CHATHAM – Citizens will be able to get a close-up look at how the town's fire and rescue department operates at the first-ever Citizens Fire Academy. The eight-week program begins in January. Participants will have a chance to see first hand the day-to-day operations of the department, enhance their knowledge of its capabilities and better understand the demands on the department and its staff. “It's the fi...

CHATHAM — A partnership of local business owners and residents has stepped up to save the former Eldredge Garage property for parking or other public uses. The consortium has signed a purchase and sale agreement for the two parcels at 365 Main St., with the goal of helping the present owners clean up any pollution at the site before razing the buildings and making the land available for the town to purchase....

CHATHAM – Tickets are now available for the “Raise the Roof” dinner and dance to benefit the Chatham VFW on Friday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day. The event will be held at the James-Brown-Buck VFW hall on George Ryder Road, with proceeds going toward the estimated $200,000 in repairs and upgrades needed by the facility. “The VFW Post in Chatham is a living monument to veterans in Chatham and all Cape Cod,” said fo...

CHATHAM – With docking space at a premium, town officials are considering ending the U.S. Coast Guard's lease at the fish pier's north jog. The Aunt Lydia's Cove committee last week voted to recommend to selectmen that the lease, which ends next fall, not be renewed. Nobody wants the Coast Guard to vacate the premises, however. The Aunt Lydia's Cove and waterways advisory committee are reviewing options for...

In a year when presidential politics is obscuring other news and the November election ballot is also crowded with a Congressional race, a State Senate contest and four ballot questions, it might be easy to miss two contested races for county office. But voters are deciding a hotly contested two-way race for Barnstable County Sheriff, and a four-way race for two seats on the board of county commissioners. Sher...

The emergency shellfish closure of Nantucket Sound was lifted by the state division of marine fisheries at noon Monday. Officials said the algae bloom that potentially created dangerous toxins was still present but in very low levels.  Tests over the past few weeks had shown very low levels of toxin in shellfish, below safe levels. Read more this Thursday.

Chatham police were searching Saturday for a missing 24-year-old man who was last seen on foot in the area of the Lighthouse Beach parking area. Matthew J. Amsler, 24, of Chatham, was described in a press release as a white male, five feet ten inches tall with brown hair.  He was last seen wearing a red plaid long-sleeve shirt, tan pants and black shoes. He was reported missing at 10 p.m. Friday by his wife. ...

CHATHAM — A consortium of business owners and residents has signed a purchase and sale agreement for the Eldredge Garage property at 365 Main St., which the town had eyed for public parking. Board of Selectmen Chairman Jeffrey Dykens said the coalition aims to purchase the two parcels of land with the goal of cleaning up any environmental contamination there so that it may ultimately be suitable for purchase...

CHATHAM – Shellfish Warden Renee Gagne had a problem. AmeriCorps volunteers recently culled oysters grown out in the town's upwelling system to ready them to be distributed in various waterways. Then a potentially toxic algae bloom closed all of Nantucket Sound, including the various inlets and embayments throughout town, to shellfishing. At almost the same time, work began on renovations to Old Mill Boatyard,...

CHATHAM – TD Bank will close its branch at 693 Main St. in January. Customers were informed of the closure in a letter dated Oct. 17. Retail Market President Marion Colombo wrote that the branch office will close on Jan. 27. Lisa Sawicki, vice president and corporate communications manager for the bank, said in an email that the Chatham branch will be merged with the TD Bank in Harwich Port. “The decisio...

State senate hopefuls Anthony Schiavi, a Republican, and Democrat Julian Cyr agree on the central issues of the campaign. Both are pledging to be strong advocates for the Cape and Islands on Beacon Hill, and both are struggling to build name recognition with voters. So it's not surprising that, with the election less than two weeks away, they're attempting to underscore their differences. Cyr, who grew up work...

CHATHAM – With conditions on Chatham Bar the worst they've been in years, officials are being urged to fast track improvements to a Stage Harbor commercial dock purchased by the town earlier this year. The town purchased the Eldredge trap dock at May's annual town meeting for $1.5 million. Adjacent to the town-owned Old Mill Boatyard, where the harbormaster's office is located, the dock was leased back to the ...