ORLEANS – The site off of Route 6A that formerly housed the Underground Mall continues to be vacant. But the project could soon regain traction. Chris DeSisto of Maple Hurst Builders said last week that plans to redevelop the 3.6-acre property into housing are still in the works, and that plans could be filed at town hall to begin local review in the fall. "We're still proceeding with that job," he said in ...

ORLEANS – On Eli Rogers Road, there is a parcel subdivided into four lots abutting the town's 500-acre watershed. When the neighboring property went up for sale this spring, the Orleans Conservation Trust knew that similar development could be possible. "Right next door, we have the example of what is likely to have happened if OCT didn't swoop in here," said the trust's executive director, Stephen O'Grady. ...

ORLEANS – On Sept. 26, 1918, the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa was crossing the Bristol Channel on its way to Wales, having successfully escorted a convoy from Gibraltar to the Irish Sea. That evening, just after 8 p.m., the ship was attacked by a single torpedo from a German U-boat. "It broke the Tampa's back, and it sank in three minutes, losing all lives onboard," said Kevin Higgins, who chairs the town's Vetera...

ORLEANS – A licensed clinical social worker, Asa Nadeau also has a master's degree in public health from Boston University. On Sept. 13, he came before the select board and the board of health hoping to put that experience to good use for the town. "I've been looking at getting involved," he said, "and I saw that this opportunity opened up." Nadeau was appointed to finish out a health board term recently va...

ORLEANS – After a month-long closure, Pilgrim Lake reopened late last week to public swimming. But concerns remain from abutters and residents about the lake's water quality. Several people addressed the select board Sept. 6 urging officials to treat the lake with alum. The board voted the same night to place an article on the warrant for next month's special town meeting seeking $50,000 in free cash to pay fo...

ORLEANS – The slate has been set for next month's special town meeting, including two overrides and one debt exclusion request. The select board voted last week to place and support 33 articles on the warrant for the fall session, which is scheduled for Oct. 16. Approximately $3.3 million in spending is up for a vote, including $1.15 million to fund eight new firefighter positions for the Orleans Fire Depar...

ORLEANS – When the Orleans Pond Coalition was formed in 2003, it envisioned a town-wide plan for wastewater management. Now in its 20th year, the organization has seen its goal has come to fruition in a big way. As part of its annual weekend-long Celebrate Our Waters event, the coalition is offering tours of the town’s new wastewater treatment facility on Overland Way. The new facility, which went online in Ma...

Grant Could Cover Salary, Benefits For Three Years ORLEANS – It’s been another long and trying summer for the Orleans Fire Department, which continues to wrestle with the pressures of inadequate staffing. But could next summer be different? That’s the hope, and all eyes are now fixed on next month’s special town meeting. An article is poised to go before voters Oct.16 seeking authorization to hire eight ...

‘Live And Work Cape Cod’ Sets Sites On Creating Workforce Housing ORLEANS – For Luke Chapman, it’s not enough to say that Orleans needs housing. As he sees it, the town’s needs are more specific. “I like starting with, ‘What’s the real problem we’re trying to solve?’ And if everybody can get really honest for a minute, the real problem we’re trying to solve is housing for the workforce.” Much is discusse...

$25K Sought To Explore Court Options At Former DPW Site ORLEANS – Plans to explore the potential for bringing pickleball and tennis courts to the site of the former public works headquarters on Bay Ridge Lane got a critical endorsement from the community preservation committee last month. The committee on Aug. 24 unanimously voted to support the recreation advisory committee’s application for $25,000 in Com...

ORLEANS – Like other towns across the Cape, Orleans is in need of more housing. But town officials want the public's input on what types of housing the town needs and how to go about creating it. A community forum will be held Sept. 7 to gather public input as town officials work to prepare a housing needs assessment for the town. The forum will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Craine meeting room at the Sno...

ORLEANS – The Orleans Chamber of Commerce started Boards in the Stores this year as a joint effort to promote both local businesses and local artists. The endeavor proved more successful than organizers could have imagined. Bidding on the four-foot surfboards, which were each custom designed by an artist and displayed at local shops around town, closed Saturday. The event raised $21,130, which will be split ev...