CHATHAM — A thunderstorm moving through the area last Wednesday came with a new twist: an apparent funnel cloud. Jonathan Palino of Cape Kayaking was leading a group of paddlers in a tour of Nauset Marsh in Eastham, when, on his return trip, they spotted the cloud formation. Palino said he placed the funnel cloud quite far away, probably in a position in the Atlantic southeast of Chatham. “It formed and...

SOUTH CHATHAM — A tiny neighborhood playground, partially completed and left in a state of disrepair for more than a month, could soon be fixed up. In 2015, neighbors successfully lobbied for improvements at the South Chatham Park, located off Judy’s Lane, a 35,246-square-foot parcel that contains a tennis court, a small play area and room for one or two cars. They argued that the playground equipment, a lar...

CHATHAM — The conservation commission voted unanimously last week to issue emergency certification for dredging near the North Inlet to Chatham Harbor. The vote came after a hearing that was contentious at times. Minister’s Point property owner Gerald Milden told the commission that dredging in the harbor is responsible for erosion of his land and other properties. After Milden made a series of heated com...

CHATHAM – It's pretty obvious that this is New England Patriots country, especially during football season. Even now, however, that devotion can be seen in, of all things, bidding on the Sharks in the Park. One of the art exhibit's five-foot sharks that sports a Patriots theme has the highest bid of any of this year's 60 sharks. In fact, it has the highest bid of any shark in the history of the event. With ...

CHATHAM – Thanks to a wet winter and spring, groundwater levels earlier this summer were at record levels. Although water levels have dropped some during the course of the summer, groundwater remains as high or higher than seen in many years. While groundwater levels are measured by monitoring wells scattered throughout the Cape, anyone can see how high the aquifer is just by visiting a freshwater pond. “Po...

CHATHAM – Along the wall in the newly renovated children's alcove at the Eldredge Public Library are five framed drawings that prominently display the words “Play,” “Read,” “Sing,” “Talk” and “Write.” Those are all factors in promoting early literacy, experts say, and promoting all five is the goal of changes happening in the children and youth section of the historic Main Street library. With grant funding...

CHATHAM – Last Friday the team excavating William and Anne Busby Nickerson’s circa 1664 homestead in Chatham made an exciting discovery – a “ton” of “individual little kernels” of corn and “little beans” dated to the 17 th century. “It’s pretty unprecedented in New England archaeology,” says Craig Chartier, director of the Plymouth Archaeological Rediscovery Project, who is leading the dig. He does not know o...

Retired CG Commander Will Be New Emergency Manager CHATHAM — With peak hurricane season approaching, and with last winter’s severe winter storms still fresh in people’s memories, the town is answering questions about its state of disaster preparedness. Fire Chief Peter Connick told selectmen Monday that the town has hired John Kondratowicz, a retired Coast Guard captain and professor of emergency managem...

CHATHAM — Somewhere over George’s Bank, flitting over the wave tops, there’s a shearwater named Monomoy. And another named Nauset. You could almost pity the one named Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School. The seabirds are part of a number outfitted with radio tracking tags by researchers at the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and named in honor of area middle schools whose students will follow their ...

CHATHAM    —    The conservation commission voted unanimously Wednesday to issue emergency certification for dredging near the North Inlet to Chatham Harbor. The vote came after a hearing that was contentious at times. Minister’s Point property owner Gerald Milden told the commission that dredging in the harbor is responsible for erosion of his land and other properties. After Milden made a series of heated co...

CHATHAM – The town continued its 72-year tradition of summer town meetings Tuesday, with more than 65 summer folks getting a two-hour run-down on the state of the community from selectmen and other town officials. The litany of details provided to non-resident taxpayers included the financial condition of the community, an overview of projects and issues officials have dealt with in the past year and expect to...

CHATHAM – The park and recreation commission is considering expanding the community center's fitness room into the adjacent conference room. The idea is only in the concept stage right now, and the commission plans to survey fitness room users to determine interest in expanding the facility's offerings. “People I've talked to are excited” about the possibility, commission chair Meredith Fry commented at las...