We were surprised recently to see a rack of plastic grocery bags next to the checkout at the East Harwich Stop and Shop. As we fumbled to pack our reusable cloth bags, now standard equipment on any shopping trip, we wondered what had happened to the ban on plastic bags passed in Harwich more than a year ago. The answer, we discovered, was that nothing had changed; single-use plastic bags are still banned in Ha...

Responds To 'Whopper' Allegations Editor: I was at the very same meeting of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Mr. Leavitt attended, and I'm "incredulous" over his derisive/erroneous characterization of it in the Feb. 9 Chronicle. The "whoppers" according to Mr Leavitt: 1. Fact: The West Chatham Roadway Project's original application had an estimated projected cost of $1...

Tim Roper first came to our attention back in 2003 as the man behind the Crap Cod Chronicle. The satirical newsletter parodied Chatham's people and events – and us. It was clever, funny and pulled no punches. We loved it. After observing and commenting on town politics from the sidelines, Mr. Roper decided to take a more direct approach in 2010 and ran for the board of selectmen. In a four-person race for two ...

“ Those were the days, my friend We thought they’d never end... Those were the days, oh yes those were the days” Mary Hopkin The Hammond family has been part of American history since Benjamin and Mary Hammond immigrated from England to Rochester, Ma. in September 1634. Benjamin and Mary became Cape Codders shortly thereafter, moving to Yarmouth and later to Sandwich. Calvin Hammond, a grea...

This week we take a break from budgets, wastewater and government controversies – well, not completely, but, shall we say instead “feature less prominently” – in favor of highlighting two local folks whose talent has taken them far and brought them great recognition. Earlier this month, Chatham's Dr. Michael Tompsett stood with three other notable engineers on a London stage to receive the £1 million Queen Eli...

Letter Misrepresented Positions Editor: Our question is why someone would misrepresent the truth about the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) meeting, which we, the undersigned, attended. A letter that appeared in last week’s Chronicle came from R. Leavitt, who was totally frustrated at that meeting when he learned about a new petition signed by the West Chatham neighborhood center busin...

There’s a picture on the bookshelf that greets you as you walk in our house. On the top shelf, between the blue miniature wooden dory that once carried Barbies, stuffed animals, a beloved plastic horse and hand-drawn paper dolls, and the wicker basket full of Christmas cards, sits a red foam photo frame. Adorned with two pink hearts (that always seem to be falling off and are just as easily found and reaffixed...

Conflicted. That's how we feel about the prospect of the new administration in Washington being more amenable to rolling back the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's claim to somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 acres of the waters and submerged lands west of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. We've already stated our agreement with town and state officials that the federal agency overreached by including ownersh...

The holidays and Super Bowl have moved on with the last straggling snowbirds, leaving us in the dust of February. The month in which Candelmas (Groundhog Day) was celebrated is smack between winter and spring, and is short but deadly, causing humans to do anything to spice it up, not the least of which is giving a rodent its own special day. But Punxsutawney Phil and Massachusetts Ms. G aren’t the only va...

Chatham Deserves Better Editor: Last Monday’s town meeting was special. In addition to the usual housekeeping articles, voters chose not to listen to the negative noise and instead opted for preservation for the town: the Eldredge Garage and a conservation lot off Barn Hill Road. We also corrected an inadvertent error made by our assessors and staff. We all make mistakes. To the town’s credit, the error was...

Gratitude All Around Editor: Wow! Your article in the Jan. 19 Chronicle ("Look For The Good") gives special meaning to "a little child shall lead them." It is important to cherish the good that is all around us. We can all build our own gratitude wall. Think of the effect this would have on those we come in contact every day. Thanks for writing this great inspiring story. Let's agree to "hold fast that whic...

“Good morning, Mr. President.” “Good morning Sean. And it is a good morning, an American morning, a good American morning.” “I trust you slept well, sir.” “Fantastic. Like a baby. I always sleep like a baby, sound, so sound you can't hear a pin drop.” “Have you composed your morning tweets yet, sir?” “I tried, over breakfast – fantastic breakfast, by the way, best eggs ever, must be American, Ameri...