Family Beer and Wine Shop Permit Approved

Of three projects scheduled for public hearings, one moved forward and two were postponed at the request of the applicants.             C&J Sull LLC, doing business as Sull Wine, was first on the agenda. They sought a special permit for a general retail establishment for the sale of wine and beer. Owner Joel Sullivan introduced […] Read more »

No Quorum, No Meeting

            Tuesday, Rochester’s Planning Board chair Arnold Johnson had to tell a hearing room packed with residents that the panel couldn’t hold its regular meeting because it lacked a quorum.             “Sorry, folks,” Johnson said.  “We can’t open the meeting.  We can’t talk about anything on the agenda.”             Johnson, Ben Bailey and Michael Murphy […] Read more »

Three Notices of Intent Heard

 At their September 25 meeting, the Marion Conservation Commission held several hearings on routine matters, mostly involving property additions.              The presence of Japanese knotweed and the presence of an elusive stream around the Wareham Avenue area drew some conversations but no controversy.             The commission started the meeting by approving three notices of intent […] Read more »

“It isn’t a Motel”

            During the October 7 meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board, open discussion about earth-moving activities at the motel located on Route 6 were aired. Member John Mathieu said that the owner of the property, who was never named during the discussion, had a right to perform certain activities. But he asserted several times, …”it […] Read more »

Rochester Schools, Influencers, and Graduates

            The Rochester School Committee on October 3 reviewed a plan to join a program partnering with the national group devoted to stemming school gun violence, the Sandy Hook Promise.             Assistant Superintendent Dr. Shari Fedorowicz said the Sandy Hook Promise school program’s mission is to promote safer schools by empowering students and educators to […] Read more »

Joint Meeting Focused on Accessory Dwelling Units

Anticipating the new state housing law going into effect in February, the Marion Select Board and Planning Board conducted a joint session to discuss potential modification of existing town bylaws in compliance with both the state law and the town’s needs.  The law requires all municipalities to allow homeowners to create accessory dwelling units, or […] Read more »

Rochester Tax Reassessments and Police Funding

            Rochester’s Select Board Monday approved the Board of Assessors’ recommendations for the town’s FY25 tax classification that include a reduction in the tax rate for the next fiscal year to $10.82 per thousand dollars of value.             Rochester’s estimated tax rate for FY24 was $11.06, down 6.82% from FY23. Assessor Jana Cavanaugh told the […] Read more »

Radon and How to Minimize Its Impact

            It’s colorless, odorless and tasteless, but radon is far from being harmless. It rises up from far beneath the earth’s surface, thus making it a naturally occurring element swirling around in the atmosphere, causing serious illnesses to the unsuspecting.             On September 25, Mattapoisett Public Health Nurse Emily Field hosted Jen Lajoie, an environmental […] Read more »

Marion Looking to Join ‘District Light’ Movement

“You can still paint your front door purple,” said consultant Eric Dray, who has been helping the Marion Historic District Study Committee prepare a Historic District Draft Bylaw that the committee hopes to put before voters at the Annual Town Meeting in May 2025.             The committee met on Monday to discuss Dray’s final tweaks […] Read more »

ARPA Funds On The Agenda

American Rescue Plan funding has been supporting cities and towns since COVID began damaging the financial stability of our country. But use of funds, which is audited, must follow guidelines. Two major areas of spending allowed by the federal government are roads and infrastructure.             On September 1 as the Mattapoisett Select Board met, critical […] Read more »