Our formal introduction to art begins early. By three, most American tots have begun their 12- to 20-year academic trek. Art exploration starts in preschool. Smocked children delightedly dibble and dabble in billowy yards of newsprint, glue (not the tasty '50s paste of our youth) tempera paint and pipe cleaners. This process ensures messy children and equally messy creations, which are then clipped to miniature ...

A Primer On Nuisance Law Editor: If one does not agree with an opinion, there is no reason to insult the writer. Both David Bixby and J. Dennis Glover begin their anti-airport letters by personally insulting Barry Fulcher. Bixby describes Fulcher’s opinion (“The Chatham airport has been here a lot longer than you have; why weren’t you aware of the proximity to your property when you bought your home here?”)...

With new a new manager now on board at Chatham Bars Inn, it's time for the town and its major resort and largest private employer to resolve their various differences and begin working together. Over the past several years, the town and the 104-year-old Shore Road resort have been involved in several disputes, a few of which have ended up in court. While it isn't unusual for municipalities and businesses to fi...

The Benefits Of Seniority Editor: Mr. Lindsay, David Bixby,and J. Denis Glover: The Chatham airport has been here a lot longer than you have, and why weren't you aware of the proximity to your property when you bought your home here? Barry Fulcher Chatham   Democracy Not In Action Editor: Congratulations to the folks of Wellfleet who convinced MassDOT to change their plans for a roundabo...

“First the tide rushes in Plants a kiss on the shore Then rolls out to sea and the sea is very still once more” The Righteous Brothers I’m a beach guy. Not everyone is. I’ve been going to the same beach between Holway Street and Andrew Harding's Lane for more than 70 years. The water there is always too cold. This year, the spring, or the lack of spring, had me totally discouraged. I was afraid it wou...

We’ve had a stretch of great weather recently, and it seems like more people than ever are taking to kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to explore area waterways. It’s a fun, healthy, family-friendly activity that’s popular with lots of visitors – many of whom haven’t spent much time on the water. Becoming a recreational boater usually requires a little financial commitment: buying the boat, maintaining it, tran...

Fine Friends Of The Fourth Editor: The 2018 Town of Orleans Fourth of July Celebration Committee extends a very appreciative Thank You for another successful year supporting the town’s Fourth of July Celebration Fireworks and Parade. The fireworks and parade would not be successful without the hard work, the support and the donation of vehicles, materials and time by many local businesses, volunteers and to...

In letters to the editor and social media recent appointments by the Chatham Board of Selectmen have been criticized as favoritism and cronyism. Singled out were the appointments of J.P. Vario to the airport commission, who replaced incumbent Tom Wilson, and David Oppenheim and Andrew Meincke to the waterways advisory committee, replacing Tim Linnell and Peter Taylor. Wilson was a critic of the airport, and, t...

I had slept the night before, on and off, in the quarter berth, listening to the bilge pump go on every five to six minutes. At 2 a.m., I got up, opened the hatch and emerged in the summer night air of Warwick Cove. It only took about 26 pumps of the manual bilge’s handle to empty the sailboat. But it was coming in much too fast. Twenty years earlier, I had purchased a 27-foot Catalina 27 at the Savin Hill Yac...

Can Home Rule Work? Editor: Regarding a meeting of state department of transportation officials with residents of Wellfleet to discuss a roundabout solution at Main Street and Route 6: About 100 people in Wellfleet did what over 2,000 people in West Chatham could not do – got the state to back down and promised to come back with a design the town wants. Maybe we can meet with those same officials. They back...

We humans, for the most part, love our plants. We mist, feed, and espalier them, trim their leaves and even play music to sooth their little green souls. Not only are we omnivores and dependent on them for survival, but they are aesthetically lovely and generally fun to be around. They even clean toxins from the air in our homes.  But just as humanity is comprised of the good, the bad and the ugly, so goes the...

We're constantly amazed at the amount of activity that happens in our communities. Of course, since it's the high summer season, there's a lot more going on now than there was in January or March, when we were all sheltering in our homes hoping the power wouldn't go off again. And there are a lot more people around to take advantage of the opportunities, which creates the traditional double-edged sword: more to d...