News

Aw shucks: Oyster Festival returns for ninth year

With spring weather around the corner, Wareham residents can look forward to a usual shell-ebration. For the ninth consecutive year, the Oyster Festival will return to Wareham, this time with a new organizer and a fresh location. On May 24 from 2 p...

Application for students studying medicine now open

The Dr. Thomas Gleason scholarship is now accepting applications. Two scholarships in the amount of $1,000 and $500 respectively will be awarded to Wareham residents who have been accepted into or enrolled at an accredited college, university, or...
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Eight liquor licenses are up for grabs

There are eight liquor licenses available for business around town to claim. Four of the licenses are available specifically in Wareham Village while the other four are available for anywhere throughout town. The four Wareham Village specific...

Fresh take: Officials present new version of solar, housing proposals

At the Jan. 13 Special Town Meeting voters decided two proposed zoning bylaw changes needed more study. On March 10 the Planning Board held a hearing to receive community input on new versions of the proposal. One bylaw proposed confining all future...

Race is on: Many election hopefuls take out nomination papers

As of March 10, twelve people have taken out nomination papers for Wareham’s May 6 town election, which is the first step for candidates to get their name on the ballot. With the March 18 deadline to return papers still ahead, more residents may...

Are we best friends? Study analyzes impact of comfort dogs

As Wareham High School students pour out of the cafeteria many pause in the hallway — not just to greet School Resource Officer Karl Baptiste, but to pet Lexi, the Wareham Police comfort dog by his side. Some scratch behind her ears, others call her...

Chowdah Fest dishes up support for veterans

Steam from crockpots full of chowder filled the high ceilings at Stone Path Malt during Fishing for the Mission 22’s third annual Chowdah Fest on March 8. Family and restaurant recipes alike vied to gather the most votes from attendees on Saturday...

Environmental advocacy groups work to increase biodiversity in town

A patch of old, abandoned cranberry bogs has been overrun by invasive species and a collection of environmental advocacy groups are working to revert the bogs back to wetland and increase the biodiversity of the area. Marks Cove Conservation area is...

Sherry Quirk announces resignation from Select Board

Select Board member Sherry Quirk announced her resignation at the board’s March 4 meeting. Quirk did not provide a reason for her resignation and said it was “personal” and made for “a number of reasons.” “I really respect and appreciate everybody...

Town officials seek $850,000 state grant for social services, housing rehab

The Select Board approved town officials to pursue an $850,000 grant from the Community Development Block Grant Program at their March 4 meeting. For the past 30 years, Wareham has received funding through the state grant program, with annual...

Annual town election approaches

Wareham voters will elect eight candidates to various town committees and positions on May 6 in the annual town election. Open seats include two three-year terms on the Select Board, a three-year term on the School Committee and a three-year term...

Land Trust to hold public hearing on North Water Street seawall

The Wareham Land Trust will hold a public hearing on March 13 to receive community input on the deteriorating seawall along North Water Street Beach in Onset. Last year the trust received an $85,000 grant from the state office of Coastal Zone...

Jamming out for Summer of Love

Each year the Onset Bay Association puts on a summer concert series called the Summer of Love. To help raise money for the series, the association partnered with Lucky Goat brewery to hold a concert supporting concerts. The fundraiser concert was...

Through trails and trees: Community members offer land restoration input

As old abandoned cranberry bogs lay tucked away, those that own them are looking to the people of Wareham to figure out how to best restore the bogs and turn them into an asset for the town. Marks Cove Conservation Area is owned by the Buzzards Bay...

Two dancers get ready to step across the pond for an international competition

Through an art form dating back hundreds of years, two members of the Kanaley School of Irish Dance get the opportunity to take a trip across the pond and compete against the best Irish step dancers from across the world. Madeline Schnitzer, 18, of...

A.D. Makepeace proposes 180-unit rental project

A.D. Makepeace has proposed building two four-story apartment buildings at its Rosebrook Business Park property. According to preliminary plans, the project would consist of a 180 rental units. The project site currently houses a Southcoast Health...

Joel Sullivan opens new wine store in Marion

Joel Sullivan is starting a new path after serving the Wareham community at Sullivan Wine and Spirits for two decades. After the sale of Sullivan Wine and Spirits took place in December 2024, Sullivan opened a new wine store in Marion at 119 Wareham...

Planning Board hearing rescheduled

The Planning Boar will hold a hearing on accessory dwelling units and the proposed solar zoning district on March 10. The original date for the hearing was Feb. 24. At the Jan. 13 Special Town Meeting voters decided the Planning Board’s proposals to...

Not guilty verdict for former high school custodian charged with indecent assault and battery

On Feb. 10, a jury found a former Wareham High School custodian not guilty of indecent assault and battery on a student. In mid 2023 a 16-year-old high school student alleged Michael Miranda, 56, of Marion touched her inappropriately. According to...

Three make the dean's list

Three Wareham residents earned a spot on the Emmanuel College's dean's list for the Fall 2024 semester. Anna Chrisman studying chemistry and forensic science, Abby Wiksten studying liberal studies and elementary education and Marina Naoum-Salib...

New complaint filed amid leadership confusion in Wareham Fire District

A new complaint and union grievance have been filed in the ongoing controversy within the Wareham Fire District while confusion over leadership persists. In two complaints filed last year , district employees accused Fire Chief John Kelley of...

Right to build, right to deny: Solar developer lawsuits challenge Planning Board

After approving spending $80,000 on “solar experts” to testify in ongoing lawsuits at the Jan. 13 Special Town Meeting, many voters may have wondered about the details of the litigation. The answer: Three solar developers have filed lawsuits against...

Organizations seek community input for improvement of Marks Cove Conservation Area

The Buzzards Bay Coalition and several partners are working with an engineering firm on developing a vision for the improvement of Mark’s Cove Conservation Area. On March 2 at 1 p.m. the Coalition will lead a guided tour of the property and take...

Keeping out the cold: Program provides hotel rooms for homeless people

As temperatures routinely plunge below freezing, Turning Point of Wareham is working to keep homeless people out of the cold. Last winter the organization created the Emergency Response Plan, a program which provides homeless individuals a hotel...

Turning Point finds a new home

Turning Point of Wareham will soon have a new home at the American Legion Building at 777 Main St. For the last three years the organization, which assists homeless people and those facing homelessness, has been headquartered near Wareham Middle...

Select Board revives Bicycling Committee

The Select Board revived the Bicycling Committee on Feb. 18, unanimously reinstating the advisory board after its dissolution in 2019. The Bicycling Committee, previously known as the Bike Path Committee, advises the Select Board on “providing a...

The story of the Wampanoag tribe through poetry, jazz and an original play

Members of the Wampanoag tribe came to Wareham to showcase their artistic talents and to tell their story in a way it has not been told before. On Sunday, Feb. 16, members of the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers held a performance at the First...

Wareham Garden Club offers $1,000 scholarship

The Wareham Garden Club is offering $1,000 scholarships to qualifying high school seniors and college students for the spring of 2025. Applicants must have maintained legal residence in Wareham for at least one year, be enrolled as a student with a...

Through the rain and into the bay: People plunge for seals and sea turtles

Instead of spending a rainy day inside watching the weather and hoping it'll change, people from across the South Coast ran head first into the cold waters of Onset Bay to help raise money for sea creatures. The National Marine Life Center, a...

Proposals made to conserve land, upgrade Swifts Beach, Hammond School

The Wareham Land Trust has proposed using over a million dollars from the Community Preservation Fund to conserve nearly 20 coastal acres; while town officials have proposed spending more than a quarter of a million dollars from the same fund on...

Celestial sights light up the night sky

Perched atop Wickets Island, celestial bodies lit up the night sky and while they appear to be no more than dim lights to the naked eye, a little help from a Wareham High School teacher helped people see the planets and stars of our galaxy like they...

Affordable emergency: Plan offers cheaper ambulance rides for Wareham residents

Ambulance rides generally cost thousands of dollars with insurance companies typically covering only part of the expense, according to Mass.gov. For Wareham residents, there's an affordable solution. For nearly 40 years, Wareham residents have had...

Snow day fun

Reader Dean Martin submitted photos of him and his son Bryce Martin enjoying the weekend’s snowfall from their Little Harbor neighborhood. If you would like see yourself in Wareham Week, email your photos to editor@warehamweek.com .

Grants awarded from one local group to another

The Wareham Cultural Council has awarded $13,245 in grants to 12 different groups and organizations for their projects involving the arts, sciences and humanities. The recipients are as follows: Exploring the Cabo Verdean/American Musical Legacy: A...

Redmen trade chowder for chili in first chili competition

The scent of slow-cooked meat, beans and secret ingredients filled Redmen Hall as competitors vied to see who is the champion — of chili, that is. The members of the Redmen Hall hosted their first chili competition Saturday, Feb. 8 which featured 13...

Bridge project affects emergency service response time, could take years to fix

School buses, ambulances and fire trucks can no longer use a bridge on Fearing Hill Road and will have to take a detour to reach County Road and other areas on the west side of Wareham. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently...

Officials share possibility of tax credit for businesses in vacant buildings

Wareham officials have applied for a state grant that could provide tax credits to businesses that move into vacant buildings on Main Street. If the state approves Wareham’s application, new businesses that choose Main Street to set up shop could be...

Town speed limit set at 25 miles-an-hour for non-state roads

The Select Board unanimously approved setting the speed limit in Wareham to 25 miles-an-hour in “thickly settled areas,” unless otherwise posted. The state defines “thickly settled” as “an area where homes are less than 200 feet apart or areas where...

Applications for event funding are now available

The Wareham Community Events Committee is accepting applications for events for the 2025 season. All applications sent in by Thursday, April 18 will be reviewed by the committee ahead of their April meeting. The committee recommends submitting...

New play structure is on the way for Lopes playground

After over 40 years on Onset Avenue, Lopes Playground is getting a makeover as the current wooden structure is set to be taken down next week and construction of the new playground will begin in March. According to Marie Greig, a member of Wareham...

Accessory dwelling unit moratorium takes effect

At the Jan. 13 Special Town Meeting, Wareham voters passed a moratorium on a state housing law, preventing it from going into effect until Jan. 13, 2026. The moratorium is active law as of Feb. 3, despite requiring approval from the attorney general...

Missing man located

Wareham Police informed the public on Feb. 3 that William MacMillan has been located after a four day search. Prior to being found Macmillan, was last seen Jan. 28 in Randolph driving on Route 24. Police asked for assistance in locating MacMillan on...

Planning Board to revisit solar restrictions at hearing

Voters recently delayed action on a proposal to confine all future large-scale solar to a designated area. The Planning Board will revisit the plan at a public hearing on March 10. At the Jan. 13 Special Town Meeting, voters determined that the...

Damien's Food Pantry looking for donations and a DJ

Damien's Food Pantry is looking for some donations to be used as prizes in fundraisers and for some musical talent. The food pantry is looking for gift cards for services, dining or entertainment and unopened bottles of wine and liquor. The gift...

A day on the ice

[This story was written by former Wareham Land Trust President Jim Munise for the Wareham Land Trust newsletter.] For the first time in years, former Wareham Land Trust President Jim Munise found ice thick enough to go...

Plans presented to tackle wetland flooding

As rising sea levels continue to cause flooding in coastal wetlands, the Buzzards Bay Coalition, Town of Wareham and the Wildlands Trust are working with engineers to figure out a plan to protect Wareham's wetlands. In a public hearing held Jan. 28...

Tobey Hospital reaches contract agreement with support staff

After months of negotiation, Southcoast Health and Tobey Hospital employees reached a wage increase agreement Jan. 17. Members of 1199 Service Employees International Union, who are primarily hospital support staff, picketed earlier this month,...

Bird flu outbreak risk to dogs, potentially fatal for cats

Wareham’s animal control officer said residents should take precautions against bird flu after the virus killed 60 birds in Plymouth last week. Animal Control Officer Devin Cloutier said that while the current strain of bird flu has caused yearly...

Planning Board to hold public hearing on accessory dwelling units

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Monday, Feb. 24 to present the revised version of the accessory dwelling units bylaw proposed at the Jan. 13 Special Town Meeting. An accessory dwelling unit is a second, smaller residence that can be...

Get to know Wareham’s new State Senator Kelly Dooner

Newly elected State Senator Kelley Dooner began her first term this month, representing Wareham and the rest of the 3rd Bristol and Plymouth District. Dooner, a Republican, took over from longtime Democrat Marc Pacheco, who served the district for...

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