By Beth David, Editor
The Matthew Lovegrove memorial bench that was heartlessly vandalized has been replaced. The bench offers a tranquil seat a the fishing pier in Little Bay off the bike path extension. It looks out to Little Bay at a spot that is great for teaching kids to fish.
The bench was destroyed by vandals in July (see Neighb News 8/6/20 issue). Matthew’s mother Darlene said at the time that the bench was used for firewood.
Matthew was only 21 when he was killed in a car crash in 2004. The public works department installed the bench not long after. The driver of the other car paid for it.
Ms. Lovegrove said in July that she would replace the bench, and received enough donations to cover the cost completely. The new bench is made of metal and includes the memorial information cut into the steel on the backrest of the bench. It reads “Matthew Lovegrove 3/18/1983– 11/20/2004” and a microphone to show Matthew’s love for music.
There were also a number of painted rocks that had messages on them, such as “Yeah, yeah. Matt is a star!”
“Our family would like to thank everyone who donated and made this bench possible️,” wrote Ms. Lovegrove in an email. “We have felt so much love and the fact that everyone still remembers Matthew is amazing. A special thank you to the Fairhaven Rotary Club and Brian Costa and team for building this beautiful bench. Please go down there and enjoy the beauty and peace.”
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