ORLEANS — At a moment when towns such as Chatham and Harwich are taking a regional approach to cleaning their waters, the Nauset Regional School Committee voted unanimously against allowing Orleans to explore discharging treated wastewater at the middle school recreation fields owned jointly by Brewster, Eastham, Orleans, and Wellfleet. The town, through its consultant AECOM, had made the request to investig...

ORLEANS — About 50 townspeople came to the senior center April 11 for a community housing forum. There were housing specialists, town board chairs, and some who were actively seeking housing options for themselves. “I haven't seen such a group since Chatham held a housing summit at Chatham Bars Inn for breakfast,” said Karen Sunnarborg, who is preparing the Orleans Community Housing Study commissioned by tow...

ORLEANS — Next month, town meeting will vote on spending $33,527,010 to pay for the combined town and schools budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. But voters will look well past FY18 both financially and philosophically as they weigh in on major commitments by the town. On May 8, Orleans will be asked to continue work on water quality projects to the tune of $3,733,660 and to approve spending $13,575...

ORLEANS — To every time, there is a season. Unfortunately, the time for the first season of community gardening at Putnam Farm won't be this year. There have been many encouraging signs for getting under way at the municipally-owned property behind Second District Court, but the town will not be able to put through an access way from Bridge Road until the fall. “The water is in, but it's not on,” agricult...

ORLEANS — A Community Housing Forum on April 11 will take a close look at the spectrum of current and future housing options Orleans needs for its residents, based on an in-depth survey of demographic and related trends. The forum, to be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the council on aging on Rock Harbor Road, will include a presentation of the draft community housing study and breakout sessions aimed at gene...

ORLEANS — How to address the needs of a booming program can be even more complex than shoring up one in decline. By many measures, the council on aging is getting the job done. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 1,242 Orleans seniors were served by the senior center's many programs. While reason for satisfaction, some say the numbers call for a reorganization. “Members of the council on aging board, t...

ORLEANS — Roderick MacDonald, a Presbyterian minister, has been thinking a good deal about a story that speaks to the need to support the rights of immigrants. Nearing retirement, he visited a member of his off-Cape congregation and learned that the woman's sister had been picked up by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and detained in the Suffolk County House of Correction. Sixteen years...

ORLEANS — He who pays the piper should call the tune – even if it's the sewer piper. But some feel the piper – the regulators and consultants – are making the town dance instead. Things aren't that simple, however. In recent years, Orleans has explored alternatives to widespread sewering to meet nitrogen reduction goals for its waters. Among the alternatives outside of downtown have been low-tech and less...

ORLEANS — The intersection of Route 6A and West Road, the first impression many visitors have of Orleans, will send a different message in years to come.     The big barn of a building that held the Hearth 'n Kettle restaurant is being torn down, complete with its little gazebo. In its place will rise a large CVS pharmacy complete with drive-through window.     Instead of “stop and linger,” the message will be mo...

ORLEANS — Theatergoers are familiar with the Night of New Works presented annually by the Academy Playhouse. Through March 31, you can enjoy a whole month of new works at Orleans Town Hall. The artists are sixth to 12 th graders at Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School, Nauset Regional Middle School, and Nauset Regional High School, and their art and media are as distinctive as their creators. Just inside t...

ORLEANS — The energetic ball of fluff called Mia is a companion dog. As she scampered around inside the Old Firehouse last week greeting other dogs and their people, her trainer looked on with admiration. “She owns everywhere she goes,” said Gina Hayes, president of Just Dogs Training. Mia is the latest in a long of animals trained by Hayes, including the beloved companion dog at Nauset Regional Middle Sc...

ORLEANS — About 50 people came to the senior center March 1 to find out more about the revenue committee's proposals to pay for town operations such as the beaches and the transfer station out of their own dedicated income streams. At the Orleans Citizens Forum event, committee member Paul Kelleher presented research that showed, compared to equal Cape communities, the town has the highest percentage of prop...