The 43 degrees in the outside shower did not deter me enough to skip shaving the other morning. The next day was forecast for 73 so I could tough it out this early October morning. NOAA’s long range forecast for the winter has switched course, calling for a warmer than normal December-January-February. That could push the draining of the shower off until after the traditional date of Nov. 1. Until then, a micr...

President Trump and his minions have done their best to question the legitimacy of and discourage people from voting by mail, even though it's an option the president himself uses. With the nation still in the grip of a pandemic, many people, especially the most vulnerable, will see mail-in voting as their best option. Absent evidence of large-scale abuse, fraud or any other negative the president wishes to apply...

The Blue Economy’s Expedition Blue initiative will be showcased through four “front porch” waystations in Chatham — but the question remains where those waystations will be placed. During its meeting on Oct. 27, the parks and recreation commission is expected again to discuss possible sites for Expedition Blue’s eight-cubic-foot modular cube. The commission rejected Oyster Pond as a site for the cube during it...

ORLEANS — Opinion is divided in the community over retail recreational marijuana sales, so it should be no surprise that the planning board couldn’t agree on a town meeting article allowing such businesses. By a vote of 2 in favor to 3 against, the board decided Tuesday not to support a zoning amendment that would allow two such establishments in Orleans and restrict them to the Limited Business, General Bus...

ORLEANS — In the midst of a pandemic, the Homeless Prevention Council has found another way to connect people in need to resources. As of Oct. 1, the Orleans-based agency is the Lower and Outer Cape outreach partner with the state for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). “We are certainly thrilled about SNAP,” HPC CEO Hadley Luddy said in an interview this week. “We have always helped people...

ORLEANS — DPW parks foreman Cheryl Esty got a boost from the Nauset Garden Club and the Orleans Improvement Association last week when the two groups helped to spruce up the village green. “They’re fantastic,” Esty said of the volunteers who turned out Oct. 6. “I noticed that when they checked in and were assigned jobs, they went right to work. No complaints.” The feeling was mutual. Esty “is a terrific l...

Peter Hallock, 89, of Touisset, Massachusetts, died peacefully on September 25 in the company of his family. Born on April 8, 1931, Pete was a kind and creative person with a passion for adventure and a knack for doing things his own way. The founder and CEO of Gripnail Corporation, Pete came from a long line of inventors, including his father, Robert Lay Hallock, who held more than 30 patents, and whom Pete cred...

CHATHAM — Treating it like an idea straight out of left field – literally – voters gathered at Veterans Field for Saturday’s special town meeting summarily rejected a zoning bylaw change linked to the redevelopment of the Monomoy Theatre property. Seated in the baseball field facing the outfield, voters could imagine the project that would have created 24 condominium units on the property next door, just behin...

CHATHAM — If you’ve been missing the experience of browsing for books or using other services at the Eldredge Public Library, your wait is almost over. Beginning Oct. 13, the Library will be open for limited, in-library services by appointment only. Patrons must call 508-945-5170 to schedule a 30-minute appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They can browse books on the first floor only, ...

CHATHAM – The owner of the historic Nickerson house on Shell Drive, thought to be one of if not the oldest house in town, will seek the town's permission to keep it on the land where it’s stood for more than 300 years. Joe Giacalone said he'd like to relocate the house, built on the shores of Bassing Harbor by the son of Chatham founder William Nickerson, to a new spot on the three-acre lot and restore it as a...

CHATHAM — With the burgeoning need for affordable and attainable housing, selectmen are methodically moving ahead on several initiatives. “We do hear a lot of criticism about us not getting things done, but I think we’ve been very thoughtful in our approach,” Selectmen Chairman Shareen Davis said at last week’s board meeting. “We’re taking these steps in a way that’s going to build on itself, in a way that’s r...

CHATHAM — Boat owners will soon be able to do something they’ve wanted to do for a long time: renew their mooring permit or waiting list application from their computer or smart phone. Making good on a longstanding goal, town officials are rolling out a system that allows mooring holders and people on the waiting list for moorings to renew and pay online. Given the green light by selectmen last week, the softw...

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 — Having just put a FY21 budget in place, selectmen on Monday began shaping the message for funding the next fiscal year’s spending plan. The message contained in the draft proposal stated the desire to stay within the spending limits of Proposition 2½, but that was not strong enough for members of the board. “Selectmen desire a budget that is within the Proposition 2½ limits without the need for a gen...

Still No Plans For Future Development  HARWICH — The land remediation work on the 3.14-acre Handler Auto Parts site along Route 28 in Harwich Port is nearing completion, but there remains no plan for the redevelopment of the land, which commands sweeping views of Allen Harbor and its marsh. Jeff Handler said this week no decisions have been made on future plans for development of the property, which is zone...