HARWICH PORT — One morning last week, Nan Poor, a trustee of the Harwich Conservation Trust, looked out her window into her yard, where she has several bird feeding stations. Among the visitors to her yard, which is next to the HCT Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve’s wetlands and walking paths, there are often mourning doves eating seed on the ground or blue jays bouncing about. This particular morning, thou...

In spite of all sorts of signs to the contrary, summer has arrived. It’s not going to be our usual summer here on Cape Cod, but I think it’s going to be an interesting summer. No festivals, county fairs, concerts, parades, fireworks, plays, or sporting events are on our calendars this year. And yet, summer is making her appearance anyway. I can’t help but feel a little like the people of Dr. Seuss’s Whoville ...

Beethoven's 250th Birthday Will Be Running Theme It’s been a long few months of silent stages and empty performance venues across Cape Cod, but now it’s time to mark your calendar for a musical treat. In September the Cape Symphony, led by Artistic Director and Conductor Jung-Ho Pak, hopes to emerge from the pandemic shadows to take the stage at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center with an unforgettable comeb...

I have a daughter who is 37, which is a remarkable fact in itself, since I seem to harbor a misty belief, floating crazily in the back of my mind, that I am only 39 years old. I have another daughter who is 33 years old, which of course makes her younger than me. It’s funny how your kids grow up and we always see them as kids. And we can’t have aged that much, or do we? A mere three months ago, which now seems...

Milkweed Seeds Still Available Editor: I am still distributing milkweed seeds, free of charge, to help the monarch butterfly, whose caterpillar can only eat milkweed. Send your address via email to suzannaaan@yahoo.com, or pick some up at the display case at 606 Main St. Chatham, at the corner of Seaview Street, in a jar. Suzanna Nickerson Chatham

It's summer, according to both the calendar and the traffic. While there may not be quite as many visitors here as in past years, there are certainly more people out and about — on foot and on bicycles — than usual, a holdover from the long shutdown during which taking a walk or a bike ride were among the few escapes from quarantine. Lately we've noticed drivers, walkers, runners and bikers not being as carefu...

ORLEANS — When the town’s top elected officials meet for the first time as a select board, a woman will be among them. Andrea Shaw Reed, outgoing chair of the planning board, drew 1,393 votes at the town election Tuesday to join Mefford Runyon, who received 1,251 votes to win another term on what will now be known as the select board. Incumbent David Currier, with 911 votes, was not returned to office. ...

ORLEANS — If democracy dies in darkness, as The Washington Post’s slogan declares, it appears to thrive in sunlight, even in the midst of a pandemic. Saturday morning’s outdoor annual town meeting at the Nauset Regional Middle School track drew 439 voters, more than double the number required for a quorum. Many sat in socially-distanced pairs, with some sporting colorful umbrellas. Most wore masks. An opera...

ORLEANS — When the town’s top elected officials meet for the first time as a select board, a woman will be among them. Andrea Shaw Reed, outgoing chair of the planning board, drew 1,393 votes at the town election Tuesday to join Mefford Runyon, who received 1,251 votes to win another term on what will now be known as the select board. Incumbent David Currier, with 911 votes, was not returned to office. ...

CHATHAM – Monday saw two historic firsts: the first annual town meeting held outdoors, and the quickest meeting in recent memory. As fog drifted in and out of Veterans Field in typical Chatham fashion, 202 voters acted on a pared-down warrant with little debate, passing operating, school, water and capital budgets while postponing other significant — and potentially controversial — measures until a planned fal...

ORLEANS  —  If democracy dies in darkness, as  The Washington Post ’s slogan declares, it appears to thrive in sunlight, even in the midst of a pandemic. About 400 voters turned out Saturday morning for an outdoor annual town meeting at the Nauset Regional Middle School track. Many sat in socially-distanced pairs, with some sporting colorful umbrellas. Most wore masks. An operating budget for almost $40 mil...

CHATHAM — A working group has issued its recommendation on creating a one-way traffic pattern downtown to allow better social distancing for pedestrians: scrap the idea. Instead, the 18-member group recommended leaving current traffic patterns in place, but creating three small no parking zones to allow pedestrians to stay distant from one another by stepping off the sidewalk when necessary to pass other...

Louise Holman Birtwell     Louise Holman Birtwell, born at home in South Weymouth on May 31, 1925 to James Mitchell Holman and Myrtle Holman. Louise joined her husband (Birt), of nearly 76 years, exactly one month from his passing. She is survived by her daughter Jean Williams (Roger), of Chatham and sons Ken Birtwell of Harwich and Allan Birtwell (Veronica) of Standish, Maine; her former daughter- in-law, Zita ...

Richard Cushing Merigan                 BREWSTER – Richard (Dick) Cushing Merigan, 71, died on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 in Brewster. He is survived by his three children, Leighanne Smith, her husband Scott and children Daniel Deering, Aiden Smith and Blakely Smith of Harwich; Christopher Merigan, his wife Nicole and son Ryder of Centerville; and Jessica Merigan Hawkins and her husband Joshua Hawkins of...

It is with heavy hearts that we convey the passing of our beloved Maestro, Kenneth F. Eldredge on June 8 at The Terraces in Orleans at the age of 97 1/2 years. He was born and raised in Chatham and attended schools there until he attended Deerfield Academy and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, before serving in the Coast Guard Port of Boston Band, providing music for the troops on the transport ships to England...