HARWICH — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued public health advisories recommending fish caught in two Harwich ponds not be eaten due to high levels of mercury. The advisory was issued on July 3 and pinpoints a number of ponds across the commonwealth where fish have been contaminated by mercury. According to the advisory, children under 12, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and women of chi...

HARWICH PORT – Eight-year-old Florence Carlson is walking in the footsteps of legends this week. Literally. From July 10 to July 20, Carlson will take the stage as a young Czech girl in the musical “Once” at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis. Nicknamed the “birthplace of the stars,” the Cape Playhouse has attracted famous actors to its stage since it opened its doors in 1927. Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Olymp...

HARWICH — Harwich Center will be aglow with light on Friday night as residents come together for a vigil protesting conditions faced by refugees, one of many Lights for Liberty rallies planned across Cape Cod and around the nation. “This year images of children suffering in U.S. detention camps (mostly privately run and thus not subject to review) have outraged us all and we are turning our outrage into action...

HARWICH – Forget the fireworks. The real excitement was at Whitehouse Field on July 6 when the Harwich Mariners swept the Wareham Gatemen mightily in a doubleheader that didn't disappoint. Harwich won the first game 2-0 before turning up the heat for the second en route to a 13-4 victory. Game 1 saw the Mariners plate the only two runs of the game in the second inning when catcher Patrick Winkel hit a single t...

ORLEANS – After trading the top spot in the East with the Orleans Firebirds in recent weeks, the Chatham Anglers made it clear on Monday night that they aim to hang onto it, as evidenced by some first-inning fireworks that led to a 6-1 victory at Eldredge Park. Cooper Davis opened the July 8 outing with a single to left, setting the tone for the game and setting things up for a stellar evening that kicked off ...

The satirical murder mystery “Murder for Two,” fittingly performed by two actors, is a feat of dancing, singing, piano playing, and comedic prowess few actors could master. Sam Krivda and Matthew McGloin seem born for their roles in the hilarious and zany romp, so much that I was shocked to learn this is not only the first time each has been in this musical, but also the first time they worked together. Kri...

After closing their doors due to financial issues in January, the Academy of Performing Arts is banking on “Disney’s Frozen Jr.” to help get them back in the black, and based on the sold-out opening weekend, they are off to a great start. Disney’s movie “Frozen” was an unprecedented hit in 2013, earning the title of highest-grossing animated film ever, with total worldwide sales surpassing well over a billion ...

If you spend any time with small children, you know they love to play the copycat game. They will repeat everything you say and mimic every action you make. Their eager joy in the game will easily outlast that of any grownup, sometimes to the point of annoyance. Older brothers and sisters are the usual targets of this game and it doesn’t always end well. Copying is a natural way of learning, not just for o...

Who was it that said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself?” Ah, yes, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Easy for him to say; they didn’t even have MRIs back then. Fears and phobias are funny creatures—some seem random and silly, but for the afflicted, life can be difficult. Recently, my husband, beset by the typical over 50 aches and pains, made his way to the ortho doc. We all know the drill; appointment…x-ray...

What is it about food trucks that frightens some downtown Chatham landlords and business owners? It's not like they are an unknown entity; food trucks have been present at First Night and other events for years. Never before has anyone complained. Until the Chatham Merchants Association thought it would be a good thing to have a food truck downtown during this summer's Mondays on Main music strolls. Suddenly, foo...

Keep The Connection Going Editor: Each week we anxiously await the arrival of The Cape Cod Chronicle, ready to devour what's happening in Chatham, Harwich and Orleans. And we are never disappointed, despite our living in New Jersey, 270-plus miles away. As returning vacation renters for the past 15 years throughout Chatham, we look forward each week to what transgresses, whether it be local politics, sch...

CHATHAM – At the end of every Monomoy golf season team members like to give their coaches thank you cards. Jack Farrell pays close attention to the notes written within because that, he says, is when he knows the students he works with have understood that there's more to golf than just the game. Farrell, a longtime Chatham lawyer and Realtor, has certainly earned himself the right to retire, but can't imagine...

ORLEANS — Thirty years ago, boat builder and designer Tony Davis traveled from Nova Scotia as far south as the Chesapeake looking for the perfect “hurricane hole.” He dreamed about buying a yard in a protected harbor at the end of a dirt road. When he clapped eyes on Arey's Pond Boat Yard, he said, “This has got to be it.” Three decades on, Arey's remains more than a safe harbor for watercraft. It's a sanctu...

ORLEANS — The selectmen and town administrator are working on including a wide-ranging discussion about rules for dogs and their owners on the agenda for their July 17 meeting. “We had agreed to get into this after [last year's] dangerous dog hearings,” Selectman Mefford Runyon said at the board's July 3 meeting. “We were talking about soup to nuts, regulations, enforcement.” Earlier, he observed, “Everybody...

CHATHAM – It was another fine and festive Fourth of July as the annual Chatham Parade rolled through town, this year honoring men and women of the United States Military. The Phillips Farm family had one of the first floats in the parade, a powerful piece featuring a copper-painted revolving globe supported by military men and women surrounded by poppies, with veterans waving American flags at the back. Fan...

Thanks to fine summer weather and plenty of patriotism, crowds of holiday revelers attended the annual Independence Day parade in Orleans Thursday. The theme of the July 4 parade was "Orleans Rocks!" And the rockin' procession started at Eldredge Park Way and Route 6A, making its way to Main Street and Route 28 and back to the start. Awards will be given to the top business, non-profit and family floats. Fi...