Choose Granite Countertops in Wareham, MA for Elegance and Durability

Liam Mayo

reporter@warehamweek.com

In just a few weeks, Dorothy's house will come crashing down — not in the Land of Oz — but in Wareham, Massachusetts.

The students with the Wareham Viking Theater Company are working hard to get their production of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" off the ground. The production is entering its final stretch, with shows starting on Friday, Dec. 15.

The students in the company meet twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, to practice their parts and to put the production together.

Daniella "Trivia" Amezian, who plays Dorothy, said the part is "a lot different from the past roles that I've played."

Roles like Dorothy and like Alice in Wonderland, "girls that almost anybody can relate to," are hard to figure out how to inhabit, said Amezian. "We've done a little bit of character work in order to help everybody fall into their roles a little easier, and that definitely helped."

Nirvana Lake, who plays Glinda, said she wanted to play the role since she found out they were doing the production.

"I just feel a real personal connection with her, with her kindness and her willingness to help someone even if she knows them not at all," said Lake. "She's always someone who wants to lift people up and guide Dorothy to the end, no matter how she has to do it, and I really am inspired by that."

Amber Roberts also felt their role suited them well — that of the Cowardly Lion.

"In middle school, I got cast as a poppy," Roberts reminisced. "This is kind of my redemption."

Roberts added they liked getting closer to the production's main cast.

This year's production also features middle school students in key supporting roles. The middle school's drama club is working on its own production, that of "Willy Wonka," but students from the club were eager to join the high school's play as well, they said.

"They make perfect winkies and munchkins," said Candy Johansen, the club's academic advisor. She added it helps them get used to the high school drama program before they come up and join it themselves.

The students aren't just the on-stage talent for the show. They also run the production's back-end, building the set, stage-managing the production and more.

Aidan Dillen, the student directing "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", said his decision to direct was "kind of a spur of the moment thing."

The upcoming seniors in the program get together at the end of the year and choose the next year's shows, and while he pushed for Midsummer Night's Dream, he realized he was still excited about directing "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" when the group chose to move in that direction, he said.

"It was such a fun time casting the show and seeing all of the great talent we have, and just seeing how perfectly everything fit and aligned," said Dillen.

"I think this is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done," he added.

Performances will take place on Friday, Dec. 15 and Saturday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Wareham High School auditorium. For tickets, visit https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/78995.

More and more every year the world becomes increasingly reliant on the internet and digital tools to complete the necessary functions of day-to-day life.

However, digital access is not always a guarantee, and the “digital divide” disproportionately affects people of color, older adults, lower-income households, people with disabilities and those living in rural areas across the nation.

That’s why municipalities throughout Massachusetts have begun to partner with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., known as “VHB,” to develop a plan to promote “digital inclusion.”

VHB is a company comprised of engineers, scientists, planners and designers who partner with various industries as well as local, state and federal government agencies to promote the enhancement and development of communities through future-focused solutions.

VHB is now looking for a solution to Wareham’s digital divide to ensure the most residents have access to the technology they need.

Once a plan is developed, it can then be implemented using the resources, tools and funding provided by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, which is a new division of Massachusetts Technology Collaborative that aims to gain high-speed internet for communities throughout the commonwealth.

Director of Planning and Community Development Ken Buckland has partnered with VHB to develop a Digital Equity Plan for Wareham.

On Wednesday, Nov. 15, members of VHB held the first of two Digital Equity public feedback meetings focused on what the town’s needs and goals are in the realm of digital access.

Luke Mitchell, VHB project manager, said he and his team are focusing on three areas in each of their Digital Equity Plans: internet access, device availability and digital literacy/technical assistance.

According to VHB, approximately 13% of households in Wareham do not have an internet subscription and around 6% don’t have a computer.

A survey conducted by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute found that, of the Wareham respondents, about 23% felt their household internet does not meet their needs and approximately 9% said the same about their digital devices.

The survey also found that approximately 84% of respondents are concerned about cybersecurity and the 37% who reported they find it hard to pay for their internet monthly also said they were unfamiliar with the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The federal program came about during the Covid pandemic and can provide a discount of up to $30 per month off internet service for eligible households and up to $75 for households on qualifying tribal lands, according to the Federal Communications Commission website. In addition, households can receive one-time discounts on select digital devices.

According to VHB, approximately 5% of Wareham households are currently enrolled in the program.

In considering Wareham’s needs, resident Mike Bower said he was concerned with what the plan would include as 100% digital access is a goal that “can never be achieved.”

Mitchell said while the dream is to have 100% digital access across the state, or simply just Wareham, he and his team will help the town develop “actionable goals” that can be more immediately reached. Receiving feedback from people in town is a step toward defining what the right goals are.

Mitchell said prior to the public meeting, he and his team met with various groups in Wareham to hear what their digital access needs are, including the Council on Aging, the library and Wareham Public Schools.

He said approximately 25% of Wareham’s population is adults 65 years or older. The Council on Aging provides some programming for these individuals to receive technical assistance, but lacks the devices and space to provide essential classes.

He added many seniors also cannot afford internet service and don’t know of available resources.

One resident at the meeting said she doesn’t have internet because she’s not comfortable using it, adding she has difficulties navigating the town’s website.

Mitchell said it is not uncommon for residents to struggle with municipal websites and that is a problem that will be taken into consideration as his team continues to build Wareham’s Digital Equity Plan.

As for the library, while there are digital resources available, Mitchell and his team discussed with Library Director Patrick Marshall the possibilities of increasing the promotion of those resources, offering more digital training and expanding support for those wanting to use the library for employment-related reasons.

In the public schools, students have access to Chromebooks for their day-to-day work and most grades can take those devices home. However, not all households have internet access to actually use those devices.

Mitchell said another aspect of the school’s use of technology to consider is how the students actually feel about it. In one of the other towns he is a project manager for, students shared how “fatigued” they were from the constant use of technology in and outside of school.

During VHB’s presentation, some ideas were discussed for possible consideration in the Digital Equity Plan, including working with Wareham Community Television, internet access at public parks, mobile Wi-Fi hotspots and a digital navigator system.

That system would allow for trained professionals to go to the homes of individuals in need of digital assistance.

The group also suggested taking a look at the public transportation system to see what could be done in terms of getting people to digital accessible locations. In addition, they discussed what businesses in the area may already offer free internet access.

While a date for the next public meeting is not currently set, Mitchell said he and his team will evaluate all that was suggested and get that meeting set up.

Voters may soon be asked to decide between adding a few neighborhoods to the sewer system or upgrading their septic systems, said Director of Public Health Patrick MacDonald.

In an effort to reduce nitrogen levels, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection declared that municipalities with dense populations and high nitrogen levels will have to make this decision, MacDonald said.

He said according to the regulation, the town will have to obtain a “watershed permit” and switch to a comprehensive sewer system or upgrade all septic systems to nitrogen removing systems.

Watershed permitting is a 20-year process where communities address their nitrogen pollution with methods tailored to their situation, including “centralized wastewater treatment … aquaculture, innovative and alternative septic systems, permeable reactive barrier walls and fertilizer reduction,” according to MassDEP.

The options are to “sewer our entire town and take on all that discharge or apply for groundwater discharge permits and take on the liability and compliance for every private septic system that's within our permitted area of town,” MacDonald said.

The state is rolling out this new Title 5 regulation change in phases, beginning with Cape Cod. Wareham is a part of Phase II, MacDonald said.

The state previously planned to enact this regulation on both Cape Cod and South Coast municipalities at once, but scaled its plan back to just Cape Cod in June.

He said his knowledge of the regulation is limited at this time, but when more information is available and a date for Phase II is announced, the Health Department will bring this decision to a Town Meeting.

MacDonald said preliminary maps indicate one of the affected zones starts at Cranberry Highway and runs up alongside the ponds that interconnect next to Glen Charlie Road. Smaller neighborhoods that line the Wareham shore, including Lakeview Drive and the whole Shangri La area, would be affected by the regulation change.

MacDonald recommends residents vote in favor of a switch to sewer.

If residents are forced to upgrade their septic systems, they would only have a few years to do so, and could cost them between $30,000 and $50,000.

Additionally, there may be required maintenance checks.

If the town votes for sewer, the town would need to connect those houses to the already existing system or use a “package treatment plant” designed for more localized areas, MacDonald said.

“As far as liability and cost savings, the sewer is a no-brainer,” he said. “The townspeople are probably going to save quite a bit of money.”

He added he is unsure of what hookup fees could be involved, but he believes those expenses would be significantly cheaper than “installing a brand new state of the art nitrogen-reducing septic system privately.”

While these decisions are not immediate, MacDonald said other zoning regulations already require some septic users to make these upgrades.

Even if residents in the designated areas do have the upgraded septic systems, they would still have to forgo their systems for sewer if the town votes that way.

“Unfortunately, they would [have to change their septic system] because of the way the current Title 5 regulations are written,” MacDonald said. “They require that, if sewers are provided, that you must hookup to it because of it being the most sanitary and most environmentally friendly [option].”

Onset — Timothy Jon Benson, 74, passed away Sunday January 14, 2024 after years of battling Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Tim was a kindhearted, gentle man with a ready smile and a great sense of humor who was taken too soon and will be dearly missed. He was the loving husband of Lori (Chandler) Benson for 35 years.

Tim received his Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School in 1975 and went on to serve churches in VT, NH, CT and MA. He was a man of deep faith with an easy-going style of church leadership who touched the lives of everyone in his congregations. A music lover and talented musician, Tim loved strumming his guitar and banjo and raising his voice in song at Sunday services. A signature of his church services was "children's time" when he would sit with all the children of the congregation for an intimate conversation along with his stuffed Koala, Ted. Through Children's Time, Tim showed his remarkable ability to connect and lead with people of all ages and backgrounds.

After retiring to Onset, he was a member of the Onset Blues Festival Committee and volunteered at the National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay. He was also a member and a Deacon of the First Congregational Church of Wareham.

Tim was an avid hiker and had a particular fondness for the presidential range in New Hampshire's White Mountains. He introduced his sons to hiking, backpacking, and camping at a young age and helped instill in them a lifelong passion and reverence for the great outdoors. He hiked to the summits of the Presidentials as well as Mt. Katahdin in Maine. He was particularly proud of climbing to the 14,259 foot summit of Longs Peak in Colorado with his sons Josh and Jeremy and hiking with mountain goats in Yellowstone Park with Josh, Jeremy and Jordan.

He also enjoyed eating out with friends and family, Charlie’s pizza, fried scallops, biking and walking on the canal, Mexican vacations and restful weeks on Star Island, NH, his spirit’s home.

In addition to his wife, Tim leaves his 3 beloved sons, Joshua (Jennifer Dickson), of New York, Jeremy (Heather), of California and Jordan of Boston and several nieces and nephews. He was a proud “Pop-Pop” to his 2 cherished granddaughters, Caroline and Eleanor Dickson Benson of New York. Tim was predeceased by his brother Gary and his nephews, Christopher and Jon Benson.

A celebration of his life will be held at 2:00 on Saturday, February 10 at the First Congregational Church of Wareham, followed by a reception in Rowland Thatcher Hall.

Tim’s family wishes to sincerely thank the nurses who cared for Tim with love and respect at Royal Cape Cod Healthcare as well as Beacon Hospice for their dedicated, knowledgeable, and loving hospice care.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Tim’s memory may be made to Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation, PO Box 370, Hyannis, MA 02601 (checks payable to CCHS Dementia & Alzheimer’s Support); https://support.givetocapecodhealth.org/donate or to the First Congregational Church of Wareham, 11 Gibbs Ave., Wareham, MA 02571.

To leave a message of condolence for the family please visit www.warehamvillagefuneralhome.com

WAREHAM, Mass. —

Police in southeastern Massachusetts are investigating after an electric car caught fire in a driveway this weekend.

Wareham firefighters responded to a report of a car fire next to a home in Great Hill Estates at about 4:15 a.m. Saturday. Crews found a 2021 Chevy Bolt on fire in the driveway.

The owner of the car said she heard a loud sound and then the car started smoking.

“It sounded like a big poof. And he looked to the window, and he saw the smoke,” said car owner Ann Thomas, describing when she and her husband were awoken by a strange sound.

Within minutes, the entire car was engulfed in flames.

After knocking down the initial fire, firefighters continued to wet the vehicle down, and approximately 30 minutes later, the fire flared up again.

"We had to control the hazard we had there and try to cool off the batteries. We’re very fortunate -- a few weeks before that we bought some specialized equipment to help us with that type of job," said Wareham Fire Chief John Kelley. "So we’re very fortunate, we did use that that morning."

Recommended

Boyfriend charged after 17-year-old found dead in Stow, Massachusetts, home, police say

Firefighters remained on the scene for about three hours using more than 11,000 gallons of water to make sure the fire was extinguished.

Wareham Fire

Wareham electric car fire.

The fire appeared to have started spontaneously, as the car had already been charged, fire officials said.

The car was taken to Marc's Towing and Recovery, where it’s been strategically positioned far away from other vehicles in case it spontaneously ignites again.

Thomas has been leasing the electric car for almost three years, and the only hint something could go wrong with it was a recall on the car's lithium-ion battery.

"But they had no batteries to give us. So, we were waiting," she said.

Thomas said the fire has turned her off wanting another electric vehicle.

Wareham Fire

Wareham electric car fire.

"I mean, I could have been driving that thing. I mean, that could have been so much worse, you know? We could have lost our home and our camper," she said.

No injuries were reported.

"If this vehicle had been parked in a garage the results could have been disastrous. Additionally, electric vehicle fires are difficult to fight and present unique challenges," Kelley said.

Rossen Reports: Is this the best time to buy an electric vehicle?

Top Picks