HARWICH — Though the numbers are very preliminary, it could cost between $130 million and $160 million to replace the aging Cape Cod Regional Technical High School with a brand new facility. Superintendent Bob Sanborn delivered the news to the Harwich board of selectmen Monday, and to Chatham selectmen Tuesday. Officials have been warning for years that the project would be a costly one. “I expected it to b...

HARWICH — The husband-and-wife team of Jack Burns and Lynda Brogden-Burns, best known as the animal control officers in Harwich and Brewster, spend their working hours caring for the towns' furry and feathered residents. In their free time, they're focused on their own rambunctious four-and-a-half-year-old. Aiden is a German shepherd who recently won the coveted Performance Award of Merit from the German Sheph...

WEST HARWICH — On a clear blue morning Tuesday, thunder crashed over the trees in West Harwich. Or rather, the thunderous sound of steel plates colliding as high-flying workmen began disassembling the Lothrop Avenue water tower. It was the beginning of the end for the 30-year-old structure, which survived hurricanes and blizzards and served as a landmark for mariners offshore. It is being dismantled this wee...

HARWICH — The planning board unanimously approved four special permits last week paving the way for construction of the Harwich Port Plaza project in Harwich Port. The board acted after receiving and reviewing a development agreement with abutters to the east and west of the project site. Attorney Michael D. Ford told the planning board last Tuesday that his clients, Paul and Diane Manning, were able to forge ...

HARWICH — The abutters to the fish house on the Herring River, which the owners are seeking to reconstruct and lease as a shellfish nursery, have appealed the recent superseding order of conditions issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection, claiming that the state and town's review process was faulty. Francis and Debra Zarette, trustees of Farm View Realty Trust, purchased the former Lucas fis...

HARWICH ─ When the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released its 2015 graduation rates recently, eyebrows shot up at the Monomoy Regional High School percentage of 76.9. But Principal Bill Burkhead cautions that there is more to that statistic than just a stark number. “I think the low graduation rate certainly was alarming and not something we aspire to, but there's more to that one nu...

HARWICH — Town Clerk Anita Doucette is anticipating a 90 percent voter turnout for the Nov. 8 presidential election, which means more than 9,000 voters will be casting ballots. Early voting is helping to relieve some of the anticipated crowding on election day, but town officials have developed a plan to help mitigate conditions at the polls. It starts with parking at the community center, where voting will ta...

HARWICH PORT — The Cumberland Farms store here will close on Sunday, and demolition will follow shortly there after. The goal is to have a new store built and ready to open by the beginning of February, Rick Boyle, regional manager for the company, said this week. The plan is to construct a 3,585 square-foot store, slightly larger than the existing one. The plans show 1,864 square feet of retail space. It will...

HARWICH — Whitehouse Field will be getting permanent restroom facilities thanks to the Harwich Mariners Athletic Association. Selectmen have issued a license to the association to construct the new restrooms behind the bleachers at the field, and the town will take ownership when the project is completed. The restroom facility is expected to be completed by next spring. “Over the past four years, the Marine...

HARWICH — A recent disciplinary hearing on complaints about noise emanating from Perks in Harwich Port has selectmen agreeing they should look at more consistent practices when issuing entertainment licenses for restaurants. The recommendation comes from Town Administrator Christopher Clark, who told selectmen the attorney representing Perks cited the need for more consistency with regulations, including unifo...

HARWICH — Town Administrator Christopher Clark was named a finalist for the town administrator's position in Yarmouth on Tuesday. The final decision is not anticipated until after another round of interviews is conducted, which are scheduled to take place on Nov. 19. The Yarmouth Town Administrator Search Committee presented the names of two finalists to selectmen on Tuesday evening. They had planned to presen...

HARWICH — Jordan Fisher was best known for a smile that was infectious and was a welcoming window into his upbeat and endearing personality. Sadly, in news that left the community reeling Monday, the 19-year-old Harwich man was killed in a horrific early morning traffic accident in Middleborough. Fisher was with three friends driving on Route 495 in Middleborough, apparently returning to college after a weeken...