CHATHAM – It doesn't take a close inspection to see the failings of the current senior center on Stony Hill Road. Originally built as a residence, its rooms and offices are small and lack privacy, a steep staircase leads to more constricted spaces on the second floor, it lacks an adequate ventilation system, and the building had to be shored up a few years ago because of structural problems. A decade ago, talk...

What would it be like to start your first business, a home health care business, during a pandemic? Karen L. Warren of Harwich and Jean C. Copeland of Chatham found out when they opened Quality Homecare Cape Cod, LLC one year ago, on June 1. “Mostly it made us nervous,” Copeland says. “We had to have a COVID policy.” They have continuously educated themselves on the CDC’s ever-changing guidelines. And they ...

After two generations and a nearly 72-year run in business, the Schluter-Gould family has sold Chatham Motor Service to a former employee, Ryan Hansen. “The stars aligned and it was a perfect fit,” says Don Gould. The name of Hansen’s new business is Enhanced Automotive and Fabrication, Inc. Hansen’s first job while a senior at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, from which he graduated in 2006, was...

CHATHAM – A call to 911 may be at the worst moment of your life. Whatever prompted the call – a heart attack, a stroke, a fire – "seconds make a huge, huge difference," according to Chatham Fire Lieutenant Ryan Clark, the new public education coordinator for the Chatham Fire-Rescue Department. "It's that serious." If your house number is not easily visible from the street, in daylight or at night, a new progra...

Several years ago, Mark Pasquini of South Dennis approached Cape Abilities, a nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for individuals with disabilities on Cape Cod, and asked if he could become a friend or mentor to one of its participants “in a one-on-one role.” Pasquini “wanted to do something bigger than myself, and through my friendship add some richness and varied experiences to the life of an i...

ORLEANS – In 2010, J’aime and Christian Sparrow decided to “move back home” from San Francisco. Their goal: to “simplify” and start a food truck.  “City life is amazingly stimulating. It can kick your butt,” Christian said with a broad grin. “Right? Well this was harder. We had no idea.” J’aime laughed and nodded. With a microloan from the Community Development Partnership, the Sparrows purchased their truc...

The husband and wife co-owners of Ducks in the Window on Main Street, Chatham now own a second business, on Main Street, Harwich — the iconic Dr. Gravity’s Kite Shop. Rob Foster and his wife Colette Cummings bought Dr. Gravity’s Kite Shop at 560 Main St. (Route 28) from owner Peter Hurst in December. “There’s a synergy between the shops,” Cummings said during a telephone interview last week. Both businesses...

When Karen McPherson’s husband qualified for the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations because he is six years her senior, McPherson thought back to the days of faking ID cards when she was not yet of age. McPherson, who lives in Chatham, didn’t qualify for the first round of vaccine appointments that opened up in February because she was just three weeks shy of 75. As she joked to a friend, “I hadn’t faked an ...

Over the past year, feeling anxious and depressed has almost become part of the daily routine. But for more and more people, those feelings are getting in the way of day-to-day living. State Senator Julian Cyr, D–Truro, has been fully immersed in the region’s response to the pandemic since the beginning, attending countless meetings and helping to organize the Cape Cod COVID Response Task Force. When the first...

HARWICH — Albert Raneo is a man of community. He served the town of Harwich in an official capacity for 25 years, and following retirement has continued serving for an additional 25 years through volunteer efforts. “I try to do as much as I can to help people,” said Raneo, 88. “I do it because I want to, it’s in my heart.” Long-time Harwich residents know Raneo through for his work running the town's hig...

On March 14, it will be one year since the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed on Cape Cod. Three days later, Gov. Charlie Baker shut down schools and all but essential businesses statewide. How well are we coping? Do we need to find additional help? The Cape Cod COVID-19 Response Task Force and MassSupport Network sponsored a livestreamed forum, “Season of Change, Coping During COVID,” on Feb. 24. People may...

Preschool 'Community Friend' Screenings and Registration   On Wednesday and Thursday, March 17 and 18, the Monomoy Regional School District will hold preschool screenings for families who would like to enroll their 3- or 4-year-old child as a “community friend” in the Monomoy Integrated Preschool program for the 2021-2022 school year. The Monomoy Integrated Preschool supports children with disabilities and wh...