HARWICH — If the health board has its way, people under the age of 21 soon won't be able to purchase cigarettes or other tobacco products in Harwich. The board is seeking public comment on draft regulations which would also extend the ban to nicotine-delivery devices like e-cigarettes. Though the draft rules have various provisions, the key section prohibits under-21 sales, Health Director Paula Champagne sa...

HARWICH PORT — At an event newly named after President John F. Kennedy, Harwich Democrats Saturday honored local residents who embody civic and community involvement. The Harwich Ecumenical Council for Housing received the James Noonan Community Service Award, and resident Debra DeCosta was honored as the Mabel Canto Democrat of the Year. The Democratic town committee renamed its annual President's Day brunc...

HARWICH PORT — It's time for like-minded Americans of all political persuasions to come together to fight the president's attacks on institutions like the judiciary, the election system and the press. That was the message from Congressman William Keating, D–9 th District, who spoke before party faithfuls at the Land Ho Saturday. In the short time of the Trump administration, “the most fundamental American i...

HARWICH — While the debate continues about the future of the old Harwich Middle School building, something interesting is happening inside. Art. So far, eight artists and craftspeople have rented out classrooms for use as studio or workshop space, some on a monthly basis and some for only a few weeks. The auditorium has also been rented for a day by musicians, and for a week by the Cape Cod Lighthouse Chart...

HARWICH — Conceding that it lacks the authority to mandate a different color, the historic district and historical commission last week authorized the town's request to paint the exterior of the Brooks Free Library white. But some members worried that the ruling might whitewash a larger issue about how Community Preservation Act funds are used. A white paint job is favored by the board of selectmen and the b...

CHATHAM — A draft agreement governing the flow of millions of gallons of wastewater and millions of taxpayer dollars between Harwich and Chatham had its first review by selectmen last Thursday. The draft intermunicipal agreement is the product of two years of negotiations and more than a decade of discussions on the potential collaboration. A subcommittee comprised of two selectmen from each town and staff e...

HARWICH — The conservation commission ruled last week that Resilient Family Farm on Chatham Road needs to undergo their review when seeking permission to carry out work within the 100-foot buffer zone to wetlands. Farm Owner Barry Viprino had sought an agricultural exemption from commission review, but commissioners disagreed Wednesday, saying a previous horse boarding operation on the property doesn't qualify...

HARWICH – In his talk last week at the Brooks Free Library, Monomoy High School history teacher Richard Houston referred to the recent Superbowl game: “That was a North-South contest, too — New England versus Georgia...a good segue to tonight’s topic.” The topic was Houston’s trip to Virginia to explore Revolutionary and Civil War sites, funded by the Westgate Foundation of Chatham. Created in honor of Dr. R.I...

HARWICH — Voters in the May 1 annual town meeting will face a weighty warrant of town business, including an article that seeks around $34 million to build a sewer collection system in East Harwich. Around 50 articles are on the draft warrant, which closed on Friday at noon. Town Administrator Christopher Clark warned that the draft warrant remains subject to change. It will be reviewed and revised by the boar...

NORTH HARWICH — They're not quite ready for a mortgage-burning party, but Family Pantry officials are celebrating a milestone. They've surpassed the halfway mark in their bid to pay off the mortgage and construction expenses for Second Glance, their thrift shop in West Harwich. The campaign, called “Shop for the Hungry,” has raised $542,000 of the $1 million needed to retire the debt on the thrift shop, which ...

HARWICH — Saying there's evidence that town finances are stabilizing, Town Administrator Christopher Clark submitted a balanced budget to selectmen Monday night. The draft fiscal 2018 spending plan will now be scrutinized by selectmen and the finance committee and is likely to undergo many revisions before town meeting in May. Though it omits or reduces nearly $1 million in funding requests from department hea...

HARWICH — It doesn't qualify as leisure reading, but the town's new handbook on water quality aims to answer some key questions about wastewater treatment, like why it's being done, where certain measures will be needed, and how much it'll cost. Selectmen approved the 12-page document on a split vote last week. It can be downloaded from the town's website by clicking on the water droplet button on the home pag...