CHATHAM – Opening a restaurant in a pandemic is not for the faint of heart. In the case of the new Pate's restaurant, the owners knew what they had — a town and a location that was supportive, an iconic beloved restaurant with only two owners over more than half a century, and an experienced and well-regarded chef and management team with deep local roots. Cloyde Pate took over the hamburger and ice cream stan...

As September nears, local arts organizations are experimenting with what they can safely offer to residents left starved for culture and entertainment after a prolonged bout of COVID-19-induced cabin fever. Some are remote offerings, while some are masked and socially-distanced in-person affairs. Still others are trying a combination of the two, so those who don’t feel quite comfortable out mingling can enjoy wha...

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) has launched a new Gills Club app. The app, which can be downloaded for free on the Apple Store and Google Play, features information about different species of sharks, access to ongoing shark research, projects and science activities for shark fans, and a means to connect with the Gills Club Science Team, made up of over 100 female shark researchers worldwide. The ...

For the first time in its 49 year history, the Creative Arts Center has replaced its annual Festival of the Arts, held in August in Chase Park since 1971, with an online “20 for 20, Twenty Dollars for 2020” fundraiser. To contribute to the CAC’s continued success during this socially distanced time, visit capecodcreativearts.org on Friday, Aug. 14 and/or Saturday, Aug. 15, click on the photo of the ...

Some meetings run fairly smoothly, while others just get downright batty. Such was the case on Aug. 6 when a handful of folks running a Zoom version of the Nauset Regional School District Joint Committee were surprised by an unexpected visitor of the winged kind. No, it wasn’t Bruce Wayne in his alter ego form, but an actual bat that somehow flew into the Eastham Town Hall where Nauset School administrators...

CHATHAM – The annual Chatham Merchants Association’s scavenger hunt is on, as the Oars in the Stores make waves through Labor Day in shops and businesses throughout downtown. Twenty-nine uniquely painted oars are on display in shop windows and businesses throughout Chatham. Scavenger Hunt Log Books are available at the Oars in the Stores Headquarters, also known as the downtown visitor information booth locat...

Family legend says I took my first steps on a beach. It was well documented with photos as I was a first child and grandchild. In all the pictures I am smiling and laughing. Obviously walking in wet sand and water was the best thing ever. I still feel that way, these few years later. OK, maybe it’s a few more years than a few. Even as a tiny tyke I collected pebbles and shells. I dug for mole crabs in the ...

EVERYWHERE – What do you do when a global pandemic wipes out everything you hold dear – your job, your home, your future prospects? Well, if you’re Scott Gerke, you sell off pretty much everything you own and hit the road. Gerke, from Key West, Fla., had been working as a professional DJ, event host, and YouTuber when the pandemic hit. By the end of March, every one of his future gigs was canceled. With no pro...

In a greenhouse off a long, sandy road in Dennis, concrete pools are filled every spring to offer millions and millions of oysters a swim. Before the budding bivalves took the plunge this year, about 4,000 mesh bags of mostly sea clam shells, originally from a processing facility in New Bedford, were placed inside two of the empty pools at A.R.C. Hatchery. “After we put the bags of shell in the tanks, we fi...

The Cape Playhouse stageremains empty this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in true theater tradition, the show must go on. The team at The Cape Cod Center For The Arts has created an outdoor stage on their 22-acre campus for a new initiative called Playhouse on the Green. Live entertainment and music will take place under the stars every Thursday and Friday evening in August, keeping the arts alive wh...

To those who are passionate about casting their vote and letting their voice be heard when election time rolls around, the numbers of registered voters who actually turn out to do their civic duty by casting a ballot can seem frustratingly and mystifyingly low. As November approaches, bringing with it an election which feels historic, a group of local women are applying their enthusiasm and artistic talent to ...

As parents, teachers, students, and communities grapple with the complexities of reopening schools, I find myself watching parents and their young out in nature. It’s easy to do right now. They’re all around us. Many people think young birds should be smaller than adults, but the truth is that they achieve adult size sooner than independence, just like my young adolescent grandsons. Birds especially...