Common wisdom tells us that retirement is not the end of the road, but a curve.         If that’s true, the road has just gotten a lot more curvy for Bob and Nancy Gardner of Harwich, as Nancy has just retired from her 26-year career at Cape Cod 5, following Bob’s 2020 retirement after 50 years at Pate’s Restaurant in Chatham.         A native Chathamite, Nancy said that her new state of retirement, whi...

If you’re looking for a good reason to take common sense precautions to prevent the spread of illness, public officials have three. COVID-19, influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are all in circulation now, creating a “tripledemic” of respiratory ailments. COVID-19 is now in its third year, and though it is now endemic in the population, it continues to cause illnesses and deaths. Case numbers i...

CHATHAM – After 26 years at the Wayside Inn, beginning as chef and ending his tenure as general manager, Shane Coughlin is ready to get back to basics. After the Wayside was sold earlier this year, Coughlin took some time to regroup and “look for the next chapter” in his life. “I don't do well idle,” he commented. And he really wanted to do something in Chatham. “Chatham has been good to me and my family,” he ...

If Chatham had its own Walk of Fame, you’d find a star with the name Bill Cullinane set right into the concrete of Shattuck Place, just outside Chase Park. It’s the place where Cullinane has spent the last 10 years educating Cape locals and tourists alike on the history of the Godfrey Windmill, one of Chatham’s most iconic landmarks. And he’s done it with a twist. Over the past decade, Cullinane has volunte...

On the winter solstice, Dec. 21, the sun will set here on Cape Cod at 4:14 p.m. after rising about nine hours earlier, at 7:05 a.m. Does 15 hours of darkness in a single day make you feel logy or even depressed? You might be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, a mood disorder first named in 1984. When the long nights of late fall and winter close in, SAD sufferers can grow lethargic and find th...

Monomoy High Forms Partnership With Chatham Coast Guard   by Cheri Armstrong With the help of Senior Chief Petty Officer Ross Comstock and Chief Petty Officer Devan Smith of the Chatham Coast Guard Station, Monomoy Regional High School is developing a partnership with the Chatham Coast Guard. Cheri Armstrong, career education coordinator at the high school, reached out to the Chatham Coast Guard in Septe...

EAST HARWICH — Remember when Cape Cod rolled up its sidewalks after visitors went home on Labor Day? Those days are long gone, and increasingly, once-seasonal businesses are trying their luck in the shoulder and off seasons. The Wequassett Inn and Resort will soon be among them. Following a brief closure for maintenance, the Wequassett’s guest rooms, function rooms and restaurants will be open for visitors aga...

Tacked to the wall of Dorothy Raymond’s apartment is a large banner titled “Back in 1922.” In 1922, we learn, a first-class stamp cost two cents and a gallon of gas 25 cents. President Warren G. Harding introduced the first radio to the White House in 1922. The actresses Betty White and Judy Garland were born in 1922. And so was Dorothy, who celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 30 with a breakfast out followe...

Massachusetts cities and towns will share 40 percent of the half a billion dollars the state received from the $26 billion federal opioid settlement. According to state guidelines, the money must be spent on prevention, harm reduction, recovery and treatment programs related to opioid abuse. Officials from the Barnstable County Department of Human Services are urging local towns to form substance abuse committ...

CHATHAM – Carol Sherman has created a monster, so to speak. “ I did,” she admits. “But it’s a good monster.” Sherman has owned Monomoy Salvage on Main Street for the past 26 years. The small shop specializes in unique finds and collectibles, most in keeping with the Cape’s nautical theme, and all at reasonable prices. “ I pride myself on my price points,” she said. “I’m not high end, but I’m not Chr...

CHATHAM — Don and Debbie Aikman are one of Chatham’s power couples. If you have appeared before the town’s municipal boards, you have likely met one of them. Debbie currently serves on the community preservation committee, as a member at large, while Don is a member of the Chatham Historical Commission — a board he has served on for the past 20 years or more. Among other things, the historical commission consi...

SOUTH CHATHAM — It’s a reality that’s often too painful to contemplate. But each day, people find themselves having lost their husband or wife, dealing with a range of emotions, confusing feelings and practical challenges. GriefShare, an international faith-based program designed to help people dealing with the death of a spouse, is holding a one-day workshop in South Chatham Saturday. “The thing with grief...