CHATHAM — He was toasted as “the dean of Boston TV news,” but to Chatham residents who called the late anchorman Jack Hynes a friend, he was charming and accessible—a man who loved to talk about politics and sports. On Feb. 13, Mr. Hynes, 88, died of heart failure in Hingham. A son of John B. Hynes, Boston’s mayor from 1950 to 1960, Mr. Hynes was a well-known reporter and anchor on Boston channels five and 5...

CHATHAM — The story of Rachel Joy Scott, the first victim of the tragic Columbine school shooting in 1999, would be moving to hear anytime. But delivered to students at Monomoy Middle School just two days after the massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., it was devastatingly poignant. In a school-wide event booked long before the Parkland tragedy, presenter Deedee Cooper shared Rachel’s s...

CHATHAM – Twice since January, flooding from heavy rains and tidal surges have made roads in the Little Beach area impassable. As South Beach rapidly deteriorates, eliminating protection from the open ocean the area has enjoyed for decades, the scenario is likely to be repeated fairly frequently, say officials. “This is probably the new norm,” said Director of Health and Natural Resources Robert Duncanson. ...

CHATHAM – If the town continues to sock away $150,000 a year toward its post-employment benefit (OPEB) liability, it will take more than 110 years to meet its full obligation of more than $16 million. Selectmen are eyeing a somewhat shorter timeline; they want to full fund the OPEB trust in 10 to 15 years, less if possible. To meet that goal, the board last week instructed staff to prepare town meeting arti...

CHATHAM – The staff of the Eldredge Public Library is always looking for ways to promote reading and the library. So when Assistant Director Amy Andreasson and Youth Services Library Tammy DePasquale sat down last fall to plan out social media for the coming months and discovered that December was the birthday month of bingo, the light bulbs lit up. “The more we looked at it the more we thought we could do som...

CHATHAM – Until this past October, a large section of the Chatham Elementary School playground, an area known as the field, was alternatively a dusty or muddy mess, often unusable. But after a cooperative project last summer between the town and the school department that involved fixing drainage, bringing in irrigation, topsoil and seed, the area now has grass, for the first time in years. “It seems like a sm...

HARWICH ─ There are 620 students at Monomoy Regional High School, and since its inception, Principal Bill Burkhead has been looking for ways to let each of them know they matter. Recently the school kicked off its latest initiative with that goal in mind, and this time the hope is that it spreads to the local community and beyond. The 620 initiative has at its heart the number of students that pass through the...

HARWICH — In a sparsely attended meeting last week, officials fielded lots of questions about the $22.5 million East Harwich sewer system plan. But they’re the first to admit that they don’t yet have all the answers. Having been fully constituted for only around a month, the new wastewater support committee held an informational meeting at town hall last Thursday, and provided a progress update. The town’s w...

HARWICH — Having answered the planning board’s concerns about the shortage of parking, Outer Cape Health Services got the green light last week to build a medical center at the former Thompson’s Farm Market in Harwich Port. Construction is expected to begin shortly on the clinic, which will include 16 examination rooms, a lab and a pharmacy. Outer Cape Health holds a long-term lease on the building at 710 Ro...

HARWICH — A careful study of Island Pond Cemetery will show more than just rows of headstones. There is history, art, science, and a rich variety of trees. When Robbin Kelley looks out across the cemetery, she sees potential. The town’s cemetery administrator is leading an effort to create an arboretum that includes Island Pond Cemetery and an adjacent tract of conservation land. Arguably one of the town’s m...

HARWICH – Eight middle school boys comprise the Monomoy Youth Hoops Grade 5 team. Off the court they're all about having fun, but once in a game, the focus is all about basketball as their stellar 2018 season attests. This year the team has played to a 14-3 overall season record that has included victories against every team on Cape Cod, among them Nauset, Sandwich, D-Y, Barnstable, Falmouth, and Bourne, not t...

HARWICH – The Monomoy girls basketball team might have found themselves overmatched by a tough Falmouth team on Monday, but that didn't stop the Sharks from giving it their all in the 58-15 loss. Scoring proved elusive for the home team, who put forth a valiant effort in spite of a decidedly lopsided game. Mackenzie Balfour led the way with five points for Monomoy, which also saw successful shots from Maddie L...

Traditionally, the dining room was the heart of the home, especially for holidays and special occasions, and for some, everyday use. Today, many formal dining rooms are barely used, and contemporary homes often have open great rooms instead, which speaks to our casual approach to entertaining and everyday life. The prolific American playwright A.R. Gurney Jr. is known for focusing his attentions on the vanishi...

At last week’s informative workshop held by the Harwich Wastewater Support Committee, it would be an exaggeration – but not much of one – to say that there were more committee members present than there were citizens in the audience. It’s possible that dozens of people tuned in to watch the presentation on Channel 18, even if only eight or nine came to the meeting. A more likely scenario? So far, the public ju...

“Come gather ‘round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it that soon You’ll be drenched to the bone For the times they are a-changin’”   Way back in 1964, Bob Dylan was a young self-styled folk singer from Minnesota. His voice was certainly not wonderful, nor was his personality on stage. But the words of his songs were incredible and those w...

Edward Crowell Collins             Edward Crowell Collins passed away on January 28, 2018. Ed was born in Hartford Connecticut on June 14, 1930 to Grace and Robert Collins. Ed is survived by his son William and his wife Susan, his son David and his partner Mary and his son Jay and his wife Jill.                Ed was a member of the United States Air Force for four years. He pursued his formal education at ...