ORLEANS — When photographs were taken last September during groundbreaking for a wastewater treatment plant in Orleans, Gussie McKusick was in the mix. She stood alongside a slate of officials that included state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro; Kathleen Theoharides, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; and Cape Cod Commission Executive Director Kristy Senatori. There were town and state officials and representatives from environmental organizations. While McKusick, 82, didn’t have her hand on one of the golden shovels but she certainly had a hand in getting the project across the finish line. McKusick's steadfast work to preserve and protect the water quality of Orleans and the Cape as a whole have earned her accolades. She spent years pushing for a project that will cost taxpayers millions of dollars by the time it's completed.