CHATHAM – The airport commission has rejected a claim that it violated the state Open Meeting Law by prohibiting a resident from speaking at its June 6 meeting. Resident Juris Ukstins filed a complaint June 21 stating that commission chairman Peter Donovan allowed a resident to criticize an airport commission member at the June 6 meeting, but when Ukstins tried to speak in defense of the commissioner he was no...

CHATHAM — In less than a century, rising sea levels could cause localized basement flooding, septic system failures, roadway deterioration and problems with underground utilities. That's the prediction of a U.S. Geological Survey study carried out in cooperation with regional and state experts. Released last week, the study used sophisticated computer models to predict the effects on the Cape's freshwater aqui...

CHATHAM — Three years ago, the federal government stopped printing traditional paper navigational charts, moving toward electronic charts and print-on-demand products to help mariners find their way. But old paper charts provide a window to local history, and the Chatham Historical Society has started the process of preserving some of them, even making them available for viewing online. “We realized that we ha...

CHATHAM – Setting its western boundary at mean low water could cut the area of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in half, a refuge official said, as well as remove existing protections for horseshoe crabs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has “strong concerns” about any change in the western boundary, said Libby Herland, project manager at the Eastern Massachusetts Wildlife Complex, which includes the Mon...

CHATHAM — Marguerite “Peg” Falconer, who for six decades blazed trails as an impressionist painter, is being remembered by friends and fellow artists as a generous, genuine person. Mrs. Falconer died on Friday at the age of 97, leaving behind an impressive body of work that will surely surge in value, and an equally impressive number of friends and colleagues who remember her fondly. “I was privileged to be...

CHATHAM ─ In 1966, Chatham was a somewhat different place than it is today. The cost of gas was roughly 35 cents a gallon, and a new house might set you back about $25,000. But one thing that hasn't changed, according to Mark Sullivan, is the importance of lifeguards at area beaches. He ought to know, since he manned the chair at Harding's Beach in 1966 and '67. This week he returned to the sand to celebrate...

CHATHAM – William James would approve. The American psychologist and philosopher once famously wrote that, “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” The 16 children who filled wagons with boxes of provisions as part of the fifth annual “Village Kids for Food Drive” wholeheartedly agree. “We’re out here really helping people,” says Andrew Dinnan, age 10. “Being part of that makes me feel great.” ...

CHATHAM — In the span of a few weeks, officials opened two new bridges in Chatham, one over the Mitchell River and the other crossing Muddy Creek. That's pretty big news for a town that, as of a few months ago, only had one automobile bridge. Both spans are winning high praise from the public, both received substantial outside funding, and both were completed on time. But that's where the similarities end. The...

CHATHAM – Beyond Main Street, just down the hill from the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance headquarters, a dozen men and women worked in the morning sun Tuesday to make the dreams of four families come true. Foundations for four Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod homes have been capped, and the volunteers were building retaining walls and preparing for a wall raising scheduled for next month. Next Tuesda...

Shark Week In Review During last Wednesday's shark population study trip, Dr. Greg Skomal of the state division of marine fisheries sighted a number of great white sharks and tagged two. The two sharks were tagged July 6, a 14-footer a half mile off Coast Guard Beach in Eastham and a 15-foot animal one-half mile off the south inlet in Chatham's South Beach, not far from the Shark Cove area. The sharks bec...

CHATHAM – After 25 years in the energy industry, Jason Nye was too young to retire when he and his wife Kathy moved their family to Truro last fall. A “self-professed gym rat,” he found the perfect transition in the Chatham Health and Swim Club, which the couple purchased last month. “It's something I know and enjoy,” he said of the fitness business. When he met owner Carol Penfield, they not only hit it off b...

CHATHAM — State and federal officials last week trumpeted a new statewide plan that gives communities more control when it comes to managing populations of threatened piping plovers. But when it comes to access to Chatham's stretch of North (Nauset) Beach by off-road vehicles, experts say not much has changed. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife released ...