HARWICH — Selectmen held an emergency executive session on Friday afternoon to discuss strategies for contract negotiations with Interim Town Administrator Joseph Powers that could lead to Powers becoming the town's permanent town administrator. The move came after selectmen learned that Powers is a finalist for the town administrator’s position in Yarmouth. Powers received a one-year interim town administrato...

HARWICH — There are still a lot of variables, but Monomoy Regional School District Superintendent Scott Carpenter provided selectmen with a draft FY22 budget Monday containing an overall 1.5 percent increase over this year. Harwich’s share of the budget, however, is projected to increase between 2.9 and 3.2 percent. The student population gap between Chatham and Harwich is becoming a major issue. On Monday sel...

HARWICH — There is no doubt in the minds of selectmen and members of the water/wastewater commission that a computer-aided design model for sewering throughout the town would be a valuable tool in developing a road map for moving forward with the comprehensive wastewater management plan. It's the funding that has drawn questions. Selectmen last week were asked to approve a contract for $150,000 with GHD, Inc.,...

WEST HARWICH — After a one-year demolition delay expired less than two weeks ago, the Roman Catholic Diocese and Holy Trinity Church moved quickly to remove the Gothic Revival late Victorian 1914 structure on church property along Route 28 in West Harwich, razing it last Wednesday. “It is sad that the church couldn’t have found it in their hearts to conserve, restore and repurpose this...historic parish home,”...

HARWICH — There was a sense of urgency expressed by selectmen Monday night when Monomoy Regional Schools Superintendent Scott Carpenter came before the board to discuss the growing inequities in the per pupil budgets in the district's elementary schools. In the past decade the Harwich Elementary School student population has decreased by 12 percent. At the Chatham Elementary School the enrollment has declined ...

There's Still Hope For The Project, However HARWICH — Hope that a policy change in the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Complete Streets Program could pave the way for a long-sought sidewalk along Route 28 from Saquatucket Harbor to Harwich Port may have been premature. The agency altered its policy on sidewalks and bike lanes, which could not have been accommodated on both sides of Route 28. Bu...

To honor 'Hidden Wound' Veterans HARWICH — The Route 137 bridge over Route 6 could take on another purpose than just carrying vehicles over the state highway. An eighth grade civics class at Monomoy Regional High School wants to have the bridge honor veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other lingering effects of their service. The state Senate is weighing that idea now. The idea was s...

Baker Launches Small Business Relief Effort HARWICH PORT — Outer Cape Health Services is now providing COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic people at its Harwich Port health center. Appointments are required to receive a test; to reserve a space, call 508-905-2888. Tests are also available at Outer Cape Health Services’ sites in Wellfleet and Provincetown. Asymptomatic people will receive an Abbott BinaxN...

We're finally at the end of 2020, a year that has been challenging at best. Despite a pandemic and all of the complications that came with it, the Helping Neighbors Campaign hasn't merely met its goal to raise $65,000 for hungry individuals and families on Cape Cod. It sailed on past it and raised an incredible $85,010 and still counting. With so many in our community experiencing job loss, housing insecurity ...

HARWICH — Looking back to 2019 and the tornado that cut through Harwich Center that July, the sense was abnormal events couldn’t get much more bizarre. That was quickly set aside in 2020 when the coronavirus made its way to our shoreline, disrupting every aspect of normal life. In early March, the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed on Cape Cod. By March 10 the pandemic was taking hold across the state and Go...

HARWICH — Restaurants are struggling to make ends meet. With the latest announcement from Gov. Charlie Baker limiting seating capacity to 25 percent, there seem to be two decisions being made: shut down for the winter or recreate yourself. How does a restaurant recreate itself in winter on Cape Cod.? One answer is igloos. If anyone has driven by Jake Rooney’s restaurant on the curve on Route 28 separating H...

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has been difficult for everyone, but for those who rely on The Family Pantry for access to nourishing food for themselves and their families, things have been especially hard. Job loss, housing insecurity and juggling bringing home a paycheck with helping school-age children to navigate virtual classrooms have made a tough time even tougher. Now, with diagnosed cases of the virus ac...