Harwich News

WE CAN Searches For Another Exec

By: Alan Pollock

SOUTH HARWICH — Less than a year in her tenure as the second executive director in the history of WE CAN, Dianne Gauthier has resigned from that post. Gauthier left the women’s advocacy group “to pursue other career opportunities,” board President Pam Kukla wrote in a Dec. 6 email to supporters. “The board will be announcing the search process in the next few days,” Kukla wrote. Gauthier, who came t...

HARWICH – Educators in the Monomoy Regional School District took their message regarding fair contracts public last Wednesday when many stood outside their respective schools holding signs that read, “Monomoy Educators Go The Extra Mile.” But with rumors flying as contract negotiations continue, Superintendent Scott Carpenter emphasized that he and the school committee have the district's best interests at heart....

State Rejects Harwich Sidewalk Grant

By: William F. Galvin

HARWICH — The sidewalk along Route 28 from Saquatucket Harbor to Harwich Port is considered the missing link in improved pedestrian safety and economic development along the expanded harbor waterfront. But officials a state Massworks Infrastructure Program grant that would have covered nearly 70 percent of the cost has been rejected. The town was seeking a grant for $576,500 to be matched with $250,000 town me...

Child Dies In Tragic Accident

By: Cape Cod Chronicle

NORTH HARWICH — The death of a seven-year-old boy Saturday has left his family, his friends and his young classmates reeling from the loss. Police say Damien Larsen was at his grandfather’s home on Main Street Extension Saturday afternoon when he was critically injured by a piece of heavy equipment, a skid steer loader. The accident happened at around 3:15 p.m. at 106 Main St. Harwich police officers and ...

Selectmen Approve Housing Coordinator On Split Vote

By: William F. Galvin

HARWICH — On a 3-1 vote, selectmen approved a contract agreement with Community Development Partnership, an Eastham based nonprofit, to serve as the town's new housing consultant. Selectman Michael MacAskill cast the dissenting vote, expressing concern the town was rushing the appointment, given the absence of a recommendation by the new affordable housing trust. Town Administrator Christopher Clark, who is...

Harwich Center Initiative Group Wants Stakeholder Input

By: William F. Galvin

HARWICH — Storefronts in the village should be living entities generating economic growth and stimulus, members of the newly formed Harwich Center initiative committee agreed during their first session last week. There was certainly renewed energy behind the revitalization of Harwich Center expressed at the gathering, with more than a dozen people coming together with the committee and expressing ideas on how ...

New Cape Tech School Bid $12M Lower Than Projected

By: William F. Galvin

HARWICH — The Cape Cod Regional Technical High School building committee has selected Brait Builders Corporation of Marshfield as the general contractor for the new high school construction project. Brait Builders' $91,376,000 bid was $12 million below the initial construction estimate approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and $8 million below the adjusted professional cost estimate pr...

Built The Old Fashioned Way

By: Russ Allen

Timber Frame Home Under Construction In Harwich Uses Techniques, Tools Of The Past HARWICH – “This is how buildings were constructed all over Cape Cod back in the 17th century. Roughhewn freshly-cut timbers. Mortise and tenon joints. Fit together with no nails.” Jesse Lambert stood beside his work-in-progress on Sisson Road as he described his approach to constructing the new workshop and office space which...

EAST HARWICH — When it comes to restoring the pristine water quality in Pleasant Bay, Harwich, Chatham, Orleans and Brewster are in it for the long haul. It takes decades for nutrient pollution from upland residential development to reach the waterway, and it will take decades to bring nitrogen levels back where they belong, officials say. That’s not to say there isn’t ample evidence that the health of the b...

Housing Trust Begins Affordable Housing Development Planning

By: William F. Galvin

HARWICH — The competition with second home owners is driving up the cost of housing in Harwich and making it more difficult for people living and working in the community to purchase a home, said Town Administrator Christopher Clark, the chairman of the town's affordable housing trust. The town has recognized the need to increase its affordable housing inventory to provide places were the working community can...

New Medical Center Opens With Promise Of All-Inclusive Service

By: William F. Galvin

HARWICH PORT — Outer Cape Health Services, Inc. held a ribbon cutting at its new community health center Tuesday, making a commitment to providing more all-inclusive health care here and on the Outer Cape. The doors to the new medical center located across from Saquatucket Harbor will be open on Monday morning with a commitment to serving the entire community whether health insurance is available or not. The t...

Harwich Town Surveyor Sweetser Retires After 18 Years

By: William F. Galvin

HARWICH — The man who has set town property lines, located parcels with limited descriptions and assured town projects are located on municipal property is retiring after 18 years of serving as the town's professional land surveyor. Paul Sweetser spent his last day in the office on Monday. “Retirement will be bittersweet,” Sweetser said on Monday. “I'll really miss all of the people I worked with up here over ...