Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for all that we have, to share gratitude with the people who share our lives and our work, and an opportunity for generosity.

The Chatham Democrats wish all of our readers a Thanksgiving Day spent with family and friends.

We thank you for your time and contributions to our work.

To each of you: May you have good health, fast friends, productive activities, and a time and place to be with some of those who matter in your life. 

As we look forward, we will all need the strength of our community, the support of our friends and family, and a belief in our capacity to make a difference in the world.

HELLO NEIGHBORS:

In an effort to combat food insecurity within the community the Town of Chatham has partnered with multiple local providers to establish the Town of Chatham Community Refrigerator at our Town Hall, adjacent to the main entrance, located at 488 State Route 295, Chatham, NY. 

Purchased through a grant from the Columbia Kitchen (formerly Columbia County Recovery Kitchen), the refrigerator is now online for distribution of food to those in need. The community will have 24 hour access to the program. 

The refrigerator will hold weekly donations of prepared meals from the Columbia Kitchen.  In addition, local farms including but not limited to Dogwood Farms, the Berry Farm, Staron Farms and Rowe-Lant Farms have come forward as donors to the program. In fact, Henry Corsun and Dogwood Farms and Columbia Kitchen have kicked off the program with a fantastic donation.

For Questions Contact:

Supervisor Donal Collins: (518) 330-1019 cell;

supervisor@chathamnewyork.gov

Those who take food agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Town, its officers, agents, donors and employees, from and against any and all claims, suits, liabilities, costs, damages and expenses arising out of or in connection with the Community Refrigerator program.

Town Board hears survey results from  

Economic Development Committee 

The Finance Planning and Economic Development Committee presented a summary of its initial survey work with local businesses and nonprofit organizations to the Board at the November 20, 2025 meeting. 

Committee member Patrick Owens gave an overview of the survey findings. He described a good response rate to the survey, which assessed information about local businesses and their view of the Chatham business environment. The survey also asked these businesses to identify challenges and opportunities in the town and asked for related concerns and suggestions. More than half of those businesses responding to the survey are located within the Village of Chatham and the remainder are located elsewhere in the Town of Chatham. 

Some of the identified advantages of locating a business or nonprofit in Chatham included that there is an established business district, a receptive, curious community, and a concentration of other nonprofits and cultural institutions in the area, enriching it as a “cultural destination.”

Identified barriers to business success or expansion included limited parking and public transportation, insufficient customer traffic, the high cost of housing and commercial space in the town, and limited lodging in the area.