The £1.16 million transformation of Harwich Library is on course to finish this summer in time for its 50th anniversary Harwich Library will expand by 182 sqm and sport two new classrooms for up to 40 learners which can be used by community-based providers A public consultation on Essex libraries showed residents wanted support for skills and employability This was at the forefront of the decision to renovate Harwich Library Adult Community Learning (ACL) Essex will move into the library from September to make the most of the new facilities and mark the 75th anniversary of ACL in Harwich ACL will be able to offer hybrid learning from anywhere in the country at Harwich Library Its curriculum includes an employability programme The library’s transformation is part of the £6.6 million Dovercourt Town Centre Improvement Corridor from the Dovercourt Capital Regeneration Projects delivered by Essex County Council and Tendring District Council Wider plans include highways improvements between Dovercourt Railway Station and the seafront with the county council due to tender a contractor soon Milton Road car park and derelict land in Victoria Street are also set to be developed by the district council Harwich Library has been relocated to Harwich Arts and Heritage Centre on Main Road since September 2024 It continues to deliver services such as rhyme time said: “It is exciting to see the progress of these inspirational regeneration projects The improvements will provide fantastic opportunities and services for the local community We are proud to be working with Tendring District Council to deliver a joint scheme to help our residents and businesses thrive.” said: “Bringing ACL into the heart of the community improves access to new skills for our residents We want to encourage residents to continue learning and be prepared to access new career opportunities in the area.” said: “There has now been a library serving the Harwich community for 50 years This renovation shows our commitment to its continued success for many years to come “We have listened carefully to the feedback from the public consultation and incorporated the community’s needs including improved support for skills and employability This will help ensure we can continue providing a modern and functional library service.” Save our Bay on Holtec ballot question; keeping kids safe online | LETTERSCape Cod TimesSave Our Bay group wants state to get tough with Holtec over radioactive wasteOne of our responsibilities as citizens is to petition our government for redress of actions that injure people and the environment. Article One of the Massachusetts State Constitution enshrines the right to seek and obtain safety. This right summons us to speak out on Holtec International’s disregard for our communities and environment as a result of their illegal airborne radioactive pollution discharge during decommissioning work at the Pilgrim nuclear power station in Plymouth At the 2025 spring town elections, 14 Cape Cod towns, along with Plymouth and Scituate, citizens will have the opportunity to speak out on this serious matter via the ballot Holtec planned to dump radioactive wastewater in clear violation of notice from the Environmental Protection Agency and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) that this discharge was illegal an advisory petition question will appear on 16 spring town ballots Healey and her administration that they must enforce environmental laws and regulations to stop Holtec’s illegal airborne gaseous discharge of radiological and chemically contaminated industrial wastewater from Pilgrim Radionuclides must be isolated from our communities and the environment DirectorCape DownwindersSave Our Bay MA CoalitionHarwich Harwich voters will be asked whether to support Article 20entitled Great Sand Lakes Wastewater Construction The project involves an appropriation of funds for the construction of a sewer line along Queen Anne Road and sewer hook-ups for approximately 270 properties The project is critical for a number of reasons: First it will help reduce excess nutrients flowing into John Joseph Pond Kiddie Pond and Sand Lake by transporting human waste to the Chatham wastewater treatment plant instead of allowing it to leach into the groundwater from septic systems Excess nutrients compromise water quality and contribute to cyanobacteria blooms Bucks Pond has seen recurrent blooms and beach closures As stated explicitly in the application that Town Administrator Joseph Powers submitted for state funds for the project “The groundwater travels downgradient of the Great Sand Lakes coming into contact with wells 5-7 in the Town of Harwich The working area along with a major of the downgradient area is within multiple Zone II drinking water protectionareas Reliance on septic systems has resulted in excessive phosphorus (and other contaminants from Title 5 septic system effluent) loading into the groundwater which threatens the quality of the drinking water supply…”Third if Harwich does not approve an appropriation of funds for the project before June 30 we will lose forever the $31 million finance package that the 2025 MA State Revolving Fund Draft Intended Use Plan allocated to Harwich for the project Harwich is required to implement the project at some point anyway due to its inclusion in the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Missing the deadline means that Harwich taxpayers will have to pay millions more in the future to make the project happen Harwich taxpayers already pay for sewer flow to the Chatham wastewater treatment plant that is underutilized due to insufficient sewer infrastructure The Great Sand Lakes Wastewater Construction Project will use sewer capacity that we already pay for Implementing the project will result in a more efficient use of our tax money.Please attend Town Meeting on May 5-6 and vote yes for Article 20 The Hidden Risks: Protecting Children in a Hyper-Connected WorldRecent dialogue with students conducted by Children's Cove in partnership with The Monomoy Regional School District and The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell Phone Communication (IROC2) has revealed a stark reality: We are significantly underestimating children's engagement with technology and the inherent dangers they face The level of understanding displayed by these young individuals particularly regarding emerging technologies like AI This digital fluency comes with a troubling downside Most of the elementary and middle school students identified as "gamers," communicating online half the students reported being hacked or knowing someone who was Children who haven't yet reached high school are already encountering individuals online with malicious intent a nationally recognized expert on online threats points out so called digitally native children are the “unwitting test pilots of rapidly evolving technologies and they are bearing the brunt of the associated risks.” The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports a staggering 300% increase in online enticement of children between 2021 and 2023 The Children’s Cove 2024 Regional Report on Sexual Exploitation of Children reveals a similar shift with over half of all cases of sexual exploitation referred to Southeastern Massachusetts Children’s Advocacy Centers last year occurring exclusively online — sextortion or online exploitation without any in-person interaction This trend has been a longstanding issue on the Cape & Islands and the warning we delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic has stood the test of time: those who mean to harm and exploit children will follow them where they go The landscape of child sexual exploitation has shifted dramatically particularly since the pandemic accelerated the merging of our physical and online lives The outdated approach of simply confiscating devices is no longer viable and while the continued dangers of sexting and sharing nude photographs among teenagers remain a critical concern April was National Child Abuse Prevention Month and the pivotal role of parents and caregivers cannot be overstated The Monomoy students we spoke with are taught digital citizenship and safe technology use in school starting in kindergarten Where they are not permitted to use cell phones or gaming devices at school - this concerning activity largely happens in the home While students were taught additional skills for safety in these recent sessions we must loudly and clearly emphasize the responsibility of every adult in a child's life to understand technology and actively integrate safety into that child’s online world The internet is woven into the fabric of our existence present in everything from our appliances to our healthcare We must redefine "online" and recognize that every internet-enabled device is a tool It is imperative children are educated in specific regard to protecting personal information online They must  understand that all online actions are Public and Permanent® Jacob StapledonCommunity Engagement and Education Program ManagerChildren’s CoveBarnstable Essex police have recovered stolen construction machinery worth more than £100,000 just as it was about to be shipped out of the country last week at Harwich International Port The haul of equipment is the latest success in a regulator crackdown at Harwich and Tilbury port to locate and recover stolen machinery being exported to Europe two mini-diggers and a telehandler were located in a trailer They had all been reported stolen in the past fortnight from sites in South Yorkshire A 29-year-old man from Poland was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and is currently in custody Sergeant Callum Barber says: “We know stolen construction machinery and vehicles are exported to Europe through our ports “So we make regular visits to inspect and search lorries and their trailers for stolen vehicles and machinery “We gathered a lot of information and we’ll be following up those leads Officers checked 210 HGVs during the operation and also spoke to drivers about vehicle security and keeping their loads safe.