ORLEANS -- "Tell us what the rules are, and we'll enforce them." That was the message Dec. 8 from Police Chief Scott MacDonald to the select board, which continues to work toward finding a happy medium between allowing outdoor entertainment and respecting the rights of abutters to the businesses that host it. The issue of outdoor entertainment has become a sticky one in town. The select board in March voted...

ORLEANS -- I arrange to meet Garrett Dutton, better known as G. Love, at his home, a cozy, Cape-style farmhouse complete with a garden, goats and chickens. It's a mild December afternoon, and I'm slightly early as Dutton pulls up behind me in a charmingly beat-up powder blue pickup. Dog in lap, he extends a hand out his window for a shake and invites me to park over on the grass. Dutton's music with G. Love an...

ORLEANS -- When it comes to bringing on new members, Orleans Fire Chief Geof Deering said Monday that his department follows a simple but important rule of thumb. "Hire for character. Train for skill," he said. The department welcomed two new firefighters during an awards ceremony Dec. 6 in the Nauset Regional Middle School auditorium. The ceremony also recognized seasoned department members, as well as oth...

ORLEANS -- The Centers for Culture and History in Orleans, better known as the CHO, has long been an ambassador and safekeeper of town history. But the organization's staff and board of directors see the potential for it to be a broader community resource. With recent renovations to the CHO Meetinghouse and abutting Hurd Chapel, that refocused mission will soon be put into practice. "We're trying to transfo...

ORLEANS -- Short-term rentals are bringing in added revenue for the town, but the lack of regulations is creating problems for residents. Count Kevin Galligan among them. The select board member said Dec. 1 that he has seen how unregulated rentals have negatively impacted his neighborhood and others around town. In particular, Galligan took issue with homes that are not being rented to vacationers but th...

ORLEANS — In a small space in the back of the lower level of Hilltop Plaza, members of the Nauset Model Railroad Club busy themselves with some last-minute preparations. Elaborate tracks and layouts, each varying in size and design, fill the room. The largest layout, an elevated "O Gauge" track, occupied the attention of Jeff Bassett. A member of the club for more than 10 years, Bassett not only knows his trai...

ORLEANS — Efforts to secure necessary funding for a proposed affordable housing development at 107 Main St. are following separate but parallel tracks. Between an application submitted to the community preservation committee seeking $1 million for the project in the spring and an earmark seeking the same amount as part of the senate's ARPA bill, local and regional housing officials are confident that the funds...

WELLFLEET — After a three-year hiatus, the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission could be on track to begin meeting again. The commission, which provides input from Lower Cape towns on policies and programs in the National Seashore, has been dormant since its authorization expired in September 2018. Legislation is working its way through the U.S. Senate to reauthorize the commission, but whether or no...

ORLEANS -- Miles Tibbetts not only played chess, he tried to share his love of the game with others. Miles, who was fatally struck by a car in August 2013 while riding his bike to work along Route 6, would tutor elementary school students in chess at the Wellfleet Library. Now more than eight years after his death, his love of chess continues to spread through Nauset Regional High School. On Tuesday, close ...

ORLEANS - Heading into last month's special town meeting, select board members anticipated that one article in particular might stir up some discussion in the Nauset Regional Middle School Auditorium. The Orleans School Committee's request for $495,000 to fund a universal pre-kindergarten program in town was expected to draw some back and forth, especially given the cost, which was to be funded through a Propo...

ORLEANS -- After being held virtually in 2020, a celebrated holiday tradition returns next week to Orleans. The Orleans Chamber of Commerce will bring back its annual Santa Stampede as a live event on Dec. 4. The 5K and accompanying kids race were held virtually last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The stampede is the cornerstone of the chamber's Seaside Christmas festivities, which also include events s...

ORLEANS -- With town roadways facing an increased risk of flooding in the coming years, local officials are being asked to prioritize which stretches of road are most in need of protection. The Cape Cod Commission and Woods Hole Group presented findings of its analysis of the town's low-lying roads to Orleans officials Nov. 16. The presentation, which was held remotely via Zoom, was the first of several public...