CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

First of three triathlons to be held in Centerville

Registrations are still being accepted for the Hyannis Sprint 1 Triathlon, a combination quarter-mile swim, 10-mile cycling competition and 3.5-mile road race scheduled for Saturday June 14.

The event is a bit of a misnomer because none of its three components will actually take place in Hyannis. The swimming competition is at Craigville Beach in Centerville, the cycling course is a 10-mile loop to Osterville and back, and the road race stays within Centerville.

The June 14 mid-Cape triathlon will be followed by another in Falmouth on July 20 and the third of the summer on the Cape returning to Craigville Beach on Sept. 6. All three are part of the New England Triathlon Tour.

The competition starts early, at 7 a.m, and its field will be limited to 850 participants. "In our attempt for an on-time start, those not registered by 6:45 a.m. on race morning may be turned away!", warns the event website. "No dogs allowed on site!!!"

Those planning to compete in the triathlon can register at Craigville Beach on Friday June 13 from 5-7 p.m. or the next morning on the day of the competition from 5:15 to 6:45 a.m. Entry fees cost $50 for those age 17 and younger, $65 for 18 and older and $90 for relay teams.

The three triathlons are being coordinated by Time Out! Productions of Plymouth. For more info, contact Time Out's Rich Havens at 508-224-3601 or info@timeoutproductions.com.

(The photo shows the start of the swim competition during the 2005 triathlon at Craigville Beach; photo credit, http://jessig.mit.edu/jmegroup/Group/PTR/Hyannis_Sprint_I.htm)

People Places and Things Do Not Trigger Alcoholism

When You Gotta Go......But When?

Public Restroom Schedule A Mystery

Along with the purchase of Falmouth Country Club and the preservation of hundreds of acres of open space throughout the town, the revitalization of Falmouth's Main Street is one of the town's signature public policy successes of the last 20 years.  This $3 million effort brought life teeming back to a wilted downtown, and, according to official estimates, inspired an an additional $30 million in both public and private improvements.  Other communities have held Falmouth up as an example for nearly a decade as an enviable example of successful downtown renewal.

Part of this major effort was the much-needed construction of a public restroom, a $200,000 facility that was well designed to fit in with the character of the downtown and was nestled quaintly in the corner of the parking lot behind a much-used greenspace called Margaret "Peg" Noonan Park. This facility not only eased the burden of providing comfort to visitors and residents from the area business owners, it sent a clear message to tourists and merchants alike that the town values its core commercial area and is serious about being a partner in service delivery.

Which is why the plight of an unidentified nonagenarian woman hustling door to door the morning of the annual Memorial Day Celebration to find such comfort is so troubling. As told to me, this well-dressed celebrant for the day's festivities arrived early, only to find the public loo not-so-public.  She scampered around and finally - hopefully - found relief from a kind and understanding (and probably justifably frustrated) merchant.  The facility was opened some time later - but too late for this un-served member of the public.

While the rest rooms are generally well kept, the lack of any published schedule and erratic openings and closings can inspire emotions ranging from mild irritation to downright indignation.

I understand the inherent difficulties and complexities of managing and cleaning multiple buildings with limited staff.  From Memorial Day to Labor Day, though, there is no more important public facility in Falmouth than the downtown restrooms, save for maybe Old Silver Beach.  Keeping this facility open and clean must be a top priority for the Facilities Maintenance Division who cleans it and the Selectmen who set the policy for it.  The hours can be posted with a simple notice. The DPW has an in-house signmaker. Use it.

I visited the facility today and found it open and ready for use.  Good.  Nowhere in sight was any note or placard telling me or anyone else when I could expect it to be open again. Not good. I casually polled a couple of merhcants to see if they were aware of the schedule for our #1 (and #2) public building on Main Street.  The reactions were varied but the theme was the same: from the dismissive "Hmphh!" to the kind but aggravated "they don't tell us," the mystery of when the public restrooms are public has not yet been solved.

What may seem a trivial issue to the reader who reads this from the comfort of a 2 1/2 bath home, the reader enjoying these musings sitting on one of the many benches on Main Street reaping the benefits of the Falmouth Chamber's "Unwired Village," may just get a taste of what it feels like to want when nature comes knockin' on the door and the Town of Falmouth has no answer.  This is an easy fix. Is anyone listening?

Dennis, Sandwich crashes; 3 injured in car vs pole in Bourne; Vehicle plunges into Herring River in Harbor; Hyannis transformer fire KOs power; Device in Dennis

Top story: Vehicle plunges into Herring River

   ^{Members of the Harwich Fire dive team work to attach a cable to a submerged truck in the Herring River.}
HARWICH - A driver escaped cold and wet but uninjured after his Mazda  pickup truck plunged into the Herring River in Harwich Saturday evening. The driver, 54-year-old Markos Panayiotous (right), reportedly told investigators his brakes failed before the truck became submerged behind the Irish Pub off Main Street (Route 28). (Note the tire track near his feet). He was able to swim to safety before rescuers arrived. Crews called in a tow truck and the Harwich Fire dive team to remove the vehicle.

Photo by Jake O'Callaghan.

New overnight: Rollover on Route 6 offramp

    ^{The driver of this Honda was taken to CCH with unknown injuries after a rollover crash.}
DENNIS -A Honda sedan traveling east on Route 6 rolled over as the driver attempted to take Dennis exit 9A to Route 134 south around 11 p.m. Saturday night. The female driver was transported to Cape Cod Hospital with unknown injuries. A male passenger was uninjured. The ramp was closed while State Police investigated the crash and the car was towed out. Story and photo by Kevin Morley

News briefs:
Driver flees Mashpee rollover
MASHPEE - A driver apparently fled the scene of a crash in Mashpee that sheared a utility pole and left the vehicle rolled over early Sunday morning. Mashpee Police are investigating. Further details were not immediately available.

Woman injured in Sandwich crash
SANDWICH - A woman was injured after her vehicle rolled on its side on Route 6. The crash happened between Exits 1 and 2 shortly after 9 p.m. on Saturday.  The victim, 19-year-old Emily Zink of West Yarmouth, was taken to Cape Cod Hospital. State Police are investigating.

Three injured in car vs pole in Bourne
BOURNE - Three people were injured when a car struck a pole in the Grey Gables section of Bourne Saturday evening. The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. at the intersection of Presidents Road and Monument Neck Road. Those injured were taken to area hospitals with injuries believed to not be life-threatenting. Bourne Police are investigating.

Transformer fire KOs power in Hyannis
HYANNIS - A transformer fire on a pole by the Days Inn caused some power failures to parts of Hyannis along Route 132 Saturday afternoon. One person driving by with an open window was hit by oil from thr transformer.  While firefighters stood by, Barnstable Police shut down both lanes of the southbound lanes until NStar arrived to shut the power and cut the wires to the transformers atop the pole. Traffic was backed up for about 2 hours while NStar cut power from Independence Drive to make repairs and restore power. This is the latest in a series of similar problems in the region including an incident on May 19th when a fire started in the meter at the nearby Swimming Pools and Spas store. Photo by Frank Paparo.

Device found in Dennis determined to be inert
DENNISPORT - The State Police Bomb Squad was called to an Ocean Drive home Thursday afternoon after the owner found a mortar shell while cleaning out the house to ready it for sale.

Technicians determined the shell was inert and removed it.

No one was injured.

Photo by Kevin Morley.

Wellfleet - "Damn the Torpedoes Full Speed Ahead"