CHATHAM — The town has received complaints about duck hunters on Harding’s Beach and Forest Beach, with some worried about the safety of beachgoers and others complaining about the discarded plastic cartridges and wadding hunters sometimes leave on the shore. The parks and recreation commission recently asked whether it’s time for Chatham to consider hiring a hunting warden for education and monitoring of hunting...

ORLEANS – A proposal to double fees for adult recreation programming in town won't be going to town meeting next month as planned. Members of the recreation advisory committee last week said they were caught off guard by a recommendation in the warrant for the May 9 annual town meeting that the fees be raised from $15 to $30. Now the committee is calling for an investigation into its own department's finances....

HARWICH – A town meeting petitioned article seeking to ban hunting in the Bell’s Neck Conservation Area drew a lot of debate before the conservation commission last week. But the petition may face a setback in its goal, based on a legal opinion issued by Town Counsel John Giorgio. “To the extent that this article seeks to mandate that hunting not be allowed on the Bell’s Neck Conservation Area, it is not in pr...

HARWICH – Voters will be asked at the annual town meeting this spring to prohibit hunting in the Bell's Neck Conservation Area. Selectmen have received a petitioned article seeking to ban hunting in the 272-acre, town-owned marsh and woodlands. At present hunting is allowed in all town-owned conservation areas except for Thompson’s Field in order to protect walkers, dog owners and their pets, according to a co...

CHATHAM – Kimberly Robbins has nothing against hunters. Growing up in Chatham, it was accepted that hunting was a common pastime. “But it seems like it has increased significantly in the last few years,” Robbins, now a member of the town's park and recreation commission, said recently. And that increase has led to an escalation in conflicts between hunters, specifically waterfowl hunters, and those who walk th...

HARWICH – Selectmen have approved the expanded use of the cultural center gymnasium for pickleball this winter, but the board also wants a cost analysis for the uses in the building completed by March 1. Recreation Director Eric Beebe was before the board a couple of weeks ago seeking to expand the pickleball program from three to five days a week. The program was being run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday fr...

Former Z-Boy Wentlze Ruml Wants To Increase Opportunities On The Cape HARWICH – The Zephyr skateboarding team revolutionized skateboarding in the 1970s. Now team member Wentlze Ruml IV, owner of Cape Cod Skate Shop in West Harwich, is looking to rejuvenate the sport locally. The Z-Boys, as they were called back then, were a mix of surfers and skateboarders from the Venice and Ocean Park areas of Southern Ca...

ORLEANS -- For Jamie Demitri, the Finch Skate Park is more than just a place for kids to recreate. It’s an emblem of hard work. “Your community built that,” Demitri, who manages the Pump House Surf Shop in town on Route 6A, told the select board Sept. 1. “They came together and they volunteered their time, their money, their equipment, their workers.” Demitiri, along with other skate park advocates, express...

HARWICH — Harwich has long been a seafaring town, and the nautical theme in the newly opened Bud’s Mini Golf, next to Bud’s Go Karts near the intersection of Route 28 and Sisson Road, reflects that maritime history. The course has been open since July 1. Owners Steve Gopoyan and Swavi Osev are planning an official opening and ribbon-cutting for Thursday, July 22 (today) at 9:30 a.m. Gopoyan said last week that...

ORLEANS — The recreation advisory committee is exercised (as in worried or perplexed). “Our committee right now is frustrated and disappointed by what we’ve not been able to improve with the rec department, especially when it comes to programming,” committee chair Tracy Murphy told the select board June 16. “It must be welcoming, low-cost, accessible to all ages, interests, and abilities, responsive to communi...

Local children from Chatham, Harwich and Orleans will be able to experience somewhat-normal activities this summer when all three towns resume their summer recreation programs after canceling the 2020 lineups due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re so excited to move forward and give the kids some semblance of normalcy,” said Chatham Youth Service Coordinator Sharon Stark. Although COVID-19 remains a very real...

WEST CHATHAM — Years ago, when the town needed to relocate the skateboard park from the Main Street School to a new spot on the airport grounds – and when it was moved again to Volunteer Park – some worried that the new, more remote locations would lead to more vandalism and other mischief. Though that hasn’t been a serious problem, security cameras will soon let town officials keep an eye on the park and the peo...

CHATHAM – An accessible path has been completed in Chase Park, providing access to the historic grist mill and community labyrinth at the back of the downtown green space. “It's looking pretty good,” said Frank Messina, a volunteer at the Godfrey Grist Mill, which dates from 1797 and is one of the oldest working mills on the Cape. The winding path provides access from the parking lot off Shattuck Place to t...

HARWICH — Residents are once again trickling into the community center as the doors closed by the COVID-19 pandemic in March are beginning to open for limited group activities. Community Center Director Carolyn Carey said small groups of no more than 10 people are being allowed to use the activity rooms, and groups of up to 25 are using the multi-purpose room. The center's hours are limited to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m....

Finding outdoor activities that allow you to get moving and stay socially distant can be a challenge, even on Cape Cod, but the Monomoy Yacht Club has the answer: kayaking. Contrary to many local yacht clubs, which focus primarily on sailing, and in a few cases, boating, the MYC boasts an enthusiastic and sizable kayaking contingency, and is thrilled that only weather has necessitated kayaking cancellations th...

People typically flock to the beaches on the Fourth of July, and this year was no different, save for the destination. While many people simply wanted a beach day, a surprising number wanted to get their hands dirty and possibly score some dinner in the process. How? Shellfishing. According to area shellfish constables, the recreational activity has seen a sharp uptick in popularity this season, which could be...