CHATHAM – Selectmen Monday decided that there won't be sidewalks constructed on Bridge Street, at least not at present. Because the roadway lacks a recorded layout or formal taking, board members did not want to pursue a sidewalk that could require easements or land takings over private property. The board voted to move forward with repairs to water mains along the street, all of which are within the paved ...

CHATHAM – Voters at May's annual town meeting will be asked to spend $295,000 in community preservation funds to upgrade the playground at Chatham Elementary School. The community preservation committee endorsed the proposal last week after trimming $56,000 from the community playground committee's initial request. For more than four years a dedicated group of parents, school administrators and town officia...

CHATHAM – Preliminary results of a hydrodynamic modeling study of the town's eastern inlets and waterways will be present at the end of the month. Part of a $250,000, wide-ranging study of the waterways from Pleasant Bay to Nantucket Sound, the presentation will happen at 7 p.m. at Feb. 28 at the annex. Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon said the focus of the update to be presented by Applied Coastal Resea...

CHATHAM – The acronym OPEB has been popping up more and more often in municipal finance discussions. It's one of those arcane accounting elements that makes the eyes glaze over, but in actuality has a significant impact on the town's finances. Last week the town's OPEB trust fund board of directors held a forum to educate the public and provide background on the topic. The following information was gleaned from t...

Some actions to mitigate the danger from sharks in the region's waters can be put in place this summer. A Bourne consulting group will look at other options as part of a study that begins this week. Officials from six Outer Cape towns, the Cape Cod National Seashore and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy met with the Woods Hole Group last Wednesday in Wellfleet to kick off the $49,950 shark mitigation altern...

CHATHAM – Friends of Trees helped support Monomoy Middle School's “Finest Hours” field trips with a grant to support a program that immersed students in local history.  “Chatham’s trees are living artifacts, survivors of decades of change and anchors to the town’s history,” said Friends of Trees president DeeDee Holt. “We were pleased to support this program and Ms. Bourget's effort to make this meaningful con...

CHATHAM – A survey to get public feedback about a number of shark mitigation strategies under consideration will feed into a study scheduled to begin next week. Officials from six Outer Cape towns met Wednesday in Wellfleet with the Woods Hole Group to discuss alternatives to address concerns about shark safety. Also participating in the meeting were the Cape Cod National Seashore, the Atlantic White Shark Con...

CHATHAM – The community preservation committee has turned down the Chatham VFW Post's requests for funds to upgrade the heating system at its George Ryder Road facility. The $205,000 request doesn't adhere to Community Preservation Act guidelines for historic structures because it does not involve acquisition, preservation, rehabilitation or restoration. While a section of the building has been determined to b...

CHATHAM – For nearly a quarter of a century, Peter Saunders ran poetry workshops and taught writing classes here and in other Cape towns. He published a dozen books of poetry and became known as the town's unofficial poet laureate. “He always said there are no rules,” said John Poignand, who considered Mr. Saunders a mentor and friend. “He would not allow people to say bad things about their poetry. A good tea...

CHATHAM – Most special permit and other zoning regulations addressing land use apply to the property in question. For instance, a special permit granted by the zoning board of appeals applies to the subject property, no matter who the owner or how many times it's resold. The same goes for demolition delays imposed by the historical commission. That allows an owner who wants to sell a home that's been determine...

When a person is experiencing a mental health crisis, it can sometimes take hours to get professional help to the scene. Thanks to a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, Bay Cove Human Services will be providing additional staff to respond to after-hours crises between Hyannis and Provincetown. Under its contract with MassHealth, Bay Cove is required to provide emergency services ...

CHATHAM – A former finance committee member is urging the board of selectmen to “think outside the box” and impose a moratorium on tear downs to prevent developers from converting more affordable year-round housing to expensive summer homes. Doing so could provide more opportunities for families to remain in town and stem declining school enrollment, which is playing havoc with the budget process. Roslyn Colem...