CHATHAM — Somewhere over George’s Bank, flitting over the wave tops, there’s a shearwater named Monomoy. And another named Nauset. You could almost pity the one named Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School. The seabirds are part of a number outfitted with radio tracking tags by researchers at the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and named in honor of area middle schools whose students will follow their ...

CHATHAM    —    The conservation commission voted unanimously Wednesday to issue emergency certification for dredging near the North Inlet to Chatham Harbor. The vote came after a hearing that was contentious at times. Minister’s Point property owner Gerald Milden told the commission that dredging in the harbor is responsible for erosion of his land and other properties. After Milden made a series of heated co...

CHATHAM – The town continued its 72-year tradition of summer town meetings Tuesday, with more than 65 summer folks getting a two-hour run-down on the state of the community from selectmen and other town officials. The litany of details provided to non-resident taxpayers included the financial condition of the community, an overview of projects and issues officials have dealt with in the past year and expect to...

CHATHAM – The park and recreation commission is considering expanding the community center's fitness room into the adjacent conference room. The idea is only in the concept stage right now, and the commission plans to survey fitness room users to determine interest in expanding the facility's offerings. “People I've talked to are excited” about the possibility, commission chair Meredith Fry commented at las...

Culminating years of work, lawmakers last week passed legislation that would extend the hotel-motel tax to short-term rental properties, boosting town coffers and raising funds for expensive wastewater treatment projects. But one day after the legislative session ended, Gov. Charlie Baker sent the bill back to committee for more work. Despite the current uncertainty about the bill’s future, most agree that the...

CHATHAM — With erosion of the town’s east-facing coast once again making headlines, the town is moving ahead with a $250,000 study designed to guide management of the shoreline for the next 20 to 30 years. The idea has won the endorsement of the state’s Coastal Zone Management program, which is contributing more than $180,000 toward the effort. Town officials are working with the Center for Coastal Studies a...

CHATHAM – With federal legislation to resolve the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge western boundary dispute between the town and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stalled, town officials are exploring another tack, a possible administrative solution to the dilemma. Exactly what form such an approach would take remains vague, but officials reported that they had a “promising” meeting in Washington, D.C. last w...

CHATHAM — Remarkably, there were no injuries when a charter boat collided with a commercial fishing boat in thick fog off Monomoy Point Saturday morning, sending the charter boat to the bottom. At around 6:20 a.m., the charter boat Artemis II from Allen Harbor struck the starboard side of the Chatham-based commercial fishing boat Great Pumpkin. The Artemis, a 38-foot Pursuit, ended up on top of the Great Pumpk...

It was a typical day on the water for Dr. Greg Skomal and his shark research team. Spotter pilot Wayne Davis was guiding boat captain John King through murky water near the Eastham-Wellfleet line, following one of several great white sharks spotted that day. Skomal stood at the end of the pulpit 11 feet from the bow of the 24-foot Aleutian Dream, ready to photograph the shark with his pole-mounted GoPro. And t...

In the words of boat captain John King, “Holy crap!”   In a video shot on King's boat and posted online Monday by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, a great white shark jumps out of the water underneath the boat's pulpit, where state shark biologist Dr. Greg Skomal stands. Shark breaching has been observed in Cape waters before, but usually in conjunction with feeding. In this case, Skomal was tryin...

CHATHAM – What do smoked carrots, cheese fondue, flavored shaved ice, and chocolate cupcakes all have in common? Each was part of the varied menu at the Taste of Chatham on July 30, an event that served up excellent fare for an even better cause: supporting Monomoy Community Services. Commemorative Taste of Chatham wine glasses await patrons of the ...

CHATHAM – A $10,000 state grant will help improve trails at the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. Improving accessibility, removing ruts and roots, updating informational displays and upgrading connections with adjacent trails are some of the uses for the grant, which was awarded to the Friends of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The Friend...