ORLEANS – Ask Tony Davis, president and owner of Arey’s Pond Boat Yard, what the theme of the 2020 Cat Gathering was, and you’ll likely get a wry grin before he answers with a decisive word. “Decisions,” he said. “It’s been a tough year in the sense of having to make a series of decisions.” It started with the pandemic, which had Davis taking note of the numerous sailboat races posting cancellations, hoping...

CHATHAM – There was no need to get dressed up, or to drive somewhere, or fight for a parking space, or hope for a good seat last Sunday. The Chatham Historical Society (CHS) joined many other institutions when it held its 64-minute annual meeting, featuring a talk on “Tourism Through the Years,” via Zoom video conferencing. About 75 people watched the presentation. At 3:30 p.m. exactly Ginny Nickerson, CHS out...

BREWSTER – Theaters are still closed, but that hasn’t stopped Cape Rep from coming through with free summer fun for children from the Outdoor Theater, as well as a new musical puppet show that will have kids laughing as well as tapping their toes. First up is Cape Rep’s Story Time Series, in which some of our favorite Cape Rep actors turn their talents to engaging readings of their favorite children’s stories...

Starting in late July, the breeding shorebirds of the treeless Arctic tundra begin streaming south, fanning out across North America. The wading birds characterized as shorebirds are a diverse group of species in the order Charadriiformes, and hundreds of thousands of these birds migrate along Cape Cod’s coastlines every summer through the Atlantic Flyway. For many of these birds, the Cape is a vital stopover ...

Bad Encounter With A Dog Editor: Recently visiting my daughter on Cape Cod, I brought my grandchildren to Jackknife Cove in Chatham. It was extremely hot. It's an idyllic spot for kids to wade and splash in the shallow lagoons, and safe to cool off. It was an extreme low tide with many families and shellfishermen about. While there, a man came on the shore with an unleashed dog. Dogs doing what they d...

Next Tuesday's primary election offers little to get excited about. There’s only one contested race on the Republican side, and in Barnstable County, two Democrat races are contested. In the races for Massachusetts Senator, we endorse Democrat Edward Markey; he has represented the state well and now is not the time to change our Congressional delegation, given the difficult issues the next Congress will face. On ...

Too Early To Return To The Classroom, They Say ORLEANS — Under drizzly skies last Wednesday, more than two dozen teachers from Monomoy, Nauset and other Lower Cape school districts staged a protest at the Orleans Rotary to express concerns about returning to the classroom during the pandemic. The teachers argue that they’re eager to see their students in person again, but not if doing so puts the school ...

For the past 18 years, the Homeless Prevention Council has sponsored the Backpack-to-School program, which provides school supplies and backpacks to students in the eight Lower Cape towns. The program's 19 th year, however, is unprecedented. “We're all in this unknown place, trying to work together to come up with a solution,” said HPC Chief Executive Officer Hadley Luddy. This year the agency is partnerin...

ORLEANS — Orleans will have to navigate the perilous passage to permitting for the Nauset Estuary dredging project without the financial support of Eastham. At the Aug. 20 meeting of the Nauset Estuary Stakeholders Group, Eastham Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe said her select board was “not willing to fund the continuation of the permitting process because they do believe the permitting issue was put to bed...

Murphy, Thomas J. Jr., A longtime resident of Stoneham and also of Chatham passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on August 12, 2020. Beloved husband of 62 years to Mary T. (Hynes) Murphy. Son of the late Thomas J. Murphy and Mary (McKenna) Murphy. Loving father of Tara Mitchell and her husband John of Stoneham, Kathleen Murphy and Travis Lee of Middleton, Kerry (Murphy) Castrucci and Sean Kenney ...

Andrew Harding’s Lane Beach Safer After Inlet Shifts CHATHAM — Though the move is largely symbolic, the board of health this week voted to lift a ban on swimming at the end of Andrew Harding’s Lane in the Old Village. The ban had been in place so long that current members of the health board didn’t seem to know it was in effect. “It’s not as treacherous as it was when the board of health originally banned...

CHATHAM – In a report earlier this year, a finance committee housing working group raised the question of what the town's future will look like given the wildly escalating cost of real estate. “Will we be a vibrant, thriving and hard-working community comprising a range of age, race, family size, income, occupational prospects and other demographics?” the report read. “Or shall we continue on the arc of exclus...

CHATHAM — While sunbathing and swimming is a bit more complicated than it used to be, thanks to rules designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, those rules don’t seem to be keeping people from heading to the beach. Parks and Recreation Director Dan Tobin said sales of beach parking permits are on par with ordinary years, and the town has already sold more weekly permits than any other year in his memo...

With the state primary election approaching, here are some deadlines and details to keep in mind. For those currently not registered, the last day to register to vote or change party affiliation for the Sept. 1 primary is Saturday, Aug. 22. With town halls closed or limited in hours and access, voters can register to vote online through the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office or download registration for...

CHATHAM – More than $1 million went into dredging the Stage Harbor entrance channel this past winter and spring. While the channel appears to have held up through the height of the boating season, that's expected to change, and officials anticipate dredging of the access channel will be a regular occurrence. “It's not going to go away, that's for sure,” said Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon. “The substantia...