It provided an interesting diversion for throngs of Labor Day weekend beachgoers and sightseers, but the storm called Hermine left the Lower Cape virtually unscathed. First a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, Hermine emerged in the Atlantic as a tropical storm but quickly lost its tropical characteristics, earning it the unwieldy title of “post-tropical cyclone.” It caused sustained winds of less than 50 mph, g...

For a number of years now, local boaters have been able to renew their mooring permits online. While the system has worked, in a limited way, for the public, for staff on the back end of things, it's been a nightmare. “We have not realized the efficiencies we had hoped for on the staff side,” is how Robert Duncanson, director of the department of natural resources, which includes the harbormaster's department,...

Great white sharks continue to prowl the shores of the outer Cape, with several alerts issued in the past week for sightings close to shore. Alerts were issued through the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app for sharks seen off beaches in Wellfleet, Orleans and Chatham. At one point Wayne Davis, the spotter pilot used by the Conservancy and the state division of marine fisheries for their sha...

CHATHAM – Town officials met last week with representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in ongoing talks to work out a solution to the dispute over the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge's western boundary. The agency has proposed that the two parties enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) calling for joint management of some of the resources within the western boundary area, which enc...

CHATHAM – Scaffolding went up over the front facade of the First United Methodist Church last week in preparation for a major restoration project on the historic Main Street structure. Work was scheduled to begin this week to remove old vinyl siding, replacing it with more durable material, and install a new front entrance on the 1849 building. The project was funded by $226,000 in community preservation funds...

HARWICH — The crush of summertime visitors is over and there are plenty of leaves on the ground, if only because of Hermine. And it's the first big weekend of the season-long Fall for Harwich celebration. Weather permitting, Saturday's going to be the ultimate beach day. It's the Harwich Cranberry Festival's Beach Day at Red River Beach in South Harwich, starting at 11 a.m. (and in case of rain, it happens S...

HARWICH PORT — Immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, artist Pamela Chatterton-Purdy went to her easel to express the deep emotions she was feeling and to try and find spiritual meaning behind the senseless violence. Now, 15 years later, her series of “Icons of 9/11” paintings are once again going on display in an exhibit at the Cape Cod Art Association. “Hard to believe that it has been 15 years...

HARWICH — The Resilient Family Farm is growing faster than a zucchini in the heat of summer, and it has caught the eyes of town officials. Conservation Administrator Amy Usowski last week issued a stop work order on portions of the farm that are within the 100-foot buffer zone of wetlands. The farm is located on 3.14 acres down a shelled driveway at 35 Chatham Rd. Owner Barry Viprino said he has added another ...

HARWICH PORT— The center of this village will see some changes in the near future, with Cumberland Farms planning to begin construction of a new convenience store in Mid-October and major plans for the former Dino's Harwich Port Grille property going before the planning board later this month. Even the United Gas station adjacent to the Cumberland Farms site, owned by Bassil Brothers Trust, got a facelift over...

HARWICH — The board of selectmen was scheduled on Tuesday night to go into executive session to consider the purchase of real estate at 397 Route 28, the former Handler's Auto Parts property that sits at the head of Allen Harbor. There is apparent interest in the purchase of the property, as the town's real estate and open space committee has also been discussing the property. That committee met on Aug. 19 in ...

HARWICH ─ The return of students to area high schools also means a return of student athletes to their chosen sports, many of which get underway this week, including at Monomoy Regional High School and Cape Cod Tech. So what can fans expect this season? At Cape Tech, coach Bill Reilly is looking to breathe new life into the girls volleyball program, while at Monomoy, teams are getting set to start competing ...

Some people don't enjoy talking about what they do for a living. Tom Daley, Director of Public Works for the Town of Orleans isn't one of them. He loves his job and he'll happily tell you why. It has just a little bit to do with the ability to get things done. Since graduating from UMass Lowell in 1986 with a Civil Engineering degree, Daley has made it is goal to get things done, beginning with his first job w...

From Sept. 15 to Oct. 16, Cape Rep will present a ghostly tale which has left audiences breathless in London's West End since it opened in 1987, making it the second longest-running non-musical production in that district's history. Arthur Kipps, a middle-aged solicitor, is tormented by an episode from his past when he is visited by a terrifying figure in black while settling the estate of an elderly recluse...

Four-way Stop Safest Solution Editor: Having witnessed firsthand one of the many collisions at the intersection of Pleasant Bay Road and Route 39 and experienced the frequent congestion that this intersection creates, it seems a simple, effective and inexpensive way to increase the safety of this intersection is to create a four-way stop. Adding two stop signs requires no land taking, slows traffic in all d...

We’ve all seen the news clips of phone texters so intently focused they stumble into mall fountain pools and catapult over curbs. And we are equally familiar with the stereotype of video gamers who isolate themselves, never straying from the couch as they play disturbingly violent video games. A new phenomenon has arisen, a video game which draws its users outside, into the fresh air, to local landmarks, ...

Cape Codders won't be surprised to learn that this summer has been historically hot and dry. In fact, all of Massachusetts and most of New England has been in a moderate to extreme drought. The Boston Globe: "In the 136 years scientists have been tracking global temperatures, there has never been a warmer month than this July, according to a new NASA report. It was the 10th consecutive month of record warmth, mak...