☀ Local pharmacist saves a life

Good morning Cape Cod. This is The Cape Coddah, the newsletter that’s easier to consume than that pint of ice cream hidden in the back of your freezer. 🍨

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

• Parents push for a mold fix

• Maritime students shipping out

• Events and live music

  
  Let’s get to it.

CAPE DIGEST

💊 Chatham Man: Local Pharmacist Saved My Life

A Chatham man says a sharp-eyed pharmacist at Stop & Shop might have saved his life last month. Terry Eldredge, who takes 12 different medications daily, almost got a new prescription that could have been deadly when mixed with his other meds.

Thankfully, pharmacist Nelson St. Marie caught the dangerous combo and refused to fill it. Eldredge is sharing his story to thank St. Marie and remind folks that pharmacists often know more about drug interactions than doctors do. Read the full story.

💰 Barnstable County Proposes $25.7M Budget

Barnstable County suits have outlined their proposed $25.7M budget for fiscal year 2026, hoping to balance the books without dipping into savings. Key departments presented their plans, with notable increases including a 16% rise in Public Safety funding for PFAS-free fire gear and an 11% increase in Finance to support staffing and technology upgrades.

The Registry of Deeds reported strong revenue despite low sales volume, projecting to exceed estimates by nearly $4M due to record-high property values. Read the full story.

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

🏫 Parents Demand Urgent Fix for School Mold

Parents are sounding the alarm about mold at Monomoy Middle School after their kids have been getting mysteriously sick. While the school is planning a $6.3M project to fix leaky siding later this year, two parents told officials at Monday's meeting that they can't wait - one mom's son has been out since Thanksgiving with trips to Children's Hospital, while another kid's been battling breathing problems for weeks.

The Harwich Select Board agreed, saying they'll spend whatever it takes to make the building safe now, even if it means going over the $6.3M budget. Parents are also upset they weren't told about "severe" air quality test results from last summer. Read the full story.

@THECAPECODDAH

📸 @andreabunarphotography | 📍 Eastham

Tag @thecapecoddah to get your photos in the Coddah!

⚓️ Students Pack Up for Maiden Voyage

Mass Maritime is about to launch its brand new training ship, the Patriot State, on its first-ever voyage this Saturday. About 540 students are loading up for their six-week trip, hauling everything from marinara sauce to potatoes aboard. Unlike the old converted cargo ship they used to use, this one was built specially for training and even has two bridges - one for real navigation and another just for practice.

The ship will hit ports in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Florida and South Carolina before heading home in February. Early birds can wave goodbye to the crew on Saturday at 6:54 AM from the Bourne campus. Read the full story.

🏠 Housing Lottery Gives P-town Workers Path to Ownership

After working at a Provincetown T-shirt shop for 24 years, Humberto Ortega and Maria Pinelo hit the jackpot - literally. The couple won a town housing lottery to buy a new one-bedroom condo for $189,685, about a third of what similar places sell for.

They were one of 28 hopeful buyers competing for this rare affordable unit, showing just how desperate local workers are for housing they can afford in P-town, where the average condo goes for $930,000. For Ortega and Pinelo, who moved here from Mexico in 2000, winning means they can finally own a piece of the town where they raised their kids and built their life. Read the full story.

LOCAL BUSINESS

🎧 Shhh... Just Listen to the Music

Something totally new is coming to the Cape this winter - a "listening lounge" where the music is actually the main event, not just background noise. Every Friday night from January through February, DJs will be spinning vinyl records at Pelham House Resort in Dennis Port, and you're supposed to actually listen (not yap about the latest tea).

Cape Symphony is putting $5,000 into making it sound amazing, and WOMR radio is helping line up the DJs. It's free to check out, and you can grab drinks while you listen to everything from Santana to Talking Heads. They're also doing live music shows on Saturday nights, but those need tickets. Read the full story.

🫙 THE TIP JAR

Enjoying the newsletter? Buy us a coffee with a small donation here. Thank you to everyone who has already donated. We love you! ❤️ 🙏

CIVIL NEWS

⚖️ DA's Office Drops Rape Charges in Wellfleet Case

The District Attorney has dropped all rape charges against Wellfleet resident Mario Gerardi, who was accused of crimes from 20 years ago. While a grand jury had hit Gerardi with 19 counts of child rape last March, prosecutors now say they have doubts about the alleged victim's story.

The charges came from someone who said they were 14 and working for Gerardi when the incidents happened. Gerardi had pleaded not guilty throughout the case. Read the full story.

PET OF THE WEEK

👋 Meet: Mufasa
🐾 Havanese
🎂 3 years old
♀︎ Male
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

FRIDAY

• Knitting for Beginners @ Cultural Center of CC | S. Yarmouth | 10 AM

• Bricks & Brews @ Aquatic Brewing | Falmouth | 6 PM

• The Poisoner’s Guide to Life @ Marine Biological Lab | Woods Hole | 7:30 PM

• Into the Breaches! @ Barnstable Comedy Club | Barnstable | 7:30 PM (Fri & Sat)

SATURDAY

• Tides & Tales @ Eldredge Public Library | Chatham | 10:30 AM

• Journal Making Workshop @ Eastham Library | 12:30 PM

• 'Inferno: The Great Boston Fire' @ Osterville Village Library | 1 PM

• Basket Cuff Workshop @ Cultural Center of CC | S. Yarmouth | 1 PM

• Author Talk w/ Dr. Kumara Sidhartha @ W. Falmouth Library | 1 PM

• Rubber Ducky Sudstation @ S. Yarmouth Library | 2 PM

• Beer 101 @ Aquatic Brewing | Falmouth | 7 PM

  
  
  SUNDAY

• A Jane Austen Tea & Tour @ Falmouth Historical Society | 1 PM

LIVE MUSIC  🎸

FRIDAY

• Vinyl Listening Lounge @ Pelham House Resort | Dennis Port | 5 PM

• Sarah Burrill @ CC Beer | Hyannis | 5 PM

• Grab Brothers @ Chatham Squire | Chatham | 6 PM

• Paul Horton @ CC Coffee | Mashpee | 6 PM

• The Conspiracy of Noize @ Hog Island Beer | Orleans | 6 PM

• Jordy & The Daddies @ The Block & Tackle | Wellfleet | 7 PM

• Soul Purpose @ Lanes Bowl & Bistro | Mashpee | 8 PM

• Karaoke @ Jake Rooney’s | Harwich Port | 8:30 PM

• Rose Martin @ The Barley Neck | Orleans | 8:30 PM

SATURDAY

• John Redden @ CC Beer | Hyannis | 1 PM

• Steve Richardson @ Snow Library | Orleans | 2 PM

• Pitchfork @ Truro Public Library | 2 PM

• The Kareem Sanjaghi Band @ Wellfleet Library | 3 PM

• Stevey Burke @ Landyard Bar & Grille | Harwich Port | 3 PM

• Bart Weisman Jazz Group @ The Vine | Falmouth | 5:30 PM

• Dirty Water Dance Band @ Hog Island Beer | Orleans | 6 PM

• Party of 3 @ The Parrot | Cataumet | 7 PM

• Taylor Swift Tribute Show @ Barnstable HS PAC | Hyannis | 7 PM

• Pitchfork @ The Barley Neck | Orleans | 8:30 PM

• Nautilus @ Chatham Squire | Chatham | 9:30 PM

SUNDAY

• Josh Ayala @ Navillus Bar & Grille | Orleans | 11 AM

• The Mike Garavan Group @ The Barley Neck | Orleans | 2:30 PM

• Peking & the Mystics @ CC MOA | Dennis | 3:30 PM

• Rose Clancy @ Chatham Squire | Chatham | 5 PM

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

WEATHER

Friday

38 🌡️ 28 | 🌤️ | 💧0% | 💨 NW 14 mph

Saturday

33 🌡️ 29 | 🌨️ | 💧 88% | 💨 WNW 7 mph

Sunday

36 🌡️ 26 | ☁️ | 💧 4% | 💨 NW 9 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 39ºF

HOME OF THE WEEK

107 School Street, Chatham
Asking $4.2M
4 🛌 
5.5 🛀 
4,372 square feet

0.33 acre lot

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

THANKS!

Thanks for reading The Cape Coddah today. If you found something useful or entertaining, please share it with an audiophile.