Theodora E. Koepper                 Theodora E. Koepper died peacefully at the home of her daughter Cynthia Thompson in Acton on February 21, 2017 at the age of 94. Born in Karlsruhe, Germany, she was the daughter of Gertrude and Leo Berberich.                 She married John G. Koepper in 1942.  Shortly after he was deployed to England as part of the 8th Air Force, 389th Bombardment Group.  After the War th...

Robert Harris Wilkinson             West Harwich - Robert Harris Wilkinson of West Harwich died peacefully at Cape Cod Hospital on March 9, 2017 with his family beside him.              Bob, also well known as “Wilkee” was born on August 6, 1941 in New Haven, Conn.  He was the son of the late Bob and Ann (Fitzharris) Wilkinson.  He was the beloved husband of his wife Phyllis (Holden) Wilkinson and his daugh...

Sharon (Gentry) Cruickshank                   CHATHAM – Sharon (Gentry) Cruickshank passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 8 in Chatham at the age of 80.  Sharon was born in 1937, in Findlay, Ohio, to Hazel M. (Corbin) and Myles F. Gentry.                 After graduating from Port Clinton, Ohio, High School in 1955, she attended Kent State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree, m...

HARWICH PORT — Outer Cape Health Services, the region's nonprofit community health center, is on the edge of something big. The health care provider is launching a major expansion in Harwich Port, based at the former Thompson's Farm Market property at 710 Route 28. Two weeks ago, Outer Cape moved its telephone call center to the building's spacious upstairs offices, where a team of workers handled 1,100 requ...

ORLEANS — The intersection of Route 6A and West Road, the first impression many visitors have of Orleans, will send a different message in years to come.     The big barn of a building that held the Hearth 'n Kettle restaurant is being torn down, complete with its little gazebo. In its place will rise a large CVS pharmacy complete with drive-through window.     Instead of “stop and linger,” the message will be mo...

ORLEANS — Theatergoers are familiar with the Night of New Works presented annually by the Academy Playhouse. Through March 31, you can enjoy a whole month of new works at Orleans Town Hall. The artists are sixth to 12 th graders at Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School, Nauset Regional Middle School, and Nauset Regional High School, and their art and media are as distinctive as their creators. Just inside t...

 Strong Winds, High Seas Batter Lower Cape      CHATHAM — Though barely a flake of snow fell, Tuesday's strong storm downed scores of limbs and trees and tore up east-facing portions of the shoreline with high surf.  The afternoon high tide inundated low-lying coastal areas, flooded portions of Old Wharf Road in North Chatham and splashed over Route 28 in East Harwich and South Orleans. Winds...

Acknowledging that their draft wastewater agreement with Harwich is a complex, weighty document, some Chatham selectmen are floating the possibility of deferring action until a special town meeting in the summer or fall, rather than seeking approval at the May annual town meeting. The board will likely make a decision at its March 14 meeting, but several people at their Feb. 28 session raised the possibly of d...

CHATHAM — A downtown landmark for more than a century, the large livery barn at the former Eldredge Garage will likely go under the wrecking ball this week, deemed unsafe to use and impractical to restore. But before being reduced to rubble, the historic building had a secret treasure for preservationists. Deep in the basement of the old building, perhaps untouched for the better part of a century, was a horse...

CHATHAM – Given the uncertainty about the future of the main navigation channel into Chatham Harbor, selectmen are raising questions about sinking millions into renovations of the municipal fish pier and are looking for more flexibility in directing resources to Stage Harbor as an alternative for the town's commercial fishing fleet. Rather than move ahead with just some of the elements of a five-year waterfron...

CHATHAM – Selectmen may not be ready for the town to move forward with a $350,000 remake of the town offices parking lot and the surrounding streetscape. The proposal, submitted as a separate capital expenditure article for the May annual town meeting, calls for resurfacing and relining of the parking lot – located in the heart of the Main Street shopping district – which could yield additional parking spaces....

Sixty-seven years after the sad event, Archie S. Nickerson recently reminisced about the afternoon of Oct. 30, 1950, when his father and his father’s fishing partner drowned crossing Chatham Bar. Archie, now 82, is the sole remaining member of the family in which he grew up. This afternoon he is sitting at the kitchen table in his ranch house not too far from Ridgevale Beach. He opens a thin manila envelope la...

CHATHAM – The chamber of commerce is seeking an increase its annual appropriation from the town in order to step up its efforts to promote and brand Chatham as a destination for both short-term and long-term visitors. Executive Director Lisa Franz said the chamber has largely been responsible for marketing and branding Chatham, and hoped that by providing additional funds, the town could become a partner in th...

CHATHAM – Community preservation projects totaling more than $500,000 will appear on the May annual town meeting warrant, all of them with the support of the board of selectmen. Recreation-related projects dominate the CPC articles, although one critical request which almost didn't make the approved list was handled in a creative way. The historical commission had requested $30,000 under the historic preser...

HARWICH — Selectmen made clear their opposition to a petitioned article that would direct the town not to use its resources to enforce federal immigration laws unless police officers have a criminal warrant or evidence of probable cause of another crime. The petitioned article was filed by Harwich resident Elaine Dickerson, who said it is part of a Cape-wide initiative to put the concept before voters. The pet...