CHATHAM – There was no need to get dressed up, or to drive somewhere, or fight for a parking space, or hope for a good seat last Sunday. The Chatham Historical Society (CHS) joined many other institutions when it held its 64-minute annual meeting, featuring a talk on “Tourism Through the Years,” via Zoom video conferencing. About 75 people watched the presentation. At 3:30 p.m. exactly Ginny Nickerson, CHS out...

BREWSTER – Theaters are still closed, but that hasn’t stopped Cape Rep from coming through with free summer fun for children from the Outdoor Theater, as well as a new musical puppet show that will have kids laughing as well as tapping their toes. First up is Cape Rep’s Story Time Series, in which some of our favorite Cape Rep actors turn their talents to engaging readings of their favorite children’s stories...

Starting in late July, the breeding shorebirds of the treeless Arctic tundra begin streaming south, fanning out across North America. The wading birds characterized as shorebirds are a diverse group of species in the order Charadriiformes, and hundreds of thousands of these birds migrate along Cape Cod’s coastlines every summer through the Atlantic Flyway. For many of these birds, the Cape is a vital stopover ...

Two Local Authors Spin Tough Mystery Stories Fans of Paul Kemprecos’s Aristotle “Soc” Socarides series are in for a big treat — “Soc” is back in Kemprecos’s first-ever short story, “The Sixth Decoy,” which is set partly in Harwich and features a lost decoy carved by Elmer Crowell. The short story is included in “Nothing Good Happens After Midnight: A Suspense Magazine Anthology” (Suspense Publishing, 2020) ...

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...