HARWICH PORT — For almost a quarter century, Brax Landing has made sure that nobody in town has to be alone on Thanksgiving. This year, owners Tad Peavey and Jeff Gomes will be serving up 800 turkey dinners as part of their free Thanksgiving dinner for seniors. That's 200 more than they prepared just three years ago. They'll be accommodating all of the guests in three seatings, but it promises to be a full h...

HARWICH — Oyster Creek Preservation, Inc., the neighborhood association around the lagoon off Allen Harbor, will be allowed to provide maintenance dredging and expand the channel width in the creek, the conservation commission decided last week. The issuance of the notice of intent was a much easier process this time than the same initiative more than a decade ago. OCP at that time appealed a commission's deci...

HARWICH — It will take a lot to work to put in place proper permitting for The Resilient Family Farm off Chatham Road, but the conservation commission agreed last week to lift a stop work order to begin moving the project forward. There are a number of issues that need clarifying on the 9.14-acre site just east of Lovers Lane. Owner Barry Viprino and his attorney, Ben Zehnder, were before the commission last W...

HARWICH ─ There's a lot of turkey talk this time of year, but none quite like that on the Harwich Conservation Trust's annual Turkey Talk Walk. The annual event takes participants past some ponds and through the woods of Hawksnest State Park to the site of the old Walker Turkey Farm, and though the 2016 event brought with it a little mist, it didn't disappoint. Leading the way for nearly 50 intrepid walkers ...

HARWICH ─ The garage of a Harwich home was destroyed in a fire Monday evening. Neighbors walking past 20 Fresh Water Rd. noticed smoke and flames coming out of the back of the garage of the property, which is owned by William Gildersleeve of Baton Rouge, La., and called in the fire while also alerting resident Kimone Harakh to the fire, allowing her to evacuate safely. David LeBlanc, deputy chief of the H...

HARWICH — Being a fire investigator means having a light touch, both with evidence at the fire scene and in interviews with witnesses and suspects. And as firefighter and aspiring arson investigator Justin White is learning, the heat of the blaze is nothing compared to the legal grilling that can come later. White and 17 other firefighters and police officers recently completed advanced fire investigation tr...

HARWICH — Weighing the sound of music in a mixed commercial and residential district is not an easy task, as selectmen learned Monday night during a hearing on better controlling entertainment in Harwich Port. The purpose of the hearing was to discuss adopting the town's noise bylaw standard for entertainment licenses as well as uniform hours for entertainment in the Port. The bylaw states it is unlawful for a...

HARWICH — There's a big difference between the amount of money Chatham is seeking to allow Harwich to use its wastewater treatment plant and the figure put on the table by Harwich selectmen Monday. While Chatham was seeking a $9.4 million contribution, the Harwich proposal is for $4.1 million. Selectman Peter Hughes said the higher figure came “before we go the details of their numbers from them.” Wording in a...

HARWICH — “We live in a superficial time,” Massachusetts National Guard Sgt. Jeremy Armstrong told this year's Veterans Day observance last Friday. Lots of people put yellow ribbon magnets on their car bumpers or thank servicemen and women by posting on Facebook. But few really take the time to listen to veterans' stories. “Engage. Ask questions. Listen,” he said. A 2003 graduate of Harwich High School an...

HARWICH PORT — A couple of miles off Harwich Port, school is in session at Harwich High. On Nov. 3, divers inspecting the new artificial reef made from debris from the demolished Harwich High School were pleased to find the site crowded with schools of tautog, black sea bass and cunner. “It was gratifying,” said Mark Rousseau, the artificial reef coordinator for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisher...

HARWICH — Town officials are seeking $550,000 for alum treatments designed to prevent algae blooms in Hinckley's Pond, and they're hoping the community preservation committee will provide the funds. Town Administrator Christopher Clark said he's hopeful that the committee will endorse the request. Two years ago, citing concerns that the pond has no real public access, the committee voted 5-2 not to support a s...

HARWICH — Zoning bylaws are dry and confusing. They set out a vision for the way land can be developed, but it can take decades before any real change happens. And getting public consensus on a common vision can be maddeningly difficult. New Harwich Town Planner Aly Sabatino said the key strategy for crafting good zoning and regulating land use is two-way communication. Town officials need to help ordinary c...