Juliet Bernstein holding the Boston Post Cane presented to her in 2016.

Remembering Juliet Bernstein

Chatham lost a true treasure with the passing of Juliet Bernstein on November 18th.

Juliet Relis was born in Ferndale, NY on July 12, 1913. She and her husband Selig Bernstein were educators in NY until retiring and moving to Chatham in 1971. She was an active member of our community ever since.

Ms. Bernstein served on the Health Care and Transportation Committees of the Cape Cod League of Women Voters and served as the League's President. She lead efforts that resulted in the Town being declared, by a non-binding advisory question, a nuclear free zone in 1984. She persuaded the Chatham Town Band to allow female musicians to join their ranks in the early 1980's. She served on the Town's Handicapped Affairs Committee from 1989-1992. She wrote countless letters to local newspapers on issues of women's rights, social justice, and local interest; the last of which was published this week.

In February 2016 Ms. Bernstein was presented with Chatham's Boston Post Cane recognizing her as the Town's oldest resident at 102. The ceremony is available for viewing on the Town's website and will be re-broadcast on Ch. 18 this weekend to honor Ms. Bernstein.

Bridge Street Closure Update

Bridge Street remains closed for construction from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additionally, paving will take place Saturday, November 20th from 7 a.m. to noon. No work will take place on Thursday, November 25th or Friday, November 26th.

Resident access is available via Stage Harbor Road and Main Street. Construction is expected to continue through mid-December.

COVID-19 Update

The Town has had a total of 422 reported cases of COVID-19 since March 2020. Through the 15th there were 16 cases reported in November 2021. This is compared to 13 cases total reported in November 2020. Of the 16 cases, 11 have been in vaccinated individuals and they other five individuals were either unvaccinated or their status was unknown.

The Town's average daily incident rate for the previous two weeks has risen from 6.1% to 8.6%,. The average daily incident rate for Barnstable County is 17.7%. Chatham's percent positivity for the same period has risen from 20.9% to 3.5%. The percent positivity for Barnstable County is 3.67%

Vaccination Clinic at Harwich Elementary School

Monomoy Regional School District, Barnstable County and the harwich Board of Health are sponsoring a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for children ages 5-11 years old on Wednesday, December 1st from 3-4:30 p.m. at the Harwich Elementary School gym. Please enter through Door 5.

Registration is required and participants will have to remain on site for 15 minutes for monitoring by nurse. The clinic for the second dose will be held on Wednesday, December 22nd. Questions? Call Harwich Elementary School Nurse Holly Tavano at 508-430-7216 or htavano@monomoy.edu.

Toys for Tots donation box with toys inside

Toys for Tots & Stuff a Cruiser

The Chatham Police Department has begun collecting new, unwrapped toys in the Police Station lobby for Toys for Tots! Your donations will help brighten the season for kids in need. All toys collected stay in Chatham and on Cape.

And, on Saturday, December 4th stop by Ocean State Job Lot in West Chatham between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to help the CPD "Stuff a Cruiser." These toys will be transported in a public safety convoy the the "Stuff a Bus" event in Hyannis.

Santa Arrives

Save the Date! Santa is scheduled to make his annual arrival at the Fish Pier on Sunday, December 5th at 1 p.m. After arriving at the Pier with members of the Coast Guard on the historic CG36500, Santa will greet kids and hand out candy canes. He'll then get a lift from the Fire Department over to the Community Center to meet with more of our young community members.

Cape Cod Commission Climate Ambassador Program

Climate Ambassadors Sought

The Cape Cod Commission is inviting Cape and Islands students in grades 9-12 to apply to its Climate Ambassador Program, an initiative to educate, engage, and empower young people on Cape Cod to work together to combat the impacts of climate change.

Students who would like to develop a better understanding of climate change, learn how to communicate effectively about climate, and learn what actions can be taken individually and collectively to bring about change are encouraged to apply.

A virtual information session on the program will be held on November 30, 2021 from 4-4:30 p.m. Those interested can sign up to attend or visit the program's website for more information.

Fuel Assistance Programs

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program which helps income-eligible households pay their energy bills. Those who have been awarded funds through this program in the past will be mailed recertification forms. New applicants can complete the application process online through South Shore Community Action Council, Inc. website.

Residents who do not meet the income eligibility requirements of the HEAP program may qualify for assistance from the Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund.

Eversource Energy also offers customers payment plans and budget billing options to spread payments over time and a free webinar to learn about solutions to help lower monthly heating bills. More information is available on their website.

Next Select Board Meeting - Virtual Participation ONLY

All are welcome to 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
November 16, 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. Public Hearings

i. Utility Pole Hearing; Jointly Owned Stub Pole, 76/16S, Sam Ryder Road (Verizon & Eversource) [Continued from 11/16/2021]

C. Public Comments on Business Agenda

D. Business Agenda (Board Discussion Items)

i. Consider Requests for Special One Day Alcohol Permits

1. If the Shoe Fits, 442 Main Street, Dec. 10 & 11, 2-8 p.m. (CeCi Hardawar)

2. Chatham Thread Works, 400 Main Street, Dec. 10, 4-8 p.m., Dec. 11, 3-5 p.m. (Jen Falvey)

3. Mark August, 490 Main Street, Dec. 10, 4-9 p.m. (Corrine Blakeney)

ii. Consider Easements on Twine Field Road – Wastewater Project 1D1 (Dr. Robert Duncanson)

iii. Re-vote Precinct Redistricting (Town Clerk Julie Smith)

iv. Fishermen’s Storage Update [CM] (Terry Whalen)

v. Consider Request to Join Multi-District PFAAS Litigation

vi. Consider Requests for Extensions by Seasonal Alcoholic Beverages Licensees

vii. Consider Requests for Temporary Closing by Annual Alcoholic Beverages Licensees

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