HARWICH — The Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates gave its unanimous approval to the designation of a West Harwich District of Critical Planning Concern last week. The final step in the approval must be taken by the Barnstable County Commissioners, but it is unlikely to receive unanimous support. In a statement, commissioner Ron Beaty said he was opposed to the proposal and intended to vote against the ord...

HARWICH — Affordable housing trust members said they need time to examine if they would have any use for the century-old house the Bishop of Fall River is seeking to have torn down on the Holy Trinity Church property in West Harwich. A demolition is pending before the historic district and historical commission, which wanted to see if the town’s affordable housing trust might have an interest in moving the Vic...

HARWICH — If you’re looking to put the twinkle back in your holiday spirit, Bob Doane’s got just the thing. Swing by the Harwich Cultural Center after dark and you’ll see a dazzling display of holiday lights synchronized to music. Candy canes dance to Tchaikovsky, reindeer take flight and frisky penguins play in a winter landscape. The display is free for all to enjoy, and visitors tune in the music on their c...

HARWICH – For the past several years, the winter sports season, particularly ice hockey, has officially gotten under way with game play between the Monomoy-Mashpee Monarchs and the Nauset Warriors. The same goes for this season. But this time there's a twist. When the Monarchs and the Warriors face off on Dec. 14 at Charles Moore Arena, it will be part competition and part fundraiser as the teams aim to raise ...

There’s a beach not far from me that is a tiny beach, but it separates a bay and harbor from Nantucket Sound. One side is quiet, almost pastoral, if a beach could be pastoral. The other side can be quite wild, even on the same day the other is calm and peaceful. It is pretty much the literal and physical definition of a barrier beach and as such, it is under constant stress. I grew up on this beach. I took swi...

EAST HARWICH – Students at the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School played host to country singer Jessie Chris last week as part of a school-wide celebration focused on raising awareness about bullying. “Hi. I’m from Massachusetts and grew up coming to Cape Cod for vacations,” Chris said to the cheering sixth, seventh and eighth graders, many of whom wore hand-knit blue hats in celebration of “Hats not Hate” day...

Need a holiday pick-me-up? A jolt of holiday fun? The Cape Cod Theatre Company/Harwich Junior Theatre’s “Elf, the Musical” to the rescue! What a joyful show! I challenge you to see this show and not leave with a smile. A huge cast of children and adults literally fill the stage with pure joy. The dynamic duo of Robert Wilder, director and musical director, and Suzette Hutchinson, choreographer, have done it...

Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra will hold a holiday season benefit concert, “A Mostly English Holiday,” on Sunday, Dec. 15, 3 p.m, at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Harwich Port.  Proceeds from the performance benefit in part the Alzheimer’s Family Support Center of Cape Cod.  A pre-concert talk by conductor and founding artistic director Matthew Scinto will be held at 2:15 p.m. The concert features English music...

It’s crunch time for elves—no, not the North Pole guys, I’m pretty sure they’re unionized and get paid living wages—I refer, rather, to the local elves who selflessly volunteer their efforts for the sheer joy of creating and making beautiful things happen. They are all around us, silent and stealthy, they stitch and paint and sing and build. They are “gramma” elves who knit socks and mittens, baby blankets and p...

We are proud and humbled this week to report that, since its inception in 2004, The Cape Cod Chronicle’s Helping Neighbors campaign has now raised more than $1 million for the Family Pantry of Cape Cod. That’s a staggering achievement, and one that’s worth pausing to appreciate. But don’t be mistaken; we’re not being self-congratulatory. As a small, independent newspaper, The Chronicle simply doesn’t have the ...

Good News On Theater, Airport Editor: For me, the demise of the Monomoy Theater was a strong blow to my, as well as many other, theatrical experience on the Lower Cape, so it was a great delight to read that Greg Clark of the Chatham Production LLC had presented concrete plans for the redevelopment of the property with the intention of having it available for other theatrical productions beyond the summer t...

The holidays are a time for celebration, for gathering with friends and family and making the most of our time together. At least, that's often the Hallmark version, complete with tinsel and trim and holiday cheer. What's the reality? For Mandi Speakman, director of the Chatham Council on Aging, people react to the holidays along a spectrum from "full-blown Santa's elves to those who find themselves severely d...

ORLEANS – Carl Trevison lives on Doane Road within walking distance of a town landing. It sounds convenient, but he’s not the only one who knows about it. “In the summer, most parking is from out-of-state or Eastham, Brewster, or Harwich,” he told selectmen Dec. 3. “There’s as much as 50 parked cars in this area. Access to the landing is rendered impossible because of the vehicles. You cannot get down there if...

ORLEANS - Forty years ago, a local lad, Tony Pike, became a call firefighter here. Last week, he announced his retirement as chief of the department next June. “Tony, I’ve known you since you were running around way back when,” Selectmen Chairman Mark Mathison said with emotion at the board’s Dec. 3 meeting. “I certainly appreciate the fact that local kids can serve their town and be here such a long period of...

ORLEANS — Some 180 runners braved frigid temperatures Saturday to compete in the annual Santa Stampede, sponsored by the Orleans Chamber of Commerce. Funds raised in the event help support chamber programs. Challe Burns won the kids portion of the race. BARRY DONAHUE PHOTO ...