“We’re really looking down the barrel of what’s going to be the strongest summer I’ve ever seen.” That’s the evaluation of Mac Hay, owner of Chatham Fish and Lobster and several other restaurants, fish markets and other businesses. Sign after sign point to the same conclusion: The 2021 summer visitor season will be one for the books. Chambers of commerce are reporting a heavy volume of inquiries, rentals are b...

NORTH HARWICH — There may not be much of a future for farming on Cape Cod, but teaching students about agriculture imparts skills valuable in other environmental fields that do have a future on the Cape. That's one of the chief concepts behind a proposal to create an agricultural education center at the 33-acre town-owned Main Street cranberry bogs in association with Cape Cod Regional Technical High School. ...

PLEASANT LAKE — Cape Cod Regional Technical High School students have a history of helping Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod, and now they’re looking to take the people who live in Habitat homes for a ride. A bicycle ride, that is. Students at the Pleasant Lake school are repairing and restoring bicycles to give to Habitat residents. The project is part of a SkillsUSA Week community service initiative the schoo...

HARWICH — The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone in different ways. For many people, the stay-at-home and reduced socialization directives have created a sheltered atmosphere. But not for Kate Seeley. Seeley is using her time to assist people struggling to obtain COVID-19 vaccine appointments. The West Harwich resident said she took a leave of absence from her job at the Outer Cape Health Service Women...

HARWICH — Jesse Gallante filed his nomination papers on Tuesday and will face off against Mary Anderson for the one three-year term on the board of selectmen on the ballot of the annual town elect. The seat is being vacated by Selectman Ed McManus, who decided not to seek re-election as a selectman. Instead, he decided to run for a seat on the newly formed water/wastewater commission. McManus will face a chall...

While Board Debates Bog Policy With ConCom HARWICH — Selectmen have approved a one-year extension on the lease of the town-owned Main Street cranberry bogs to provide the current lease holder time to wind down operations. The leasing of town-owned cranberry bogs has become somewhat of a contentious issue, with selectmen and the conservation commission at odds over how the bogs should be used. Selectmen were...

Selectmen Want To Keep Annual Session Short HARWICH — Selectmen have withdrawn the regional DHY Clean Water Partnership, as well as a number of other articles, from the May annual town meeting warrant to try to keep the meeting as short as possible. With the May 8 session scheduled to be held at the sports field at Monomoy Regional High School, selectmen have made it clear they want a concise and non-contro...

Discussions Continue On Elementary School Costs HARWICH — After selectmen threatened several times to reject the Monomoy Regional School District FY22 budget, the board voted 4-0 last week to support the $41,561,134 package. The school budget is up $300,000 over the present year, a 0.73 percent increase. However, Harwich’s share is $27,361,049, a $541,002 increase, or 2.02 percent. Chatham's contribution of...

License Renewal Hearings Put On Hold   <Text> by William F. Galvin HARWICH — Public hearings on liquor and entertainment license renewals for the Port Restaurant and Bar and Ember Pizza were postponed Monday after the owners of the establishments sued the town in federal court. Justin R. Brackett and Jared G. Brackett of 3137 LLC filed the action against the town of Harwich and several official...

HARWICH — In the next week or so, herring will begin to make their way up coastal rivers to headwater ponds to spawn. AmeriCorps members and local volunteers have been busy making those river passages a little easier. Over the past two weeks, Natural Resources Director Heinz Proft has been working with local volunteers and the Barnstable County AmeriCorps crew to clear out the Herring River and Red River leadi...

HARWICH — The waterways committee voted to deny an experimental bay scallop project proposed for an area eight-tenths of a mile off Pleasant Street Beach in Nantucket Sound. The committee’s decision came after Harbormaster John Rendon expressed concerns for potential navigational conflicts with boaters during the summer. The site has already been approved for growing kelp, but the lines required are removed ea...

This week’s troubling pandemic news is that the P.1 variant, which spreads more easily and quickly than other strains of COVID-19, has been detected on Cape Cod. The good news is that the same preventative measures in place since the start of the pandemic – the use of face masks, social distancing and other precautions – are the best defense against the new variant, public health officials say. Sometimes...