In most cases, a majority vote in your favor gets you what you want; but not if you’re Christian Loranger, the voters are the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals, and to win your appeal you need a ‘supermajority’ – at least four ‘yeas’ amongst one ‘nay.’ On March 15, the board agreed 3-2 that Loranger […] Read more »
During the presentation of her report on the Citizens Planning Training Collaborative Seminar that Chairperson Eileen Marum and other planning board members attended, discussions during the March 19 meeting of the Marion Planning Board veered off to the issue of marijuana regulations, which have been approved and will be printed and released on March 23. […] Read more »
Marion’s two-member Board of Selectmen has jettisoned the article for the new town house construction design from the Annual Town Meeting Warrant, deciding on March 20 that the Town Meeting warrant will feature only one option for voters – the $7.8 million Article 14 to renovate the existing town house. “Stop right there,” said Selectman […] Read more »
Mattapoisett Fire Chief Andrew Murray met with the Mattapoisett Finance Committee on March 8 to discuss the fiscal year 2019 budget proposal. What ensued after a brief financial rundown was a full-blown presentation on the severity of the conditions in the fire station and the impact those conditions are having on his personnel. Murray began […] Read more »
While the Mattapoisett School Committee found the fiscal year 2019 budget to be positive overall, the 2.08% increase needed some significant trimming in order to get there. Mattapoisett schools Principal Rose Bowman on March 12 suggested, in a subdued tone, that due to a reduction in kindergarten enrollment, one section could be eliminated. Bowman said […] Read more »
Mattapoisett Conservation Commission Chairman Mike King has a message for the community: “This year, this commission is trying to condition as many projects as possible locally.” King made this comment during the March 12 regular meeting of the commission in response to questions from resident Tom Gronski, who questioned King on the process used to […] Read more »
A group of Rochester residents, through their attorney Ben O’Grady, are seeking the assistance of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), a division of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The reason for the request: the apparent resurrection of plans for a bituminous concrete manufacturing facility on five acres off Kings Highway that […] Read more »
The Rochester Board of Selectmen on March 5 officially appointed Sergeant Robert Small as the next police chief to replace Chief Paul Magee when he retires this year on September 14. Small engaged in a brief public interview that evening, during which he stressed readiness to take over the department. Small completed an executive development […] Read more »
A small group of Marionites wants to bring Elizabeth Taber back home to Marion. Tinker Saltonstall, Al Winters, and Judith Rosby and Frank McNamee from the Sippican Historical Society have formed a committee committed to commissioning a life-size statue of Elizabeth Taber so her likeness can be seen every day by her beneficiaries – the […] Read more »
After his next-door neighbor decided to file for approval for a new pier, William Mansulla took a look at his old dilapidated ‘pier’ and thought, “Maybe I should see what I need to do in order to have a nice pier, too.” On February 28, the Marion Conservation Commission gave Mansulla some guidance on the […] Read more »