CHATHAM – In last-minute ads, fliers and emails, incumbent Selectmen Seth Taylor is criticizing comments made by challenger Shareen Davis regarding the retail sale of marijuana in town. At the League of Women Voters candidate forum April 20, Davis said the town should not dismiss the retail sale of marijuana outright. Taylor also said the subject should be addressed “rationally” and that people should “not get...

CHATHAM – In the past, summer workers could count on finding a room in one of the town's many dormitories or rooming houses, many of which were located in the Old Village and downtown. Today, those locations represent some of the town's priciest real estate, and places like the Hawes House and the Epicure dorms have given way to private residences or upscale condos. But with the scarcity of workforce housin...

CHATHAM — State officials came to town last week to hear from small business owners about what the commonwealth can do to encourage job creation and business growth. What they heard was pretty clear: when it comes to government intervention, less is more. The May 5 session at the community center was led by Carolyn Kirk, deputy secretary of housing and economic development, with help from the Cape Cod Chambe...

CHATHAM – Voters at Monday's town meeting decided that being good neighbors – and having clean water – was more important than any shortfalls that might be contained in an inter-municipal wastewater treatment agreement with Harwich. By an overwhelming vote of 220 to 61, voters endorsed the inter-municipal agreement (IMA) that calls for up to 300,000 gallons per day of sewage from East Harwich to be treated ...

WELLFLEET — Lifeguards routinely put themselves in harm's way to save people from drowning. But if a swimmer is attacked by a shark, should a lifeguard enter the water to try and help? “It's a tough one,” Orleans Natural Resources Manager Nate Sears said. Current protocols indicate that lifeguards should attempt a rescue as soon as the shark has left the area, “but who's to say when the shark has left the ar...

CHATHAM – The two candidates for selectman raised nearly the same amount of money in the weeks leading up to today's election, with Seth Taylor's total exceeding Shareen Davis' by less than $100. Taylor spent more money than Davis, however, by more than $2,500, according to campaign finance forms filed last week. Davis campaign treasurer Deborah Connor reported receipts of $9,774 between Jan. 1 and May 1. E...

CHATHAM – Voters at Monday's town meeting decided that being good neighbors – and having clean water – was more important than any shortfalls that might be contained in an inter-municipal wastewater treatment agreement with Harwich. By an overwhelming vote of 220 to 61, voters endorsed the inter-municipal agreement (IMA) that calls for up to 300,000 gallons per day of sewage from East Harwich to be treated ...

CHATHAM – The two candidates for selectman raised nearly the same amount of money in the week's leading up to today's election, with Seth Taylor's total exceeding Shareen Davis' by less than $100. Taylor spent more money Davis, however, by more than $2,500, according to campaign finance forms filed last week. SEE SETH TAYLOR'S CAMPAIGN FINANCE FORM HERE SEE SHAREEN DAVIS' CAMPAIGN FINANCE FORM HERE ...

CHATHAM – Discussions and compromises worked out over the past few months will likely avoid a number of potential controversies in next Monday's annual town meeting. That's not to say, however, that there won't be spirited discussion over some of the 40 articles on the warrant. Specifically, contention appears to be brewing over Article 38, which seeks approval for the selectmen to enter into an inter-municipa...

CHATHAM – The town's insurance won't cover damages being sought in a lawsuit by Skydive Cape Cod. In January, Skydive filed a lawsuit charging the town with breach of contract and civil rights violations for its failure to renew its contract to operate at Chatham Municipal Airport in 2013. The company is seeking $100,000 in damages. In an April 11 letter to the town, Stephen Hall, the attorney for Old Repub...

CHATHAM – A split school committee declined to send a letter to Monomoy Regional High School department heads apologizing for comments made at the group's March 23 meeting. The committee voted 3-2, with one member abstaining, not to send a letter apologizing for what the department heads, in a letter to the school committee, had said were violations of the committee's norms and protocols. The teachers said the...

In an unusual step, Monomoy school officials and local youth advocates are voicing concerns about “13 Reasons Why,” a series on Netflix that may be seen to romanticize teen suicide. Based on a 2007 young adult novel by Jay Asher, the video series follows a series of audio recordings a teen leaves behind for her classmates and peers explaining why she decided to kill herself. Last week, the Monomoy school distr...