CHATHAM – Shellfish Warden Renee Gagne had a problem. AmeriCorps volunteers recently culled oysters grown out in the town's upwelling system to ready them to be distributed in various waterways. Then a potentially toxic algae bloom closed all of Nantucket Sound, including the various inlets and embayments throughout town, to shellfishing. At almost the same time, work began on renovations to Old Mill Boatyard,...

CHATHAM – TD Bank will close its branch at 693 Main St. in January. Customers were informed of the closure in a letter dated Oct. 17. Retail Market President Marion Colombo wrote that the branch office will close on Jan. 27. Lisa Sawicki, vice president and corporate communications manager for the bank, said in an email that the Chatham branch will be merged with the TD Bank in Harwich Port. “The decisio...

State senate hopefuls Anthony Schiavi, a Republican, and Democrat Julian Cyr agree on the central issues of the campaign. Both are pledging to be strong advocates for the Cape and Islands on Beacon Hill, and both are struggling to build name recognition with voters. So it's not surprising that, with the election less than two weeks away, they're attempting to underscore their differences. Cyr, who grew up work...

CHATHAM – With conditions on Chatham Bar the worst they've been in years, officials are being urged to fast track improvements to a Stage Harbor commercial dock purchased by the town earlier this year. The town purchased the Eldredge trap dock at May's annual town meeting for $1.5 million. Adjacent to the town-owned Old Mill Boatyard, where the harbormaster's office is located, the dock was leased back to the ...

CHATHAM – A $103,771 overdraft for police and fire overtime in fiscal 2016 caught the attention of the state department of revenue, which told the town in no uncertain terms that this sort of deficit spending isn't allowed. “I expect that this will not become an annual event,” Marie Jane Handy, director of accounts at the DOR, wrote in a bolded paragraph in a Sept. 22 letter to Town Manager Jill Goldsmith. “I ...

CHATHAM – TD Bank will close its branch at 693 Main St. in January. Customers were informed of the closure in a letter dated Oct. 17. Retail Market President Marion Colombo wrote that the branch office will close on Jan. 27. A call to the branch was referred to the company's corporate offices, which had not contacted The Chronicle as of Thursday afternoon. The letter encourages customers to continue to u...

The closure of Nantucket Sound to shellfishing will continue at least through Nov. 1, Chatham's shellfish warden announced late Thursday. In an email, Shellfish Constable Renee Gagne wrote, "The MA Division of Marine Fisheries has issued an update to local authorities indicating that the current shellfish area closures will continue, at minimum, through Nov. 1.  New information indicates the possible release o...

CHATHAM – The path to the election of Hillary Clinton as the next president will be much easier than that leading to a Trump presidency. The Republican Party continues to decline while the Democratic Party is growing. The two wildcards in the current political scene are the growing number of registered Independents and the Millennial voters who favor neither candidate. There is no indication of major changes that...

CHATHAM – Could the high profile that sharks have assumed here in the past few years hurt the town's reputation as a picturesque, family-friendly community? Perhaps the town should step back and consider the impact the association of great white sharks, bolstered by Discovery Channel Shark Week programs and the popular Sharks in the Park art exhibit, could have on Chatham, including property values, especially...

CHATHAM – A public hearing on a proposal to institute new waterways user fees will be held by the waterways advisory committee next Thursday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. at the community center. Under the proposal, all vessels moored or berthed in Chatham, using rack storage or launching from public boat ramps would be required to pay the waterways user fee. Under the proposal, the fee for resident and non-resident tax...

CHATHAM – Reconstruction of the Old Mill Boatyard bulkhead and replacement of floats will begin this week, restricting access to the facility's parking area. The boat ramp will remain open through Nov. 20, but after that will be closed, with the possible exception of some weekends. Officials urge boaters to use the Barn Hill Road ramp as an alternative, since no trailer and very limited single-vehicle parking ...

CHATHAM – Pumpkin People have invaded Kate Gould Park and will greet visitors at this Saturday's seventh annual Oktoberfest celebration, scheduled to begin at the park at 10:30 a.m. The day will feature music, food, games, and a kids' costume parade, all culminating in a 90-minute game of “Zombie Tag.” The event is organized by the Chatham Merchants Association. Entertainment begins at 10:30 a.m. with the C...