Paragliders Soar at White Crest

Sven and I went to LeCount yesterday afternoon. Down the beach, we spied paragliders, so we set off at a fast clip and walked all the way to White Crest. I could never paraglide, not in my wildest dreams, but Sven would probably have enjoyed this sport had it existed when he was younger. My admiration for these fearless souls knows no bounds. Yesterday the wind was not cooperating much. We stood and watched as the men and women tried to launch into the air, got strings tangled, stopped, re-started, tried again. One fellow had mastered all the techniques and gracefully zipped back and forth along the crest of the dune. What fun he was having!

IFAW Rescues Dolphins in Wellfleet

Sixteen dolphins were stranded at Lieutenant Island and Drummer Cove, here in Wellfleet, yesterday at low tide. The news was on Boston television. Read about it in the Cape Cod Times. Six of the sea creatures were rescued. The Cape Cod Times even offers a video of the rescue. On television, the newsman said that Wellfleet is one place in the world where the most dolphins do get stranded on a regular basis, and researchers do not know why. Perhaps it has to do with the geography of Wellfleet Harbor? Does anyone out in cyberspace know the answer to this question?

Sven and I watched The Cove last week, about the murder of dolphins in Japan. The documentary, which won an Oscar, was especially moving when Ric O’Barry, Flipper’s trainer, described his quest to stop the capture of dolphins and export to sea parks throughout the world. He said several dolphins had played Flipper. Ric seemed to have a favorite, Cathy, who liked to watch herself on television. Apparently Cathy could always tell when the dolphin on the screen was a stand-in. Ric O’Barry is a little older than me. The world’s folly must be more obvious to older people. That’s why many of them become activists …

Guest Post by Laura Kelley

Readers have asked me for an update on the local situation regarding herbicidal spraying under the power lines. For a summary of a recent meeting, go here.

Below, a guest post from organic gardener Laura Kelley, of Littlefield Landscapes, on this subject. (Since our utility company is searching the Internet for mention of its name, I have abbreviated below, with simply N, but I'm sure you know, by now, which company N refers to.)

Here's Laura:

N intends to spray a mixture of five herbicides along 150 miles of Cape Cod. I’m extremely worried because herbicidal spraying is the wrong method of brush removal for Cape Cod. Federal law requires the utility company to remove vegetation under the power lines but does not mandate chemical straying. In the past, N kept vegetation below the two-foot limit by mowing.

The risks posed by herbicidal use have being vastly underestimated. Chemicals do not necessarily remain where they are applied. They will drain into our groundwater. Most Cape Cod residents get drinking water from private wells. We live on a sand bar without enough topsoil to aid in natural filtration. Spraying a dangerous combination of herbicides, with a surfactant base of petroleum, will harm habitat and insects, destroying natural pollinators, the ones we need in order to support our ecosystem, not to mention the potential harm inflicted on humans.

Why can’t N mow beneath the power lines every seven years, as in the past? Non-toxic ways to control vegetation exist and have been proved successful.

I believe the use of herbicides is not a long-term solution. I worry about my health and my neighbor’s health. There are already high rates of cancer on Cape Cod, and a large elderly population who are particularly vulnerable to toxic exposures. At a time when everyone is “going green,” why does N insist on chemicals?

Laura also would like to share with you the first page of the most recent Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod Newsletter:

"Tell your legislators Cape Cod needs a regional policy for N’s herbicide program!

APCC urges you to contact Commissioner Scott Soares today and write him personally about why you do not want N to spray herbicides here. The electric power utility recently announced plans to conduct herbicidal spraying this spring and summer along its Cape Cod easements. N plans to use herbicides in 2010 in all Cape towns except Provincetown and Mashpee.

APCC is concerned about potential impacts to the environment and human health from herbicide use near wetlands, public water supply areas, private wells, rare species habitats and other sensitive areas, found along the easements that run through most of the Cape.

The spraying is part of N's vegetation management program, which in the past has solely relied on mowing and pruning to control vegetation that could pose a hazard to power lines or impede access for repairs and maintenance. As a public utility, N is exempt from certain state and local laws restricting the use of herbicide and other pesticide use.

Because of the unique characteristics of the Cape's sandy soil and prevalence of sensitive natural resources, APCC has advocated for the establishment of a Cape-wide policy that would meet N’s vegetation management program goals while protecting the Cape’s natural resources and human population from potential exposure to herbicides.

Currently, the Cape Cod Commission is working with several towns to help identify the location of private wells and other sensitive areas, and has initiated preliminary talks with N with the goal of reaching agreement on a Cape-wide policy."

To help ensure that these important discussions continue, please contact Commissioner Scott Soares, DAR, to express concern by leaving him a fact-based reason why N should not apply the herbicide program throughout Cape Cod. Thank you for your attention. (Scott Soares, Commissioner DAR, 251 Causeway St. Suite 500 Boston, MA 02114)

Consternation & Magic at Duck Harbor

“At the bayside, the sea whispers,” Sven said at Duck Harbor yesterday. “But, at the ocean, the sea roars. Very different.”

He was right, of course.

I always recommend Duck Harbor to our guests. It takes more time to get there, but this beach never fails to please. There are pretty shells for children to collect, a wide expanse of firm sand to explore at low tide, comparatively few people.

During our walk, we talked about how Obama resembles Kerensky in some ways. Everyone had so much hope for change. But being in charge does not always mean using that power effectively. When you walk at Duck Harbor, with the waves lapping at the shore, fussing between Democrats and Republicans seems even more puerile. It’s so peaceful there. Easy to imagine a better world, one where Jihadists don’t try to blow up airplanes, where greedy insurance companies can no longer deny coverage and premiums are affordable, where bankers don’t earn billions of dollars, where everyone has a job and organic food on the table, where pollution of the environment doesn't exist. At the far end of the beach, we discovered a mass of plastic bottles and garbage, thrown overboard by people on pleasure boats. Seeing this mess jolted us back to reality …

We don’t drive out to Duck Harbor much anymore. In fact, this is the first time we have been in months. One of my reasons for our trip was to check whether the face of the low dune had been chiseled by the wind, as in winters past. I was not disappointed. Look at the marvelous photo below, a photo that might spark the imagination of a child. One could write a whole story about the inhabitants of a make-believe sand village, similar to Mesa Verde and other real dwellings of Native Americans. Want to make one up?

How Newcomb Hollow Conjured Up a Pig …

The Outer Cape beaches experienced much erosion during the last series of winter storms, as reported here yesterday. (Read more in the Cape Cod Times.) Sven and I have been exploring these beaches together, taking advantage of relatively mild weather for March and low tide in the middle of the day. At Cahoon Hollow, it was impossible to get down the dune to the beach. The ocean had taken such a bite out of the steep cliff that descent would have been foolhardy. I noticed the DPW had put up a sign to remind visitors to be careful of the "sliding dunes." We then proceeded on to Newcomb Hollow to see if the shipwreck were again visible. No sign of it, not one measly timber.

Susie Quigley, from the library, was also out for a walk.

“Oh, my!” she exclaimed from the parking lot access. “How wide the beach is!”

We agreed. An extensive sandbar had emerged, which made the beach seem wider than usual. Sven suggested Susie visit Truro where there’s considerable erosion that closed the Longnook access road. She said she would and set off towards the north. Sven and I had walked south.

Newcomb Hollow has an impressive clay deposit to the right of the parking lot. Over the years, we have watched erosion move it forward from the dune. Yesterday we found the latest changes quite dramatic. Slivers of clay pointed skywards reminding me of Monument Valley in miniature. Chunks had broken off and tumbled into the sand. Here and there burgundy iron deposits were visible. Large gray rocks poked out from the lighter-colored clay. The clay deposit had as many crevasses as the face of an ancient fisherman. Towards the bottom, one great glob reached out like a massive hand.

Now, why am I blogging about a clay deposit on our beach?

Seeing the clay deposit up close brought back strong memories of my kids’ childhood.

One summer there had been a hurricane. We all trooped down to the ocean afterward, at my mother’s suggestion, and collected clay, uncovered by the storm. My three kids sat out on the lawn, spread with newspapers, and worked the clay to their heart’s content. Everyone made at least one small object. I think my youngest daughter rolled snakes and built vases. Her sister made tiny cats. My son, the eldest, had already learned a few advanced techniques in pottery class and, for some reason, decided to create pigs. (Here he is, dressed in Cape Cod T-shirt, hands coated with gray clay.)

Their oeuvres-d’art were subsequently fired at a local kiln. To our surprise, the clay turned orange. I carted these treasures back to France in my suitcase. The one I remember best was the squat orange pig, created by my son. It soon took up residence on our Roche & Bobois living room shelf.

When I got a divorce and left that house, Paul’s pig was one thing too many. I simply couldn’t transport it back to the United States. Yet, it called out to me from the shelf. “Don’t leave me here! Take me with you.”

But I did leave it. I had to.

That pig may still be in my ex-husband’s possession, or his new wife may have thrown it away. What remains is the memory of that happy time, when my kids collected clay on the beach, wrapped it up in newspapers, and created art on the front lawn here at their grandparents’ home, now Chez Sven …

Sven and I have discovered that one of the more unexpected drawbacks of divorce and re-marriage is having a partner with whom one does not share a history. My second husband often will tell stories of his own children. I listen but never experienced the emotion tied to the events he describes. The stories do not resonate. I may be able to empathize, but I cannot relate.

Have you experienced a similar loss of history after a divorce?

For those of you fortunate enough to have never been divorced, have you seen enough photos of erosion or would you like more? When you get to the Outer Cape this summer, which beach will you visit first and why?

When An Innkeeper Makes Exception to the Rule

What an amazing day! We spent many hours outside, cleaning our Studio so Sven can move over as soon as the weather improves substantially. I am afraid the warmth is just a tease, that winter will soon return. Ho-hum. Reservations certainly started off slow this year. We have a real sense that people are feeling the recession. Lots of requests for one night, which we don't do.

A woman called up Saturday from the Left Bank Gallery.

“I hear such nice things about your B&B from Martha,” she said in a friendly voice, very mellow and focused. “I would love to stay a night or two.”

Martha is the manager at Left Bank. I imagined her talking up Chez Sven from behind the counter, surrounded by incredible works of art, her deft fingers slipping a Visa card into the credit card machine, or putting the final touches on a wrapped gift. (Left Bank now has an annex, a smaller gallery at the corner of Main and Holbrook, which specializes in small works and affordable pretty things.)

In this business, one has to make split-second decisions. Should I accept this person, or say no? Was there reason enough to make exception to the rule? Often you only have a few words and the tone of voice, if the request comes via telephone. I imagined a patron of the arts, with money to spare, hair permed or neatly frizzy, Vuitton bag, sunglasses, flowing skirts, elegant scarf draped over one shoulder, size 14 to 16, using an iPhone to make the call. I explained what we had available: everything!

“Unfortunately, I’m on a tight budget,” the woman said.

Whoops! Wrong stereotype. Think thirty years younger, a real artist perhaps, in jeans and black turtleneck, with a black and white scarf coiled around her neck, more a size 4 to 6, who had borrowed Martha's cell.

I cleared my throat. “Meaning?”

“I found a place to stay in Provincetown for $59 a night.”

“Grab it, then!” I said.

There’s no way we can offer a room for $59.

If she decided to remain a second night, I hope beachcombing, while on the Cape, was part of her agenda. The ocean has calmed down and lapped at the shore yesterday afternoon. We saw more evidence of erosion at LeCount Hollow. Check out this pipe, which used to be buried in the dune.

Over the past few days, I booked every remaining week in July for Seagull Cottage, so there is only one August week left for our busiest two-month period.

As Sven and I walked along and experienced all the beige and blue, I thought back to the young artist. Wherever I looked, there was beauty, created by the tide, or by the wind ...

If you had been the innkeeper and your lowest off-season rate was $130, would you have made an exception?

Winter Storms Create Record Erosion at Truro Beaches

Lots of gawkers down on the backshore this weekend, ogling the erosion. A man from Dennis tells us the beach at Longnook has practically disappeared, that the access road is now closed, with the new two-hundred-foot drop convincing people to turn away. We tell him about LeCount Hollow. His wife nods as if they had already been there. We are all standing on Ballston Beach, at low tide. I am snapping pictures of the sphinx-like mounds of sand, sculpted by the wind, at the edge of the low dune, where the fencing resembles an elastic that has been washed too many times and lost its rigidity. A seagull flies by, unimpressed.

This beach faces northeast and must have been hit hard. Here's a look at the other side of the small dune. During the latest storm, waves crashed over the extreme high-water mark and rushed down, towards the marsh but did not go far enough to reach the parking lot. The sand is all neat and smooth now, but piles of rubbish remain, a perverse trail to show where the sea poured in. Robert Oldale has posted an explanation of how erosion is affecting the Outer Cape, called Coastal Erosion on Cape Cod: Questions and Answers. I wonder if he has already been to our beaches to study Mother Nature's latest handiwork?

On the first mild day in months, with the sun warming our backs, we stand and contemplate a bit of storm fencing, tumbled into a ball by the waves, two large Clorox bottles, empty milk containers, a renegade orange buoy. A second fence, holding back the sand, wears its bits of plastic like charms on a bracelet.

“Why do they take Clorox on boats?” I ask Sven. “How can they throw empty bottles overboard? What are people thinking?”

He’s shaking his head and doesn’t answer. Such evidence of human folly, litter at sea, pollution of our environment by plastic, is simply too overwhelming.

Ballston Beach is where the ocean broke through in 1991. The National Seashore trail, a mile or so north, sports a lectern with a map showing what the breach looked like from a nearby hill. Erosion is exciting in a goose-bumpish sort of way, when you don’t have to live through it or own a house that may succumb to the waves. People usually see erosion after the fact, once the fury of the sea is only a distant rumble in our imagination. Here at Chez Sven, we always know when the Atlantic throws a tantrum. Hearing the 10 to 20-foot waves two miles away, during winter storms, never ceases to amaze me. The sound resembles that made by a freight train. Nature, all-powerful, reminding us how fragile our world is, how insignificant we are.

And, Gil’s house? Still standing, but surely not for long ….

Bonus Post: Wellfleet Marina before Sunset

Sven and I just got back from a walk at the marina. There were a number of people out, some on bikes, others in cars, a few on foot. Several young men sat at a table, in front of The Bookstore, drinking beer. Everywhere, everyone wore a smile. That's what a first day of sunshine can do. Don't you wish you were here?

Erosion at LeCount Hollow Beach!

Yesterday Sven and I went to LeCount at low tide. It was tough to even get onto the beach. We followed a path others had created down the dune quite a ways before being able to reach access to the water’s edge. As you can see, the erosion was quite dramatic after the storms last week. While we look at the erosion, here’s a short letter I wrote to the editor of the Cape Codder, published on Friday. Since our utility company has started searching blogs for mention of its name, I have abbreviated theirs:

"Thank you for covering local news that matters, for instance, the issue of N’s plan to spray herbicides under the power lines. Despite an outcry from local residents, N’s insists on vegetation removal with toxic chemicals and will implement their plan in the coming months, according to your first page article on Friday. This is unacceptable. Traces of these toxic chemicals will end up in private wells. Cape Cod already has a history of toxic contamination. Breast cancer rates are 20% higher than the rest of Massachusetts. Citizens do not want more synthetic chemicals in their drinking water and have signed petitions to this effect. What part do the N’s officials not understand? Are they unaware of body burden? Have they already purchased the five herbicides? Is that why they are so determined to use chemicals, rather than mowing, as in past years? Federal law requires removal of brush but does not mandate the use of chemicals. I urge all Cape Codder readers to contact their state representatives and protest N’s insistence on herbicides."

Friday we had news that Commissioner Scott Soares at DAR is requesting letters from Cape Cod residents offering scientific or legal reasons that our dear utility company, and the companies they subcontract to, should not be allowed to proceed with the new plan. Any suggestions? (The public comment period ends March 26. The address: 251 Causeway St. Suite 500, Boston, MA 02114.)

Tomorrow, photos of erosion from Ballston Beach, in Truro.

Wellfleet Becomes the Go-To Cape Town for Bread

C’est y est. La fabrication du pain au PB Boulangerie Bistro a demarré ce matin á 7 heures. When Sven and I stopped in at noon, there were at least a dozen people patiently waiting for bread, or watching, with admiration, from the sidelines as baker Boris Villatte pushed another tray of baguettes into his magnificent new oven. Here he is preparing whole wheat loaves. I don't need to tell you how marvelous the shop smelled. Today over 500 items zipped off the shelves, or out of wicker baskets, into the eager hands and mouths of Outer Cape citizens.

“Think of me as part of the plumbing,” said plumbing inspector Steve Pechonis, when I nodded at him

Steve’s wife was biting into her pain aux raisins. The couple was, of course, all smiles. Not surprising. We had a pain aux raisins earlier in the week and know how good they are. The croissants are delicious, too. And, just look at this fruit tart! Beside the tart, a quiche.

“Who is our next guest?” asked the young lady behind the counter.

Definitely the right thing to say. A twitter arose from the line.

“Guest! Did you hear that? We’re guests here, not customers!”

“Other bakeries are going to have a hard time topping this act,” said Sven as we exited the shop, baguette in hand.

The bread was still warm by the time we got home.

In a few weeks the bistro will start serving meals prepared by French chef Philippe Rispoli. How exciting is that!!!

Yankee Magazine Features Cape Light This April

“It’s a light that glows from within, like diving into an Edward Hopper painting …” So begins The Cape Awakens, an article by Annie Graves in the April 2010 issue of Yankee Magazine. Wish I had written those words! They do express so very well the experience of Cape light. That light was captured in images by Joel Meyerowitz in his first book, which has sold over 100,000 copies since publication 25 years ago. Wellfleet is still Meyerowitz’s favorite stomping ground. Not unusual to catch sight of the lanky, bald photographer, in line at PJs, on a soft summer night. But, to get back to the first lines of the article, and especially to the type of light described, it's more fall than spring, golden and warm as an embrace. Above, a photo that actually allows the viewer to dive into an Edward Hopper painting, since Hopper painted this house, in Truro, one that used to belong to the grandparents of my friend Virginia, on Old County Road.

(Hopper fans, also see my blog post from October, 2008 and check out the article in Latitudes/Life, linked from January 6, 2010, showing a snow-covered Truro landscape. The Italian writer/photographer created a great montage, mixing Hopper paintings and actual scenes that inspired the paintings.)

“Impressionistic” is one adjective that has been used to describe Cape light. Painters flocked to Provincetown because of this light. With water shimmering in all directions and light reflecting off surfaces, no wonder our guests often unpack paintbrushes and a small canvas or simply a sketchpad. Above and below, photos of Long Pond, today, at around 11 a.m. We live in a landscape of sharp shadows, emphasized by bright sunshine and clean-er air than what urban dwellers breathe in our polluted cities. Such a special place, Cape Cod ….

A Reminder of What’s Ahead …

I don’t know about you but I am feeling summer-deprived right now, so no more photos of rainy Wellfleet will you see for a bit. Instead of snow, we have had constant drizzle and sleet over the past week. Overnight tiny flakes started falling. This photo, taken at Duck Harbor a few years ago, overwhelmed me with its beauty yesterday, which produced the impulse to share. May the beige beach and blue sky be a reminder that good weather is on the way.

As for our battle to stop NStar from spraying toxic chemicals on Cape Cod, starting next month, you will find a Cape Cod Times account of the meeting held yesterday in Boston on this issue here. As a green innkeeper, I object to the utility company's plan to apply five herbicides under power lines along 150 miles of Cape Cod, with its sandy soil, since alternative methods of brush control are available and the toxic chemicals will filter down into the water we drink. (Any environmental lawyers out there who can help?)

The latest storms have wreaked havoc on local beaches. Check out these recent photos taken by Patrick Burns (Hat tip to Janet!). When the sunshine returns, Sven and I will journey out to bring you an erosion update.

Finally, go read my guest blog today at Living Large in Our Little House.

Since it’s Friday, a few local updates:

PB Boulangerie opens this Saturday at 7 a.m. Du vrai bon pain!

Also, Saturday, at WHAT, enjoy the 3rd Annual Cape Cod Filmmaker Takeover.

And, set aside March 20, at 1:32 in the afternoon, for the groundbreaking at Preservation Hall, to welcome spring in style. There will be a photo taken on the steps, and then the crowd will proceed up the street to The Lighthouse for a celebration of Wellfleet’s incredible community spirit.

Fish TV Creates Video on Herbicide Issue

Dave Teffer at Fish TV, which makes the amazing nature DVDs about Cape Cod, sent me his latest creation, a short video, called “Say Nay to Spray on Cape Cod.”

Visualizing a BPA-free World…

At the Wellfleet Transfer Station, there’s a place for hazardous waste. We can now dispose of old televisions and computers, which contain flame retardants. There's a place for old tires. Plastics, glass, and cardboard are also collected for recycling. What about the BPA in soup cans, which get thrown into the same container as plastics? Do the empty cans still contain BPA in their liners, or has the poor unwitting and hungry Wellfleetian already consumed the chemical along with his soup?

There has been a lot of news recently about BPA. As I reported in an earlier post, this chemical is dangerous, despite what the American Chemical Council maintains. Now Governor Deval Patrick is moving forward on banning its use in baby bottles here in Massachusetts. Great news, but Bisphenol-A needs to be banned completely by the Federal government. There’s growing evidence that BPA may cause asthma, as well as disrupting development of the endocrine system. (Hat tip to Paul!) Another reader sent word of a California company, called Life Factory, that makes BPA-free beverage containers, as well as baby bottles. (Thanks, Elise!)

Together lets visualize a BPA-free world. Do not underestimate the value of spreading ideas through the Internet and the power of positive thinking. Fellow blogger Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell blogged about this last week. One of the things her guest, Marcia Layton Turner, said: "It’s really all about focus. Showing your brain an image of what you want triggers a focus that can lead to success if you pay attention. Images are much more powerful than words alone." Check out Kerri's blog, Living Large in Our Little House and visualize a BPA-free world ...

A March Day in the Life

“Do we want to restore/create a healthy environment with a clean water supply or turn Cape Cod into a toxic waste site?” I found this startling question, from an organic gardener, in my in-box this morning. Last night I posted a link to the Dennis Planning Board blog, which decided its readers should hear what Christine Van Hooft has to say about our precious Cape soil. I also posted a YouTube video by organic landscaper Laura Kelly. In the afternoon, I made myself return to innkeeping. I booked two weeks of summer for Seagull Cottage and placed an order for more organic cotton sheets. I also spent many hours re-registering with the largest bed & breakfast association site of them all. I had hoped to remain off it this year but have accepted the fact that their Hot Deals blast does attract weekend guests in winter, and Seagull Cottage has been empty since Valentine’s Day. This decision was motivated by a recent discovery: the recession has caused some residents of Wellfleet to open their homes, not only as weekly rentals in summer but for shorter periods of time as well. How did I notice this? A confirmed four-night reservation was canceled and the guests told me they had chosen one of these rogue rentals instead. My conclusion was to sign up for another year on bedandbreakfast.com to obtain more exposure in this tough economy. Check out the Chez Sven page here. The next step will be getting former guests to write reviews … Any volunteers? Finally, yesterday, I made a late New Year’s resolution to improve my non-existent social media skills on Facebook and Twitter after watching this fascinating video:

Call to Action Goes YouTube

Check out the organic soil in my garden! Soon it will be spring and Sven will be planting his beloved potatoes again. I have two updates to communicate before bed tonight … The Dennis Planning Board published a marvelous letter by Christine Van Hooft on their blog, regarding NStar’s plan to damage our soil. Read it here. And, watch Laura Kelley of Littlefield Landscapes take the cause worldwide on YouTube:

I HEART Eastham Selectmen

Anyone pulling up this blog for a report of the Wellfleet Community Forum discussion on wind turbines is going to be disappointed, and I apologize. Impossible to be two places the same evening. Paul Sieloff did it, but then our town administrator left the Eastham meeting in the middle, right before the NStar officials mentioned having already sprayed parts of Wellfleet and Orleans, since the year 2000. Yes, that’s what NStar told Eastham. I was not aware of this fact and will have to confirm tomorrow. I must say I was quite impressed by the three women and two men who make up the Eastham Select Board, the same civic-minded folks who brought the issue of herbicidal spraying to their constituents last June, ahead of any other town on the Cape. What else can I tell you about the meeting? After a short update by a hopeful Sarah Peake, five NStar reps – three from community relations and two arborists – lumbered in and heard an optimistic Paul Niedzwicki, above, summarize a morning meeting between NStar and members of the Cape Cod Commission, including the proposal for a one-year moratorium in order to map wells and study sensitive watersheds across our region. NStar’s presentation and discussion with the Select board was followed by a half hour Q&A with several dozen concerned citizens. Here are a few of the noteworthy statements made during the meeting:

“Progress doesn’t always move in a linear pattern, but I think we’re close.”

“We use state-approved chemicals, used elsewhere than the Cape, that have proved effective.”

“Testing was done in a different ground type, a clay-based soil. Our sandy soil is different.”

“Self maintenance? We don’t want to turn that over to the property owners. It’s a question of who is responsible. We are.”

“These herbicides are scary. You have to alleviate that concern if you’re going to use herbicides.”

“We are not committing to a one-year postponement.”

“This time I want to see any agreement with the Cape Cod Commission in writing.”

“Eastham is different as we have no town water.”

“We’re not out to pollute your water supply.”

“The information on the chemicals is old. There’s recent compelling research that tells a different story.”

"If you ban herbicides for NStar, you need to do it for all herbicides."

“My partner had liver damage from chemicals. They’re poison. Please do not use them if you have a choice not to.”

“This stuff causes cancer. When are we going to learn?”

“DDT and Agent Orange were approved chemicals.”

“We’re not going to debate these tactics.”

Not hard to figure out which side said what, eh? Two Selectmen had the final word:

“The State doesn’t mandate the use of chemicals. I’m a carpenter. Just because a tool is there, you don’t have to use it.”

“The State and the EPA aren’t always right. The answer to our concerns isn’t that the State says it’s okay.”

For a full report, see Doug Fraser’s Cape Cod Times article.

Work to Begin Again on Sagamore Bridge

Planning a trip to Cape Cod? Take the Bourne Bridge. Just in time for spring, the Army Corps of Engineers is back at work. Anyone driving out to Truro to check on erosion at Ballston Beach, or attend the Selectmen’s meeting in Eastham to protest NStar’s plan to spray five herbicides under the power lines, will be obliged to fight traffic at the Sagamore Bridge. Bridge work will begin again March 1, today. This repair may be necessary but what a catastrophe for bed & breakfast owners! I read over the weekend that business is down 75%, and I believe it. No one is traveling anywhere anymore. Those who do manage to think spring this month, and are not hurting from the recession, and dream of walking a deserted beach ... must first affront one lane of traffic in either direction at Sagamore to reach Cape Cod.

NOTE: Due to today's storm, the repair work today has been postponed until Thursday.