Thomas C. Halliday, III, M.D. of Chatham passed away peacefully on May 11, 2020 at Cape Cod Hospital from complications due to COVID-19.  Dr. Halliday was born November 23, 1933 in Bronx, New York to Margaret A. and Thomas C. Halliday, Jr.  He graduated from Evander Childs High School at 16 years old in 1950 and was a 1954 graduate of Bates College, majoring in biology and running for the track team. He went on t...

Walter Tolley Jr.             Walter Tolley Jr. passed away peacefully at his home on May 7th. He was 93 years old and above all he loved three things: his family, fishing, and telling stories about his family and fishing! Walt was predeceased by his wife of 70 years Yvonne K. Tolley and his grandson, Matthew Tolley. He leaves behind his children:  Bob, and spouse Deena of Yarmouth Port, Ken, and spouse Karen ...

Margaret S. Carson, of East Orleans died peacefully in her sleep on May 11, 2020 at The Terraces in Orleans. Peggy was 88.             Margaret Joan Stroker was born in Detroit, Mich. in 1931, the oldest daughter of John P. and Margaret (Magas) Stroker. She was valedictorian of the first high school class to graduate from St. Cyril’s High School in 1949. From there, she attended Providence Hospital School of N...

Island Pursuits Moves Into Chatham Hardware Building   by Elizabeth Van Wye This is a tale of two businesses. Island Pursuit wanted to stay in Chatham, but after 12 years, the clothing business was faced with rent that was no longer affordable. Chatham Hardware, under a succession of owners, has been housed in the iconic Main Street location since 1936. They faced a changed business model and more s...

ORLEANS — Town counsel Michael Ford, who’s been Harwich’s moderator since the 1970s, has never seen or heard of an outdoor town meeting. Nevertheless, he’s scheduled to take his customary seat with the board of selectmen on June 20 when Moderator David Lyttle will call the meeting to order on the lawn inside the running track at Nauset Regional Middle School. At last week’s selectmen’s meeting, Lyttle and th...

ORLEANS – As Nauset Regional High School makes plans for graduation ceremonies in July (see related story), planning is under way for the fall semester. “We’ve already started conversations about next year,” Principal Chris Ellsasser told the regional school committee May 14. “My feeling is we will need a remote version (of instruction), a blended version, face-to-face, and one that does all three. We’re estab...

ORLEANS – Questions about building size, traffic to be generated, and whether the operation is retail or wholesale were raised by the selectmen last week as they discussed the F. W. Webb building proposed for the Underground Mall site off Route 6A near the Brewster line. The board wants to hear more from all parties before making a decision about a discretionary referral of the project to the Cape Cod Commissi...

Gov. Charlie Baker today announced the start of a careful process of reopening shuttered businesses and restarting public activities, with the goal of reaching a “new normal” state by the end of July. But for that schedule to hold, COVID-19 cases need to continue declining, which means continuing social distancing, hand washing, face covering and other personal precautions. Essential businesses that are alread...

HARWICH – For weeks, administrators at Monomoy Regional High School have been brainstorming ideas on how to hold a meaningful graduation during a time of quarantine due to COVID-19. Pending Gov. Charlie Baker’s decision on May 18 regarding crowd sizes, not only does MRHS have a plan, but they’ll be doing all they can do celebrate their seniors. Principal Bill Burkhead revealed the commencement plan during the ...

ORLEANS - Town meeting may be asked to add $12 million to the $47 million it authorized last year to complete the downtown sewer system and build a treatment plant and effluent disposal system. Five bids each were received for the sewer collection system and for the treatment plant and disposal system. Robert B. Our, of Harwich, was apparent low bidder for the sewer collection system and Daniel O'Connell's Son...

ORLEANS - There's no word yet on whether picnic lunches will be encouraged, but the selectmen have decided that the 2020 annual town meeting will be held alfresco. The town's annual legislative session will be held outdoors Saturday, June 20, at 10 a.m. in the center of Nauset Regional Middle School's running track.  The open-air session will be postponed if it rains. Town meeting usually takes place in the...

CHATHAM -- A local resident has died of COVID-19, the first person in Chatham to succumb to the coronavirus, town officials reported late Wednesday. The individual was not identified. In a two-paragraph announcement, Director of Health and Natural Resources said town officials offered condolences to the individual’s family and wold not release further information out of respect for their privacy.  ...

Ambrose (Birt) Birtwell, Jr. Born in Accrington, Lancashire, England on September 24, 1922 to Ambrose Birtwell, Sr. and Sarah Longden Birtwell. He is survived by his wife of 75 years, Louise Holman Birtwell, Hingham. Daughter Jean Williams (Roger), Chatham and sons Ken Birtwell, Harwich and Allan Birtwell (Veronica), Standish, Maine. Sister, Dorothy O’Brien, Bradenton, Fla. Seven grandchildren, fourteen great gr...

                WALLINGFORD – Mary Theresa Grant, 93, passed away on April 27, 2020, at Regency House Health & Rehabilitation Center. She was the beloved wife of the late Harold O. Grant.                   Mary was born in Wallingford, Conn. on May 4, 1926, the third child of seven to the late Stephen and Mary Yencsik Mushinsky.                   Mary, or "Flo", as she was fondly known by family a...

Amid mounting pressure to reopen the state’s dormant economy, officials are warning that with COVID-19, caution remains the watchword. Gov. Charlie Baker this week announced a strategy for gradually reopening businesses, though the timing has yet to be decided. With the Memorial Day weekend just over a week away, business and civic leaders on the Lower Cape are all ears. An economic reopening advisory board...