CHATHAM – The staff at Broad Reach Hospice and Palliative Care were well aware of Eugene “Gene” Peterson's background as a Navy and commercial airline pilot. When he expressed a desire to fly again, his care staff went into action. Susan Eenigenburg, the Hospice chaplain, social worker Jenna Good-Fantini and hospice nurse case manager Teri Reilly met with Administrator Carla Torres and told her about Peterson'...

This is the second of a two-part series on the Chatham Airport Master Plan Update. CHATHAM – The future needs of Chatham Municipal Airport outlined in the draft master plan update depend on the growth of the facility over the next 20 years. To forecast that growth, airport planners had to choose from a number of formulas that examine future aviation demand. Some of the formulas, most based on similar gene...

CHATHAM – For nearly a decade, the housing authority, in partnership with the town, has administered a unique housing program that allows tenants to save half their monthly rent toward a downpayment on a house of their own. Two homes in the program are now available, and a lottery will be held next month to choose new tenants. Under the housing authority's MCI Rental/Housing Savings Program, half of the monthl...

CHATHAM – An error in the installation of natural gas lines will set the Route 28 West Chatham Roadway Project back by at least four months. Gas lines along about 900 feet of roadway, where the two roundabouts are to be built at the intersections of Barn Hill Road and George Ryder Road, were not installed to the required depth. Rather than tear up the existing gas lines and replace them at the correct depth, o...

More than two-thirds of the Cape’s coastal waterways and more than a third of its freshwater ponds are suffering from poor water quality, according to the “State of the Waters” report recently released by the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. But they acknowledge that Lower Cape towns have made important strides toward reducing nutrient pollution, and that it will take time for that work to start showing results....

EASTHAM – The results of a 100-page shark mitigation study were released to the public last week and among all the compiled data there was one clear message: There is no solution available that can guarantee the safety of beachgoers determined to venture into the water during peak shark season. The report, and its primary message, was the subject of a public forum held Oct. 16 at Nauset Regional High School, duri...

CHATHAM – Monomoy Regional Middle School and Chatham Elementary School will receive security upgrades thanks to a state public safety and education grant. The $60,000 grant will pay for magnetic key card lock, replacing existing keypad locks as well as convention locks with keys, according to Superintendent of Schools Scott Carpenter. Key card locks provide an “increased level of security,” he said. Althoug...

CHATHAM – There are Pumpkin People in Kate Gould Park again, and this Saturday they'll help usher in the Chatham Merchants Association's annual Oktoberfest celebration. Events in the park begin at 10:30 a.m. and run through 4:30 p.m., and will include seasonal food and beverages, games for kids and music with the Chatham Band, That '60s Band and more. There will also be a “Pumpkin Patch Sidewalk Stroll” sale S...

CHATHAM – Selectmen met for an hour in executive session Monday to discuss the fish pier observation deck project, which has missed numerous completion deadlines, the latest of which was Oct. 16. The board is “undertaking all appropriate steps” regarding the project with staff and town counsel, Selectmen Chair Shareen Davis said. She declined to be more specific. “We're keenly aware of where we're at with t...

CHATHAM – A half century ago, Florence Seldin's family rented a cottage every summer in Wellfleet and could walk to the water just up and over a dune. One year they returned and the path ended in a sheer cliff over the beach. “That certainly shows me what could happen here on Cape Cod,” Seldin said, referring to the threat to the peninsula from climate change. She was one of about 50 people who attended a w...

Final Decision On Two Options Postponed CHATHAM – Although they deferred a formal vote, several selectmen indicated Monday that they prefer a privately owned parcel on Route 28 in West Chatham as the site for a new senior center. “I believe 1610 [Main St.] is the more functional area,” said Selectman Peter Cocolis. But, he added, echoing other board members, “I don't like the price.” Selectman Jeffrey Dyken...

The only way to be completely safe from a shark attack, a new report released Wednesday concludes, is to stay out of the water. The $50,000 study by the Woods Hole Group analyzed 27 shark mitigation alternatives but did not recommend any single or group of solutions. The report concludes that current practices, such as “shark smart” education, heightened awareness and emergency measures such as stop the bleed ...