CHATHAM – Seventy years after the D-Day invasion, retired Army Colonel John Wessmiller had the opportunity to return to the place where, as a young officer, he escaped a run-in with German soldiers that destroyed his unit, bluffed his way back to Allied lines and was serious wounded by an enemy shell. By visiting the Normandy countryside where the experiences occurred as well as the graves of his fallen comrades,...

CHATHAM – For the fourth time, a shark has been stolen from the downtown Sharks in the Park exhibit. The shark taken early Saturday morning was returned and a suspect identified. A Chatham summer resident, who lives year-round in New Jersey, reportedly confessed to the theft, and police are waiting to determine if charges will be filed. On Saturday evening, another attempt was made to take one of the sharks...

CHATHAM – The town's ever-dynamic waterways, solid finances and upcoming projects topped the agenda at Tuesday's 71 st annual summer town meeting. The informal session held to educate seasonal residents was sponsored by the summer residents advisory committee, an official town committee that represents the interest of non-residents property owners, the only officially constituted committee of its kind on the ...

CHATHAM – Selectmen will hear an update next Tuesday on plans to upgrade the busy intersection at Route 28 and Crowell Road. Consultant Howard/Stein-Hudson (HSH) is seeking input in developing the pre-25 percent design concept for the project, and will present updated information on existing conditions and potential alternatives at the Aug. 15 meeting. The session will kick off a 30-day informal public comment...

CHATHAM — Visitors to Nauset Beach and two other area beaches last week observed something new in the sky, and it wasn't an aerial banner advertising beer or car insurance. It was a balloon, holding a high-tech camera designed to spot sharks. Representatives of the Florida-based firm Altametry were on the Lower Cape last week testing equipment that they hope could be part of a future system for detecting white...

CHATHAM — There's no reason to panic, but Chatham's signature summer event is officially in limbo. All five members of the Independence Day Parade Committee have stepped down. “They served our town very well, and they told us this was a strong possibility,” Board of Selectmen Chairman Cory Metters said last week. “If we don't have enough members to operate that committee, we might have to look at another ent...

CHATHAM — Even as loved ones gather today to remember Matthew Amsler as a friend, a son, a husband and a father, questions remain about how his remains went undetected for months, just feet from where he was last seen alive. On July 30, a crew from Coast Guard Station Chatham was practicing a law enforcement boarding on the retired CG44301, a rescue boat on display on the front lawn, when they found Amsler's...

HARWICH — The turnout was thin Monday night for the annual non-resident taxpayers meeting. Those in attendance learned about building and road projects on the horizon and the financial health of the town. Public access to Beach 22 off Shore Road in West Harwich continued to be a topic of discussion as it has for a number of years. Town Administrator Christopher Clark said the number one priority for beach nour...

HARWICH – “It is a very big deal for the museum!” Thus did Janet Cassidy, executive director of the Harwich Historical Society, describe the event held last Friday afternoon in the Brooks Academy Museum in Harwich Center. With some 25 Society members present, Chad Tragakis, president of the Potomac Decoy Collectors Association, presented the organization with an original and pristine A. Elmer Crowell duck deco...

HARWICH — The Harwich Conservation Trust is embarking on a fund-raising campaign to protect Cornelius Pond, a “coastal plain pond” that is considered a rare habitat. The trust has an agreement to purchase a 15-acre parcel that includes 1,000 feet of shoreline on the pond. “We're very excited about this project,” HCT Executive Director Michael Lach said. An anonymous donor has issued a challenge gift of $425,00...

HARWICH — The town of Orleans will be looking for a new executive director of its council on aging after Harwich Selectmen confirm the appointment of Judi Wilson as the town's new director of the council on aging. Wilson replaces Barbara Anne Foley, who retired on July 3 after 18 years as director. She and her husband are taking over management of the Commodore Inn in West Harwich. Wilson is scheduled to start...

HARWICH — The town has approved a design contract for road improvements along Route 28 from the Herring River Bridge to Upper County Road in Dennis. Selectmen voted to issue the first of a three-phase contract Monday night. The goal of the project is to create pedestrian connectivity, develop a consistent roadway cross-section, and provide Americans with Disability Act accessibility and bicycle accommodations....

HARWICH — A warm greeting and familiar face will be noticeably absent from the community center as Emily Mitchell trades her seat at the front desk for one at Cornell Law School. Mitchell has spent a lot of time in the community center going back to her days attending Halloween parties, participating in recreation programs and even attending her Junior Prom. The building played a central role in her life growi...

PLEASANT LAKE — There's no escaping the fact that a new building to replace the aging Cape Tech school will be costly. But according to projections released last week, it will be a bit less costly than initially thought. Owing to more detailed design information and some constructive pencil-sharpening, cost estimates for the new school have dropped from about $141 million to around $128 million. Speaking at la...

CHATHAM/ORLEANS ─ To every beginning there is an ending, and on Aug. 7, many days after the arrival of new players, the first pitch, and the first home game of the summer, the Chatham Anglers 2017 season drew to a bittersweet end when the Orleans Firebirds claimed a 3-1 victory in the playoffs. After the final out, the softly falling rain mingled with more than a few tears on the faces of fans as longtime he...

HARWICH ─ What do you do when it's your last home game of the 2017 Cape League season and you want to give fans something to celebrate? If you're the Harwich Mariners you groove to the music playing over the PA system, give the game your all, and come away with a 7-4 victory against Brewster. In his final appearance with the Mariners, top-notch hurler and Cape League All-Star Tyler Baum earned the win by thr...