Last week, a minority of Chatham voters prevented, for the third time, what a clear majority of residents want: a new council on aging building at 1610 Main St. Once again, the technical requirement that there be a two-thirds vote to borrow money left the project short by slightly more than 100 votes, with 811 supporting the $11 million project and 564 opposed. Fair enough. Those are the rules, and clearly the...

Vote May Harm Future Editor: Last Monday night I attended the Chatham Special Town Meeting even though, as a non-resident taxpayer, I couldn’t vote. After the defeat of the proposal for a new senior center, I came away greatly saddened because I believe the town shot down its seniors and shot itself in the foot: 1) The carefully designed facility would have been modern, energy efficient, economical, and ...

Water, Sewer Costs Are Real Editor: I think we should address issues with both the water and sewer systems. The water system costs are by far determined by the maximum demand. Clearly those with sprinkler systems care little about the amount used; water flowing down streets, for example! Why not help the less affluent year-round residents by charging zero for November through March. For June until Nov...

There’s no minimizing the seriousness, both to those involved and to the community at large, of the recent indictment of a local teen on charges that he tried to drown a fellow teenager at Goose Pond July 19. Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois said the incident was racially motivated, and that the alleged perpetrator, who is White, directed racial epithets at the victim, who is Black. We also s...

Robots Already Taken Over   Editor: Regarding all this talk about AI everywhere you go. What is the big deal? We have had artificial intelligence in Washington, D.C. for more than 50 years.   Allan Brooks Chatham   Incident Impact Is Widespread Editor: Like many others, I was sickened and saddened by the reports of the racial violence between juveniles at Goose Pond. I know that I...

Is it proper to bring a proposal back to voters after it’s failed multiple times to pass at town meeting? Opponents of a proposed new council on aging facility, known as the center for active living, say no, that officials should have honored previous votes. Those technically won a majority but failed to reach the two-thirds threshold required for borrowing the required funding (the margin was one vote in M...

It was almost as if a shock wave went through the community last week when word spread that a 14-year-old boy was being indicted for the attempted murder of another teen. The impact was compounded by Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois’ characterization of the incident as “racially motivated.” Because in the eyes of some, that sort of thing just doesn’t happen here. While the case still has t...

Consider Alternatives For COA Editor: If anyone is looking for more reasons to vote “no again for 1610,” here are a few: Voted down three times by town meeting, yet pushed by town officials, showing no respect for town meeting or taxpayers of Chatham who pay the bills. Excessive cost and size (10,965 square feet) for a town of 6,500, especially with an underutilized 28,587-square-foot community cen...

Every time we begin our Helping Neighbors campaign to benefit the Family Pantry of Cape Cod, whether it be the summer or holiday season, there’s a moment when we wonder if our fundraising goal is too ambitious. Will this be the time that the drive hits a pothole and sputters out before the finish line? But that never happens. And it’s because of you. As we report this week, our Summertime Helping Neighbors ...

...Or Get Off The Pot Editor: Everyone has heard this idiom at one time or another, and maybe even in a slightly different wording, and I think we all know the meaning of it. It basically translates to something like, “make a decision and take action without any more delay.” In this case, I am referring to the Chatham voters and their ongoing issue with authorizing the new COA building at 1610 Main St. T...

Help Seniors Get To Meeting Editor: My wife and I have been residents and taxpayers in Chatham for many years. We have supported investments in the town including the community center, the fire department, the police station, and the town hall annex. We were told that a needed new senior center would be the next project. That was about 10 years ago. The time has now come. We have the need, we have a good de...

Many no doubt mourn the loss of the Christmas Tree Shops. The local chain was one of the few places that both residents and visitors could find items for the home — year-round or seasonal — as well as gifts and nicknacks at a reasonable price. How many of us have yardsticks with a snowman on it for measuring snowfall or ready-to-assemble side tables that just happened to fit that little niche in the kitchen. It w...