Toys for older kids and teens are particularly needed, along with gift cards and monetary gifts. The toys will be distributed to local children in time for the holidays. Organizers say donations are lagging this year and contributions are needed right away. Vote early, vote often!

CHATHAM – Three and a half years years of work by Cynthia Wigren, executive director and co-founder of The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, paid off this fall when the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced that the great white shark license plate sponsored by the non-profit group had reached the state's pre-order minimum. The new plates, with a design featuring a great white shark, two strip...

CHATHAM – Nearly two years after it dipped below 6,000, the town's official population figure has once again risen above that milestone, thanks to last month's presidential election. It's not unusual for voter registration to spike during a presidential election year, said Town Clerk Julie Smith. That in turn leads to an increase in the official count of the total number of residents in town, which is based bo...

Time-lapse images taken over a 30-year period by Landsat satellites, compiled by Google and released by Time Magazine, include a 10-second glimpse of three decades of evolution of Chatham's barrier beaches.  Chatham is among dozens of locations across the globe highlighted in the video, which was initially put together by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey and then cleaned up and assembled into one video monta...

CHATHAM – There was an empty space at the community center, and George Gatzogiannis wanted to fill it. The space was on the wall right behind the front desk which Gatzogiannis, a building supervisor at the center, mans most weekdays, greeting visitors and signing in the folks who use the various facilities in the Main Street building. One of those people is local artist Steve Lyons. Gatzogiannis had tried t...

CHATHAM – How can the town encourage the reuse, rather than demolition, of commercial buildings in neighborhood centers, especially if they are historically significant? Incentives, the planning board was told recently, ranging from relief from dimensional requirements and density bonuses to reducing permit fees and tax breaks. As part of its ongoing review of recommendations for the Route 28 corridor conta...

CHATHAM – The town's First Night celebration is a survivor. As it heads into its 26 th year, the annual event has left New Year's Eve celebrations in other communities in the dust, and still reliably sells out its 7,500 admission buttons. Mounting First Night Chatham is a massive effort, however, that takes many hours of planning and help from hundreds of volunteers. “To put on something like this, it real...

CHATHAM – The municipal fish pier will be packed with young fans of Santa Claus Sunday as the Jolly Elf himself arrives in style on the historic Coast guard motor lifeboat CG36500. Santa will be pulling in to the north jog at the pier at 1:30 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 4, accompanied by a contingent of active Coast Guard members from Station Chatham as well as the operators of the lifeboat boat made famous by the ...

CHATHAM – A resident is calling for the chairman of the conservation commission to apologize and step down following a confrontation over a skiff stored on the shore of Oyster Pond. Resident Elaine Gibbs said Conservation Commission Chairman James “Buck” Upson showed up at her home on Oct. 26 and questioned her about a skiff on her private property on Oyster Pond along Stage Harbor Road. She said Upson identif...

CHATHAM – The following council on aging events are scheduled this month. Most take place at the Stony Hill Road senior center and require registration or reservations. For information or to register for a program, call the COA at 508-945-5190. Monday, Dec. 5, Holiday Extravaganza Lunch and Show, “Making Spirits Bright,” featuring Tom Madden. Noon, tickets $9. Space is limited, reservations are required. Fr...

A 50-year-old Chatham man died in a crash in Boston early Sunday morning, according to state police.  The man was identified by state police late Sunday as Daniel P. Lee. According to a state police press release, troopers responded to a call at 12:40 a.m. in South Boston.  A 2014 Volvo S60 had left Interstate 93 northbound near exit 14. The vehicle went over the guardrail, became airborne, rolled over and ...