Opening a restaurant is no easy feat. Even for new local business owners who are taking over the reins of a successful location with a hearty customer base and making it uniquely their own, nothing about the process is simple or effortless.  Now try it in the middle of a global pandemic.  Lynne Hammatt bought the former Sandi’s Diner in March, as the seriousness of COVID-19 was becoming evident. After paint...

The constant flow of information about COVID-19 over the past three months has led local councils on aging to daily changes requiring new ways of living, limiting activities and programs, closing buildings and dispersing staff and volunteers, and leading to readjustments in services and a rethinking of how to get things done. That is now being followed by a slow process of reopening that may continue for months. ...

At noon on Monday, church bells on the Lower Cape and around the country pealed for 17 minutes to mark a somber occasion. The nation’s death toll from COVID-19 has topped 100,000 people. “Not a good milestone to make,” Chatham Health and Natural Resources Director Robert Duncanson said. By Monday evening, the national death toll had already reached 104,799. The statistics are at once alarming and numbing, but ...

Monomoy Regional Middle School Third Quarter Honor Roll Students earning high honors and honors for the third quarter at Monomoy Regional Middle School are listed below. Grade 7 high honors: Anderson, Ashley; Barr, Justin; Bates, Lucy; Dujua, Jericah ; Elhilow, Jason; Hemeon, Claire; Hoye, Amy; Hyora, Finn; Jansen, Rowan; Jones, Maya; Khalil, Tamer; Krystofolski, Marek; Laramee, Ryan; Layton, Em...

Island Pursuits Moves Into Chatham Hardware Building   by Elizabeth Van Wye This is a tale of two businesses. Island Pursuit wanted to stay in Chatham, but after 12 years, the clothing business was faced with rent that was no longer affordable. Chatham Hardware, under a succession of owners, has been housed in the iconic Main Street location since 1936. They faced a changed business model and more s...

“I spent many years in Central America dealing with destruction — when I retired I became involved with construction,” said Joe Towle, a Maryknoll Priest who lives in Harwich Port, during a lunch break at the Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod’s recent building project on Paul Hush Way off Tubman Road in Brewster. Having dealt with the harmful products of corrupt government, criminal activity and poverty in seve...

Some people are showing up in local emergency rooms after experiencing chest pains for many hours, or abdominal pains that have lasted for days. Over concerns about COVID-19, they’re ignoring symptoms that demand immediate attention, putting themselves at greater risk, experts say. “Waiting isn’t smart,” Cape Cod Healthcare CEO Michael Lauf said in a recent news conference. “We don’t want to see people adverse...

When you honk your horn Friday nights to honor medical, fire, and police personnel for their dedication, save a toot for the folks at Chatham Village Market and at Friends’ Marketplace in Orleans. They and their colleagues at the local chain supermarkets and convenience stores have become essential workers, by their deeds and by declaration of the governor. “We’re the only grocery store in the town of Chatham,...

CHATHAM — Social distancing is a public health necessity right now, but for people of all ages, it’s bringing feelings of isolation and loneliness. For seniors who might be away from friends or family, that social separation can take a particular toll. But with some basic technology and some simple steps, it’s possible for seniors to connect with grandkids, friends and neighbors, and help’s available to learn ...

Prevention The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the coronavirus. Wash your hands frequently, practice cough etiquette, stay home when possible and maintain social distancing. Learn more at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick and www.mass.gov/covid19 . If You Think You’re Sick The key symptoms of COVID-19 are a fever, a cough and shortness of breath. Find an ...

“She’s back.” That’s what people are saying about Jenn Mentzer, who was appointed general manager of the Chatham Wayside Inn effective Feb. 24. A well-known figure for decades in Chatham’s restaurant scene, Mentzer has spent the past 11 years as director of the catering division of Mac’s Seafood, based in Wellfleet. One quiet morning about halfway through her third week on the job at the Wayside, Mentzer ca...

The question of where the town’s new senior center should be built has been dragging on for so long that some seniors question if they will even be alive when the building is completed in two, three or more years. “Will I live that long?” asks Barbara Segall, who will turn 84 this summer. Segall chairs the town’s seven-member council on aging board. “We’ve been waiting 10 years for a facility.” Right now, t...