HARWICH — Voters in town meeting in May will be asked to adjust the way they set the salary for the town clerk. The town has been making adjustments to its classification and compensation plan for department heads over the past three years under an agreement with the Service Employees International Union. A similar non-union classification system is being proposed for the clerk position. Whether this will l...

In what could be seen as a referendum on the size and cost of county government on Cape Cod, Ronald Bergstrom of Chatham is seeking to unseat Harwich resident Leo Cakounes as Barnstable County commissioner in the November general election. Though county politics are general seen as nonpartisan, Bergstrom is a Democrat who is campaigning on the need to restore or expand the services provided by Barnstable Count...

DENNIS — The regional partnership to address water quality issues in Harwich, Dennis and Yarmouth received some reassurances last week with Dennis and Harwich reaffirming commitments to place articles on this spring's annual town meeting warrants seeking authorization for special legislation to establish the DHY Clean Waters Community Partnership. In a joint meeting among the three boards of selectmen last Thu...

HARWICH — Selectmen are weighing whether to participate in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies alleged to be behind the opioid epidemic in this country. Town Counsel John Giorgio made a presentation to selectmen on Monday night explaining the town may be able to recover costs incurred to the community from the crisis. Giorgio presented the background of the litigation being crafted by the Massachusetts ...

HARWICH — “These walls are smiling,” someone whispered as the voices of angels filled the sanctuary of the former South Harwich Methodist Church on Saturday. It had been many years since those walls buffered the voices of parishioners. The renewal of voice came in melodic harmony from the Chatham Chorale celebrating the 13-year preservation effort by the Friends of the South Harwich Meetinghouse, Inc., a major...

HARWICH — Mary Oldach, the current assistant principal at Harwich Elementary School, had the opportunity to become a principal in a neighboring school district, but decided she’d really rather remain in Harwich. “Every time I thought about leaving Monomoy, I was just very sad and heartsick,” she said. Oldach’s patience paid off. Last week, Superintendent of Schools Scott Carpenter announced that she will be ...

HARWICH — Officials are taking more low-key approaches to collecting back taxes, including arranging payment plans for delinquent taxpayers, than the more aggressive auction of tax liens to private investors that had been considered. The tax lien auction was seen by Treasurer/Tax Collector Amy Bullock as a way to reduce the $5.7 million in liens sitting on the books and quickly infuse money into town coffers. ...

HARWICH — There seems to be a greater interest in knowing where our food comes from and placing locally grown “farm fresh” products on the table. On Saturday, residents have an opportunity to learn more about locally grown products at the ninth annual “Meet Your Local Farmers” at the community center. The event will provide the public with the opportunity to meet and discuss farming techniques and tips with lo...

HARWICH — The chamber of commerce will be kicking off the summer season a bit early this year and doing so in “Five-Star style” with the Toast of Harwich returning to a single location at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club. Over the past couple of years, the Toast was held at several locations, with patrons moving around town in trolleys, but the decision was made this year to return to the original concept o...

HARWICH – A snow day might have delayed the walkout at Monomoy Regional High School, but come Friday morning, a significant number of students braved the brisk and breezy weather as they stood in silence for 17 minutes, senior Grace Boyle reading aloud the names of those killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. There was one name for each minute the local students stood outside, some with sig...

HARWICH – A snow day might have delayed the walkout at Monomoy Regional High School, but come Friday morning, a significant number of students braved the brisk and breezy weather as they stood in silence for 17 minutes, senior Grace Boyle reading aloud the names of those killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. There was one name for each minute the local students stood outside, some with sig...

HARWICH – Since the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., much of the buzz pertaining to local schools has been on safety protocols. While important, those at Monomoy Middle and High Schools know that what also matters is creating a culture among students in which violence takes a backseat to kindness. At Monomoy Regional High School, a number of initiatives aimed at impro...