CHATHAM ─ In the foggy hours just after dawn on July 18, a 17-foot pilot whale stranded and died in the sandbars at the point of Harding's Beach. The whale was initially spotted by Kelly Chase, a friend of Corbin Ross, BMCS, Officer in Charge at Coast Guard Station Chatham, with news of the stranded creature reaching officials from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the media shortly afterw...

CHATHAM – A shuttle bus could still be coming to town, despite the board of selectmen's rejection of a shuttle system as a way to help solve the downtown parking problem. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is sitting on grant funds awarded several years ago and is moving ahead with the purchase of a shuttle to serve the Eastern Massachusetts Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes the Monomoy National Wildlife...

CHATHAM – Lt. Governo Karyn Polito toured the town-owned Old Mill Boatyard on Stage Harbor Tuesday morning, getting a first-hand look at facilities that will be renovated and upgraded with a $1 million state grant awarded late last year. The $1.5 million project, scheduled to get underway this fall, includes replacement of the facility's bulkhead, renovation and replacement of piers, floats and gangways, a new...

CHATHAM – Q: What do you think of immediately when you’re asked to imagine a shark? A: “Jaws.” This question was one of several posed by Cynthia Wigren, founder and president of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC), during a talk last Wednesday evening at the community center. The title of Wigren’s talk, which she delivered to about 75 people, was “Awareness Inspires Conservation: White Sharks in the...

Shark Week In Review If you've looked at your Sharktivity app or at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy Facebook page, then you know it's been a busy week for sharks. Last Friday, July 15, Dr. Greg Skomal of the state division of marine fisheries, working with the Conservancy, tagged the fifth and sixth great white sharks of the season, 11 and nine feet, respectively. On Monday, an 11-foot shark off Mono...

CHATHAM – In the run-up to next month's annual summer town meeting, members of the summer residents advisory committee have been busy talking with town officials and others to assess the major issues facing the town. In the past few weeks, the group, which meets Fridays at 9 a.m. at the annex, has held discussions with Town Manager Jill Goldsmith and Chairman of Selectmen Jeffrey Dykens, Finance Director Alix ...

CHATHAM – The airport commission has rejected a claim that it violated the state Open Meeting Law by prohibiting a resident from speaking at its June 6 meeting. Resident Juris Ukstins filed a complaint June 21 stating that commission chairman Peter Donovan allowed a resident to criticize an airport commission member at the June 6 meeting, but when Ukstins tried to speak in defense of the commissioner he was no...

CHATHAM — In less than a century, rising sea levels could cause localized basement flooding, septic system failures, roadway deterioration and problems with underground utilities. That's the prediction of a U.S. Geological Survey study carried out in cooperation with regional and state experts. Released last week, the study used sophisticated computer models to predict the effects on the Cape's freshwater aqui...

CHATHAM — Three years ago, the federal government stopped printing traditional paper navigational charts, moving toward electronic charts and print-on-demand products to help mariners find their way. But old paper charts provide a window to local history, and the Chatham Historical Society has started the process of preserving some of them, even making them available for viewing online. “We realized that we ha...

CHATHAM – Setting its western boundary at mean low water could cut the area of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in half, a refuge official said, as well as remove existing protections for horseshoe crabs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has “strong concerns” about any change in the western boundary, said Libby Herland, project manager at the Eastern Massachusetts Wildlife Complex, which includes the Mon...

CHATHAM — Marguerite “Peg” Falconer, who for six decades blazed trails as an impressionist painter, is being remembered by friends and fellow artists as a generous, genuine person. Mrs. Falconer died on Friday at the age of 97, leaving behind an impressive body of work that will surely surge in value, and an equally impressive number of friends and colleagues who remember her fondly. “I was privileged to be...

CHATHAM ─ In 1966, Chatham was a somewhat different place than it is today. The cost of gas was roughly 35 cents a gallon, and a new house might set you back about $25,000. But one thing that hasn't changed, according to Mark Sullivan, is the importance of lifeguards at area beaches. He ought to know, since he manned the chair at Harding's Beach in 1966 and '67. This week he returned to the sand to celebrate...