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☀️ Cape Could Get Daily Trains

☀️ Cape Could Get Daily Trains

Plus: The best margaritas on the Cape

Cape Coddah
September 19, 2025

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Good morning Cape Cod. This is The Cape Coddah — the proverbial Sharpie, highlighting everything you missed in Cape news and events this week!

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

Mansion tax to fund affordable housing?
The health of Wellfleet’s ponds
Events and live music

Let’s get to it.

🌬 Wind Farm Relations Improve After Blade Disaster

Nantucket leaders and Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller held productive talks September 12th to improve communication after a turbine blade failure last July sent 50 tons of debris into the ocean.

The town issued 15 formal demands including regular updates, faster emergency responses, and a $10M cleanup fund. Vineyard Wind agreed in principle to key measures like mandatory communications and shared data from aircraft detection systems.

Select Board member Brooke Mohr previously criticized the company for keeping "Nantucket and its residents in the dark." The offshore project has 23 turbines installed with 17 operational.

Both sides are working toward a formal written agreement, though discussions remain confidential until finalized. Read more»

🚆Daily Trains to Cape Cod? Lawmakers Say Track Is Ready

State Senator Dylan Fernandes and Representative Kip Diggs testified Tuesday asking the state to bring commuter rail service between Buzzards Bay and Boston within 12 months.

The proposal would require at least three morning and three evening runs year-round, connecting to existing South Coast Rail at Middleborough. Fernandes noted the track is already upgraded and the seasonal CapeFLYER is "oversubscribed," showing demand exists.

Bourne already pays into the MBTA Communities program but lacks the rail service other communities receive. A 2021 study projected 93-minute travel times to Boston and found the service would eliminate hundreds of daily car trips, reducing traffic and air pollution.

The plan would use existing infrastructure without crossing the canal, making Bourne an ideal terminus as the only Cape town designated an MBTA Community. Read more»

SPONSORED BY CHATHAM HARVESTERS

Our Catch in Your Hands

💰 “Mansion Tax" Pitched to Fund Affordable Housing

State legislators lobbied Barnstable County officials Wednesday to support a luxury transfer fee on property sales over $2 million, with proceeds funding affordable housing efforts.

The proposal would let towns choose whether to opt in to the countywide tax. Supporters say it could generate about $56 million annually and help retain public servants like police, firefighters, and teachers who currently can't afford to live here.

"It would send a message that Cape Cod is prioritizing affordable housing," said Representative Thomas Moakley, noting that over 800 families in essential jobs leave the Cape annually due to housing costs.

County delegates seemed interested but haven't voted yet. However, "mansion taxes" elsewhere have had mixed results - Los Angeles saw sellers pull properties off the market rather than pay the fee. Read more»

📸 @lovelivelocal | 📍Second Summer Cycle

Tag @thecapecoddah to get your photos in the Coddah!

🐟 Why These Picture-Perfect Ponds Aren't So Perfect

Wellfleet's 25 kettle ponds appear pristine, but invisible stresses threaten their health. The newly formed Friends of Wellfleet Ponds is monitoring for toxic cyanobacteria that has closed other Cape ponds this summer.

These 14,000-year-old glacial ponds turn over water slowly - taking up to 15 years for full replenishment. Pollutants from septic systems, fertilizers, sunscreen, and pet chemicals accumulate instead of washing away. Climate change has raised September water temperatures by 10 degrees over 40 years, creating ideal conditions for algae blooms.

Volunteers test eight ponds biweekly for cyanobacteria using specialized sampling techniques. While Wellfleet's ponds remain healthier than others on Cape Cod, the group emphasizes prevention through proper septic maintenance, rinsing before swimming, and keeping dogs out of water. Read more»

An emu named Walter escaped from his Marstons Mills farm Sunday afternoon and led Cape residents on an hours-long chase across town lines before being captured in a Sandwich backyard.

MA approved a specialty license plate design honoring fallen Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon, who was killed in the line of duty in 2018 along with his wounded K9 partner Nero, but needs 3,000 pre-orders.

A Brewster man won $1M on a $20 scratch ticket bought at a Cumberland Farms in Eastham, marking the fourth major lottery win at Cape Cod convenience stores in just over a year.

Eleven dolphins were rescued off Wellfleet over the weekend after becoming stranded in shallow water.

🍋 The Best Margaritas on the Cape

Reddit users recently debated the best margaritas on Cape Cod, and one name dominated: Anejo in Falmouth.

"I honestly think Anejo makes the best margs on the cape," wrote the most upvoted commenter. Multiple users agreed, specifically praising the "mango caliente margarita" and noting that Anejo also owns Taco Blanco in Falmouth, which got similar praise.

Runner-ups included Sam Diego's ("fun and goofy and the margs are strong"), Lobster Trap with their "Traperitas," and Mi Pueblo in Hyannis, called an "unassuming little spot" with the "best spicy margaritas."

Las Chidas in Orleans had mixed reviews - good drinks but "insanely overpriced." Picos in Brewster got mentions for their strawberry margarita, though opinions were split.

The consensus: Anejo wins, but bring earplugs - it gets loud. Read more»

Massachusetts legislators urged major cell carriers to fix widespread dropped calls and poor service on Cape Cod and the Islands, citing public safety concerns.

A MV infant who contracted the rare Powassan virus from a tick bite is recovering at home.

A Nantucket bakery owner discovered her car's rear windshield had been smashed by a seagull dropping a quahog from above.

Harbor Homes received approval to temporarily convert its Oak Bluffs women's group home into a winter homeless shelter.

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🚨 Teen Accused of School Threat Released on Bail

Ian Fotheringham of Falmouth posted $2,500 bail and was released after being charged with threatening to use a deadly weapon in a public building. Police say he made statements about wanting to "shoot up a school" and was found with photos of the Columbine shooting on his phone, plus a 3D printer capable of making firearms.

The case began with an August tip, then escalated when school safety monitors spotted him acting suspiciously near Teaticket School in September. Parents expressed outrage at his release, with one keeping her children home from school Wednesday.

Fotheringham must wear a GPS device and can only leave home for legal or medical purposes. Falmouth schools added extra police at elementary schools for two weeks. His attorney filed a motion to dismiss, claiming the charges are based on "exaggeration and speculation." Read more»

👋 Meet: Nala
🐾 Pit Bull Terrier
🎂 3 years old
♀︎ Female
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

SUNDAY - SEPTEMBER 21

Chris LeBeau @ CC Winery | 12 PM
Cape Symphony: New Era @ Barnstable PAC | 3
Jenifer Jackson @ CC MOA | 3:30 PM
Rose Clancy @ Chatham Squire | 5 PM
Jackpot Karaoke @ Knockout Pizza | 7 PM

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

Friday

77 🌡️ 57 | 🌤️ | 💧3% | 💨 NNE 8 mph

Saturday

67 🌡️ 48 | ☀ | 💧 1% | 💨 NE 9 mph

Sunday

66🌡️ 55 | ☀ | 💧 4% | 💨 E 8 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 66ºF

245 N. Bay Road, Barnstable
Asking $5.895M
5 🛏️
5.5 🛁
4,637 sqft
1.01 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 someone who loves a strong margarita.