Responding to the alarming resurgence of COVID-19 in other parts of the country, Gov. Charlie Baker Tuesday let stand a requirement that out-of-state visitors must self-quarantine for 14 days. But he lifted that requirement for people visiting from elsewhere in New England, from New York or New Jersey. Local tourism officials say the change is not likely to have a great impact, since most of the visitors curre...

HARWICH — The council on aging, working with the Academic Public Health Volunteer Corps, will be reaching out to senior citizens to better understand their unmet needs. The COA has been functioning without a social services coordinator since April 24 when Susanna Keith resigned to take a new job closer to family in Maine. Because the town has a hiring freeze in place due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic...

HARWICH – After spending much of the spring isolated and indoors, folks are itching to get outside. Ted Baylis, president of Pleasant Bay Community Boating, suggests giving sailing a try, especially now that PBCB is officially open for the summer. “It’s been an ongoing process all spring,” Baylis said of plans for reopening. “Ever since the pandemic hit in March, we’ve been back and forth. Our board usually me...

Like many others I’ve been doing a lot of planting this spring. I’ve always had gardens but to be honest, they’ve been as full of weeds as anything else because I just haven’t had the time or energy to maintain them. That and the fact that I not so secretly love the butter ‘n eggs, chicory and Queen Anne’s lace that all think they own the place. Throw in some red clover, thistle, evening primrose, dock and pokebe...

The show must go on at The Academy Playhouse in Orleans, where social distancing can’t stop the power of performance. Starting Friday, July 3 at 3 p.m. The Playhouse will present its first ever free virtual musical via Zoom, “The Big One-Oh!” directed by Kevin Quill and J Williams. Six performances will take place: on Friday, July 3 at 3 p.m.; Saturday, July 4 at 10 a.m.; Sunday, July 5 at 5 p.m.; Friday, J...

Women Now Make Up Half Of The Town's Famous Musical Group Women were given the right to vote in the United States in August 1920 with the passage of the 19 th Amendment, but they weren’t given the right to join the Chatham Band until January 1982. Today, over a full generation later, women playing in the beloved band don’t raise an eyebrow, and in fact half of the Chatham Band’s 40 full-time members are no...

One needn’t look far beyond the daily headlines for reminders that the United States of America remains an imperfect union, a grand experiment in self-governance that has seen both triumphs and failures. But there are still plenty of reasons to fly the American flag with pride. We strongly object to the notion that those who fly Old Glory automatically subscribe to a set of beliefs or ideals, support a particu...

One-third. That's the approximate number of mail-in ballots received in last week's annual town election in Chatham. Orleans also received a hefty number of mail-in ballots in its election last week, so many that it briefly delayed the determination of the outcome. These were local elections, where the turn-out is minuscule compared to what is likely to be a heavy show by voters in the November presidential co...

U.S. History Good But Imperfect Story Editor: The original protests over George Floyd’s death have been appropriated and co-opted by various political groups. The tie that binds is a commitment to mob chaos and violence as either a paid or recreational enterprise. Their common goal seems to be to tear down every symbol of our American history, including statues, public buildings, and businesses, on the prem...

In an unprecedented event that almost did not happen, and despite COVID-19 restrictions, an estimated 1,000 people gathered in Harwich Center’s Brooks Park on a June Saturday afternoon to demonstrate. Initially proposed as a march from Route 28 and Bank Street to the Harwich Community Center by Susannah Brown and Hope Jorgensen, two Monomoy Regional High School eighth grade students, their plans evoked negative s...

With COVID-19 case numbers still well under control on Cape Cod, people are once again venturing out to visit restaurants, stores and their favorite haunts, albeit while socially distancing and wearing masks. Doctors say it’s time to return for your regimen of routine medical care as well. That may not be possible everywhere yet, but under Phase 2 of Gov. Charlie Baker’s economic reopening plan, health care pr...

Not that there was much doubt, but white sharks have returned to local waters. And with the holiday weekend upon us, beach managers are urging the public to take responsibility for their own safety. On June 17, state shark biologist Greg Skomal and a crew from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy tagged three white sharks that were feeding on a whale carcass just south of Monomoy Point. The next week, boaters ...

ORLEANS – A town-wide flyover salute and a virtual “parade in place” will highlight this year's July 4 activities in town. Last year's July 4th parade was produced by a newly formed committee, taking over for the previous committee that stepped down after many years of dedicated service. The new committee was gearing up for an even more successful second year at the helm when COVID-19 struck, forcing shut-down...

ORLEANS — A new revolving fund will receive fees from courses run by the recreation department, but that bookkeeping change is just a bunny hop compared to the strides envisioned by the recreation advisory committee. They want to grow the town’s programs, and also find out what sort of community center Orleans would like to have. “We have an opportunity to influence the board of selectmen as they approach th...

ORLEANS — A tattoo studio, which would be the only one between Hyannis and Provincetown, may be coming to Main Street in the village center. Eastham native Sean Shea, a body artist with a bachelor of fine arts degree in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design, hopes to open a “tattoo sanctuary filled with art, sculptures and a few plants” at 64 Main St., formerly the location of Mr. Ken’s Barber ...

CHATHAM – The two incumbent Monomoy Regional School Committee members beat back challenges to win new terms in Thursday's annual town election. Nancy Scott and Jacqueline Zibrat-Long were re-elected to new three-year terms, outdistancing Robert Hessler and Elizabeth Taylor. Scott was the top vote getter in the race with 366, one vote more than Zibrat-Long. Hessler received 201 votes and Taylor 174. A total ...