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...

When Yoshika Hida of Hiratsuka, Japan, learned that she would spend her AFS year abroad in Chatham, she thought she already knew something of Cape Cod. Tokyo Disney Resort has an old Cape Cod-themed area featuring a red and white striped lighthouse, docks, boats, a white church and lots of rocks. And, as it turns out, “it was not right,” Yoshika says. Chatham does not look like Tokyo Disney’s version of “ol...

How do you go about turning a very old, historically significant building into a modern museum, welcoming to students and tourists alike? If you are Princess Elettra Marconi, daughter of the wireless pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, and the building in question is the 16th century Palazzo Marconi in Bologna, Italy, a visit to Chatham might help you find some answers. Over the past 17 years, public and private support h...

CHATHAM – The number of students who receive free or reduced-cost meals at Chatham Elementary School has grown to the point where the school now qualifies for a federal program that makes free lunch and breakfast available to all students. Monomoy Regional School District officials are preparing to apply to the program and anticipate its implementation in the fall. As of April, 46.18 percent of students at ...

CHATHAM – The former Cumberland Farms store at 859 Main St. may have a new life as an office building. Next Tuesday, June 12, the planning board will hear a proposal to change the use of the property from retail to professional offices. SV Design, which currently has offices at 403 Main St., is proposing to move its architectural and design firm to the former convenience store/gas station. “We're committed ...