After a long summer of beaching and boating, the coastline is in need of a good tidying. Volunteers are being recruited for several beach clean-up efforts taking place under the state’s Coastsweep program. Chatham’s mainland beaches will be scoured by Coastsweep volunteers this Saturday, Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon, under the coordination of the Friends of Chatham Waterways. Would-be helpers are asked to emai...

CHATHAM — The new man in charge at the Coast Guard station, Senior Chief Petty Officer Carlos Hessler, said he’s impressed by the sense of pride at Station Chatham as well as its role in the community – and its place in history. Hessler has been the station’s commanding officer for a few weeks now and is still getting to know its people, its unique equipment and its role in the local network of first responder...

Rt. 28-137 Juncture Called 'Pedestrian Nightmare' CHATHAM – When she works at the garden in front of the Chatham Chamber of Commerce headquarters at the intersection of Routes 28 and 137, Nancy Alger often sees pedestrians and bicyclists trying to cross the road, and it “scares the heck out of me,” she said. “You have no idea how fast cars go by,” she told members of the South Chatham Village Association du...

CHATHAM – The North Atlantic right whale found dead on Monomoy Island last week most likely drowned after being entangled in fishing gear, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists from the Yarmouth-based International Fund for Animal Welfare performed a necropsy on the whale Aug. 30 and documented 11 lesions, including several linear depressions and bruises that are co...

CHATHAM – Students returning to Chatham Elementary School this week might not have noticed anything different about the cafeteria, but for some students, a little-used but well-stocked closet will help ensure that they don't go hungry evenings and weekends. The closet will be filled with non-perishable, nutritious food as well as other essentials, which will be given out to students identified by schoo...

Thanks to cooler waters in parts of the Atlantic and a weaker-than-expected “El Nino” equatorial wind pattern, it’s been a quiet Atlantic hurricane season. Each year, it’s like a turn of the roulette wheel – only when the Cape’s number comes up, it won’t be cause for celebration. While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issues a seasonal outlook each May for the upcoming hurricane season, its ...

Chatham and Harwich will receive grants from the state's new Navigational Dredging Pilot Program, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced in Hyannis last week. They are two of 11 coastal communities that will share $3.6 million for dredging projects projected to remove a total of nearly 188,000 cubic yards of sand. Chatham will receive $350,000 to dredge the entrance channel to Stage Harbor, as well as the nearby Morr...

With warm weather persisting after Labor Day, beach officials warned swimmers along the Cape's eastern shoreline to be aware that while the crowds may have thinned, sharks are still prowling the waters. In a strongly worded statement last week, Orleans Natural Resources Manager/Harbormaster Nathan Sears said he was concerned beachgoers aren't taking the situation seriously enough. “Regardless of how much si...

CHATHAM – The popular observation deck at the fish pier was closed Monday after a support post was damaged by a fork lift. Repairs were made Tuesday and the building commissioner authorized its reopening, but the incident highlighted long-standing safety concerns at the popular attraction. Wharfinger Michael Ryder secured the deck and shut down access by the public early Monday after being informed of the inci...

CHATHAM – The body of a rare North Atlantic right whale washed up on Monomoy Island last week. There was no obvious sign of the cause of death, said International Fund For Animal Welfare spokesperson Melanie Mahoney. The body was “pretty heavily decomposed” and appeared to be a juvenile, not a fully-grown adult, she said. The carcass was previously spotted by a recreational boater floating near Martha's Vin...

CHATHAM – The observation deck at the fish pier was closed Monday after a support post was damaged by a fork lift. Wharfinger Michael Ryder secured the deck and shut down access by the public after being informed of the incident by Red's Best, one of the two tenants that lease the packing building. In an email, Ryder said the deck would be closed until the damage can be properly repaired. Plans are in th...

CHATHAM – Chatham Charlie was a “heart dog,” a special dog out of many beloved dogs, who wiggled his way deep into hearts. For Charlie’s “humans” Paul and Robin Litwin and, it turns out, for an awful lot of other people, the beautiful golden retriever with his huge smile and extraordinary personality made each day a little better. In his capacity as unofficial “ambassador” for the town of Chatham, Charlie lure...