HARWICH — Low water levels and sand deposits at the sluiceways in the headwater ponds of the Herring River made it a challenge for fry to make their way to the ocean this fall. Fisheries officials observed juvenile fish seeking a route to Nantucket Sound as late as early December. In response, a unique solution has been developed to prevent sand from blocking fishways. Natural Resources Department Director ...

HARWICH — Aurore “Rorie” Zuzick sailed her first boat on Long Pond as a kid growing up. As she studied the dynamics of wind against sails, little did she realize how far it take her. Today she is a naval architect providing major technological guidance for ships like the USS Zumwalt, a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer and the nation's most technically advanced warship. Zuzick specializes in computational flu...

With the clock running down on The Chronicle's annual “Helping Neighbors” campaign for the Family Pantry of Cape Cod, donations were continuing to arrive, and a generous matching grant is now in effect. Thanks to an anonymous family of Chatham summer residents, donations postmarked now through New Year's Eve will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000. As of Dec. 22, however, a gap of more than $17,00...

HARWICH — Grand Slam Entertainment has some haunting plans for the commercial site it operates along Route 28 just west of Sisson Road. The entertainment center has operated bumper boats and batting cages there over the past 28 years, and this past year they added a zip line. But this is where it gets scary. Owner Phillip “Skip” Fennell was before the conservation commission last week discussing the creation o...

HARWICH — Abutters are pushing to see how resilient The Resilient Family Farm will be in a residential neighborhood off Chatham Road. Several neighbors were before the conservation commission last week complaining about the intensity of farm use and charging the town dropped the ball in allowing the commercial farm to plant roots in their neighborhood. “We have already experienced, at times, palpable lev...

HARWICH — Looking back at Harwich in 2016, there have been a number of positive accomplishments, including putting in place the comprehensive wastewater management plan, construction of an artificial reef offshore and completion of the Muddy Creek Bridge project. But the town also suffered a few setbacks, including a delay in the waterside renovations planned for Saquatucket Harbor for a year based on the abse...

In the final days of The Chronicle's “Helping Neighbors” campaign to benefit the Family Pantry, donations were surging in from groups, individuals and businesses. But several days before Christmas, it appeared the campaign would fall short of its $60,000 goal. “What we need here is a little holiday magic,” Chronicle Publisher Henry C. Hyora said Monday. “We're extending the campaign through New Year's Eve to g...

HARWICH — The board of selectmen approved the recommendation of Town Administrator Christopher Clark to appoint David Withrow as interim town accountant/finance director through March 31. Withrow will serve in the interim capacity while the town conducts a search for a new full-time town accountant/finance director to replace Andrew Gould, who announce his resignation a couple of weeks ago and will be taking a...

HARWICH — A second look is always a good idea when a golfer is about to make a putt. That turned out to also be the case for the town's golf committee. After a second look at facilities improvements at Cranberry Valley Golf Course, the group has come back with a broader scope of improvements and an estimated $400,000 in savings. A few years ago the committee retained the firm of Brown, Lindquist, Fenuccio a...

HARWICH — The real estate and open space committee is recommending that selectmen move forward with an appraisal and begin investigating the process for selling the former fire station property on Bank Street. The property currently houses the harbor department's workshop. Town Administrator Christopher Clark sent a memo to the committee in early November noting the planned infrastructure improvements at Saqua...

HARWICH — The sign on the former Getty gas station property in Harwich Center that reads “Winstead Village Inn Expansion” is drawing a lot of attention. The landscaping along Main Street in front of the shuttered station has also been vastly improved, with holiday lighting signaling hope for the future there. The property is owned by Bassil Brothers Trust, which purchased it from Getty Realty Corporation for $...

HARWICH — Town officials got a close look Monday night at the capital plan and what it means for taxpayers going forward. The plan recommends $13 million in projects in FY18, driven primarily by more than $4 million in wastewater infrastructure. “The sale of wastewater is the elephant in the room,” Capital Outlay Committee Chairman Richard Larios told the gathering of selectmen and finance committee members in...