The Cape Codder

In the upcoming general election, there is a three-way race for the Barnstable 1st District seat in the state Legislature. State Rep. Timothy Whelan, R-Brewster, who holds the seat now, is running for Barnstable County sheriff. Whelan has held the seat since 2014. The contenders for the seat in the Nov. 8 election are, in alphabetical order by last name, Democrat Chris Flanagan, Independent Abraham Kasparian and Republican Tracy Post.

null The Nauset Regional High School Building Committee had to re-advertise it's school renovation project seeking a general contractor bid for $105 million for the $132 million project that was approved a four town meetings last year. There were not enough qualified bidders.

PROVINCETOWN — Provincetown town officials will speed up work on the sewer vacuum system, following the sewer emergency Aug. 11-12 when the system was shut down due to equipment failure. "People did a great job responding to this," Select Board member Louise Venden said at the Wednesday meeting specifically about the equipment failure. "I look forward to supporting the plan to move forward," Venden said.

The Association to Preserve Cape Cod along with volunteers, pond associations, towns and the state monitors over 100 freshwater ponds for concentrations of cyanobacteria (blue green algae) and toxins produced by the bacteria. These toxins can affect the liver and nerves, and pets have died from drinking water from contaminated ponds on Cape Cod. When levels are high enough the association staff members will alert the towns.

There is a two-way race among Democrats in the state primary for the 4th Barnstable District representative in the General Court. Sarah Peake of Provincetown is seeking her ninth term as representative for the 4th Barnstable District, which includes Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Orleans, Chatham, Harwich and part of Brewster. Jack Stanton, also a Provincetown resident, is running for the 4th Barnstable District seat.

BREWSTER — Hannah Sears of Dennis was alarmed when on a cold December afternoon in 1773 her husband arrived home from Boston and headed straight for the pantry. He grabbed the tea kettle and tea, and tossed them out — declaring they must drink no more tea. “Your poor father has come back crazy,” Hannah Sears whispered to her sons, according to Evan O’Brien of the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum.

Rich Eldred The Cape Codder The Massachusetts State Ethics Commission on July 26 issued what is called a public education letter to state Environmental Police Major Kevin Clayton of Harwich after finding he violated the state's conflict of interest law by providing a friend a chance to promote his private law practice at a state environmental police training session on Nov. 17, 2020.

BREWSTER — A Russian-born author will tell of the struggle to save her grandfather's art work and bring it to America at a fundraiser for Ukraine this week.

ORLEANS — Residents can get a glimpse of what a new community center could look like and a chance to have a say it what it will include. The Orleans Community Center Feasibility Study Task Force, which has been working on the project since last fall, is holding a planning workshop Aug. 15 to get public comment. Architect Dave Eisen of Abacus Architects will provide some conceptual designs. “What we are looking to do is get further feedback on the design concepts,” task force Chair Fritz Luft said.

BREWSTER — There's good news and bad news for plans to renovate the Brewster Ladies Library. The project is sixth on the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners' list of potential grant recipients with a strong probability of being approved for a $4.65 million award in January, Ladies Library Association President Joan Pernice said.