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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
the cap on FairPlan insurance
rates. (During the campaign,
O'Leary denied the charge.)
In another local race of
interest, Kelly Kevin Lydon of
West Barnstable, amember of
the zoning board of appeals,
made a creditable show in
his campaign for a seat on
the governor 's council. In
Barnstable , he outpolled
incumbent Carole Fiola 3,714
to 1,187, but lost overall, 45 to
55 percent.
Bike trail planners
provide a (literal)
overview
It felt more like following
an autogyro route than a
bike path.
Up on the big screen at
Yarmouth Police HQ was
an aerial video (real , not
animated) travelogue of the
proposed westward extension
of the Cape Cod Rail Trail
from Route 134 in Dennis.
The camera floated across
the old railroad bridge over
Bass River and skirted the
late and lamented Cape Cod
Coliseum in Yarmouth before
turning south to hook up with
recreation areas around the
old landfill, slicing through
heavily wooded water conser-
vation land, and popping out
on Willow Street across from
the Yarmouth Campground.
The rest is up to the Town
of Barnstable , Yarmouth
Department of Public Works
Director George Allaire said.
A bridge (preferred to atunnel
because of the high water
table) willbringcyclistsacross
and send them south alongthe
west side of the railroadtracks
and across Route 28 (how,
no one said) to the Hyannis
Transportation Center and
west through state Fish and
Wildlifelandstoward Cape Cod
Community College.
Push is on to
coordinate services
for homeless
Could human service agen-
cies, town departments, the
business community and vol-
unteers work as one to house
the homeless?
It sure looked like it. Fifty-
five people squeezed into the
police department' s meeting
room to practice problem-
solving with an eye toward
identifying service gaps while
increasing bonds that could
lead to a single point of entry
for people needing services.
In his welcoming remarks,
Town Manager John Klimm
congratulated his listeners for
their commitment, pointed
with pride to what Barnstable
has done, and tweaked his
Cape peers.
"One ofmymajorconcernsis
that thisisbecomingaHyannis
and Barnstableissue,"he said.
"It'snot. It'saCape Cod issue.
Fourteenother townmanagers
andboardsofselectmenshould
be here."
Klimm said if an "unfair
burden"continuestobeplaced
on the town, eventually its
resources will be inadequate
to the task.
Hyannis Civic elects
slate; will seek 500
new members
There aren't any farmers
on the Greater Hyannis Civic
Association executive board,
but the panel nonetheless
pledged to go out in the field
to cultivate new members for
what should be the town's
largest village group - but is
the smallest.
After beingelected president
byacclamation,TonyPelletier,
aretired businessmanwhohas
been active in town taxissues,
fired upthe25memberspresent
with the necessity to launch
a grass roots membership
drive and to take on more
neighborhood issues.
Pelletier compared
membershipfigures withother
villages, noting that most had
around 200 compared to 50
for the Hyannis association
and 1,200 for Osterville, one of
the least populated but most
pro-active villages.
Hyannis is the town's most
populous area at roughly
13,000 , Pelletier said , and
as such experiences a like
proportion of problems such
as crime and traffic.
Draft report on
Commission pulls few
punches
Membersofthe21st
CenturyTask
ForceontheCapeCodCommission
are reviewing a feisty first draft of
the group's report.
"Since its creation, the CCC
has been a target for criticism
and disdain," declares the draft,
prepared principally by chairman
ElliottCarrandbasedoncomments
from fellow members and the
public. "Nobody likes a regulator,
but hostility to CCC has always
exceeded normal bounds."
The first draft says the agency's
historysupports neitherthosewho
sayithasslowed development and
hurt the building trades nor those
whowantittostopalldevelopment
"and thereby save Cape Cod."
There is a perception problem,
the draft notes. Suggested ways
to solve it include establishment
of a unified Capewide Geographic
Information System (GIS) map
system for planning and zoning;
whereverpossible,the Commission
and the towns should conduct
joint hearings on Developments
of Regional Impact; regular
meetings - perhaps every 15
months -between each town's
officials and the Commission;
and a stronger leadership role for
the town's Commission member
in maintaining agency-town
cooperation.
Even before the ink was dry on
thetaskforce'srecommendations,
Cape Cod Commission members
and officials were talking about
ways to implement some of
them.
Ty Ranta speaks
for Cape Cod in
documentary
Ty Ranta helped preserve the
Cape. Now his message of careful
conservation and self-sufficiency
is preserved as well.
Members of the Barnstable
Association for Recreational
Shellfishing gave arousingovation
to the subject of Taisto Ranta:
Native Cape Codder after viewing
thedocumentaryproduced byFred
Dempsey and Hilda Whyte.
Familyand friends were rapt as
the image of the retired shellfish
warden and Natural Resources
officer smiled shyly back at the
camera. Ranta's recollections
ranged over nine decades and
included everything from his
discomfort onhisfirst dayinschool
-when this son of Finnishparents
couldn't summon enough English
to ask to use the bathroom - to
earning a living as a clammer and
earning a Purple Heart in World
War ll.
Rental registration
moving slowly
It was far from arush to register
rentalunitsatthe health division's
counter during the first week of
registration.
Therentalregistrationordinance
adopted bythetowncouncilinJune
was effective as of Oct. 1. On day
one, seven applications had been
filed, according to health director
Tom McKean, whose division is
handling the new program.
The division is drumming up
some business by paging through
classified ads looking for rentals
not in the system. At this point,
that's most of them.
Those contacted have been
friendly and cooperative, McKean
said. He expects about 20 more
applications by the end of the
week,but that'sstillfar shyofwhat
exists.An application deadline of
Nov. 1was set.
The town has never had a
solid number to work with for
how many rental units there are
in Barnstable. Estimates put
the number anywhere between
1,000 and 2,000, but no one really
knows.
Klimm wants CPC focus
on town buildings
"Saints preserve us!" may
become the rallying cry of Barn-
stable's historic churches if the
council adopts the philosophy of
Town Manager John Klimm and
denies them Community Preser-
vation Act funds.
Saints, in the form of private
donors and foundations, would
be the alternative to tapping the
money dedicated to land acquisi-
tion, historic preservation and
affordable housing.
"We have a request from Coun-
cilor (Ann) Canedy for funds
for the Unitarian Church (in
Barnstable village)," Klimm told
several councilors. "I personally
have an issue using tax dollars
for that, though it's a wonderful
church."
Klimm said his objection is to
using the funds for such purposes
whentherearesomanytown-owned
buildingsinneed ofattention,such
as the Trayser Museum.
Lindsey Counsell, chairman
of the Community Preservation
Committee, says he understands
Klimm's position even though
his board voted unanimously to
endorse a$20,000 request from the
church. It's the committee's first
such recommendation.
"John has been very thoughtful
on this," Counsell said. "It's a
difficult question asthere aremany
needs for town buildings."
Schools drill down on
test data
There was a mixed bag of emo-
tions last week asthe school com-
mittee considered the latest 10lh
grade MCAS scores from the state
Department of Education.
Supt. Dr. Patricia Grenier said
it was important to note the
successes ofthe district alongwith
the shortcomings.
Grenier was particularly
impressed with the number of
students qualifying for the John
and Abigail Adams Scholarships.
"We have 113 Barnstable High
Schoolstudentswhoareeligibleto
attend any state school with paid
tuition for four years," she said.
In spite of this success and the
improvement in MCAS scores at
the 10th
gradelevel,the changewas
slight and still included a number
of studentsfailingthetests."While
there have been smallpercentages
of fluctuation," said Grenier, "at
this point in time it is a two-year
relatively flat performance."
Villagers, friends
exhibit concern for their
neighbors from Nepal
It began as a hit and run acci-
dent and ended up as an apolo-
getic cause celebre that debunked
the North Side'sperceived Yankee
aloofness by unveiling its com-
passion.
About 180 people -not all from
the village-shelled out $50 ahead
totastefood,spendmoremoneyon
asilentauctionof43donated items
and enjoy village camaraderie at
the Mattakeese WharfRestaurant
to show two Nepalese accident
victims the Cape cares.
Chhodah Lama, hurt in the
alleged hit and run accident on
Aug. 3, and Chewang Rinchen
Lama, injured when hit by a truck
onAug.15,arrived on crutches and
sat at a corner table with a good
view of the bar and tables where
the auction items were displayed.
Neither speaks English.
When the tally was over, Laurie
Vendetti, who with her husband,
Paul,initiatedthe benefit withTim
Friary, said villagers and others
had combined to raise $14,000 for
the uninsured seasonal workers
at the Cape Cod Organic Farm in
Barnstable Village. Chhodah also
workedasecondjobaskitchenhelp
at Mattakeese Wharf Restaurant.
Fresh look at Fresh
Holes exposes despair
OnMarchll , 1942,Gen.Douglas
MacArthur was ordered to leave
the besieged Philippine Islands.
After his harrowing escape from
Corregidor,he proclaimed hisnow
famous line to reporters: "I came
throughandIshallreturn."Hedid.
It worked.
On Oct. 14,2006,inanotherkind
ofwar,BarnstableTownCouncilor
Harold Tobey "came through"
his precinct's drug- and crime-
besieged Hyannis neighborhood
called Captain'sQuartersbetween
Bearse's Way and Route 28, and
proclaimed at tour's end, "I'll be
back."
Willhe? And willit work?
From what Tobey and an
entourage of councilors, school
committee member Debra
Dagwan,HyannisCivicAssociation
President Tony Pelletier and
Assistant Town Manager Paul
Niedzwieckilearnedastheywalked
Fresh Holes and Hiramar roads,
it will require not only Tobey, but
a multitude of other municipal
officials, property owners and
the police to return often if this
neighborhood of worn duplexes
is to be wrested from gun-toting,
knife-wielding drug heads that
have returned of late to make it
their playground.
"We've got to keep this in the
forefront ,"Tobey said. "The place
needs some TLC."He took aswipe
at the investors who own multiple
duplexes and don't live there: "All
they want is the money."
Of 24 properties on assessor
records (that would be 48 living
units) on Fresh Holes Road alone,
only three are clearly owner-
occupied according to assessor
records. Three other parcels
have Hyannis PO. boxes and the
remainder-18buildingsor36units
- are rentals owned by investors
scattered all over the Cape map
and beyond to Maine and San
Francisco.
Dissenters: task force
report is small change
In astraw poll, Spyro Mitrokos-
tas cast one of two votes against
the 21st Century TaskForce'sdraft
report and recommendations for
changes to the Cape Cod Com-
mission. Mike Cole of Eastham
joined him, with Tony Shepley
of Hyannis and Tom Moccia of
Bourne abstaining.
"As a Chamber Exec, and a
real estate developer, I cannot
support reducing the DRI
thresholds and increasing the
mitigation fees ," Mitrokostas
wrote to the Patriot. "Bottom
line, the Task Force was created
by the County Commissioners to
address the Commission's past
sins, particularly, Barnstable 's
DCPC (District ofCriticalPlanning
Concern), BJ'sDRI (Development
ofRegionalImpact), andthestaff's
rough treatment of applicants,
including the Town of Barnstable
over the GIZ (Growth Incentive
Zone)."
Thevote was10-2-2 to accept the
draft , with four members missing.
Mitrokostas said the nay voters
and abstainers could join forces
with Barnstable Town Council
President Hank Farnham and
Sandwich Selectman Tom Keyes,
two members who did not attend
the meeting at the Hyannis Golf
Club, in filing a minority report
and creating a final 12-6 tally for
the county commissioners to
consider.
Gerry Studds dies
Gerry Studds, the former Cape
Congressmanwhose opposition to
thewarinVietnamandinvolvement
in the sexual revolution of the
1960s and '70s pulled him into the
nationalspotlight,died Oct. 14of a
pulmonary embolism. He was 69.
Studds served Cape Cod, the
Islands and varying combinations
of southeastern Massachusetts
towns in Congress from 1973
to 1997. He focused on ending
the war, opposing later military
misadventures,andonthemaritime
andrelated environmentalmatters
so dear to his district.
When Chatham's fishermen
despairedofgettingthegovemment
to dredge their channel out of
Aunt Lydia's Cove, Studds and
his well-regarded staff attached
the authorization as a rider to
a bill devoted primarily to the
Baltic nations. After BillDelahunt
succeeded Studds, he kept that
staff intact.
"In Washington, his wit could
disarm and render helpless nearly
anyneoconservativeideology,"said
Mark Forest, who joined Studds'
staffin 1984andnowservesaschief
of staff for Delahunt.
Waterboardsglassis full
The Hyannis Water Advisory
Boardhasfilled allthe seatsaround
the table. Joining chair Deb Krau,
Allen Goddard and Peter Cross
are two members of the business
community.
Rachel CarsonBaxterofHyannis
and the Baxter Boat House
holds a degree in environmental
economics. Skip Simpson, who
fives in West Barnstable , owns
the Anchor-In on Hyannis Inner
Harbor.
Baxter and Simpson were
appointed after the committee,the
town,andthe businesscommunity
reached agreement on having two
businessrepresentatives withlocal
connections on the board.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
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6
Running into the
future
In the New England run-
ning world, there is perhaps
no name more familiar than
Johnny Kelley. In the Cape
Cod running world, perhaps
the most popular organiza-
tion for runners is the Cape
Cod Athletic Club, started in
1976by Kelley,whowas aresi-
dent of Dennis, and Nauset
Middle School teacher Larry
Hansen.
The Cape Cod Athletic Club
(CCAC) celebrated its 30th
anniversary with a reception
at the Hyannis Golf Club.
"It originally started just I
to promote running on Cape
Cod ," said club member
Brian Kelly, noting that part
of the motivation involved
members being able to run in
a race from Plymouth Rock
to Provincetown . "You had
to belong to a certified club
to participate. That was the
impetus."
Today the club includes
not just runners, but cyclists,
swimmers and tri-athletes. It
sponsorsormanagescharitable
Caperacesincludingthefamed
Johnny Kelley Road Race in
Hyannis. "There isn't a race
that the club doesn't put on
that isn't charitable ," said
Kelly.
Raiders fall to New
Bedford in dramatic
homecoming match
After Barnstable scored
their first touchdown against
New Bedford , the fans slowly
making their way into the
bleachers started paying at-
tention. When BHS brought
the score to 13-0, they were
riveted.
Unfortunately, with key
players Drew Sifflard and
Alex Glenn sidelined with
•injuries, the Raiders couldn't
hold up againsttheformidable
Whalers, who harpooned a 21-
19 victory in overtime.
SPORTS
Attucks rehab center
buys businesscondo
More business condominiums
are in the works on Attucks Lane
in Hyannis.
The former Barnstable Athletic
Club building, which was the
last venue offering racquetball
in the town, is undergoing major
renovation that is expected to
be completed around January,
said Joseph P Carroll, director of
Cape Cod Rehabilitation/FitPlan
(CCR).
Carroll has purchased a 7,500-
square-foot unit on the first floor
of the two-story building. His unit
will house a FitPlan health club,
therapy and locker rooms, and
an 800-square-foot "therapy and
exercisepool"heated to 90degrees.
i
TheFitPlanAthletic Clubisandwill
remain open to the general public
and also be used by the special
population, such as people with
arthritis, participating in therapy
programs.
Town tackles downtown
noise controversy
Late one night, atuneful rhythm
blared from the open door of The
Island Merchant. There was no
one in the commercial buildings
surrounding the venue at that
hour. No harm, no foul.
But in ayear,if all goes according
to plan, anew three-story building
willbe up across the way on Ocean
StreetinHyannis,housinghigh-end
condo dwellers who may not take
kindly to a measure of midnight
music.
Before the trickle of complaints
about entertainment uses
conflicting with the "quiet
enjoyment" of residences becomes
a flood , the town is trying to find a
solution.
A downtown sound task force of
growth management department
staff, local business leaders, and
a citizen member is meeting on
the issue.
"We are trying to create a lively
mixed-use downtown balancing
the residential needs and the
commercialneeds,"saidRuth Weil,
growth management department
director,lateradding,"Ithinkpeople
arewillingtoaccept that. Just what
level of noise is acceptable" is the
issue.
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