Life Savers Recognized

George Powers was enjoying a springtime bike ride with a few hundred other cycling enthusiasts when he experienced a near-death heart attack. It’s a date he and his family aren’t likely to forget – May 19, 2024, on the Tour de Crème.             Several cyclists sprang into action performing CPR, while others called for the […] Read more »

Durant Enacts Transition

Rochester’s new town administrator, Cameron Durant, grabbed the reins of his job quickly at his first Select Board meeting Monday.             The former Human Resources director for the Town of Fairhaven’s first motion as Rochester’s head administrator was to recommend disbanding the Town Administrator Search Committee, which the Select Board quickly did.             “We’ll do […] Read more »

Eastover Riding Arena Approved

Rochester’s Conservation Commission Tuesday approved Eastover Farm’s plan to construct a 70×120 square-foot, outdoor, sand, riding arena for equestrian use at 131 Hiller Road.             Jennifer Dubois of the Trustees of Reservations state conservation group that holds the Conservation Restriction on the farm properties explained to the commission in a Zoom presentation that an additional […] Read more »

Harbormaster’s Actions Affirmed in Two Cases

The Negative Boxes 2 and 3 Determination of Applicability issued the Town of Marion by its own Conservation Commission on August 28 for a seawall fix was rather brief compared to a more involved discussion the commissioners would hold with a waterfront homeowner whose hired hands were found to be mowing in a jurisdictional area. […] Read more »

Open Comment to Open Meetings

The Rochester School Committee has voted unanimously to move the Open Comment section of its regular meetings to the beginning of the agenda.             Chairperson Sharon Hartley introduced a discussion on Open Comment during the committee’s August 29 meeting. She referred to a meeting of school-committee chairpersons to discuss the matter.             Her takeaway from […] Read more »

Solar Plan for DPW Won’t Violate Wind Deal

Marion’s Energy Management Committee meeting Monday began with introductions, welcoming two residents who are considering joining the committee.             After approving the minutes of the July 22 meeting, EMC Chair Alanna Nelson proceeded to the current agenda items. In moving through the agenda, which dealt largely with reports on ongoing issues, the committee took the […] Read more »

ZBA Approves Deck Construction

Rochester’s Zoning Board of Appeals approved the construction of a deck on an under-sized house lot at 560 Snipatuit Road in a swiftly moving meeting on August 22.             In a meeting that took a mere 25 minutes, Walter and Doreen Gonet proposed a 9.5-foot deck extending 31 feet into the side setback of their […] Read more »

Self-Storage Approved on County Road

Rochester’s Planning Board Tuesday approved the Site Plan Review draft decision for a four-building, self-storage facility off of County Road, one of which will be multistory.             Board Chairman Arnold Johnson, however, was the lone negative vote, disagreeing that the draft decision should be endorsed so quickly.             The meeting began with discussion of comments […] Read more »

Village Roads Project on 2028 TIP

            Coming before the Mattapoisett Select Board on August 27 was Greg Russell of VHB, the engineering firm hired to help the town navigate the hundreds of steps needed to climb in order to secure TIP funding (Transportation Improvement grant monies) for its village roads redevelopment project.             On this night, Russell addressed the current […] Read more »

Durant Hired as Town Administrator

It’s official. Cameron Durant, previously the Human Resources director for the Town of Fairhaven, will become Rochester’s new town administrator on September 9. He will be introduced to the public at the Select Board meeting on that date.             “Municipal government is my passion,” said Durant during the interview with the Select Board that led […] Read more »