HARWICH — Emergency repairs have been made to the roof of the historic West Harwich Schoolhouse, which has been vacant for more than two decades, during which the town has wrestled with what to do with the 1871 building. Selectmen Chairman Larry Ballantine said he received an email from former selectman Peter Hughes who had been at the former schoolhouse and noticed holes in the roof. Hughes recommended the to...

HARWICH — Opposition is building to the 100-unit apartment development proposed on 12 acres off Route 137 in East Harwich. There is a petition circulating seeking to block the development and at least one member of the board of selectmen is speaking out against the project. Selectmen this week agreed to hold a public forum next Monday on the proposed development based on the mounting opposition. A presentation...

HARWICH — Selectmen approved an extension of Interim Assistant Town Administrator Robert Lawton’s contract last week through Dec. 31, and also took steps to fill the position on a more permanent basis. Lawton’s agreement with the town had expired, and selectmen last week approved the new agreement, post-dated to Oct. 1. Interim Town Administrator Joseph Powers said the town of Yarmouth is also looking for an i...

HARWICH — The golf committee is taking steps to eliminate the special annual rate categories it has established for members of Cranberry Valley Golf Course who live in Chatham, Eastham and Orleans, reducing the annual rate categories to just Harwich residents and non-residents. Presently there are three categories and four different annual rate fees. Harwich residents pay $810; Chatham residents $835; and East...

WEST HARWICH — When historian Duncan Berry heard the West Harwich Baptist Church was for sale, he worried that the history of the church might be lost, and along with it, the history of the village and his own family. He recently decided to share some of that history in a public tour of the church cemetery, poring over old names and all-but-forgotten stories. Suffering from low attendance worsen...

HARWICH – Habitat for Humanity Cape Cod has begun accepting applications for the six homes to be constructed on Murray Lane off Route 28 in West Harwich. The deadline for filing applications is Dec. 1. Habitat will be building four three-bedroom homes and two two-bedroom homes on land to the rear of 93 and 97 Route 28. This is a home ownership opportunity for individuals and families who earn about 65 percent ...

Major Owner Adds To His Harwich Port Property Portfolio HARWICH — Dr. Gravity’s Kite Shop building in the center of Harwich Port has been sold, and owner Peter Hurst is also planning to sell the kite shop business he has operated at the spot for the past 45 years. “It was just time,” Hurst said. The Dr. Gravity building is tightly packed on the lot and has an apartment above the shop. Hurst's family h...

HARWICH — The planning board last week approved site plan permits for the18-hole miniature golf course to be located next to Bud’s Go Karts on the corner of Route 28 and Sisson Road, but there remains an outstanding issue over the hours of operation. The attorney for the course developers said he'll return to the zoning board of appeals, which approved a variance for the project earlier this year, to get an in...

HARWICH — The outbuilding on the former Handler’s Auto Parts property sits on the 50-foot no-build buffer zone line established under wetland protection laws. While the conservation commission last week approved its removal, the foundation slabs will remain to allow potential future development. Jeff Handler was before the commission to provide an update of the remediation project taking place on the 3.14-acre...

HARWICH — Having just put a FY21 budget in place, selectmen on Monday began shaping the message for funding the next fiscal year’s spending plan. The message contained in the draft proposal stated the desire to stay within the spending limits of Proposition 2½, but that was not strong enough for members of the board. “Selectmen desire a budget that is within the Proposition 2½ limits without the need for a gen...

Still No Plans For Future Development  HARWICH — The land remediation work on the 3.14-acre Handler Auto Parts site along Route 28 in Harwich Port is nearing completion, but there remains no plan for the redevelopment of the land, which commands sweeping views of Allen Harbor and its marsh. Jeff Handler said this week no decisions have been made on future plans for development of the property, which is zone...

HARWICH — The grounds around the A. Elmer Crowell barn at Brooks Academy are looking shabby, Harwich Center resident Paul Doane told members of the Brooks Academy Museum committee last week. Doane, who volunteers at the historic barn where the renowned decoy carver did his work, said the trees lost during last year’s tornado and the drought this area experienced over the summer have created dire landscape cond...