CHATHAM — Harbormaster Stuart Smith was not showing preferential treatment when he allowed his brother's boat mooring in Ryder's Cove to be used by Selectman Seth Taylor. That's the opinion of Town Counsel Douglas Louison, who investigated the matter at the request of resident George Myers. Louison said Smith was following established practice last May in issuing the third party permit to Taylor, allowing...

CHATHAM – For the first time, researchers Monday documented a great white shark in Pleasant Bay, much to the surprise of a family who saw the 14-foot predator pass within a few feet of their boat. The Whaler was moored just inside the cut between North Beach and North Beach Island when the shark swam by about eight feet off the beach. The 17-foot boat was “just a little bit bigger than the shark,” observed Bet...

CHATHAM – The Eldredge Garage property on Main Street may be the last, best hope to get additional public parking in downtown Chatham. “This is it,” said business owner Sandy Wycoff, referring to the land at 365 Main St. Earlier this summer, selectmen decided to pass after holding preliminary talks with the Eldredge family on possible town purchase of the property. Wycoff is rallying merchants and residents...

CHATHAM – The sentiment couldn't have been clearer: don't allow the sale of undersized, farm-raised quahogs in Massachusetts. That was the message local shellfishermen sent to representatives of the state Division of Marine Fisheries at a hearing last Thursday on a proposed regulation change that would legalize the in-state sale of hard-shell clams that are under the current minimum size. The change would only...

CHATHAM ─ In the foggy hours just after dawn on July 18, a 17-foot pilot whale stranded and died in the sandbars at the point of Harding's Beach. The whale was initially spotted by Kelly Chase, a friend of Corbin Ross, BMCS, Officer in Charge at Coast Guard Station Chatham, with news of the stranded creature reaching officials from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the media shortly afterw...

CHATHAM – A shuttle bus could still be coming to town, despite the board of selectmen's rejection of a shuttle system as a way to help solve the downtown parking problem. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is sitting on grant funds awarded several years ago and is moving ahead with the purchase of a shuttle to serve the Eastern Massachusetts Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes the Monomoy National Wildlife...

CHATHAM – Lt. Governo Karyn Polito toured the town-owned Old Mill Boatyard on Stage Harbor Tuesday morning, getting a first-hand look at facilities that will be renovated and upgraded with a $1 million state grant awarded late last year. The $1.5 million project, scheduled to get underway this fall, includes replacement of the facility's bulkhead, renovation and replacement of piers, floats and gangways, a new...

CHATHAM – Q: What do you think of immediately when you’re asked to imagine a shark? A: “Jaws.” This question was one of several posed by Cynthia Wigren, founder and president of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC), during a talk last Wednesday evening at the community center. The title of Wigren’s talk, which she delivered to about 75 people, was “Awareness Inspires Conservation: White Sharks in the...

Shark Week In Review If you've looked at your Sharktivity app or at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy Facebook page, then you know it's been a busy week for sharks. Last Friday, July 15, Dr. Greg Skomal of the state division of marine fisheries, working with the Conservancy, tagged the fifth and sixth great white sharks of the season, 11 and nine feet, respectively. On Monday, an 11-foot shark off Mono...

CHATHAM – In the run-up to next month's annual summer town meeting, members of the summer residents advisory committee have been busy talking with town officials and others to assess the major issues facing the town. In the past few weeks, the group, which meets Fridays at 9 a.m. at the annex, has held discussions with Town Manager Jill Goldsmith and Chairman of Selectmen Jeffrey Dykens, Finance Director Alix ...

CHATHAM – The airport commission has rejected a claim that it violated the state Open Meeting Law by prohibiting a resident from speaking at its June 6 meeting. Resident Juris Ukstins filed a complaint June 21 stating that commission chairman Peter Donovan allowed a resident to criticize an airport commission member at the June 6 meeting, but when Ukstins tried to speak in defense of the commissioner he was no...

CHATHAM — In less than a century, rising sea levels could cause localized basement flooding, septic system failures, roadway deterioration and problems with underground utilities. That's the prediction of a U.S. Geological Survey study carried out in cooperation with regional and state experts. Released last week, the study used sophisticated computer models to predict the effects on the Cape's freshwater aqui...