News Notes

Nomination Papers Available for Town Election April 3
Nomination papers are now available for anyone wishing to run for local office in the annual town election scheduled for Monday, April 3. All three precincts will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nomination papers must be returned to the town clerk’s office, signed by a minimum of 38 registered voters, by 5 p.m. on February 13. Positions to be elected on the ballot for 2017 are Moderator (one for 1 year), Selectmen (two positions for 3 years), Tax Collector (one for 3 years), Assessor (one for 3 years), School Committee (two for 3 years), Planning Board (two for 5 years), Park Commission (one for 5 years) and Water Commissioner (two for 3 years). The final voter registration date to be eligible to vote in the town election is Tuesday, March 14 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the town clerk’s office.

Rehoboth Special Town Meeting on Jan. 23
There will be a Special Town Meeting on January 23 at 7 p.m. at the D-R Regional High School auditorium. (The inclement weather date is Jan. 30.) The last date to register in order to be eligible to vote at the January Special Town Meeting is Friday, Jan. 13 and the town clerk’s office will be open late that day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone who will be 18 years of age or over by January 23 may register.

Rep. Kennedy Has Questions on Proposed Pipeline & Compressor Station
U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy wrote to Spectra Energy asking about the company’s plans to construct a compressor station in Rehoboth, according to an article in the Sun Chronicle. The compressor station is part of the Access Northeast Project to upgrade and expand the existing gas pipeline running through the area. The compressor station is expected to be located off Finnegan’s Way, on the Rehoboth-Attleboro line. Two local groups have formed to oppose the project. According to the article, Kennedy asked about the need for the project, the environmental and public safety impact, the company’s future development plans and other questions.

D-R Football Coach Retiring after 40+ Years
Dave Driscoll, coach of the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School Football team for 36 seasons, is retiring, according to a Sun Chronicle article. Under his guidance, the D-R Falcons won a dozen South Coast Conference championships and two MIAA Super Bowl Championships. He made the announcement at the team’s end-of-season banquet, saying it was time for him to step aside. Driscoll praised all his players, their families, the assistant coaches and the D-R Boosters Club for their help and support over the years.

Swansea Sears Store and South Attleboro Kmart Store to Close
The Sears Store at Swansea Mall and the Kmart Store on Rt. 1 in South Attleboro are closing, according to several media reports. Sears Holdings announced that it will close 30 Sears and Kmart locations in 2017, which includes these stores. Liquidation sales will begin on Jan. 6. The stores are expected to close for good between March and mid-April. The number of employees affected was not available. Sears has closed more than 200 stores this fiscal year, according to the Sun Chronicle, due to declining sales.

Two Rehoboth Farms Awarded Grants for Food Safety Improvements
The Baker-Polito Administration announced $200,000 in grants to 24 Massachusetts farms, including the Farmer’s Garden and the Souza Family Farm in Rehoboth, to install practices that improve food safety within their operations. The grants are from the Agricultural Food Safety Improvement Program. The Farmer’s Garden was awarded $20,000 and the Souza Family Farm was awarded $7,522. “Upgrading existing farm infrastructure is important for the Commonwealth’s agricultural businesses to maintain high quality, locally produced products in a safe, sustainable way,” said Governor Charlie Baker in a press release.

Area Unemployment Rates Continue to Drop
Local unemployment rates are at all-time lows. In Rehoboth, the November unemployment rate was just 2.2 percent, which is down from 3.9 percent last November. The data is from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

Home Sales in the Area Continue to Increase
The real estate market continues to be strong, with Rehoboth seeing the largest increase in home sales in the area compared to last year. In Rehoboth single family home sales rose from 5 in November 2015 to 11 in November 2016, an increase of 120 percent, according to data from the Warren Group published in the Sun Chronicle. Statewide, sales of single family homes rose 26 percent in the same time period. Other towns with a spike in sales included Foxboro (87%), Norton (90%) and Seekonk (57%).