CHATHAM – Labor Day has passed, and to no one's surprise, the fish pier observation deck is not finished. But with a few critical issues solved in recent weeks, the project should begin to move along much faster, said Natural Resources Director Robert Duncanson. General contractor Sciaba Construction Corp. has installed two “infinity drains” on the south side of the deck. In order to make the deck water tig...

CHATHAM – A year after it was automated and all but shut down, the Marconi-RCA Wireless Receiving Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Districts after being nominated by the town's historical commission, with the blessing of then-owner MCI International. That was 25 years ago last month. The commission and local preservationists' recognition of the importance of the ship-to-shore Morse code ...

What is it about art theft that intrigues us? Is it the supposed erudition of those planning the heist, and the audacity of those who carry out the almost-glamorous mission? Whatever entertainment we might derive from seeing art theft on the screen or from reading about it in a book, when art thieves strike close to home, the reality is grotesque and disturbing. Take the famous case of the 1990 theft of ...

CHATHAM – The town will drop a controversial plan to dredge a section of Chatham Harbor near the North Inlet that prompted a lawsuit and appeal to the state department of environmental protection. But that doesn't mean that officials have given up on dredging that section of the harbor. Last fall town officials had hoped to do emergency dredging of the area in question, just inside and to the south of the N...

CHATHAM — Though there’s still ample opportunity for beaching, boating and barbecuing, the summer 2019 visitor season is behind us, and so is our summertime edition of Helping Neighbors. But the summer visitors who contributed to the campaign left behind more than footprints in the sand. Joined by some year-rounders, they contributed more than $25,000 to support the Family Pantry of Cape Cod, helping put nut...

CHATHAM — If it comes to fruition, a part of the master plan endorsed by the airport commission calls for the town to acquire easements from 46 private properties to allow trees to be topped or removed to provide a safer approach for pilots using the airport during poor visibility. The easements would apply to businesses on the south side of the airport near Ocean State Job Lot and several homes around Georg...

CHATHAM – The town will drop a controversial plan to dredge a section of Chatham Harbor near the North Inlet that prompted a lawsuit and appeal to the state department of environmental protection. In a press release Friday, town officials said because of evolving shoaling conditions in that area, the limited amount of dredging being sought would be ineffective in providing a suitable navigational channel. Rath...

NORTH CHATHAM — A man was badly hurt following a mishap with a cannon Saturday afternoon. With ambulances committed to other four other rescues in Chatham at the time, an Orleans ambulance was dispatched at 12:42 p.m. to 2 Salt Pond Rd., North Chatham, the Gerald Milden residence, for a report of a man shot with a cannonball. Deputy Chatham Fire Chief David DePasquale was the first rescuer on scene, and s...

CHATHAM – A neighborhood group has appealed a Barnstable Superior Court justice's decision dismissing their legal challenge to skydiving at Chatham Municipal Airport. Citizens for a Safe Chatham Airport (CSCA) filed a notice of appeal on Aug. 12 seeking review of Judge Beverly J. Cannone's July 29 order ruling that federal law, under which the town allowed skydiving, overrode the group's assertion that the act...

CHATHAM – The legendary Ms. Eelgrass contest will return next Saturday, Sept. 7, as part of the Chatham End of Summer Bash sponsored by the Chatham Chamber of Commerce and Chatham Merchants Association. The Bash, which will run from 2 to 6 p.m., will be a “fun, family friendly event” celebrating the end of the season, said Chamber Executive Director Mary Cavanaugh. It will be held at “George Ryder Beach,” AKA ...

CHATHAM — If the town doesn’t carefully prioritize spending on big-ticket items, it will be stretched thin when it comes time to borrow for upcoming phases of the multi-year, multi-million dollar wastewater project. That was the message delivered to selectmen by the summer residents’ advisory committee. Advisory committee Chairman Jill MacDonald said the committee supports a plan to prioritize large capital ...

CHATHAM — One-hundred-and-one years ago, 130 men were lost when the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa was torpedoed by a World War I German U-boat. This week, the family of one of those men finally received his Purple Heart. Coast Guard personnel are joined by police, firefighters and other supporters before Monday’s ceremony at Station Chatham. ...