On Monday, August 3, the Town of Marion announced that the Marion Town House has finally reopened after closing on September 1, 2025, for extensive renovations and additions.

            The building, originally completed in 1876, recently saw the addition of central air, an HVAC system, added fire suppression systems, ADA compliance features like an outside elevator/lift (similar to that on the new Maritime Center), and interior improvements. If only Elizabeth Taber could see it now!

            Town regular business moved back to the Town House throughout last week, with public servants returning to their new (notably less-hot) offices.

            A major move is that of the new town clerk, Madie-Lynn Bourgeois, who ascended to her position about two weeks ago during the July 21 Select Board meeting. Bourgeois was able to christen her new office this week following work in Bristol County.

            The recent improvements to the Town House were approved by residents at the Annual Spring Town Meeting in May 2025. The passage of Article 17, supported by a two-thirds majority, authorized the appropriation of $3,276,722 for renovations. Funds came from Free Cash and borrowing.

            Town board and commission meetings will return to the Town House after being held at the Police Department’s conference room for the past year.

            On August 20, State Senator Kelly A. Dooner (R-3 Bristol and Plymouth) is scheduled to take a tour through the rejuvenated town nerve center.

            The town’s official statement is as follows:

            “The Marion Town House is now open for all business at 2 Spring Street. 

            Reminder: Beach/Parking Stickers, Transfer Station Stickers and Shellfish Licenses are available for purchase at the Town Clerk’s Office.

            Thank you for your patience during this transition, and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Town House!”

By Sam Bishop

            Jerome Rand, author of Sailing Into Oblivion, presented an incredible account of his solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe at the Mattapoisett Yacht Club on Friday, July 31. He learned and loved sailing in Northern Michigan at age 18 and has enjoyed teaching and sailing ever since.

            The expert sailor said his desire for a more difficult adventure came after hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 2012. Rand covered 2,200 miles through 14 states in 133 days. He needed a five-year plan to prepare for his amazing endeavor because he had no job, no money and no boat! He also trained himself to be mindful, staying present and being aware of his surroundings.

            In addition, he had to learn to take things one day at a time, to help deal with the stress and anxiety he would encounter. For example, when he reached Point Nemo, the farthest point from land, totally empty, he felt overwhelming isolation.

            The daring trip began out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, on October 3, 2017, and ended on June 30, 2018. The Mighty Sparrow, a 1975 Westsail 32 like the one depicted in the movie, The Perfect Storm, was ready to become his best friend for the next nine months. These “tanks of the ocean” were built to go anywhere in the world; good thing since Rand went everywhere. There was always the threat of icebergs, fog and gale-force winds at different latitudes (for example, the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties), for which he had to look out.

            First, he cruised across the Atlantic. By day nine, Rand hit the “doldrums,” an area just north of the equator with little wind. It took him nine days to go 300 miles. He said it was so calm and beautiful with stars all around, he felt like he was in outer space! On day 79, he had gone through the 100 gallons of water he brought with him, so he had to use a desalination pump to turn seawater into fresh water. Eventually, the pump gave out, forcing him to collect rainwater from a makeshift funnel at the end of his sail. This was where he described his resilience to go on.

            Next, he encountered red krill, tiny shrimp-like sea animals that look like ants, all around his boat. Along came a bunch of sperm whales going after the krill (and under the red-painted bottom of his boat). Apparently, when these whales blow their spout in your face, it smells really bad. At this point, he thought of the Essex whaling boat that was sunk by a sperm whale in 1820. Rand had mixed feelings as he was sailing over thousands of sailors’ graves.

            On day 150, in the south sea of Tasmania, Rand said there were a lot of currents and the next 24 hours were both “brutal and scary.” He hoped to reach Cape Horn by April 10; he made it on April 7 and got out into the vast Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, he missed seeing the Cape because he went by it in the middle of the night.

            A food shortage required him to ration and finally call his dad to reach out to the Falkland Islands for support. The Mighty Sparrow came in close to shore, where the coast guard met him with boxes of supplies, which he tore open. He indulged in chocolate chip cookies and a bottle of scotch!

            Like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, Rand was so lonely he began talking to himself. He read several books twice. With a Garmin device, he was able to send limited texts. Even if he had communication and anything happened at home, he didn’t want to know so he could keep focused on his goal. With his camera, Rand filmed and narrated parts of the trip to use in presentations like this one.

            By this time, Rand had thick calluses all over his hands from pulling the ropes. He noticed he was losing weight from the food rationing. When he left, he was 190 pounds; upon returning, he was about 150.

            Then came the “exit from hell”: getting out of the Southern oceans to the tropics, where he watched dolphins, saw wildlife, the moon and stars again. He had crossed the equator. Reaching Bermuda and Cape Ann in late June, he saw lobster boats and planes overhead and knew he was almost home.

            After traveling about 29,805 miles, appreciating the enormous size of our planet, and putting things into perspective, Rand found an old slogan about sailing and everyday life to share: “This too shall pass as the winds are going to change!”

By Ann Marie Dunn

            The Massachusetts election season is underway, and you’ve already probably received some campaign ads or seen some candidate signs on your drive through town. The Primary Elections for this year’s Mid-Terms are on Tuesday September 1, and we’re getting close to some important deadlines.

            The deadline to register to vote in the Primaries is August 21 in-person and August 22 online. You can register online at www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr using your Massachusetts Driver’s License number. If you do not have an MA License, you can register in-person or by mail at your Town Clerk’s office. You can also check your current registration at the same website or update your registration/party status.

            The deadline to submit vote by mail applications is August 25 at 5:00 pm.

            In-person early voting begins August 24 and goes through August 28 during normal town business hours. On Primary Day, polls are open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

            For polling locations, Marion – Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center, 465 Mill Street; Mattapoisett – Old Hammondtown School, 20 Shaw Street; Rochester – Council On Aging, 67 Dexter Lane.

            On the Primary ballot, there are some contested races, with all other races being uncontested:

            Democratic Ballot:

            Senator In Congress: Edward J. Markey Vs. Seth Moulton;

            Representative In Congress – 9th District: Bill Keating Vs. Craig Swallow;

            Republican Ballot:

            Governor: Michael Roger Minogue Vs. Brian Shortsleeve;

            County Commission – Plymouth County: Sandra M. Wright Vs. Anthony Thomas O’Brien, Sr. Vs. Korey Michael Welch.

By Sam Bishop