CHATHAM — Fisheries activist Brett Tolley of Chatham has told many people about the plight of small-scale fishermen like his father, who left the industry because he couldn't compete with big corporate interests. Last week, he told that story to world leaders in a special forum at the United Nations in New York. A proud member of a fourth-generation fishing family, Tolley works as a community organizer and p...

CHATHAM – Tom Patton didn't serve on the town's bikeways committee for long, but he had a long history of enthusiasm for bicycling. On Monday, a crowd gathered at new bicycle racks next to the downtown information booth to remember Mr. Patton and dedicate the new racks to his memory. A small silver plaque declares that the bike racks are “In memory of Tom Patton, Bicycle Enthusiast.” Mr. Patton passed away ...

CHATHAM — When it comes to offshore emergencies, the go-to agency is – and always has been – the U.S. Coast Guard. But when boaters get into trouble in shallow water, the crew of Station Chatham has been up the creek, thanks to the size and design of their three 42-foot nearshore lifeboats. That's all about to change. Station Chatham has just received a 24-foot shallow-draft rescue boat capable of operating...

CHATHAM – As the large truck crept slowly along Champlain Road, Gwyn Brittigan didn't see a 250-year-old building, partially covered by a tarp, perched precariously on the flatbed. She saw her new home. “I just love old houses,” she said as workmen scrambled to trim branches and lift wires out of the way of the historic house. It took most of the afternoon last Wednesday to get the house from 181 Champlain ...

SOUTH CHATHAM – Residents gathered at the historic South Chatham Village Hall Saturday to hear about the possibility of establishing National Historic Register District running from the South Chatham Cemetery at the Harwich town line to Cockle Cove Road. Local historic commission chair Frank Messina worked with Cape Cod Commission preservation specialist Sarah Korjeff and Eric Dray, a historical preservation c...

CHATHAM – Chatham Municipal Airport is holding its fourth annual Open House on Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. "Planes, Trains and Automobiles” is the theme of the event, which includes general aviation aircraft displays, working model railroad displays by Nauset Model Railroad Club, as well as antique and collectible cars from Model A Club of Cape Cod, Alfa Romeo club, and many local collectors.  Addit...

CHATHAM – The frenzy surrounding the Cape's great white sharks is perfectly captured by this Saturday's FINomenal Fest. For the third year, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary are sponsoring the free event, held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The focus is on shark research and education and finding ways to help preserve the ocean's ecology. “FINomenal Fest will f...

CHATHAM — With its plan to extend the sewer system to all areas of town, Chatham has set the stage to remove more nitrogen from certain waterways than state regulators require. Under one provision being explored as part of a Pleasant Bay watershed permit, that excess capacity could translate to cold, hard cash. As part of their own plans to remove nitrogen from the bay, Orleans, Harwich and Brewster might be...

CHATHAM ─ The Chatham Fish Pier is always a busy place, but this past Saturday it was lively for a reason other than the unloading of the day's catch. On this day, the Rev. Brian McGurk dipped a sprig of evergreen into consecrated water from the sea and blessed the boats, families, and the waters of Chatham's fishing community as part of the annual Blessing of the Fleet The interfaith service was the prelude...

Showers forced Chatham's annual Memorial Day ceremony into the community center Monday. Despite the inclement weather, more than 100 people showed up to honor those who served in the country's military in services which included color guards from the U.S. Coast Guard and Chatham VFW, as well as local girl and boy scouts and town officials.   Click here to see a gallery of photos ...

CHATHAM – Over the past 25 years, the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance has accumulated a trove of videos and still photographs documenting the local commercial fishing industry, many of them generated by the fishermen themselves. But the collection has not been documented or curated in any significant way. “We do have quite an archive, but we've never had anyone dedicated to going through those and tel...

CHATHAM – Three giggling women skipping through Kate Gould Park at 1 a.m. Nothing so odd about that. Except that one of them was carrying a five-foot painted shark taken from the Sharks in the Park exhibit. Video of the escapade was captured by surveillance cameras scattered around the park and shown to a representative of the Chatham Police and a reporter Tuesday. While police are investigating, because the w...