OUT WITH THE OLD? SELECTMAN VOTE TO SEND NEW FIRE STATION RECOMMENDATION TO TOWN MEETING

Nineteen thirty-nine, and 1978; those were the years that Rockland first built, then updated with three new bays, the Town’s fire station on Union Street, respectively. Now 45 years later in 2023, with no room left to bring it up to 21st Century standards, the Board of Selectmen on February 21st approved the Fire Station Building Committee’s recommendation to relocate and build a new fire station at the Lincoln School site, 99 Church Street, sending the matter to Rockland voters on April 8th, and Town Meeting on May 1st for final approval.

The idea of building a new station was included in the Fire Department Response Time Study Final Report in October 2021. The Fire Station Building Committee, made up of Fire Chief Scott Duffy, Deputy Chief Thomas Heaney, Lieutenant Charles Williams, Retired Chief James Killinger, Architect Christopher DeFilippo, Jeanne Blaney, Director of Rockland Recreation, and Susan Egan-Tasker, Principal Clerk at Rockland Highway Department, held several meetings and public hearings before issuing its report. The matter was first covered here in the June 2022 Town Newsletter with the promise to keep you posted in later issues. This is our third update to our readers.

The Town of Rockland recently put out a call for artists and designers to submit proposals for Art UnBoxed a public art initiative aimed to promote art and culture while enhancing the vibrancy of Rockland's public spaces. The community has been invited to propose original artwork to be painted on utility boxes around the town. The application went out on February 15th and can be accessed here. Proposals are due by March 15th at midnight. Selected artists will be announced on April 15th and will paint the boxes between May 15th and June 15th. An art walk and town celebration will be held in early summer for the unveiling of Art UnBoxed. This public art initiative is supported by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the state received from the Federal government to help with economic recovery during and after the COVID pandemic.

That’s not all in the way of public art for the town! The Town of Rockland and Rockland Recreation are also planning on announcing another local artist public art initiative with painted shoe sculptures placed in locations throughout Rockland's downtown area later this summer. Plymouth had 29 painted scallop shells, and Rockland will have its shoes! Rockland’s shoe sculpture idea stems from the town’s history of shoe manufacturing! Did you know that the E.T. Wright Building on Liberty Street that now houses art studios is a converted factory that was a mainstay of our shoe manufacturing legacy?

AROUND TOWN

“WOW! JUST WOW!”
“Wow! Just wow! Those were my first words when I walked into Phelps Elementary School,” said teacher Jillian McAloon. The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new school took place on January 12th.  Richard Phelps, cut the ribbon for the new school named in honor of him and his wife Ann. Dick served on the Rockland School Committee for 26 years and Ann was Rockland Public Schools’ head nurse for more than 20 years.

Click here to Read More Information About Town of Rockland Newsletter: February-March 2023