CHATHAM – About a year ago, a large branch broke off the Bradford pear tree that shades the historic Mayo House at 540 Main St. Concerned that that could happen again and worried that the tree's oversized canopy may pose a safety hazard, the Chatham Conservation Foundation, which owns the property, has proposed removing the tree. “That was kind of like the first warning sign,” Foundation Executive Director Mat...

CHATHAM – With Sharks in the Park now history, it's time for the Pumpkin People to take their place in Kate Gould Park. Tomorrow – which just happens to be Friday the 13 th – local businesses and organizations will begin setting up the annual display of pumpkin-headed scarecrows, scary Halloween scenes and scenarios that defy description. The display will remain up through Halloween, and right in the middle t...

CHATHAM – Increasing “share the road” signs, improving access from the bike trail to Route 28, and upgrading shoulders along Main Street were among the top recommendations made at last week's “listening session” on the draft Chatham Bike Plan. Assembled by the town's bikeways advisory committee and transportation planners at the Cape Cod Commission, the plan analyzes the town's bicycle paths and routes and ide...

CHATHAM – Among the items crammed into the eight-foot skiff that sits on the lawn of the Chatham Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse are tangles of nylon rope, fishing nets, plastic bottles of various sizes, Styrofoam insulation and lobster trap buoys. “And there's more in my backyard,” said Rebecca Arnold. Between January and May, Arnold walked various beaches daily and picked up debris she found, dragging...

CHATHAM – A comprehensive master plan concept for the Eldredge Library grounds, including a restoration and repositioning of the Pioneers Monument along Main Street, was endorsed by the board of selectmen Tuesday. The most significant changes being proposed involve the construction of a sitting wall along the sidewalk in front of the library. The monument, erected in 1924 in honor of Chatham's first European s...

For many people, the tale of the Pendleton rescue is the stuff of big-budget feature films; for others, it's the story of the greatest small-boat rescue in the history of the Coast Guard. But for Renee Pellegrino of Maryville, Ill., it's part of family lore. Pellegrino recently made a 1,000-mile pilgrimage to the Cape to honor her father, the late Raymond Steele, who was one of the 32 men rescued from the ster...

When white sharks are off the coast of Cape Cod, it's clear that they're here for a single purpose: hunting seals. But tracking data shows that white sharks spend the off-season far out in the Atlantic, often in the dark depths far beyond the edge of the continental shelf. A journal article co-authored by state shark biologist Greg Skomal published Friday considers what they might be doing out there. Analyzi...

CHATHAM – Not all historic homes, it seems, are created equal. Although it was included as a contributing structure to the proposed Stage Harbor Road National Historic Register District, a 1940s-era home along the scenic roadway was recently given the nod for demolition. In a Sept. 19 ruling, the historical commission determined that although the bungalow-style home at 292 Stage Harbor Rd. met the technical...

CHATHAM ─ Wood shavings litter the floor at First Light Boatworks. The air inside one of the building's massive bays is pungent with the scent of cedar. There is something else, as well: a sense of excitement since progress has clearly been made in the build of a double-ended ketch, which is beginning to resemble the beauty she'll be upon completion next June. This is the part of boat building that First Lig...

CHATHAM — After a crack appeared in the ceiling of the computer training room, town officials brought in a structural engineer to check the condition of the council on aging building on Stony Hill Road. The results weren't good, and officials say the repairs could top $100,000. The problem was discovered in March, and the engineer recommended the installation of a steel beam to better support the roof. Witho...

Archaeological Dig Finds Evidence Of Hearth And Home Of Chatham's Founder CHATHAMPORT – An archaeological team digging in the woods behind the Nickerson Family Association’s property on Orleans Road last week made a spectacular find: the site of the circa 1664 homestead belonging to William and Anne (Busby) Nickerson, the founders of Chatham. “Locating the site of William Nickerson’s original homestead is a...

CHATHAM – The finance committee has joined the board of selectmen in backing the construction of a new Cape Cod Regional Technical High School building. The $127.9 million project will go before voters in all 12 towns in the regional district on Oct. 24. A majority vote will determine if the process of replacing the 42-year-old technical high school located on Pleasant Lake Avenue in Harwich will move forward....