ORLEANS – The town intends to apply for a watershed permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection in response to new Title 5 regulations being put forward by the agency. Mass DEP released the draft regulations at the end of October. They require that all existing Title 5 septic systems on properties in areas designated as "nitrogen sensitive" be replaced with more environmentally friendly altern...

ORLEANS – For 30 years, the Community Development Partnership has worked to address the need for affordable housing on the Lower and Outer Cape from its home in Eastham. But this week marked a new chapter for the nonprofit, which on Monday began moving into its new office on Route 6A. "We've been able to do a lot of purging," the partnership's CEO, Jay Coburn, said last week ahead of the move. "It's just like ...

ORLEANS – The holiday season is a time of joy and excitement. But for staff and volunteers with the Homeless Prevention Council, it's also a time of purpose. As people begin preparing their holiday shopping lists for friends and family members, the council is once again working to make sure that those families in need of help this season aren't left behind. Now in its 27th year, the council's Adopt A Family pr...

ORLEANS – A residential tax exemption would save some Orleans residents on their property tax bills, but not everyone. That was the message to the select board Nov. 16 from Town Assessor Brad Hinote, who said homeowners whose properties are valued the lowest in Orleans would benefit most from the exemption. But it could ultimately cost some residents depending on the assessed value of their property, while oth...

ORLEANS – A revised application for funding renovations to the Main Street community center is going back before the community preservation committee for reconsideration. The select board voted 5-0 Nov. 16 to submit the application for consideration for the annual town meeting in May. In March, the CPC voted against supporting the use of Community Preservation Act money for renovations to the center, common...

ORLEANS – The plaintiff who brought lawsuits against several Lower and Outer Cape hotels this summer alleging handicap accessibility violations has died, and the cases will be dismissed. Robert Petropoulos II, 51, of Peabody, died Nov. 4, according to his obituary. Petropoulos brought suit against four hotels on the Lower and Outer Cape in U.S. District Court, alleging that the hotels failed to properly allow ...

ORLEANS – With Thanksgiving in the rearview, the Orleans Chamber of Commerce and the Orleans Improvement Association are looking ahead to the holiday season. The two agencies are together organizing this year's Winterfest events, which kick off with a slew of holiday-themed happenings on Saturday. "This Saturday is a huge holiday day," said Lisa Simundson, the chamber's executive director. Breakfast wit...

ORLEANS – Reports are in, but Orleans officials aren't anywhere closer to finding a site for a new fire station in town. The select board on Nov. 16 received recommendations from the town's new fire rescue station feasibility study committee as the committee's consultant, Kaestle Boos Architects, released its draft report outlining the town's options for locating a new station. The committee has been workin...

ORLEANS – Dorie Klimshuk has been arguing about the need for roadway improvements at the intersection of Route 39 and Route 28 for years. Now that work has begun, his friends decided to have some fun with him. Work started last month clearing trees and brush from the intersection, where a rotary will be constructed to manage traffic flow in the area. On a patch of land in the middle of the roadwork is a sign t...

ORLEANS – Last week, about 50 residents and town officials gathered at the town's senior center to discuss the future of recreation in Orleans. Anne Sigsbee, for one, envisioned a recreation department modeled after the "community center without walls" approach adopted by the town's council on aging. "It was a thing of beauty, because our community center without walls was so successful that the state gave ...

ORLEANS – For the better part of six decades, Cap't Cass Rock Harbor Seafood established itself as more than a legendary local eatery. For many in town, it was an emblem of classic Cape Cod. It's been more than two years since the restaurant closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Michelle Lamy couldn't stand to see the esteemed local landmark sit idle and unused any longer. So she bought it. Rock Harbo...

ORLEANS – If you want to make a veteran's day, take a moment to thank them. It might seem like a small gesture, but as Keith Arnold recalled, it's one that wasn't always readily given to those who served their country. "A long time ago, Vietnam veterans came home and they didn't want to be noticed," Arnold, a member of the Orleans Veterans and Memorial Day committee and a Marine Corps staff sergeant, told a...