Editor:

To all of our incredible supporters:

After 16 amazing years, the Kenny Kup committee has decided it’s time to take a year off.

Over the years, the Kenny Kup has grown into something truly special, and we are incredibly grateful for the love, support and encouragement our community has shown us. Because of your generosity and participation, we’ve been able to honor Kenny’s memory while giving back to our community in meaningful ways.

As we take this break, we’ll also be using the time to restructure the fundraiser and explore new ideas for the future. The Kenny Kup has had an incredible run, but we feel it’s time to see what other opportunities are out there to continue making a positive impact.

We will also be taking a break from participating in the Fourth of July Parade. It has always been one of our favorite traditions, but after many years of organizing both the fundraiser and the parade, our committee needs some well-deserved time to rest and recharge.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for 16 unforgettable years of support, friendship, and community spirit. We appreciate each and every one of you and look forward to sharing what the future holds.

The Kenny Kup Committee
Chatham

Editor:

Regarding the Indigenous People’s monument: As a veteran, I am outraged that our Veterans Park is being utilized to satisfy someone's need for a politically correct cause having absolutely nothing to do with veterans. There are many other locations that could have been used.

I trust there will be no other “causes” that will claim the right to place a monument in our beloved park.

Kevin Doherty
Orleans

Editor:

Wow, just when I thought our governor, Maura Healy, couldn’t get any worse. I can’t believe that she decided not to have our state represented at the American State Fair! It’s like our state had nothing to do with the beginning of the United States. Well, Governor Healy, some of us love our country. Some of us are proud to be Americans. I don’t care what your political party is, this is our country.

They wonder why over 200,000 people and countless companies are leaving our state, this is a prime example. Shame on you, governor. Shame. My only hope is that people remember this come November.

Diane Parrent
South Chatham

Editor:

It is so sad to see the Chatham dog warden at Schoolhouse Pond every morning to keep dog walkers from walking around the pond. We have done so for years. Please don't use the argument that someone did not pick up. Most of us do. If a man murders someone, do we all go to jail? I suspect someone just moved there wanting the kindness and ambience of Chatham and immediately goes about destroying it. Probably paid too much for the house. 

Linda Devonshire 
Chatham

Editor:

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that worked with Amy Tagliaferri and myself June 20 when we hosted a "survivor soiree" at the Chatham VFW. We intended to gather long-time friends to honor the fact that, while we too often gather to bid farewell to "one of the gang,” it does not always need to be so.

We had awesome food from our friends at Red River BBQ, which I've come to understand needed Sterno under it to stay hot...who knew? We had set aside an hour or so for yakkin', then we intended to have an hour or so for some stories from folks who not only knew them but lived them. However, the need to chat with people we love and haven't seen in many years overwhelmed all attempts to relate our experiences to "the masses.”

We raised $2,500 for the Pals For Life charity, and we could not be prouder of and more grateful to all who attended and donated so generously to this worthy cause. The staff at the VFW went above and beyond in accommodating all of us.

Next time, stories first!

David G. Olson
Chatham

Editor:

To the Harwich Community:

Last weekend, the Harwich Community Center and the Harwich Children's Fund joined together for a series of wonderful events for the children of our community. These included an ice cream social, a bike bonanza and a trampoline fundraiser for the Harwich Children’s Fund. Thank you to Donna Smith from the trampolines for her generous support, as well as Sweet Izzy‘s Ice Cream. Also, thanks to Ashley Symington for crafts and to local teens who provided amazing facepainting. Local businesses who donated gift cards and tickets were Sandy Wycoff, Dairy Queen, Grand Slam, Sundae School and Harwich Junior Theatre. It was a fantastic three-day event, and Harwich Children’s Fund is exceedingly grateful.

Angelina Raneo Chilaka, president
Harwich Children’s Fund

Editor:

It should come as no surprise that SecDef Hegseth has followed The Donald in a manner devoid of Christian faith. 

Fifteen hundred years ago, Pope Gregory the Great offered a simple list, the “Seven Deadly Sins.” They were behaviors that had the capacity to become addictive and to destroy the soul. They included vanity or pride, greed, lust or inordinate sexual desire, envy, gluttony, wrath or anger, and spiritual sloth. 

In contrast, Hegseth’s religious and ideological views align with militant strains of so-called Christian nationalism. Core ideological differences:

Holy War and theocracy: Mainstream Christianity emphasizes spiritual salvation and personal faith. In contrast, Hegseth blends his theology with an ideology favoring a "holy war" and the legacy of medieval Crusaders.

Church and state: Christian beliefs generally support the separation of church and state to protect religious liberties. Hegseth’s affiliations with Reformed Evangelicalism, specifically through the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), favor an approach where biblical law supersedes secular institutions and the two spheres merge.

Exclusivist values: Rather than universal Christian teachings of grace and neighborly inclusion, Hegseth's messages focus on "Western Christian ethics" against what he describes as "godless" foreign and domestic ideologies.

 Affiliations and rhetoric:

Church membership: Hegseth attends a congregation affiliated with the CREC — a network known for its theocratic and right-wing Christian nationalist vision.

Spiritual mentorship: Hegseth has closely aligned himself with Pastor Doug Wilson of Moscow, Idaho, a controversial figure in the classical Christian education movement whose writings promote patriarchal authority and the presentation of “the Confederacy” (a model of a society that formally acknowledged God, prioritized traditional social hierarchies, and was defined by a fusion of white identity and conservative Christianity).

Scholars emphasize that Hegseth’s approach to national security and governance uses the veneer of faith to advance a specific political and cultural agenda.

For deeper academic analysis of so-called "Western Christian ethics," see Reformed Christianity and its political goals and its views on women, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, and its connection to so-called Christian nationalism.

Tom Clarke
West Chatham

Editor:

Harwich and the Cape are facing growing development pressure, making it more important than ever to have an open, thoughtful conversation about sustainable growth and the future of our community.

For too long, our acceptance of increasing consumption and resource extraction has tied us to a model of continual growth. This focus often causes us to overlook a more fundamental question: What is the true carrying capacity of our community and environment? Sustainable planning requires us to understand not just what can be built, but what our natural systems, infrastructure, and community can responsibly support over the long term.

Many residents in Harwich became engaged due to large-scale proposals like the Pine Oaks Village 4 (POV4) project. While opinions differ on that specific development, it has raised broader questions affecting all of Harwich. Concerns center on the project’s location in the sensitive Herring River watershed, along with its scale and potential impacts on infrastructure, natural resources, and the area’s long-term ability to absorb more growth.

The POV4 discussion is about more than one project. It highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to future growth. Residents have been told that Chapter 40B limits local options, yet many questioned the town’s decision to commit $1 million toward the project. If the goal was to reach the state’s 10 percent affordable housing threshold and secure a two-year safe harbor from additional 40B applications, residents deserve an open conversation about whether this short-term objective adequately addresses long-term environmental, infrastructure, and fiscal impacts.

We must also consider what types, scale, and locations of housing best fit Harwich’s character and ecological limits. Sustainable growth is not about opposing housing or change — it is about making thoughtful decisions that balance housing needs with what our community can responsibly sustain.

I urge the select board, planning board, conservation commission, zoning board of appeals, and housing trust to collaborate on a comprehensive, fact-based growth strategy that fully considers environmental capacity, infrastructure, housing goals, and fiscal responsibility.

Harwich has a valuable opportunity to create a thoughtful vision for the future — one that expands housing opportunities while protecting the natural resources, character, and quality of life that make our town special.

Louis Urbano
Harwich