It's the official start of summer, and there's no shortage of activities over the coming week, starting off with Fourth of July parades on Thursday. Chatham's parade steps off at 9:30 a.m. at the corner of Main Street and Shore Road, and proceeds down Main Street to Crowell Road, ending at Tip Cart Road. More than 90 floats, groups and vehicles both antique and modern are scheduled to participate, with more mu...

Program Keeps Thousands Of Kids Fed Over School Vacation CHATHAM – Summer on Cape Cod is often synonymous with endless beach days, Americana band concerts, and lobster roll picnics. But, for many children, summer also brings uncertainty and hunger.  “The students who depend upon free and reduced school meals for more than half their daily calories during the school year are at risk for hunger during the s...

CHATHAM – Coming back from a devastating fire was not, shall we say, a smoothie for Emack and Bolio's, but it wasn't exactly a rocky road either. After the building that houses the ice cream shop at 2 Kent Place, just behind the Children's Shop, was destroyed in a blaze last Halloween, a team of builders, tradesmen and contractors kicked into gear to get the structure completely rebuilt and the shop open for b...

SOUTH HARWICH — If he had one wish, 11-year-old Sawyer Nicholson of East Harwich wouldn’t go back in time and erase the accident that left him with severe burns on his feet. His real wish is that you listen to his story and avoid the pain he had to endure. Sawyer was 10 last September when he and his family gathered at the end of Red River Beach to celebrate his grandfather’s 85 th birthday. It was a grand ...

HARWICH — It has been 175 years since the Man with the Branded Hand became a central character in the abolitionist movement on Cape Cod. Harwich resident Captain Jonathan Walker suffered the pain of a branding iron bearing the letters “SS” after been imprisoned under Territory of Florida law as a “slave stealer.” The abolitionist movement had momentum locally in those days, as was well documented with the foun...

HARWICH — The appeals board upheld Building Commissioner Raymond Chesley’s position that the rear fence of Perks Coffee Shop and Beer Garden does not meet the criteria for a structure and thus does not violate sideline setbacks to the abutting Port Restaurant and Bar. The two restaurants, which are separated by that fence, are in the midst of a property line dispute that one member of the board called “petty b...

HARWICH — It took a year, but the proposed mixed-use convenience store with two apartments above was approved this past week for the former Getty gas station site in the middle of Harwich Center. “I’m really happy and excited about this,” Saumil Patel said after the project was approved. “Getting a perfect design the committees and neighbors like has taken some time.” Patel hopes to complete the purchase of...

It seems that every year, more and more people rely on the Family Pantry of Cape Cod to help put food on the table. So far this year, client visits are up 17 percent, and the nonprofit is on track to have a client roster of around 10,000 in 2019, up significantly from last year. Can the Harwich-based organization keep pace with the increased need? Family Pantry Executive Director Christine Menard says it can, ...

CHATHAM – The Chatham Harbor Run is one of the most scenic on Cape Cod, and on June 30 the annual 10K celebrated a major milestone—40 years of strong running, and more to come. “I thought we had a great turnout,” said Howard Tansey, who took over as race coordinator from longtime supporter and runner Larry Belliveau. “We had almost 200 people (returning) from last year, which was really incredible.” The 10K...

ORLEANS – Two home runs, 13 hits, and 8.5 innings of stellar pitching with 12 strikeouts led the Orleans Firebirds to a 7-2 victory in the Cape League this week, keeping them firmly atop the East Division and the league, after wresting control last week. After a scoreless first inning the game looked to belong to Harwich thanks to a nice two-run homer by Joey Wiemer, Jr. at the top of the second. The hit also ...

CHATHAM – Friday nights might be where the fun is at, but this past Friday night found the Chatham Anglers not having a good time as they struggled against the Wareham Gatemen, ultimately falling 7-4 in Cape League action. A troublesome first inning proved Chatham's undoing in the June 28 outing, which kicked off with a Wareham home run from leadoff batter Braiden Ward. His shot over the fence would be the fir...

Unusually Large Numbers Gather East Of Chatham It's not unusual to see whales in the waters east of Chatham. For the past several weeks, however, there has been an unusual number of whales off the town's coast, dozens of them feeding on a heavy concentration of their favorite meal, sand lance. “Probably the biggest whale show on earth is east of Chatham,” said pilot Norman St. Pierre, who sees the whales wh...

Between her mean TV-obsessed parents and a cruel school headmistress (“You Maggots!”), Matilda Wormwood has it pretty tough. What’s a five year old child to do? Why, read books of course! You see Matilda is smart, really smart, and has a powerful mind in more ways than one (think telekinetic!). Her teacher, Miss Honey, sees it and nurtures her student. But both she and Matilda have the awful Mrs. Trunchbull to co...

Zany! Crazy! Hilarious! Amazing! “The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Summer Blockbusters” opened at Cape Rep last week for its East Coast premiere, where it’s sure to get the same raves the parodies experienced in Los Angeles. The creator of the show, Kate Pazakis, is no doubt thrilled to be here as she’s very familiar with this stage. She performed on it over 25 years ago. A huge TV screen with a Simpsons-...

Parents and children alike can struggle with conforming to society’s demands while still maintaining their individuality. In his latest musical “Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience,” popular children’s book author Mo Willems explores this idea of fitting in while still being true to oneself. The entertainingly silly story is set underground in Grandpah’s tunnel, where every naked mole rat is proud...

Today is the 243rd anniversary of the adoption by the Continental Congress of the Declaration of Independence. Each year the Fourth of July, and the days before and after, offer opportunities to celebrate that event. In addition, it marks the official start of the summer season, which means that for the next two months Cape Cod will be crowded with residents, vacationers, and tourists enjoying all that this uniqu...