Figuring out how, when and where great white sharks are likely to feed on seals close to the shore is the goal of a study now underway by Dr. Greg Skomal, shark scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Skomal's work, using different tags that collect a variety of information, will paint a broad picture of the behavior. Bryan Legare, a biologist at the Center for Coastal Studies, hopes that h...

Wildlife advocates are scratching their heads over the discovery of an unusual number of sick terns in the region. Nearly 20 emaciated and dehydrated juvenile terns have been brought to Wild Care in Eastham over the past few weeks, found in towns from Chatham to Provincetown. Most have died; three remain in the care of the wildlife rehabilitation facility, according to Executive Director Stephanie Ellis. The m...

CHATHAM — At least part of a 19-acre tract of town-owned land off Middle Road should be used for affordable and attainable housing, selectmen said last week. But board members appear to be split on whether to use the whole parcel for housing, or to hold some of the land in reserve for other potential uses. Meeting last week, the board voted unanimously to ask staff to develop a plan for using a portion of th...

CHATHAM — Despite severe overcrowding Monday, the board of health says that parking restrictions and other efforts are reducing congestion on the beach at Schoolhouse Pond. The board ordered additional parking deterrents in a bid to keep COVID-19 from spreading among beachgoers who are not social distancing or wearing masks. On Friday, the town installed signs along Sam Ryder Road limiting parking to residen...

CHATHAM – All of the 33 people who attended last week's pop-up clinic at the annex tested negative. The town originally reported that 34 people were tested, and that all were negative with one pending. In a press release issued Wednesday, officials said that the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod (VNA) and Cape Cod Healthcare verified that 33 people were tested. The results come as a relief to local off...

With unemployment on Cape Cod standing at 28 percent and food pantries seeing unprecedented demand, it’s clear that many local families are on the edge financially. Without federal action, many of them will be facing the loss of their housing this fall. Given that uncertainty, local towns and housing groups are hurriedly knitting together a new safety net. “With Federal Pandemic Unemployment Insurance en...

CHATHAM – Two non-profit organizations are teaming up with the town's historical commission to try to save what many believe is the oldest house in town. The house at 68 Shell Dr., which sits on Bassing Harbor, is believed to have been built by the son of Chatham's first European settler, William Nickerson, around 1700. A demolition delay on the house imposed by the historical commission expired last month, an...

HARWICH — A report by state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission investigators alleges the Port Restaurant and Bar violated several safety standards under the emergency order the commonwealth has in place to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second alleged violation of emergency regulations by The Port. Attorney Raymond Tomlinson said the restaurant is being targeted. “There is plainly a push in th...

Parents Given Option Of Continuing Remote Learning   HARWICH – While many school districts are preparing plans for three possibilities – a full return to school, a partial or hybrid return, and the continuation of remote learning – the 47-page draft Monomoy plan only includes a hybrid learning plan and plans to shift back to remote learning if necessary. A full reopening, said Superintendent of Schools Scot...

HARWICH — The Harwich Historical Society is looking for people to become a part of the town’s history by sharing first-hand experiences about living through the coronavirus pandemic. The society is collecting these experiences to help future generations understand what it was like living through this time. “Your observations now can be the primary sources for future historians,” Harwich Historical Society Dire...

HARWICH — Time may not be on the side of the planning board and Town Planner Charleen Greenhalgh as they work to shape a West Harwich district of critical planning concern article for the annual town meeting planned for late September. Greenhalgh and board members have been talking about putting together a document to meet the minimum DCPC guidelines for the September meeting and returning for additional provi...

HARWICH — Selectmen could not come to a conclusion Monday night on the hiring of a permanent town administrator. After two motions failed, the board agreed to retain Interim Town Administrator Joseph Powers for one year. “No comment,” Powers responded Tuesday morning to an email asking if he had made a decision on continuing in the interim town administrator job. Discussions on the choosing of a new town ad...

Tracking turtles isn’t as easy as one might think, but Michael Musnick, a passionate amateur herpetologist, is doing his best.  Holding an antenna and receiver, Musnick sets off down one of the grassy trails leading from the parking lot of Harwich Conservation Trust’s (HCT) Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve.  On the preserve’s 66 acres, somewhere, hides a female Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina). Wa...

HARWICH – It’s not just the kids that wanted to get in a game this summer, which is why, when field activities were allowed under the state’s Phase 2 part of the reopening plans, Cape Cod Senior Softball jumped at the chance to salvage at least some of its 2020 season. Since July 13, teams from across the region, sponsored by local businesses including those from Chatham and Harwich, once again took to the sof...

EVERYWHERE – What do you do when a global pandemic wipes out everything you hold dear – your job, your home, your future prospects? Well, if you’re Scott Gerke, you sell off pretty much everything you own and hit the road. Gerke, from Key West, Fla., had been working as a professional DJ, event host, and YouTuber when the pandemic hit. By the end of March, every one of his future gigs was canceled. With no pro...

In a greenhouse off a long, sandy road in Dennis, concrete pools are filled every spring to offer millions and millions of oysters a swim. Before the budding bivalves took the plunge this year, about 4,000 mesh bags of mostly sea clam shells, originally from a processing facility in New Bedford, were placed inside two of the empty pools at A.R.C. Hatchery. “After we put the bags of shell in the tanks, we fi...