CHATHAM — The Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office has confirmed the discovery of a decomposed human body inside the rescue boat on display on the lawn of Coast Guard Station Chatham. Shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, Coast Guard personnel notified police that they had discovered what appeared to be a decomposed body in a closed compartment of the boat. “Preliminary investigation has not revealed any ev...

CHATHAM — Yet another shark sculpture from the Chatham Merchants' Association's “Sharks in the Park” display has reportedly been pilfered. The association reported Sunday that the sculpture, painted by artist Tilda Bystrom and sponsored by Pine Acres Realty, was stolen at around 11:15 Saturday night. A reward is being offered for tips that lead to the return of the shark, and the association reports that there...

CHATHAM – On a small island situated on the elbow of Cape Cod, thousands of piercing cries from birds can be heard virtually any time, day or night. This is Monomoy Island, a bird sanctuary monitored and maintained by the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. Monomoy is currently home to around 11,700 pairs of birds – that’s 23,000 individual birds, and the number just keeps growing. “We’ve been increasing tern...

CHATHAM – Someone really doesn't like some of the trees bordering the town's Seaside Links Golf Course. Several trees near the eighth green were recently discovered to have been “girdled” – the bark removed around the entire circumference – probably with a chainsaw, an action Park Director Dan Tobin said was “very intentional.” “Somebody knew what they were doing in terms of killing these trees,” he told th...

CHATHAM – After a one-year absence, the popular Taste of Chatham returns Aug. 31. A benefit for Monomoy Community Services, the event took last year off to “freshen up a bit,” said Theresa Malone, executive director of the human services agency based on Depot Road. “We got some great feedback, so we changed it up a little bit,” she said. The event, which began 30 years ago, features Chatham restaurants a...

CHATHAM – For the second time in less than three years, a group of residents has formally appealed the conservation commission's approval of a revetment along the town's eastern shoreline. Ten residents, including former conservation commission members and the town's former conservation agent, objected to the approval of a 40-foot rock wall at 602 Old Harbor Rd., an extension of a previously approved 140-foot ...

CHATHAM – A number of white sharks cruising around Cape waters are sporting not just one but two tags, which is expected to add significantly to the body of knowledge about the area's most notorious summer visitors. Along with acoustic tags that record a shark's movement when it passes by receivers deployed in waters throughout the region, Dr. Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has b...

CHATHAM – Looking for a house in Chatham? There's a nice three-bedroom, post-and-beam Cape available, and the price is pretty reasonable. In fact, you can have the house for nothing; you just have to have someplace to put it. At a time when historic homes are disappearing as new owners clear lots for new, more modern structures, it's unusual for an owner of a more contemporary home to offer it up for free, ...

CHATHAM — Using a low-tech approach, contractors may have fixed the sticky Mitchell River drawbridge. The bridge, which has a timber superstructure, periodically did not close completely, and engineers speculated that the problem was related to the wood swelling during humid or wet weather. Last Wednesday, the contractor shaved away some of the timber on the fixed portion of the bridge where it abuts the mov...

HARWICH — Selectman Jannell Brown was in court Wednesday answering an assault charge, the second time she has done so in as many years. Brown pleaded not guilty to a single misdemeanor count of assault and battery on a family or household member, and a single charge of malicious destruction of property valued at less than $250. She was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim, and will return to court fo...

HARWICH — Nearly two years ago, Department of Public Works Director Lincoln Hooper proposed a “stand-alone” project for the reconstruction of Lower County Road. By “stand alone,” he meant town funded, without any help from state highway grants. Hooper was before selectmen Monday night to provide a status report on that project. He cited numerous deficiencies in the roadway, including poor surface conditions, s...

HARWICH — Brooks Free Library will not be getting a facelift this summer after bids for the work came in above the appropriated amount. The town has $490,000 set aside for the project. In the first round of bids, the low bidder was $143,200 above the allocated funds. A second round, which elicited a single bid, also came in too high. “There was only one bidder and the total cost of the project to include th...

HARWICH — Officials here have received word from the state Attorney General's Office that the temporary moratorium on recreational marijuana approved in May's town meeting is in compliance with the state constitution, even as the state legislature put forward changes last week to the recreational pot law approved in a ballot question in November. The town's moratorium placed a ban on the creation of recreation...

HARWICH — The sign outside now identifies the former middle school as the Harwich Cultural Center, and members of the community are being invited inside to explore the transition during an open house from Thursday to Saturday of this week. “There seems to be quite a bit of interest,” Community Center Director Carolyn Carey, who has been charged with leasing rooms in the center, said this week. “I'm excited abo...

PLEASANT LAKE — Forget canoeing and s'mores. How about a summer camp that gives kids a chance to try a career? For the second summer, Cape Cod Regional Technical High School is inviting middle school-age kids to spend a week learning vocational skills, without sparing the fun activities. In the first session, held last week, cosmetology students learned about hair care and nails, and carpentry and electrical...

HARWICH PORT — For two decades, Cove Clubhouse has been more than a place where people with mental illnesses can share meals, access services and prepare for a job or school. It's been a lifeline for hundreds of Lower Cape residents. Last Friday, Cove clients and supporters came together for a cookout to celebrate the organization's 20 th anniversary. Some of their tributes were included on a hand-out sheet...