CHATHAM — Thanks to the volunteers of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, visitors to Chatham Light this summer will get the chance to learn some history while enjoying the best view in town. The annual public tours of the lighthouse, held most Wednesdays from 1 to 3:30 p.m. during the summer months, start June 6. Special tours will also be held on June 16 and 17 during Chatham’s History Weekend. Admission is free...

CHATHAM — Judging by the numbers of seniors living here, one might assume that the Lower Cape is a pretty attractive place to grow old. But for many elders, the high cost of living, the lack of housing and transportation make it difficult to stay here and age with independence. Chatham has now joined Orleans and other Cape towns in seeking a state designation as a regional “Age-friendly” community. Demogr...

CHATHAM — What do the Atwood House, the Chatham Shark Center and the Marconi Center have in common? On Saturday, you can get in with nothing more than proof that you live on Cape Cod. Already popular with visitors to the Cape, the three museums are collaborating on the first-ever Free Locals Day in a bid to encourage visits from year-rounders. Danielle Jeanloz of the Chatham Historical Society said the...

CHATHAM – Two familiar faces and one newcomer were elected to the board of selectmen Tuesday. Incumbents Dean Nicastro and Cory Metters each won their second three-year term on the board, while planning board chairman Peter Cocolis captured a one-year seat left vacant by the resignation of Amanda Love. Metters topped the voting for the two three-year terms with 1,251, followed by Nicastro with 1,006, and fo...

By Protecting Nesting Shorebirds, Monitors Help Maintain Beach Access NORTH BEACH – Both the birds and their nests are difficult to spot, since they're the same color as the sand. And in the wide overwashes created by this winter's storms, there's a lot of territory to cover. It's prime piping plover nesting season, and Assistant Conservation Agent Paul Wightman and Shorebird Monitor Tom Olson are spending ...

CHATHAM – The Women of Fishing Families (WOFF) will sponsor the annual Blessing of the Fleet at the fish pier on Saturday, May 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Rev. Brian McGurk of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church and Amy Middleton of the First Congregational Church will lead the ceremony with a blessing for fishermen, their crews and their boats for a safe fishing season. There will be performances by bagpiper Sa...

CHATHAM – Despite Thursday's annual election having the highest number of contested races in several years, fund raising by candidates fell below the three previous elections. According to campaign finance reports filed last Wednesday, candidates raised a total of $9,873 this year. That's roughly half of last year's $19,601 total raised by two candidates running for a single seat on the board of selectmen. Thr...

Retirement Funding, Library Improvements, Senior Center Study OK'd By Town Meeting CHATHAM – Environmental awareness triumphed over the decades-old tradition of brightly colored balloons decorating Kate Gould Park during summer Chatham Band concerts Monday, as annual town meeting voters approved a ban on the sale of inflated balloons beginning in September. Voters also embraced a bylaw banning marijuana est...

CHATHAM — With sand choking the main inlet to Chatham Harbor across from the lighthouse, most of the commercial fishing fleet is now using the north inlet by Minister's Point to access the Atlantic. But the narrow channel there needs to be widened, and fishermen are hoping that state and federal dredging restrictions don’t leave them high and dry for the 2018 season. Except at peak high tide, the Chatham Bar...

Retirement Funding, Library Improvements, Senior Center Study OK'd By Town Meeting CHATHAM – Environmental awareness triumphed over the decades-old tradition of brightly colored balloons decorating Kate Gould Park during summer Chatham Band concerts Monday, as annual town meeting voters approved a ban on the sale of inflated balloons beginning in September. Voters also embraced a bylaw banning marijuana est...

CHATHAM – Despite Thursday's annual election having the highest number of contested races in several years, fund raising by candidates fell below the three previous elections. According to campaign finance reports filed last Wednesday, candidates raised a total of $9,873 this year. That's roughly half of last year's $19,601 total raised by two candidates running for a single seat on the board of selectmen. Thr...

CHATHAM — Friends and colleagues are remembering Jean Young as a no-nonsense leader, a truly tireless volunteer, and a tender advocate for people in need. The longtime health board member and community volunteer died last Tuesday after a battle with cancer. She was 72. The board of selectmen held a moment of silence in her honor Monday. “She was a very, very vital person to this town,” Chairman Cory Mette...