CHATHAM – Nearly 18 months after construction started, the new fish pier observation deck finally opened to the public Thursday. A few visitors were watching fishing boats unload and seals swimming in Aunt Lydia's Cove from the new, spacious deck. A board of health order mandates that face masks be worn on the observation deck from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Construction of the $1.7 million deck began in January 2019...

HARWICH – Voters cast ballots in very low numbers in Tuesday's annual town election due both to the absence of any elective races and the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 805 voters cast ballots during limited polling hours. Incumbent selectmen Donald Howell and Larry Ballantine were returned to office with 602 and 593 votes, respectively. Incumbent Monomoy Regional School Committee members Meredith Henderson, 633 vote...

                CONNER, Ruth E. (Abrahamson) Conner (1927 – 2020), 92, of      Harwich passed away on June 22, 2020 surrounded by her children.                   Born and raised in Worcester, Ruth was a gifted seamstress, artist and baker.  Ruth was known for her Swedish coffee bread, donuts, pies and pinwheels.  She often had just baked these sweet treats in time for her children’s and grandchildren’s r...

CHATHAM – For the first time in eight years, “Jaws” won't be playing on Chatham's Main Street. The summer blockbuster has become a popular favorite at the Chatham Orpheum Theater, showing to sell-out crowds despite the fact that it was released 45 years ago. But with the ongoing pandemic, the Orpheum remains dark, with no indication of when it will reopen. “We're hoping for this fall, September or October,”...

CHATHAM — For many, the end of 2020 will be a milestone worth celebrating. But because of the pandemic, they won’t be marking New Year’s Eve the usual way at First Night Chatham. Late last week, event organizers announced that because of the pandemic, First Night Chatham will not be held as a live event. “It’s a tremendous disappointment,” First Night spokesman John Reed said. More than 300 volunteers loo...

CHATHAM — There are many workers on Cape Cod who are ready to return to their jobs, but can’t do so because of the lack of child care. State rules designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 have hobbled preschools, day care centers and summer recreation programs, and those that do open will have very limited enrollment. On Saturday Night, Theresa Malone of Monomoy Community Services learned that their request to...

When approximately 1,000 demonstrators marched through Harwich Center June 6 to protest the death of George Floyd, standing behind the banner leading the crowd, which was held by the two high school students who initiated the event, was Harwich Police Chief David Guillemette. “I think it's important for police departments to send the message to the community that what occurred was unacceptable,” Guillemette sa...

CHATHAM – Carolyn Wass has wanted to vote in a political election for some time, and now, after becoming an American citizen, she can and couldn’t be more excited, even if the ceremony was far more understated than is typical due to the ongoing pandemic. Wass’s son was the first in the family to obtain US citizenship some time ago. His ceremony was held at Mechanics Hall in Worcester where he was one of at lea...

CHATHAM – The two incumbent Monomoy Regional School Committee members beat back two challengers to win new terms in Thursday's annual town election. Nancy Scott and Jacqueline Zibrat-Long were re-elected to new three-year terms, outdistancing Robert Hessler and Elizabeth Taylor. Scott received the most votes, 366, one vote more than Zibrat-Long. Hessler received 201 votes and Taylor 174. Scott said she was ...

CHATHAM – A woman wearing a face mask walked into a downtown restaurant and heard a quack. No, that's not the setup for a joke. It's what one local resident related happened to her last week, saying she felt ridiculed for wearing a mask, even though a board of health order makes face coverings mandatory downtown. Heading into the July 4 holiday weekend, the number of visitors to town is rising and officials...

HARWICH — The board of appeals has unanimously approved a variance for a trimmed-down proposal for a miniature golf course on the Emulous Hall Realty Trust property at the corner of Route 28 and Sisson Road. This is the second time proponents have sought to develop a miniature golf course on the property, which includes Bud’s Go Karts and an antiques store. In April, a previous proposal seeking a 36-hole cours...

Pandemic Means Huge Demand On Family Pantry The pandemic, and the economic uncertainty it brings, has forced more and more people to turn to the Family Pantry of Cape Cod for help putting food on the table. And thanks to the community’s incredible generosity in the last three months, the Pantry has been able to meet that demand, adapting to a drive-through pantry model for COVID-19 safety and expanding its mob...

HARWICH – It is a project more than 10 years and considerable effort in the making, and on June 25 the excitement among the small gathering of supporters and nature enthusiasts was palpable as the Harwich Conservation Trust’s Muddy Creek Headwaters Preserve was officially opened as a new and evolving trail. Located at 33 Church St., the property originally belonged to the Marini family, as Don Marini explained...

Responding to the alarming resurgence of COVID-19 in other parts of the country, Gov. Charlie Baker Tuesday let stand a requirement that out-of-state visitors must self-quarantine for 14 days. But he lifted that requirement for people visiting from elsewhere in New England, from New York or New Jersey. Local tourism officials say the change is not likely to have a great impact, since most of the visitors curre...

HARWICH — The council on aging, working with the Academic Public Health Volunteer Corps, will be reaching out to senior citizens to better understand their unmet needs. The COA has been functioning without a social services coordinator since April 24 when Susanna Keith resigned to take a new job closer to family in Maine. Because the town has a hiring freeze in place due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic...