The cost of removing our solid waste – trash and recycling, with its problematic greasy pizza boxes and the plastic windows in envelopes, is going to cost more. As the number of companies – and countries – willing to buy “clean recyclables” decreases globally, the pressure on cities and towns is increasing. One of Mattapoisett’s […] Read more »
Some annual elections are exciting, others not so much; but the democratic process at the local level is, in essence, our nation’s purest form of democracy – one person, one vote – and not one to forfeit simply because the only two contested races are for Planning Board and Board of Assessors. Marion is a […] Read more »
With a pretty straightforward agenda before them, the Marion Conservation Commission spent most of its time on March 27 issuing one enforcement order and resolving another. Enforcement and cease and desist orders were issued to M.P. O’Leary and K.J. Welch for their property at 82 West Avenue on Planting Island. The commission received a citizen […] Read more »
The budget the Marion School Committee approved for fiscal year 2020 might only reflect a 1.48-percent increase, but a steady rise in the need for special education services for the students at Sippican School has resulted in some tough cuts in the regular education budget. The overall $196,134 or 10.22-percent increase in the special education […] Read more »
The Marion Board of Selectmen ever-so-casually called on its constituency to write letters to the governor on behalf of the town for a $2 million state grant that could help cover the costs of its wastewater treatment plant upgrades. On April 2, State Representative Bill Straus paid the board another visit to discuss the town’s […] Read more »
With little fanfare, the Marion Planning Board on April 1 issued special permits for a village business, which included a reduction in the parking requirement, a point of contention in recent special permit applications before the board. Skin Med Spa, Inc. requested a special permit for a change of use for the second-floor office space […] Read more »
The Marion Board of Selectmen has asked Town Clerk Ray Pickles to resign from his town clerk position in light of the recent statewide grand jury criminal indictment for allegedly stealing over $600,000 from the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District (CMWRRDD). In a letter signed and dated April 2, the selectmen acknowledged the […] Read more »
The former site of a much beloved Boy Scout camp located on the shores of Leonard’s Pond is no longer used as such, but is part of one land owner’s dream – a dream that has, however, been more of a nightmare as of late. Jose Araujo purchased the more than 25-acre site with the […] Read more »
An article on the May 20 Rochester Annual Town Meeting Warrant will ask voters to decide on whether to maintain the elected position of town clerk or allow the Board of Selectmen to appoint a qualified candidate. Town Clerk Naida Parker will retire from her position after 35 years as town clerk, prompting Board of […] Read more »
Planning board meetings are the venue for holding public hearings on issues related to bylaws such as amendments, changes, or the inclusion of new bylaws. “But that doesn’t mean we have to sponsor them,” said Mattapoisett Planning Board Chairman Tom Tucker on April 1. The meeting agenda read, “Discussion and Vote On Sponsorship: Zoning Bylaw […] Read more »