CHATHAM  —  The long-awaited observation deck at the fish pier is starting to materialize.  Starting late last week, crews erected massive laminated timber frames on the south and east side of the packing house, which will eventually support the joists and the deck surface. Installation has included large, custom-fabricated stainless steel hangers. The contractor, Walpole-based Sciaba Construction Corp., ha...

At this time of year, the very words “back to school” can inspire dismay and anxiety in kids. But for children who face returning to classes without a proper backpack or the necessary school supplies, that anxiety can be significant. In two unrelated programs, the Orleans-based Homeless Prevention Council (HPC) and the Chatham Children’s Fund are asking the public to help them provide brand new, fully-stocked ...

CHATHAM – Starboard Light, the iconic historic home at 154 Champlain Rd., will not be demolished. Whether it will remain at the spot where it’s stood since being floated to Chatham from Nantucket sometime in the 1800s or will be moved to another location has yet to be determined. But William Litchfield, attorney for owner Robert Mahoney, told the historical commission Tuesday that there is no intention to t...

CHATHAM – David Burnie grew up here, and the changes he's seen over the years haven't all been positive. So when the opportunity came to preserve a part of the town's history, he didn't hesitate. “I didn't want to change it,” he said of the house at 17 Seaview St., which overlooks Sears Park and Main Street. “I think it's a beautiful-looking house.” Burnie, co-owner of Coastline Construction, is completely ...

CHATHAM — In response to what they say are problems with the whole group, not any individual member, selectmen Monday voted to abolish the embattled charter review committee. The 4-1 vote included the revocation of all committee members’ appointments. The board of selectmen stopped short of considering a measure to appoint itself as the new charter review committee. “The issues that are at hand with this ...

CHATHAM — Local author Elizabeth Rudnick Hessler has been on a roll in the past few years in terms of novelizations. Ever since 2006, she’s been novelizing films for entertainment titan Disney, and it’s proved to be a very exciting job. “I am lucky enough that when I worked at Disney, I made great contacts, and my editors and co-workers from that time are still there,” said Hessler. “They know what my strength...

CHATHAM — Though there has yet to be any big influx of workers, the contractor hired to build a new observation deck at the fish pier is making some progress, town officials say. In a report to selectmen Monday, Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon said the concrete deck on the north and south sides of the packing house has now been poured, and new shingles, windows and doors are being installed on the buildi...

CHATHAM – The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy was created with public safety, research, and education in mind, and this summer the nonprofit is taking the public safety piece to heart with its new Shark Smart Beach Program at Lighthouse Beach. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 9 and 10 a.m., folks from the AWSC will be offering informational talks on sharks and shark safety. “We want to increase t...

Orpheum To Screen Documentary On 50th Anniversary One Sunday afternoon in July 1969, Don St. Pierre was announcing a dune buggy race in a pit on Middle Road near what was then the Chatham dump. Then, when St. Pierre shouted through his megaphone that the “Eagle” had just landed on the moon, “everyone applauded and screamed and hollered,” St. Pierre remembered last week. It July 20, 1969, 4:18 p.m. Joyce K. W...

Phillips Farm Family's breathtaking depiction of a revolving globe supported by military men and women following a giant eagle—reminiscent of the Marine Corps Eagle, Globe, and Anchor  emblem—was named the best overall float in Chatham's Independence Day parade, the second top honor in a row for the family. The float also won for Best Patriotic Entry. The float, and many others, reflected the parade's theme, “...

CHATHAM – The Chatham Historical Society has awarded a special internship grant this year thanks to the generosity of the Robert Hardy Memorial Fund, created in memory of Mr. Hardy by his children, Jane Roiter and Robert “Chip” Hardy. The purpose of the Hardy grant is to help support a gifted student interested in museum studies experience the inner workings of an active and established museum. This year’s gra...

CHATHAM – Who is looking for housing in town? “I see every income, literally, from one extreme to the other,” said Tracy Cannon, the Chatham Housing Authority's administrative assistant. While emergency housing situations are almost always addressed immediately, some have remained on the waiting list for one of the agency's 72 units for as long as 15 years. During a wide-ranging discussion that touched on b...