Today is the one-year anniversary of the tornado that tore through a 2.8-mile stretch of town from just west of Harwich Center, following Route 39 into East Harwich and into Chatham. With winds churning at 110 miles per hour, trees posed no resistance, littering and blocking roadways, making vehicle passage nearly impossible. “It was probably the worst natural disaster the town has seen and I worked through Hu...

“Poetry’s medium is not merely light as air, it is air: vital and deep as ordinary breath.” – Robert Pinsky  We could all use more poetry and music in our lives during these strange days, and this week we’re in for a memorable treat. On Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m. Cape Cod Theatre Company/Harwich Junior Theatre will sponsor the Voices of Poetry, hosted by VOP Founder/Director and host of Poet's Corner on r...

For many, the open-air farmers markets of Chatham, Harwich, and Orleans are synonymous with the bounty and vibrancy of summer days. The hum of greetings and conversations floats above crates of fresh eggs, buckets of lavender and garden flowers, and rows of bright carrots, lettuce, and tomatoes.  This summer, local farmers markets look a little different, with spaces reconfigured to align with COVID-19 rules a...

Despite Late Pandemic Opening, It's A Busy Summer At The Atwood Museum CHATHAM — At long last, the Atwood Museum, Home of the Chatham Historical Society (CHS), has opened its doors to visitors on a reservation basis with exhibitions on topics as varied as the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags, women’s suffrage and the end of World War II. “We’ve got quite a lot of new stuff coming out this year,” says CHS Executi...

My daily walks have taken me to places that are full of blooms this week. There are multitudes of tame and lovely roses and hydrangeas, lilies and geraniums alongside homes and businesses. Some gardens are so full and lush I have to stop and see how many flowers I can name, just to have an excuse to linger a bit longer. My own gardens are full of blossoms and my vegetable garden is bursting with things getting re...

HARWICH – We’ve all been spending quite a lot more time indoors than was once normal. It’s only natural that when we venture out of our homes for necessary errands, we tend to see the once familiar world around us with fresh eyes. Take a look at those flowers! Wow, those planted containers are just stunning. I wonder who has been taking care of these garden b eds during the quarantine? If you are asking ...

Institution Poised To Adapt To Pandemic Changes WEST BARNSTABLE — It was eerily quiet at the Cape Cod Community College campus on a recent visit. The parking lot was empty, concourses vacant. While summer traditionally is the season of fewer enrollments at the college, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact and will change the way students will be educated. “This is part of life, learning how we na...

It’s been a long few months of being more or less housebound, alone or together. For some it has been a nightmare, but for others it’s been a blessing of sorts. As things ease up a bit, it is easy to tell the most social amongst us, as they were out and about and eagerly seeking company for drinks, dinners and group activities as quickly as they could. The rest of us may feel a bit of regret as life resume...

Like many others I’ve been doing a lot of planting this spring. I’ve always had gardens but to be honest, they’ve been as full of weeds as anything else because I just haven’t had the time or energy to maintain them. That and the fact that I not so secretly love the butter ‘n eggs, chicory and Queen Anne’s lace that all think they own the place. Throw in some red clover, thistle, evening primrose, dock and pokebe...

The show must go on at The Academy Playhouse in Orleans, where social distancing can’t stop the power of performance. Starting Friday, July 3 at 3 p.m. The Playhouse will present its first ever free virtual musical via Zoom, “The Big One-Oh!” directed by Kevin Quill and J Williams. Six performances will take place: on Friday, July 3 at 3 p.m.; Saturday, July 4 at 10 a.m.; Sunday, July 5 at 5 p.m.; Friday, J...

Women Now Make Up Half Of The Town's Famous Musical Group Women were given the right to vote in the United States in August 1920 with the passage of the 19 th Amendment, but they weren’t given the right to join the Chatham Band until January 1982. Today, over a full generation later, women playing in the beloved band don’t raise an eyebrow, and in fact half of the Chatham Band’s 40 full-time members are no...

HARWICH PORT — One morning last week, Nan Poor, a trustee of the Harwich Conservation Trust, looked out her window into her yard, where she has several bird feeding stations. Among the visitors to her yard, which is next to the HCT Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve’s wetlands and walking paths, there are often mourning doves eating seed on the ground or blue jays bouncing about. This particular morning, thou...