Limit Dogs On Beaches Editor: I'm in favor of  changing the current Harwich dog on beach regulation from Friday before Memorial Day to May 1 to Oct. 14. I feel that allowing dogs on the beach for 265 days then abruptly opening the next day to beachgoers is much too soon considering residue that can be left behind by dogs. I find this analogous to one removing all of the solids from a litter box then lying i...

Quick, where’s “Children’s Beach?” If you’re a local from Chatham and you had trouble answering that question, you’re not alone. Having covered the town for nearly 60 combined years, our Chatham reporters didn’t know. A couple of lifelong residents we spoke with were stumped. The parks and recreation department doesn’t use the name, nor does the chamber of commerce. Aside from a few sparse references in our ar...

ORLEANS — In addressing a few complaints about storage of fishing gear in residential districts, the planning board hopes to sniff out a solution that respects both neighbors' rights and town traditions. “Commercial fishing is a longstanding occupation in town,” director of planning and community development George Meservey told the board Feb. 12. “Preservation of traditional occupations is called out in our...

ORLEANS — The Snow Library Facilities Advisory Committee voted Feb. 20 to accept a building program, a comprehensive document that describes existing conditions and ways to address unmet and future needs in a new or renovated and expanded building. The report, which will now be reviewed by library trustees, is an important step in securing state planning funds in the next few years. “Oh, my gosh. I would acc...

Jon Wordell passed away at his home in South Chatham surrounded by his family after a long illness. Jon was born in Fall River in 1943. He was the son of the late Dr. Arnold and Eunisa (Greenlaw) Wordell. He graduated from Procter Academy in Andover, N.H. and Oglethorpe University in Norcross, Ga. He later taught at Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Conn. During that time, he ran a summer school called the Cha...

(1936-2019)             Ed Dasch passed away on Sunday, February 03, 2019 at Liberty Commons Rehabilitation Center.  He had been a patient there for two years, having suffered multiple health issues during that time.             Ed was born on November 12, 1936 in Indianapolis, Ind. and during his first year, moved with his parents to Jamestown, New York where he lived until the age of seventeen. Ed then mo...

ORLEANS - Herbert Bremser, Jr., 90, of Orleans, passed away peacefully at home February 14th, 2019, surrounded by family. Herb was the son of the late Herbert Bremser Sr. and Lillian (McFadden) Bremser.  He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 59 years Dorothy (Daniels).   Herb is survived by his brother, John (Jack) of Windsor, Conn.; son Dan and his wife Ann of Franklin; son Jim and his wife Karen of Chatham ...

CHATHAM – Voters at May's annual town meeting will be asked to spend $295,000 in community preservation funds to upgrade the playground at Chatham Elementary School. The community preservation committee endorsed the proposal last week after trimming $56,000 from the community playground committee's initial request. For more than four years a dedicated group of parents, school administrators and town officia...

CHATHAM – Preliminary results of a hydrodynamic modeling study of the town's eastern inlets and waterways will be present at the end of the month. Part of a $250,000, wide-ranging study of the waterways from Pleasant Bay to Nantucket Sound, the presentation will happen at 7 p.m. at Feb. 28 at the annex. Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon said the focus of the update to be presented by Applied Coastal Resea...

CHATHAM – The acronym OPEB has been popping up more and more often in municipal finance discussions. It's one of those arcane accounting elements that makes the eyes glaze over, but in actuality has a significant impact on the town's finances. Last week the town's OPEB trust fund board of directors held a forum to educate the public and provide background on the topic. The following information was gleaned from t...

Some actions to mitigate the danger from sharks in the region's waters can be put in place this summer. A Bourne consulting group will look at other options as part of a study that begins this week. Officials from six Outer Cape towns, the Cape Cod National Seashore and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy met with the Woods Hole Group last Wednesday in Wellfleet to kick off the $49,950 shark mitigation altern...

CHATHAM – Friends of Trees helped support Monomoy Middle School's “Finest Hours” field trips with a grant to support a program that immersed students in local history.  “Chatham’s trees are living artifacts, survivors of decades of change and anchors to the town’s history,” said Friends of Trees president DeeDee Holt. “We were pleased to support this program and Ms. Bourget's effort to make this meaningful con...

HARWICH – In the midst of budget season comes a new debate for the Monomoy Regional School District: whether to replace Spanish with a science/STEM curriculum at the elementary level. While no decision has yet been made, the matter sparked a lengthy discussion at the Feb. 12 school committee meeting. Superintendent Scott Carpenter said the proposal for the curriculum change came from a strategic planning fo...

HARWICH — If a petition article passes muster with voters this spring, Harwich town departments will no longer be able to purchase or distribute beverages in plastic bottles. The article, submitted in Harwich by resident Patrick Otton, is not a town-wide ban on single-use plastic bottles, just a bylaw change to prohibit town government from procuring and distributing them. “I walk the beaches daily, and I...

EAST HARWICH — When it comes to addressing climate change, what’s needed is an audacious plan to get the nation to zero carbon emissions within the decade. And while some might call U.S. Sen. Ed Markey’s “Green New Deal” too ambitious, State Rep. Sarah Peake said there’s precedent for the nation getting behind sweeping change – if the stakes are high enough. Speaking before Harwich Democrats Monday, the Prov...