CHATHAM — Facing the possibility that all sorts of fee and tax revenue will be down because of the COVID-19 emergency, town officials are preparing an austere budget plan for fiscal 2021. Finance Director Alix Heilala told selectmen Monday that she and Town Manager Jill Goldsmith are making contingency plans in case available revenue declines to 75 percent or even half of the current year’s local receipts. ...

CHATHAM – Rather than retiring next January, as previously announced, Chief of Police Mark Pawlina will instead remain on the job through March 2022. Pawlina said the 2021 date had been somewhat arbitrary, and upon reflection, he decided to extend his tenure for “mostly personal reasons.” He had originally tied retirement to his daughter's graduation from college, but said his youngest son will still be in ...

CHATHAM – The recently passed federal CARES legislation provides $2 trillion in financial relief for businesses and individuals impacted by COVID-19. But its complex mix of loans, grants and other programs can be difficult to navigate. Add to that all the other state and federal programs available to those who need help during the emergency, and a person can easily drown in paperwork and a confusion of acronyms. ...

CHATHAM – Chatham Bars Inn, the town's largest private employer, is instituting a “pause in operations” through April 30. The announcement came prior to guidance issued by the state department of public health Tuesday limiting the use of hotels, inns and short-term rentals to healthcare workers and those on the front line of the coronavirus response (see "Concerns Arise About Out Of State Visitors" ). Whil...

CHATHAM – When he decided to take on the job of filling bird feeders as a volunteer at the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, Jan “JC” Crocker had no idea that it would lead to a multi-media project that would take three years and more than 3,000 hours to complete. The final product brought the refuge's visitors center into the 21st century and earned Crocker national recognition. The National Wildlife Refuge A...

CHATHAM — Plans are now in place for the long-awaited renovation of the town's trash transfer station and recycling center. But given the financial uncertainties caused by COVID-19, selectmen last week said they'd like to see a scaled-down project rather than the $4.3 million renovation that they pursued earlier. Selectmen heard a brief presentation from DPW Director Tom Temple, who argued that the disposal ar...

With public health experts saying that the peak number of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts is still about two weeks away, local officials say social distancing is more important than ever. The number of confirmed cases in the state and county climbed steadily this week, but Chatham Natural Resources Director Robert Duncanson said it’s not wise to focus on those numbers. “Everybody should probably assume that th...

As cars with out-of-state plates pop up with more frequency around the Cape, residents are expressing concerns with what they see as an unwillingness to consider the health and safety of those who live and work here year-round. The concerns seem to have been heard by state officials. On Tuesday, the state department of public health issued new guidance mandating that hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts, a...

CHATHAM – The need for social isolation is one of the most difficult aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. For residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, cutting off visits from families and friends, often their only social interactions, can be difficult. “It's just very limiting for us all,” said Liberty Commons resident John Shearer. “But it's a sacrifice that a few of us have to make. We're very...

Though it could not be confirmed through public health channels, the COVID-19 virus has apparently claimed the life of a retired priest who was affiliated with Christ Church, Harwich Port. According to the Rev. Brian McGurk, rector at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church of Chatham, the Rev. Dr. Richard Ottaway, an Episcopal priest and college professor, died Sunday night at Cape Cod Hospital as as result of COV...

Recognizing that many local residents are hurting because of the closures and other restrictions imposed by the coronavirus emergency, businesses, individuals and nonprofit organizations are stepping up to the plate to provide much-needed support and services, ranging from financial donations to supplying families with diapers and other necessities to sewing protective masks for healthcare workers. “This commu...

CHATHAM — Not surprisingly, selectmen this week officially threw their support behind the plan for a new senior center at 1610 Main St. The board recommended that town meeting pass the $8.28 million article, despite the fiscal uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. “The issues with the council on aging are not going to go away after we get through this period of emergency,” Selectman Peter Cocolis s...