ORLEANS — The board of selectmen and the finance committee are on the same page heading into the Oct. 16 special town meeting, with favorable recommendations on water quality projects, HVAC upgrades to the elementary school, and other articles. But not all of last week's votes were unanimous. Majorities of both boards agreed that the town should spend $3.68 million to put in the core of the downtown sewer syst...

ORLEANS — The town of Chatham is willing to patrol its section of Nauset Beach, but it wants to share costs and revenues in a new arrangement with the town of Orleans. “We can't just ask our taxpayers to pay that cost,” Chatham Selectman Shareen Davis said at a meeting of the two boards Sept. 13. “We're trying to find the best-case scenario to offset costs.” Following the 2007 break in the barrier beach, ...

ORLEANS — For a while Saturday night, Mother Nature just didn't want summer to end. A heavy blanket of moist air descended on Nauset Beach, where thousands had lined up to face a towering stack of pallets destined to become a glorious bonfire. As Orleans DJ Tom Tuttle spun (appropriately) the long version of “Light My Fire” (“The time to hesitate is through”), the throngs waited patiently for the pyrotechnic...

Having weakened to tropical storm status overnight, José is set to pass south of Nantucket today, bringing gusty winds, coastal erosion and heavy rain. Meteorologists say the experience will be more like a strong fall nor'easter than a hurricane. Because the center of the storm is expected to loop south of Nantucket, stormy weather is forecast to remain in the area throug...

  Thomas F. Murphy Jr. Thomas F. Murphy Jr. of Wellesley Hills and Chatham, MA passed away peacefully at home on September 5 th surrounded by his family after a brave fight against ALS. Born in Worcester, MA, Tom was the son of Thomas F. Murphy and Elizabeth Price Murphy. He was a graduate of Saint John’s rep in Shrewsbury, MA; The College of the Holy Cross in Worceste...

Robert S. Hardy               Robert S. Hardy passed away on September 6, 2017, following a hospitalization related to Type 1 diabetes.   He was two weeks shy of his 98 th birthday.   His wife of 59 years, Ann (Robinson) preceded him in death in 2003.               Bob was born in Chatham on September 21, 1919, to the late Josiah and Viola Josephine (Hawes) Hardy.     Following graduation from Chatha...

    Sister Linda Ann Harless   Linda Ann Harless was born to William Larsson and Kathleen Collins on June 11, 1948 in Queens, New York. Our beloved mother fell asleep in death on Sunday, September 10, 2017.             She was married John Harless. Husband of 14 years who preceded her in death in 2005. She leaves behind her 6 children, 14 grandchildren, 2 siblings and 2 cats. Linda helped to suppor...

John Payson     John V. Payson, of Chatham, formerly of Roxbury, Conn.  died of cancer peacefully and in the presence of family on September 5, 2017 just short of his 95 th birthday.  John entered the Navy in 1943 serving as an Air Operations Officer on the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt aircraft carrier (CV-42). He was a Communications Officer, Aerial Navigator and multi-l...

CHATHAM — Town meeting voters next May will be asked to spend around a quarter million dollars to purchase a boat ramp on the Mitchell River. And some of those voters might be surprised to learn that ramp, in use by the public for decades, wasn't owned by the town all along. Just west of the Mitchell River drawbridge, the landing is popular among shellfishermen and users of small recreational boats. The land...

CHATHAM – With support from neighborhood residents, the town's historical commission plans to move forward with a National Historic Register District nomination for South Chatham. Neighborhood residents asked “a lot of good questions” at an informational session as part of the South Chatham Village Association's annual meeting Saturday, said commission chairman Frank Messina. Chad Yates, president of the South...

CHATHAM – Beach nourishment, mooring regulations and parking at the fish pier are among the subjects members of the summer residents advisory committee see as top priorities for the board of selectmen. Chairman Michael Waters presented the board with six recommendations developed by the advisory group over the course of its 11 meetings this past summer. The committee met with town staff, selectmen and committe...

CHATHAM — Selectmen Tuesday moved ahead with plans to draft new bylaws which, if approved by voters, would snuff out any chance of recreational marijuana shops opening in town. Leading the charge was selectman Dean Nicastro, who noted that 57.6 percent of Chatham voters rejected last year's petition to legalize recreational marijuana, though a majority of voters across the state approved it. The new law allo...

CHATHAM — John Payson, who consistently challenged the town's approach to managing drinking water and wastewater, died last Tuesday after a brief bout with cancer. He was 94 years old, and had been doggedly researching water management issues until just a few weeks before his death, according to his family. Mr. Payson was a regular contributor to the development of the town's comprehensive wastewater managem...

CHATHAM – While there's still a lot of refining to do, options for a new senior center presented to the council on aging board Monday estimated it will cost between $7 and $10 million to build the facility. Three different size buildings, each with numerous program options – including an adult day center – based on needs assessments and demographic studies of the town's population were outlined by Joel Bargman...

Last year, Harwich residents Sarah and Steve Swain considered climbing aboard the 47-foot ketch Steve had restored and, along with their three children, accompanying friends on a months-long cruise along the Atlantic coast. They didn't end up going. “We just weren't ready,” recalled Sarah, a musician and founder and CEO of the Cape Wellness Collaborative. That turned out to be the right decision. Over the w...

HARWICH — The success of the Harwich Cultural Center in the former Harwich Middle School was evident Monday night when selectmen discussed some potential adjustments there. Community Center Director Carolyn Carey told selectmen there is a 21-person waiting list to access space in the facility. Carey said she is working with Facilities Maintenance Director Sean Libby to upgrade the three portable classrooms to ...