New Report Card Still Evolving

The Marion School Committee learned on September 5 that data collected by surveys submitted by parents and teachers will result in some changes to the new standards-based report cards implemented last year at Sippican School. Last year, the report card was reformatted, replacing the old “A,B,C,D,F” letter grading with a new system that emphasizes specific […] Read more »

Plaintiffs Settle on Solar Lawsuit

The residents who appealed the Rochester Planning Board’s approval of a solar farm on Mendell Road have settled with solar developer Borrego Solar Systems and agreed to drop their appeal and lawsuit against Borrego, the Planning Board, and each individual member of the board. However, that agreement was tied to a plan modification the board […] Read more »

Mattapoisett to Purchase Pump-out Boat

Summer has yet to officially close for the season, but Mattapoisett’s Board of Selectmen talked of the urgency of doing everything necessary to ensure that the 2019 boating season finds the town’s water clean with a new pump-out boat. Town Administrator Mike Gagne reported that with Mattapoisett Boat Yard no longer able to provide mobile […] Read more »

Mattapoisett Leads ORR Agreement Review

The Towns of Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester will be reviewing its regionalization agreement for the Old Rochester school district, and Mattapoisett will be leading the way. During the September 6 meeting of the Tri-Town Boards of Selectmen, Mattapoisett Town Administrator Michael Gagne announced that grant money provided to the Town of Mattapoisett by the Baker-Polito […] Read more »

Applicant Sent Back to the Drawing Board

It was evident on September 5 that Joseph Longo was a bit surprised by the Rochester Conservation Commission’s reaction to his placement of a proposed single-family home off Mendell Road. As he explained, “We did consider other designs, but felt this one reduced the impact of the project.” The project’s full scope calls for a […] Read more »

Town Approaches Road to Renovate Town House

The Town of Marion has started its exploration of the latest version of a Town House renovation project – one that is more piecemeal in nature – that would take a more gradual approach, spreading out the cost, and improvements, over longer periods of time. Marion Town Administrator Paul Dawson told the Board of Selectmen […] Read more »

Rochester Signs Water Agreement With Marion

On a simmering September 4 evening when thoughts of tall cool drinks – water that is – were on the minds of many, the Rochester Board of Selectmen signed a comprehensive 20-year municipal water agreement with the Town of Marion. Selectmen Chairman Greenwood “Woody” Hartley stated that legal counsel for both towns had thoroughly vetted […] Read more »

Mattapoisett Losing Mobile Pump-Out Service

On August 30, Mattapoisett Harbormaster Jill Simmons reported to the Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board (MAB) that pump-out services provided by Mattapoisett Boat Yard (MBY) would end in 2018. Simmons explained that MBY simply could not continue to provide the service as it wasn’t profitable. With that grim reality, Simmons said she hoped the town would […] Read more »

Trash District Finds Optimism in New Exec. Director

There was a renewed sense of optimism by the end of the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District Committee meeting on August 29 with the hiring of a new executive director with real vision, committee members remarked, after having fired its former executive director, Ray Pickles, in January after years of mismanagement and alleged […] Read more »

Lunch Prices Up, Straws Out

The Rochester School Committee was the first to approve a modest increase in the price of school lunch, but voted to wait until January to enact it, setting a precedent for the remaining districts who have not yet met this school year. On August 29, School Business Administrator Patrick Spencer proposed an increase of 25 […] Read more »