CHATHAM — While sunbathing and swimming is a bit more complicated than it used to be, thanks to rules designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, those rules don’t seem to be keeping people from heading to the beach. Parks and Recreation Director Dan Tobin said sales of beach parking permits are on par with ordinary years, and the town has already sold more weekly permits than any other year in his memo...

With the state primary election approaching, here are some deadlines and details to keep in mind. For those currently not registered, the last day to register to vote or change party affiliation for the Sept. 1 primary is Saturday, Aug. 22. With town halls closed or limited in hours and access, voters can register to vote online through the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office or download registration for...

CHATHAM – More than $1 million went into dredging the Stage Harbor entrance channel this past winter and spring. While the channel appears to have held up through the height of the boating season, that's expected to change, and officials anticipate dredging of the access channel will be a regular occurrence. “It's not going to go away, that's for sure,” said Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon. “The substantia...

CHATHAM – For two summers, the Monomoy Theatre has been dark. Unless a zoning change can be made soon to pave the way for redevelopment of the property, the theater is likely to remain closed for at least three more years, its owners say. In the coming week, Alexandra Properties, which purchased the 2.7-acre property at 776 Main St. and 70 Depot Rd. for $3.65 million last September, will be collecting the 200 ...

CHATHAM – For two summers, the Monomoy Theatre has been dark. Unless a zoning change can be made soon to pave the way for redevelopment of the property, the theater is likely to remain closed for at least three more years, its owners say. In the coming week, Alexandra Properties, which purchased the 2.7-acre property at 776 Main St. and 70 Depot Rd. for $3.65 million last September, will be collecting the 200 ...

Baker Freezes Reopening Plan Citing a surge in parties like the one in Chatham July 12 where at least 13 people may have contracted COVID-19, Gov. Charlie Baker Friday announced a freeze on the state’s economic reopening plan, new restrictions on public gatherings, and new enforcement of those rules at parties – even ones on private property. “There have been many reports of pool parties, birthday parties, ...

A spike in great white shark sightings along the Cape's eastern coast, coinciding with the popular “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel, prompted officials this week to issue reminders about adhering to “Shark Smart” guidelines. The Cape Cod National Seashore issued a press release Monday explaining that sharks — and seals — are part of the Cape's natural, wild ecosystem, and that while sharks rarely bite hum...

CHATHAM – Fish chowder is a Cape Cod tradition, and the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance hopes a new program centering around the staple will facilitate two goals: supporting local independent fishermen and providing food pantries with delicious, nutritious ready-to-serve meals. The program takes advantage of the wide availability of small haddock, which don't bring a strong price in the marketplace (d...

Even If FEMA Maps Say It Won’t Time was, if you wanted to know which parts of town flooded during major hurricanes, you’d ask old timers. Then FEMA developed maps showing flood zones down to the property level. But both methods have a major shortcoming: they rely on past events to predict the future. The problem is, the environment is changing quickly, and some of the baseline assumptions used in convention...

CHATHAM – A tour through downtown reveals that most of the people out and about — and there are plenty — appear to be comply with the board of health's face covering order, which aims to minimize the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Interviews with shop owners and employees confirm that, with a few exceptions, most people are following the rule. When people aren't wearing masks, most put them on when re...

Figuring out how, when and where great white sharks are likely to feed on seals close to the shore is the goal of a study now underway by Dr. Greg Skomal, shark scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Skomal's work, using different tags that collect a variety of information, will paint a broad picture of the behavior. Bryan Legare, a biologist at the Center for Coastal Studies, hopes that h...

Wildlife advocates are scratching their heads over the discovery of an unusual number of sick terns in the region. Nearly 20 emaciated and dehydrated juvenile terns have been brought to Wild Care in Eastham over the past few weeks, found in towns from Chatham to Provincetown. Most have died; three remain in the care of the wildlife rehabilitation facility, according to Executive Director Stephanie Ellis. The m...