Way back in 1944, Woody Guthrie wrote:   “ This land is your land, this land is my land From California to the New York Island From the Redwood Forest, to the Gulf stream waters This land was made for you and me.”   The folk song has become a great anthem for America and has been recorded by dozens of artists. Guthrie and his friend Pete Seeger often wrote songs describing the plight o...

Can't Take Letter Seriously Editor: In his  recent letter, J. Denis Glover in an open letter to Chatham's clergy suggests they mediate the airport situation. He concluded his letter by asking "How about it?" Mr. Glover how about your rewriting your letter so it becomes a balanced presentation of the situation rather than your prejudiced, disjointed, twisted and unfair collection of harmful words that can...

“You become very, very fatalistic. Young people come to me all the time with their resumes saying this is what they're going to do two years from now, four years from now, six years from now. I tell them don't plan so far ahead. Life has a way of changing the best-laid plans. You may think you know what you're going to be doing a year from now or two years from now. I don't think I plan more than two or three wee...

The Harwich Police Department is to be lauded for dedicating its newest officer to combating the opiate crisis that has gripped the region – much of the country, actually – for the past few years. Having boots on the ground with the specific mission of dealing with heroin addiction in all its many facets will help the department, and the community, gain a better understanding of the problem and hopefully begin to...

Four-way Stop Safest Solution Editor: Having witnessed firsthand one of the many collisions at the intersection of Pleasant Bay Road and Route 39 and experienced the frequent congestion that this intersection creates, it seems a simple, effective and inexpensive way to increase the safety of this intersection is to create a four-way stop. Adding two stop signs requires no land taking, slows traffic in all d...

We’ve all seen the news clips of phone texters so intently focused they stumble into mall fountain pools and catapult over curbs. And we are equally familiar with the stereotype of video gamers who isolate themselves, never straying from the couch as they play disturbingly violent video games. A new phenomenon has arisen, a video game which draws its users outside, into the fresh air, to local landmarks, ...

Cape Codders won't be surprised to learn that this summer has been historically hot and dry. In fact, all of Massachusetts and most of New England has been in a moderate to extreme drought. The Boston Globe: "In the 136 years scientists have been tracking global temperatures, there has never been a warmer month than this July, according to a new NASA report. It was the 10th consecutive month of record warmth, mak...

We love the First Amendment. We're all for both freedom of the press and freedom of speech; without either we'd be out of business. But like any freedom or rights, its application must be tempered by common sense. There's a local example that fails on that count, startlingly so. Every once and a while a controversy flares up over the location of political signs. In Chatham a few years ago, the town ordered tha...

YOU GUESSED IT Critics of proposed legislation to clarify the boundary of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, authored by Congressman William Keating, need to get their facts straight before smearing the effort. The proposed legislation has been drafted to confirm Congress’ original intent that the boundary of the Refuge is the “mean-low-water” line. The 1944 Declaration of Taking, which established the R...

Leave W. Chatham Alone Editor: I just watched the Aug. 23 Chatham Selectmen's meeting. I have to say I was quite surprised that so much time was spent discussing landscaping for a project that may never come to fruition. To further throw a nail into the coffin one has to wonder why a self-appointed committee has been gathering to discuss how to landscape this project with taxpayers'funds. I find this extrem...

Although opponents continue to deride the West Chatham Roadway Project and call into question if it will ever happen, it's pretty much a fait accompli. Although the work to streamline Route 28 through the West Chatham business corridor – removing the center turning lane and installing roundabouts at the Barn Hill Road and George Ryder Road intersections – has been delayed until 2018, there's no reason to doubt th...

A short walk from my home is the newest dormitory being constructed in Harwich. It is not actually housing for college students, but it could be. Its two multi-story connected buildings fill up most of a lot at the end of a cul-de-sac, offering enough housing for 20 or more. What may become the largest private residence in Harwich sits in a congested area with no water-view or other amenities. A bit farther fr...