If you’re like us, the phrase “these unprecedented times” is starting to set your teeth on edge. (We’ve been in pandemic mode for half a year now, which surely sets some precedent.) But there’s no getting around it: 2020 has been a year like no other. COVID-19 has laid bare the hidden societal problems in our community. The lack of affordable housing, the wealth gap and the need for affordable childcare are mo...

The Beach Is For All Editor: Donald Trump and his supporters do not own Lighthouse Beach! How many of us have walked this beautiful beach and stopped to smile at the “Shack,” a sculpture made of things that have washed up over the years? It flies an American flag symbolizing to me the greatness of the United States, which we all call home no matter how we vote. On my walk along the beach Sunday mornin...

When local schools open their doors next week for the first time since March, students won't be stepping back into classrooms as if nothing has changed. Everything has changed. And not just physically, though that will be the most obvious difference. With fewer desks to accommodate social distancing, classrooms look sparse. Signs everywhere remind students (and staff) to wear masks, wash hands and use sanitize...

Do Something For The Environment Editor: If you had the opportunity to do something for the environment, wildlife and your future that only took a bit of forward thinking and a small amount of effort, would you? If you don’t want to be swimming in, consuming, surrounded by, and overrun by ever mounting plastic trash, now is the time to support a Cape-wide ban on single-use plastic bottles. Otherwise, som...

Disappointed By Anti-racism Vote Editor: As your recent article stated, the Monomoy Regional School Committee passed the Massachusetts State Association of School Committees’ anti-racism resolution at their monthly meeting and I applaud them for doing so. But in spite of strong positive support from Dr. Carpenter and committee members Terri Russell, Sharon Stout and Tina Games, the Monomoy vote was not unan...

For years, swimming has been prohibited in the Cockle Cove Creek that runs along the Cockle Cove Beach parking lot, where it bends east to merge with Buck's Creek and empty into Nantucket Sound. Consistently poor water quality readings resulted in essentially a permanent closure. A 2005 study failed to find conclusive evidence of a specific source of the contamination, ruling out effluent from the sewer plant, ro...

There are those who will roll their eyes when they read this week’s story about the Harwich town seal, which portrays a Native American standing next to a Great Plains-style teepee, rather than the traditional wetu dwelling used by Wampanoags. It’s admittedly a small detail, but it’s not inconsequential. We choose to believe that Harwich residents 123 years ago included a Native American on their new town seal...

Bad Encounter With A Dog Editor: Recently visiting my daughter on Cape Cod, I brought my grandchildren to Jackknife Cove in Chatham. It was extremely hot. It's an idyllic spot for kids to wade and splash in the shallow lagoons, and safe to cool off. It was an extreme low tide with many families and shellfishermen about. While there, a man came on the shore with an unleashed dog. Dogs doing what they d...

Next Tuesday's primary election offers little to get excited about. There’s only one contested race on the Republican side, and in Barnstable County, two Democrat races are contested. In the races for Massachusetts Senator, we endorse Democrat Edward Markey; he has represented the state well and now is not the time to change our Congressional delegation, given the difficult issues the next Congress will face. On ...

We've all read the headlines about the U.S. Postal Service. A ban on overtime by the new postmaster general; the removal of mail boxes and mail sorting machines; reports of delayed delivery from across the nation; concern about the post office's ability to meet what will likely be a huge volume of mail as voters concerned about the pandemic cast mail-in or absentee ballots. Locally, we've been fielding calls f...

Beach Walks Never Change Editor: Mary Richmond’s “Learning To Love Nature” (Aug. 6) reminds us that we are “fortunate” in so many ways despite the changes brought by the Corona virus. Her childhood memories of watching hermit crabs trying on shells and her swimming underwater with eyes opened made us smile. The shorelines have changed and the beaches now have annoying rules. But a simple walk near the ocean...

Ah, how perceptions change. Not long ago, masks were considered theatrical devices, Halloween disguises and the work gear of doctors and dental techs. In February, as I saw the COVID-19 writing on the wall, I began making and wearing them. At that time, anyone wearing one in public was given weird looks and a wide berth. A few months went by and now, anyone not wearing one is either clueless or a social deviant...