CHATHAM – The addition of a roundabout to the south end of the runway at Chatham Municipal Airport will allow larger airplanes to land and take off from the facility, a longtime goal of the airport commission. “This is a way to lengthen the runway to accommodate huge, loud and obnoxious planes that wouldn't otherwise be able to land here,” said commission chairman Harry Hunting. The roundabout – not a rotar...

Cranny Barry HARWICH – Due to a glitch in zoning laws, the planned mini-golf course near Buddy's Go-Go-Karts in Harwich Port will be upgraded to a theme park. The Disney company has been chose as the vender and yesterday announced plans for an elaborate attraction called “Cape Cod Land.” A planned protest by neighbors was cancelled after they were all given free lifetime subscriptions to Disney-Plus. A...

ORLEANS — Sipson Island will host next month’s annual town meeting. “Everyone’s been cooped up during the pandemic,” said Select Board Chair Kevin Gilligan. “This is a great way to showcase the town’s natural resources and get some fresh air.” Although there was interest in returning to Nauset Beach for the event, an infestation of cormorants made that impossible. “I swear it’s revenge for taking the line...

itz, Caroline Signe Gerda Wolf, age 80, of Harwich, passed away on March 19, 2021. Caroline was born in the Bronx, N.Y., on July 6, 1940 and graduated from Evander Childs High School. She married childhood sweetheart Henry A. (Hank) Ritz on June 11, 1960 at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Bronx. Caroline worked for AT&T for several years until she became a...

Anne Kingsbury Briggs, of Arlington and Harwich Port, passed away at home in Arlington on February 9th. She was 75. Anne was a dynamic, loving, talented woman who excelled at her many careers and was beloved by her numerous friends and family members. Anne grew up in Attleboro and Harwich Port, Massachusetts, and graduated from Attleboro High School in 1963. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with...

CHATHAM – Coast Guard Station Chatham's three 42-foot surf boats will be replaced by two 45-foot patrol boats, which will strip the station of its ability to carry out surf and heavy weather rescues. Town officials met last Friday with Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England commander Captain Christian J. Glander who confirmed the swap. Chatham officials initiated the meeting after getting wind of the chan...

CHATHAM — Having learned that it would cost the same – or a bit less – than building a new structure, the select board voted unanimously Tuesday to endorse the use of the historic Coast Guard Stage Harbor boathouse to house a new upweller at 90 Bridge St. The town’s engineers estimated that it would cost about $4,740,500 to build a new building for the town’s shellfish propagation program, putting it on a new ...

After Final Balloon Launch, Facility Shuts Down To Await Demolition CHATHAM – The National Weather Service's Upper Air Station on Morris Island was scheduled to end more than half a century of weather balloon launches on Wednesday. Closing the station is bittersweet, said Andy Nash, meteorologist in Chatham at the National Weather Service Norton office. “But mother nature is evicting us.” The station is ...

Poor Condition Made It A Safety Hazard CHATHAM – The iconic silver maple tree at 483 Main St. escaped the chainsaw back in 2015 after the owners sought permission to remove it; a huge branch had fallen down, and as it extended over the sidewalk as well as much of the courtyard in front of the commercial building, the tree's poor condition raised safety concerns. At the time, Tree Warden Dan Tobin denied the...

Despite the wider availability of vaccines, COVID-19 cases on Cape Cod are surging ahead of the state average. That has public health officials at all levels of government pleading with the public to continue wearing masks, avoiding crowds and taking other necessary precautions. Led by a “significant COVID-19 outbreak” in Barnstable and Yarmouth, the Cape registered a 5.59 percent two-week positivity rate as o...

SOUTH CHATHAM – Two local men have launched a community supported aquaculture (CSA) program to bring fresh, locally grown oysters to residents of the Cape and greater Boston. Shellfish Broker, based in South Chatham, will deliver three dozen fresh oysters to subscribers once a month. Right now the service is open to residents of Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline. Local residents can also subscribe an...

CHATHAM – Photos of the trusses in the salt shed at the rear of the DPW yard on Crowell Road tell the story. The bottom edge of many are broken off, others are cracked, the result of machinery intersecting with the low height of the wooden crossbeams. The town is proposing to replace the shed with a new salt storage structure with a gambrel roof that will be 40 feet high, 10 feet more than the current structure. ...

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...