The pages of this week’s paper are filled with distressing news about the pandemic. We’re in the midst of what public health officials call a “surge upon a surge,” with new cases spread at Thanksgiving gatherings being added to the seasonal surge associated with the onset of cold weather. But at long last, after months of bleak uncertainty, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccines are being rushed t...

Rein In Airport Commission Editor: The Chatham Airport Commission has submitted a proposed plan to the FAA which apparently has not been publicly posted, presented or approved. Gale Associates say that the five-year plan requires 22 easements. However, the Airport Layout Plan (ALP), a definitive document, includes the original 46 avigation easements and a ruinous 40:1 surface for instrument departures, whic...

The future of Chatham Elementary School requires extensive discussion and some deep soul searching on the part of residents, town and school officials. Nothing should be off the table; the future of the Monomoy Regional School District is at stake. Enrollment in the lower grades in the Monomoy district has been declining for several years, with Chatham Elementary leading the way. This year there is a single ki...

Given COVID-19, the economic crisis and a nation deeply divided on issues of race, politics and climate change, how would you rate the year 2020? Survey says? Dumpster fire. But today, we focus on reasons to be thankful – and there are many. Social isolation has forced us to think about what’s important in our lives: our friends and loved ones, our coworkers, and our health. By depriving us of much, the pan...

Found Shark Cove Cartoon Offensive Editor: Am I the only one who found your “cartoon” offensive (Shark Cove, Nov. 12)? You owe the Christian community of Chatham a sincere apology for such an offensive rendering. You should be ashamed. Keith Bradley Chatham A Quaint Airport No More? Editor: This is in response to Allan Brooks’ letter from last week, “What shows an ignorance is moving next to an...

When a truck ran into trouble last week in the new roundabout at Main Street and George Ryder Road in West Chatham, it took little time for the naysayers and opponents of the West Chatham Roadway Project to take to social media to say “I told you so.” The incident bore out their worst fears: that the changes would condemn the road to a future of accidents and traffic snarls and kill the West Chatham business dist...

Questions About Airport Plans Editor: Don’t be deceived by the letter last week from a local pilot who is amazed that a minority group can impede the “improvements” at the airport. Perhaps it is the pilots and the airport commission who are the minority. At a time when the town wants to create a people-friendly West Chatham neighborhood center, which happens to be in an airport runway protection safety z...

Drive-Through Was All Treats Editor: The Harwich Community Center trick-or-treat Halloween drive-through would not be possible without donations from our generous sponsors: Ann and Arthur Steidel, Break Time Vending Co., Brenda Weeks Travel, The Cape Cod Chronicle, Christmas Tree Shop, CVS East Harwich, CVS Harwich Port, Main St. 6 Post Office Square, Dairy Queen, Dr. Gary Campagna, Pleasant Lake Avenue ...

In Harwich, the Brooks Academy Museum, built by Sidney Brooks in 1844 as Pine Grove Seminary, needs a new foundation. The question before the town is whether to place a basic foundation underneath the historic structure at about $570,000; put in a foundation plus a partial basement at $900,000; or a foundation plus a full basement for about $1.2 million. The building is certainly important historically and aes...

This week marks the 400th anniversary of what is being called “The Turning Point.” After an arduous 10-week voyage across the Atlantic, the passengers and crew of the Mayflower sighted land – most likely the Nauset highlands somewhere around Orleans or Eastham – and headed south toward the Hudson River Valley, their destination. However, the Pollock Rip shoals east of Monomoy, soon to become infamous for their sh...

These are unprecedented times; not only the past four years, but the past few days and weeks. There's simply nothing in American history that could have prepared us for what we've just been through. As we write this, voters are still going to the polls and the outcome of the 2020 election won't be known, in the best case scenario, until late Tuesday or early Wednesday. More likely, the final result, at least i...

Time To Renew Masks Commitment Editor: Chatham residents and guests have been, for the most part, exemplary with their mask wearing. The images we see around town and in local media reflect well on our collective choices. From time to time, however, we see things that cause concern. Like the picture that appeared in the Oct. 22 Chronicle on page 47 regarding a pumpkin carving and pizza party on Little Beach...