HARWICH — While the police department is down a couple of members, the COVID-19 pandemic has not impacted the department's operation significantly, and Police Chief David Guillemette said he considers staffing stable. Guillemette was responding to concerns raised by Selectman Michael MacAskill about the impact a spending freeze instituted by the board might have on public safety. The spending freeze applies to...

HARWICH — The annual town meeting and local elections have been moved to late June in the hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will have dissipated, and health officials will be satisfied that social distancing is no longer necessary and residents will once again feel comfortable congregating. Selectmen last week set June 22 as the date for the annual meeting, and the town election will follow on June 30. The st...

HARWICH – When Holly Evans first moved to Cape Cod from Virginia with her family as a kid, she’d never heard of field hockey, let alone considered playing the sport. Fast forward a few years and Evans has parlayed a stellar career at Monomoy Regional High School into a spot with the Bryn Mawr College Owls. Evans began playing the sport in middle school for Chatham when the program only had nine players. Evans ...

From A Lifetime Fishing ORLEANS – In Al Youngren’s small kitchen there is a nautical chart, covering most of a wall, in perfect view of anyone seated at the kitchen table. Youngren, barrel-chested and slim at 82, says it’s from 1985 or so. Still usable. “It’s been up there for 30 years,” he says, in a voice that is all old Cape Cod seaman, rarely heard anymore. Youngren spent more than 50 years on the se...

Do you know someone who is going above and beyond in this extraordinary time? Let us know! For the next few weeks we'll be highlighting those who do good deeds in our local communities by selflessly helping their neighbors. Drop us an email at editor@capecodchronicle.com if you know of any good deeds you'd like to see exposed. Monomoy Class Of 2020 Donations The members of the Monomoy Regional High Scho...

Schools Step Up During Crisis Editor: I want to express my congratulations to the administration and teachers of the Monomoy School District! They are amazing educators and they are dedicated to seeing that all students of the district are being educated. Being a retired teacher and wife of a retired school administrator, we are in awe of the time and effort that has been put into keeping students educat...

Last month, in what now appears to be an odd prescience of advice, I wrote a column on boredom, suggesting, among other things, that we crafty folk sew safety masks. What a difference a few weeks make! When I wrote that, we were nowhere near any social distancing or sheltering in place. As we are all too familiar with the downsides of COVID-19, let’s examine the creative ways in which people are coping, and the...

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” The words of Fred Rogers are still bringing us comfort, as they did when we were little. Each day’s headlines are difficult to read—they’re certainly difficult for us to write—and we’re bracing as a community for what is predicted to be the deadliest ph...

CHATHAM — Social distancing is a public health necessity right now, but for people of all ages, it’s bringing feelings of isolation and loneliness. For seniors who might be away from friends or family, that social separation can take a particular toll. But with some basic technology and some simple steps, it’s possible for seniors to connect with grandkids, friends and neighbors, and help’s available to learn ...

Monday’s journey of the old Hanvey barn from Great Oak Road began with suspending the roof, before a trailer made a tight turn  and just got by the fence of neighbor Vince Ollivier. “It’s like losing an old friend who moves away,” said Ollivier, who grew up on the property across from the barn. “The only time you see him is when you visit.” Gregg LeStage, the barn’s new ow...

ORLEANS – Sunshine and the wide-open expanses of the Cape’s beaches are inviting house-bound social distancers to slip on their sandals and catch a breath of fresh air. What else they might catch if they congregate too closely along the shore is cause for concern. Yarmouth has closed its beaches, Falmouth has chained off its beach parking lots, and the governor has shut down the access road and parking lot at Sou...

HARWICH — Julie Bradley, well-known in the town's business community, became the first local resident to succumb to the COVID-19 virus. She passed away at home on March 28 after a brief battle with the virus. She was 59. Board of Health Director Meggan Eldredge informed selectmen of the death in the board’s meeting Wednesday night. Despite the state Department of Public Health recommending that local officials...

CHATHAM – Chatham Bars Inn, the town's largest private employer, is instituting a “pause in operations” through April 30. The announcement came prior to guidance issued by the state department of public health Tuesday limiting the use of hotels, inns and short-term rentals to healthcare workers and those on the front line of the coronavirus response (see "Concerns Arise About Out Of State Visitors" ). Whil...

CHATHAM – When he decided to take on the job of filling bird feeders as a volunteer at the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, Jan “JC” Crocker had no idea that it would lead to a multi-media project that would take three years and more than 3,000 hours to complete. The final product brought the refuge's visitors center into the 21st century and earned Crocker national recognition. The National Wildlife Refuge A...

CHATHAM — Plans are now in place for the long-awaited renovation of the town's trash transfer station and recycling center. But given the financial uncertainties caused by COVID-19, selectmen last week said they'd like to see a scaled-down project rather than the $4.3 million renovation that they pursued earlier. Selectmen heard a brief presentation from DPW Director Tom Temple, who argued that the disposal ar...