COVID-19 Update

Chatham has had a total of 546 cases of COVID-19 reported in Town from March 2020 through December 28, 2021. That is an increase of 48 cases since December 20, 2021 for a total of 95 cases so far in December 2021, compared with a total of 57 cases in all of December 2020. The Town's percent positivity has correspondingly risen sharply as well.

As Massachusetts has now had over 1 million positive cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic, we encourage all to abide by MA Department of Public Health advisory that all residents, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask indoors (and not in your own home).

White and Black theatrical masks on a red banner hung on a telephone pole

Countdown to First Night

First Night activities will take place outdoors along Main Street this year and are all free! No buttons are required to attend activities but a collectors button is available for a donation.

12 Noon - Town Photo at Chatham Light
3:00 p.m. Carnival Caper
5:00 p.m. Noise Parade
5:30 p.m. Fireworks at Veterans Field

Check the First Night Chatham Activities Page for a full listing of activities and locations.

Aerial view of numerous moored sail and motors boats

Mooring Permits & Waitlist Renewals

2022 Mooring Permits and Waitlist Renewals are due by December 31, 2022!

Renewals must be received or postmarked by that date or be assessed an additional late fee for each mooring permit and waitlist renewal. No renewals are allowed after January 31, 2022. As Town Offices are closed tomorrow, Friday, December 31, 2021, get to the Post Office first thing in the morning!

Last Call - Christmas Tree Pick-up Fundraiser

Chatham Boy Scout Troop 71 is holding a Christmas Tree pick-up fundraiser.

For a $10 donation per tree, the Boy Scouts will pickup and dispose of your tree for you. Payment is by cash or check payable to "Chatham Troop 71" and the service is open to Chatham, Harwich and Orleans residents. Trees should be free of all decorations and tinsel and left curbside by 8 a.m. on pick-up day.

To schedule pick-up on January 8 or January 9, call Abby at 508-304-3154 or complete the online form no later than December 31st. Thank you in advance for supporting our Boy Scouts!

Holiday Lights Recycling Collection

The Cape Cod Cooperative Extension in collaboration with AmeriCorps and all 15 Cape towns is sponsoring the 5th Annual Holiday Lights Recycling Collection program through January 15th.

Take advantage of this easy, convenient, and sound method of disposing of those half-lit, missing-bulbed, or too-tangled strands of holiday lights and save yourself the trouble of packing them away until next year!

There are two collections containers at the Transfer Station - one is in the Recycling area and the other is by the Trash Building.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service - January 17th

This year, AmeriCorps Cape Cod is partnering with CARE for the Cape & Islands and the Center for Coastal Studies to host a Cape-wide beach cleanup. Volunteers will be cleaning eight beaches from Sandwich to Provincetown. Multiple time slots and locations are available. Social distancing and masking will be encouraged.

The program’s goal is to help preserve the health and beauty of Cape Cod’s shorelines for future generations through education and action.

AmeriCorps Cape Cod believes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr challenged us to build a more perfect union and taught us that everyone has a role to play. By observing MLK Day of Service as a day on, not a day off, AmeriCorps will be celebrating service as a powerful tool that strengthens community and brings people together to build a better future.

For more information, visit the AmeriCorps webpage. If you are interested in volunteering, either individually or as part of a larger group, sign up today!

AARP Tax Aide Available

AARP Tax Aide will be offering Federal and State income tax preparation and filing services free to everyone of any age by appointment through the Chatham Council on Aging in early February 2022 through the mid-April filing deadline. You don't have to be an AARP member to participate!

Tax Aide is the largest free, volunteer-based tax assistance and preparation program in the United States. It began in 1968 and is offered in conjunction with the IRS. Tax Aide Counselors are trained and pass several IRS certification exams each year.

Please contact the COA at 508-945-5190 to schedule your appointment and to make arrangements to pick-up your pre-appointment packet. Meetings with Counselors (all fully vaccinated against COVID-19) are held at the Community Center under safety protocols in place at the time.

Next Select Board Meeting

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.

Join the meeting on-line or participate by phone by dialing 1-508-945-4410 and entering Conference ID 134 208 476#.

I. Minutes
December 20, 2021 Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees
December 21, 2021

II. Public Announcements and Agenda Item Requests

III. New Business

A. Corona virus (COVID-19) Update (Director of Natural Resources Dr. Robert Duncanson and Town Manager Jill Goldsmith

B. Drinking Water Testing and Pumping Update (DPW Superintendent Gary Glazier & Water Superintendent Tom Barr)

C. Public Hearings

a. Liquor License Transfer; Orpheum Theater, Inc. to Pizza Shark, Inc.

D. Public Comments on Business Agenda

E. Business Agenda (Board Discussion Items)

a. Special One Day Alcohol Permits; Atlantic White Shark Conservancy; 235 Orleans Road

b. License Agreement; Verizon; Pole Anchor; Sam Ryder Road

c. FY2023 Budget Preview – Proposed Administrative Order and Staffing Requests

d. Town Manager’s Report; November 2021

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!

Town of Chatham website www.chatham-ma.gov