HARWICH — Selectmen made clear their opposition to a petitioned article that would direct the town not to use its resources to enforce federal immigration laws unless police officers have a criminal warrant or evidence of probable cause of another crime. The petitioned article was filed by Harwich resident Elaine Dickerson, who said it is part of a Cape-wide initiative to put the concept before voters. The pet...

HARWICH — A proposal to establish a Cape Verdean Exhibit/Cultural Center, potentially in the Harwich Middle School, received strong support from selectmen Monday night. The proposal was put forward by Barbara Burgo and Jane Teixeira-Henry. Burgo worked as one of the curators in collaboration with the Harwich Historical Society in hosting So Sabi , a Cape Verdean exhibit at Brooks Academy in 2012. “During t...

HARWICH — Selectmen agreed Monday night to tiptoe through the funding of phase two of the comprehensive wastewater management plan, slated for the May annual town meeting. The board voted not to put forward a single request for $34 million to implement phase two, which calls for the design and construction of sewers in the Pleasant Bay watershed; payment to the town of Chatham for the purchase of treatment cap...

by William F. Galvin HARWICH — The appeals board was scheduled Wednesday evening to open a hearing on the Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod application for a comprehensive permit for six single-family affordable homes and two market lots along Route 28 in West Harwich. The hearing will be opened by the appeals board and will be immediately continued to a later date, anticipated to be in late March or early...

HARWICH — With little more than two weeks left to take out nomination papers for this year's annual election, conservation commission member Rob Mador has declared his candidacy for one of the two seats on the board of selectmen. With incumbents Selectmen Peter Hughes and Angelo LaMantia stating they will not seek re-election, former selectman Larry Ballantine has taken out nomination papers for one seat. Mado...

HARWICH — When it comes to Social Security, there are some questions and problems that can't be answered by a website or a phone call. For those needing face-to-face help, a new resource is available in Harwich. The Social Security Administration is now offering assistance to recipients via video conferencing from the community center once a month. Harwich is the first video service site on Cape Cod and is par...

 HARWICH — In May, annual town meeting voters will decide a petition article that would direct the town not to use its resources to enforce federal immigration laws unless officers have a criminal warrant or evidence of probable cause of another crime. The petition article is part of a broader effort to pass the state Safe Communities Act, which is similar to the “sanctuary cities” initiatives elsewhere in t...

HARWICH — Grasping municipal finance can be like learning a foreign language. That's the sentiment of Carol Coppola, the town's prospective finance director/town accountant, who said she's eager to make the budgetary process easier for people to understand. By unanimous vote of selectmen Monday, and pending successful salary negotiations, Coppola will take the town's top finance job in about a month. Copp...

HARWICH — Given school enrollment trends, a small imbalance in class sizes between Harwich Elementary School and Chatham Elementary could grow more lopsided over time. That's the word from Monomoy Schools Superintendent Scott Carpenter, who is seeking permission to require a certain number of Harwich children to attend classes in Chatham, should that someday become necessary. The provision is included in a p...

Lightweight, single-use plastic shopping bags are now officially outlawed in Harwich and Chatham, thanks to bylaws passed by voters. And while the initiative seems to be boosting the use of reusable shopping bags, some retailers are still providing plastic bags to customers – legally. While Chatham's ban has been in effect only since Jan. 1, the Harwich prohibition has been in place for nearly a year. “It h...

HARWICH — In Chatham, there will be a lot of happy campers this summer – even if some of their parents aren't. After more than 20 years operating from Harwich Elementary School, Monomoy Cooperative Learning Program (MCLP) will be temporarily relocating its summer program to the Monomoy Middle School in Chatham while the elementary school undergoes cleaning and renovation. It means a longer drive for parents ...

HARWICH — If the health board has its way, people under the age of 21 soon won't be able to purchase cigarettes or other tobacco products in Harwich. The board is seeking public comment on draft regulations which would also extend the ban to nicotine-delivery devices like e-cigarettes. Though the draft rules have various provisions, the key section prohibits under-21 sales, Health Director Paula Champagne sa...