The Cape Coddah
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☀️ Your tap water's fine, but the ponds...

☀️ Your tap water's fine, but the ponds...

Plus: The great Cape Cod pizza debate

Cape Coddah
January 02, 2026

Together with:

Good morning Cape Cod and Happy 2026! Hope you started 2026 right, maybe with a Polar Plunge, maybe with a quiet beach walk, or maybe just by staying warm and avoiding the chaos entirely. Happy New Year! 🎉

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

From paralyzed to Paralympian
Remember when Truro had trains?
Events and live music

Let’s get to it.

🚰 Your Tap Water's Fine. The Ponds, Not So Much

Cape Cod's seventh annual State of the Waters report shows the region's coastal embayments and freshwater ponds continue struggling with excess nutrients, primarily from septic systems.

While some towns have approved modern wastewater treatment projects, water quality improvements haven't materialized yet. About one-third of graded ponds receive "Unacceptable" status in any given year, though comprehensive assessment remains limited—only 116 of Cape Cod's approximately 890 ponds had sufficient data for 2025 grading.

The good news? Public drinking water is generally high quality, with 19 of 21 supplies graded "Excellent." However, nearly half of public water suppliers detected PFAS6, requiring ongoing monitoring and treatment planning.

The report also flags mercury contamination (11 towns with fish consumption advisories), PFAS in surface water (five towns), harmful bacteria, and climate change impacts. Researchers emphasize the critical need for expanded monitoring across embayments and ponds. Read more»

🎓 Five Cape Tech Grads, Five Different Paths

As Cape Cod Regional Technical High School approaches its 50th anniversary, five alumni shared how the school shaped their lives.

Logan Crocker (Class of 2000) used his hotel management certificate to work across the U.S.

Tracy Post became a Yarmouth Select Board member after graduating with a childcare certificate.

Caitlin Shea represents three generations of her family attending Cape Tech, crediting hands-on learning and leadership programs for her success.

Michael Ready (Class of 1976) became a master electrician, started his own business, then returned to teach—focusing on community service projects.

Calvin Castillias, now the school's admissions coordinator, tells prospective students what he learned firsthand: "It can be scary, but it's a great challenge." Read more»

SPONSORED BY CHATHAM HARVESTERS

JOIN CHATHAM HARVESTERS COMMUNITY FISH SHARE

This year, choose seafood that means more. Make a commitment to a healthy ocean, a strong Cape Cod fishing community, and a healthier you.

✔️ Landed by local Cape Cod fishermen
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✔️ Supports Chatham fishing families
✔️ Ultra-fresh, sustainable, and seasonal
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Eat with purpose. Know your fisherman. Taste the difference.

🥌 Sandwich Lawyer Headed to Paralympics

Sean O'Neill grew up on Cape Cod playing soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. Then a car accident in 2007 left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Fast forward to 2021: his wife and a former teacher urged him to try curling at the Cape Cod Curling Club, conveniently located 400 yards from his old high school. He fell in love immediately.

Now, just 3½ years later, the Sandwich lawyer and Harvard Law grad has been selected for Team USA's wheelchair curling team and will compete at the 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympic Games this March. O'Neill credits the club's accessibility-first culture and mentorship from past Paralympians for his rapid rise.

His advice for anyone with a disability interested in sports? "Simply begin." Read more»

📸 Jay Mitchell |📍Nobska Light

Tag @thecapecoddah to get your photos in the Coddah!

🛤️ Tracks Through Truro's Past

Rail service reached Truro in the early 1870s, transforming life on the Outer Cape with four station stops that connected fishermen to Boston markets and residents to the outside world.

The 22-minute ride from Pamet Harbor to Provincetown beat the two-day stagecoach journey hands down. Local kids dove off the Pamet trestle as trains approached, and elegant Old Colony conductors wore gold-monogrammed frock coats.

But the automobile killed it all, passenger service ended in 1938, freight in 1960. Today, portions of the old rail bed survive as the Cape Cod Rail Trail, while some locals still use abandoned stretches as driveways. Read more»

Two Falmouth Scout leaders received Medals of Merit for waking and evacuating three dozen sleeping scouts when a car unexpectedly entered their Scusset Beach campsite in September.

Parents and teachers are raising $10,000 to replace Monomoy Regional High School's faulty theater headsets after students were forced to share working microphones mid-performance.

A rare piebald white-tailed deer with unusual white coloring caused by a recessive genetic trait was spotted in an East Sandwich backyard, a sighting wildlife experts say occurs in only one to two percent of the deer population.

Construction began on Falmouth's first YMCA, a 68,000-square-foot facility developed in partnership with Community Health Center of Cape Cod that has raised $33.6M of its $42.5M goal and is expected to open in about two years.

🍕 The Great Cape Cod Pizza Debate

Cape Coddahs are passionate about their pizza, and a recent Reddit thread proves it. From Greek-style pans to thin-crust Neapolitan, the Cape's got options for every craving. The debate ranges from bar pizza joints where the cheese gets crispy and lacy to wood-fired spots serving artisan pies. Some swear by longtime favorites they've been hitting since childhood, while others champion newer arrivals shaking up the scene. Whether you're after a classic slice or something fancy with fresh mozzarella and basil, locals have strong opinions—and they're not shy about sharing them.

Top 5 Pizza Spots (by Reddit upvotes):

George's (Harwichport) – Greek-style pizza, crispy pan crust
Spiritus (Provincetown) – Thin crust, legendary late-night spot
Paul's (Falmouth) – Classic neighborhood favorite
Sweet Tomatoes (multiple locations) – Ultra-thin New Haven style
Trading Post Lounge (Bourne) – Bar pizza with lacy cheese edges

What’s your favorite slice?

Vineyard Take Out will replace the retiring Plane View Restaurant at Martha's Vineyard Airport, beating out two other bidders for the lease with plans to open by February 1.

Nantucket resident Julio Perez won $1M on a $50 scratch ticket at Mid Island Fuel, taking home $650,000 in cash.

State forest officials can proceed with plans to cut 175 acres of pine trees in the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest.

Nantucket's 71st Christmas Bird Count set records with 81 volunteers braving freezing conditions to document 133 species and over 61,000 individual birds across the island.

🏋️‍♀️ FEELING THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT?

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Already a supporter? Thank you so much. 🙏

🚨 Door-Kicking Prank Hits Bourne

Bourne police are warning residents about a dangerous social media trend after responding to at least five incidents since November involving people forcefully kicking residential doors and running away while filming reactions. In one case, the door was kicked open.

The "Door Kick Challenge" first emerged in 2021 among college students and has resurfaced nationwide. Police stress the serious consequences: criminal charges for participants and potential tragedy if homeowners mistake the prank for a break-in and respond with force.

Instead of chasing "fleeting social media attention" through scaring people, authorities encourage young people to do something positive for their community that creates lasting self-pride. Read more»

👋 Meet: Gamma
🐾 Alaskan Husky
🎂 1 year old
♀︎ Male
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

FRIDAY - JANUARY 2

Lego Club @ Centerville Library | 3:30 PM

SATURDAY - JANUARY 3

Poetry Club @ Hyannis Library | 10 AM
Story Time w/ Zavia @ Osterville Library | 10 AM
Lego Club @ Brewster Ladies Library | 10:30 AM
Chess Club @ Centerville Library | 11 AM
Writing Club @ Eastham Library | 11 AM

SUNDAY - JANUARY 4

Fiber Arts Circle @ Wellfleet Library | 11 AM
Salty Boots Line Dancing @ Neptune’s CC | 5:30

SUNDAY - JANUARY 4

Mike Garavan @ Brewster Ladies Library | 2 PM
Digney Fignus Band @ CC MOA | 4 PM
Joe Merrick @ Chatham Squire | 5 PM
Michael Giammarco @ Margaritaville | 7 PM

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

Friday

28 🌡️ 20 | 🌤️ | 💧 12% | 💨 W 17 mph

Saturday

31 🌡️ 23 | ☀️ | 💧 0% | 💨 W 10 mph

Sunday

29🌡️ 16 | 🌥️ | 💧 25% | 💨 NW 9 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 35ºF

35 Wendy’s Way, Harwich
Asking $775,000
3 🛏️
2 🛁
1,820 sqft
0.43 acre lot

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

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