Marion

The annual fireworks display on Sippican Harbor has been canceled this year due to lack of funds. Selectmen voted to cancel the popular event, saying no fund-raising had been done to pay for the display, which brings thousands of people into town each Fourth of July. The annual cost of the event, including paying for fireworks and emergency personnel, runs upwards of $45,000. In recent years, the town has struggled to come up with enough donations to pay for the fireworks and has had to cancel in the past.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the sinking of a 29-foot tugboat off Cape Cod early Wednesday that took the life of the boat's 37-year-old captain. Wareham police Lieutenant Kevin Walsh said in a telephone interview that the captain, John M. Redler of Marion, had completed a tow in the Barnstable area and was on his way back to Marion Harbor when the boat, the Triple J, started taking on water. At the time, Walsh said, weather conditions were not ideal.

The Marion Art Center, 80 Pleasant St., is seeking actors for "Romantic Fools," a vaudeville comedy by Rich Orloff that consists of a dozen two-character comedy sketches that look at romance, love, and dating. The art center is holding auditions today at 4 p.m. and tomorrow at 7 p.m. for the production, which runs March 16-18 and March 23-24. The cast calls for 11 men and 11 women with ages ranging from 20 to 70. The auditions are open to anyone with or without acting experience, and will consist of reading from the play.

The annual fireworks display on Sippican Harbor has been canceled this year due to lack of funds. Selectmen voted to cancel the popular event, saying no fund-raising had been done to pay for the display, which brings thousands of people into town each Fourth of July. The annual cost of the event, including paying for fireworks and emergency personnel, runs upwards of $45,000. In recent years, the town has struggled to come up with enough donations to pay for the fireworks and has had to cancel in the past.

A young black bear is making its way through Southeastern Massachusetts, one bird feeder at a time. On Monday about 9 a.m., Frank Germano was in his house when his granddaughter, Elyssa, ran into the room, frantic about a bear in the yard of his Marion home. “I told her to calm down, that it was probably the black lab from across the street again,’’ Germano said. “He’s always getting into my yard. Then I looked, and the bear was happily eating sunflower seeds out of my birdfeeder.’’ The culprit, believed to be a 2-year-old, 100-pound black bear, has been sighted several...

The Sippican Lands Trust's deadline to apply for its $1,000 Helen A. Arthur Scholarship is May 12. The scholarship will be given to a local high school senior from Tabor Academy in Marion, Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett, Old Colony Regional Technical Vocational High School in Rochester, or Bishop Stang High School in Dartmouth. Students must be a resident of Marion and in college, pursuing environmental studies or a related field. Arthur, who died in 2008, was a longtime steward in the lands trust.

Old Rochester Community Television is offering two video production camps to youths in its coverage area of Rochester, Marion, and Mattapoisett. The camps will run for two weeks each during July and August. Youths can learn how to use digital camcorders and do film editing and studio production. The cost is $200 per child per session, and the age range is 12 to 15. ORCTV studios are located in Marion, at the corner of Route 6 and Front Street. For more information or to register a child, call the studio at 508-748-1600.

The Sippican Lands Trust's deadline to apply for its $1,000 Helen A. Arthur Scholarship is May 12. The scholarship will be given to a local high school senior from Tabor Academy in Marion, Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett, Old Colony Regional Technical Vocational High School in Rochester, or Bishop Stang High School in Dartmouth. Students must be Marion residents who are in college, pursuing environmental studies or a related field. Arthur, who died in 2008, was a longtime steward in the lands trust.

INDIANAPOLIS - Marion Manningham's eyes were glued to her son as Eli Manning threw the pass. As the ball followed Mario Manningham to a spot where two defenders were closing in, with the sideline closing in, where the measure between immortality and forgotten was oh-so-thin. And then one thought, as Manningham hauled in the catch, as both feet came down in bounds. "Thank you, Jesus," she said. Manningham made the catch that sparked the Giants on their winning drive, covering 38 yards and raising comparisons to David Tyree's catch from four years earlier.

Women Sharing Words, a group for women to discuss writing, their own and that of others, is meeting at the Elizabeth Taber Library, 8 Spring St., Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. The group was created by Marion resident Peg Riley about a year ago and meets the last Friday of every month at the library. The group discusses women's history, women writers, and their own writing, and occasionally films are shown about women's issues, organizers said. Tea is served and the discussion is open to all women in the area.

Harriet's Outback 7 Cottage St., Marion Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 508-7482053 www.harrietscatering.com Major credit cards accepted Harriet's Outback could just as easily be called Harriet's Laidback. Before walking into the long cedar-shingled building that houses Harriet's, a prepared-meals store and catering operation, bend to give a pat to Leo, a fat, friendly orange tabby cat, one of a few roaming felines who are taken care of here.

By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff FOXBOROUGH -- Thinking back to the 1994 season when he was released by the Patriots, out of football for weeks and working in a Boys and Girls Club in West Virginia, Troy Brown said it's funny how things turn out. "I was planning to go back to school in January and finishing up my degree," he said. "That's what you have to do when you don't have a job and you've been out for almost two months. " The player who replaced him was actually a friend, Ronnie Harris, and he remembered watching a game against the Jets where Harris muffed a punt.

A hands-on history education program for children is being offered this summer by the Sippican Historical Society. The program, the first of its kind offered by the organization, is open to children entering grades 3 to 5 in the fall, and includes research activities that include hands-on access to historical objects and artifacts, along with crafts, games, and visits to nearby historic places. The six-day program is limited to 30 children. The fee is $120 per child. For information, call 508-748-1116, or send an e-mail to info@sippicanhistoricalsociety.org.

The town's annual spring cleanup is scheduled for May 12 from 9 a.m. to noon, sponsored by the town's tree and parks committee and Sippican Lands Trust. Headquarters are at the Marion Music Hall on Spring Street, where participants can find refreshments, safety vests, trash bags, protective gloves, and street assignments. Two features have been added this year, organizers said: new child-sized safety vests donated by local businesses, and information to be given to those attending about Marion's recycling program.

By Zuri Berry and Shalise Manza Young, Boston.com and Globe Staff The Patriots have announced that former wide receiver and defensive back Troy Brown, defensive back Fred Marion, and coach Bill Parcells have been named as finalists for the team's 2012 hall of fame class. It's Brown's first year eligible for the Patriots Hall of Fame. It's Marion's first-time as a finalist, while it's Parcells' second. Fans can vote on Patriots.com until May 31 to help decide who is selected.

The Sippican Lands Trust's deadline to apply for its $1,000 Helen A. Arthur Scholarship is May 12. The scholarship will be given to a local high school senior from Tabor Academy in Marion, Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett, Old Colony Regional Technical Vocational High School in Rochester, or Bishop Stang High School in Dartmouth. Students must be Marion residents who are in college, pursuing environmental studies or a related field. Arthur, who died in 2008, was a longtime steward in the lands trust.

It's not remotely enviable the life Marion and Con Cloete have built for themselves. But boy is it necessary. The Cloetes were once an upper-class Johannesburg family, until they used their savings about 20 years ago to open a school and orphanage in rural South Africa. The hundreds of children in the care of the Cloetes and their staff are living with HIV/AIDS or are children of parents who are or have succumbed to the disease. "Angels in the Dust," Louise Hogarth's documentary about Boikarabelo, the village the Cloetes founded, could easily have been a promotional video.

The third annual Wareham Works summit will be held March 30 from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Memorial Town Hall at 54 Marion Rd. Employers and residents are invited to attend to get the latest information about educational and training resources that are locally available. The event will feature information booths, refreshments, and presentations by representatives from several schools and institutions of higher learning, such as Bridgewater State University, Bristol Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and Massasoit Community College.

The Sippican Lands Trust's deadline to apply for its $1,000 Helen A. Arthur Scholarship is May 12. The scholarship will be given to a local high school senior from Tabor Academy in Marion, Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett, Old Colony Regional Technical Vocational High School in Rochester, or Bishop Stang High School in Dartmouth. Students must be a resident of Marion and in college, pursuing environmental studies or a related field. Arthur, who died in 2008, was a longtime steward in the lands trust.

The third annual Wareham Works summit will be held March 30 from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Memorial Town Hall at 54 Marion Rd. Employers and residents are invited to attend to get the latest information about educational and training resources that are locally available. The event will feature information booths, refreshments, and presentations by representatives from several schools and institutions of higher learning, such as Bridgewater State University, Bristol Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and Massasoit Community College.