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...

CHATHAM – In granting developer Mark Bulman a comprehensive permit in 2007, the zoning board of appeals agreed to waive 18 zoning regulations and allow construction of 10 condominiums on a lot which otherwise would have only supported two single-family homes. The trade-off was that two of the units had to be sold as affordable, and that developer Mark Bulman was required to contribute $150,000 to the town's affor...

CHATHAM – The town has long honored its history, and for the past several years has highlighted its past and the institutions that celebrate it with the annual History Weekend. Sponsored by Historic Chatham, a coalition of the town's museums and history organizations, this year's History Weekend takes place June 16, 17 and 18. Local museums will be open with free admission, highlighting new exhibits for the se...

CHATHAM – Chatham Bars Inn is once again tangling with the zoning board of appeals over the fate of its property at 45 Chatham Bars Ave. Zoning board members were skeptical of a recent appeal filed by the inn seeking a special permit to operate a warehouse and office at the building, once the town's bowling alley. A previous appeal regarding the same property, board members noted, remains open, and is subject ...

CHATHAM – This is not the easiest town from which to spot whales. Provincetown is the place to see the frolicking just offshore, although at times huge mammals can be glimpse from the Lighthouse Overlook breaching not far off the beach. But for the next few months, Chatham will be a great place to spot whales. At least in local shops and businesses. “Where are the Whales?” is this year's summer scavenger hu...

When they signed up for an Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C., three local World War II veterans expected to see the memorials, swap a few stories and spend time thinking about the friends they made and lost a lifetime ago. They didn't expect the outpouring of love and thanks they received from hundreds of complete strangers. The three Chatham residents, Ian Mott and Robert and Dorothy Raymond, found out ...

Pleasant Bay and the Nauset Barrier Beach system will survive sea level rise, but not without potentially significant impacts. With a projected sea level rise of between 1.2 and 2.9 feet, Pleasant Bay could lose one quarter to one half of its 392 acres of landside intertidal resource area by 2100, according to a new report from the Pleasant Bay Alliance. Revetments along the inner shore will exacerbate the los...

CHATHAM — It's strange but true: locally-caught dogfish and skate can be easier to find on the menu in Europe and Asia than in restaurants here on Cape Cod. That's despite the fact that they're plentiful, delicious, and make up most of the catch landed by the local fishing fleet. A new effort launching this weekend, called  Pier to Plate , aims to change that by promoting these "under-loved" fish varieties.  ...

CHATHAM — Next month, residents and visitors will have a unique chance to learn more about Chatham's working waterfront, while they savor the fresh seafood and libations the town has to offer. The nonprofit Fishing Partnership Support Services , which made a name for itself by helping fishing families obtain health insurance and other kinds of assistance, is sponsoring the first-ever Chatham Port Tour and S...