ORLEANS — The May 31 deadline to qualify the redevelopment of Nauset Regional High School for $36 million in state funds toward the $132 million project cost is not hard and fast, according to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. “We’ve granted two extensions (to the project) during the COVID period,” MSBA Executive Director and Deputy CEO Jack McCarthy told The Chronicle Jan. 15. “Nobody has asked...

CHATHAM – Special legislation signed by Gov. Charlie Baker this week changes the name of the town's chief governing body from board of selectmen to select board. Town meeting passed a resolution to change the title in May 2019. The citizen's petition was filed by residents Florence Seldin and Debbie Aikman ahead of last year's 100 th anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave wome...

Health Board To Meet In Emergency Session CHATHAM — The emergence of a cluster of four COVID-19 cases at the North Chatham Post Office has some people concerned not only about the spread of the disease but about how the cases apparently almost passed under the radar of public health officials. In a news release issued Saturday and an automated phone call to residents Tuesday, town officials urged anyone w...

            James Perron of Chatham, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2021 after a long illness. Born in Brockton, Jim grew up in Whitman where he graduated from Whitman High School in 1953. He played both baseball and football, and enjoyed scouting, eventually becoming an Eagle Scout. After honorable discharge from the US Army, he earned a BS at Bridgewater State College and a Masters degree in education fro...

              Elise Maclay, poet, writer, foodie, elegant dresser and accomplished traveler, died on Tuesday, January 5, 2021. Elise passed away peacefully at the age of 95 in her beloved home on the Long Island Sound in Westport. Her final days were spent looking out over the sea, surrounded by family, and with a photograph of her beloved husband David at her side.               Elise was born on August...

CHATHAM — There’s no silver bullet to solve the housing shortage in town, but selectmen this week advanced several initiatives that might prove important, including a potential half-percent real estate transfer tax for properties over $2 million. The concept was floated by Selectman Jeffrey Dykens, who said it would provide a sustainable revenue stream for affordable and attainable housing projects. Had the ma...

CHATHAM – Last Friday, the historic Stage Harbor Coast Guard boathouse was moved off the shore in Hull, where it was scheduled for demolition, and is now safely ensconced at a Quincy shipyard. At least for the time being. Even though selectmen last week declined to commit to accepting the boathouse as a gift to the town, resident David Doherty went ahead and, working with contractor Jay Cashman, had the struct...

No Guarantee Theater Will Return CHATHAM – A proposal to build six single-family homes on the former Monomoy Theatre property will likely clear the way for demolition of five of the seven buildings now on the land. But while owner Greg Clark of Chatham Productions, LLC, plans to restore the theater building and a historic home on the property, because of the uncertainty tied to the pandemic he could not to ...

CHATHAM – Expect a larger than usual number of community preservation grant articles on this year's annual town meeting warrant, as requests postponed last year will be joined by new funding applications. A dozen requests for Community Preservation Act funds were not acted on last year after selectmen slimmed down the annual town meeting warrant. Those measures will be presented to voters at this year's annual...

HARWICH — Selectmen held an emergency executive session on Friday afternoon to discuss strategies for contract negotiations with Interim Town Administrator Joseph Powers that could lead to Powers becoming the town's permanent town administrator. The move came after selectmen learned that Powers is a finalist for the town administrator’s position in Yarmouth. Powers received a one-year interim town administrato...

HARWICH — There are still a lot of variables, but Monomoy Regional School District Superintendent Scott Carpenter provided selectmen with a draft FY22 budget Monday containing an overall 1.5 percent increase over this year. Harwich’s share of the budget, however, is projected to increase between 2.9 and 3.2 percent. The student population gap between Chatham and Harwich is becoming a major issue. On Monday sel...

HARWICH — There is no doubt in the minds of selectmen and members of the water/wastewater commission that a computer-aided design model for sewering throughout the town would be a valuable tool in developing a road map for moving forward with the comprehensive wastewater management plan. It's the funding that has drawn questions. Selectmen last week were asked to approve a contract for $150,000 with GHD, Inc.,...

NORTH EASTHAM – It’s difficult to imagine the Nauset Regional High School girls’ basketball team’s season starting any better. The Warriors were dominant in every aspect of Friday’s opener. Offensively, they scored in the paint and knocked down 3-pointers. Defensively, they forced countless turnovers, many of which led to easy breakaway layups at the opposite end of the floor. There wasn’t much visiting Nan...

HARWICH – The wait for winter sports at Monomoy is finally over. Monomoy Regional High School began holding its winter sports tryouts Tuesday, nearly one month after tryouts and practices were originally scheduled to begin. The Dec. 14 start date was pushed back to Jan. 4 after two positive COVID-19 cases at MRHS forced the school to close its doors until after the holiday break. Upon returning to school af...

NORTH EASTHAM – There were moments when it felt like a lid was covering the Warriors’ basket. It didn’t matter if the Nauset Regional High School boys’ basketball team attacked inside or let jumpers fly from the perimeter, the shots weren’t falling for the Warriors during the first half of their season opener against Nantucket on Jan. 7. “We had a bunch of good looks,” Nauset coach John McCarthy said. “We e...

As anyone who has attempted to recover their lost sunglasses after they fell off a boat can attest, even clean ocean water is impenetrable beyond a few inches. Over the past decades, dramatic improvements in our ability to explore the ocean depths have taken place and yet there is still so much to be learned about the ocean, whose well-being is critical to our global ecosystem. More than 80 people were online ...