HARWICH — Abutters are pushing to see how resilient The Resilient Family Farm will be in a residential neighborhood off Chatham Road. Several neighbors were before the conservation commission last week complaining about the intensity of farm use and charging the town dropped the ball in allowing the commercial farm to plant roots in their neighborhood. “We have already experienced, at times, palpable lev...

HARWICH — Looking back at Harwich in 2016, there have been a number of positive accomplishments, including putting in place the comprehensive wastewater management plan, construction of an artificial reef offshore and completion of the Muddy Creek Bridge project. But the town also suffered a few setbacks, including a delay in the waterside renovations planned for Saquatucket Harbor for a year based on the abse...

The end of the year is an excellent time to reflect, recharge, and especially remember, and in the local sports world, whether it was expanded teams, coaching changes, tournament runs, or athletes making names for themselves, 2016 offered much to look back on. See a gallery of 2016 sports photos here .

Sharks.  Orcas. Bridges. A new fire station.  A new reef.   These are just some of the events of the past year.  Relive the events of 2016 in our year-end photo gallery here .

Chatham, Harwich and Orleans are meccas for art lovers. In 2016 both homegrown talent and visiting artists livened up the painting, photography, film, theater, music and literary scenes. Here is a look at some of the year’s highlights. Chatham was abuzz as “The Finest Hours,” a tale of the February, 1952 sinking of the SS Pendleton, premiered at the Chatham Orpheum Theater on Jan. 28. The Disney movie was film...

Use Freedom Of Speech Now Editor: I do not know Tom Johnson, Sr., but he speaks truth when he tells us to “speak out”(Chronicle, Dec. 15) How right he is! President-elect Trump is traveling the country, gloating about his win,  with the same noxious rants that he had during the  campaign to large meetings of his base corps, the “deplorables” who still chant “put her in jail.” Encouraged then and now to b...

It's the time of year to look back and remember not only the events of the past year, as we do in this issue, but also the community members to whom we bid adieu. Our region is blessed with a population of interesting, engaged folks, some of whom have astonishing backgrounds that often don't come to light until we read about it in their obituary. From financial wizards to fishermen, architects to art dealers, we ...

ORLEANS — In many ways, the last quarter of the year was a watershed for water quality efforts. In October, town meeting voted 369-98 to spend $3.2 million by June 2017 on the next stage of a coordinated effort to reduce nitrogen levels in local waters, including investigation of treated wastewater disposal sites, experiments with innovative nitrogen removal schemes, engineering studies for a downtown sewer ...

CHATHAM – Demolition of the historic Eldredge Garage stable/garage building was approved by the historic business district commission last week. The owners agree to preserve the former gas station building at the 365 Main St. site, mothballing it until its future use can be determined. A group of residents and business owners is helping the Eldredge family clean up the former service station site to clear the ...

CHATHAM – The zoning board of appeals last week sided with a Chatham Bars Inn neighbor who complained that the inn's use of a vacant lot off Claflin Landing had intensified beyond its previous uses. ZBA Chairman Robert Hessler chided CBI for failing to work with Claflin Landing resident Kathleen McCullough in what he said was essentially a “grandiose neighborhood dispute” which never should have reached his bo...

CHATHAM – A training session for selectmen and airport commissioners conducted by representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration has prompted questions from an outspoken opponent of skydiving at the town's airport. David Bixby, a member of the group that is suing the town to block the return of skydiving, questioned why the session was held behind closed doors and whether those attending violated the s...

CHATHAM – Staff and volunteers from the town's shellfish department braved frigid temperatures last week to make sure oysters grown in the town's upweller survive the winter. On the shores of Oyster Pond, legal-size oysters were culled from bags containing about 25,000 oysters. About 9,000 were placed in cages in the pond to overwinter, while the remaining oysters were distributed in waterways throughout the t...

CHATHAM — Remember your first job? Maybe it was mowing lawns, delivering newspapers or busing tables. For a variety of reasons, those early jobs can be dangerous ones. “Safety Matters,” a new program launched at Monomoy Middle School last week, aims to teach kids about workplace safety, maybe even before they get their first job. “Any workplace has potential hazards,” program presenter Jennifer Maclachlan...

CHATHAM — The rules are strict and the penalties for violators are stiff. But the regulations being finalized by the board of selectmen aim to ensure that the town's public water supply can continue to meet growing demand. Acting in their capacity as the town's water and sewer commissioners, selectmen last week held a public hearing on the draft regulations. They asked the water and sewer advisory committee to...

In the final days of The Chronicle's “Helping Neighbors” campaign to benefit the Family Pantry, donations were surging in from groups, individuals and businesses. But several days before Christmas, it appeared the campaign would fall short of its $60,000 goal. “What we need here is a little holiday magic,” Chronicle Publisher Henry C. Hyora said Monday. “We're extending the campaign through New Year's Eve to g...