A date has been set for the criminal trial of Ray Pickles, the former executive director of the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District (CMWRRDD), accused of stealing over $610,000 from the District over a period of six years. After one final pre-trial conference on February 3, the trial by jury will begin on […] Read more »
The Mattapoisett Planning Board will be engaged in the mammoth task of writing a new Master Plan with the assistance of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD). On October 29, Grant King, director of comprehensive planning for SRPEDD, presented the steps to be taken as the group studies data and engages community groups […] Read more »
The Marion Board of Selectmen on October 28 appointed Ami Milano as a registrar of voters during a special morning meeting to fill the position left vacant for some time now. Since at least 2015 when Assistant Town Clerk Lissa Magauran was appointed as a registrar, only two of three registrar positions were filled. Richard […] Read more »
On October 16, the Marion School Committee reviewed the 2019 MCAS scores for Sippican School. This is the second year into the next generation MCAS. How schools score on the MCAS is no longer evaluated solely on performance, but on accountability and progress as well. The Department of Education’s report takes into consideration achievement, growth, […] Read more »
October 21 was the night of the fall special town meetings for Marion and Mattapoisett, but that evening during the regular meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen, Rochester Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar called out an article on Mattapoisett’s warrant – a Home Rule Petition aimed at splitting the cost of a school resource officer […] Read more »
On October 17, the Special Permit application filed by Robert Kirkland, 53 Main Street, appeared to be a rather routine application for a Special Permit to build a single stall garage; however, the public hearing resulted in the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals denying the request. Kirkland’s contractor, David Cabeceiras, explained that it was not […] Read more »
Town Administrator Jay McGrail on October 16 gave the Marion Finance Committee some hope for a smooth and sensible start to the fiscal year 2020 budget season. The greatest concern for the Finance Committee has always been the timeliness of the school budgets, specifically the Old Rochester Regional school budget since, as FinCom Chairman Peter […] Read more »
Rochester Town Planner Steve Starrett alluded to a new real estate interest in the Limited Commercial District during the Rochester Planning Board meeting on October 16, forested property that was once the proposed location for a contentious solar farm plan that ultimately failed to come to fruition. Starrett told the board with some reserve that […] Read more »
On October 21, 127 Mattapoisett voters participated in the purest form of the democratic process, Town Meeting, to decide the fate of 20 Fall Special Town Meeting warrant articles. Generally speaking, a special town meeting is a time to fill in budgetary shortfalls or other spending needs not known or addressed during the spring Annual […] Read more »
Voters attending the Marion Fall Special Town Meeting on October 21 addressed 22 articles on the warrant, with three articles related to short-term rental taxes and fees resulting in the closest votes leading to three hand counts. Article 6 was to adopt the provisions of M.G.L. Chapter 64G Section 3A, to impose a six percent […] Read more »