On February 25, the Mattapoisett Select Board met with Highway Surveyor Garrett Bauer to discuss the current status of major renovations and improvement to the Highway Department headquarters located on Mendel Road. Bauer said it has been more than 50 years since any updates had been made and that Phase 1 work is complete. He said a new sprinkler system has passed inspection in the last few days.

            There was also substantial discussion regarding how best to fund the remaining two phases of the $2,000,000 renovation. At the conclusion of that discussion which included Town Administrator Mike Lorenco stating that the town had a healthy free cash number and that old debt will roll off the books soon, Select Board member Jordan Collyer said it is likely the funding will come from a combination of free cash and debt exclusion.

            When asked how he would wish to proceed with construction, Bauer stated that moving ahead with both Phase 2 and 3 would be his preference. The remaining phases consist of new office spaces, bathrooms, breakroom, and a four-bay garage.

            The need for the development of engineered drawings for cost estimates was placed at the top of Bauer’s to-do list so the board could review that number as soon as possible.

            The board also met with Andrew Nilson of Childs Engineering regarding the Long Wharf construction project. It was determined that a working session between the Marine Advisory Board, Childs, and the Select Board might prove beneficial.

Public comments have been opened almost since the beginning of the project more than a year ago, but in addressing how best to tie down action items when more comments seem to folly back and forth without conclusion, MAB Chairman Carlos DaSouza suggested a working meeting. That option was taken under consideration by the Select Board. In the meantime, testing of existing granite stones proposed for resurfacing of the wharf was confirmed.

            Lorenco noted that Annual Town Meeting will be held on May 12 and that the Finance Committee is nearing the end of its review processes associated with all town budgets including capital plans.

            The board now plans to work throughout the month of March, meeting with all town departments to flesh out any fiscal adjustments needed for a balanced budgets before presenting the budgets at Town Meeting. The Town Meeting warrant will close on April 22.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board was not scheduled upon adjournment.

Mattapoisett Select Board

By Marilou Newell

            A highlight of the Marion Select Board’s February 19 meeting was a two-fold recognition of the successful rescue of a young man who came perilously close to death in Marion Harbor on January 20.

            At about 8:00 am that day, 19-year-old Jordan Haims and a friend were duck hunting. Haims was on a boat approximately 200 yards out from Silvershell Beach while his pal was on shore nearby. When his friend saw that he was no longer on the boat, he called 911. Haims had fallen into the water.

            Harbormaster Adam Murphy and Police Sergeant Larry Savery arrived on the scene. Haims had managed to pull himself onto the vessel, weakened as he was by severe hypothermia – from the 34-degree water and 21-degree air temperature. Murphy took off his coat and other clothing and put them on the young man. Once he was ashore, firefighters provided warming blankets and IV warming liquids and took him by ambulance to Tobey Hospital.

            Just after the event, Fire Chief Brian Jackvony and Chief of Police Richard Nighelli credited the 17-year-old friend who called 911 with saving Haims’ life.

            On Tuesday night, Murphy and Savery were themselves credited with saving a young life. They were honored with a Board Citation of special recognition for “performing above and beyond duties in conducting the life-saving rescue.” Chairman Norm Hills called their actions a credit to themselves and to Marion residents, and a “display of the highest standards of public safety professionalism and service.”

            After thanking the Select Board and acknowledging outstanding support from colleagues who assisted, the honorees welcomed a guest from the audience to the microphone.

            Rachel Haims, mother of the rescued young hunter, came forward. “The thought of losing our son was unimaginable,” she said. “This gift cannot fully captivate the gratitude we feel, but we wanted very much to express it,” she said, gesturing to include husband Russ Haims and Jordan.

            Their gratitude took the form of a gift to the town of $10,000.

            Haims went on to say that the money is intended to enable responders and other personnel to find a moment to “share in some joy” with people who matter in their lives. She urged them to use it to take a colleague to tea, or dinner, or whatever they enjoyed, implying activities that build bonding and mutual support needed in their critical work.

            Russ Haims also expressed gratitude, urging them to “please share this donation with everyone that matters to you because that’s what’s really important.” Jordan smiled shyly as he greeted his rescuers.

            The gift was gratefully accepted as the recipients, family, board members and others in the room shared a very uplifting moment.

            Then it was back to business as the board moved to the remaining agenda.

            Before devoting time to a detailed presentation on the proposed town budget for Fiscal Year 2026, the board moved through a number of items with minimal discussion, including: accepting a donation from the Friends of Marion Recreation toward flooring for the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center; appointing Ms. Taryn Munroe to a three-year term on the Energy Management Committee; approving a request from the town clerk to add to the ballot for May 16 a vacant position on the Open Space Acquisition Commission; and delegating Nighelli the responsibility for assigning police details for all elections in 2025. Discussion of approving early voting by mail and in-person was tabled.

            Additional approved items included extending use of the Music Hall by Taber Library until March 25 due to minor delays in its renovations; two one-day alcoholic beverage licenses to the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra at Tabor Academy on the evenings of March 14 and 15; and two water/sewer commitments for $735.70 and $2,771.34 for recent final readings.

            Updating the board on construction at the Department of Public Works building, Gorman reported the framing of the mezzanine has been completed, that the project is “on track,” and the site looks good. As to the now-completed harbormaster building, a celebratory Open House was scheduled for February 22.

            The timeline for the Annual Town Meeting was reviewed and is also available on the town website. The meeting will take place on Monday, May 12, at 6:45 pm at the Sippican Elementary School. The deadline to submit warrant articles, including citizens’ petitions, is Friday, March 14. The warrant closes Tuesday, April 1, and will be posted the next day, April 2. Gorman noted that the upcoming municipal election will be on Tuesday, May 16.

            The minutes from January 14 and January 22 were approved as written.

            The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Marion Select Board will be held on Tuesday, March 4, at 6:00 pm in the Town House Conference Room, 2 Spring Street.

Marion Select Board

By Mary McCann Fiske