This is the fourth in a series of stories on the ongoing housing crisis. A lack of workforce housing is one of the factors contributing to an anticipated shortage of workers in the hospitality and service sectors this summer. Expect a longer-than-usual wait to be seated at restaurants and longer check-out lines in shops, chamber of commerce officials warn. For other year-round businesses that don't necess...

CHATHAM – There's reluctance among town officials to back out of a plan to build a new dock at Old Mill Boatyard for the Coast Guard, despite concern over the agency's decision to scale back its rescue boat capabilities. But there may be other ways to ensure that the Coast Guard maintains vessel coverage of both Chatham Harbor and Stage Harbor, members of the South Coastal Harbor Plan committee said. Limiti...

CHATHAM — Each year, police and wildlife officials are called to area beaches by people concerned for the safety of stranded seals. The trouble is, the seals typically aren’t in trouble at all. The Yarmouth-based International Fund for Animal Welfare is providing informational signs for area beaches to boost public understanding of these marine mammals. “As tourism begins to increase here on Cape Cod and on ...

Mondays On Main Returns In July CHATHAM – Unable to rehearse for the past year, the Chatham Band won't begin its traditional Friday night summer concerts in Kate Gould Park until August. But the popular band will still manage to squeeze in five shows before summer's end, half their usual number. The town's other annual music event, Mondays on Main, will also be going forward this summer, with a planned debu...

CHATHAM — A major stormwater replacement project is expected to cause traffic detours and delays through early summer. But when the job is done, officials say Crowell Road and Lake Street will be decidedly less lake-like after heavy rains. Health and Natural Resources Director Robert Duncanson updated the select board on the project last week. The job is being done “to address some of the flooding issues tha...

This is the third in a series of stories on the ongoing housing crisis. Housing insecurity was, for many, exacerbated during the pandemic. On the Lower and Outer Cape, however, the pandemic highlighted a situation that had been growing worse for years. Think of it as a squeeze. As real estate values rise, working people who don't already own their own home can no longer afford to buy. And the rental mar...

CHATHAM – Town Manager Jill Goldsmith was named one of five finalists for the position of city manager in Clearwater, Fla. Monday. While she said she was flattered to be considered to manage the city of about 120,000 on Florida's Gulf coast, especially given its size in comparison to Chatham, she said she had no intention of moving forward with the process. “I've given a commitment to Chatham and I'm hoping...

CHATHAM — Having collected more than a decade’s worth of data from a host of receiver buoys, researchers can now show in fine detail where tagged sharks spend their time each summer. The new White Shark Logbook from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy allows users to select a certain buoy location and browse all of the logged shark visits. The Logbook (shiny.atlanticwhiteshark.org/Logbook/) draws on data ...

CHATHAM — Though it might not be as grand as usual, the town will have a real, in-person parade to mark Independence Day this summer. On a 4-1 vote Tuesday, the select board followed the advice of the parade committee and gave the event its go-ahead. The board also voted to allow a fireworks display on Veterans Field on Thursday, July 1. The parade will happen on July 3, since July 4 falls on ...

CHATHAM — It might seem like climate change is an unstoppable juggernaut that can only be slowed by international treaties and sweeping reforms . But actions we take in our own houses, businesses, town halls and back yards can make a worthwhile change as well. That was the message from a panel of local experts in a forum on climate resilience Saturday. Janet Williams of the Chatham Climate Action Network ...

CHATHAM — As they do most years, in March, town officials asked residents to conserve water ahead of the busy summer season. Last week, their polite request became a mandate. Effective immediately, the select board has implemented a set of mandatory water restrictions that require outdoor watering to take place on odd or even calendar days, based on a property’s street number, with watering limited to an inc...

The usual scramble ahead of the summer season will be a bit more frantic this year. On Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that, as of May 29 – the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend – all pandemic-related restrictions on businesses and public gatherings will be lifted. The news, while joyful, provides less than two weeks for restaurant owners, retailers, town officials and civic groups to adjust their plan...