HARWICH — Selectmen on Monday night rejected a charge by former board member Linda Cebula that they violated the Open Meeting Law last month. Cebula alleged the board violated the law by its agenda for the Nov. 13 meeting lacking “specificity” and a posting error for the board's interview/nomination subcommittee on Nov. 16. In the instance of the Nov. 13 meeting, Cebula stated selectmen provided “no indicat...

HARWICH — The appeals board has upheld Building Commissioner Raymond Chesley's issuance of a cease and desist order halting a commercial sand mining operation in a pit off Jay Z Drive. The board also took the position that it has no legal basis to deny the use of Jay Z Drive by commercial vehicles accessing the pit. The rulings essentially allow trucks to access the pit but prohibits its operation unless a new...

HARWICH — For the last decade, visitors to the Harwich Historical Society’s Brooks Academy Museum could climb the stairs and explore a model railroad display depicting Harwich in the first half of the 20th century. But in a couple of weeks, the display will be dismantled to make way for new exhibits. The circular layout depicts scenes from Harwich...

For the Family Pantry of Cape Cod, children hold a special place. From food and clothing distribution to Toy Day, Dec. 17, the Family Pantry isn’t ignoring the young ones who make up one-third of the pantry’s over 9,100 clients in Barnstable County. Already 1,200 children ages birth through 15 have signed up for Toy Day. (The final day for signups for children of current Family Pantry clients is Dec. 2.) ...

HARWICH — Former selectman Linda Cebula has filed two state Open Meeting Law complaints against the board of selectmen and its interview/nomination subcommittee. One relates to “specificity” of the agenda and the other challenges steps taken when revising an error in the date of a meeting. In her complaint Cebula cites the Nov. 13 meeting of the board of selectmen as providing “no indication that votes woul...

HARWICH — Danette Gonsalves said she was 13 years old when she started to hear the names of water commissioners and employees in the water department around her kitchen table. The intricacies of the department's operations became more familiar as she grew up. The flow of water department knowledge came early in her life because her father, Richard Hathaway, served for 21 years as a water commissioner. “At 1...

HARWICH — Harwich's loss will be Chatham's gain as two employees in the town's community development department have informed Town Administrator Christopher Clark they have taken jobs in Chatham. Clark announced this past week that town planner Aly Sabatino and building inspector Jay W. Briggs are leaving to take positions in Chatham. Briggs has already left; he started work on Monday as Chatham's building com...

HARWICH — The committee and volunteers who operate the Treasure Chest, the swap shop at the recycling center, are coming under new scrutiny following some public complaints. While town officials say better leadership should smooth out the problems, Selectman Jannell Brown last week floated the idea of shuttering the program. Brown, the board's liaison to the Treasure Chest committee, said most of the public ...

HARWICH — Christmas in Harwich continues to grow with the Chamber of Commerce adding several events to the three days of festivities planned in the community from Dec. 1-3. Among those events are a Festival of Trees, Rocking Christmas and a tree lighting ceremony and caroling in East Harwich. “Christmas in Harwich will be merry and bright with with tree tops glistening and excitement ringing throughout all of ...

HARWICH — The Saquatucket Harbor landside project got the approval of selectmen Monday night on a 4-to-1 vote. The project, while altered to some degree, will provide the essential improvements presented to voters when $3 million was approved in town meeting and the ballot box last spring. Selectmen agreed Monday night to enter into a contract agreement with Eastward Companies of Chatham for $2,649,633 to buil...

HARWICH — A message was sent to town officials Monday night that parents want their kids to have more access to the community center, instead of sending them to the Chatham Community Center. Selectman Jannell Brown said she has received many complaints about the community center not being open on Sundays and holidays. She cited a period of 10 days over last Christmas where the center was only open two-and-a-ha...

HARWICH — While playing a high-tech treasure hunt game in Hawksnest State Park Friday, a father and his two young children uncovered a bag filled with heroin paraphernalia. Justin Tavano, a Chatham firefighter, was in the conservation land with his eight-year-old son and six-year-old daughter searching for a geocache, usually a small container filled with trinkets for the finder. But in the spot where the ca...