HARWICH — The board of selectmen did not violate the state Open Meeting Law when it failed to conspicuously record the date and time of a revision to the notice for its Sept. 18 meeting, the Attorney General's Office has ruled. The decision issued by the Division of Open Government pointed out the board conceded it did not record the information cited in a complaint filed by Barnstable County Commissioner Rona...

EAST HARWICH — Dean Viprino, 45, pleaded guilty last Wednesday in federal court in Boston to fentanyl conspiracy. In U.S. District Court Wednesdy, Viprino pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess, with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for March 20, 2018. Viprino was a customer of Alex Fraga, one of four peopl...

HARWICH — While 2016 was a contentious year for Town Administrator Christopher Clark, which caused him to seek jobs in several towns across the state, 2017 was a turn-about year for the town administrator, who heard a lot of praise from selectmen and received a 2.5 percent salary adjustment and a two-year extension on his contract. Clark Settles Back In At the tail end of 2016, Clark was a finalist for to...

HARWICH — The planning board has approved a site plan review waiver for the Cranberry Valley Golf Course cart barn project, which town officials argued is necessary to get work underway so it does not interfere with course operations in the spring. Town Administrator Christopher Clark told the board last week the town needs to have a building permit before it can order the metal barn structure, which will take...

For Madhavi Venkatesan, greater understanding of the relationship between sustainability and economics is the key to saving the environment. One aspect of that is plastic bottles; specifically, educating people on their cost and working toward a Cape-wide ban. The Cape Cod is the perfect place to demonstrate how a plastic bottle ban can help both the economy and the environment, said the Brewster resident, and...

Lower Cape Comes Through Editor: On behalf of the Harwich firefighters and police officers, I would like to thank everyone who donated to this year's food and toy drive, our most successful yet. I would particularly like to thank the following local businesses for their donations that made this program possible: Sheriff James Cummings, Nauset Disposal, New England Gardens, 400 East Restaurant, Red's Pizza, ...

As we close out one year and look ahead to the next, it's a good time to remember the people we lost over the past 12 months who made a difference in our lives and our communities. Chatham was stunned last February when former Selectman Tom Roper passed away unexpectedly. Known for his attention to detail and penchant for humor, he'd entered town politics as a bit of an outlier and evolved into a voice of reas...

Rows and flows of angel hair And ice cream castles in the air And feathers canyons everywhere I’ve looked at clouds that way   But now they only block the sun They rain and snow on everyone So many things I would have done But clouds got in my way   Joni Mitchell wrote the song and Judy Collins sung it on her “Wildflowers” album released in 1967. It is a wonderful song and Judy Colli...

ORLEANS — In 2017, the town started delivering on some promises it made to itself while preparing to make more. A new police station rose quickly at the corner of Eldredge Park Way and Route 28 while a consolidated DPW/natural resources headquarters began construction at the transfer station. Voters kept funds flowing to water quality projects and approved construction of the core of the downtown sewer colle...

HARWICH ─ If the Nauset Warriors were looking for an easy run against the Monomoy Sharks on Dec. 15 in Monomoy's home opener, they didn't get it. Though the visiting Warriors ultimately eked past the Sharks in the second half, Monomoy put up one heck of a fight, taking a 20-12 lead into the half before Nauset rallied back for a 48-29 win. Nauset took an early lead in the outing, netting nine points to Monomo...

HYANNIS ─ The start of the 2017-2018 season has been a toughie for the Monomoy-Mashpee Monarchs boys varsity ice hockey team, but if their Twitter feed is any indication of their spirit, this is one determined team. After losses to Abington and Nauset, a post appeared on the social media site praising the team's perseverance and will as the Monarchs continue working toward that first victory. The season k...

HARWICH ─ To say that it was a tough night for the Monomoy girls basketball team would be overstating the obvious, but in spite of a tough 46-5 loss to Nauset on Dec. 15, the Sharks worked tirelessly throughout the game regardless of the scoreboard. Monomoy's lone basket came from senior captain Maddie Leonard, who found the hoop in the third quarter, with the remaining three points coming from successful fr...

HARWICH ─ The Family Pantry of Cape Cod is typically closed on Sundays, but Dec. 17 was different. It was Toy Day, an annual event that this year will allow more than 600 families to celebrate Christmas with a little something special. Pulling off the feat that is Toy Day requires immense dedication and determination, not to mention planning, the latter of which begins in at the start of September, long befo...

Janice B. Liva               WESTON- Janice B. Liva, of Weston and Chatham, passed away on Saturday November 25, 2017 following a rare illness that she bravely fought for the past 20 years. She passed in the arms of her loving husband, Kevin G. Tubridy of Weston with whom she shared a 40 year love story.               Born in Medford on January 29, 1953, she was a daughter of Lorraine (Loanes) Liva of...

CHATHAM — Critics of the West Chatham Route 28 reconstruction plan say they believe the project will take much longer than advertised to complete, impacting local businesses and traffic through 2021 or later. The board of selectmen is repeating its request to have MassDOT officials come to town to clarify the project time frame. In May, responding to a request by project opponent David Burns, selectmen as...