Sometimes it takes a threat of dire consequences to snap people out of complacency and provide the motivation for action. That, in our view, seems to have been behind Harwich Cranberry Arts and Music Festival Chairman Ed McManus' recent comment that the popular festival would have to end its long run without a new infusion of volunteers. To be clear, it was not an empty threat; this fall's Beach Day event had to ...

Facebook has dominated the news the past few weeks, following a whistleblower's revelations, via a series of stories in the Wall Street Journal and more recently in television news interviews, that the social network is aware of the harm the platform causes and deliberately pushes posts that promote misinformation and division. Frances Haugen was scheduled to testify before Congress Tuesday in hearings that are l...

What Happened To Colonial Ordinances? Editor: This: Thanks for the art history lesson. When I first saw the Sept. 9 Shark Cove my reaction was "that's a Mondrian trout, who's this De Stijl character?" Thanks to Google I now know that De Stijl (the style in Dutch) was Mondrian's art movement. That: Whatever happened to the Colonial Ordinances of 1641-47 where the Massachusetts Bay Colony conveyed most, but ...

“How's the paper doing?” That's one of the most frequent questions I'm asked, and I know other members of The Chronicle staff hear it often as well. It came up quite a bit in the past year thanks to two things: COVID and increasing publicity about the loss of local newspapers and news coverage nationwide. The short answer is that the paper is doing just fine, thanks. We were certainly nervous in March 20...

It doesn’t seem to make sense, people being evicted from cottages where working folks have lived for years so that the town can assume ownership of property that is going to be developed into affordable housing. That’s what’s happening in West Chatham, but of course the situation is more complex than it appears. Three residents may lose housing on the Buckley property, which town meeting voted to buy for affor...

Find Different Fire Station Site Editor: The other day, I was standing at the front door of my home on a beautiful sunny day looking across Eldredge Park Way at the skateboard park and further into the beautiful green ball fields. I was feeling very fortunate to have been living here in Orleans for over 20 years surrounded by an emerald in the heart of Orleans. Suddenly, it was shattered when I realized ...

In rebuffing the Orleans Select Board's request that it bond $1 million for the 107 Main St. housing development, the community preservation committee has its priorities wrong. The move could also endanger the project or increase its cost to taxpayers. The Housing Assistance Corporation, the only respondent to the town's request for proposals to develop the former Masonic Lodge property into affordable housing...

A Big Wedding Thank You Editor: Chatham has been our second home for almost 20 years.  As a result, when our son and daughter-in-law got engaged, they wanted to have their wedding here.  They wanted their family and friends to experience the true gem that Chatham is and all that it has to offer.  This past weekend was their wedding celebration and it was just beautiful in every way possible.  Our guests dis...

Next Tuesday, Harwich voters will choose from among three candidates to fill the seat on the board of selectmen left vacant by the untimely death earlier this year of Stephen Ford. The good news is that all three are strong candidates; the bad news is that only one can end up on the board. We've been impressed with Jeffery Handler, Julie Kavanagh and Mark Kelleher. All have strong ties to Harwich and have been...

Garage Sale Benefits Pantry Editor: Thank you to all who stopped by my garage sale in support of the Family Pantry of Cape Cod. Last week I delivered an envelope of almost $1,300 in cash to this wonderful organization that provides food and clothing to all who need it. Now I have a cleaner garage, and anyone who made a purchase is doing their part for the environment by re-using something instead of buying...

For those of us who lived through it, it's hard to believe that 20 years have passed since Sept. 11, 2001. The memories of the events of that day, the images of the smoking Twin Towers and their subsequent collapse, are vivid and as clear as that morning's skies, as is the horror at the death and destruction caused by 19 hijackers whose actions did more than just destroy symbols of western hegemony. They set in m...

Solution To Coast Guard Issue Editor: After many months, the feds have turned a deaf ear to the knowledgeable voices of fishermen, the maritime community and local government officials regarding the need to keep the US Coast Guard 42-foot rescue boats. Why?  Because they can’t find replacement parts for boats designed for the challenging waters of Chatham.  The federal government is not known for “Yankee in...