ORLEANS — “Nearly every usable piece of land owned by the Town of Orleans is being used for a public purpose,” Director of Planning and Community Development George Meservey reported in a letter to Town Administrator John Kelly last month. At the select board’s Nov. 18 meeting, the planner reviewed three of those properties: the former American Legion Hall across from town hall at 139 Main St., the former highway...

On a recent Saturday, John Morgan drove his battered red F350 pick-up onto a long dirt road that runs along the Chatham Municipal Airport. The bed of the truck was full of lobster trap line of varying thickness and colors; a lobsterman getting rid of some of his old gear from a storage spot there had helped sling it aboard. The gear, no longer fit for a life on the ocean, travelled to Sandwich where it join...

As the turkey leftovers become grandma’s best soup ever, many thoughts are turning to the December holidays. Houses and yards are getting decorated with lights, greens and ribbons and gift giving has become the priority for those with the means to do so. As I spread bird seed on the ground for the sparrows, doves and squirrels this morning I found myself thinking about the gifts we give and receive, many...

On Monday, one day after alerting parents to a positive COVID-19 case at Monomoy Middle School, Superintendent of Schools Scott Carpenter sent a second email announcing another case at Harwich Elementary. “Based on what has been shared with the school from both the family and public health officials, the student was not in the building while infectious, and we do not need to quarantine any classrooms,” Carpent...

CHATHAM – Who has the ultimate authority over Chatham Municipal Airport? The airport commission? The board of selectmen? The Federal Aviation Administration? All three, to one degree or another. For three hours Tuesday evening, officials hashed out the various levels of airport oversight, delving into state statutes, obscure town bylaws and term definitions. They didn't quite get down to the level of defini...

CHATHAM – For years, the town has taken every available opportunity to add sand to Nantucket Sound beaches, especially in the Cockle Cove area. Erosion nonetheless remains a major problem along the south shore, and addressing it in a comprehensive way will take more than just beach nourishment. “While that's very valuable, it's not sufficient to really maintain the beaches as we'd like,” said Coastal Resources...

CHATHAM — Each year, selectmen and the town manager begin the process of creating a budget by setting their goals and objectives, meeting in a special Saturday session. This year’s session yielded a list of priorities shaped in part by the pandemic. “Seeing that COVID-19 was impacting a lot of our ability to move forward with our work that we had been thinking about doing, we did review our established mission...

CHATHAM – The historic business district commission's denial of a request to demolish five buildings on the former Monomoy Theatre property was discriminatory and overstepped its authority, the owners of the property claim. Chatham Productions LLC is asking the board of selectmen to overturn the commission's Nov. 18 decision. In an appeal sent to selectmen Nov. 25, owner Greg Clark wrote that during the hearin...

Deposit Is Preferable To Outright Prohibition HARWICH — As selectmen consider whether the sale of nip bottles should be banned, package store operators are seeing red – as in a major financial impact if such a prohibition is put in place. Some owners say nips generate as much as 30 to 40 percent of their business. Selectmen have heard from people in the community about the street-side litter of nip bottles,...

HARWICH — Housing committee members are confused and frustrated over what their role is in shaping the housing needs of the community, now that the focus and funding has shifted to another group, the affordable housing trust. The committee last week discussed their mission and expressed concerns about being “sidelined.” Housing Committee Chairman Art Bodin said he had a discussion with Selectman Stephen Ford, ...

HARWICH — Thanks to a lot of patience, a dash of ingenuity and gallons of disinfectant, the community center remains open during the pandemic. And for the people who use it and the Harwich Cultural Center, it’s a badly needed connection to neighbors during the COVID-19 era. It’s far from business as usual, however. Community Center Director Carolyn Carey said she’s worked closely with Health Director Meggan El...

HARWICH — Along with the cold weather, the reality that it may be a tough winter for restaurants is settling in. Facilities for outdoor serving are being shuttered and limited indoor serving capacity could make the usual slow winter even slower. Town officials are weighing options available to restaurants. One is to allow longer closures. Selectmen last week approved owner Damien Wiseman's request to close the...

HARWICH - Bill O'Connell doesn't mind doing double duty. Though already head football coach at St. John Paul II High School in Hyannis, he recently signed on to become the new head basketball coach for Monomoy girls varsity basketball and is looking forward to leading the Sharks into a strong future. “It's a great school,” he said of Monomoy. “I've seen them play, having coached on the Cape. Some of the people...

This year has been challenging for everyone, especially our local theaters, dance studios, and anyplace where groups of people come together. As we've all learned to work around restrictions on gatherings, some organizations and individuals in the community have risen to the occasion and shone, finding ways to keep the give-and-take between audiences and performers, between instructors and students alive and kick...

Rein In Airport Commission Editor: The Chatham Airport Commission has submitted a proposed plan to the FAA which apparently has not been publicly posted, presented or approved. Gale Associates say that the five-year plan requires 22 easements. However, the Airport Layout Plan (ALP), a definitive document, includes the original 46 avigation easements and a ruinous 40:1 surface for instrument departures, whic...