Weathering a Hurricane in Chatham Borough

During the two days that I spent in our Borough’s emergency command center, I witnessed many selfless acts by Chatham’s police officers,firefighters, department of public works, staff and the Community Emergency Response Team.  

One act, however, stands out and it exemplifies for me the spirit of Chatham Borough. On Saturday night, as Irene was just beginning to hit us with her full fury, the command center received a call from an 85-year-old resident of our town. The resident was unable to close her windows and the storm was blowing rain and worse into her home. Now in many towns, the resident would have been told that the problem was her own and that in the midst of a storm there is nothing that could be done to help her.

However, Chatham Borough is not most towns, and a squad car was quickly dispatched and one of our officers helped seal her home. Some might say that this was a small act, not worthy of note, but across the Borough this past week, similar acts of kindness have accumulated,and despite some scratches and bruises, our town has made it out of this in good shape. 

Watching our town come together to weather this storm has reaffirmed for me why I am so honored to serve as your mayor. I believe all our residents would join me in thanking those civil servants who worked tirelessly to limit any damage and to ensure that our residents remained safe. I would also like to say thank you to all of you, the residents of Chatham Borough, for your patience and understanding as we helped clear away the debris and restore your electricity. 

Thanks again, and all the best,

Mayor Nelson Vaughan