CHATHAM – A tornado with wind gusts to 110 miles per hour touched down in Harwich Center Tuesday, uprooting trees and knocking out power to most of the town. The storm continued into Chatham, with winds gusting up to 90 miles per hour leaving a miles-long swath of damage in its wake.  Trimming damaged branches at Kate Gould Park, Chatham.  TIM WOOD ...

CHATHAM – Shark warning signs have been installed at all town beaches and many town landings, and lifeguards are keeping a sharp eye out for seals near designated swimming areas. As of late last week, lifeguards had observed three seals in Oyster Pond this summer, although none were within 300 feet of the swimming beach. Because the seals did not come close to the designated swimming area, the beach was not cl...

CHATHAM – For the second time, local artist Steve Lyons has had his work stolen while it was being transported in Europe. Ten paintings and a found object sculpture were removed from a shipment from the Terramar Hotel in Sitges, Spain, where Lyons' work was being exhibited. The works were bound for Chatham, where several were due to be shown in two upcoming shows, including the artist's first exhibit in New Yo...

CHATHAM – For the second year in a row, the town has been awarded a Massachusetts Dredging Program grant. The $100,000 grant will be used to dredge an estimated 14,000 cubic yards of sediment from the Aunt Lydia's Cove mooring basin and the area around the municipal fish pier. The area was last dredged in April 2017, according to Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon, and since then has shoaled due to storms and...

CHATHAM – Under the town's demolition delay bylaw, the historical commission can postpone the razing of a building determined to be historically significant by up to 180 days. Often an owner works with the commission to find a way to renovate and restore the building or move it to a different location where it can be preserved. But just as often, an owner waits out the delay period and knocks the building down...

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...