WEST HARWICH — The historic district and historical commission made it clear that it will not stand for “demolition by neglect” as a way to avoid the town's demolition delay bylaw, voting to place a one-year delay on he circa 1870 structure at 52 Route 28. The run-down building bears a large red “X” placed there by the fire department to note its hazardous condition to department personnel. It is a warning tha...

HARWICH – Robert Perry stared in amazement at his transformed back yard. What had been an area choked with weeds, cluttered with items ready for the dump, and shaded by overgrown saplings just hours before was now weed free, with trash and trees removed, sunlight dappling the freshly raked space. All the work was done by volunteers taking part in the ninth Annual Big Fix, which this year bettered the homes, and l...

HARWICH — The good news in Town Administrator Christopher Clark's five-year financial plan is that there is no projection of an override in the next fiscal year. But looking out to FY24, spending could outpace revenue by $2.5 million. Clark said he and Finance Director Carol Coppola worked closely in putting together the five-year financial plan that is required by the town charter each year. He made it clear ...

HARWICH — Treasurer/Tax Collector Amy Bullock will be getting a raise in January and selectmen are hoping that will address what they termed as a “poaching” effort by the town of Dennis to lure her away. After lengthy discussion among selectmen and Town Administrator Christopher Clark last week over a proposal Clark put forward to move Bullock from a M-4, step 9 to a M-5, step 7 pay grade as an “anti-poaching ...

HARWICH — At the cultural center on Sunday afternoon, Lower Cape Indivisible and several other local organizations sponsored a forum on disinformation, a word coined during the cold war that refers to the deliberate dissemination of wrong or distorted information. Speakers were invited to talk about three initiatives that will appear on the ballot in November which are vulnerable to disinformation campaigns: n...

HARWICH — There is a proposal in the works to restore oyster beds in the Herring River that could also serve to improve estuary's health. The oyster reef proposal would be a cooperative venture between the town's natural resources department and the conservation commission. Oysters have become a recognized source of filtration for the ability to process carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus at high rates, byprodu...

HARWICH — The board of selectmen Monday night voted to approve draft special legislation allowing the establishment of a Dennis, Harwich and Yarmouth Clean Water Partnership, which could lead the three towns into an agreement to share a wastewater treatment plant located in Dennis. The special legislation seeks to lay down the groundwork for the powers, duties and liabilities of the partnership and establish t...

HARWICH — The town will be weighing the interest of boatyards in leasing a section of Saquatucket Harbor parking lot to store deep-draft boats, including sailboats without dis-masting, over the winter. The issue of winter boat storage on town property has been contentious in recent years. Harbormaster John Rendon said he has had requests from a number of slipholders in Saquatucket Harbor to be able to store...

HARWICH — There is no better time to be in town than Harwich Cranberry Festival weekend, with the usually warm days and hints of fall in the evening, the red berries igniting the bogs and the festivities flowing like a perigean spring tide. This weekend is the most energetic of the year in town, with the Harwich Cranberry Arts and Music Festival hosting two days of great music and large crowds of people at the...

HARWICH — The historic district and historical commission will be acting on a notice of intent for the demolition of a historic structure at 52 Route 28 in West Harwich. The structure, the former Capt. George Winchell Baker House, was built circa 1870. The Route 28 corridor through West Harwich has been the focus of an initiative to establish a Captains' Row Historic District extending from the Herring River B...

HARWICH — The town has lost two department heads this past year and a third department head, Treasurer/Tax Collector Amy Bullock, has been offered a position in the town of Dennis. To retain employees, Town Administrator Christopher Clark sees the need to implement some “anti-poaching initiatives.” What often drives the decision to leave a position in one town to take a similar position in another town is comp...

HARWICH — The fire department has received a $70,866 Assistance to Firefighters grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to replace aging nozzles, add additional capabilities and provide training. “It's a huge bonus for us,” Fire Chief Norman Clarke, Jr. said on Monday of the grant that will cover the cost of replacing values and nozzles on firefighting equipment. The grant is critical because it ...