HARWICH — The board of health voted unanimously this past week to vacate the cease and desist order issued to Resilient Family Farm last April and to drop the court appeal it had filed seeking adherence to suitable manure management practices. The board of health no longer has jurisdiction over the manure management at the farm because there are no longer horses kept there, Health Director Meggan Eldredge told...

HARWICH — Outer Cape Health Services, Inc. has filed plans with the planning board for major renovations to the former Thompson's Farm Market building across from Saquatucket Harbor for its Harwich Port Health Center. OCHS CEO Patricia Nadle was before selectmen Monday night with details of the planned expansion, with a ribbon cutting expected next November. Former selectman Ed McManus, a member of the board o...

EAST HARWICH — In about a year, if you find yourself strolling the trails of Harwich Conservation Trust’s new Muddy Creek Headwaters Conservation Area, sit on a bench and think of Carl Furner. Furner is a 17-year-old Harwich resident who recently coordinated the construction and installation of three benches at the conservation land off Church Street. The community service project was part of Furner’s bid to...

Firefighters and police camping out during the rain, sleet and gusty winds this weekend weren’t left out in the cold by the community, which donated heaps of food, clothing, toys and cash to benefit local charities. Started in 2002 by a Bourne firefighter, the “Homeless for the Holidays” campaign now includes first responders from many Cape towns, including Harwich and Orleans. It is supported by a large group...

Faced with low wages and high housing costs, many local families spend a huge portion of their paychecks on rent or a mortgage, leaving little for medical expenses, auto repair bills or other household emergencies. The Family Pantry of Cape Cod helps many year-round working families by helping defray their food costs, freeing up money for other necessities. And that, ultimately, helps everybody. Most Family Pa...

HARWICH — The town-owned Bells Neck cranberry bogs have not been worked for a couple of years, and town officials have been weighing whether to issue another lease or seek other options to cranberry growing. The conservation commission held a public hearing last week on the future management of the bogs within the Bell's Neck Conservation Area. Farmer Mark Coleman, who is chairman of the town's agricultural co...

HARWICH — The town has received a favorable financial assessment from Standard and Poor's on its ability to borrow general obligation and bond anticipation notes, but the strong financial standing was not enough to push the town's rating to AAA. The S&P Global Rating concluded that the town's long-term rating will remain at AA-plus, due primarily to pension liabilities. Selectmen on Monday night voted t...

HARWICH — During a presentation to selectmen and the finance committee Monday night, the capital outlay committee and Town Administrator Christopher Clark received praise for the planning process conducted this year. But the pricetag facing taxpayers is certainly an eye-opener. Clark had told selectmen in an earlier presentation he is focusing only on the first year of the seven-year plan, defining the project...

Special Town Meeting Suggested To Vote Ban   <Text> by William F. Galvin HARWICH — Selectmen should consider calling a special town meeting before April 1 to put in place zoning regulations on the sale and distribution of recreational marijuana, the town's attorney is recommending. If the town waits until the annual town meeting to act on a ban, there could be a gap between its approval by vote...

HARWICH — Inside Ruggie's restaurant in Harwich Center there is a Christmas tree that lights more than the corner it sits in and the window that faces onto Main Street. It serves to light the faces of little kids on Christmas Day. “I call it the 'Giving Tree',” Matt Rocco, one of the owners of the restaurant, said this week. The tree is an outgrowth of a program started 17 years ago at The Children's Center...

HARWICH — Without really diving into the central issue of whether Monomoy’s two elementary schools should be combined or reconfigured to accommodate shifting enrollment, selectmen and the school committee last week debated who should be able to make that decision. Facing the potential for overcrowded classrooms at Harwich Elementary School and a relative shortage of students at Chatham elementary, the region...

HARWICH — The harbormaster's staff has been busy relocating this week in preparation for demolition of the frail building that has served the department for more than 40 years at the head of Saquatucket Harbor. Harbormaster John Rendon said this week the plan is for the old building to be demolished, likely on Dec. 18, to make way for landside improvements there and on the former Downey property. A constructio...