CHATHAM — Dozens of fishermen and other citizens spoke out at a public hearing Tuesday night to share a single message with regulators: large herring trawlers need to keep their distance from the Cape, to give key fish stocks – and the people who harvest them – a shot at survival. The large meeting room at the community center was filled to capacity for the hearing, held by the New England Fishery Management...

Bestselling author Anne D. LeClaire has just published her first book for children, “Kaylee Finds a Friend” (Golden Paws Publishing, 2018), illustrated with photographs by fellow Chatham resident Kim Roderiques. The genesis of this charming book that celebrates friendship was an unusual one. LeClaire, Roderiques and Paul Litwin, who owns Charlie, the golden retriever who served as the book’s canine model, sat ...

CHATHAM – Steve Kubik will be happy to talk to fellow boaters about the unique flag he'll be flying this summer on his Cape Dory 26 in Stage Harbor. The flag displays the logo of the EB Research Partnership, a nonprofit dedicated to funding research to treat and cure a rare genetic disorder, Epidermolysis Bullosa. Kubik's granddaughter Elodie was born with the affliction; her skin is so sensitive that the slig...

When Cary Marshall registered her daughter for kindergarten in the Monomoy School District, there was a box to check on the form for intra-district placement. Although she lives in East Harwich, her home is right on the town line, “practically in Chatham,” where she has close ties, attends church and where her daughter went to pre-school. “We're very much a part of that community,” she said, and she wanted her...

CHATHAM — The power’s back on, the downed trees are all removed, but boaters are still feeling the effects of the series of storms that savaged the shoreline this winter. Fueled by severe erosion on the outer beach, shoaling has threatened a number of key waterways, including the Morris Island Cut, which last year provided easy passage from Nantucket Sound to Chatham Harbor and the Atlantic. For now, that me...

CHATHAM — With summer underway and the downtown parking spaces already becoming more scarce, town officials are recruiting a private contractor to operate the town-owned Eldredge Garage lot this summer. The plan was recommended as a short-term approach until selectmen decide on the permanent use of the property. The board had previously decided to use the lot for a trial of paid municipal parking, with resid...

CHATHAM – Frustrated that the town's demolition delay bylaw hasn't discouraged more property owners from tearing down historic homes, preservationists are investigating a new tool to help save old houses, one that's more carrot than stick. State law provides local communities with the option of giving owners of old homes a one-time tax credit on the rehabilitation of historic homes. The local option, which mus...

CHATHAM – The popular Lighthouse Overlook looks a bit different these days, and the change also makes it a bit safer, according to officials. Along the fence on the west side of the road, in front of the Coast Guard Station, there's a brand new sidewalk. There's also a new sidewalk along the southern end of the overlook, in front of the Chatham Beach and Tennis Club. Both conform with Americans With Disabiliti...

CHATHAM — Access to health care isn’t just a fundamental human right. It’s essential for vibrant communities and a strong local economy. That’s the perspective of David and Gail Oppenheim, who recently donated $250,000 to Cape Cod Healthcare, and it’s why they’re challenging their neighbors to contribute as well. “It’s something we think benefits the Cape in so many ways,” Mr. Oppenheim said. The Oppen...

CHATHAM – Another historic home on Stage Harbor Road may come under the wrecking ball. The historical commission will hold a hearing June 19 on a proposal to fully demolish the George Taylor House at 356 Stage Harbor Rd., a 146-year-old three-quarter Cape located across the street from the Atwood House Museum. The commission will hold a second hearing June 19 on home on the historic street, but the proposal...

CHATHAM – It was a wild winter for the town's waterways, and boaters will definitely need to assess conditions before heading out this summer. To update local mariners on current navigation conditions, the Monomoy Yacht Club will host its annual harbor update session this Saturday, June 9, at 10 a.m. at the community center. Four nor'easters between January and March rearranged shoals in Chatham Harbor, the...

CHATHAM — The New England Fishery Management Council is holding a rare public hearing in Chatham next week to consider rules designed to protect one of the most important fish species in our waters: Atlantic herring. The council is mulling a host of options designed to protect sea herring from overfishing by mid-water trawlers, which can scoop up entire schools in a single haul. While local boats do not take...