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☀️ One Guy in Wisconsin Runs the Ferry

☀️ One Guy in Wisconsin Runs the Ferry

Plus: The Foleys Are Bringing the Party to the Cape

Cape Coddah
April 17, 2026

Good morning Cape Cod. It's International Haiku Poetry Day. Feel free to spend your Friday crafting three-line poems about beach sunrises, summer memories, or whatever makes you grateful to live here. Syllables optional.

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

Why the 4Cs President left
Keeping the Outer Cape skies dark
Events and live music

Let’s get to it.

👀 No Snowballs, No Spying, No Dances After 2

Chatham has some wild laws still on the books. No peeking or spying. No throwing snowballs in the street. No riding horses on sidewalks. No public dances after 2 a.m. And if a dog kills your chickens, the town has to reimburse you... not the dog's owner.

That last one actually caught a select board member's attention and sparked a push to review all 170-plus pages of the town's general bylaws. Some of these rules date back centuries, and nobody even remembers when or why certain language was added.

The police chief says enforcement is mostly about education, not tickets. "We don't want to be charging into a restaurant because somebody has a plastic straw," he said. A bylaw review committee may be formed to untangle the whole mess. Read more»

🎓 4Cs Shares Why Its President Left

Cape Cod Community College's Board of Trustees finally shared some of what happened with President John Cox. He was placed on paid leave back in October after the college received complaints of "inappropriate and unprofessional conduct."

An outside investigation found that while Cox didn't technically violate the school's equal opportunity policy, his behavior was inconsistent with his role as president. Cox quietly retired in March before the investigation wrapped up. The board isn't sharing further details to protect the complainant's privacy.

Now the school is moving on. An interim president will be appointed soon, followed by a national search for a permanent replacement. Commencement is still on for May 21 at the Melody Tent. The board chair apologized for the disruption during what was otherwise a strong year for enrollment and student success. Read more»

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CHATHAM HARVESTERS

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✨ Protecting the Dark Skies

Eastham has some of the darkest night skies in Massachusetts, thanks to the Cape Cod National Seashore. The town wants to keep it that way.

A new climate action plan, heading to the select board on May 18, recommends an outdoor lighting bylaw that limits brightness, timing, and light trespass across town. Why does it matter?

Light pollution does more than hide the stars. Studies link excessive nighttime light to cancer, diabetes, sleep disorders, and mood issues in teens. The good news is that it's an easy fix. As one astronomer put it, "It's just the flip of a switch." Eastham already has some rules in commercial zones, but wants to expand them.

Nantucket recently passed a similar bylaw in 2024 after its night sky got 25% brighter in a decade. Read more»

📸 @poetry_with_a_camera |📍Brewster Flats

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⛴️ One Guy in Wisconsin Runs the Ferry

The Steamship Authority's entire reservation system depends on one guy in Wisconsin. David Cox built it in 1996, he's the only person who fully understands it, and he's retiring May 1.

So now the authority is spending $5.8M on a replacement built by an Italian software firm. That's a lot of money, but consider the track record here. They already blew $4M on a website redesign that never launched. They bought three used oil ships for $87M before realizing they couldn't carry passengers.

And that Woods Hole terminal renovation is becoming the Big Dig of the Cape. The new system won't be ready by Cox's retirement, but he's promised to keep answering the phone. Read more»

A Mashpee school bus driver lost consciousness behind the wheel Monday morning but managed to slow the bus before hitting a tree, and a fifth grader on board called 911 while 26 kids safely evacuated through the emergency exit.

The Osterville Village Library's "Library of Things" lets you borrow everything from sewing machines and ukuleles to a karaoke machine, car engine scanner, and soil tester, all free with a library card.

The Cape Cod Ready Renter Program just opened its waitlist for 75 affordable rental units across Yarmouth, Dennis, Barnstable, and Falmouth, with rents ranging from $950 to $2,100 and applications due by May 29.

🍻 The Foleys Are Bringing the Party to the Cape

The Foley family, who've owned Boston's oldest Irish bar (J.J. Foley's Cafe) since 1909, are bringing their 117 years of hospitality experience to Dennis Port this summer.

The Backyard by Foley's is being billed as Cape Cod's largest outdoor family-friendly venue. Picture 33,650 square feet of picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, string lights, and a sail-covered main bar serving drinks for grown-ups.

For the kids, there's dedicated activity zones, lawn games scaled for little ones, outdoor movie nights, and rotating food trucks. Music stays acoustic. No DJs, no big bands. Just backyard summer vibes.

The Foleys also want to bring more foot traffic to Dennis Port, with plans for pop-up collabs like farmers markets, yoga, and local retail. Opening date is still TBD. Located at 645 Main Street. Read more»

Martha's Vineyard launched an online calculator showing how the proposed $333.5M high school renovation would hit property taxes town by town, with an all-Island vote coming June 2.

Nantucket's historic Surfside Lifesaving Station, has been purchased for $4.5M by two congregation members who plan to turn it into a permanent home for Shirat HaYam, the island's Jewish congregation that's never had its own space in its 40-plus year history.

Oak Bluffs voters overwhelmingly approved starting eminent domain proceedings to seize the long-abandoned Island Theatre at the entrance of Circuit Avenue, with up to $5M set aside for the process.

Nourish Nantucket is launching free summer breakfast and lunch for all school-age kids on the island, filling a gap when school meal service pauses, with no application or eligibility requirements needed.

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⚖️ Flanagan Tries to Toss a Federal Charge

Cape Cod State Rep. Christopher Flanagan is trying to get one of his six federal charges tossed. The Dennis Democrat was indicted last April for allegedly stealing $36,000 from the Home Builders Association on Cape Cod, where he served as executive officer.

He's facing five counts of wire fraud plus one count of falsifying records. It's that last one his lawyers are fighting. They argue the falsified expense reports he submitted to the state's campaign finance office don't fall under federal jurisdiction. Prosecutors disagree, calling the motion "without merit" and saying that's a question for a jury.

A hearing on the dismissal is set for May 12, and the judge wants both sides ready to talk trial dates. Despite calls from fellow Democrats and the governor to resign, Flanagan is still holding his seat. Read more»

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Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

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SUNDAY - APRIL 19

So Lucky Duo @ Love Farms | 1 PM
JMAC @ Hooked Bar & Grille | 3 PM
Dan Labich Band @ Chatham Squire | 3 PM
The Mercy Band @ CC MOA | 4 PM
Grain Thief @ Neptune’s CC | 5 PM
Brittany Santacroce @ Margaritaville | 7 PM

_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. We'll let you know when something's sponsored.}

Friday

55 🌡️ 45 | 🌤️ | 💧 25% | 💨 N 8 mph

Saturday

48 🌡️ 45 | ☁️ | 💧 25% | 💨 NE 10 mph

Sunday

54 🌡️ 37 | 🌧️ | 💧 84% | 💨 SW 13 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 45ºF

85 Pier Road, Wellfleet
Asking $1.895M
4 🛏️
2.5 🛁
4,255 sqft
1.29 acre lot

_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. We'll always let you know when something's sponsored.}

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