CHATHAM – The town's museums will throw open their doors Friday, Saturday and Sunday to celebrate Chatham History Weekend. Sponsored by Historic Chatham, a cooperative group of the town's museums and history organizations, Chatham History Weekend aims to acquaint locals and visitors alike with the rich historical assets Chatham has to offer. The event includes a mix of new exhibits, demonstrations, book sig...

HARWICH PORT — More than 150 people came together Monday evening to comfort one another, to reflect, and to pray for peace in the wake of the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando early Sunday. The pews were full at Pilgrim Congregational Church for the nondenominational service, which was organized by members of the Harwich Clergy Association. It was a time of healing and an opportunity to openly ...

HARWICH — The town's plastic bag ban is now in effect. Businesses selling goods, articles, food or personal services to the public will no longer be allowed to use single-use plastic bags with a thickness of 2.5 mils. Voters in town meeting in 2015 promulgated the bylaw and it took effect on June 15. “In simple terms, this bylaw prohibits an establishment from distributing or selling any single-use plastic...

HARWICH — The Saquatucket Harbor landside development concept plan received unanimous support from selectmen Monday night. The plan seeks to improve pedestrian access, improve efficiency of harbor operations and enhance the character and beauty of the harbor for boaters and non-boaters alike. The development concept plan has been in the works for more than a year, with the Saquatucket Harbor development commit...

HARWICH — After more than an hour of discussion on interim and future uses of the Harwich Middle School Monday night, it is clear there is no consensus among the board of selectmen on how to move forward with a long-term plan for the facility. The board did, however, vote to ask Town Administrator Christopher Clark to put together a two-year interim use plan for the structure. The non-binding ballot question s...

HARWICH — The Farmer's Market held each Thursday in the triangle across from Brook Academy on Parallel Street got underway for the season last Thursday. Traffic was a little light on the first day, but the Farmer's Market has become a major attraction in Harwich Center over the past few years.

CHATHAM ─ Nearly 40 years ago a quartet of running enthusiasts, fresh from their participation in the renowned Falmouth Road Race, decided that another Cape venue needed a similar event, and the Chatham Harbor Run was born. But in 2014, construction began on the aging Mitchell River Bridge, and the beloved Chatham run went on hiatus. At noon on June 26 the race returns and runners will once again be able to t...

CHATHAM ─ The Chatham Anglers are off to a bumpy start in their 2016 season, but manager John Schiffner is keeping it realistic, knowing that his roster is still evolving. “It's in flux,” he said following the team's home opener against Falmouth last Friday, a game that started off strong for the A's, but ended in a 7-4 loss, the team's first opening day loss since 2008. The trouble, it seems, might be part...

HARWICH ─ If the start of the Harwich Mariners' 2016 season is a harbinger of games to come, this could be a very good summer for Mariner fans. So far, the Harwich crew has gone undefeated in their first four games, beginning with their season opener last Friday against Cotuit that ended in an 8-3 victory for Harwich. The Mariners matched their runs with their hits on opening day, recording eight in total, and...

CHATHAM – Why, after 31 years, is “Back to the Future” still popular enough that people travel long distances to see it on the big screen and hear its co-creator and one of its stars talk about making the film? “Everybody wonders what were my parents like when they were kids; everybody wonders what was my parents' first date like,” said the film's co-writer and producer Bob Gale during a question and answer se...

The Atwood House Museum will kick off its new summer exhibit “Masters of the Sea,” which tells the story of Chatham’s great days as a 19 th century training ground for the best ship’s captains in the world, on June 17. “Masters of the Sea” relates the fascinating tales of danger and excitement faced by eight sea captains and a sailmaker born in Chatham and Harwich between 1838 and 1854. (The sailmaker, Charle...

CHATHAM – You aren't likely to see it going 88 miles per hour down Main Street, but a 1982 DeLorean is taking many people in town back in time this week. The car, a reproduction of the time machine in the 1985 film “Back to the Future,” is in town as part of in a series of fundraisers centered on the popular movie trilogy benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. A near-exact copy o...

Music has been the focus of Chris Roberts’ life since his childhood in Wales, which is known for its citizens’ talent for music. The small coal mining village in Wales where he grew up was called Coedpoeth, meaning hot wood. “I had a musical upbringing. There was always music in the family,” he said. His mother and father sang, his mother played the piano and his grandfather played the trumpet. He started sing...

Senseless acts of brutality like Sunday's mass shooting in Orlando overwhelm the emotions. Mere words can't describe the anger, frustration and deep sorrow that we are once again enduring as a nation. But spontaneous vigils in Harwich Port and Chatham Monday reminded us not to feel two particular emotions. The first is complacency. More than just the numbness that takes over when we're repeatedly exposed to tr...

It hasn’t been this long since my early 30s. And it is getting longer. The other day I was in line at the bank. Saturday morning, just about quarter ‘til noon. The gentleman in front of me was wrapping up his business at the counter and noticed the rush of activity and new customers appearing. “Is it always this busy today, or is it just last minute?” he wondered out loud. “I know I’m last minute,” I said. ...

Thank A Teacher Today Editor: Today we sat sifting through a bin filled with the journey of our child’s kindergarten year. This was a big transition for him and us as parents. As we sorted through the numerous papers and projects, we couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the blessing that Chatham Elementary School received this year. This blessing has a greater value than any monetary gift. Her name is Dawn...