The Cape Coddah
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☀ Empty Schools & Full Ferries

☀ Empty Schools & Full Ferries

Plus: Local cannabis shop breaks the mold

Cape Coddah
January 31, 2025

Good morning Cape Cod - this is The Cape Coddah, the salt in the soup of local news. We make it tasty and easy to consume!

We’d like to wish Maureen C. from West Dennis a (early) Happy Birthday as she celebrates on February 4th! 🎂🎉

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

Detox center moving off Cape
Chatham house vandalized
Events and live music

Let’s get to it.

CAPE DIGEST

⛴️ Steamship's Summer Booking Launch

The Steamship Authority's summer reservation launch finally went off without a hitch Tuesday, but the numbers tell an interesting story - bookings are down significantly from last year, with just $3.85M in sales compared to last year's $4.43M.

While travelers praised the smoother, faster booking experience (no more frozen screens or error messages), some folks were surprised to find June dates already sold out within minutes. The boat line says the dip in numbers might be due to playing it safe with capacity on their new vessels, and they're encouraging people to join waitlists since more space could open up once they get a feel for the new boats. Read the full story.

🏥 Detox Facility's Exit Puts Island Patients in Limbo

Gosnold's Falmouth detox center, which has helped nearly 500 Vineyard residents get clean since 2016, is moving to Wareham this fall after losing its lease - and nobody's sure if they'll keep offering the crucial ride service from the ferry to treatment.

While Island health suits promise they'll find a way to keep getting folks to detox, the 30-mile distance to Wareham adds new hurdles for Islanders looking to get sober. The change hits especially hard since about 80% of Island detox patients are seeking alcohol treatment, and health workers worry the longer trip could give people more chances to change their minds. Read the full story.

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✏️ Outer Cape's School Crisis: Empty Desks & Rising Costs

The numbers at Outer Cape schools are painting a grim picture - Wellfleet and Truro have lost 30% of their elementary students since 2021, while costs have ballooned to more than $50,000 per student annually. Provincetown's managing to keep its classrooms full by luring kids from other towns (including 39 from Wellfleet and Truro), but the bigger issue is young families simply can't afford to stick around.

While schools promise they're working on solutions like extended after-school programs and affordable housing projects, some are calling this exodus "the new normal" for the Outer Cape, with Wellfleet's kindergarten class now down to just seven kids. Read the full story.

@THECAPECODDAH

📸 @bettywileyphoto | 📍 Ocean View Dr., Eastham

Tag @thecapecoddah to get your photos in the Coddah!

🐢 Ten Cape Turtles Get Second Chance in Florida Waters

Ten sea turtles who got caught in Cape Cod Bay's chilly fall waters are finally back where they belong after a months-long rescue mission. The cold-stunned bunch - five loggerheads and five Kemp's ridleys - got the five-star treatment at New England Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital and a New York rehab center before hitching a flight south.

The healthy crew was released Tuesday at New Smyrna Beach, where they'll likely split up - the Kemp's heading for the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters while their loggerhead pals cruise the Atlantic. Read the full story.

AROUND THE CAPE

Cape and Islands score $2.7M to tackle homelessness.

"Big Bang Theory" star's Cape-filmed bookstore drama hits Netflix.

Cape license plate funds inject $300K into local nonprofits.

Mashpee space lover's final wish granted as ashes set for second orbit aboard SpaceX rocket.

Dead sperm whale washes up on Cuttyhunk, baffling scientists as cause remains unknown.

LOCAL BUSINESS

🪴 Inside Seaside Cannabis: Not Your Average Pot Shop

A crew of Cape-raised entrepreneurs have flipped the script on traditional dispensaries with their bright and breezy Seaside Cannabis shop. Unlike the typical dark and dreary pot shops, these local boys created a spot that feels more like a fancy coffee bar, complete with their "Flower Market" where folks can smell and learn about different strains (each named after Cape area codes).

The shop's got everything from infused Emack & Bolio's ice cream to the Cape's biggest selection of cannabis drinks, and the owners are even hitting up local senior centers to educate folks about their sleep aids - turns out that's their biggest seller among the area's retirees. Read the full story.

THE ISLANDS

Nantucket offers cash to keep homes year-round in new $2M pilot.

Vineyard students snag 25 Scholastic Art Awards with six striking gold for top honors.

Nantucket's 30-year trash contractor keeps monopoly as island's only bidder for new waste deal.

Aquinnah's ambitious 'Jaws' celebration with Spielberg sinks before launch as plans fizzle.

Jennifer Garner to star in new Peacock series of Hilderbrand's Nantucket novel 'Five-Star Weekend.'

MV Museum dives deep with rare props and photos for 'Jaws' 50th anniversary exhibit.

🫙 THE TIP JAR

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CIVIL NEWS

⚖️ Chatham House Vandalized with Hate Symbol

Chatham officials are seeing red after vandals spray-painted a swastika and "MAGA" graffiti on a house under construction on Cedar Street this week. While cops say it wasn't targeting anyone specific and the graffiti's already been scrubbed, police are treating this as no joke - especially since it comes right after a similar incident in Brewster where someone drew a swastika in the snow.

The Anti-Defamation League is pushing for the town to hold a public forum to tackle the issue head-on, noting that these kinds of hate incidents are on the rise and can't be swept under the rug. Read the full story.

PET OF THE WEEK

👋 Meet: Froot Loop
🐾 Pit Bull Terrier
🎂 5 months old
♀︎ Female
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

LIVE MUSIC 🎸

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

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

WEATHER

Friday

44 🌡️ 35 | 🌧️ | 💧85% | 💨 SW 20 mph

Saturday

38 🌡️ 19 | 🌦️ | 💧 55% | 💨 NNW 21 mph

Sunday

32 🌡️ 30 | 🌥️ | 💧 3% | 💨 ESE 7 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 34.5ºF

HOME OF THE WEEK

114 and 0 4th St, Wellfleet
Asking $2.49M
3 🛌
2 🛀
2,006 square feet 
0.28 acre lot