HARWICH — Recreation Department Director Eric Beeb presented the board of selectmen with a 2020 beach season opening plan that limits some beach parking and reduces the sale of one-day beach passes to two beaches. The board approved the plan by consensus last week. Interim Town Administrator Joseph Powers said the plan takes in the town’s obligation under Gov. Charlie Baker’s first phase of reopening Massachus...

HARWICH — The Conservation Law Foundation and the Wychmere Beach Club have agreed to a proposed settlement in a lawsuit filed by CLF alleging that the resort was illegally discharging pollution into marine waters. The settlement would result in reduced pollution, new efforts to address nitrogen sources and protect the Wychmere Harbor Watershed, according to a press release from CLF. It follows a U.S. Supreme C...

HARWICH PORT — The Port and Ember restaurants will be investigated by the town for alleged violations of a state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission prohibition against selling alcohol for on-premises consumption during the COVID-19 state of emergency. On May 18, when Gov. Charlie Baker issued his Reopening Massachusetts plan and announced the first phase, the ABCC reaffirmed an advisory which stated “all on...

A Projected Shortfall Of $4.1 Million In FY21 HARWICH — Selectmen warned department heads to expect revenue shortfalls going into FY21 and urged town departments to come together in creative ways to continue to provide services to the community. Board of Selectmen Chairman Larry Ballantine said while this year has been difficult, next year will be even more difficult. Selectmen made it clear, however, that ...

On Cape Cod, where so many of us are focused now on economic survival in the midst of a pandemic, Minneapolis and other cities where protests have raged seems a world away. But as we’re fighting to salvage the summer of 2020, and our livelihoods, others are fighting for justice. We share the world’s outrage at the death of George Floyd last week. There is no excuse for a police officer to pin a man to the grou...

Salute To Connick's Legacy Editor: Once again, the coronavirus has disrupted another important town function. Our fire chief, Pete Connick, will be passing command to our newest Chief David DePasquele. This is an important ceremony to those who had the honor of serving with both Pete and David, and I wish I could attend as do many others. I've tried to find out just how many years Pete was an EMT instructor...

At noon on Monday, church bells on the Lower Cape and around the country pealed for 17 minutes to mark a somber occasion. The nation’s death toll from COVID-19 has topped 100,000 people. “Not a good milestone to make,” Chatham Health and Natural Resources Director Robert Duncanson said. By Monday evening, the national death toll had already reached 104,799. The statistics are at once alarming and numbing, but ...

ORLEANS — You could feel Carol Counihan’s excitement as she and her husband Tim decorated their van in the Nauset Regional Middle School parking lot May 27. They were going to see her mother, Lillian Blakely, at The Terraces Continuing Care Community for the first time in months. And they had lots of company. More than 50 cars, vans, and police and fire vehicles gathered last week for a “Love Caravan” to the T...

HARWICH — The Conservation Law Foundation and the Wychmere Beach Club have agreed to a proposed settlement of a lawsuit filed by CLF alleging that the resort was illegally discharging pollution into marine waters. The settlement would result in reduced pollution, new efforts to address nitrogen sources and protect the Wychmere Harbor Watershed, according to a press release from CLF. It follows a U.S. Supreme C...

                Linda C. Bohman, 54, of Jupiter, Fla. and frequent visitor to Chatham, died May 9, 2020 at her parents’ home in Centerville, Ohio.                  Born in Tacoma, Washington, she was the wife of Dave Bohman, formerly of Chatham.  A graduate of Fairmont West High School in Kettering, Ohio, and Luzerne Community College in Nanticoke, Pa., Linda worked as a nurse; a freelance wellness coordinator...

Leslie Abbott, 81 years old, passed away on May 24 th .  She was born in Winnetka, Illinois, graduated from New Trier High School and Skidmore College.           Upon marrying her loving and exceptionally caring husband, Robert (Bob) Abbott Jr., of 60 years, Leslie became an East coast transplant living in Weston early on and later the Cape and Vero, Florida. They raised three wonderful children; Anne Randl...

Town Issuing Fines, Could Seek Court Order SOUTH CHATHAM — Saying he’s being strong-armed by state regulators, the owner of a local fitness center opened his doors in defiance of the state closure last Wednesday. The owner of Bodystrong Fitness said the company needs to make money to survive. “We opened against the governor’s order because we have to at this point. It’s been two months,” majority owner Coli...

CHATHAM – Not long after the coronavirus lockdown, Hank Holden learned from Wayside Inn owner David Oppenheim of an effort to establish a special fund to help residents hurt financially by the closure of local businesses. The more he learned about the Chatham Coronavirus Impact Fund started by Marybeth and Stephen Daniel, and the efforts being made by Monomoy Community Services to help people, the more he realize...

But State Agrees To Smooth Pavement WEST CHATHAM — Hotly debated for years and delayed by a gas company mistake, the long-awaited West Chatham roadway reconstruction project faces new uncertainty because of COVID-19. But in one happy bit of news, the state has agreed to make temporary improvements to smooth the bumpy pavement that has been rattling teeth for months. On Wednesday, after press time, sele...

Commission: Neglect Contributed To Deterioration CHATHAM – The historical commission has agreed to lift a demolition delay on a Cockle Cove Road house that has deteriorated beyond repair. Commission members were critical of the lack of maintenance on the house at 26 Cockle Cove Rd., calling it a case of demolition by neglect. The administrator of the trust that owns the 1.1 acre property said the family has...

CHATHAM – On Monday, the first day in more than seven weeks that nonessential retail shops were allowed a limited opening, there was a light but steady stream of people downtown, and many businesses had thrown open doors and set up tables to provide curbside service. No one expected sales anywhere near the level of past Memorial Days, but many merchants saw it as a glimmer of hope in what has been a devastatin...