CHATHAM — Selectmen Tuesday said they prefer voting on a new council on aging project at next spring’s annual town meeting rather than at a special town meeting in September. The board took no official vote on the matter, but individual members said they would prefer to have voters act on the big-ticket project at the town’s main legislative session in May. In fact, the board is considering whether any of th...

With health departments in several states and in New York City reporting a higher-than-expected prevalence of COVID-19 among Black people, and news that people of color are dying at a younger age than others afflicted with the illness, there is troubling news about race and the pandemic on Cape Cod. Using information made public after the New York Times sued the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Barnstable...

The first two rounds of loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program brought tens of millions of dollars to Lower Cape businesses, helping retain at least 7,000 jobs since early A pril. But a third round of funding is needed to extend that lifeline to restaurants and other seasonal businesses, officials say. Figures from the U.S. Small Business Administration show that the loans benefited...

CHATHAM – The rebuilding of two cottages on Little Beach is heading back to the drawing board after neighbors and zoning board members said the new homes were too large for the neighborhood. While the zoning board last week approved the demolition and rebuilding of a cottage at 46 Little Beach Rd., similar proposals for homes at 47 and 53 Little Beach Rd. met with concerns over expanded footprints and infringe...

CHATHAM – Stickers promoting a right-wing hate group found affixed to downtown signs are being investigated by police as both vandalism and possible hate speech. On Monday, stickers for the group Patriot Front could be seen on the back of parking signs and on telephone poles. There were several versions of the sticker; one read “One Nation Against Invasion,” another “Revolution Is Tradition.” All contained ico...

CHATHAM — At Schoolhouse Pond bathing beach, crowded conditions are nothing new. The small stretch of sand, which gets smaller when the water table is high, is Chatham’s only residents-only beach. But during the pandemic, those close quarters are a public health concern. State regulations designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 require beachgoers to maintain six feet of social distance, and groupings of...

CHATHAM – In 2010, marine biologist Dr. Greg Skomal tagged an 18-foot white shark off the coast of the Cape. She was given the name Curly and is, to date, the largest great white shark ever tagged along these shores. While the real Curly is likely still swimming somewhere in the Atlantic, shark enthusiasts can get a sense of her impressive size by visiting the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Shark Center in Ch...

Hessler Claims Retaliation Over Criticism, Senior Center Support CHATHAM – The former chairman of the zoning board of appeals is accusing the board of selectmen of not reappointing him in retaliation for his leadership of the effort to build a new senior center on Stepping Stones Road and his criticism of the selectmen's leadership. Robert Hessler, who served on the zoning board for a decade, was not reappo...

CHATHAM – The pandemic has taken an enormous toll on small businesses everywhere, and the St. Christopher's Gift and Consignment Shop on Main Street in Chatham is no exception. After more than 40 years in business the shop will close its doors for good at the end of July. The decision to close was the result of a number of factors, according to Pam Hufnagel, a member of the church vestry committee which made t...

A Lesson In Boating Safety CHATHAM — Four young men are lucky to be alive after their boat capsized in the North Cut Friday afternoon. Officials say the case is proof of the town’s rescue capabilities – and the need for common-sense boating safety. The four men were fishing in a 15-foot Boston Whaler when their boat was overturned by a wave. All four went in the water, Fire Chief David DePasquale said. ...

CHATHAM — Judging from the crowded parking lots, busy shops and restaurants, and the steady traffic on roadways and waterways, the Independence Day weekend was a busy one – despite COVID-19. As of early this week, there had been 150 deaths from the novel coronavirus in Barnstable County, with a case count of over 1,500 people since the start of the pandemic. “The public health data continues to show us po...

CHATHAM – When Abigail Dudley moved from Massachusetts to Oregon six years ago, she knew it was going to be temporary. When it came time to move back, she wanted to look for a job in a small school system, and after doing some research, the only district she applied to was Monomoy. “It just all seemed so exciting, just so much more innovative and kind of like cutting edge from what I would think a teeny little...