HARWICH — Selectmen are considering whether to reduce the quorum for the Sept. 26 annual town meeting to as low as 15 registered voters. On Monday, according to the agenda, the board will “vote pursuant (to Massachusetts General Law) to reduce the quorum for the annual town meeting…to no less than 10 percent of the quorum requirement of 150 under section 271- 2 of the Town Code, or 15 registered voters.” Mo...

HARWICH — When selectmen were unable to reach a decision on the appointment of a new town administrator several weeks ago, they agreed to retain Interim Town Administrator Joseph Powers for one year. On Monday, however, the board voted to extend Powers' appointment for 90 days. The appointment will expire on Nov. 18. It would conclude a full year of service for Powers as interim town administrator. Question...

HARWICH — Every day, Ann Frechette walks along the shore of John Josephs Pond and picks up a cup full of tiny foam beads. She told the conservation commission last week that Styrofoam is spewing into the pond every day from an old dock on a neighbor’s property and she is concerned about the impacts on wildlife and the environment. Frechette said when she purchased her property on the pond there was an old dock...

When it comes to housing, child care, hunger and the wealth gap, COVID-19 has exposed and worsened existing problems on Cape Cod. That was the conclusion of a panel of experts who met in a virtual “State of Cape Cod” session last week. From an economic standpoint, things may not seem too different this summer, but looks can be deceiving, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Wendy Northcross said. Th...

78 Percent Will Attend In Person Teachers are returning to the Monomoy Schools today, and students will follow in about two-and-a-half weeks. When they do, the school district will be ready, Superintendent Scott Carpenter said. “We’re essentially running two different Monomoys,” he told the Chatham selectmen last week. Parents were given a choice whether to have their children attend classes remotely or in ...

HARWICH — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is predicting record cranberry crops in Massachusetts and across the country. Local growers, however, are being more conservative in their crop estimates based on recent heat and drought conditions, and are wary of larger harvests that drive down prices. “It’s basic supply and demand,” Harwich cranberry farmer Wayne Coulson said. “The greater the supply the more the...

HARWICH — The appeals board will consider a variance request next week to convert a 17-acre sand and gravel pit into a solar/photovoltaic facility in East Harwich. The application was filed by DFN, Inc., Steven Clark, president. The property is identified as 0 Depot Rd. and is located in the Residential Rural District and a Water Resource Protection District. The parcel presently is a pre-existing, non-conform...

HARWICH — Selectmen on Monday night changed the date and location for the annual town meeting based on the persistence of COVID-19 and the need to conduct the session outdoors. The board voted to hold the annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. at the Monomoy Regional High School stadium field at 75 Oak St. Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. was set as the rain date. The town charter calls for the annual me...

Thrift Shop Supports The Family Pantry WEST HARWICH — You wouldn’t call it “business as usual,” but the Second Glance thrift store is up and running, generating important revenue for the Family Pantry of Cape Cod. The priority now is safety, not sales. “We have had a number of returning customers who have been so grateful that we are open,” store Manager Carol Chaves said. “Our custom...

Proclamation Includes Locally Focused Addition HARWICH – The death of George Floyd sent shockwaves around the country, inspiring protests and demands for change. In Massachusetts, the Mass Association of School Committees (MASC) created a document it has encouraged school districts throughout the state to sign and adopt, though many, including the Monomoy Regional School District, had reservations. After le...

HARWICH — The attorney for two Harwich Port restaurants sparred with town officials and state investigators over alleged violations of COVID-19 emergency regulations during liquor license hearings last week. The hearings held by Interim Town Administrator Joseph Powers on alleged liquor license violations at Ember Pizza and The Port restaurants reached no conclusions after problems with remote participation ca...

HARWICH — The Nantucket Sound Bay Scallop Company is proposing to grow bay scallops in a small section of the Herring River. The company is seeking a class III marine aquaculture permit from the state Division of Marine Fisheries to cultivate scallops in the waterway. Daniel Ward and Jeffrey Lang are partners in the company. Lang owns the property adjacent to the river where scallops are proposed to be grown. ...