NORTH HARWICH — Thankfully, Cape Cod has yet to experience a surge of COVID-19 patients in area hospitals. But from the perspective of the Family Pantry of Cape Cod, the surge in clients is already here. The nonprofit recently reported a 97 percent increase in new client visits this April compared to the previous April. The numbers show what’s already clear from the line of vehicles outside the Pantry: more pe...

HARWICH — Both the 36-hole miniature golf course proposed for land at the corner of Route 28 and Sisson Road and the Royal Apartments proposal were withdrawn last week after it became clear neither project could muster the supermajority necessary for approval by the zoning board of appeals. Andrew Singer, the attorney representing mini-golf course property owner Andrew Hall of Emulous Hall Realty Trust, said l...

HARWICH — The days of seniors coming into the community center for a hearty lunch were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but there remain elderly residents in need of a good daily meal. Town Chef Linda St. Pierre has been busy preparing these nutritious lunches-to-go for seniors. “I miss my seniors terribly, a lot of them are wonderfully entertaining,” St. Pierre said of the folks who came to the center for ...

HARWICH — Selectmen Tuesday afternoon voted to send a formal request to the division of local services in the state department of revenue to allow the town to deficit spend up to $250,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in FY2020. Because of the state of emergency declared by Gov. Charlie Baker on March 10, the town anticipates extraordinary expenses, according to the letter, which will be sent to Mary Jane Handy...

HARWICH — Wingate of Harwich has reported that 48 residents and nine staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. The numbers were released based on extensive testing conducted last week by the National Guard. Four residents of the Headwaters Drive facility have died of coronavirus-related causes. On Monday, Michele Clark, administrator at the 135-bed facility, confirmed in an email that the mobile test...

HARWICH — Wingate of Harwich has reported that 48 residents and nine staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. The numbers were released based on extensive testing conducted last week by the National Guard. Three residents of the Headwaters Drive facility have died of coronavirus-related causes. On Monday, Michele Clark, administrator at the 135-bed facility, confirmed in an email that the mobile tes...

HARWICH – As the seniors of Monomoy Regional High School count down to their last days, so, too, is Principal William “Bill” Burkhead, who has been named the new superintendent of Scituate Public Schools, effective July 1. Burkhead shared the news with district families in a letter sent by email Tuesday. “In early January, 2014, I received a phone call from Superintendent Carpenter offering me the position ...

HARWICH — The former Handler's Auto Parts property along Route 28 in Harwich Port has been sold, but it will remain in the family. Jeffrey Handler announced on social media this past last weekend that the property was sold to himself and other members of the Handler family. What the future plans are for the property are not clear. “Not sure at this point,” Handler wrote on social media. “We need to do a lot...

HARWICH — Health Director Meggan Eldredge has received many calls from people urging the health board to put in place a regulation requiring the wearing of masks in public places. But while the board of made it clear last week that people should be wearing masks in public, it stopped short of issuing a mandate. Enforcement would be just too difficult, board members said. Board of Health Chair Pamela Howell ...

HARWICH — Critical budget items will be the focus of the June 22 annual town meeting. Other articles, especially those likely to generate prolonged discussion, will be postponed. That is, if the town can hold the session on June 22. “I’m still skeptical we’ll have a June annual town meeting,” Selectman Michael MacAskill said last Friday. If the meeting is held, Board of Selectmen Chairman Larry Ballantin...

HARWICH – With the COVID curve far from flattened in the United States, and Massachusetts continuing to see new cases, it came as no surprise when Governor Charlie Baker canceled schools across the state on April 21, but Monomoy Superintendent Dr. Scott Carpenter was ready. “It’s one of those things that on some level I think was a bit of a relief,” he said. “I, personally, went into this thinking it was going...

HARWICH — The property owners who initiated a proposed change to the Industrial Light District along the west end of Queen Anne Road have now informed the town’s planning department they have no interest in pursuing the zoning change. The request to change the zoning was made to Town Planner Charleen Greenhalgh last summer by Alan and Edward Hall. In a public hearing on the proposed zoning change before the pl...