News

Fire officials face employee criticism

At the Wareham Fire District's meeting on Jan. 23, elected officials faced criticism for their handling of a complaint by an employee. The employee, who only identified herself as Mikayla, addressed the Prudential Committee — the board that oversees...

Cookies for camping: Girl Scouts set up shop on Main Street

Selling several sweet snacks while bundled up in sweaters and scarves, girl scouts were out in the cold aiming to hit their cookie quota. On Saturday, Jan. 25 outside of the Riverside Cafe on Main Street, members of girl scout troop 64,968 set up...
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New documents reveal little about Wareham Fire District controversy

This week an attorney for the Wareham Fire District released heavily redacted documents related to employee complaints accusing Fire Chief John Kelley of harassment and creating a hostile work environment. The documents, obtained by Wareham Week...

Public meeting to be held on Great Neck wetlands restoration

A public meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 28 to discuss plans to restore coastal wetlands at the Jack’s Marsh site in the Great Neck Conservation area. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in the Wareham Free Library community room at 59 Marion...

Uncertain future for Christmas parade, Halloween events

The Wareham Village Association has enough funds to hold its three annual events — Trick or Treat down Main Street, the scarecrow competition and the Christmas Parade — one last time in 2025, after which it will be out of money, Director Tracy...

Town program offers work-based tax break for seniors

Wareham senior residents who are accepted to a town program may receive up to $1,000 off their property tax bill in exchange for work. The Select Board made their annual approval of the annual Senior Tax Work-Off Program on Jan. 21. The program...

Historical award

On Jan. 18 the Wareham Historical Society awarded a $1,000 college scholarship to a UMass Amherst student. Kiley Sullivan is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree and plans to go into teaching. “Kiley expressed her sincere gratitude to The Wareham...

Sword swinging and lessons learned at stage combat class

As pool noodles bashed up against each other and friends became foes, professional Hollywood stunt actors put on a space sword swinging soiree. The soiree was a class on stage combat using swords at the Wareham Free Library Saturday, Jan. 18. The...

Wareham residents receive promotion from Barnstable County Sheriff's Office

The Barnstable County Sheriff's Office promoted several correctional officers, four of which are Wareham residents. In a ceremony held at Mashpee Middle-High School Jan. 10, Terry Mumper was promoted to Lieutenant. Pat Matthews, Kyle Stecchi and...

Cranberry bogs get a winter makeover

While cranberry bogs currently lack their classic red color and have a layer of ice on top, A.D. Makepeace is still busy working to ensure their bogs are ready for the growing season. In a process called ice sanding, motorized carts carry large...

Special Town Meeting voters approve $700,000 for solar experts, land purchase

Voters at the Jan. 13 Town Meeting approved using town money to hire solar experts to testify on the town's behalf and purchase two acres of land. The Planning Board is involved in multiple court cases in which solar energy developers are suing the...

Special Town Meeting voters decide proposed housing, solar changes need more study

At the Jan. 13 Special Town Meeting, voters decided that proposed zoning changes affecting future solar and housing development needed more study. Voters heard two proposals that would change zoning bylaws in Wareham. One created a designated...

Wareham Fire District dealing with complaints, controversy

The Wareham Fire District is facing multiple ongoing controversies, including union grievances and harassment complaints that appear to be directed at Chief John Kelley Members of the elected Prudential Committee that oversees the fire district — as...

Healthcare workers picket for higher wages

Tobey Hospital employees braved 20 degree temperatures to wave signs and chant while picketing for higher wages on Thursday, Jan. 9. Organized by 1199 Service Employees International Union, both union and non-union workers arrived in force near the...

Select Board recommends voters pass all Special Town Meeting articles

At the Jan. 7 meeting, the Select Board recommended voters approve all five articles for consideration at the upcoming Special Town Meeting. The first article voters will hear at the Jan. 13 special meeting, a proposal to spend $100,000 on “solar...

Voters to decide housing, solar development future at Special Town Meeting

Voters will determine the future of solar and housing development at the Monday, Jan. 13 Special Town Meeting at 7 p.m. in the Wareham High School Auditorium. The meeting will also include decisions on a municipal property purchase and the hiring of...

Update: Four alarm fire on Cranberry Highway in Onset

A fire charred most of the interior of a commercial building on Cranberry Highway Jan. 5, destroying several stores. At 11:38 a.m., the Onset Fire Department received an alarm for the building at 3086 Cranberry Highway in Onset which houses...

Never too old to change: Nonprofit elects first woman president

For 100 years only men were members of the Wareham Community Associates, now women lead the organization. On Dec. 18, the Associates elected Wareham resident and member Apryl Rossi to president of the organization which raises money to provide...

State Sen. Kelly Dooner swears in

Newly elected State Sen. Kelly Dooner, was sworn Wednesday, Jan. 1, to represent Wareham and the rest of the 3rd Bristol and Plymouth District in the State Legislature. Dooner, a Republican, is taking over from Democrat Marc Pacheco who served for...

The Wareham Land Trust steps into 2025

As 2024 became 2025, members of the Wareham Land Trust guided people through a rare, local ecosystem as the group hosted their annual First Day Hike. The hike took place at the Red Brook Trail Network Wednesday, Jan. 1 and hikers traversed a 1.8...

Three, two, one: Plunge

Cheers and loud music filled the air on Onset Beach on New Year’s Day, followed shortly by quick gasps and splashing as hundreds of people charged into the frigid water. The New Year's Polar Plunge hosted by the Buzzards Bay Coalition and the Onset...

2025 arrived early at the Wareham Free Library

As noise makers popped and music rang through a normally quiet library, over a hundred people gathered to celebrate the new year, except they did so 12 hours early. The new year celebration held Tuesday, Dec. 31 was the Wareham Free Library's Noon...

Discover the new Discover Wareham

The Discover Wareham website laid dormant for around two years before receiving a fresh new look to help anyone looking to explore the town learn more about it. At the Dec. 10 Select Board meeting, Wareham Redevelopment Authority Intern Connor Alden...

Planning Board to hold public hearing

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. at 48 Marion Road to discuss two proposed zoning law changes: the adoption of a statewide law regarding accessory dwelling units and the location restriction of future solar...

Family fun at the library links

The golf season opened up for two days at the Wareham Free Library as Warehamites put down the books and picked up a putter to make their way around the library's mini golf course. The library's mini golf course included 18 holes in various parts of...

Electronics, events and borrowed books: The library by the numbers

Despite untimely closures the Wareham Free Library circulated more items and received more patrons than last year. The library tracks patronage through the fiscal year and in October and November of 2023 closed due to repairs from a water main break...

Weweantic River conservation project on track

The Buzzards Bay Coalition expects to finalize the conservation of 215 acres in Wareham along the Weweantic River by early summer 2025 following a vote of financial support at the Fall Town Meeting. The plan, dubbed the Weweantic River Corridor Open...

Get to know John Gaskey

John Gaskey, a Republican from Carver, won the House Representative seat for the 2nd Plymouth District in the general election on Nov. 5, 2024 and will soon take office to represent Wareham, Carver and Middleboro in the Massachusetts State...

Santa makes a morning pitstop in town

Surrounded by pancakes, toys and reindeer food, Christmas came a little early to Wareham as Community Youth Empowerment celebrated the holiday season by hosting their annual Breakfast with Santa. Community Youth Empowerment is a Wareham based non-...

Holiday spirit visits Town Hall

The holiday spirit made a pitstop at town hall as municipal offices decked the halls in a holiday decoration competition. Offices were turned into Disney World, a winter wonderland but the Board of Health won the competition as they turned their...

Public review for community electricity aggregation program

Revisions to the community electricity aggregation program have been made and there is a public review period for these revisions being held until Jan. 18. Currently, over 8,000 Wareham residences and businesses are a part of the community...

Town receives $4 million for sewer upgrades and maintenance

Wareham received a check for $4,036,843.53 from the Plymouth County Commissioner as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act at the Dec. 17 Select Board meeting. The American Rescue Plan Act was introduced to provide economic support to cities and...

Planning Board to hold public hearing on accessory dwelling unit regulations

At a public hearing on Jan. 6, residents will provide input on two options for how the town should implement a new state law that allows the construction of smaller, independent secondary homes, known as accessory dwelling units, on properties in...

Christmas at the Council on Aging

The Wareham Council on Aging hosted their annual Christmas luncheon on Dec. 4 which featured a donation of $3,000 presented to Executive Director of the Council on Aging Sharon Rice to former 2nd Plymouth District Representative Susan Williams...

Town sees potential new source of renewable energy in pilot demonstration

A renewable energy company conducted a pilot demonstration for a “first of its kind” renewable energy source at the Wastewater Pollution Control Facility in Wareham on Thursday, Dec. 12. CF Technologies, a Massachusetts based company dedicated to...

A successful Christmas dinner will see repeat in 2025 thanks to community support

Thanks to an “overwhelming” show of support from the community, Deneen Rose said she will continue the annual Christmas Dinner in 2025. Rose who has organized the dinner for seniors, veterans and those in need for 10 years said this one could have...

Young basketball stars take aim at glory in Elks Lodge competition

Aspiring basketball stars ages 8 to 13 competed in the Elks Lodge annual Hoop Shoot, Sunday Dec. 15 at the Gleason Family YMCA. The competition provides children an opportunity to show off their free throw skills with 25 shots divided into 10 and 15...

12 days before Christmas and in Onset Village…

Warehamites took a holiday stroll to say hi to Santa Clause, look at decorated Christmas trees with an ocean backdrop and visit local store fronts along Onset Avenue during Christmas in the Village. The event was held Saturday, Dec. 14 by the Onset...

Christmas gets taken to school

With Santa slated to slide down chimneys soon, the Wareham Parent Teacher Association brought the holiday spirit early during their annual Christmas fair and fundraiser. The fair took place at the Wareham Elementary School Saturday, Dec. 14 and...

“Not forgotten:” wreaths remember service members

“This morning we gather here to express our sentiments and a deep sense of solidarity with fallen heroes,” said Father George Chittattukara of Saint Margaret Parish as members from six Wareham non-profits placed a wreath at the base of the veterans...

Select Board honors JROTC cadet

Wareham High School Senior and JROTC cadet Emma Sylvia was honored by the Select Board with a special presentation from the town after being awarded the Legion of Valor Award with Bronze Cross. The Select Board honored Sylvia in front of Matthew...

Plans presented for designated solar district, public hearing scheduled

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing Jan. 6 on a proposed solar zoning district which would confine all future largescale solar development to a designated area. The zoning restriction would not apply to any “at-will” solar installations...

Cape Verdean Cultural Center donates to support the community

The Oak Grove Cape Verdean Cultural Center has donated $2,000 to four Wareham based organizations for their dedication to the community. The four organizations are The Wareham Area Committee for the Homeless and Turning Point, The Friends of the...

Damien’s Food Pantry asks for volunteers

Damien's Food Pantry is in need of volunteers to assist with light landscaping and cleanup around the facility in December and January. Volunteers with carpentry skills are also needed to help build storage shelves in the pantry’s shed. Those...

A dose of Holiday Magic

On Saturday Dec. 7, Wareham Turning Point volunteer Jerry Neal carefully picked through tables filled with toys, marking a family’s requested gifts off a list as he went. Neal was one of several volunteers in charge of organizing donations for the...

A very merry parade adds a maritime twist

Candy fell from the skies instead of snow, Christmas music rang out and Santa Claus took a boat ride on the Wareham River while hundreds gathered along Main Street to celebrate the annual Christmas Parade. The parade, put on by the Wareham Village...

Cars packed for the holidays with spirit of giving

On Dec. 7 several police cruisers were full, but not with detainees and a school bus neared capacity without a single child in a seat. The Wareham Police Department hosted its Stuff-a-Cruiser event Saturday, parking vehicles out front of Walmart and...

Turning Point sees spirit of giving

On Dec. 5, Turning Point Wareham announced a $5,000 donation from Southcoast Health to support a Turning Point emergency response program that assists homeless people. The program, called the Wareham Area Council for the Homeless, moves unsheltered...

Annual Christmas dinner faces future funding uncertainty

For 10 years Deneen Rose has organized an annual Christmas dinner for seniors, veterans and people in need, but this year's dinner may be the last. Although the dinner received a $500 donation from the Wareham Police Department to cover some of this...

Special Town Meeting called for January

The Select Board has called a Special Town Meeting for Monday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. and while the agenda is not yet finalized, it is expected to include items regarding accessory dwelling units and a seasonal community designation for the town. In...

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