HARWICH — While funding and technical details relating to the design alterations of the Harwich Conservation Trust's Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve are still being discussed, town officials, consultants, state and trust representatives are confident they are getting close to a final plan. “We're actually getting close and I can't think of a more exciting project to address the nitrogen issue,” said David ...

HARWICH — Increasing costs and the town's ability to fund spending requests was a major focus Monday night as selectmen put the finishing touches on article recommendations and the FY19 operating budget. Board of Selectmen Chairman Michael MacAskill pointed out that over the past nine years the budget has increased from $44 million to $65 million. The board's budget message issued last fall called for no more ...

HARWICH — There will be three candidates vying for the single open seat on the board of selectmen in the May 15 annual election, the only race on the ballot. The third candidate, Steven J.F. Scannell, took out nomination papers last Thursday and they were returned and certified by the board of registrars on Monday. Selectman Jannell Brown, whose term expires in May, has decided not to seek re-election. Scan...

HARWICH — The annual Meet Your Local Farmers event held last weekend at the community center was a big success with an estimated 700 people attending. “We were thrilled at the variety of the exhibitors and the excitement they generated,” said Michael Lach, executive director of Harwich Conservation Trust, an event sponsor. “It's a great way to introduce people to the farmers around the Cape.” It is an oppor...

HARWICH — In a bid to teach teens and their families about anxiety disorders and the problems they can lead to, like substance abuse, Monomoy High School will soon be hosting a screening of the new documentary “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety.” “Anxiety disorders have been on the rise in the U.S. in youth populations probably in the last 10 years,” Harwich Youth Counselor Sheila House said. Nationall...

HARWICH — Voters in town meeting in May will be asked to adjust the way they set the salary for the town clerk. The town has been making adjustments to its classification and compensation plan for department heads over the past three years under an agreement with the Service Employees International Union. A similar non-union classification system is being proposed for the clerk position. Whether this will l...

In what could be seen as a referendum on the size and cost of county government on Cape Cod, Ronald Bergstrom of Chatham is seeking to unseat Harwich resident Leo Cakounes as Barnstable County commissioner in the November general election. Though county politics are general seen as nonpartisan, Bergstrom is a Democrat who is campaigning on the need to restore or expand the services provided by Barnstable Count...

DENNIS — The regional partnership to address water quality issues in Harwich, Dennis and Yarmouth received some reassurances last week with Dennis and Harwich reaffirming commitments to place articles on this spring's annual town meeting warrants seeking authorization for special legislation to establish the DHY Clean Waters Community Partnership. In a joint meeting among the three boards of selectmen last Thu...

HARWICH — Selectmen are weighing whether to participate in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies alleged to be behind the opioid epidemic in this country. Town Counsel John Giorgio made a presentation to selectmen on Monday night explaining the town may be able to recover costs incurred to the community from the crisis. Giorgio presented the background of the litigation being crafted by the Massachusetts ...

HARWICH — “These walls are smiling,” someone whispered as the voices of angels filled the sanctuary of the former South Harwich Methodist Church on Saturday. It had been many years since those walls buffered the voices of parishioners. The renewal of voice came in melodic harmony from the Chatham Chorale celebrating the 13-year preservation effort by the Friends of the South Harwich Meetinghouse, Inc., a major...

HARWICH — Mary Oldach, the current assistant principal at Harwich Elementary School, had the opportunity to become a principal in a neighboring school district, but decided she’d really rather remain in Harwich. “Every time I thought about leaving Monomoy, I was just very sad and heartsick,” she said. Oldach’s patience paid off. Last week, Superintendent of Schools Scott Carpenter announced that she will be ...

HARWICH — Officials are taking more low-key approaches to collecting back taxes, including arranging payment plans for delinquent taxpayers, than the more aggressive auction of tax liens to private investors that had been considered. The tax lien auction was seen by Treasurer/Tax Collector Amy Bullock as a way to reduce the $5.7 million in liens sitting on the books and quickly infuse money into town coffers. ...