Too often in the past, Chatham has passed up opportunities to preserve its past. The most notable instance is the passing up of the offer to acquire the CG36500, the motor lifeboat piloted by Bernie Webber and his crew to rescue 32 men from the sinking tanker Pendleton on Feb. 18, 1952. Fortunately, the Orleans Historical Society (now the Centers for Culture and History in Orleans) stepped in and saved the vessel...

A Win-Win Compromise Editor: In West Chatham, runway protection zones (RPZs)/safety-zones at both ends of the runway contain multiple homes, stores, offices and roads, which are declared by the FAA as “unacceptable, incompatible land uses” and unsafe. Where this occurs, the FAA AC150/5300-13A §322 recommends moving the RPZs away from the unacceptable land uses. This then requires planes to land further alon...

We’ll admit it. We were, at first, a little hesitant at the prospect of erasing the word “selectmen” from our lexicon when it comes to Chatham town government. That’s because we’re proud of the heritage behind our local government, largely unchanged since colonial times. Decade after decade, selectmen have made the decisions that have helped shape Chatham, setting local policies and responding to local emergencie...

Whenever we editorialize about national politics, we are criticized, unfailingly, by those who feel we should keep our comments local, as well as others who simply call us “fake news.” But after the events in Washington, D.C. last Wednesday, we can't be silent; indeed, no American should be. We won't rehash the incident that turned from a protest to a mob to an insurrection. The scenes of people in MAGA hats c...

The Elf on the Shelf has returned to wherever imaginary illusions retire for another year, and we are getting a crack at a do-over (differently) in 2021. His departure leaves a void, as his dust-bathing in the flour bin and fan- spinning adventures briefly distracted us from the daunting concerns of the day. The New Year’s baby cannot get us out of this muck, he’s just a kid! As January yawns its dreary winter be...

Proposals Turn Back Clock At Airport Editor: Starting in 1950, decisions – consciously or unconsciously – were made and re-made in Chatham to effectively prohibit the airport’s (CQX) growth – physical expansion as well as expansion of aircraft use. Those decisions manifested themselves by land use authorities’ allowing considerable residential development in “runway protection zones” established by law and ...

Thankful For Asymptomatic Testing Editor: Thanks to Outer Cape Health Services and Pat Nadle, Julian Cyr , Sarah Peake, and Mass DPH for supporting asymptomatic COVID-19 testing at the OCHS sites. Hopefully, funding will continue past Jan. 10 and a “stop the spread site” can be arranged in the near future. I was lucky to obtain a testing appointment for my husband and myself after an exposure scare which ha...

There is a lot of hope invested in 2021. Hope that the pandemic comes to an end. Hope that the economy picks up. Hope that schools can return to in-person classes. Hope that the turmoil and bickering in Washington, D.C. ends. Just a week into the year, it's hard to see signs those sentiments will be realized. A lack of federal leadership resulted in a botched rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. The situation in M...

As of Monday, more than 330,000 Americans had died of COVID-19. That's more than one in 1,000 citizens and more than twice the number of deaths as India, a country with a population of 1.3 billion. That is beyond tragic; it is unimaginable and unforgivable. As we look back at those we lost during 2020, that number looms over everything. Locally we have escaped a high death toll from the novel coronavirus, but ...

Applaud Ban On Nip Bottles Editor: I think the last thing that folks want, who drink and drive, is to be caught driving impaired with an open container in their car. Nips provide a convenient way for so many drivers to avoid that. I applaud those communities on the Cape who recognize that and have instituted a ban on the sale of nips. Let's hope Harwich joins them. Karen Goggins  East Harwich   ...

Anyone who has lived in Chatham for more than 10 years will remember the heated controversy surrounding the merging of the Chatham and Harwich school districts, which narrowly passed in Chatham. This wasn’t the first time the concept of regionalization was proposed, but at the time Chatham was faced with serious declining enrollment, and Harwich was in need of a new high school facility estimated to cost $40 m...

The holidays are a time of transition, as families gather to celebrate and appreciate each other and the changes that have taken place in the past year. This year, the transitions are especially significant. It's not likely you can find anyone who hasn't had a major change in their life during the past year. Routines were upended, jobs were shifted – or, unfortunately for many, lost – schooling altered, and...