The Cape Coddah
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☀️ The Fight over Stewart's Creek Wetlands

☀️ The Fight over Stewart's Creek Wetlands

Plus: What just opened on Route 28

Cape Coddah
December 12, 2025

Together with:

Good morning Cape Cod. According to the experts, you've already survived the earliest sunset of the year. From here, the evenings get brighter...even if it doesn't feel like it yet. The winter solstice is still two weeks away, but trust the process.

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

Wellfleet’s STR crunch
Three charged with human trafficking
Events and live music

Let’s get to it.

🪧 Wetlands vs. Sewer Expansion

About 30 protesters chanted "Save our Wetlands" outside the Hyannis Youth and Community Center as state environmental officials met with Barnstable town officials over a controversial sewage pumping station at 268 Stevens Street.

The station would support a 50-unit Housing Assistance Corporation project and 40 other apartments, but residents say the dewatering process needed to install it will dry up parts of the Stewart's Creek watershed. Town Councilor Lisa DaLuz filed an appeal with the state in October, blocking the project from moving forward.

The town started pumping groundwater on July 9th but stopped after complaints. Neighbors no longer trust town officials. "What the town doesn't seem to understand is that all of these creeks, kettle ponds, rivers and waterways are connected," said resident Ralph Dagwan.

The project is part of Barnstable's 30-year, $1.4B sewer expansion. State officials gave no timeline for a decision. Read more»

🧐 Wellfleet's STR Crunch Is Here

Wellfleet is finally tackling short-term rental inspections...six months late.

The town was supposed to comply with new state building codes by July 1st requiring rental inspections. They missed the deadline. Now the select board is scrambling to register and inspect 955 short-term rentals by March 15th.

Proposed fees range from $300 annually for a one-bedroom unit to $700 for four-plus bedrooms. Rentals would need to pass fire, health, and safety inspections to get certified. Failing to register could mean $200-per-day fines.

Getting all inspections done by summer will be a "crunch" since Wellfleet only has one building inspector. Some board members want the revenue to fund affordable housing initiatives, but town counsel needs to review whether that's even allowed. Read more»

SPONSORED BY CHATHAM HARVESTERS

🎣 Who Pulls in Your Fish?

With Chatham Harvesters, it’s not a mystery. It’s your neighbors, friends, and generations of Cape Cod fishing families committed to sustainable, small-boat harvesting.

By joining our Winter Fish Share, you invest in their livelihood and keep a centuries-old tradition thriving.

Local fish, caught with care. Real Cape Cod, in every share.

Want to see your business here? Contact us.

🚧 West Dennis's Turn for a Facelift

West Dennis is getting a $23M makeover along Route 28 from Bass River to Old Main Street, with construction likely starting in 2028.

The state project will add bike lanes, sidewalks, new drains, street lighting, and old-fashioned street-lamps similar to the Dennisport upgrades from a few years back. Plans include a shared-use path on the south side, pedestrian crossings at several intersections, parallel parking near West Dennis Library, and a new green space at Ferry Street.

Current problems? Bike and pedestrian paths in poor condition, noncompliant accessible ramps, narrow sidewalks, and "excessively wide driveways."

The project is 80% federally funded and 20% state funded under the Cape Cod Commission's Transportation Improvement Program. Seventy-five percent of the design will be done by spring 2026. And yes, construction stops during summer to keep traffic flowing. Read more»

📸 @cbreezetreasures | 📍Sea Gull Beach

Tag @thecapecoddah to get your photos in the Coddah!

🐟 What 60 Years Did to Cape Fishing

Cape Cod's fisheries have transformed more in the past 60 years than in the previous centuries combined.

Commercial fisherman reflect on how hemp lines and handmade hooks gave way to synthetic netting and stainless steel wire. Enormous cod and haddock catches have been replaced by dogfish, skates, and monkfish. Seal populations exploded from rare sightings to tens of thousands, preventing many fish species from recovering.

Harwich's groundfish fleet is gone, replaced by multimillion-dollar homes where bait shanties once stood. Orleans lost its cod boats and most of its lobster fleet to shoaling waters and pollution from lawn fertilizers and phosphates.

But Chatham's fleet persists...nimble fiberglass boats replacing wooden ones, fishing year-round despite tourists crowding the rebuilt pier.

The biggest threat now? Losing commercial waterfront infrastructure to gentrification, like mainland communities already have. Read more»

Cape Cod visiting nurses remain without a contract after their October strike, with negotiations resuming December 19th.

WATCH: Truro’s Sara Roderick is competing for Olympic gold in Milan.

25 critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles rescued from frigid Cape Cod Bay waters arrived in Florida, with six suffering pneumonia and bone infections from cold-stunning that left them unable to swim.

Mashpee high school seniors Jack Borowski and Brodie Perry were named hometown heroes by the Select Board after carrying an injured hiker two miles down Mount Lafayette in New Hampshire.

❤️ Love Farms Opens in West Dennis

Dylan Leary's five-year dream just opened in West Dennis: Love Farms, a farm-to-table restaurant, market, and community gathering space at 607 Route 28.

The massive rustic building features cathedral wood ceilings, two bars, outdoor patios, fire pits, a bandshell, and actual farm gardens out back growing produce for the restaurant. Chef Kevin Curtin's creating seasonal menus from local Cape farms and fisheries...think lobster-topped breakfast dishes, wood-fired Turkish pizza, and five-course harvest dinners coming soon.

The soft opening started December 11th with breakfast and lunch (Thursday-Sunday, 7-4 through March). Grand opening Winter Fest is December 20-21 with live bands from 1-4PM both days.

Dylan and his father Dennis Leary bought the abandoned nursery property and partnered with Pelham Hospitality to run it. The goal? Reconnect people with their food through experiences, not just meals. Read more»

The SSA previewed its new ferry reservation system replacing 1990s technology, featuring mobile-friendly design, virtual standby capabilities, and a planned 2026 rollout starting with Nantucket's passenger ferry.

A rufous hummingbird, the first ever recorded on MV, has been visiting a Chilmark home's feeder since late November, likely blown off course during migration to Mexico.

Nantucket Atheneum is bringing back its One Book, One Island community reading program in March 2026 with a mystery novel by a Nantucket author, offering free copies starting March 1st.

MA is expanding deer hunting seasons on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket with a new six-week winter season (January 1-February 14) and an early fall season (September 21-October 1) to combat deer populations.

If this newsletter kept you informed, connected, or just entertained this year, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to support our work. All content remains free for everyone.

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🚨 Human Trafficking Charges Hit Three Locals

Three Cape residents were indicted on human trafficking charges in separate cases last week.

Luca Aguilar, 20, of Brewster faces six charges including child rape and trafficking after allegedly exploiting three girls ages 13, 14, and 15 by offering marijuana and vapes in exchange for sex. He pleaded not guilty, posted $15,000 bail, and must wear a GPS monitor and stay away from all minors.

Rina Altany Hernandez Alcantara, 38, of Sandwich was charged with trafficking for sexual servitude after Yarmouth police observed what appeared to be prostitution in a business parking lot in September.

Ionut Andrei Stamatin, 24, of Falmouth faces four charges including paying for sex with a child after allegedly arranging to meet who he believed was a 15-year-old girl during an October state police sting operation.

Arraignments for Alcantara and Stamatin have not yet been scheduled. Read more»

👋 Meet: Ed
🐾 Pomeranian/Siberian Husky
🎂 7 years old
♀︎ Male
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

SUNDAY - DECEMBER 14

Bach’s Music Box @ Thacher Hall | 2 PM
Outer Cape Chorale @ Nauset HS | 3 PM
Ukulele Festival @ Cotuit Center | 6 PM

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

Friday

34 🌡️ 24 | 🌤️ | 💧 0% | 💨 W 17 mph

Saturday

38 🌡️ 30 | 🌥️ | 💧 4% | 💨 SW 7 mph

Sunday

32🌡️ 23 | 🌨️ | 💧 96% | 💨 NW 9 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 41ºF

340 Salt Works Road, Eastham
Asking $2.495M
3 🛏️
1.5 🛁
1,372 sqft
0.64 acre lot

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

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