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☀️ Food Waste Gets a Local Address

☀️ Food Waste Gets a Local Address

Plus: Inside the Greenhouse Beer Garden Turning One

Cape Coddah
November 07, 2025

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Good morning Cape Cod. Just a friendly reminder that there are only 20 days until Thanksgiving, 48 until Christmas and 133 until spring. ☀️

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

Big changes coming to Hyannis water
Outer Cape fundraises for Jamaica
Events and live music

Let’s get to it.

💧 Hyannis Water System Starts Overhaul

Barnstable has begun construction on the $38.5M Straightway Water Treatment Facility project in Hyannis, a three-year upgrade to reduce PFAS contamination, expand capacity, and strengthen the town's drinking water system serving over 7,000 homes and businesses.

The project will replace undersized treatment systems, relocate wells from flood-prone areas to higher ground, winterize PFAS filters for year-round operation, add pre-filters to remove naturally occurring iron and manganese that clog PFAS filters, and install new technology to remove 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct of cleaning and manufacturing processes approaching state guidelines.

Currently, the facility cannot operate year-round because PFAS filters aren't winterized, and two of four wells—Simmons Pond and Hyannisport—sit in flood-prone areas and don't provide enough water.

The project is partially funded through low-interest financing from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, with completion targeted for spring 2028.
Read more»

🇯🇲 Outer Cape Fundraises as Jamaica Rebuilds

Hurricane Melissa, one of the most intense Atlantic storms ever recorded, made landfall in Jamaica on October 28th with 185 mph winds, devastating western parishes including St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland, home regions for many of the Outer Cape's Jamaican workforce.

At least 67 people died across the Caribbean, with many still missing. Black River native Patricia Bowlin of Mac's Seafood waited over 24 hours to hear from family, learning her church was washed away, her 83-year-old father lost his roof, and "the whole town has been destroyed."

Local businesses and organizations launched fundraising efforts, with a GoFundMe organized by Mac Hay raising over $91,000 as of Tuesday. Pastor David Brown's campaign collected $14,000, while businesses organized drives for nonperishable food, batteries, and supplies. Read more»

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🍌 Food Waste Gets a Local Address

Barnstable County and four Upper Cape towns are moving forward with plans for a regional composting facility at Joint Base Cape Cod that would process 5,000 tons of food waste and 7,000 tons of wood chips or leaves annually, keeping organic material on-Cape instead of shipping it elsewhere.

A study found food scraps and organic waste make up 36% of the region's waste stream. The facility would serve the Upper Cape towns and the base itself, creating compost for municipal and retail use.

Each town will contribute $7,500 toward engineering and legal fees, with the county covering remaining costs. Suits anticipate an 18-24 month permitting and design process followed by six months of construction, costing an estimated $3M total before the facility becomes operational in roughly two-and-a-half years.

After a year of operation, the county will evaluate whether to expand the facility to serve additional Cape communities. Read more»

📸 @nettiebythesea | 📍Cape Cod Bay

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🗳️ Five-Year STR Battle Ends

Nantucket voters passed Article 1 by a 71 percent margin (1,045-421) at Tuesday's Special Town Meeting, legalizing short-term rentals by right and ending a contentious five-year debate that spanned seven town meetings.

The vote clarifies zoning disputes at the heart of a lawsuit that threatened to ban most STRs on Nantucket, expressly permitting them in all zoning districts except a commercial-industrial area near the airport. After Article 1 passed, voters overwhelmingly rejected Article 2, which would have imposed restrictions.

The decision is a major win for property rights advocates and STR operators who argued codification was necessary to protect Nantucket's economy, but opponents warned it could invite off-island investors and create "mini-hotels."

Finance Committee chair Jill Vieth noted the town was spending hundreds of thousands defending ongoing litigation that's now essentially moot. Read more»

The 10th annual Great Beach Cleanup faced nor'easter conditions and furloughed park employees during the federal shutdown, but volunteers completed the 4-day cleanup and launched a 2-year island cleanup project.

Habitat for Humanity plans to auction two 27-foot signs from the defunct Hyannis Christmas Tree Shops to raise money for building homes, with the signs likely displayed at ReStore outlets in Falmouth and Yarmouth before the auction.

Trader Joe's has signed an agreement to occupy a proposed 13,229-square-foot specialty market off Route 28 in Mashpee, though the project still needs Planning Board approval.

🍺 Inside the Beer Garden Turning One

Town Cove Tap House, located in the greenhouse nursery at Snow's Home and Garden on Main Street in Orleans, recently celebrated its one-year anniversary after opening as a collaboration between father-son duo James and Harrison Snow.

The beer and wine garden features about 20 rotating craft beers on tap, curated weekly, along with hard seltzers, ciders, non-alcoholic options, and wine. Most selections come from New England breweries, though they mix in varieties from places like California and Idaho to offer something for everyone beyond just IPAs.

The space hosts tap takeovers with local breweries like Devil's Purse and Truro Vineyard, community events including Atlantic White Shark Conservancy talks, and movie nights partnering with Orleans Recreation and Snow Library.

Town Cove is hosting a pre-holiday vendor market on November 15th featuring local breweries, food vendors, and artisans. Read more»

Nantucket Pharmacy owner Allan Bell is selling the iconic Main Street business to seasonal residents Dennis and Kimberly Kozlowski, who plan to preserve the 50-year tradition including the soda fountain.

Vineyarders are rallying to support Jamaicans back home after Hurricane Melissa, with Islanders launching barrel drives, fundraisers, and donation events to send food, clothing, generators, and supplies.

Falmouth Academy sophomore Mira Davis is one of more than 20 students who make a daily 45-minute round-trip boat ride from Martha's Vineyard to attend the mainland school, waking at 5:30 AM and often not returning until 6:30 PM.

The Nantucket Select Board voted 3-2 to uphold the Historic District Commission's decision allowing National Grid to demolish the historic Nantucket Electric Company building on New Whale Street.

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⚖️ Police Address Immigration Questions

Cape Cod police chiefs clarified their departments cannot enforce or assist with immigration law enforcement, responding to increased questions from the MLK Action Team's "Conversations With Police" initiative as ICE activity continues in the region.

A 2017 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling prohibits local police from arresting or holding individuals solely based on federal civil immigration detainers. Chiefs say their interactions with ICE have been minimal—typically just notifications that agents will be in town, with no details shared about locations or outcomes.

"We don't deal with civil stuff, and we definitely don't deal with federal stuff," Harwich Police Chief Kevin Considine said. However, local police can assist federal agencies on criminal matters or for public safety concerns.

Chiefs stressed that anyone can call police for help regardless of immigration status, with Chatham and Brewster posting FAQs online to clarify their departments' authority limits. Read more»

👋 Meet: Walter
🐾 Treeing Walker Coonhound / German Shepherd
🎂 7 years old
♀︎ Male
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

FRIDAY - NOVEMBER 7

Public Skating @ Charles Moore Arena | 11:30
Sandwich Swings @ Old Town Hall | 6:45 PM
Elin Hilderbrand @ Hyannis Arts Hall | 7 PM
She Loves Me @ Cape Rep Theater | 7:30 PM
Beehive @ Barnstable Comedy Club | 7:30 PM
These Shining Lives @ Tilden Arts Center | 7:30

SATURDAY - NOVEMBER 8

Bird Walk @ Long Pasture | 8 AM
Holiday Craft Fair @ Mashpee HS | 9 AM
Beach Clean-Up @ Veteran’s Park Beach | 10
Sea Turtle Open House @ Wellfleet Bay | 11 AM
Novemberfest @ Devil’s Purse Brewing | 12 PM
She Loves Me @ Cape Rep Theater | 7:30 PM
Beehive @ Barnstable Comedy Club | 7:30 PM
These Shining Lives @ Tilden Arts Center | 7:30

SUNDAY - NOVEMBER 9

Beehive @ Barnstable Comedy Club | 2:30 PM
She Loves Me @ Cape Rep Theater | 7:30 PM

SUNDAY - NOVEMBER 9

Tim Nickerson @ Chatham Squire | 5 PM
Karaoke @ Knockout Pizza | 6 PM

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

Friday

54 🌡️ 51 | ☁️ | 💧0% | 💨 SSW 13 mph

Saturday

62 🌡️ 43 | 🌧️ | 💧 55% | 💨 W 8 mph

Sunday

58🌡️ 49 | 🌧️ | 💧 70% | 💨 ESE 9 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 53ºF

515 Cedar Street, Barnstable
Asking $679,000
3 🛏️
2 🛁
1,373 sqft
0.83 acre lot

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

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