The Cape Coddah
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☀️ Growing Food That Feels Like Home

☀️ Growing Food That Feels Like Home

Plus: When 911 calls can't get through

Cape Coddah
September 26, 2025

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Good morning Cape Cod and Happy Fall. The leaves might be changing, but our coffee temperature isn't. This newsletter runs on iced coffee year-round, and we're not apologizing for it. 🍁

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

Future plans for Depot Square
Nurses ready to strike
Events and live music

Let’s get to it.

🤳 Legislators Demand Better Cell Service

Seven Cape and Islands legislators sent a letter to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile demanding better summer cell service after data showed 38.9% of Outer Cape residents experience dropped calls weekly, with nearly half facing daily problems.

The summer influx of visitors overwhelms existing cell towers, creating public safety risks. Orleans Fire Chief Geof Deering couldn't make a reverse 911 call during a propane leak in August because of poor service, highlighting system vulnerabilities.

Two main issues cause summer problems: too few cell towers and insufficient bandwidth to handle demand. Companies face expensive, lengthy permitting processes for new towers, though a county report suggests profit margins may be the bigger obstacle than regulations.

Verizon and AT&T responded positively to the letter, promising small cell deployments in high-traffic areas. T-Mobile hasn't officially responded yet. Read more»

🚉 Orleans Depot Square: From Train Stop to Trail Stop

Orleans is planning a major redesign of Depot Square, the former train station site that served the town for nearly 100 years until rail service ended in 1959.

Three design options were presented during a public workshop, each featuring a mix of parking, green space, restrooms, and an information center for visitors. The current parking lot holds 27 cars but mainly serves Cape Cod Rail Trail users.

Town planning director George Meservey says the square was once a vibrant community hub hosting craft fairs and events until around 1999, when activities "faded away."

The renovation, estimated at $1.39M (not including buildings), would transform the area from "a parking lot" into "a place that people park so they can then walk on a really nice trail." Residents debated parking layouts, with some wanting more spaces while others emphasized pedestrian safety and accessibility for elderly users. Read more»

SPONSORED BY CHATHAM HARVESTERS

Our Catch in Your Hands

🪏 Growing Food That Feels Like Home

Haitian immigrants are growing culturally meaningful crops like okra, scotch bonnet peppers, and butternut squash at the Canaan Seventh-day Adventist Church in West Yarmouth as part of the Everyone Eats Cultural Community Garden program.

The garden is one of 10 locations across Cape Cod established through Buy Fresh Buy Local, serving Haitian, Jamaican, Brazilian, Eastern European, and Asian communities. Nicole and Macseau Celin tend eight garden beds, harvesting fresh produce that stocks a self-sufficient Caribbean food pantry.

Church Elder Jean Butter says finding this community of fellow Haitian immigrants feels "like a grace." The program helps participants transition to professional farming while strengthening local food systems through shared gardening experiences. Read more»

📸 @poetry_with_a_camera | 📍Provincetown

Tag @thecapecoddah to get your photos in the Coddah!

🩺 55 VNA Nurses Ready to Strike Over Pay

Fifty-five unionized visiting nurses with VNA of Cape Cod voted to reject Cape Cod Healthcare's final contract offer and authorized a potential three-day strike if no agreement is reached by month's end.

The nurses, who make $33.70-$55.01 per hour, argue their wages don't match Cape Cod's high cost of living where median home prices hit $925,000. They requested a 19% raise over three years - the same increase hospital staff received after threatening their own strike in July.

Cape Cod Healthcare offered 4-8% increases in year one, totaling about 10% over three years for most nurses. The union says low pay has shrunk their workforce from over 100 nurses eight years ago to just 55 today.

These visiting nurses provide home care for patients recovering from surgery or in hospice, different from the VNA's public health division. Read more»

Dennis is holding a lottery for two affordable apartments with income limits up to $106,800 for a family of four, with applications due November 20th.

After 16 years of work, Falmouth's Coonamessett River Restoration project is complete, restoring fish passage for herring and eels.

Sandwich school attendance improved to 94% this year from 93.5% last year, but chronic absenteeism remains higher than pre-pandemic levels at 14.4% compared to 7.8% in 2019.

🏦 104-Year-Old Bank Rebrands as Cape & Coast

The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod has rebranded as Cape & Coast Bank after two and a half years of research with customers and employees. The name change comes with a modernized logo featuring wave-like designs and coincides with new leadership as Erik Porter takes over as CEO when Lisa Oliver retires in October.

Porter becomes the sixth president in the mutual bank's 104-year history and brings over 20 years of financial experience. The bank recently launched new online banking tools that let customers open accounts without visiting branches.

As a mutual bank owned by depositors rather than shareholders, Cape & Coast supports 200-250 community organizations annually through donations and grants. The bank's foundation has $2.6 million in assets and gave $806,500 to local causes over the past five years, committing 3% of its budget to community support.
Read more»

Nourish Nantucket will distribute $400K of its anonymous $1M donation to combat food insecurity on the island, funding grocery provisions, debit cards, fresh produce programs, and more.

The annual Kids Derby at Oak Bluffs Steamship wharf brought dozens of young anglers together Sunday morning, with 9-year-old McCabe Neadow winning the grand prize.

Jennifer Garner and a cast took over Nantucket's Main Street Monday to film "Five Star Weekend," the second Elin Hilderbrand novel adaptation to use the island as a filming location after "The Perfect Couple".

East Chop residents are mounting unified opposition to a proposed 26-room hotel on the old Ocean View restaurant site in Oak Bluffs.

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⚖️ Prosecutors Drop Charge Against Falmouth Teen

Prosecutors dropped the criminal charge against 18-year-old Ian Fotheringham, who was accused of planning a school shooting, after discovering "a discrepancy which made further prosecution in the District Court no longer available."

Police began investigating Fotheringham in August after reports he wanted to "shoot up a school" and was refurbishing guns. While no illegal firearms were found, school safety monitors later spotted him acting suspiciously behind Teaticket Elementary School.

Investigators discovered Columbine shooting photos on his phone and a 3D printer capable of making firearms at his home. His attorney argued the case was based on "speculation and conjecture" and noted her client has mental health issues.
Read more»

👋 Meet: Ricco
🐾 Pit Bull Terrier Mix
🎂 6 years old
♀︎ Male
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

SUNDAY - SEPTEMBER 28

Clam Crawl @ Sandy Neck Beach | 9 AM
Love Local Fest @ Aselton Park | 11 AM
Barktoberfest @ Bad Martha’s | 3:30 PM

SUNDAY - SEPTEMBER 28

Bryce Thomas @ CC Winery | 12 PM
Silent Trees @ Sea Crest Beach Resort | 2 PM
Dirty Water Dance Band @ Truro Vineyards | 2
Leafy Greens Band @ Neptune’s CC | 2 PM
Falmouth Chorale @ Highfield Hall | 4 PM
Joe Merrick @ Chatham Squire | 5 PM
John Ebersold @ CC Irish Village | 7 PM

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

Friday

78 🌡️ 62 | 🌤️ | 💧0% | 💨 WSW 12 mph

Saturday

74 🌡️ 61 | 🌤️ | 💧 2% | 💨 NE 7 mph

Sunday

73🌡️ 60 | 🌧️ | 💧 60% | 💨 SSW 6 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 65ºF

4 Ministers Lane, Chatham
Asking $5.995M
5 🛏️
6.5 🛁
5,143 sqft
0.78 acre lot

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

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