News

News

New Emergency Center celebrated at ribbon cutting

Southcoast Health officials, donors and community leaders gathered Monday to celebrate Tobey Hospital’s new Baldwin Makepeace Emergency Center at a ribbon-cutting event. The crowd gathered in front of the new center, listening to speakers who stood...

Ribbon cutting, community celebration of new Wareham Elementary School

Although Wareham’s youngest students have been attending classes at the new Wareham Elementary School since January, the community at large hasn’t yet had the chance to celebrate and tour the new building on Minot Avenue. On June 11, there will be a...

A.D. Makepeace pivots from business, residential construction to solar

A.D. Makepeace has pulled back from plans to build new office buildings and residential subdivisions in Wareham and surrounding towns, but CEO Jim Kane said he thinks residents should be pleased by the news. The land originally slated for those...

Shelves run empty on baby formula as national shortage hits Wareham

Wareham parents are feeling the brunt of the national baby formula shortage. Mother Kelsey Leduc stopped by the McDuffy Center Thursday morning, going through clothes that might fit her 1-year-old son, Otis. The Wareham resident was visiting Baby...

Bay Pointe residents complain of dysfunctional heating, high cost

Windward Pines, sign, Bay Pointe Club development
Steve Costa remembers the advertisement for the condo he and his wife now own in the Bay Pointe Club's Windward Pines development as touting "leisure, luxury and lifestyle." They were excited about their home, he says, but the unit came with a...

Take a look inside Tobey Hospital’s new emergency center

Tobey Hospital’s new Baldwin Makepeace Emergency Center is finally complete — five years after the design process began, and about two years since crews broke ground at the site. Hospital staff led tours of the space on Wednesday afternoon. The new...

Equipment damage knocks out power for 1,000

A power outage zapped electricity from about 1,000 Eversource customers late Wednesday morning, Eversource representative Chris McKinnon said, though the company’s website counted 1,528 customers out. The online map identified the outage’s cause as...

One marijuana business agreement approved for negotiations, one tabled by Select Board

Two more cannabis companies are looking to come to Wareham. On Tuesday, the Select Board authorized officials to begin negotiations with one company as they wait for more information from the second. Board members heard from Kent Haehl of ASV MA...

Select Board to write letter encouraging further study of Fearing Hill solar project

The Select Board voted on Tuesday night to issue a letter strongly encouraging the Planning Board to make sure to consider environmental issues as its members decide whether to approve a controversial solar project at Fearing Hill. The vote came...

Select Board discusses creating Energy Study Committee

The Select Board discussed the creation of a new Energy Study Committee on Tuesday night, though no vote was taken and discussion is scheduled to continue during next week’s meeting. Two members of the Solar Bylaw Committee, Denise Wolk and Town...

Medical staff thanked with gift of olive oil

MARION — As National Nurses Week wrapped up last week, Marion-based Ripe From The Vine Oil & Vinegar Company made a delivery of several cases of certified Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil to Tobey Hospital's Emergency Department, its fourth...

Committee ponders combining senior center, public safety complex at Decas School

The current Decas School site could host a public safety complex and a senior center. The Public Safety Complex Study Committee was formed back in 2020 to study the possibility of building a new police station in a complex shared with other...

Onset Fire District’s annual meeting funds new, replacement standpipes

About two dozen voters gathered at the new Onset Fire Station on Monday night, where they quickly approved all the items on the agenda at the district’s annual meeting. Among a number of routine items was one project voters were particularly...

Covid-19 cases on the rise once again

Covid-19 cases are once again on the rise in Wareham, with the state’s latest report showing 58 people testing positive in the last week. That’s likely below the true number of cases in town, as at-home tests are widely available and those with...

Protestors decry threat to Roe v. Wade

Roughly 75 people gathered outside Wareham’s Town Hall on Saturday to protest the leaked Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade, threatening abortion access across the country. Carrying signs reading messages like “keep abortion safe...

Onset Bay Center welcomes summer with open house

Saturday’s warm and sunny weather was kismet for the Onset Bay Center’s Community Day, held to welcome the community back to the educational hub nestled between the Onset bluffs and the beach adjacent to the pier. “We really wanted to invite the...

Vintage postcards, seascape paintings on display at the Spinney Library

The Spinney Branch Library’s doors were open on Saturday for a mini art show and display of vintage Onset postcards as part of South Coast Spring Arts. The postcards came from the collection of Len Gay, who has gathered more than 600 postcards from...

Garden Club’s sale draws crowd

Before 9 a.m. on Saturday, a small crowd had already gathered at the Methodist Meeting House for one of the year’s biggest events for area gardeners: The Wareham Garden Club’s annual plant and yard sale. “We were out of most stuff by 9:30,” said...

Tobey Hospital’s new emergency room to open for tours May 18

Tobey Hospital will be hosting a community open house at its brand-new Baldwin Makepeace Emergency Center from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18. Space is limited and masks will be required during the tour. To reserve a spot, click here. The center...

Local resident wins bid for Everett School building, beats HGTV show bid

The old Everett School building on Gibbs Avenue was finally auctioned off on Wednesday, as residents – and a crew from a new HGTV show – made their bids for the historic building. Marion resident Scott Robertson Jr. won the auction with a bid of $...

Wareham Library Foundation donates $20,000 to the library

The Wareham Library Foundation donated $20,000 to the Wareham Free Library to cover part-time salaries. The Select Board voted on May 10 to accept the donation. “I’d just like to thank the Wareham Free Library Foundation,” said board member Alan...

Between an intersection and a wetland: A conservation land parking conundrum

The Stoney Run Conservation Land could soon have new trails, but figuring out where to put the parking lot to access those trails could be a challenge. On May 10, the Select Board heard a proposal from Elise Leduc-Fleming, the director of the...

Trails in Minot Forest named

Three trails in Minot Forest have been named after Wareham residents who dedicated their time to conservation efforts. At the May 10 Select Board meeting, Chair Judith Whiteside reported that the Minot Forest Committee had voted on the names and...

Rubber Duck Race to return May 29

The Wareham Friends of the Library’s duck race will return to the Tihonet Canal on Sunday, May 29. Registration will be open from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., and at 1 p.m., the rubber duck racers will be released into the water at the head of the canal...

What’s next for the Decas School?

Following Town Meeting’s April 25 vote in support of creating a community center in the now vacant Decas Elementary School, the future of the community center proposal is ... clear as mud. Advocates for the proposed center want town officials to...

CapeFLYER service to begin Memorial Day weekend

The CapeFLYER’s summer service from Hyannis to Boston — with a stop off Main Street in Wareham — will begin on Memorial Day Weekend. The service runs Friday nights and on Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day, and is operated by the Cape Cod...

Planning Board’s Bay Pointe hearing to continue May 23

The Planning Board voted once again to continue its hearing about the newest phase of development at Bay Pointe. Some paperwork requested by the board had not yet been submitted, so chair Mike King said it didn’t make sense to vote yet. Much of the...

State announces free telehealth, Covid-19 treatment pill program

Massachusetts residents who test positive for Covid-19 and have mild to moderate symptoms can now access a free telehealth program to see if they’re eligible for a treatment pill, which will also be free. The state announced its new program, a...

Doobie delivers: Wareham native launches first cannabis delivery business in town

When Ericca Kennedy talks about Doobie’s first delivery in Massachusetts, she finds it hard not to cry. “We delivered to my grandmother and my aunt,” Kennedy said as her voice slowed, sitting in Wareham’s first licensed cannabis delivery business:...

Plants, birds and boats, oh my! Wild for Wareham celebrates nature across town

The strong winds didn’t stop Saturday’s “Wild for Wareham” event from attracting dozens of people to nature activities across town. The all-day event was hosted by four organizations: the Wareham Land Trust, Mass Audubon, the Wildlands Trust and...

Playground equipment ordered for Swifts Beach project

The new playground at Swifts Beach is one step closer to becoming a reality, after the playground equipment was ordered earlier this week. “We made sure that this playground is inclusive,” said Christy Patalano, who’s spearheading the project. The...

Lucky Goat brews recipe from Ukrainian brewery for charity

Selling alcohol was forbidden in areas of Ukraine as part of the war effort earlier in March, but that hasn’t stopped one brewery from sharing its recipes with the world — including Lucky Goat Brewing. The Wareham brewery’s latest recipe hails from...

Select Board supports small affordable housing developments

The Select Board discussed two proposals for small affordable housing developments at its May 2 and 3 meetings. The board was in favor of both proposals, one of which received Community Preservation Funds at the most recent Town Meeting. One project...

Wareham Community Resource Fair

Come by the Police Department between noon and 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 12 to learn about community resources. The Community Resource Fair will feature organizations including Plymouth Community Outreach, High Point, the Police Assisted Addiction...

Learn about veterans benefits

The Dudley L. Brown VFW Post will be hosting an informational seminar about Veterans Administration benefits and programs on Tuesday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to noon. The seminar will cover topics including how to apply for veterans’ benefits, VA...

Official election results are in

An at-times tense election season is over and the votes are in: three newcomers will join the Select Board. The official results are in from Tuesday’s town election. Ron Besse and Jared Chadwick scored the two open three-year Select Board seats,...

Officials ready to release funds for golf course purchase

The town is now closer than ever to officially purchasing the Little Harbor Country Club, as officials have met the conditions necessary to release Community Preservation Funds. The Northeast Golf Companies has been selected to manage the property...

Board bids adieu to Tropeano, Teitelbaum

The Select Board bid a ceremonial farewell to departing members Patrick Tropeano and Peter Teitelbaum at its May 2 and 3 meetings. On Monday, the board also recognized outgoing Town Moderator Claire Smith, who served in that role for a decade. Smith...

Vote today in the town’s election

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 3. Precincts one and six vote at Memorial Town Hall at 54 Marion Rd.; precincts two and three vote at the Hammond School at 13 Highland Ave.; and precincts four and five vote at the Redman Hall at 745...

Select Board supports residents’ bid to buy mobile home park

The Select Board voted Monday night to write a letter supporting a bid by the residents of the Royal Crest Mobile Home Park to purchase the park themselves, rather than allowing the park to be sold to a large Arizona-based corporation. That company...

Planning Board, residents talk Bay Point Club concerns

In a meeting dedicated solely to the Bay Pointe Club Monday night, Planning Board members and current Bay Pointe residents alike discussed current problems and plans for the future. Developer Stonestreet Corporation President Tim Fay presented the...

Turning Point moves to new location on Viking Drive

Turning Point has a new home at 3 Viking Dr., next to the Wareham Middle School track. The organization, which is the resource arm of the Wareham Area Committee for the Homeless, focuses on supporting those in need through help with rent and utility...

Accessible plan for Bayview Park unveiled

Plans for Bayview Park are becoming clear, as officials heard a concrete plan to solve accessibility issues at the notoriously steep park. Jaime Rebhan-Buckminster of the Community Opportunities Group presented the proposal alongside Cassie Bethoney...

New sewer moratorium instituted as plant reaches capacity

The Sewer Commissioners have once again instituted a moratorium on new hook-ups. At their April 29 meeting, the commissioners met with Russ Kleekamp, an engineer from GHD. The commissioners reported that, after taking into account the department’s...

Girl Scout troop cleans up Onset beach

Girl Scouts in local Daisy Troop 64968 cleaned up Onset Beach on Wednesday, April 27, their troop leader Cheryl Manduca said. Manduca said the girls earned their Eco Learner Badge. The Daisy badge signifies that troop members have learned three ways...

Wild for Wareham: Four organizations plan outdoor fun, learning

On Saturday, May 7, the Wareham Land Trust, Mass Audubon, the Wildlands Trust, and Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Onset Bay Center will be hosting a variety of outdoor programs for kids and adults at locations across town. All the events are free, but...

Council on Aging plans May events

Plenty of activities are planned for May at the Council on Aging. All events are held at the Multi-Service Center at 48 Marion Road unless otherwise noted. The Council on Aging is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. To register for...

Voters discuss Town Clerk salary after amendment proposed mid-Town Meeting

An amendment proposed in the middle of Town Meeting sparked discussion over the town clerk’s salary Tuesday night. The original article brought to Town Meeting proposed a salary of $95,000 for the town clerk for the 2023 fiscal year. Brenda Eckstrom...

Voters approve two sewer upgrades

A small crowd of voters at the second night of the spring Town Meeting voted to approve spending a total of $6 million on two major upgrades to coastal sewer infrastructure. “We have to do something down at Swifts Beach,” said Sandy Slavin, Sewer...

Town Meeting wraps up second night with small crowd

Voters approved a host of issues during the second and last night of Town Meeting on Tuesday, including an Affordable Housing Trust item, an appropriation of community preservation funds and a roughly $64 million budget for the next fiscal year...

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