News | Wareham

header_bg

Visit our partners:

News

First grade tutoring, classroom technology use study on the horizon

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson reports to the School Committee. Photo by Christian Uva

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson is already moving forward on her goals for her first year in charge of Wareham Schools. She announced at the Sept. 17 School…

Select Board discusses town meeting agenda, potential land purchase

The Select Board discussed the October Town Meeting agenda at its meeting. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

The Select Board set the agenda for fall Town Meeting, adjusted fees for permits the board handles and, in a short closed-door executive session,…

Most Popular

Down on the Frogfoot Farm

Frogfoot - Marion Institute

For the Marion Institute, six-acre patch of marginal farmland a short distance off Tihonet Road in Wareham helps accomplish two goals: Encouraging the consumption of local produce and combatting food insecurity on the South Coast. Videographer...

The games begin for Wareham Youth Soccer

Grace Pacheco, 10, said it felt "good" to score her first goal. Photos by Christian Uva

Youth soccer is back. The Wareham Youth Soccer Club kicked off its season on Saturday, Sept. 12. The younger teams played each other at the start. As the morning went on, older players hit the pitch. A team of older boys closed out by facing...

High school fall sports kick off

A Wareham soccer player corrals the ball during the team's 6-1 win on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Photo by Christian Uva

Wareham High School athletes returned to the field for their first games of the 2026 fall season. The boys soccer, girls soccer, field hockey and girls volleyball teams all played their first games on Tuesday, Sept. 8. “We’ve trained really hard...

Sip & Stroll returns to Wareham Oct. 3

An earlier version of this story contained inaccurate hours. Sip & Stroll Harvest Fair will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at Besse Park & Warren’s Harborview, 59 Main St. The event will feature an afternoon of cocktails and...

Planning Board to hold info session on done deal Fearing Hill solar project

A 2021 map of the proposed Fearing Hill solar farm. File photo

The controversial Fearing Hill solar farm project appears to be on the track to construction. The Planning Board will hold a public information session about the project at its Sept. 14 meeting. Although advertised as a public hearing, the meeting...

Superintendent sets out to improve elementary school literacy

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson at an Aug. 20 School Committee meeting. Photo by Christian Uva

Many Wareham Elementary School students are not reading at grade level. Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson is trying to change that. Hartley-Matteson presented her plan to assess and improve the school’s literature education at the Sept. 3 School...

Man lifeflighted after being struck by vehicle

N/A

A 52-year-old man operating an E-bike suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a motor vehicle Saturday, Sept. 5 in the area of 133 Onset Ave. Due to the severity of the bicyclist’s injuries, he was transported by Med-Flight to an area...

Finding joy at the Bandshell during ‘Finding Nemo’

Fans of all ages enjoyed the first Movies by the Bay screening at Onset’s Lillian Gregerman Bandshell on Saturday, Sept. 5. Over 300 people came to watch “Finding Nemo,” said Marie Greig, who runs Wareham Community Outdoor Recreation, or CORE....

'Keeping the ospreys safe': How Eversource deters ospreys from nesting on poles

Ospreys return to places where their nests used to be, even after the nests are removed, like this pole in Swifts Beach. Photos by Christian Uva

High above the street, large X-shaped pieces of metal called Raptor Guards sit on top of electrical poles. But in this case, X doesn’t mark the spot. In fact, they deter ospreys that try to nest near high-voltage wires. Eversource Energy installs...

Absence made hearts grow fonder for bicentennial class reunion

A bicentennial class photo. Photos by Tootsie Russell

After graduating from Wareham High School in 1976, graduates went all across the country – to Virginia, Louisiana, California. Some stayed in Wareham. But they came together at the Bay Pointe Country Club on Aug. 29 for their 50th class reunion....

Halloween powerlifting competition with Gleason YMCA

Test your strength at the Gleason Family YMCA’s fourth annual powerlifting competition at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, at 33 Charge Pond Road. Competitors should arrive by 9:15 a.m. and are required to wear Halloween costumes. The event will also...

Savor the South Coast for a Cause

Turning Point, a resource center from the Wareham Area Committee for the Homeless, invites the community to “Taste of our Towns,” a culinary adventure featuring favorite restaurants and food vendors from the South Coast. “Taste of Oour Towns” will...

Hat’s the spirit for YMCA fundraiser

The Gleason Family YMCA will host a “Sip and Support” to fundraise for the organization's Annual Campaign. The campaign provides financial aid to those who cannot afford the organization's services, including for summer camp, child care and other...

Town receives $1 million in federal funds for sewer project

Wareham has received a little over $1 million in federal funding for sewer department projects, Town Administrator Derek Sullivan told the Select Board Tuesday, Sept. 1. Crediting congressman Bill Keating with securing the money, Sullivan explained...

Proclamations for suicide prevention month, 9/11 anniversary

From left: Jared Chadwick, Sarah Corbitt, Judith Whiteside and Marcus Gomes.

Wareham Select Board recognized September as Suicide Prevention Month and designated September 10 as Suicide Prevention Day for the town at its meeting Tuesday, Sept. 1. Judith Whiteside read the board’s proclamation at the meeting, complete with...

Select Board makes two appointments

William Scott Parr was appointed to the Conservation Commission. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

The Select Board appointed two members to town committees on Tuesday. Both men have experience with the boards on which they will serve. Walter Paster was reappointed to the Little Harbor Golf Advisory Committee after his term expired. The new term...

Gaskey, Markey, Minogue take Wareham

Signs for state representative candidates near Wareham Town Hall, one of the town's three polling locations. Photo by Christian Uva

Voters chose the winner in most of the contested elections in the Sept. 1 primary. Wareham Republicans pushed John Gaskey over the edge, helping reelect him as the Republican nominee for state representative. Wareham only had a 9.57% voter turnout...

Wareham Crossing Staples to close on Oct. 16

The sign posted on the Wareham Crossing Staples door. Photo by Christian Uva

Staples is turning a new leaf on Wareham. The Staples branch at Wareham Crossing will close on Friday, Oct. 16. The office supplies store has been closed locations across the country for the past decade. This is the ninth location in the Northeast...

Wareham Minutemen to replace missing revolutionary plaque

The Minutemen and Militia shoot guns dressed in period clothing.

The Wareham Minutemen will replace a Revolutionary War memorial plaque at a military and colonial life reenactment on Sept. 19. The original plaque was affixed to a large boulder in a field next to the now-closed Decas Elementary School in 1975 to...

Swifts Beach community celebrates Danny Warren for infrastructure solution

Warren was presented with a plaque celebrating his work. Submitted photos

Swifts Beach community members celebrated the owner of Warren’s Harborview restaurant, Danny Warren, during a coffee hour on Saturday, Aug. 29 for his help in resolving an infrastructure issue in the neighborhood. After a sewer pipe on Wankinquoah...

West Nile virus found in mosquitoes in Wareham

West Nile virus can only be transmitted by mosquitos. Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash

There is West Nile virus in Wareham, according to the town government. The town announced on Aug. 27 that a sample of mosquitoes from Wareham showed positive signs of West Nile virus. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has Wareham listed...

Charlotte Peak of Wareham graduates from the University of Rhode Island

Wareham resident Charlotte Peak graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. The university in Kingston had more than 4,000 alumni at its commencement ceremonies May 15-17, with approximately 3,800...

Students and staff fill Wareham schools for first day

Second grader Navya Patel's favorite sport is soccer, and she's looking forward to playing games in physical education this year. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

The end of August also meant the end of summer for Wareham schools as students and staff filled the halls once again. Aug. 27 was the first day of school for Wareham students first grade and older. Many kids were excited to come back to school,...

Route 6 bridge construction to fully resume

The bridge repair work on Route 6 is set to fully resume following a pause in July. Photos by Tanvi Kulkarni

Work on the Route 6 bridge over the Weweantic River is set to fully resume in the upcoming weeks, after construction halted work after crews found diamondback terrapin breeding grounds nearby. The bridge was structurally deficient and is being...

Something to PAWsitively bark about

Some of the winning entries.

Young writers, artists and a pack of “comfort dogs” gathered in the lobby of the Gleason Family YMCA on Aug. 21 to learn who would head home with trophies from the Dog Park Affiliation of Wareham’s annual Unleash the PAWsibilities contest. Open to...

Building Commissioner Paul Turner to retire in late September

The town is in the process of finding a successor for Building Commissioner Paul Turner by the time he retires, Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said. Turner is planning to retire in late September but has not chosen a specific date, Sullivan...

Meet Sarah Hewins, Democratic candidate for 2nd Plymouth District

NONE

Democrat Sarah Hewins is campaigning on her more than 25 years of public service in hopes of flipping the 2nd Plymouth District House seat. Hewins, who is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for state representative, will face the...

Superintendent works with district leaders and coach in creating district’s plan

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson presented her goals and entry plan to the school committee and its meeting Monday, Aug. 21. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

New Wareham Public Schools Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson has hit the ground running. Hartley-Matteson, in her job since July 1, reported to the Wareham School Committee on Aug. 20 about her plans to work with district leaders through school...

Wareham welcomes students to a new school year

The Staff in Service day welcomed back teachers and staff at Wareham High School. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

The bell has been rung on another Wareham school year. The first day of school for grades 1-12 was Aug. 27. Preschoolers and kindergartners will return on Sept. 8. Wareham Public Schools Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson said parents and families...

'We want it to look messy': Former Makepeace cranberry bog is being returned to its natural state

A newly dug, curvy part of Red Brook. Photo by Christian Uva

When you look out at Century Bog today, you’ll see a heap of downed pitch pine saplings, sand piles, shrubs and, of course, cranberry plants. What once was a picturesque Wareham cranberry bog is now a green-brown jumble. But to Sara Quintal, a...

Driver taken to hospital after tree falls on car

NONE

A driver was reportedly transported to the hospital after a tree fell on a vehicle Friday morning Aug. 21. The incident happened at about 10:21 a.m. on Routte 28 in the area of 2114 Cranberry Highway. A state Department of Transportation front-end...

‘Their hearts are so beautiful’: community champions 8-year-old’s cancer fundraiser

Although Mia is undergoing chemotherapy, mom Briana Lunetta said she is still a happy-go-lucky, dancing light at the hospital. “We’ve actually been told by the charge nurse that you can sign up for what kids you want to have that day,” Lunetta said, “and there’s usually a battle on who gets to have Mia that day because everyone loves her.” Photo source: Briana Lunetta

There is a house in Wareham that is being built brick by brick—not by developers and contractors, but by the people of this town. Eight-year-old Mia Johnson was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in June, sending her family’s lives “into a...

Wareham JROTC students will go camping on Wickets Island

Col. Matthew Stanton pitches the idea to the Wareham School Committee. Photo by Christian Uva

Wareham High School's Junior ROTC cadets will spend their Sept. 11 developing their teamwork and survival skills during a camping trip on Wickets Island. During the trip, cadets will focus on “hands-on team building, confidence building that I...

Wareham heads to the polls for primary elections

Empty voting booths. File photo

Wareham residents along with voters across Massachusetts are already casting ballots in Sept. 1 primary contests. Votes may be cast by mail, early in-person or on election day. There are primary contests on both the Democratic and Republican sides....

A.D. Makepeace sells $8.3 million property to Newman Properties

10-40 Rosebrook Way. Photo source: Newman Properties

A Brookline-based property management company has purchased the three office and retail buildings at 10-40 Rosebrook Way from A.D. Makepeace for $8.3 million Announced by the acquiring Newman Properties as a “huge commercial acquisition,” the sale...

Property owners, business owners voice concerns over building commissioner Turner to Select Board

Bill Bachant speaks in front of the Wareham Select Board. Photo by Christian Uva

Residents’ grievances with Wareham Building Commissioner Paul Turner dominated the public comment section of the Wareham Select Board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 18 A group of over 20 people, composed of Wareham homeowners and people who do business...

Wareham man killed in motorcycle accident on Charge Pond Road

The motorcycle following the accident. Photo by David Curran

A 23-year-old Wareham man died following a motorcycle accident on Charge Pond Road on Monday, Aug. 17, according to Massachusetts State Police. Cristian Hagopian, 23 was brought to a hospital where he was pronounced dead two hours after the...

Republican candidates offer different approaches for 2nd Plymouth District seat

John Gaskey, left, and Mark Townsend, right. File photos

Republican voters will decide on Tuesday, Sept. 1 whether to keep incumbent state Rep. John Gaskey (R-Carver) on the ballot or give challenger Mark Townsend a shot to go to the State House. Two Republicans, who share similar conservative...

Onset Chalk-Full-O-Fun Fair Sidewalk Fair, ‘the chillest day ever’

Ender, 12, made a night sky design with his friend Luca, 8. Photo by Christian Uva

Nobody wanted to win a prize at the Onset Chalk-Full-O-Fun Sidewalk Art and Craft Fair. A judge picked the winner at the end of the fair, but few were particularly concerned with winning. They enjoyed being at the Lillian Gregerman Bandshell on a...

Wareham gets grants to plan removal of Parker Mill dam, evaluate sewer system weaknesses

The spillway of the Parker Mills Pond Dam. File photo

The Town of Wareham received two grants worth $361,000 from the Massachusetts state government to devise a plan to remove the Parker Mills Pond Dam and to study weaknesses in the sewer system. The grants are part of a statewide effort to improve...

State Rep. John Gaskey accused of workplace sexual harassment

John Gaskey. File photo.

A former legislative aide has accused state Rep. John Gaskey (R-Carver) of making unwanted sexual advances and retaliating against her for rejecting them. Gaskey, who represents the 2nd Plymouth District in the Massachusetts House of...

Onset's 'Ice Cream Kitty' passes after her illness worsened

Moochi cuddling up with a cactus in her family home. Photo source: Naomi Arenberg

The cat went by many names: Yarelis, Yuri, Moochi. But to Wareham, she was known as “Ice Cream Kitty.” The stray tuxedo cat, whose real name was Moochi, ended up in front of Nana’s Ice Cream in Onset, and the shop’s staff, along with the rest of...

Man killed at industrial plant identified

Arsenio Da Cruz Pina. Photo source: GoFundMe

The man killed by a tractor trailer in Wareham last week has been identified as 56-year-old Arsenio Da Cruz Pina. He worked as a custodian at the Chatham Village Foods plant where he was killed. Pina's daughter, Marie, said that investigators have...

Wareham's drought status lowered

Massachusetts' drought status as of Aug. 7. Photo source: Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Wareham is still in a drought, but it’s not as bad as before. Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper lowered the town’s drought level from “significant” to “mild” on Friday, Aug. 7. Even though the status has changed, the state...

Wareham and Onset authorities suppress Bourne boat fire that left victim badly burned

A Wareham Department of Natural Resources vessel douses the burning boat with a water cannon on Saturday, Aug. 8. Photo source: Wareham Department of Natural Resources

BOURNE – David Arnold was off duty on Saturday, Aug. 8 until he saw a boat consumed by fire. Arnold, a seasonal deputy harbormaster for the Wareham Department of Natural Resources, said his mother-in-law noticed a flash in the harbor. He saw...

Last call for paw-some art, literary work

2022 literary winner Gia Goodwin with Stella Sicina at the Wareham Post Office.

The deadline to submit work for the Unleash the PAWsibilities Area Youth Creative Contest is just around the corner on Monday, Aug. 10. According to organizer Sally Morrison, late entries will not be accepted. The contest, which is hosted by the Dog...

Family, food and soccer celebrated at the Onset Cape Verdean Festival

The Nascimento family reunion. From left to right: Nicaeyla Pires, Desmond Nascimento, Melissa Nascimento, René Nascimento, Jayden Nascimento, Tanya Pires. Photo by Christian Uva

Melissa Nascimento hugged a new person every minute. She and her family gather with relatives and friends every August at the Onset Cape Verdean Festival. She used to host family reunions at her house in Onset.Now, they meet under the same tree a...

Swifts Beach residents question Eversource after osprey nest removal

An osprey nest at Oceanside Drive in Swifts Beach. Photo by Nick Mossman

A group of Swifts Beach residents are calling out Eversource after the company removed an osprey nest from a utility pole in late July, saying the birds returned without a home. Multiple osprey nests sitting atop utility poles in the neighborhood...

Safe Harbor pulls application for Onset marina expansion

The Safe Harbor Marina at Onset Bay. Photo by Nick Mossman

Safe Harbor Marina has withdrawn an application to expand its footprint in Onset Bay after months of resident opposition to the project. In July, a representative for Safe Harbor submitted a letter to the Wareham Conservation Commission notifying...

Hazardous Waste Collection Day draws long line

Cars lined up for nearly a half-mile past the Municipal Maintenance Department on Saturday, Aug. 1. Photo by Nick Mossman

Traffic backed up more than half-mile along Charge Pond Road on Saturday, Aug. 1 as residents lined up to dispose of various "hazardous" materials. The annual collection day often draws long lines. In 2023, residents waited in their cars for nearly...