CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

Another 4th of July // OOC Salad & Super White Sangria

        Well its another 4th of July and many of you will be celebrating with friends and family. Many will make the trip out to the Cape for either a long weekend or an extended week stay. Some of you will even get the pleasure of staying longer. It is this time of year my heart longs to be on the Cape even more then the rest of the year, with temperatures over the next week slated for the upper 70's and may get to the 80's, with sunshine most days. The evenings in the mid to lower 60's with star filled skies and the moon high overhead. What the next couple of days and the weekend will bring is firework displays going on up and down both sides of the shores. Multicolored bursts of extravaganza lighting up the darkened heavens while reflecting mirrored images off calm waters of the Sound and Bay. You may even have the ability to see multiple shows at one time if you are in the right advantage point. And all I can say is I will be jealous of any who have the opportunity to do so. What not to be sitting on the beach downing a delicious pizza from DennisPort House of Pizza and a Greek salad, with a cold Cape Cod Beer to wash it down, then finish the evening off with some home made ice cream from Sundae School's. My mouth is watering all the way to OHIO.
      I have been to the Cape over the 4th of July only once, but every year I try to find every picture and link to see what each town is doing. What festivals are going on, and what the weather is like. Over the years I have had so many friends that are there year round that have filled me in to what fun it all is. (Then the wife reminds me of the winters,, I think I'll put up with the winters to get the rest.) Some would remind me of all the tourists, then again, I'm and artist, I like tourists, many of them bring money, money pays the bills. Ok ok so Im dreaming again and that is for a different blog at a different time. Point is, the Cape is a very special place over the 4th, whether it's your first or your seventy-first enjoy every bit it and store every glitter, glitz, and boom for a memory you will never forget down the road.
          Now for the serious part of this day of remembrance:   
      While we are celebrating, let us not forget those who are serving our nation in the armed forces. The men and women who have chosen to fight for not only the freedom of our own country but to help preserve the freedom around the globe. This comes home to me as my Dad was in the Navy at the end of the WWII, my Father in law was also in the Navy about the same time. My Uncle served in the Marines in the Middle East during the uprisings about 50 years ago. Then there is my Brother in Law who is a retired Lt Colonial from the Army, serving during Desert Storm with 3 tours to the Middle East, then in the Pacific rim region. May we not forget those who served only many years ago even in our own Civil War, the Koren Conflict, the Vietnam Conflict but down the line to those who have served in the Iraq Conflict and to today's Afghanistan Conflict. May we remember that freedom is not cheap, and that some have to die so that others can live without fear. May we salute those who have gone before and may we show respect for those who go today and in the future. May the Maker of all that is watch over you and keep you safe, and may He watch over your families in your absents. Thank you to all.      
      This week is a 2 for one week, on recipes as it is the 5th Wednesday of the month and it is the Wednesday before a holiday. We all need a little something extra to go along with those family holiday picnics, so I have dug up something good for all, then something really nice in the adult refreshment category. The first recipe is a modified recipe from about 3 different recipes that all seemed to work together and were similar. So if you see something like it see what they add or don't and go from there. The second recipe is from an old newspaper cut out. Sorry don't know the paper, the city and no acknowledgements attached. So now, on with the show and hope you all enjoy and remember to have with respect to those around you. Now go party hardy.

      First recipe of this week: OOC Salad, (Orange-Onion Cucumber Salad)

•       2              oranges
•       1    med    cucumber - seedless (diced not minced)
•       3    Tbps.  sweet onion minced
•       4-6 cups   shredded lettuce (use a nice Romaine if you can)
•       1    Tbps.  fresh mint, minced
•       2    Tbps.  mayonnaise
•       2     tps.    sugar (taste you may need to add just a pinch more)
•       1     tsp.    Old Bay Seasoning
•       2     tsp.    poppy seeds

      First cut you oranges in half, set one of the halves aside. Peel and separate the rest of the orange halves. In a small bowl combined the mayonnaise, sugar, Old Bay Seasoning, poppy seeds, and the juice from the half an orange you set aside (squeeze it dry) and mix well. In a larger bowl place shredded lettuce, topped with oranges sections, cucumber and sprinkle with the minced onion and mined mint. Pour the dressing over top and lightly toss.

      Super White Sangria

•       1    bottle   dry white wine (a nice Truro Chardonnay would work nicely) (750 ml)
•       1    can      frozen lemonade concentrate (6 oz)
•       1/2  cup     light rum
•       1/2  cup      triple sec or orange flavored liqueur
•       1     can      pineapple pieces (15 oz  in natural juices)
•       1     large    apple diced
•       1     bottle   lemon-lime soda (16 oz bottle)
•       strawberries and oranges sliced up for garnish

      In a 1 gallon pitcher, combine the wine, frozen lemonade, rum, triple sec, pineapple with it's juices and diced apples pieces. Stir well and refrigerate covered for at least 2-3 hours. Just before serving, stir in the lemon-lime soda. Service over ice and garnish with the fruit slices. This serves about 8. This recipe easily doubles, triples,,, dare I say quadruples. Please as always drink responsibly.      

MA environmental officials discuss catch and release of white shark on Stellwagen Bank

150 pound shark caught, tagged and released on Stellwagen Bank this past weekend

   Courtesy of the DMF. Photo Credit: Bruce Sweet.

With the weekend sighting of a white shark in Massachusetts coastal waters, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles joined state biologists Monday at the New England Aquarium to discuss ongoing research being conducted on white sharks and predictions about shark behavior this summer.

A six to seven foot, immature white shark was caught by anglers on Stellwagen Bank on Saturday. The shark, which was estimated to weigh between 125 to 150 pounds, was tagged and released.

“This is exciting news for Commonwealth because it could become another opportunity to study these elusive creatures but I want to remind the public it has been more than 70 years since a fatal white shark attack occurred in Massachusetts,” said Secretary Bowles, whose office includes the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), a division of the Department of Fish and Game (DFG).

On September 5 and 8, 2009, five white sharks ranging from eight to 15 feet in length were tagged with electronic tags near Monomoy Island off Chatham. Although this species has been well studied in the Pacific and Indian Oceans using similar tag technology, the tagging led by DMF’s Biologist Dr. Greg Skomal last fall represents the first major successful effort to apply tags to white sharks in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The tag used by fishermen on Saturday was a simple conventional tag, not an electronic tag, and will help biologists track the shark, but only should it be recaptured.

“For scientists, this presents another opportunity to study this species and we hope the public and private organizations continue to support this important work,” said DFG Commissioner Mary Griffin.

All of the five electronic tags have reported, with the latest surfacing on April 15 off the coast of North Carolina. The first three tags showed that the sharks have seasonal fidelity to waters off southern New England and northern Florida, two areas that provide ample feeding opportunities during winter. These three sharks remained off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla. in January, February, and March of 2010. The fourth tag surfaced off the coast of North Carolina in mid-April. The tags, which feed data via a satellite once they surface, indicate that the sharks remained in Massachusetts waters for the month of September before moving west and south. The fifth and final tag, which was scheduled to report on May 1, had surfaced prematurely in November, 2009 south of Nantucket Island, thereby yielding very little long term data.

The depth data collected by the tags show that the sharks moved daily from shallow water to depths of between 50 to 100 feet in Massachusetts’ coastal waters. Such depths can be attained within two miles of the eastern shore of Cape Cod. Based on the behavior of white sharks studied in close proximity to seal colonies in California, it is likely that these white sharks remained within a few miles of Monomoy Island in association with the gray seal colony.

“Part of our mission is to protect and understand local marine species and Dr. Skomal’s research on sharks supports this mission by providing clues about their behaviors,” said DMF Director Paul Diodati.

Based on studies about white shark predatory behavior toward seals off the coasts of California in the South Farallon Islands and South Africa near Seal Island, DMF expects the white sharks to return to the coast of Massachusetts and Monomoy Island. Tag data indicate that the white sharks spent 80 percent of their time in water temperatures in excess of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Massachusetts coastal waters typically reach this temperature in mid to late-June. According to historical DMF white shark sightings data, the earliest confirmed white shark sighting in coastal Massachusetts waters was June 20.

Monomoy Island hosts a sizeable growing population of gray seals. The white shark is a documented predator and scavenger of marine mammals. While the perceived increase in shark predation on grey seals can be attributed to several factors, it is feasible that white sharks, which generally feed offshore in the Atlantic, are exhibiting a dietary shift in response to changes in seal abundance. As a result, it is anticipated that the number of white shark sightings will continue to rise off the coast of Massachusetts and Monomoy.

Over the winter months, the DMF received private funding, including a $25,000 grant from the Sacco Foundation to fund ongoing shark research efforts, which comprise tags, vessel time, and spotter planes to conduct aerial surveys of the sharks this summer.

The last unprovoked shark attack in Massachusetts occurred off Mattapoisett 70 years ago in 1936.

State officials urge visitors and residents boating or swimming in Massachusetts coastal waters to take some simple precautions.

• Follow local beach authority instructions about closings and beach staff commands and posted signs about closed swimming areas.
• Notify the Division of Marine Fisheries about any white shark sightings at 508 693-4372.
• Never swim alone.
• Avoid swimming in close proximity to large seal populations.
• Avoid swimming at dawn and dusk.

Many species of fish, including sharks, migrate to New England's coastal and open ocean waters in the summer months. At least a dozen shark species migrate in and out of New England waters annually. Massachusetts is the northernmost range for several species of sharks and is an important area for monitoring the health and distribution of shark populations.

Science currently recognizes over 360 species of sharks occurring throughout the world, ranging in size from the eight-inch dwarf dogshark to the 60-foot whale shark. Their habitat ranges from coastal areas to the open ocean, from Arctic waters to tropical seas, from surface waters to abyssal depths, and from estuaries to freshwater rivers. Sharks are uniquely distinguished from other fishes by their cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits, and sandpaper-like scales called denticles. They have evolved over 400 million years and the modern species have changed little since the dinosaurs. The evolutionary success of these animals can be attributed to their unique adaptations. Sharks possess at least six senses finely tuned to navigate, communicate, and detect prey. Their multiple rows of sharp teeth are replaced continually to insure efficiency. Areas of high white shark abundance include the coasts of California, Australia, South Africa, and western Mexico.

DMF's shark research program is one of eight marine fisheries research programs funded through DMF's Recreational Marine Fisheries program. The shark research program is beneficiary of several federal grants. More information about the DMF's shark research program is available here.

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is responsible for promoting the enjoyment and conservation of the Commonwealth's natural resources.  DFG carries out this mission through land preservation and wildlife habitat management, management of inland and marine fish and game species, and enforcement of the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. DFG promotes enjoyment of the Massachusetts environment through outdoor skills workshops, fishing festivals and other educational programs, and by enhancing access to the Commonwealth's lakes and ponds.

Courtesy of the DMF/DFG.

World Cup Soccer Explained

I’ve tried to be a World Cup Soccer fan, I really have. Ever since I saw my first World Cup in a movie reel in the summer of 1970 (Mexico) in at outdoor theater in Europe. The same way I imagine most people around the world saw the World Cup that year.

I’ve tried to be a fan of world soccer, confusing as it is, between the European national leagues, the European international leagues.  So I have settled for MLS instead, and rooting for the New England Revolution. They play at Gillette Stadium and are owned by the Krafts. Simple.

World Cup soccer is infused with long standing rivalries and national transgressions. Games that have more ethnic, cultural and political overtones than athleticism. Historic matches become a part of a nation’s identity. That part, I can understand as a member of  Red Sox Nation. (Bucky **** Dent!)

But not until this year’s edition of the FIFA World Cup did I finally get why we Americans can not take a shine to the world's sport.

Team USA has had to spot every team they played one goal, just for being American. The soccer loving nations of the world are afraid that we will end up dominating that sport too, so they do their best to keep us down on the farm-league.

But it was the arbitrary calls, blatant incompetence and favoritism by the officials, that's just been too hard to take.  It happened again in two matches last weekend. Argentina got a free goal against Mexico, courtesy of a missed offside call. And England got gypped out of a game-tying goal against Germany, when the ref did not see the ball gross the goal line. Both times the momentum and outcome of the of the game changed.

All of these misadventures can be easily remedied, however. Among the improvements they can make to the FIFA World Cup are:

1. Most obviously, INSTANT REPLAY. Have the Field judge confer with the Box judge when he needs help on a call or goal.

2. Have 2 referees instead of one. There are two in basketball. Fewer missed calls.

3. Have goal judges behind the net, like in hockey. Red light, green light.

4. Have a professional union, not nationalistic corps, of referees. Does anyone know which city a MBL umpire comes from? Of course not.

What’s up with penalty time and the theatrics.  When does a 90 minute soccer match really end?

5. Have a real clock on the field so players know how much time is left.

What gives with all the fake injuries? Johnny Most used to call it "Stanislovsky", amateur acting on the basketball court. 

6. It doesn't belong in the game. Yellow flag acting.

But I’m guessing this is mostly a futile attempt to rationalize a sport that defies logic.  Even the great American player, Alexi Lalas, now commentator for ESPN at the World Cup in South Africa, said that “you shouldn’t take the human tragedy out of soccer. It would change the game.”

Until you take the drama out of the sport, it will be just another soap opera for the world’s masses.  Americans need a little more predictability in our sports. If not in the outcomes, at least in the officiating.

Laptops for KidZ places 6th of the "TD Bank Dozen" in Brewster

Half of the "TD Bank Dozen" already helping Lower Cape kid

The Laptops for KidZ project of the Masonic Angel Foundation has placed the sixth of the dozen IBM ThinkPad’s donated by TD Bank.  This article is number six in an exclusive Cape Cod Today series that follows each of the “TD Bank Dozen” laptops.  Laptops for KidZ was introduced to TD Bank through a partnership with Cape and Islands United Way.

Christine Sieger at the Nauset Youth Alliance/Brewster After School Child Care (BACC) program requested a laptop for a family with two children, ages 9 and 11.  The younger child has some communication challenges that may be ameliorated by the use of Johnson-Meyer’s “Boardmaker Plus” software.  Both children’s teachers have loaded onto the computer educational software programs that they wish the two youngsters to complete over the summer break.  This is one of five TD Bank laptops that were placed with BACC.

Masonic Angel Fund volunteer Michael Leighton and Nauset Youth Alliance/Brewster After School Child Care bookkeeper Susan O’Neill hold two of the five TD Bank laptops that were placed in Brewster by the Laptops for KidZ project.

TD Bank Laptop #6 was delivered to BACC at the Stony Brook School by LFK volunteers Mario Meré and Michael Leighton on behalf of the Universal Masonic Angel Fund chapter that serves children in Orleans, Brewster and Eastham.   The very first Masonic Angel Fund was established at Universal Masonic Lodge in Orleans back in 1998.  Today the Masonic Angel Foundation oversees 142 chapters in twelve states.

According to LFK volunteer project director Mario Meré, “We are happy to see so many of our laptops going to families where there is such a clearly-defined educational need.  A placement like TD#6 can be a life-changing event in a child’s life.”  In addition to the software installed by the school, each Laptops for KidZ machine is loaded with Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Open Office, Avast! Anti-Virus and Adobe Reader.

Established in March, Laptops for KidZ (LFK) places laptop computers with local schools to be sent home with children who would not otherwise have computer access outside school hours.  LFK tries to focus on situations where there is a demonstrated educational need for which the school has a plan that involves use of a computer to address that need.

TD Bank’s Larry Squire, who arranged the bank’s donation, was introduced to the Laptops for KidZ program by Cape and Islands United Way president Richard Brothers.

As with all activities of the Masonic Angel Foundation, the program's volunteers never know the identity of a recipient child. All transactions are conducted at arm's length with the school professionals working as a go-between to preserve privacy. LFK does not accept direct requests from potential recipients. Requests for laptops must come through a school or other partner agency.  LFK computers are configured in English and are only available to legal residents of the United States.  The TD Bank laptops are eligible to be placed between Plymouth and Provincetown through local Masonic Angel Fund chapters.

LFK accepts donations of functional Windows-based notebook computers. "Functional" means that the laptop will power up and is accompanied by its proper AC adapter.  LFK generally does not accept donations of desktops or monitors. Donations to the 501(c)(3) Masonic Angel Foundation, Inc. are tax deductible.

For more information about the Laptops for KidZ program visit www.laptopsforkidZ.org.

• Laptops for KidZ places 5th of the "TD Bank Dozen" at Wellfleet Elementary
  
• Fourth of the "TD Bank Dozen" laptops placed in Brewster
  
• Laptops for KidZ gifts five laptops to Brewster after hours program
  
• Laptops for KidZ places second of the “TD Bank Dozen” at Wellfleet Elementary School
  
• Masonic Angels gifts a Laptop for KidZ to Truro School
  
• TD Bank donates a dozen computers to Laptops for KidZ
  
• Masonic Angels gifting laptops to our schools

Joe Malone Position Paper on US-Israel Relations

Like most Americans, I admire Israel and support Israel’s independence, its security, its accomplishments and its friendship with the United States. Also like most Americans, I appreciate that Israel has always sought peaceful relations with its neighbors, and that, despite unprecedented concessions to achieve peace, Israel now faces an existential threat as great as when it was invaded by six Arab armies in response to its declaration of independence in 1948. As your Congressman, I will help preserve and protect Israel’s right to defend itself and to make its own decisions about negotiating trustworthy and enforceable treaties with all of its neighbors to achieve peace, just as it did with Egypt and Jordan. I will oppose all efforts to force Israel to accept unilateral concessions to those who remain committed to Israel’s destruction.

Why I Support Israel

I support Israel because it is a democracy, believes in the rule of law administered by an independent judiciary, cherishes the education and development of its children, contributes well beyond its weight class to science, art, literature, medicine, and economic advancement, and helps other countries in need generously. Most of all, however, I support Israel because helping Israel survive and prosper is in America’s interest.

I believe that America’s security ultimately depends on the spread of democracy and the benefits to life that representative government and the rule of law bring to ordinary people in every country that is free and democratic. It is for that reason that every American government since the birth of Israel has affirmed and reaffirmed the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel.

Israel is threatened today as it has not been since it was founded. On its borders, Hamas and Hezbollah are dedicated to Israel’s destruction. In violation of UN resolutions, Syria is arming Hezbollah with thousands of missiles, many of which are long range and threaten Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Iran, which denies the Holocaust ever happened, and may soon possess nuclear weapons, promises to “wipe Israel off the map”. Even the Palestinian Authority, Israel’s supposed negotiating partner, which has been promised a Palestinian state on conclusion of successful peace negotiations, refuses nearly twenty years after Oslo to recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state. Despite all this, Israel has always defended itself from its enemies and sought peaceful, bilateral relations with its neighbors, and asks only that it continue to be able to do so. For Israel to do that, it needs the United States to protect it in the UN and other international organizations hostile to Israel and it needs the same consistent material support that the United States has provided for years.

It is essential to United States interests that the world understand that the United States will not waver in protecting Israel diplomatically and in providing necessary material aid. If the support of the United States for Israel’s ability to defend itself is seen to wane, and our promise of an unbreakable bond then rings false, how can any other country have confidence in American promises of protection in adversity? Will our Arab friends continue to resist Iran, our European friends, Russia or our Asian friends, China, merely because we speak brave words to reassure them that, when they are pressured, the United States will be there for them? Acting in their own interest, I am convinced, they will make their deals with powerful neighbors. When that happens, the progress of democratic expansion will be reversed and the power and influence of authoritarian regimes will be advanced, all to the detriment of American security, human rights, religious freedom, protection of women and children and political dissent.

Furthermore, a weakened Israel will invigorate Islamic terrorists threatening the United States. Especially among Islamic terror organizations, Israel is a conveniently-located surrogate for the United States. Contrary to the catechism of Israel’s and America’s critics that American support for Israel recruits terrorists, if we stand by as Israel is damaged internationally or, worse, act to weaken Israel in a futile pursuit of an imposed peace, it will be for the terrorists like blood in the water to sharks. And then, it will be a short step to intensifying terror in the United States. The terrorists hate our shared values, freedoms and tolerance, and they believe that, if Israel’s future can be put in doubt, so can ours.

But if our support for Israel is seen as unyielding, the United States will enjoy significant benefits. The confidence of other small states in American constancy will be reinforced, and the march of democracy can continue. Moreover, the goal of peace in the Middle East will be more likely of achievement because, from a position of unchallengeable strength, Israel can afford to take risks, its adversaries will lose hope in terror and force as a remedy for their anti-Israel aspirations, and the Palestinians can turn their energies to building a democratic society based on the rule of law and the pursuit of prosperity. How rapidly these objectives will be achieved may be anyone’s guess, but to my mind, trying to advance American security in this manner beats becoming a fair-weather friend to Israel, thereby diminishing confidence around the world in our constancy and, soon enough, being left to relying ever more heavily on risking the lives of young Americans to protect the United States.

What Israel Needs Now in Congress

Israel needs our elected representatives to speak out and explain to Americans and the world the justice of Israel’s efforts to defend itself and the generosity of its outreach in the pursuit of peace. But, while continual education of the public is essential, it must be accompanied by specific legislative action that achieves identifiable objectives. In particular, Congress must reject international attempts to delegitimize Israel or its right to self-defense, demand that our government honor previous understandings between Israel and the United States, and enact crippling sanctions on Iran that cannot be lifted absent Iran’s total and verifiable termination of its nuclear weapons program.

Accordingly, there is a constant need for members of Congress to act. Had I served in Congress during the current term, for example, I would have:

- voted to fund the annual military aid appropriation to Israel;
- supported Israel’s right to defend itself against unrelenting rocket attacks on its citizens in Operation Cast Lead;
- joined in rejecting the biased and false Goldstone Report; and
- signed the recent bipartisan letter to Secretary Clinton responding to the Administration’s counterproductive public diplomacy following the Vice President’s visit to Israel.

Moreover, I can think of at least three issues that are current and will remain current for some time that will need strong and unwavering Congressional support in the next Congress and beyond.

Sanctions on Iran

It is in the American national interest that Iran not obtain nuclear weapons. I do not take comfort that containment and the threat of retaliation will restrain Iran, as, it is claimed, these policies restrained the Soviet Union. I well recall growing up under threat that MAD might not work, and history shows that, even with a basically cautious Soviet Union, we were forced to risk a hot nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Anyone who thinks that it will be cheap or easy to defend against a nuclear Iran, even assuming its neighbors will support American defenses as vigorously as did NATO during the Cold War, needs a reality check.

Moreover, if the United States, in its own interest, does not act decisively, it is likely that Israel will. Most observers concur that Israel cannot tolerate living within missile range of a nuclear Iran that has threatened to exterminate Israel and its inhabitants. Since any attack by Israel on Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities will be blamed on the United States by Iran and its allied forces, the United States gains nothing by delay, anemic sanctions and multilateral handcuffs. To keep Israeli forces at home, it is critical that the United States give Israel confidence that we will not permit Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.

Congress is presently in the process of enacting tough, mandatory sanctions on Iran. Among other things, the legislation under consideration would force countries and companies trading with Iran, whether directly or through a shell, with choosing whether to do business with Iran or with the United States. I urge every member of Congress to vote in favor of H.R. 2194, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2009. As a member of Congress, I will work to see that the requirements of that legislation are fully and promptly implemented. Further, if additional sanctions prove to be necessary, I will support all such efforts.

Finally, as a member of Congress, I will try to improve American policy with respect to the Green Revolution in Iran. Some of the actions that Congress can take include funding worthy Green Revolution groups, strengthening our ability to beam news and information into Iran, denying Iranian governmental officials transit rights, participating in international forums that feature the plight of ordinary Iranians, publicizing the names and heroic actions of Iranian citizens resisting the Iranian government, depriving the Iranian government of access to international banking services, and other such actions. To repeat, these initiatives will seriously weaken the Iranian government, and give all governments in the area, Arab as well as Israeli, confidence to rely on the United States instead of engaging in self-help, or worse, diplomatic capitulation to Iran.

The Peace Process

Many people think that the peace process between Israel and the Arab world began with the Oslo Accords in 1993. Actually, attempts by the Jewish community in the Middle East to negotiate peace predates even the UN recognition of Israel in 1948. What is clear from the unbroken history is that the repeated and continual attempts by Israel and its predecessor Jewish community were met with total rejection until the 1978 Camp David Accords led to a peace treaty with Egypt. Since then, only Jordan has additionally recognized Israel by virtue of an agreement reached by King Hussein and Yitzhak Rabin in 1994. All other neighboring states and the Palestinian Authority refuse to recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state and, indeed, have engaged instead in terror and the most hateful anti-Jewish propaganda imaginable.

Throughout the repeated refusals of Israel’s neighbors to recognize Israel and commit by treaty to live together in peace, Israel has continually reached out and taken risks to attain peaceful coexistence and bilateral relations with its Arab neighbors, and it has taken great risks to demonstrate its good faith. At Camp David, Israel readily surrendered the entire Sinai to Egypt. After Oslo, Israel turned administration of the West Bank over to Yasser Arafat and the PLO. More recently, Israel turned Gaza over to the Palestinians and Southern Lebanon to the Lebanese government.

Regrettably, bearing those risks has exacted a terrible price: The Second Intifada, two wars with Hezbollah, terror, suicide bombings and rockets raining down on Israeli citizens, have taken well over a thousand Israeli lives and maimed thousands more, children and adults both.

To my mind, the Israelis have more than demonstrated their willingness to negotiate a fair peace agreement with the Palestinians. It is hard for me to believe that Arafat and the Palestinian Authority rejected Israel’s offer at Camp David in 2000, a sentiment shared by President Clinton. It is even harder to understand why, instead of negotiating in good faith, the Palestinians launched the Second Intifada after rejecting that offer. The only explanation is that the Palestinian leadership still dreams of making the Israelis give up hope. Accordingly, I support the fence that the Israelis were forced to construct to protect their communities from terror attacks.

Now, the parties are supposed to be negotiating under the principles proposed by the Quartet. The United States and Israel also reached understandings with President Bush’s administration regarding conditions that should prevail pending agreements reached by the Israelis and the Palestinians of their own volition in direct negotiations under the Quartet principles. As a member of Congress, I will support negotiations based on these principles. Until the parties reach a negotiated agreement, however, I will oppose demanding new unilateral concessions from the Israelis or any kind of imposed result.

Jerusalem

Jewish families have been living in Jerusalem for hundreds of years. Except for the years between 1948 and 1967, they had lived in all sections of Jerusalem, including the eastern part of Jerusalem, which itself includes the Old City. The reason Israelis did not live in eastern Jerusalem between 1948 and 1967 is that, during the 1948 war of independence, the Jerusalem resistance could not hold out, despite the success of the Israeli forces elsewhere against the invading armies of the Arabs. Not only were the Israelis excluded from residing in eastern Jerusalem after 1948, during that period, their synagogues, cemeteries and other holy places were desecrated and their schools, hospitals and other buildings were ruined. Not just Israelis, but Jews generally were denied access to the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, which I understand is the holiest site in Jewish tradition. In contrast, since 1967, the Israelis have protected all holy sites in Jerusalem, Muslim, Christian and Jewish alike with a sensitivity that was never shown them. In fact, after the Israeli capture of all of Jerusalem in 1967, the Israelis placed the management and control of the Temple Mount in the hands of the Muslim Waqf, a futile gesture as it turned out. Instead of gratitude, as an element of a campaign to deny that the Temple and any ancient Jewish connection to Jerusalem ever existed, the Waqf has abused its authority and dug up and destroyed irreplaceable archeological artifacts of the Temple period.

In light of this history, I believe that the Israelis, and only the Israelis, should decide how Jerusalem is to be addressed by the parties during final status negotiations. That means that, pending agreement on final status, the government of Israel, including the city government of Jerusalem, should decide all ordinary affairs in Jerusalem, including land use, government services and commercial regulation.

Congress has repeatedly recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and I intend to support continuing efforts to transfer our embassy to Jerusalem.

For more information, please visit www.joemalonecongress.com

10th DISTRICT LEADERS ENDORSE MALONE FOR CONGRESS

Four Area Selectmen Put Support Behind Joe Malone

PEMBROKE - Four local leaders in the 10th Congressional District are announcing their support for Joe Malone in his bid for Congress. David Braga of Falmouth, Tracy Post of Yarmouth, Bruce Rabuffo of Hingham and Richard Merritt of Norwell will assist Joe in his effort to bring fiscal responsibility and accountability back to the people.

Rabuffo was first elected to the Hingham board of selectmen in 2008 on a message of unifying the town. “I look forward to working with Joe to help him in his efforts to get elected to United States Congress. We need someone who will work for unity in Congress so that the interests of the people are being represented, not the interests of partisanship. I know Joe will do that,” Rabuffo said.

Braga is a lifelong resident of Falmouth and a 30 year veteran of the Falmouth Police Department. He was first elected to the Falmouth Board of Selectmen in May 2010 on a message of unifying the Board for the benefit of the people.

“Joe is my pick for United States Congress because it is time we had some people in Washington who care about the people here first,” Braga said. “Joe’s message of fiscal conservatism and responsibility is exactly what we need.”

Also announcing his support is Richard Merritt, a Selectman since 1993. Selectman Merritt is the Chief Financial Officer at Ford Construction Corporation.

“Joe knows that the way to fix the economy and bring more jobs to the area is to stop the stranglehold of over-taxation on business and give employers in the region the opportunity to grow and hire. We need to fix this economy and invigorate our industries and we cannot do that with the massive spending and tax hikes promoted by this current Congress,” said Merritt.

Rabuffo, Braga and Merritt are joined by Tracy Post, a Yarmouth Native and a newly elected Selectman. Tracy has a long history of community involvement, working hard on boards and committees, fighting for the betterment of her hometown and its economic development. A former Jeff Perry supporter, Tracy is now endorsing Joe Malone as the better choice for Congress.

“I am confident Joe will remember when he is in Washington that he is there to represent me, my neighbors and all the people of the 10th district—that is one of the biggest things we are missing in Congress,” Post said. "Joe's the real deal! I support his character, where he stands on important issues including our economy, jobs, and his concern for the financial future of our district."

Malone has also been endorsed by former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, former Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci, former U.S. District Attorney Michael Sullivan and Congressman Kevin McCarthy.

For more information, please visit www.JoeMaloneCongress.com

JOE MALONE TAKES TAX PLEDGE!

As Independence Day Nears, Independence From Government Intrusion on Minds

PEMBROKE – 10TH District Congressional Candidate Joe Malone today signed the Americans for Tax Reform Taxpayer Protection Pledge. ATR is one of the country’s most respected taxpayer watchdog organizations. Established in 1985 by Grover Norquist, ATR believes “…in a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax. We believe that power should be minimized.” -- ATR Website, www.atr.org

“With Independence Day approaching I am reminded of the many freedoms our country enjoys and the sacrifices that were made to achieve them. Our Country was founded on individual freedoms. Our Founding Fathers fought for freedom from intrusive government and rebelled against over taxation. I believe Americans are taxed far too much. We need to cut our out of control spending. This Congress has looked to increase taxes at every opportunity; from the health care bill to cap and trade and the massive spending through the bail outs and stimulus packages. It is time to reduce taxes on individuals and businesses so they may grow, hire and get this economy back on track,” Joe Malone.

Text of the ATR Pledge:

Taxpayer Protection Pledge

I, [Joe Malone], pledge to the taxpayers of the [10th] district of the state of [Massachusetts], and to the American people that I will:

ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses; and TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.

Signed By:[Joe Malone]

For more information, please visit www.JoeMaloneCongress.com

Has anyone seen America lately ? By TRB