Hunger, homelessness and despair often have a common trait: invisibility. So when firefighters and police officers camped out in public places over the weekend to collect food, toys and money for local social service agencies, it provided an important reminder of a hidden problem. Standing by the roadside or huddled around campfires, the first responders were taking part in the Homeless for the Holidays progra...

Winter Concert A Wonderland Editor: The annual Winter Concert was held Thursday, Dec. 7 at the Monomoy Regional High School in Harwich. Shame on you if you did not make the effort to attend. The program included selected holiday music, much in an upbeat, modern presentation. Music from the Jazz Band, 8-9 Band, Women’s A Capella, Combined Choirs, 10-12 Band and Select Choir highlighted the two-hour progra...

On Santa’s last practice run ‘round the world He lost his poor Rudolph as excitement swirled.   So back through the stars old Santa flew With reindeer and sleigh and the whole elf crew.   He headed toward Mass-a-chu-setts, they called it, For it was the last place his sled had hauled it.   He hoped the glow from his little friend’s nose Would guide him to its color of ...

AOC Helps With Bell-weather Recovery Editor: I have had the good fortune to lead one of the quirkiest clubs available in any high school for well over a decade. The Monomoy Ringers are a wonderful group of students who volunteer their time and talent to perform handbells throughout the community. Because we are not a regular part of the music department we rely on donations and grants to help us cover our e...

Last month I introduced the topic of the monuments that populate our town, promising to explore them in future Discovering Harwich columns, focusing on the people memorialized there, when and why their monuments were created, and what their message might be for Harwich today. In this second column I will share the information I have gleaned about the memorials that are somewhat inaccurately self-identified as ...

Anyone can rent a room in their home, but while its not unusual for seniors to do so as a way to supplement their income, provide in-home personal care or just companionship, it's not the ideal solution for most young people who want a place of their own. It's debatable whether separate apartments in single-family homes would be more ideal, but the idea of allowing additional units within existing houses as a way...

The “cabin in the woods” scenario is now a well-worn horror movie trope. An incredibly clueless group, usually college age or 20-somethings, decamps to an isolated, dilapidated cottage despite warnings of hauntings, deranged neighbors or ancient curses. Mayhem ensues. Plunking a new Chatham senior center in the middle of the woods probably won't have the same results – as far as we know, there are no ancient b...

The recent holiday found us in northern Ohio visiting relatives. We took the opportunity to make the short trip into Cleveland and cross the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame off our list of interesting places we'd like to visit. Opened in 1995 on the shore of Lake Erie, the museum presents a striking appearance. Designed by architect I.M. Pei, it rises pyramid-shaped from a courtyard featuring the words “Long Live R...

Mini-roundabout Best For Intersection Editor: Nobody likes the size of the Howard Stein Hudson (HSH) proposal 3 with traffic-lights and turning lanes at the Crowell Road intersection. The selectmen voted optimistically to reduce the area by “scaling” it. Although HSH say they can look into some hypothetical tweaks, it seems impractical to reduce the size enough to satisfy both the critics and the Federal ...

Here at The Chronicle, we don't have to look far for reasons to be thankful. We're grateful for our loyal readers, our family of fine staff and talented contributors, and the advertisers who make the whole operation possible. But this time of year, we've got an extra reason to be thankful. Each year, you – our readers – join us in supporting the Family Pantry of Cape Cod through our Helping Neighbors campaign....

Editorial Unfair To School Com Editor: I am the parent of four students in the Monomoy Regional School District and I attend nearly every single school committee meeting. I was extremely disappointed to read The Chronicle’s editorial column last week. I find it disrespectful to the hardworking members of the school committee to characterize them as passive or as anything but extremely invested in the succ...

The silver waters out Chatham Harbor, past Fool’s Channel, reflected, rippling the silver sky of this second full month of autumn. November. A month to make decisions. When the leaves have, as usual, fled the trees just prior to Halloween, letting the moonlight through at night, and the lowering angle of the sun during the narrowing days. As part of my morning routine, after Sofie catches the bus, I am down at...