HARWICH — The last time viewers watched fireworks associated with the Harwich Cranberry Festival was a soggy Friday night in September 2008 along Red River Beach. This year, the tradition is being revived through the efforts of the Harwich Chamber of Commerce. “The Harwich Chamber of Commerce is the organizing and coordinating group for this long tradition in partnership with the Harwich Cranberry Festival,...

HARWICH — The town received several competitive bids for the Saquatucket Harbor marine side reconstruction project expected to begin in October. Two of the base bids were within the $7 million appropriation approved in the May for the project. There were seven bids filed with base bids ranging from $6.8 to $9.1 million. There were three alternates also provided in the bid package. The low bidder was BTT Marine...

For years, local youngsters have enjoyed hands-on lessons in biology, climate science and ecology thanks to programs sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of Pleasant Bay. Soon, they'll be getting those lessons out on the bay itself, on a custom-built floating classroom. The 35-foot-long pontoon boat is being designed by South Carolina-based American Pontoon and is expected to be built this fall and winter. If al...

HARWICH — The turnout was thin Monday night for the annual non-resident taxpayers meeting. Those in attendance learned about building and road projects on the horizon and the financial health of the town. Public access to Beach 22 off Shore Road in West Harwich continued to be a topic of discussion as it has for a number of years. Town Administrator Christopher Clark said the number one priority for beach nour...

HARWICH – “It is a very big deal for the museum!” Thus did Janet Cassidy, executive director of the Harwich Historical Society, describe the event held last Friday afternoon in the Brooks Academy Museum in Harwich Center. With some 25 Society members present, Chad Tragakis, president of the Potomac Decoy Collectors Association, presented the organization with an original and pristine A. Elmer Crowell duck deco...

HARWICH — The Harwich Conservation Trust is embarking on a fund-raising campaign to protect Cornelius Pond, a “coastal plain pond” that is considered a rare habitat. The trust has an agreement to purchase a 15-acre parcel that includes 1,000 feet of shoreline on the pond. “We're very excited about this project,” HCT Executive Director Michael Lach said. An anonymous donor has issued a challenge gift of $425,00...

HARWICH — The town of Orleans will be looking for a new executive director of its council on aging after Harwich Selectmen confirm the appointment of Judi Wilson as the town's new director of the council on aging. Wilson replaces Barbara Anne Foley, who retired on July 3 after 18 years as director. She and her husband are taking over management of the Commodore Inn in West Harwich. Wilson is scheduled to start...

HARWICH — The town has approved a design contract for road improvements along Route 28 from the Herring River Bridge to Upper County Road in Dennis. Selectmen voted to issue the first of a three-phase contract Monday night. The goal of the project is to create pedestrian connectivity, develop a consistent roadway cross-section, and provide Americans with Disability Act accessibility and bicycle accommodations....

HARWICH — A warm greeting and familiar face will be noticeably absent from the community center as Emily Mitchell trades her seat at the front desk for one at Cornell Law School. Mitchell has spent a lot of time in the community center going back to her days attending Halloween parties, participating in recreation programs and even attending her Junior Prom. The building played a central role in her life growi...

PLEASANT LAKE — There's no escaping the fact that a new building to replace the aging Cape Tech school will be costly. But according to projections released last week, it will be a bit less costly than initially thought. Owing to more detailed design information and some constructive pencil-sharpening, cost estimates for the new school have dropped from about $141 million to around $128 million. Speaking at la...

HARWICH PORT — The Wychmere Harbor Shellfish Lab is home to hundreds of thousands of growing soft shell clams, oysters, quahogs and mussels. Every summer since 1994, Assistant Harbormaster and National Resources Director Heinz Proft has hired three high school student interns to help run the lab for six weeks. This year’s interns are Kestrel Powers, Samantha Mahoney and Aidan Kotoski. From 8:30 in the morning u...

HARWICH — The planning board has approved modifications to the use and site plan special permits for Camelot, LLC's proposal to build a 12,400-square-foot mixed-use structure in the center of Harwich Port. The project, which now calls for four rental units on the first floor, and four three-bedroom residential units on the second floor, has been in the planning process for more than a year. But it ran into a r...