HARWICH — While the debate continues about the future of the old Harwich Middle School building, something interesting is happening inside. Art. So far, eight artists and craftspeople have rented out classrooms for use as studio or workshop space, some on a monthly basis and some for only a few weeks. The auditorium has also been rented for a day by musicians, and for a week by the Cape Cod Lighthouse Chart...

HARWICH — Conceding that it lacks the authority to mandate a different color, the historic district and historical commission last week authorized the town's request to paint the exterior of the Brooks Free Library white. But some members worried that the ruling might whitewash a larger issue about how Community Preservation Act funds are used. A white paint job is favored by the board of selectmen and the b...

CHATHAM — A draft agreement governing the flow of millions of gallons of wastewater and millions of taxpayer dollars between Harwich and Chatham had its first review by selectmen last Thursday. The draft intermunicipal agreement is the product of two years of negotiations and more than a decade of discussions on the potential collaboration. A subcommittee comprised of two selectmen from each town and staff e...

HARWICH — The conservation commission ruled last week that Resilient Family Farm on Chatham Road needs to undergo their review when seeking permission to carry out work within the 100-foot buffer zone to wetlands. Farm Owner Barry Viprino had sought an agricultural exemption from commission review, but commissioners disagreed Wednesday, saying a previous horse boarding operation on the property doesn't qualify...

HARWICH – In his talk last week at the Brooks Free Library, Monomoy High School history teacher Richard Houston referred to the recent Superbowl game: “That was a North-South contest, too — New England versus Georgia...a good segue to tonight’s topic.” The topic was Houston’s trip to Virginia to explore Revolutionary and Civil War sites, funded by the Westgate Foundation of Chatham. Created in honor of Dr. R.I...

HARWICH — Voters in the May 1 annual town meeting will face a weighty warrant of town business, including an article that seeks around $34 million to build a sewer collection system in East Harwich. Around 50 articles are on the draft warrant, which closed on Friday at noon. Town Administrator Christopher Clark warned that the draft warrant remains subject to change. It will be reviewed and revised by the boar...

NORTH HARWICH — They're not quite ready for a mortgage-burning party, but Family Pantry officials are celebrating a milestone. They've surpassed the halfway mark in their bid to pay off the mortgage and construction expenses for Second Glance, their thrift shop in West Harwich. The campaign, called “Shop for the Hungry,” has raised $542,000 of the $1 million needed to retire the debt on the thrift shop, which ...

HARWICH — Saying there's evidence that town finances are stabilizing, Town Administrator Christopher Clark submitted a balanced budget to selectmen Monday night. The draft fiscal 2018 spending plan will now be scrutinized by selectmen and the finance committee and is likely to undergo many revisions before town meeting in May. Though it omits or reduces nearly $1 million in funding requests from department hea...

HARWICH — It doesn't qualify as leisure reading, but the town's new handbook on water quality aims to answer some key questions about wastewater treatment, like why it's being done, where certain measures will be needed, and how much it'll cost. Selectmen approved the 12-page document on a split vote last week. It can be downloaded from the town's website by clicking on the water droplet button on the home pag...

HARWICH — When it comes to drafting permanent regulations governing potential marijuana retailers in town, selectmen are seeking a one-year moratorium on pot shops, giving time for the legislative smoke to clear. Selectmen Monday voted to seek a zoning amendment designed to temporarily keep marijuana retailers from setting up shop in town. If approved by town meeting voters, the moratorium would ban recreati...

HARWICH — Housing is getting too expensive to sustain an adequate service provider population, and that's likely to get worse as the population ages. That message came through loud and clear during a presentation on the latest version of the town's housing production plan. There is a great need to provide affordable housing here and across the Cape, but communities should also address the need for workforce ho...

HARWICH — The Stone Horse Motel property is back on the market. Outer Cape Health Services, which had planned to convert the former motel to new medical offices, will instead move its health care facilities into the former BackOffice building across from Saquatucket Harbor. OCHS purchased the Stone Horse more than two years for $1 million and set its sights on building a 25,000 -to-30,000-square-foot facility ...