Opinion: A troubled path down Tihonet Road

To the editor:

I am a resident who feels Wareham is one of the most beautiful locations in Massachusetts with its unspoiled woodlands and wildlife all around. But I am horrified by what has been allowed to happen over the last several years.

I could go on and on about the hundreds of commercial sand removal trucks that go up and down our roads daily, or the thousands of trees gone and in place are now ugly solar panels. But today I just want to talk about something so simple as de-mucking a stream. 

The Wankinco river, which runs parallel to Tihonet Road, had become choked with weeds and overgrowth. The Dam that AD Makepeace owns and manages follows into this river and obviously was backing up and becoming a problem.  As I was driving home, I saw trucks out on the road clearing it out. To my horror almost every tree, twig, vegetation was cut or dug up along this stream. There’s nothing now protecting the river from the runoff of the road and there’s no guard rail or vegetation preventing someone from driving off the road into the stream. 

My friend and attorney contacted the Select Board and Chair Judith Whiteside regarding the clearing of the river asking if AD Makepeace had obtained the permits required when working in wetlands. Not surprisingly, no response.  

Thank you, 

Wendy O’Brien

Keep Wareham Wild