Thanksgiving Holiday Closures

The Town Offices, Community Center, Center for Active Living and the Transfer Station will all be closed on Thursday, November 28th for the Thanksgiving holiday. Town Offices, the Community Center and the Center for Active Living will also be closed on Friday, November 29th. The Transfer Station will be open normal operating hours on Friday, November 29th.

Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Morning

The 20th Annual Turkey Trot steps off from the Oyster Pond parking lot at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.

The route follows Stage Harbor Road to Champlain Road, turning onto Battlefield Road, then onto Cedar Street where the runners will complete a loop on Capri Lane before heading back onto Cedar Street for the return to Stage Harbor Road and the finish line.

This family-friendly 5K fun run/walk, benefiting the Lower Cape Outreach Council, is an extremely popular event and holiday tradition for many. Last year 2283 participants registered and 2077 crossed the finish line with official times.

If you must travel on or near the race route on Thanksgiving morning, please use extra caution.

Temporary Outdoor Burning Ban Lifted

Effective Monday, November 25th, the Temporary Outdoor Burning Ban, imposed on November 5, 2024, was lifted. As cooler temperatures, higher relative humidity, and precipitation move in across Massachusetts, the extreme risk of outdoor fires spreading and growing quickly has declined significantly. Outdoor fires should be controlled in size, contained, and for the purposes of cooking. Open brush burning season does not begin until January 15, and requires a permit from the Fire Department.

Residents should continue to:

- use caution with lawnmowers, leaf blowers, all-terrain vehicles, and other power equipment. The engines can become hot enough to ignite dry leaves and grass.

- dispose of ashes from fireplaces and wood stoves in a metal can, douse them with water, and cover them with a tight-fitting lid. These ashes can remain hot enough to ignite combustibles long after the fire goes out: never dump them outdoors or in the trash and finally extinguish smoking materials in a sturdy ashtray with water or sand.

-Never toss cigarette butts, matches, or other smoking materials over the edge of a balcony, stub them out on stairs or railings, or toss them in dry vegetation or debris.

Thank you for helping keep our community safe during these dry conditions!

Frost Fish Creek Restoration Grant Award

The Town has received a $300,000 grant from the MA Department of Fish and Game, Division of Ecological Restoration toward the planning and design of the Frost Fish Creek Wetland Restoration Project (The Project).

The Project involves the redesign of undersized culverts under Route 28 to re-establish more natural tidal exchange between Frost Fish Creek and Ryder’s Cove, thereby improving water quality and restoring wetland health and function in Frost Fish Creek, and planning for the transition of a freshwater (abandoned cranberry) bog within the Frost Fish Creek system to an estuarine wetland, thereby expanding tidal restoration in the Frost Fish Creek system.

The Project is a designated MA Division of Ecological Restoration Priority Wetlands Restoration Project and involves multiple agency partners including MA Department of Transportation, Chatham Conservation Foundation, MA Division of Ecological Restoration, US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Cape Cod Conservation District.

The Town has previously been awarded $200,000 in grant funds by the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Chatham Conservation Foundation secured $75,000 in Community Preservation Act funds for this phase of the Project at the 2021 Annual Town Meeting. The Town’s 25% match funding for the eventual construction of the Project was approved through Article 26 at the 2022 Annual Town Meeting.

Reminder:

Mooring and Waitlist renewals are due to the Harbormaster no later than December 31st! Renewals were e-mailed out on October 31st. If you did not receive yours in your Inbox, and cannot locate in your Junk mail file, please contact the Harbormaster's Office for assistance.

kayaks and dinghies hauled out at a Town landing

Watercraft Removal Notice

Per Harbormaster Regulations Section 1022 (5) and Town Landing Regulations Section 13, all dinghies, kayaks, and other watercraft stored along the shore on Town-owned property are to be removed by November 30th unless in active use by the owner.

White circle in a dark blue square with SHOP SMALL in white letters in the center

Shop Small This Saturday

This holiday season let's show some love to the heart of our community—our local merchants! This Saturday, November 30th is the 15th annual Small Business Saturday. Spend the day exploring all that Chatham’s small businesses have to offer.

Shopping locally supports our neighbors, creates jobs, and keeps our economy going, especially in the winter months. Whether it’s a cozy sweater, handcrafted jewelry, or a gift card to a favorite restaurant, every purchase makes a big difference.

white lighthouse encircled by a gold-colored rope with The Flash and Chatham TV around it

December Flash TV

Take a break from your holiday preparations and watch the December edition of Flash TV to learn about the programs and services offered at the Community Center and the Center for Active Living next month.

Anna Milan, the Council on Aging’s Program and Communications Coordinator also sits down with Josephine “Jo” Fennell, who has been appointed as the Town’s first Adult Supportive Day Program Director, to discuss her professional background and the importance of implementing an adult supportive day program in Chatham.

Sticker Office Update

Sticker Office sales and services will be moving up to the Natural Resource counter on the main floor of the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road as of December 3rd. Hours will remain the same, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Santa surrounded by members of the US Coast Guard at the Chatham Fish Pier

Santa Arrives on Sunday

Santa Claus will make his annual pre-Christmas visit to Chatham on Sunday, December 1st. He is scheduled to arrive by boat at the Municipal Fish Pier, Barcliff Avenue Extension, at 1 p.m. where he will pass out candy canes to those who are there to meet him.

Santa will then catch a ride with the Chatham Fire Department over to the Community Center to meet and greet more of his fans. If you need to secure your place on the “Nice” list this year, stop by and say hello to the man himself!

Water Storage Tank Cleaning & Inspection Resume

After a short delay, the cleaning and inspection of the Town’s water storage tanks will resume next week. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Water Division at 508-945-5150.

Chatham Town Seal with silhouette of a speaker at a podium in the center

Gift wrapping service at the Center for Active Living begins on December 9

Two women standing in front of window boxes decorated for the holidays

Downtown Dazzling with Holiday Displays

We are feeling thankful for the work of our Parks & Grounds crew, the Chatham Merchants Association, the Chatham Garden Club and the business owners who have once again pulled out all the stops to light up the downtown area with holiday decorations. Their efforts add extra sparkle to this magical time of year!

A tangle of multicolored holiday lights with one red bulb not working

Holiday Lights Recycling

And speaking of holiday decorations…

Barnstable County’s Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and AmeriCorps Cape Cod are once again teaming up with all 15 Cape towns to offer free holiday lights recycling.

If you find you have broken or unwanted holiday lights when you bring out your decorations this year or at the end of the season drop them off in the designated collection bin at the Transfer Station through January 2025.

Rope lights, garland, lights, mini lights, LED lights and C7 and C9 bulbs are all accepted but please, no lights attached to artificial trees or wreaths or lighted decorations such as stars, angels, or other fixtures.

The lights will be processed, with recyclable materials recovered to reduce our municipal solid waste stream.

Black dog in a blaze orange vest in the forest

Deer Hunting Season Ahead

Deer hunting by shotgun begins on Monday, December 2nd and lasts until December 14th. Deer hunting by primitive firearm (black powder) takes place from December 16th -31st. No hunting is permitted in Massachusetts on Sundays.

Please protect yourself and your canine companions when venturing into the woods by wearing blaze orange during these hunting seasons.

Next Select Board Meeting - December 3, 2024 @ 5:30 p.m.

All are welcome to attend and participate in our open and public meetings. The agenda for each meeting is posted 48 business hours prior to the scheduled meeting time and can be accessed through the Select Board's webpage.

Attend in-person at the Town Office Annex, Large Meeting Room. Join the meeting on-line or participate by phone by dialing 1-508-945-4410 and entering Conference ID 203 386 491#.

I. Minutes

A. November 12, 2024

II. Public Announcements and Agenda Requests

III. Public Hearings

A. Utility Hearing; To Install Six (6) New Handholes, 20’ +/- 1-4” Conduit, 20’ +/- 1-4” Conduit, and 118’ +/- 2-4” Conduit on Mill Pond Road and Homestead Lane – Marissa Jackson

B. Alteration of Premise; Seasonal All Alcohol License; Dogfish Taco Co., 22 Barnhill Road; Addition of Service Bar Trailer to Existing Outdoor Patio – Peter Higgins

IV. Board/Committee/Commission Update

A. Historical Commission – Frank Messina, Chair

V. Public Comments on Business Agenda

VI. Business Agenda

A. Consider Special One-Day Alcohol Licenses

i. Bon Matin Enterprises, LLC, December 13, 2024, 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm at 610 Main Street (Holiday Stroll – Continued from November 19, 2024) – Maureen Finnerty

ii. Ports & Company, December 13, 2024, 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm at 595 Main Street (Holiday Stroll – Board Waiver Required) – Lisa Lynch

iii. Lola Mer, December 18, 2024 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm at 782 Main Street – Katie Cole

iv. Puritan Cape Cod, Thursday December 19, 2024 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm at 573 Main Street – Megan Penn

v. Chatham Creative Arts Center, January 10, 2025, February 7, 2025, March 7, 2025, April 4, 2025, May 2, 2025, and May 30, 2025 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm at 154 Crowell Road – Amy Middleton

B. Request to Abate Unpaid Real Estate Taxes; 1533 Main Street (Town-Owned Property) - Town Assessor Ardelle Kelly

C. Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office Proposed Assumption of the Town of Chatham’s Fire Department Dispatch Duties – Fire Chief Justin Tavano

D. Consider Annual Liquor License Renewals – Licensing Agent Shanna Nealy

E. Consider Requests for Temporary Closings of Establishments Holding an Annual Liquor License – Licensing Agent Shanna Nealy

F. Appointments

i. Board of Health (associate)

ii. Summer Residents Advisory Committee (alternate to full member)

The Mainsheet

The name of our e-newsletter was selected from submissions by our community.
In nautical terms a mainsheet is the line connected to the boom which allows a sailor to control the speed of a boat. We think that is fitting for an e-newsletter that can be used to quickly send out important information to our community or at a more leisurely rate for less pressing matters. It reflects Chatham’s maritime history, is reminiscent of the front page of a newspaper, and it is a fun play on Main Street, where you go to be part of all that is happening in Town!

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