Letter Opened A Much-needed Dialogue Editor: In recent weeks there as been an outpouring of feedback to the letter from Beverly Nelson.   Like everyone else, I was outraged and a little pissed off at Bev to say the least.  As time as gone by, though, I want to thank Beverly for her (in my opinion) misguided and uninformed letter.  Her letter began a conversation that was long overdue. Like most things in li...

Given the discussions that have gone on in Chatham recently about trying to sustain a diverse year-round population, the park and recreation commission's proposal to raise the annual resident beach sticker fee comes at the wrong time. Like death by a thousand cuts, each time town government raises a permit fee it digs into the limited resources of those who live here year round. Some, like building permits, ha...

The last thing I expected to find on a warm October day in Washington, D.C. was a Maine lobsterman. Or, rather, a statue of one. It was a brilliant, warm, breezy day. Rains from a couple days before had churned up the Potomac, resulting in the light rust mud color of the water, along with all manner of branches and leaves scattered across and under the surface. Having never been to the newly renovated Distr...

Churches Key To First Night  Editor: We should all be thankful for the support given to First Night Chatham by the churches in Chatham that provide venues for the events. Roughly half of the locations this year were town-owned properties with the balance being offered by our community organizations that provide venues for a very high level of artistic and entertaining performances which were enjoyed by all ...

The men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard pride themselves on being semper paratus , or always ready. At sea, they answer the call when lives are on the line. In addition to their search and rescue function, the Coast Guard has taken on a variety of other duties, from securing our ports and responding to oil spills to monitoring endangered whales and intercepting drug traffickers. And year after year, come al...

Good Deeds Confirm Faith In Town Editor: I am writing to tell the story of the man and Chatham residents who saved my Christmas and confirmed my faith in the joy of living in Chatham. I was shopping on Main Street on Christmas Eve Day and lost my wallet. I discovered this when I went to pay for an item at the Candy Manor. The salesperson, Robbie Carroll, kindly told me to pay the next time I was in the stor...

Most people are exposed to live theater at the community level, through amateur or semi-amateur productions that are always high in enthusiasm, even if the quality may vary widely. On the Cape, we are blessed with many theaters, from scrappy amateur community companies to professionals presenting everything from classic musicals to cutting-edge dramas. The future of two of our region's most venerable theaters, ho...

The New Year – 2019 – there will never be another, what does it mean, other than to remember to write the new date on checks and documents, or to purchase an amusing doggie yoga calendar to organize ourselves for the next 52 weeks.  But even as wizened and weary Father Time ushers in the tiny diapered one, each new year we sense a change, a subtle shift of time. Jan. 1 gives us another chance to begin anew,...

Though a special place, Cape Cod has problems that towns, their institutions, and above all its residents need to fix. Complex and difficult to understand, faced with conflicting and sometimes self-serving solutions, the problems often make me feel lost. Learning their nature and getting a handle on proposals to address them can set my head spinning. Official activities of town meetings, boards of selectpersons a...

It's A Wonderful Theater Editor: I would like to publicly thank the Chatham Orpheum Theater for their generous gift. My husband and I were one of 147 guests of the Orpheum at the free showing of the classic "It's a Wonderful Life." It clearly was not something the theater "had" to do, but to offer what was a "sold” out free performance was very much appreciated. It solidifies my feeling that we are very luc...

We're skeptical of decisions made on the regional or even national level that directly involve facilities or operations locally, particularly when there is little or no input from the people directly impacted. An example is the dispute over the western boundary of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. Had U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials had detailed discussions about their decision to assert jurisdiction...

If A Tree Votes In The Forest... Editor: In response to Beverly Nelson’s recent letter, I pose this question:  Let’s imagine I am a full-time Chatham resident with a hideaway cottage on a lake in Natick (because I cannot afford the townhouse in the Back Bay). What voice and vote do I have to affect change according my specific needs and whims in  Natick? Linda Simonitsch Chatham   A Plea For You...