Cape & Islands News

Sandwich; Charter Committee is out... then it's in. Bourne; Fewer services option

^{Kingman Yacht Center in Catamet will pay a private consultant to review its proposed marine center bylaw amendment.  See the story in the Upper Cape Codder below.} 

^{The Enterprise Newspapers are a locally owned group of four covering the towns of Falmouth, Sandwich, Mashpee and Bourne. The Upper Cape Codder is owned by Gatehouse Media and covers the towns of Sandwich and Bourne.}

Upper Cape News, March 2, 2007

Headlines from the Enterprise Newspapers

Falmouth - Grand Jury Indicts North Falmouth Man In Art Theft

A federal grand jury indicted a North Falmouth man yesterday in a case of stolen artwork believed to be the largest burglary from a private residence in Massachusetts history.  Retired attorney and artist Robert M. Mardirosian, 72, lives on Highwood Lane in Ballymeade and St. Paul de Vence, France.  He was indicted on charges of possessing, transporting, and attempting to sell stolen goods that had crossed United States borders, in connection with seven pieces of art stolen in 1978 from a home in western Massachusetts.

Falmouth - Diversity Dinner Brings People And Cultures Together
The dinner is held to promote tolerance. Residents of all ages, races, religions, and gender orientations are invited to the evening of what organizers are calling “Celtic feasting and merry making.”

Region - Cape Public Safety Responders Recharging Emergency Planning
While March winter weather still holds sway, those individuals and agencies that deal with emergencies are looking ahead to June, not because it will bring warmer weather, but because it marks the beginning of hurricane season.  That focus forward has resulted in some agreed-upon changes to Cape Cod’s Emergency Traffic Plan, an effort of the Massachusetts State Police in cooperation with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and others.

Mashpee - FinCom’s Gasior Takes Tough Stand Against School Dept.
A surprise announcement led off a long and occasionally contentious meeting of the Mashpee School Committee.  Peter M. Thomas announced at Wednesday’s meeting that he planned to resign from the committee at the end of May with one year left on his term. He cited increasing work obligations and a desire to spend more time with his family as the reasons for his resignation, but said he wanted to stay on the committee until work on the budget had been completed.

Bourne - The Picture Is Clear - More Taxes or Fewer Services
What is the result when a business spends more than it makes? The answer: deficits, which can lead to cutbacks and possibly layoffs.   Municipalities are no different, and Bourne is heading into Fiscal Year 2008 with a revenue stream that cannot sustain the current level of services that the town currently offers.

Sandwich - Charter Committee First Dissolved...
The members of the Charter Review Committee were in the midst of their work last Thursday evening—discussing possible adjustments to the document that provides a framework for the town’s government—when they were interrupted by a woman entering the room.  The woman had just come from the selectmen’s meeting across town. She had some disturbing news: the selectmen had just voted to dissolve the review committee.

Sandwich - ...Then Reinstated
The Sandwich Charter Committee is back in business. Selectmen last night voted to reverse their vote of last week to dissolve the review committee.  Last night’s vote was 3 to 2 with chairman F. Randal Hunt and co-chairman Thomas F. Keyes voting against the motion.

Read the rest of this week's Enterprise Newspapers here.
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Headlines from  The Upper Cape Codder

Monitoring program aims to find sources of pollution in Cape Cod Bay
Not all the boats on Cape Cod Bay last summer were trolling for fish. Captain Marc Costa, of The Good Fortune, and his wife, Amy, trolled for data on behalf of the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies.

Zoning change at heart of Kingman propossal
Kingman Yacht Center will pay for a private consultant to review its proposed marine center bylaw amendment that the planning board must consider if the request is to be included in the May Special Town Meeting warrant.

Waste, traffic, parking and fees are key CanalSide questions
Questions involving the handling of wastewater, traffic and parking are emerging in Bourne planning circles with the massive CanalSide Commons plan to develop a 300-unit Chapter 40B housing project above the Bourne rotary.

Charter committee reinstated: Sandwich selectmen reverse course
By the slimmest of margins, the committee charged with reviewing the Sandwich charter was reinstated, exactly a week after the selectmen dissolved the group

Cemetery association needs help after vandals strike
Vandals smashed and toppled 30 tombstones in the Sagamore Cemetery off Sandwich Road on Monday and Tuesday nights. Some are historically significant memorial stones date from 1840 to 1900

Read the rest of The Upper Cape Codder here.