b'C H A P T E R T E NThen, at Town Meeting in the spring of 2003, a positive verdict came in on exactly what this hotly argued act will allocate for applications to fund Chathams community preservation.Responding to nine different projects laid out in the warrant, voters approved them all,d OttTHUI WWBtiWStotaling $670,000. There is a strong likeli FRIENDS OF CHATHAM WATERWAYShood that the town could receive as much asurges Chatham residents toVote "YES" 0for the $450,000 in a state match for the sameCommunity Preservation Actamount raised by the 3 percent surcharge onat the May 16 Town Elections.local real estate taxes. Again, the total can only be spent on historic preservation,Just before Town election in community housing, and open space andMay 2002, FCW used its newsrecreation. letter to advise members on How important was FCW as advocatewhat its directors urged a for CPA? Colie Yeaw has no hesitancy facingYes vote on the CPA issueto help conserve open space, set that pitch. Without the support of FCW, heaside funds for affordable says, the CPA would not have passed. Orleanshousing, and do worthwhile was the only other Cape town to try, and thehistoric preservation projects.vote wasnt close.To Dredge Or Not To DredgeFourth-generation Chathamite Scott Tappan lives a tenth of a mile from Oyster River, where his family and he have had a mooring ever since 1938.When the issue of re-dredging the river bubbled up in the early Nineties, he grew concerned. But, rather than just moan and groan about it, he decided to apply for a slot on the Waterways Committee; it would be crucial in resolving the proposition.So he filled out an application, received a selectmens appointment, and within months, circumstances eased him into the chairmanship.As far back as 1971, dredgers had dug down in Oyster River, but only partly finished.The proposal to do it again arose as Scott Tappan settled into his Waterways Committee post.The impetus came largely from the Chatham Yacht Basin, perched at the western edge of the river, where pond and river meet; the neighboring Oyster River boat yard joined in the effort. David Oppenheim, owner of the C. Y. B., was very intent, according to Tappan, on having the river deepened.That would encourage bigger boats to moor at the basins docks, hence more income from servicing and storage. And to home builders, that option of larger craft berthed there had direct implications for their trade.182'