CHATHAM – A tour through downtown reveals that most of the people out and about — and there are plenty — appear to be comply with the board of health's face covering order, which aims to minimize the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Interviews with shop owners and employees confirm that, with a few exceptions, most people are following the rule. When people aren't wearing masks, most put them on when re...

Figuring out how, when and where great white sharks are likely to feed on seals close to the shore is the goal of a study now underway by Dr. Greg Skomal, shark scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Skomal's work, using different tags that collect a variety of information, will paint a broad picture of the behavior. Bryan Legare, a biologist at the Center for Coastal Studies, hopes that h...

Wildlife advocates are scratching their heads over the discovery of an unusual number of sick terns in the region. Nearly 20 emaciated and dehydrated juvenile terns have been brought to Wild Care in Eastham over the past few weeks, found in towns from Chatham to Provincetown. Most have died; three remain in the care of the wildlife rehabilitation facility, according to Executive Director Stephanie Ellis. The m...

CHATHAM — At least part of a 19-acre tract of town-owned land off Middle Road should be used for affordable and attainable housing, selectmen said last week. But board members appear to be split on whether to use the whole parcel for housing, or to hold some of the land in reserve for other potential uses. Meeting last week, the board voted unanimously to ask staff to develop a plan for using a portion of th...

CHATHAM — Despite severe overcrowding Monday, the board of health says that parking restrictions and other efforts are reducing congestion on the beach at Schoolhouse Pond. The board ordered additional parking deterrents in a bid to keep COVID-19 from spreading among beachgoers who are not social distancing or wearing masks. On Friday, the town installed signs along Sam Ryder Road limiting parking to residen...

CHATHAM – All of the 33 people who attended last week's pop-up clinic at the annex tested negative. The town originally reported that 34 people were tested, and that all were negative with one pending. In a press release issued Wednesday, officials said that the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod (VNA) and Cape Cod Healthcare verified that 33 people were tested. The results come as a relief to local off...

With unemployment on Cape Cod standing at 28 percent and food pantries seeing unprecedented demand, it’s clear that many local families are on the edge financially. Without federal action, many of them will be facing the loss of their housing this fall. Given that uncertainty, local towns and housing groups are hurriedly knitting together a new safety net. “With Federal Pandemic Unemployment Insurance en...

CHATHAM – Two non-profit organizations are teaming up with the town's historical commission to try to save what many believe is the oldest house in town. The house at 68 Shell Dr., which sits on Bassing Harbor, is believed to have been built by the son of Chatham's first European settler, William Nickerson, around 1700. A demolition delay on the house imposed by the historical commission expired last month, an...

Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to track up the Hudson Valley Tuesday evening and overnight, bringing some rain and occasionally gusty winds to Cape Cod.  Most of the storm's effects were expected to be felt well to our west; read the  latest updates here . A tornado watch was issued for Southern New England, including the Cape, through 9 p.m.  Tornadoes and waterspouts are common when tropical storms make l...

CHATHAM — As they did last week, selectmen on Tuesday again rejected a request to have a special town meeting sometime this fall. At issue is a proposed zoning change designed to facilitate the redevelopment and preservation of the Monomoy Theatre property. Developer Greg Clark last week asked the board to consider calling a special town meeting to address the zoning request, which was among many articles re...

Cluster From Chatham Party Rises To 13 CHATHAM – The cluster of positive COVID-19 cases stemming from a July 12 party in town stood at 13 Tuesday, but the number could climb depending on results from a pop-up testing clinic Monday. Thirty-four people were tested at the clinic held at the town hall annex on George Ryder Road. Director of Health and Environment Robert Duncanson said results were expected in 2...

Looking at the real estate sales figures for June, you'd never know we're in the midst of a pandemic. “In 30 years in the business, I think this is the busiest I've ever been,” said Sandra Tanco, a broker with Kinlin Grover Real Estate in Harwich Port. A combination of pent up demand, low inventory and interest in second homes — driven largely by the pandemic — broke real estate records on the Cape in June,...