On August 19, the Mattapoisett Planning Board met with Gabrielle Belfit of Tighe and Bond, an engineering firm which specializes in geotechnical, electric and mechanical, civil and environmental engineering and consulting services, as well as provides technology and sustainability services. The town, under the leadership of Water and Sewer Superintendent Henri Renauld, engaged the firm […] Read more »
The Rochester School Committee met briefly on August 19 for the purpose of approving changes to the Student Handbook for the 2024-25 academic year and approved changes. Committee member Robin Rounseville had requested language be included that spells out the “opt-out” option that parents/guardians have regarding their children’s ability to check out any library […] Read more »
Rochester’s Select Board Monday postponed the Special Town Meeting, previously scheduled for October 21, to January 6, 2025, because of the interim town administrator’s workload. Suzanne Szyndlar, who is also the town’s finance director, noted that because of her dual role for the town, she hasn’t had adequate time to put to together a […] Read more »
Several days before Tuesday’s announcement that a mosquito in Marion had tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (prompting cancellation of the August 24 Town Party), the Marion Board of Health was already recommending precautions in light of a prior discovery that a Marion mosquito tested positive for West Nile Virus. Publicly thanking Marion […] Read more »
A presentation by the Marion Department of Public Works at Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting celebrated the news that most of the town’s previously dormant wells are now up and running. Then it came time to tackle the subject of Creek Road. Accompanied by Tata & Howard engineer Jon Gregory, DPW Director Becky […] Read more »
The Town of Rochester welcomed new Police Chief Michael A. Assad, Jr. in grand fashion Tuesday night with warm wishes, a large crowd and a march to bagpipes. Boston Police Pipe and Drums Corps musician and retired Marion Police Sergeant Derryl Lawrence played the Marine Corps anthem on the bagpipes, as Assad and […] Read more »
Just when it seemed as though things were coming together for the Marion Harbormaster Department, the recent loss of two key staff members has Harbormaster Adam Murphy once again improvising during an extremely busy season. Carl MacDermott, retired from his job as a captain in the Bridgewater Police Department, is working 40-plus hours […] Read more »
Concerns over negative impacts from possible future expansion of the Crystal Springs Road solar array operated by New Leaf Energy were aired during the August 12 meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission. Coming before the commission were members of the New Leaf team headed by Brandon Smith, who represented the ANRAD (Abbreviated Notice […] Read more »
Uncertainty over the impact of a newly approved Massachusetts housing bill sparked Rochester’s Zoning Board of Appeals on August 8 to continue until September its Use Variance hearing for a plan to construct a second-story accessory building above an attached garage at 343 Neck Road. The applicant’s engineering consultant, Michael McVeigh, referenced the […] Read more »
Tata & Howard engineer Jon Gregory and Mattapoisett Water Treatment Plant manager Henri Renauld held a recent call with Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection officials regarding the bypass plan during the upcoming changeover to the new filtering system. “We were able to answer their questions,” said Gregory, reporting during Tuesday’s public meeting of […] Read more »