ORLEANS — Standing in the cold rain and gusty winds was a small sacrifice for a crowd of residents who gathered Monday to commemorate Memorial Day. The ceremony began under a tent at the Orleans Yacht Club, where a bouquet of flowers was dropped into Town Cove to remember veterans of the U.S. Navy and the Coast Guard. Gen. Jimmy Dishner, USAF Ret., offered a prayer giving thanks for those “who gave their liv...

Chatham, Harwich and Orleans marked Memorial Day with community ceremonies Monday.  Although the rain sent Chatham and Harwich ceremonies in doors, Orleans held out despite the damp weather.  Click here for a photo gallery and see Thursday's paper for more.

Hi I'm Kat and I was a Facebook addict. (All together now, “Hi Kat.”) Until recently when I did something that in this day and age is probably considered shocking. I disabled my Facebook page, at least for a while. The truth behind my decision is as simple as it is complex. I have depression. For those who aren't familiar, depression goes beyond feeling "meh" or "blah." It can mean difficulty just waking up in...

When they signed up for an Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C., three local World War II veterans expected to see the memorials, swap a few stories and spend time thinking about the friends they made and lost a lifetime ago. They didn't expect the outpouring of love and thanks they received from hundreds of complete strangers. The three Chatham residents, Ian Mott and Robert and Dorothy Raymond, found out ...

Pleasant Bay and the Nauset Barrier Beach system will survive sea level rise, but not without potentially significant impacts. With a projected sea level rise of between 1.2 and 2.9 feet, Pleasant Bay could lose one quarter to one half of its 392 acres of landside intertidal resource area by 2100, according to a new report from the Pleasant Bay Alliance. Revetments along the inner shore will exacerbate the los...

CHATHAM — It's strange but true: locally-caught dogfish and skate can be easier to find on the menu in Europe and Asia than in restaurants here on Cape Cod. That's despite the fact that they're plentiful, delicious, and make up most of the catch landed by the local fishing fleet. A new effort launching this weekend, called  Pier to Plate , aims to change that by promoting these "under-loved" fish varieties.  ...

CHATHAM — Next month, residents and visitors will have a unique chance to learn more about Chatham's working waterfront, while they savor the fresh seafood and libations the town has to offer. The nonprofit Fishing Partnership Support Services , which made a name for itself by helping fishing families obtain health insurance and other kinds of assistance, is sponsoring the first-ever Chatham Port Tour and S...

BARNSTABLE — Over the concerns raised by vocal critics, a key regional panel Monday approved a transportation plan that includes the West Chatham Route 28 Roadway Project. The vote by the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) essentially ensures funding for the roadway reconstruction, which includes the installation of roundabouts at Barn Hill Road and George Ryder Road and elimination of the cen...

More than 50 decorated sharks were set up in Kate Gould Park Friday as part of the Chatham Merchants Association's annual Sharks in the Park exhibit.  The five-foot sharks will remain on display in the park until the end of June, when they will move to the front lawn of the Eldredge Public Library.  SEE A GALLERY OF SHARKS IN THE PARK PHOTOS HERE

CHATHAM – Two new exhibits open at the Chatham Historical Society’s Atwood House and Museum this Friday, May 26: “Chatham in the Military” and “Windows into Time: Clothing and Artifacts.” Let’s begin with a look at wartime Chatham. “We’re focusing on three primary wars and how they impacted our small community,” says Danielle Jeanloz, the society's executive director. Chatham residents Col. Benjamin Godf...

CHATHAM – Interested in a free ice cream cone, muffin or discounts on dozens of services and retail stores? Then the “Passport To Savings” is for you. A fundraiser for the Friends of the Eldredge Library, the Passport – which looks a just like a real passport – is available for $20 and provides special offers and discounts at 64 local businesses. Purchasers can also enter giveaways for two nights at the Waysid...

HARWICH ─ When asked what local chef Neville Coomber's most delicious dish was, his family's answer came in unison: his clam chowder. Now, although they have his carefully protected recipe, including his own secret ingredients, chowder in the future will taste a little different since one key ingredient is missing. Coomber, 47, died suddenly April 8, leaving his family stunned but comforted by countless memo...

HARWICH — Town Clerk Anita Doucette has been the keeper of the town's records for a quarter of a century. She is the second longest active town clerk on the Cape and she enjoys serving residents of the community. “I really appreciate the people in the town for allowing me to serve as town clerk. It has meant a lot to me,” Doucette said. “I love my job. I love what I do, knowing the history of Harwich and watch...

“Year by the Sea,” the long-anticipated film of Harwich resident Joan Anderson’s bestselling memoir, will open at the Chatham Orpheum Theater this Friday, May 26, with meet-and-greet reception, book signing and a Q&A with the author after the film. “I smile a lot,” Anderson said during a telephone interview last week. “It all came together beautifully in the end.” The film, shot in just 22 days in Chath...

SOUTH HARWICH — With Outer Cape Health Services giving up plans for use of the former Stone Horse Motel property as a medical center, new plans are being circulated to use the site for temporary and workforce housing. OCHS continues to own the 2.61 acre property along Route 28, but the health services provider has made a commitment to utilize the former BackOffice building that once housed Thompson's Farm Mark...

HARWICH — The conservation commission has been struggling for several months with ownership and land use issues with the Brewster-based Eldredge Farm. Last week, farm owner Jeff Eldredge received a little more support from the commission. The main issue in the use of the 4.9 acres on the Harwich side of the town boundary, ownership of the land, has yet to be settled. The town's assessing department does not re...