HARWICH — It has been a 13-year undertaking, but the results of the persistence of the Friends of the South Harwich Meetinghouse to preserve and restore the historic South Harwich Methodist Church will be on display over the St. Patrick's Day weekend with a grand opening series of benefit concerts by the Chatham Chorale. The Chatham Chorale will perform four of their popular Celtic concerts at the meetinghouse...

HARWICH – When former pro football player Ray Rice received a shorter suspension for the domestic abuse of his wife than New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady did for allegedly deflating footballs in the AFC Championship, the disparity in punishment prompted the creation of Game Change: The Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership. The program came to Monomoy High school recently, offering students the chance to l...

HARWICH PORT — With any luck, kids and their parents could be spending some fun, quality time together at a new Cape Cod Toy Library as early as this summer. But it’ll take more than Play-doh to make the toy library a reality. Deb Wilsea of Chatham, who is organizing the effort, is spreading the word about the need for children and their families to spend time engaged in creative play. Doing so strengthens f...

HARWICH — While town meeting will have the final say on a couple of the requirements, town officials are ticking off the boxes that will allow Harwich to receive grants and incentives under the state Green Communities initiative. Town Planner Charleen Greenhalgh said that, when she worked for the town of Truro, the town met the five criteria to qualify as a Green Community and qualified for a grant of $125,0...

HARWICH — When it comes to supporting local theater, providing studio space for artists, and giving local musicians public performance venues, Harwich deserves to take a bow. But by all accounts, the show’s just getting started. On Monday, the town and the Harwich Cultural Council signed a formal agreement with the Harwich Chamber of Commerce and the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). In so doing, it beco...

They were mad for it. One commentator called it “ice boat fever.” In the late 19 th century, when temperatures dropped below freezing in December, residents had reason to rejoice: Harwich’s Long Pond and Chatham’s Oyster Pond froze solid with a foot of ice that could linger through March. During the 1870s, ’80s and ’90s, frozen ponds lured residents onto the ice in droves in both daylight and moonlight wit...

HARWICH ─ There are 620 students at Monomoy Regional High School, and since its inception, Principal Bill Burkhead has been looking for ways to let each of them know they matter. Recently the school kicked off its latest initiative with that goal in mind, and this time the hope is that it spreads to the local community and beyond. The 620 initiative has at its heart the number of students that pass through the...

HARWICH — In a sparsely attended meeting last week, officials fielded lots of questions about the $22.5 million East Harwich sewer system plan. But they’re the first to admit that they don’t yet have all the answers. Having been fully constituted for only around a month, the new wastewater support committee held an informational meeting at town hall last Thursday, and provided a progress update. The town’s w...

HARWICH — Having answered the planning board’s concerns about the shortage of parking, Outer Cape Health Services got the green light last week to build a medical center at the former Thompson’s Farm Market in Harwich Port. Construction is expected to begin shortly on the clinic, which will include 16 examination rooms, a lab and a pharmacy. Outer Cape Health holds a long-term lease on the building at 710 Ro...

HARWICH — A careful study of Island Pond Cemetery will show more than just rows of headstones. There is history, art, science, and a rich variety of trees. When Robbin Kelley looks out across the cemetery, she sees potential. The town’s cemetery administrator is leading an effort to create an arboretum that includes Island Pond Cemetery and an adjacent tract of conservation land. Arguably one of the town’s m...

HARWICH ─ Three years ago Dillon Murphy had something of a crisis. Though he loved his job as owner/operator of the Land Ho! in Harwich Port, he didn't love the time it cost him with his wife and children. Longing for a life beyond Cape Cod, Murphy knew it was time to make a change. Fortunately, change can be good. Not only has Murphy's family embarked on a new adventure, but the Land Ho! has found itself an enth...

HARWICH PORT — The board of directors of WE CAN has chosen a new executive director to lead the women’s advocacy group. Cape native Dianne Gauthier is a development consultant with Lower Cape Outreach who worked previously with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts; she is set to begin work later this month. Gauthier will succeed Andi Genser, who will retire later this year. “I am greatly inspired by W...