CHATHAM – The building at 193 Main St. has seen its share of controversy in recent years. After owners Tina and Hilary Foulkes failed to get permission from the town to move the building back from the street, the iconic structure was painted lime green in 2010. Although it is located in the Old Village National Register Historic District and falls under the jurisdiction of both the town’s historical commission...

CHATHAM – Having received encouraging test results from shellfish harvested there last week, town and state officials lifted the red tide shellfish ban for Chatham Harbor on Friday. The closure remains in effect for Pleasant Bay and its connected waterways, including Bassing Harbor, Crow’s Pond, Ryder’s Cove and Muddy Creek. The reopening is key because Chatham Harbor has a commercially important set of mussel...

CHATHAM – They may not be able to promise faster action replacing double poles, but representatives of Verizon, Eversource and other utilities are pledging better communication with the town and continued progress on long-term improvements. The select board invited utility representatives to its May 16 meeting to discuss concerns about dangerous, deteriorated utility poles around town. During a recent strong r...

CHATHAM – Saying they remain convinced that 1610 Main St. is the best possible spot for a new council on aging facility despite the proposal’s failure by just one vote at the May 16 annual town meeting, the select board Tuesday called a special town meeting in September to revisit the vote. For supporters of the $10.6 million project, it’s another chance to win the two-thirds majority needed to authorize const...

SOUTH CHATHAM – Where there’s smoke, there’s not always fire. In the case of a house on Wadsworth Road, the smoke that puffed through windows, doors and a hole in the roof this week and last signaled a valuable training opportunity for firefighters. The house at 10 Wadsworth Rd. is set to be demolished soon, and developer Polhemus Savery DaSilva agreed to allow the Chatham Fire Department to use the building f...

Local residents will gather on Monday, May 29 for Memorial Day ceremonies honoring those who gave their lives for the country. Chatham Sponsored by the public ceremonies committee, the town’s Memorial Day ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the World War I memorial at the community center. Guest speaker will be Chatham Coast Guard Commander Senior Chief Ross Comstock. Participants will include members of the sele...

Public monuments tell stories. Some are tales of glory, others elegies to the ultimate sacrifice — “the last full measure of devotion,” in the eloquent words of Abraham Lincoln. In passing, Chatham’s Soldiers’ Monument in Sears Park — like so many memorials in America’s town squares — is an honor roll of the dead. It conveys the sadly all too familiar narrative of local sons lost on alien fields in distant war...

CHATHAM – For years, Nancy Gifford has been inspiring middle schoolers with the world of science, using innovative lessons and connections with the science world to teach about everything from space exploration to climate change. Earlier this month, the New England Patriots’ Hall of Fame chose Gifford as the 2023 Massachusetts STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Teacher of the Year. “I never ge...

CHATHAM – Though there are a variety of factors to consider, a recent round of tests on local shellfish showed declining levels of the toxin that causes red tide. While state regulators need more data before they can lift the ban on shellfishing on the east side of town, officials are looking for signs that the outbreak may be passing. On April 2, routine testing of blue mussels showed troublesome concentra...

CHATHAM – There’s nothing more devastating for a parent than having a child diagnosed with cancer. That can not only put a strain on a family, but can also make a child feel isolated, like they are the only one going through treatment. That’s where the Sunshine Kids Foundation comes in. The national nonprofit sponsors free “exciting, positive group activities and opportunities,” so that young cancer patient...

CHATHAM – The local fishing fleet is playing a big role in helping to feed clients of food pantries across the state, and plans are in the works to expand the amount and types of products being provided. With funding from the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP), the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance spearheaded a program providing haddock chowder and fish stew to the state’s four ...

Another Town Meeting Vote A Possibility CHATHAM – What’s next? That question was on the minds of local residents and town officials after a debt exclusion ballot question to fund a $10.6 million center for active living at 1610 Main St. passed at last Thursday’s annual town election, despite the proposal’s failure at the May 16 annual town meeting. Officials said last week that approval of the bal...