The fear of catastrophic climate change is everywhere today, including on the Cape. Well-intentioned people are working tirelessly in our schools, local governments and non-profits to promote clean energy and save the planet. What could be wrong with that? Quite a lot, actually.  Let’s start with the science. Carbon dioxide (CO2), erroneously called “pollution” by many, is a benign gas necessary for life on Ea...

The proposal to establish paid parking at the Rock Harbor lot in Orleans isn't ready for prime time. Officials should postpone the Oct. 17 special town meeting article to allow the program to be fine tuned, and more importantly, to broaden discussions to find out if the community really wants to take this step. Our sense is that right now, there is little to no support and the article is likely to fail. We've ...

Paid Parking Makes No Sense Editor: I would like to respond to the article in the Sept. 8 issue of The Chronicle regarding the intent on the part of the town of Orleans to begin charging a parking fee at Rock Harbor. I was very pleased to see Captain Hap Farrell’s response in the Sept. 15 issue and would like to support his astute observations while including a few of my own.  I am a volunteer with the C...

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The Declaration of Independence makes it quite clear that America was designed to be a country that welcomed others from the outside. This is a country founded by people fed up with the oppressive rule...

Grateful For Meservey Remembrance Editor: Dan Meservey was remembered recently by many in our community. He was well known! Some might think of him as the face of West Chatham. As a selectman, Dan earned respect of many more folks in our growing town. Generations in my family patronized his businesses as he was honest and smart. He seldom showed a temper and always had a smile. He was knowledgeable and h...

If coverage in The Chronicle is any indicator, it wasn’t until about 2001 that ordinary people on the Lower cape started seriously considering the potential impacts of a very slow-moving, theoretical disaster. Experts, some seen to be on the scientific fringes, were calling it “global warming.” It’s amazing the clarity a couple of decades can bring. Responding to human-caused climate change is no longer the...

Appreciates Compassionate Firefighters Editor: I would like to personally thank two of our Chatham community firefighters, “Pickles” and Dustin, for their recent assistance. What a gift it is to have such kind, caring, knowledgeable and compassionate men and women in our community at the other end of a 911 call.  My sincere thanks. Gail Tilton North Chatham Sign Of The Times Editor: In response ...

Only A Matter Of Time Editor: On Friday, Aug. 12, my grandson and I were walking down Harold Lane at 11 a.m. when a plane from the 1940s drew our attention, initially by the noise, but when we looked up, we were startled to see how close the plane seemed to be above the trees, and then we smelled the exhaust it left behind. I was furious. I called the airport to report the issue and was told that there was ...

It was down to the wire. A real nail biter. But we made it. The Cape Cod Chronicle's Helping Neighbors summer fundraiser for the Family Pantry of Cape Cod met its goal. And then some. For a while, it seemed like reaching this season's $75,000 goal was a long shot; just a few short weeks ago, more than $45,000 remained to close the gap. In a series of stories, we emphasized the importance of helping the Family ...

It's hard to believe that Labor Day is here. In some ways, that means that summer is over. In others, it means it's just beginning. For summer residents and vacationers, the past two months saw an almost unparalleled stretch of beautiful, sunny, warm days – perfect beach weather – with just a handful of cloudy, rainy days, and few of them causing anything other than a minor annoyance. That, of course, is much ...

Airport Traffic Increasing Editor: Airplane traffic interferes with the quality of life in Chatham neighborhoods the most during the summer, when throngs of people are here, house windows are open, and people are socializing out on their decks and yards. This is when noisy late-night and early-morning charter flights most disturb sleep, and the repeated roar of flights most interrupts daytime peace and soci...

Chatham's search for a place to build a new senior center is stuck. The latest assessment released last week shows that building a new facility at the Stony Hill Road location of the current senior center is fraught with problems, from a lack of space for parking to the high cost. Adding on to the community center to accommodate some council on aging programs means more cost, bifurcated programming and potential ...