ORLEANS — Mike and Viviane Dufresne's dream of opening a restaurant in Orleans had turned into something of a nightmare. That's the word Mike used to describe the permitting process that gave them “nothing but trouble since February” when he spoke up at the Orleans Citizens forum candidate night April 26. Fighting to keep his emotions in check, Dufresne decried a time- and money-consuming system in which confli...

ORLEANS — Two of the three men sitting on the stage of the Nauset Regional Middle School auditorium April 26 will be sitting as selectmen after the May 16 election. That may have explained the robust turnout for the Orleans Citizens Forum's candidates night. “We all want the best for the town,” David Currier said in his opening statement. “We need to find things we can all agree on, get those done first, and...

ORLEANS — More than 500 Cape Codders experienced a sort of therapy session April 20 for what U.S. Sen. Ed Markey called “PTSD: Post Trump Stress Disorder.” Markey and U.S. Rep. Bill Keating took the stage in the Nauset Regional Middle School auditorium with a fighting spirit and insights into the political process, including the likely bipartisan rejection of many of the president's proposed budget cuts. The...

ORLEANS — At a moment when towns such as Chatham and Harwich are taking a regional approach to cleaning their waters, the Nauset Regional School Committee voted unanimously against allowing Orleans to explore discharging treated wastewater at the middle school recreation fields owned jointly by Brewster, Eastham, Orleans, and Wellfleet. The town, through its consultant AECOM, had made the request to investig...

ORLEANS — About 50 townspeople came to the senior center April 11 for a community housing forum. There were housing specialists, town board chairs, and some who were actively seeking housing options for themselves. “I haven't seen such a group since Chatham held a housing summit at Chatham Bars Inn for breakfast,” said Karen Sunnarborg, who is preparing the Orleans Community Housing Study commissioned by tow...

ORLEANS — Next month, town meeting will vote on spending $33,527,010 to pay for the combined town and schools budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. But voters will look well past FY18 both financially and philosophically as they weigh in on major commitments by the town. On May 8, Orleans will be asked to continue work on water quality projects to the tune of $3,733,660 and to approve spending $13,575...

ORLEANS — To every time, there is a season. Unfortunately, the time for the first season of community gardening at Putnam Farm won't be this year. There have been many encouraging signs for getting under way at the municipally-owned property behind Second District Court, but the town will not be able to put through an access way from Bridge Road until the fall. “The water is in, but it's not on,” agricult...

ORLEANS — A Community Housing Forum on April 11 will take a close look at the spectrum of current and future housing options Orleans needs for its residents, based on an in-depth survey of demographic and related trends. The forum, to be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the council on aging on Rock Harbor Road, will include a presentation of the draft community housing study and breakout sessions aimed at gene...

ORLEANS — How to address the needs of a booming program can be even more complex than shoring up one in decline. By many measures, the council on aging is getting the job done. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 1,242 Orleans seniors were served by the senior center's many programs. While reason for satisfaction, some say the numbers call for a reorganization. “Members of the council on aging board, t...

ORLEANS — Roderick MacDonald, a Presbyterian minister, has been thinking a good deal about a story that speaks to the need to support the rights of immigrants. Nearing retirement, he visited a member of his off-Cape congregation and learned that the woman's sister had been picked up by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and detained in the Suffolk County House of Correction. Sixteen years...

ORLEANS — He who pays the piper should call the tune – even if it's the sewer piper. But some feel the piper – the regulators and consultants – are making the town dance instead. Things aren't that simple, however. In recent years, Orleans has explored alternatives to widespread sewering to meet nitrogen reduction goals for its waters. Among the alternatives outside of downtown have been low-tech and less...

ORLEANS — The intersection of Route 6A and West Road, the first impression many visitors have of Orleans, will send a different message in years to come.     The big barn of a building that held the Hearth 'n Kettle restaurant is being torn down, complete with its little gazebo. In its place will rise a large CVS pharmacy complete with drive-through window.     Instead of “stop and linger,” the message will be mo...