HARWICH — The board of selectmen voted Monday night to remove an article seeking an increase in the local room occupancy tax from 4 to 6 percent from the May annual town meeting warrant. Town Administrator Christopher Clark told selectmen Monday night he was presenting a balanced budget to the finance committee, unless selectmen decided to make additional adjustments that evening. The budget presented by Clark...

HARWICH – In spite of a parent survey in which a majority of families said they were in favor of keeping the Spanish language program at Harwich and Chatham Elementary Schools, the Monomoy Regional School Committee voted last Thursday night in favor of doing away with the language instruction and bringing in a science/STEM initiative that committee members hope will better prepare students for the state MCAS test...

HARWICH – While some students spent February vacation catching up on homework and sleep, a group of 17 students from Monomoy Regional High School's Global Studies program ventured across the Atlantic Ocean for a life-changing service learning trip to Tanzania, where they went on safari, visited museums, and made lifelong connections with students from the SEGA Girls Secondary School. The first-of-its-kind sojo...

HARWICH — While the planning board received a presentation this past week on the proposed development of a 7,489-square-foot retail structure along Route 28 in West Harwich, it is still not clear what business will occupy the location. Residents of the area raised questions about the type of retail business and the future of the historic Captain George Winchell Baker house, which is located on one of the two l...

HARWICH — With three weeks remaining before the close of nomination papers, there are now two candidates who have expressed their intention to run for the two seats on the board of selectmen, and one incumbent who said she does not think she will run again. Board of Selectmen Chair Julie Kavanagh said on Tuesday she does not think she will be running for re-election. Kavanagh said it has been a rough winter fo...

HARWICH — The town has received only one response to its request for proposals for the lease of the Saquatucket Harbor snack shack this summer. Town Administrator Christopher Clark said he would be putting together a rating team to evaluate the proposal. “I thought we'd have a few more responses based upon the comments we had,” Clark said. “But it's nice to have an established business put one in. Remember, we...

HARWICH – It's been quite a run for the Monomoy boys basketball team, which battled through not one but two overtime periods to earn an electrifying victory over Bourne in the MIAA South Div. 3 first round before the season came to a sad end with a tough loss to Norwell in the quarterfinals. Monomoy head coach Keith Arnold said it best following his team's rip-roaring contest against Bourne on Feb. 28, won by ...

HANOVER/BOSTON – The Monomoy girls basketball team saw stellar play from multiple players during their run in the playoffs. The Sharks rallied from an early deficit to beat South Shore Vocational 47-31 in first round action before falling to Cathedral 72-25. Head coach Pete Richer said the MIAA South Div. 4 first round game against South Shore went exceptionally well in spite of a few bumps along the way. “...

CHATHAM – The Spring 2019 Learning Series at the Eldredge Public Library kicks off March 29. Sponsored by the Friends of The Eldredge Public Library, the courses meet at the library except for the film course which meets at The Chatham Orpheum Theatre, golf at Eastward Ho! County Club and American Songbook at the community center. Suggested donation is $15 per course unless otherwise noted. Registration forms ...

Seals, Not Dogs, Are The Problem   Editor: While I found the author’s point well presented and the issue of dog waste on the beaches is one worthy of conversation, I think that Chatham has a much larger problem on its hands. The letter cites that "one gram of dog waste can contain 23 million coliform bacteria,” which can cause adverse side effects in humans. Most of the unwanted results of the pres...

On this year's Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, some friends of my younger son came from Assonet to Cape Cod. In the course of our conversation, we naturally ended up discussing politics, riveting on the present incumbent in the White House. “Do you know anyone who voted for him?” I inquired. “Actually I do,” responded the male member of the duo. “I recently met an old acquaintance who had voted for him, bu...

A preliminary study of Chatham's east-facing waterways, from Pleasant Bay to Nantucket Sound, together with anecdotal evidence from commercial fishermen, makes it abundantly clear that dredging near the North Cut will be necessary to facilitate navigation in the months ahead. The problem is that the town's effort to secure a permit to dredge the area is tied up in a lawsuit and state department of environmenta...

CHATHAM —  It’s almost impossible to reach adulthood without experiencing loss. Early on, maybe a grandparent has died, maybe a relationship has terminated. As we age, we lose many loved ones and grieve for them. Just as stress can affect the body by tightening your muscles, clenching your stomach, so can grief. So how do we cope with all this sadness and loss? Talking and sharing is one way to cope. Peggy...

ORLEANS — The “air” B&B over Cedar Pond enjoyed by roosting cormorants for decades is no more. “As of yesterday, I witnessed that all wires, including the communication wire, are now down from spanning Cedar Pond,” Conservation Agent John Jannell told the conservation commission Tuesday. Some members applauded, with Judith Bruce asking that town counsel “convey our thanks” to Eversource. It was a high...

NORTH EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School Building Committee voted Feb. 27 to send six of 11 options for the future of the aged campus to the state School Building Authority for review. They included two required schemes: one with no changes except bringing the buildings up to code and adding a total of 7,400 square feet to two buildings and another based on full demolition and all-new construction. Th...