Dear Editor,

            The poem below is dedicated to Island Wharf, a treasure in the middle of a vibrant town center.

Breathe.

Unwind.

Belong.

Step onto sunlit blades –

an emerald carpet unfurling

beneath your feet, each blade

a gentle hand, guiding you

to move, to rest, to inhale

the warmth of Island Wharf.

Here, green isn’t a luxury

but a lifeline: leaves murmur

soft lullabies, sunlight dances

on open lawns, and stress

slips away like morning mist.

Gather beneath rustling branches,

where laughter threads through boughs,

and even the town’s hum

melts into a distant murmur.

Deadlines blur into the breeze,

homework drifts off with drifting clouds,

to-do lists fade into the grass –

this common ground becomes

our sanctuary.

In this shared backyard,

roots of community deepen,

joy and renewal sprout side by side,

and civic life takes fragrant flight.

Island Wharf: where every breath

is an invitation, every step

a return, and together we find

our place to belong.

By Eileen J. Marum

To the Editor;

            On May 12, Mattapoisett’s Town Meeting voted to expand the Select Board from three to five members. That decision – made in public, after debate – is now in the Home Rule process as H.4245. Calling a “do-over” because some dislike the outcome isn’t more democratic; it’s undoing a lawful vote.

            Let’s clear up a few points.

            1. Signature count isn’t a merit test. Yes, state law allows 200 signatures to call a Special Town Meeting. That says nothing about the wisdom of reversing a vote already taken. Town Meeting is our legislature. It acted. Respecting that outcome is part of stable governance.

            2. Strong finances and good audits are not the issue. We can be proud of our fiscal health – and still see the need to modernize our structure. A five-member board improves coverage, accountability, and compliance with Open Meeting Law. That’s about workload and representation, not party politics.

            3. The Main Street (TIP) project cost claim is misleading. MassDOT and SRPEDD have programmed the project for 2028 construction using state/federal funds. Local taxpayers are not being handed an $18 million bill. Community advisory input helps resolve design issues early and keep projects on track.

            4. Public records requests are democracy at work. Residents have every right to request documents. It’s about transparency, not “name-calling.”

            5. Town Meeting procedure matters. If critics wanted a counted vote or ballot, the time to request it was during the meeting. The remedy for low turnout is more engagement before the vote – not re-voting until a different result appears.

            Bottom line: Let the decision we made stand. Evaluate a five-member board on its performance – committee coverage, responsiveness, and follow-through – rather than rhetoric and repeat votes.

            Jeanne Hopkins, Mattapoisett

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