The Year 2025 began with the Mattapoisett Polar Plunge, organized by Keep on Plungin’ and hosted since 2013. It was recently canceled for 2026. Nationally, this year was full of a constant barrage of news and negative press. Though we were not devoid of controversy or disagreement, the whole of the Tri-Town saw great progress on many of its projects, some of which had been in the works for decades.

            Marion saw the opening of its new Maritime Center, work approved of and beginning on Town House renovations, and the Elizabeth Taber Library seeing many overhauls. There has also been long-awaited progress on the two proposed housing projects, those at 78 Wareham Street (soon to be transferred to Toll Brothers Inc.) and Sherman Briggs’ property off Spring Street.

            In Mattapoisett, the “village streets project” and its further planning are in full swing. There was also an approved vote to increase the size of the town’s Select Board from three to five members.

            Rochester has nearly completed the solar array above the parking lot behind Rochester Memorial School. Early in the year, the town also approved funding for Police Department renovations and feasibility funding for a new fire station.

            Here are the headline news stories for each of the towns throughout the year, with stories pertaining to the whole of the Tri-Town in the final section.

Marion in 2025

            The Sippican Choral Society began rehearsal and practice in January for its 60s Songs for 60 Years anniversary concert, with the society’s 60th anniversary concert taking place on May 4 in Wickenden Chapel, Marion.

            On February 22, at long last, Marion’s new Maritime Center was opened to the public. Principal construction on the facility had begun about a year prior, and this “open house” event allowed members of the public to see inside, although the grand opening was still a few months off. On August 26, the Maritime Center held its official opening ceremony. The ribbon cutting took place about six months after February’s open house, with the $3,500,000 facility being fully operational for the past few months. Following the opening, residents across the harbor complained of the center’s bright lights shining all night across the water. In late October, a compromise was reached and the lights were dimmed by the Select Board and Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman.

            In February, renovations at the Elizabeth Taber Library began after an anonymous doner stepped forth in 2024 to allow for Boston-based architect David King to reconfigure the library’s existing footprint.

            On March 24, renovations at the library were completed with a grand opening attended by State Representative Mark Silva, who presented a congratulatory state citation. The spirit was to maintain the library’s historic charm and character while also updating the building’s appearance. The 15-week renovation came to an end, and, with it, the identity of the anonymous funder was revealed: local resident Nancy Braitmayer.

            Marion’s new Department of Public Works building had its large garage doors installed in mid-March, as well as the finishing touches on its HVAC not long after. The 200-foot-long, 72-foot-wide structure was first proposed in 2022 with construction beginning late 2024, and though it has seen some changes and additions to its plans since, it is nearly complete.

            On May 12 and May 13, Marion held its Annual Town Meeting. After two long nights of debate and deliberation, the meeting saw the approval of further Town House renovations, still ongoing, and the failure of the creation of an Historic District.

            George “TJ” Walker suspended his campaign for a seat on the Marion Select Board to avoid conflict of interest with his successful citizen’s petition for the town’s investment in road repair and safer sidewalks. Town House employees were relocated to offices at the former Lockheed Martin property during HVAC and ADA-compliance renovations approved at Town Meeting, where residents also voted Marion’s resignation from the state’s Stretch Building Code and, with it, membership in the state’s Green Communities program. The town lacked the two-thirds voter approval required to create an Historic District. With the retirement of Carleton “Toby” Burr, John Hoagland returned to the Select Board via the Town Election, and the year ended with two market-rate housing projects before the Planning Board.

            On June 20, the 24th Marion to Bermuda Race was held. Twenty-one boats competed in the biennial race, with the first being held in 1977. The race is typically held on the off-year of the Newport to Bermuda Race, itself beginning in 1906 and having completed its 53rd race in 2024. It was Redwood/Oakcliff, the Ker 50 sailed by Pike Severance of the Beverly Yacht Club in Marion, that claimed victory on June 25.

            On Friday, July 11, Marion was full of song. The Marion Concert Band performed their summer concert “A Young People’s Concert” with arrangements focusing on captivating youth with the magic of song at the amphitheater by the Harbormaster building. At the same time, The Buzzards Bay Musicfest took place at Tabor’s Fireman Performing Arts Center up the road. The BBMF Swing Band performed various hits from the era of swing and jazz. Marion was flooded with concert goers.

            Marion’s 2025 Town Party was held at Silvershell Beach on July 24. It happened to be in the midst of days with soaring temperatures, heat advisories and sporadic rainfall, but the weekend was comparably “mild,” though still sunny and warm. The party had been moved earlier in the year to avoid the mosquito season, as the previous year’s party had to be canceled for this reason.

            On August 19, the Elizabeth Taber Library opened their new “makerspace” they’re calling “Marion Makes.” Now accessible to library patrons are 3D pens, 3D printers, cricut machines, a laser engraver, and others. The Marion Makes equipment was funded by grants and federal funding sources.

            On September 1, the Town House was closed and town functions and offices were then moved to the Town House Annex at 14 Barnabas Road, where they are still held as work on the 150-year-old building continues. Construction totals had risen to the approved cost of over $4,000,000. Work is set to conclude sometime in the summer.

            Frank McNamee was The Wanderer’s 2025 Marion Keel Award recipient. Frank and his mother Mary founded the Marion Antique Shop in 1974, just recently passing its 50th anniversary. Frank sits as curator of the Sippican Historical Society, having previously been president for around 20 years. McNamee’s work included obtaining endowment funds for the Marion Music Hall’s restoration/renovation, creating the Memorial Garden on Front Street, creation of the Bandstand by Island Wharf, and renovating the General Store in 2019. The society also purchased the post office on Front Street, which was renovated to match its origin from 1940 with 19th/20th century refurbishment. The 2022 Town House exterior restoration fundraising was also worked on by McNamee. Recently, he has taken up work as a member of the Friends of the Council on Aging. He assisted in the acquisition of portable, soundproofing, walls to section off event and activity spaces efficiently at the Cushing Community Center as well as working on the antique shop’s new auction building.

            On Halloween, the annual Marion Art Center Halloween Parade began with the MAC’s volunteer witches leading the processions through town. Those who came and participated wore their costumes to march from the Music Hall around town and back again before kids left to trick-or-treat.

            At a Special Fall Town Meeting, Marion residents voted on two articles. The long-worked-on Stormwater Management Bylaw, commonly known as MS4, was passed and is still being worked on by the Planning Board for implementation as a town bylaw. The vote on Andrew Daniel’s Citizen’s Petition to allow for secondary meters was delayed to the 2026 Town Meeting.

            Davin Alves of Marion, for the fourth year in a row, held his food drive and raffle. Thanks to the help of locals over the last few years, Davin topped last year’s record, and this time raised over $6,000 for local charities and food banks to help those in need during the holiday season. Great work!

            Announced in December, the town of Marion had been awarded a study by the state in order to ascertain the residents’ desire for and town’s potential plans for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) selected Marion for a feasibility study as it sets forth EV initiatives across the state through their “OnStreet Charging Solution Program.” Following the survey’s completion on December 31, a plan for going forward can be drafted.

            On December 14, the Marion Village Christmas Stroll experienced its first snow! Some may have been dissuaded from visiting and Santa’s boat may have struggled a bit to dock, but the annual stroll was a typical success nonetheless.

Mattapoisett in 2025

            On February 8, Tri-Town Against Racism held their annual poster contest where school-age children shared their visions of inclusivity, positivity, and the power of art at the event held in the Mattapoisett Free Public Library for its fifth year. Seventy students participated with many selecting civil-rights icons as their muse. John Excellent was guest speaker, who told participants and visitors to “Start where you live. I humbly suggest that we all strive to live up to those words.”

            The latter half of February saw the hunt for Tessa, a five-year-old dog that was spooked and fled from her owners, the Urquhart family of Mattapoisett. Tessa was a street dog in Mexico and had been passed between foster homes before being adopted by Molly Urquhart. A five-day search that enlisted Mattapoisett Animal Control and saw the use of a local thermal-camera drone operator eventually spotted the dog early on the fifth day. Tessa was found and reunited with her owner. She now sports a GPS collar as well, just in case!

            In March, we reported on the continuing mission of the 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, the Friends of the Mattapoisett Rail Trail. Since 2021, the group has collected 400 bikes and restored and redistributed about 200. Successfully supporting their “Bikes for All” mission, the group continues to collect and restore bikes for use around town and on the trail.

            In a chilly April, scenes from The Weekend on Cape Cod When Everything Changed were filmed at 3 Goodspeed Island in Mattapoisett. Recently in November, the film’s title was changed to Same Same But Different. It’s currently in post-production without an official release date announced.

            The Mattapoisett Grange Building saw the 50th anniversary of its designation into the National Registry of Historic Places. In April, the owners of the building, now a four-unit condominium complex, were presented with a plaque by the Mattapoisett Historical Commission noting the importance of the building and its inclusion into the national registry. The Italianate-style building was built in the early 1800s and served as a meeting house, school, church, and even a private residence. When it was built, what is now Mattapoisett was a community apart of Rochester.

            On May 12, the Mattapoisett Annual Town Meeting took place, where among other things, residents voted to enlarge the Select Board from three to five members. Nikki Demakis, a nearly life-long resident and an active member of the Mattapoisett Democratic Committee, had submitted the Citizen’s Petition which was approved by residents. In a subsequent, May 27 meeting, the Mattapoisett Select Board heard support for the measure from a roomful of residents but took no action. A Special Town Meeting vote on October 4 upheld the change to a five-member Select Board, something Town Administrator Mike Lorenco said would be achieved via a staggered process of additions.

            In July, an informational panel was installed at Center School by the Mattapoisett Historical Society. The 36-inch-wide, 30-inch-high panel sits on a metal beam planted into the ground, telling the story of the Center School’s founding, including pictures provided by the historical society that depict much of the building’s history. This was similar to other “Historically Speaking…” panels planned for around town, like at Town Wharf.

            In a continuing tradition since 1971, Mattapoisett Independence Day Road Race was held on July 4. It was clear and sunny, though there was a cool breeze from the sea. The days before brought with them devastating winds and widespread power outages. Due to this, there was some delay to the races start. In the end, 1,336 racers crossed the finish line at Shipyard Park.

            In the usual fashion, Harbor Days was held at Shipyard Park the weekend of July 19. Nearly 100 different vendors came to the 44th such event, hosted by the Mattapoisett Lions Club.              On July 30, the Mattapoisett Town Band’s 125 years concert was held at Shipyard Park. The band and concert received recognition from the House of Representatives and the governor.

            On July 29, there was a manatee sighting in Mattapoisett on the Mattapoisett Rail Trail. Local Erin Carr explained she and her friends were out on a run when they began crossing the bridge over Eel Pond. There they were stopped by a man walking his dog along the path. The man told the running friends of an “unusual mass” he observed not far from shore. Carr and co. eventually discovered the “mass” was a beached manatee. The Harbormaster and Mattapoisett Police were notified, but upon the police’s arrival, the officers stated nothing should be done until wildlife experts arrived. Before they could show, the tide rose, and the manatee was back out to sea.

            On August 7, the Mattapoisett Museum and the Mattapoisett Land Trust hosted their annual Great Community Picnic at Mattapoisett’s Munro Preserve. The table with the winning decorations was Table 5, Disney Princesses.

            Kevin Tavares was The Wanderer’s 2025 Mattapoisett Keel Award recipient. In his decade of administration that followed his 20 classroom years, the former principal of Old Hammondtown School made it his mission to know each and every student that walked the halls. He began student-teaching at the school in 1982 and later became a full school education there in 1994. He became union president not long after, serving in that role for 18 of 20 teaching years. He would later become principal, having worked with Rose Bowman. Tavares said, “If you look at the staff [at Center and Old Hammondtown schools], the teachers that are there have been there for a long time. They come, they stay. When they’re fortunate enough to get the job, they stay. I would imagine three quarters of the staff’s been there at least 20 years… great place to teach.”

            On September 23, Doctor Edward Hoffer gave a talk at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library. The presentation was titled “Navigating Dementia,” and sought to inform the public of not only how to prevent dementia, but also how to maintain a healthy and active mind. The room was packed, as Hoffer explained that dementia is a symptom, not a diagnosis. About 7,000,000 in the United States live with dementia, being 4% of those over age 65, 11% of those over 75, and 20% over 85. The main takeaway from the talk was to focus on early prevention wherever possible. Eliminate unnecessary risks like inactivity and smoking, and keep your brain, and your body, moving. There may be no cure, but dementia can be defeated with avoidance. Treatments have and continue to get better and more accessible.

            In October, the Mattapoisett Free Public Library held their October Frightfully Fun Film Fest, where a classic Halloween/scary movie was played every Tuesday leading up to Halloween.

            The national No Kings Protests found their way to Mattapoisett on October 18. Rallies held across Massachusetts and the country were to demonstrate against what a large number of people called Donald Trump’s authoritarian king-like rule as President. Organizers pushed for action by the state legislature to limit the federal government’s impact on local communities.

            On November 29, Marino Carreiro and his wife Grace greeted guests and onlookers at the grand opening of their annual light exhibit at 59 Acushnet Road in Mattapoisett. The Carreiro house becomes a popular destination in town in the early days of winter, with Marino spending a good portion of the year assembling the spectacle. While he expects to wind down and do a little less in the years to come, this 10th anniversary showing was a great holiday kickoff.

            Three hundred Santas ran through Mattapoisett for the Santa Stampede 5K, running from Shipyard Park up to Ned’s Point and back. Proceeds of the race were donated to various Multiple Sclerosis foundations.

            On December 4, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shared with the town that 25% of the design of the Transportation Improvement Project (TIP), dubbed “village streets project,” was complete. The town says the proposed project consists of reconstruction of Main Street, Water Street, Beacon Street and Marion Road. The construction will also include new concrete sidewalks on at least one side of the road.

Rochester in 2025

            On May 1, the groundbreaking of the new Raynor Gifford Park took place. The new park is at 13 Mary’s Pond Road in Rochester; $81,724.68 was used for the inclusion of swings, slides, a Cyclo Cone Climber, a balance beam, some benches, and more. There were some concerns raised when the organization Tri-Town for Protecting Children donated half of the funds used for the park, with the other half being from the town’s allotment of ARPA funds. The park was still completed on time with a plaque honoring the organization’s donation present. The grand opening of the park a few weeks later was canceled due to the rain but was enjoyed by many throughout the summer.

            On Memorial Day in Rochester, along with their procession held the day before, the annual Memorial Day Boat Race embarked from Grandma Hartley’s Pond down the Mattapoisett River to its crossing point at Route 6 in Mattapoisett. The 12-mile-long race began at 8:30 am, with the first kayaks passing the finish line about two hours later.

            Right around graduation season, former Rochester Memorial School teacher and Rochester and Old Rochester School Committee Chair Sharon Hartley retired from education after more than 50 years of service. Hartley’s career started as an elementary school teacher at Rochester Memorial School, teaching from 1973 to 1988. After earning her Master’s in Education and working for the state Department of Education, Hartley worked in other schools as a principal until returning to the Tri-Town in 2005, when she was elected to the Rochester Memorial School Committee. In 2007, she was appointed to the Rochester Building Committee.

            On July 3, a severe thunderstorm hit most of Massachusetts. In a matter of hours, tens of thousands across southern New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey were without power. Nearly 50,000 were without power across the state. The entire town of Rochester was included in this. Throughout Independence Day, many waited as power slowly came back on. Eversource reported power in Rochester had been totally restored on July 5.

            Michelle Kirby and Andres Hammerman were The Wanderer’s 2025 Rochester Keel Award recipients. The husband-and-wife team are the main force behind the effort to preserve the health and water quality of Snows Pond. Michelle and Andy were married on a raft on the pond. After noticing diminishing water qualities, they formed the Snows Pond Association in 2018, with 11 members out of the 15 property owners around the pond. Members test the water quality on a weekly basis, looking at oxygen levels and temperature. Once a month, they send samples to the University of Rhode Island for nutrient testing. Their future goals include helping facilitate the formation of similar groups at other ponds.

            There was a Woodland Walk for Mushrooms on September 13 at Shoolman Preserve. The land is jointly administered by the Rochester Land Trust and Mattapoisett Land Trust, though the event was hosted by the Marion Natural History Museum. Adam Korejwa, graduate from UMass Dartmouth and Oregon State University, walked visitors through the 1 mile hike to spot locals mushrooms and fungi. Russula, bolete, mycena, various honey, some oysters, and collybia were all spotted.

            In August, Rochester Planning Board approved a Site Plan Review and Special Permit for construction of a solar array in the parking lot of Rochester Memorial School. The large panels had been suspended above the parking lot by September, with teachers now able to park under them. Construction was scheduled to be completed by December, with an official announcement still yet to be seen as of the time of writing.

            Rochester voters, at their Special Town Meeting held on November 18, voted against a $288,000,000 Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School building project and a debt exclusion to fund the town’s $24,000,000 share of that cost. Meantime, the town’s brain trust continued to search for ways to shave costs off a new fire station proposed for the fairgrounds across the street from the longtime, existing station and Rochester Memorial School.

Tri-Town in 2025

            On February 8, Marion Scout Pack 32 was featured on NBC10 at the Klondike Derby at Camp Yawgoog in Hopkinton, Rhode Island. This event also heralded Scouting America’s 115th anniversary, recently incorporating both genders into a unified programming structure.

            On March 12, some Tri-Town students competed in the YMCA New England Championship at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Noella, a 10-year-old fifth grader (now a sixth grader) from Rochester finished second among age 9-10 swimmers in the 100 Butterfly and third in the 50 Butterfly. Ava Gagliardi of Rochester had a sixth-place finish in the 50 Backstroke. Also in the age 9-10 session, Charlie Hall, a nine-year-old, third grader from Mattapoisett, finished fourth in the 100 Freestyle, eighth in the 50 Freestyle, and fourth in the 50 Breaststroke. The Wareham Riptides’ 8 & Under squad had an exceptional performance as a group, the boys placing fifth, the girls seventh and the age group overall placing fourth. The 8 & Under Boys Freestyle and Medley Relay teams of Sam Reece (Rochester), Peter Voci (Marion), Oliver Hancock (Plymouth), and Henrik Obrebski (Rochester) both took third place, and the 15 & Over boys’ relay team of Liam McGee (Marion), Zach Travis (Wareham), Riley Karo (Marion), and Jake Iappini (Marion) broke the Gleason YMCA’s 200 Medley and the 400 Freestyle records. A great showing from the Tri-Town’s swimmers.

            Old Rochester Regional High School unveiled their Alumni Wall in May which pays tribute to the first classes to attend the school, those being the classes of 1962-1965. About 30 alumni from those years attended the unveiling.

            On Memorial Day, May 26, all of the Tri-Town saw special ceremonies. At Marion’s Music Hall, a remembrance ceremony began with the reading of the Gettysburg Address, continued with a march up Front Street featuring Sippican School’s marching band and concluded with the annual gathering at Old Landing. At Mattapoisett’s Center School, a similar ceremony was held with a performance by the Showstoppers. In Rochester, along with their procession held the day before, the annual Memorial Day Boat Race was held.

            In late-August, the Old Rochester Regional High School disc golf course was opened. The nine-hole course is a work in progress, but the layout was finalized and the course is fully playable to the public. Andrew Apperson, coach of the school’s disc golf team, informed me the course will eventually be added to the UDisc online database.

            On September 15, plans for a new Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School building were unveiled. The estimated project cost was $288,743,683, which nearly half would be covered by MSBA funds with the rest being divided between serviced towns, Acushnet, Carver, Lakeville, Mattapoisett, and Rochester. The estimated impact for the average single-family home would have been $161.72/quarterly. Eventually, the five towns held a multi-town special election on November 18. The proposition failed, with 1,923 in favor and 3,112 against.

            On November 23, nearly 300 seniors came to the 32nd ORRJHS Annual Tri-Town Thanksgiving Banquet. The event is planned by the Mattapoisett Council on Aging and was open to all seniors in the Tri-Town, making about 100 from each town.

            The Old Rochester Youth Football & Cheer (ORYF) Pee Wee Cheerleading Team headed to nationals in December. They earned their spot at the 2025 Pop Warner Cheer & Dance Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina. They placed 3rd in Pee Wee Level 1 – Medium B on December 11.

Farewell to 2025

            Well, somehow, we find ourselves a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Whether we are to wind up like Star Trek or Blade Runner, it’s still tough to tell! On November 21, The Wanderer Celebrated its 33 1/3-year anniversary with our first edition published on July 24, 1992. For a third of a century, this paper has covered Tri-Town events through trials and tribulations. Much has changed and much has stayed the same, but the value of journalism has never been so apparent. As we look ahead to the next third of a century, we are deeply grateful for your unwavering support and readership. The Wanderer exists because of you, and we eagerly anticipate serving as your Tri-Town newspaper for many more years. Thank you for reading and for making the Tri-Town so special and a joy to report on.

2025 Year in Review

By Sam Bishop