CHATHAM — In an organizational meeting last Thursday, members of the new Eldredge Garage Property Planning Committee said they'd already received scores of suggestions for the re-use of that prime downtown real estate. The nine-member panel was chosen by the board of selectmen to review the potential uses of the property at 365 Main St., which was purchased by town meeting last January for $2.5 million. The ...

CHATHAM – Cockle Cove Beach has seen its share of erosion in the past decade, but last month, for the first time, storm-driven waves claimed a section of the town beach's parking lot. The storm also breached a dune and sent water from Nantucket Sound into the marsh behind the beach. Cockle Cove is “probably the foremost hot spot we have, with some of the highest erosion rates along Nantucket Sound,” said Coast...

CHATHAM – At a recent luncheon for veterans at the current senior center on Stony Hill Road, participants gathered for a group photo. But before that could happen, tables and chairs had to be moved out of the way, and one guest stumbled and nearly fell to the floor. “At the end of the day, I saw that as a perfect anecdote” for what's wrong with the current council on aging building, said COA Director Mandy Spe...

Preliminary survey results indicate that parents favor reconfiguration of the Monomoy Regional School District's two elementary schools in order to keep both viable as enrollment continues to decline. A majority of parents support creating “upper” and “lower” elementary schools, with students in pre-K through grade two attending Harwich Elementary School, and grade three and four students going to Chatham Elem...

CHATHAM — On the 99 th anniversary of Armistice Day, a grateful community gathered at the community center Saturday to thank the town's veterans. “What does it mean to be a veteran?” asked retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Robert Franz. For his part, his service left “an indelible imprint on the soul,” and as a veteran, he said he views life differently. When he sees news reports of American troops in...

CHATHAM – A thimble, a musket ball, 17 th and 18 th century pottery and ceramics, an ancient arrowhead and half – yes, half – of a pig skull. Those are just some of the items found by archaeologists sifting through soil excavated from underneath the floors of one of the town's oldest houses, the 1752 Atwood House on Stage Harbor Road, on Monday. How some of those objects came to be underneath the floorboa...

CHATHAM – Even if the Stage Harbor Road area is never officially designated a National Historic Register District, demolitions of historically significant homes along the roadway can still be referred to the Cape Cod Commission for regulatory review. Jon Idman, chief regulatory officer of the commission, said in an email to Community Development Director Kathleen Donovan that because the Massachusetts Historic...

CHATHAM – The Bradford pear tree removed from the front lawn of the Mayo House will return, in a different form, to benefit the Chatham Conservation Foundation. The Foundation, which owns the historic Main Street three-quarter Cape, removed the tree two weeks ago after being told by an arborist that its heavy canopy and shallow root system made it a potential hazard. After it was cut down, rather than chipping...

Selectmen Request 'Minimalist' Upgrade To Rt. 28-Crowell Rd. Corner CHATHAM – The board of selectmen voted Tuesday to ask its consultants to develop a scaled-back version of improvements at the Crowell Road-Route 28 intersection, minimizing lane width and extras like bike lanes as much as possible without compromising vehicle or pedestrian safety. Board members and many residents felt the initial proposal...

Runoff Overwhelms Old Stormwater System CHATHAM – It wasn't until 2004 that Dr. Neill S. Cowles noticed flooding in the parking lot of the Crowell Road optometry office he'd built in 1971. Runoff from Crowell Road began to flood the property's parking lot during heavy rains, sometimes three or four inches deep, but would usually drain quickly. It was clear the runoff was coming from the roadway, and he as...

CHATHAM – Stakes showing the extent of the state-owned right-of-way along a portion of the Route 28-Crowell Road intersection have some worried that improvements there will be “massive.” “I guarantee people are going to be horrified by the amount of pavement that's going to go in,” said resident Elaine Gibbs. Only a portion of the right-of-way – on the east side of the intersection – was staked out by a hir...

CHATHAM – The first in a series of forums designed to open and improve communication lines in the town’s business community was held last Wednesday evening at the community center. Sponsored by the Chatham Merchants Association, the forum focused on three key areas of discussion, including what worked well for businesses during the past summer season, the challenges that exist and ways to address those concerns. ...