A tropical storm watch was upgraded to a warning Thursday afternoon, with Hurricane Dorian expected to pass southeast of Nantucket early Saturday morning.  The storm is forecast to bring winds gusting to 55 mph to the Lower Cape, with heavy rains and scattered power outages. Having brought devastation to the Bahamas, Dorian is now raking the Southeast Atlantic seaboard; forecasters predict the storm will then ...

$3.2 Million Project Leads Into 300 th Anniversary CHATHAM – The history of the First Congregational Church of Chatham is inextricably linked with the history of the town. Its origins reach back to the family of William Nickerson, who held services in their home on the banks of Ryder's Cove because of the difficulties in traveling to the nearest church in Eastham. The church was formally established in 172...

CHATHAM – Labor Day has passed, and to no one's surprise, the fish pier observation deck is not finished. But with a few critical issues solved in recent weeks, the project should begin to move along much faster, said Natural Resources Director Robert Duncanson. General contractor Sciaba Construction Corp. has installed two “infinity drains” on the south side of the deck. In order to make the deck water tig...

CHATHAM – A year after it was automated and all but shut down, the Marconi-RCA Wireless Receiving Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Districts after being nominated by the town's historical commission, with the blessing of then-owner MCI International. That was 25 years ago last month. The commission and local preservationists' recognition of the importance of the ship-to-shore Morse code ...

What is it about art theft that intrigues us? Is it the supposed erudition of those planning the heist, and the audacity of those who carry out the almost-glamorous mission? Whatever entertainment we might derive from seeing art theft on the screen or from reading about it in a book, when art thieves strike close to home, the reality is grotesque and disturbing. Take the famous case of the 1990 theft of ...

CHATHAM – The town will drop a controversial plan to dredge a section of Chatham Harbor near the North Inlet that prompted a lawsuit and appeal to the state department of environmental protection. But that doesn't mean that officials have given up on dredging that section of the harbor. Last fall town officials had hoped to do emergency dredging of the area in question, just inside and to the south of the N...

CHATHAM — Though there’s still ample opportunity for beaching, boating and barbecuing, the summer 2019 visitor season is behind us, and so is our summertime edition of Helping Neighbors. But the summer visitors who contributed to the campaign left behind more than footprints in the sand. Joined by some year-rounders, they contributed more than $25,000 to support the Family Pantry of Cape Cod, helping put nut...

CHATHAM — If it comes to fruition, a part of the master plan endorsed by the airport commission calls for the town to acquire easements from 46 private properties to allow trees to be topped or removed to provide a safer approach for pilots using the airport during poor visibility. The easements would apply to businesses on the south side of the airport near Ocean State Job Lot and several homes around Georg...

HARWICH – It is quiet this afternoon in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Harwich Port. At the edge of the cemetery, wind stirs the oak trees and the pines. Birds call out; a car passes nearby on Forest Street. A Rose of Sharon drops petals on the ground next to the polished granite bench that stands as a memorial to Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill Jr., 47th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987. O’N...

HARWICH — There are a number of fire department members climbing the career ladder and a few making the first step. Many were recognized in a swearing-in ceremony last Friday. With the retirement of long-time veteran department members Fire Inspector Brian Coughlan and EMS Officer Ron Sanders, department members and friends came to celebrate the appointment of Bruce J. Young as the new fire inspector and Paul ...

HARWICH — The state Architectural Access Board has denied a variance for elevators at the new dormitories being built at the former Stone Horse Motel in South Harwich. The issue was raised during the site plan review and special permit hearing for the redevelopment. Main Street Stone Horse, LLC is constructing a pair of two-story dormitories, each with 42 rooms to accommodate up to 180 seasonal workers, includ...

HARWICH — The planning board received a detailed presentation on the use of a district of critical planning concern to buy time to make zoning adjustments by Cape Cod Commission historic preservation staff member Sarah Korjeff last week. There has been a focus on using the tool to protect historic characteristics along what has become known as Captains’ Row, a section of Route 28 in West Harwich extending from...

HARWICH — Residents will be lining the streets to celebrate Harwich “Then and Now” as the Hometown Parade rolls along Route 28 in Harwich Port on Sunday in the annual chamber of commerce-sponsored event. “The town will be stepping out to Celebrate Harwich ‘Then and Now.’ Come line the streets and show your Harwich spirit,” Cyndi Williams, executive director of the chamber, said of one of events leading into th...

CHATHAM – This spring when Mollie Charest took to the pitcher's circle for the Monomoy softball team, she had a secret. She played most of her 2019 season with a sprained ankle and wrist, soldiering on when the Sharks made the playoffs. Recently she had another secret, one she's beyond excited to let out: Charest has committed to play Div. 1 softball for Manhattan College in New York. “I've been trying to g...

The Academy Playhouse returned to business earlier this summer with a production of “Disney’s Frozen, Jr.” Now, director Judy Hamer is taking a completely different theatrical turn with a unique and supremely enjoyable take on William Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy “Romeo and Juliet.” This weighty text, showcasing the power of love to overcome boundaries of society, family, and loyalty, is entrusted in th...