CHATHAM – The path to the election of Hillary Clinton as the next president will be much easier than that leading to a Trump presidency. The Republican Party continues to decline while the Democratic Party is growing. The two wildcards in the current political scene are the growing number of registered Independents and the Millennial voters who favor neither candidate. There is no indication of major changes that...

CHATHAM – Could the high profile that sharks have assumed here in the past few years hurt the town's reputation as a picturesque, family-friendly community? Perhaps the town should step back and consider the impact the association of great white sharks, bolstered by Discovery Channel Shark Week programs and the popular Sharks in the Park art exhibit, could have on Chatham, including property values, especially...

CHATHAM – A public hearing on a proposal to institute new waterways user fees will be held by the waterways advisory committee next Thursday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. at the community center. Under the proposal, all vessels moored or berthed in Chatham, using rack storage or launching from public boat ramps would be required to pay the waterways user fee. Under the proposal, the fee for resident and non-resident tax...

CHATHAM – Reconstruction of the Old Mill Boatyard bulkhead and replacement of floats will begin this week, restricting access to the facility's parking area. The boat ramp will remain open through Nov. 20, but after that will be closed, with the possible exception of some weekends. Officials urge boaters to use the Barn Hill Road ramp as an alternative, since no trailer and very limited single-vehicle parking ...

CHATHAM – Pumpkin People have invaded Kate Gould Park and will greet visitors at this Saturday's seventh annual Oktoberfest celebration, scheduled to begin at the park at 10:30 a.m. The day will feature music, food, games, and a kids' costume parade, all culminating in a 90-minute game of “Zombie Tag.” The event is organized by the Chatham Merchants Association. Entertainment begins at 10:30 a.m. with the C...

CHATHAM – In a wide ranging discussion, officials launched into preparations for the fiscal 2018 budget last week, touching on topics ranging from staffing levels to ways to fund the town's post-employment benefits obligation. If the current fiscal year is anything to go by, Chatham is doing well financially. Overall growth in property values of 3.8 percent plus higher than anticipated revenue kept the tax rat...

Pumpkin People have returned to Kate Gould Park, in anticipation of this Saturday's annual Oktoberfest celebration. Sponsored by the Chatham Merchants Association, Pumpkin People in the Park is the annual display centered around – what else – pumpkins. Business, non-profit organizations and individuals sponsor a Pumpkin Person, creating a scenario that, in the past, have ranged from simple to complex. Sometime...

CHATHAM — It might prove unfeasible, but selectmen are asking staff to explore the reuse of the former water department building as a new senior center. The property at 127 Old Harbor Rd., given to the town by the estate of Marion Nickerson Ellis, once served as school district offices and later became the water department's headquarters. It is now mostly vacant, with the adjacent barn used for storage an...

CHATHAM – For the first time in many years, Chatham Elementary School students won't be parading downtown in their Halloween costumes during school hours. Instead, the Halloween parade tradition is being shifted outside of school hours and will be part of an afternoon-long “Halloween Happenings” event including the parade, Monster Mash Bingo and a family cookout held on Friday, Oct. 28. The parade was held ...

Researchers Tag 100 th Great White Shark Since 2009 On Oct. 3, researchers tagged the 100 th great white shark since they began their work among the North Atlantic white shark population in 2009. According to Cynthia Wigren of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, which is funding the state division of marine fisheries' five-year shark population study, the shark was named “Casey' after pioneering shark re...

CHATHAM – Selectmen have given the Women's Club of Chatham the go-ahead to install a “Tree of Life” sculpture on an exterior wall at the Eldredge Public Library. The sculpture is a gift to the town from the organization in honor of its 100 th anniversary. “The tree of life seemed to be an appropriate sculpture to go in that area,” Ann Hosmer, chair of the club's centennial gift committee, said at last week...

A toxic plankton bloom prompted state officials to close all of Nantucket Sound to shellfishing Monday. The closure includes all of the waters, flats, bays and embayments along the south coast of Cape Cod. That includes Stage Harbor, Mill Pond, Mitchell River, Forest Beach, Cockle Cove Beach and Ridgevale Beach. In Chatham, waters to the east of Morris Island, including the Southway, Chatham Harbor and the ...