ARL To The Rescue Editor: Our thanks to the Animal Rescue League of Boston in Brewster for answering our call to help a young speckle-feathered seagull who sat for hours in a pouring rain across from our home. The bird appeared healthy and alert with a wondering look of "who will save me from becoming a coyote's midnight treat?" The competent technician noted a damaged leg and drove our feathered friend to ...

Parking in downtown Chatham has been a matter of public concern since, well, way back. Chamber of commerce documents record discussions of parking problems from the 1940s, maybe earlier. Every once and a while small steps are taken to try to improve the situation – the reconfiguration of town parking off Stage Harbor Road a few years back, for instance – but like a vacuum, what additional spaces can be created ar...

Donations Keep Kids Warm Editor: Chatham, you have done it again! Community organizations, businesses, churches and individuals came forward to provide warm winter clothing and holiday wishes to over 200 of Chatham’s children. The Chatham Children’s Fund, Monomoy Community Services and The Chatham Angel Fund collaborate year-round to support Chatham’s families with children in a variety of ways. Special ...

When mixing in a food processor with frozen berries, heavy cream is not interchangeable with Greek yogurt. I mean, sure, the result is delicious – fruity whipped cream. But there was a point, right around the 1¾ cup mark, where my throat wouldn't actually swallow. It was like being Thanksgiving-worthy full, but in a matter of a minute. This was 7:30 p.m. this past Sunday night. Weather was clear, windless a...

It has certainly been a tumultuous few months, with Harwich Town Administrator Christopher Clark interviewing for a new position in several communities in Massachusetts. Clark was a finalist in four communities for positions of town manager and town administrator, but he did not land a job in those communities. He told The Chronicle this week “maybe they (the selectmen in those communities) see that my heart's no...

The winds had been strong for days; maybe that was why there was so much debris on our beach. A small section of the shoreline was littered with dozens of weathered boards and driftwood. Up ahead I spied what looked like a seal pup; as I got closer I realized it was a huge ball of tangled boat lines. The ebb and flow of tides is so predictable, yet so fickle in what they choose to steal from us and spit out later...

Cooperative Effort Warms The Heart Editor: It warmed my cold winter heart to read your Dec. 29 piece “Chatham Selectmen Back Eldredge Garage Purchase” and learn that there is such remarkable private/pubic cooperation on acquiring this property for the town.  I urge the selectmen to arrange the financing as soon as possible so that all Chathamites and visitors can avail themselves of this in-town treasure ...

Tomorrow is Twelfth Night, the last day of the traditional Christmas season, but for many the holidays ended last Tuesday. Today we might feel relief that the tree has been untrimmed and the outside lights taken down. All that is left for us to do is address (or ignore) our New Year’s resolutions, decide which gifts to keep, return, exchange, or repurpose, and await the arrival of January’s credit card bills. ...

Questions Plans For Historic Home Editor: The house at 271 Stage Harbor Rd. was a second home of sorts for me. That's why I was upset though not surprised when I read that the new owners want to demolish it. It took a strong stomach to watch their attorney nonchalantly claim that the present house doesn't fit in with the needs of their family. There was also a ridiculous assertion that the house is unliv...

More than a few people are anxious about the coming year. After the nasty tenor of the presidential election and given the toxic political environment and the lack of anything much of a positive nature on the national level, we're keeping our gaze fixed on what's right in front of us – in the communities we call home – as a way to nurture inspiration and hope. In Chatham, we are encouraged by recent discussion...

Use Freedom Of Speech Now Editor: I do not know Tom Johnson, Sr., but he speaks truth when he tells us to “speak out”(Chronicle, Dec. 15) How right he is! President-elect Trump is traveling the country, gloating about his win,  with the same noxious rants that he had during the  campaign to large meetings of his base corps, the “deplorables” who still chant “put her in jail.” Encouraged then and now to b...

It's the time of year to look back and remember not only the events of the past year, as we do in this issue, but also the community members to whom we bid adieu. Our region is blessed with a population of interesting, engaged folks, some of whom have astonishing backgrounds that often don't come to light until we read about it in their obituary. From financial wizards to fishermen, architects to art dealers, we ...