticut, gained approval from the Rochester Planning Board for requested changes he made to his plan for properties located at Walnut Plain and Old Middleboro roads during the Planning Board’s March 10 meeting at the Town Hall. In the public hearing segment of the […] Read more »