CHATHAM – For two summers, the Monomoy Theatre has been dark. Unless a zoning change can be made soon to pave the way for redevelopment of the property, the theater is likely to remain closed for at least three more years, its owners say. In the coming week, Alexandra Properties, which purchased the 2.7-acre property at 776 Main St. and 70 Depot Rd. for $3.65 million last September, will be collecting the 200 ...

CHATHAM — The preliminary results of a crash investigation indicate that a teenage driver failed to stop at an intersection when his vehicle collided with police cruiser and a third vehicle on Crowell Road Tuesday night. Three people, including the officer, sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, which heavily damaged all three vehicles. Police say at around 8:42 p.m., 18-year-old Trenton Andr...

Baker Freezes Reopening Plan Citing a surge in parties like the one in Chatham July 12 where at least 13 people may have contracted COVID-19, Gov. Charlie Baker Friday announced a freeze on the state’s economic reopening plan, new restrictions on public gatherings, and new enforcement of those rules at parties – even ones on private property. “There have been many reports of pool parties, birthday parties, ...

A spike in great white shark sightings along the Cape's eastern coast, coinciding with the popular “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel, prompted officials this week to issue reminders about adhering to “Shark Smart” guidelines. The Cape Cod National Seashore issued a press release Monday explaining that sharks — and seals — are part of the Cape's natural, wild ecosystem, and that while sharks rarely bite hum...

CHATHAM – Fish chowder is a Cape Cod tradition, and the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance hopes a new program centering around the staple will facilitate two goals: supporting local independent fishermen and providing food pantries with delicious, nutritious ready-to-serve meals. The program takes advantage of the wide availability of small haddock, which don't bring a strong price in the marketplace (d...

Even If FEMA Maps Say It Won’t Time was, if you wanted to know which parts of town flooded during major hurricanes, you’d ask old timers. Then FEMA developed maps showing flood zones down to the property level. But both methods have a major shortcoming: they rely on past events to predict the future. The problem is, the environment is changing quickly, and some of the baseline assumptions used in convention...

CHATHAM – A tour through downtown reveals that most of the people out and about — and there are plenty — appear to be comply with the board of health's face covering order, which aims to minimize the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Interviews with shop owners and employees confirm that, with a few exceptions, most people are following the rule. When people aren't wearing masks, most put them on when re...

HARWICH – Gov. Charlie Baker's new mandate on the size of public gatherings has forced the Harwich Town Band to cancel its planned summer concerts. Conductor Tom Jahnke said with 35 band members and four monitors, social distancing requirements would only allow 11 audience members at Brooks Park. “We think it best to cancel now instead of having to turn away people,” he said in an email. “I am extremely dis...

HARWICH PORT – A lobster clambake, with a side of community spirit, would go a long way in filling the void the coronavirus pandemic is creating in our dining and social habits this summer. Outer Cape Health Services plans to help satiate these desires with its “Lobster Without the Fest” fundraiser. In the past OCHS has held an annual Lobster Fest gala and auction event. Because of the pandemic, however, co...

HARWICH — Members of the public provided input last week on a zoning provision designed to meet the goals of the West Harwich District of Critical Planning Concern approved by the county last December. Town Planner Charleen Greenhalgh said the call for the DCPC was driven by a proposal to build a 7,400-square-foot retail store along Route 28 and to demolish an old sea captain’s home on the site. This raised a ...

HARWICH — Selectmen clearly plan to relocate next month's annual town meeting to the football field at Monomoy Regional High School and change the meeting date to a Saturday, but the board has yet to vote on the change. A group of town officials met at the field this past week with MRHS custodial staff to work through the details for its use and came away with the position that “it’s workable,” Board of Select...

HARWICH – Sometimes working backwards can be a good thing, at least when it comes to creating a school reopening plan in the midst of a global pandemic. According to Superintendent Scott Carpenter, that’s what district educators did in creating the plan for Monomoy Schools, securing its approval from the School Committee on Aug. 6. The plan, Carpenter said, was drafted after looking at similar plans from ot...

HARWICH — When the political season heats up, yard signs demonstrating candidate support have been known to fall victim to political prejudice. That was the case in and around Harwich Center last weekend, with numerous campaign signs torn up and trashed. On Sunday Selectman Ed McManus posted a photo on Facebook of his signs for U. S. Senate candidate Congressman Joseph Kennedy, County Commission candidate Mark...

CHATHAM – Jerry Evans is no stranger to the water, having spent a decent amount of time windsurfing, kiteboarding, surfing, and paddlesurfing, but these days he’s happiest just winging it. Evans, owner of Chatham Wind and Time, is among the first people on Cape Cod to give the sport of wingsurfing a go. Wingsurfing, for those not familiar, is something of a water-oriented combination of wingsuit technology,...

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) has launched a new Gills Club app. The app, which can be downloaded for free on the Apple Store and Google Play, features information about different species of sharks, access to ongoing shark research, projects and science activities for shark fans, and a means to connect with the Gills Club Science Team, made up of over 100 female shark researchers worldwide. The ...

For the first time in its 49 year history, the Creative Arts Center has replaced its annual Festival of the Arts, held in August in Chase Park since 1971, with an online “20 for 20, Twenty Dollars for 2020” fundraiser. To contribute to the CAC’s continued success during this socially distanced time, visit capecodcreativearts.org on Friday, Aug. 14 and/or Saturday, Aug. 15, click on the photo of the ...