The New Year – 2019 – there will never be another, what does it mean, other than to remember to write the new date on checks and documents, or to purchase an amusing doggie yoga calendar to organize ourselves for the next 52 weeks.  But even as wizened and weary Father Time ushers in the tiny diapered one, each new year we sense a change, a subtle shift of time. Jan. 1 gives us another chance to begin anew,...

Though a special place, Cape Cod has problems that towns, their institutions, and above all its residents need to fix. Complex and difficult to understand, faced with conflicting and sometimes self-serving solutions, the problems often make me feel lost. Learning their nature and getting a handle on proposals to address them can set my head spinning. Official activities of town meetings, boards of selectpersons a...

It's A Wonderful Theater Editor: I would like to publicly thank the Chatham Orpheum Theater for their generous gift. My husband and I were one of 147 guests of the Orpheum at the free showing of the classic "It's a Wonderful Life." It clearly was not something the theater "had" to do, but to offer what was a "sold” out free performance was very much appreciated. It solidifies my feeling that we are very luc...

We're skeptical of decisions made on the regional or even national level that directly involve facilities or operations locally, particularly when there is little or no input from the people directly impacted. An example is the dispute over the western boundary of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. Had U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials had detailed discussions about their decision to assert jurisdiction...

If A Tree Votes In The Forest... Editor: In response to Beverly Nelson’s recent letter, I pose this question:  Let’s imagine I am a full-time Chatham resident with a hideaway cottage on a lake in Natick (because I cannot afford the townhouse in the Back Bay). What voice and vote do I have to affect change according my specific needs and whims in  Natick? Linda Simonitsch Chatham   A Plea For You...

As of this writing, The Cape Cod Chronicle and its readers have contributed about $23,500 toward the $60,000 goal for our Helping Neighbors campaign for the Family Pantry of Cape Cod. It’s a tremendous accomplishment. But we know we can do better. Perhaps it’s been the crush of holiday errands and travel, or maybe it’s the jittery stock market. Or maybe we’ve been focused lately on a certain letter to the editor ...

This time of year is both joyous and sad; we celebrate being together with family and friends, and as the year winds down, we also remember those who won't be celebrating with us. In 2018 we lost a number of folks who dedicated much of their lives to helping run our communities. Thomas R. “Tim” Pennypacker served as a police officer and selectman in Chatham and as a deputy sheriff and was well known for his co...

“Bye Bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye Singing this will be the day that I die This will be the day that I die.”   Don McLean had a huge hit with American Pie in 1971. Don wrote it and sang it and the entire popular music industry was stunned when it reached number one in the country. Eight minute songs ha...

As of this writing, The Cape Cod Chronicle and its readers have contributed about $23,500 toward the $60,000 goal for our Helping Neighbors campaign for the Family Pantry of Cape Cod. It’s a tremendous accomplishment. But we know we can do better. Perhaps it’s been the crush of holiday errands and travel, or maybe it’s the jittery stock market. Or maybe we’ve been focused lately on a certain letter to the editor ...

As this week's letters pages show, an opinion that might seem innocuous or insignificant, a mere question posed out of curiosity, can have repercussions far beyond what was intended. That, fortunately or unfortunately, is the nature of today's world of social media, memes and digital communications. Even more so than print, what we release to the cyberworld can grow beyond our control and haunt us forever. Just a...

Editor's note: Last week's letter to the editor headlined “Why Pay To Keep Young Families In Chatham?” clearly struck a nerve with readers. It was shared on Facebook hundreds of times and prompted hundreds more comments. It even inspired local musician Tom Leidenfrost to compose a song, “Poor Beverly,” which had garnered nearly 11,000 views on YouTube (youtu.be/Ep9x6cgo75g) as of early this week. He even perform...

“Why is Chatham on a different path than other communities in Massachusetts?” I suspect mine will not be the only voice raised to provide an answer to Beverly Nelson’s question posed in last week’s letter to the editor. Why should her taxes, as a second homeowner, be used by the town of Chatham to provide services to families that otherwise would not be able to afford to live here? Other than state-mandated af...