Lower Cape News Podcast

The Family Pantry of Cape Cod holds its annual Turkey Day and Toy Day programs once again this holiday season to support community households in need. Executive Director Christine Menard says the Pantry currently accepts donations for both programs as well as general donations for the presumably challenging winter season ahead.

The town of Orleans held its 2022 Fall Town Meeting on Oct. 17 at Nauset Regional Middle School. Of the 36 warrant articles addressed during the session, two prompted significant discussion: a home rule petition prohibiting the application of fertilizer and a funding article regarding town parking programs that was revised just days before the meeting.

The Brewster Planning Board and Select Board endorsed the final draft of the town's Local Comprehensive Plan during a public hearing on Oct. 12. According to the town, the plan strives to guide Brewster's land use decisions and policies over the next 10-plus years. Brewster's Vision Planning Committee completed the plan in September and following approval by town officials, the final draft will ap...

The Center for Coastal Studies and community volunteers completed the seventh annual Outer Cape Clean-up on Oct. 17 at Race Point Beach. Over the course of the four-day program, participants picked-up trash and other debris from National Seashore beaches between Eastham and Provincetown.

20 September 2022 -- ORLEANS, MA -- The Duke d'Orleans - or at least his likeness - returned fully restored to Orleans Town Hall this September. Debra Dickinson of Dickinson Fine Art Conservation completed a two-year restoration process on the 200-year-old portrait and the painting of Orleans' namesake now hangs on the second floor of the town hall building within the Nauset Room.

01 October 2022 -- BREWSTER, MA -- Debate - and design - continue in Brewster as the town plans a new elevated boardwalk connecting Wing Island to Drummer Boy Park and the Museum of Natural History. While local officials say the public wants improvements to Wing Island's accessibility, the initial conceptual design received substantial community opposition this summer, leading to two new proposals...

01 October 2022 -- HARWICH, MA -- Cape Codders now have access to new bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. The boosters protect against the original virus strain as well as the Omicron variant and were authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 31 and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sept. 1.

Brewster's brand new First Light Beach opened to the public on July 1, with parking exclusively for residents holding a valid permit. The evening before First Light officially opened for public use, the town held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the bayside beach, which sits on land formerly owned by Cape Cod Sea Camps.

The Massachusetts House passed a comprehensive reproductive health rights package this week - and State Rep. Sarah Peake says that in this era of a Trump Supreme Court watching state-level legislation becomes additionally important.

Last year, restaurant Apt Cape Cod received national attention after it shut down for a day to give its employees a breather from abusive customers. This year, it sees a better customer attitude -- but like most hospitality businesses is struggling to find enough workers.

Cape Cod's great white shark season typically lasts from late spring to mid-fall, with numbers peaking between August and early October. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy detected the 2022 season's first great whites in late May and the organization anticipates a busy year in the Cape's coastal waters.

As Cape Cod enters its third summer season since the emergence of COVID-19, the pandemic remains an inescapable part of daily life. To learn more about the current state of the virus, Lower Cape TV spoke with Outer Cape Health Services' Dr. Andrew Jorgensen, who discussed recent trends, treatment options, risk management and second booster doses.

Brightly-colored artwork? Wildflower meadows? It's all part of a strategy called placemaking, creating a short-term, community-welcoming site out of the old T-Time property.

On May 21, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy opened Shark Center Provincetown -- the non-profit's second educational outreach facility. Located on MacMillan Pier, the new, seasonal Shark Center will operate between Memorial Day and mid-October on a yearly basis.

On June 17, the Brewster Ponds Coalition and town of Brewster will co-sponsor Brewster Ponds Summit 2022: an event addressing the impact of septic systems on Brewster's freshwater ponds and groundwater. The in-person and livestreamed summit takes place at the Brewster Baptist Church between 9 a.m. and noon and will feature five expert speakers.

20 May 2022 -- WELLFLEET, MA -- Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary began construction of a children's nature play area this spring and expects to complete the project this fall. According to the sanctuary, the new nature play area focuses on creation, exploration and imagination and will include a variety of features, including a bird blind, musical fence and natural materials.

20 May 2022 -- EASTHAM, MA -- The Eastham Police Department debuted its first hybrid patrol vehicle on May 6. The department says it plans to evaluate the cruiser over the coming months and, if the vehicle meets expectations, will look to purchase additional hybrids when upgrading its fleet in the future.

9 May 2022 - CAPE COD, MA - From pizza boxes to boat shrink wrap, recycling takes a 40% bite out of the region's 85,000 tons of solid waste a year.

Cape Air has ordered 75 all-electric Eviation airplanes for its fleet - making the airline -- and Cape Cod -- the national launch site for a new flight technology.

Eastham residents will vote on four proposed amendments to the town's zoning bylaw at annual town meeting on Monday, May 2. Eastham's Residential Zoning Task Force recommended the amendments and local officials expect the potential bylaw alterations would help address housing challenges in the community.

The town of Brewster plans to open a new resident-only bayside beach this summer on property formerly occupied by Cape Cod Sea Camps. Town Administrator Peter Lombardi expects the beach and a new parking area will open to residents around July 1, while town committees work to determine the long-term future of the property.

Heavily regulated with high start up costs, opening a pot dispensary is not for the faint of heart. Zach Bent, CEO of Piping Plover dispensary discusses the status of retail marijuana on the Outer Cape, regulations, costs, taxes and community response.

A soon-to-open bayside beach in Brewster needs a name - and the town wants residents to share their ideas. The former Cape Cod Sea Camps property off Route 6A becomes a resident-only beach around July 1, according to town administrator Peter Lombardi. Lombardi says the town will accept potential names through April 15.

Out of the 423 units managed by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), Cape Cod National Seashore ranked at No. 17 in visitation last year. According to NPS, the Seashore logged just over four million visits throughout 2021, a total that superintendent Brian Carlstrom views as standard for the Seashore.

State Senator Julian Cyr calls in to discuss, budget, covid, and affordable housing on the Cape.