CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

Healing vs Curing

The surgeon can cut the abnormal cells out.  The medicine can eradicate the offending germs. We may be declared "cured" of our disease.  We may be told that our disease is incurable.  And then we are left to heal. 

Healing is the restoration of wholeness.  This process is more meta physical than physical.  We have all known people who have been cured of a disease, yet continue to be affected by it in every aspect of life, every day.  This person may be cured, but may not be healed, if the disease process persists in negatively impacting life and relationships.  Conversely, a person may be dying, unable to be cured, and in that process may have found a new level of peace, an honest and loving way to relate to him or herself and those around that may represent a spiritual or emotional healing that had been previously lacking.

Western or modern medicine is very geared toward healing.  We run tests, take x-rays, give drugs, and perform surgery, all in pursuit of a cure for disease.  We are better and better at it all the time.  Our life expectancy is at an all time high.  I'd like to see the medical community start to acknowledge the possibility of participating in the healing process.  I'd like us to begin to recognize that curing a disease isn't necessarily a victory and that death is not a failure. 

In working together toward healing, doctor and patient can respect each others wisdom, education and experience.  Information can be shared.  Deepseated fears can be addressed.  Heartfelt wishes can be expressed and regrets let go.  Sounds ideal.  Let's be realistic in that doctors may just plain not have the time to embark on this journey of healing.  This may be where complementary care comes in.  Healing can come from a friend or relative, a counsellor or clergy member.  It can be embarked upon by engaging the services of a homeopath or energy worker, massage therapist or reflexologist.  Part of the healing in these practices comes because you, as the patient, have chosen this modality.  It is not prescribed by any authority.  It is given more power by the fact that you chose it.

Good rest, good nutrition, healthy exercise, prayers, meditation and some good hugs can go a long way in completing the task that we begin when we set out to cure disease.  The task is not complete without the healing that comes from our amazing minds, bodies and spirits.

Oops!

(thanks to Marianne in Onset for the pic!)

I actually really kinda MEANT to say "heavy snow, rain/snow line at the Canal" when I wrote that forecast this morning. I just wrote that rain stuff because I like to tease my readers now and then with the ol' false forecast trick.

It started snowing hard in the village of Buzzards Bay at 5 PM, and hasn't let up since. It's heavy, wet snow. I just went outside and caught a 4" snowflake in my hands. We have about an inch of snow, maybe a touch more.

Know that it is already April 1st in France.

I'm told that, even if it's 40 degrees outside, it is much colder up where the clouds are. The precip starts as snow, and draws the cold air down. It's a common feature of late-season nor'easters.

The rain line seems to be pushing up towards the South Shore, so maybe I'll be correct at some point this evening or tomorrow.

We'll be back with an update. Everyone from Hyannis east still thinks I made an accurate forecast.

Wareham Police Blotter for Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wareham Police Blotter for Wednesday, March 30, 2011

CapeCodToday.com is pleased to bring you the daily call logs from the Wareham Police Department. 

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

12:20 AM directed patrol Garden Homes North on Cranberry Highway all quiet

12:26 AM directed patrol Onset Mobile Home Park on Waban Ave, all quiet

12:29 AM directed patrol Merchant's Way, all quiet

12:31 AM directed patrol Indian Mound Beach on Cohasset Road, all quiet

12:36 AM building check CVS Pharmacy, Main Street, secured

12:38 AM motor vehicle stop Soft Touch Car Wash on Cranberry Highway, citation for speeding

12:38 AM directed patrol Community of Christ, Commonwealth Ave., all quiet

12:47 AM building check Maco's Bait & Tackle on Cranberry Highway, secured

12:48 AM building check Maxi Gas on Cranberry Highway, secured

12:53 AM building check Flagship Cinema on Doty Street, secured

12:54 AM motor vehicle stop on Narrows Road, citation for speeding, failure to wear seatbelt

12:54 AM building check Captain Al's Bar & Grill on Cranberry Highway, secured

12:57 AM directed patrol Royal Crest Trailer Park on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

12:59 AM directed patrol Garden Homes South on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

01:02 AM suspicious motor vehicle on Weaver Street, all parties checked out

01:05 AM building check Fan Club on Cranberry Highway, secured

01:06 AM building check White Pines Motel on Cranberry Highway, secured

01:07 AM building check Wareham Lodge of Elks on Cranberry Highway, secured

01:08 AM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, written warning for speeding

02:57 AM medical on Canedy Street, female transported to Tobey Hospital by EM

01:18 AM building check Onset Sports Resort on Onset Ave., secured

01:28 AM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, written citation for speeding

01:34 AM suspicious motor vehicle Marc's Auto Service & Towing on Cranberry Highway, employee working late

01:42 AM building check Luk Oil on Cranberry Highway, secured

01:45 AM building check Aaron Marc Jewelers on Cranberry Highway, secured

01:48 AM building check Wareham Public Schools Transportation Dept. on Charge Pond Road, secured

02:00 AM building check Hammond School on Highland Ave., secured

02:03 AM building check Wareham Free Library on Marion Road, secured

02:16 AM building check Maco's Bait & Tackle on Cranberry Highway, secured

02:17 AM building check Continental Marina on Cranberry Highway, secured

02:17 AM building check Onset Center on Onset Ave., secured

02:23 AM building check Quintal's Crack O'Dawn on Cranberry Highway, secured

02:32 AM directed patrol Garden Homes East on Cranberry Highway all quiet

02:33 AM alarm/burglar Midas Auto on Cranberry Highway, all checked, building secure

02:33 AM alarm/burglar Morse Lumber Co. on Cranberry Highway, false alarm

02:45 AM directed patrol Wareham Lake Shores on Wareham Lake Shores Drive, all quiet

02:46 AM directed patrol Merchants Way & Main Street, all checked, building secure

02:48 AM building check Oak Grove School on Onset Ave., secured

02:52 AM directed patrol Shangri-La/White Island Shores on Barker Road, all quiet

02:53 AM directed patrol Redwood Park on Church Ave., all quiet

02:54 AM building check Wareham Pediatric Assoc. on Marion Road secured

03:01 AM building check Wareham Crossing on Cranberry Highway, secured

03:02 AM building check Onset VFW on Gibb Ball Park Road, secured

03:21 AM directed patrol on Swifts Beach Road, all quiet

03:29 AM building check Jordan Plaza on Cranberry Highway, secured

03:32 AM building check Advance Auto Parts on Cranberry Highway secured

04:02 AM building check Mayflower Co-operative Bank on Cranberry Highway, secured

04:02 AM building check Wareham High School on Viking Drive, secured

04:03 AM directed patrol on Cromesett Road, all checked, building secure

04:04 AM building check Depot Auto Services on Onset Ave., secured

04:07 AM building check Oak Grove Package Store on Depot Street, secured

04:14 AM building check Clive Olsen's Garden Center on Cranberry Highway, secured

04:15 AM building check Cup 2 on Cranberry Highway, secured

04:21 AM building check Sullivan Tire on Cranberry Highway secured

04:26 AM building check Lobster Pot on Cranberry Highway, secured

04:27 AM building check Breakfast Nook on Cranberry Highway secured

04:28 AM building check Cape Cod Gas on Cranberry Highway secured

04:28 AM building check Ella's Wood Burning Oven Restaurant on Cranberry Highway secured

04:30 AM building check Meineke Muffler on Cranberry Highway, secured

04:34 AM building check Barnacle Bill's Restaurant on Cranberry Highway secured

04:39 AM building check Jordan Plaza on Cranberry Highway, secured

04:59 AM building check Wareham Service Station on Marion Road, secured

05:03 AM building check Pepin's Liquors on Cranberry Highway, secured

05:10 AM directed patrol Great Hill Estates on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

05:21 AM alarm/burglar Rite Aid on Marion Road, secured

05:30 AM building check Coastal Mortgage Corp. on Cranberry Highway, secured

05:34 AM building check North Atlantic Marine Services on Marion Road secured

05:38 AM building check Home Depot on Cranberry Highway, secured

05:43 AM directed patrol on Parkwood Drive, all quiet

05:43 AM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, citation for speeding

05:57 AM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, written citation for speeding

05:58 AM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, citation for speeding

06:10 AM directed patrol Royal Crest Trailer Park on Cranberry Highway, all checked, building secure

06:12 AM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, citation for speeding

06:20 AM building check Robertson Auto Body on Cranberry, secured

06:28 AM directed patrol Great Hill Estates on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

06:30 AM directed patrol Cromesset Woods on Cromesset Road all quiet

06:34 AM directed patrol Woods at Wareham on Swifts Beach Road, all quiet

06:42 AM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, citation for speeding

06:44 AM directed patrol Garden Homes North on Cranberry Highway all quiet

07:07 AM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, citation for speeding

07:10 AM motor vehicle complaint on Depot Street & Cranberry Highway, unable to locate van that passed school bus on right

07:13 AM directed patrol Agawam Village on Sandwich Road, all quiet

07:18 AM directed patrol Redwood Park on Church Ave., all quiet

07:26 AM medical on Locust Street, injury, transported to Tobey Hospital

08:05 AM MVA/municipal vehicle Onset Ave. and Tenth Street, town sander hit telephone pole, no damage

08:11 AM directed patrol on Parkwood Drive, all quiet

prisoner transport Wareham District Court on Cranberry Highway, two males to court

08:31 AM directed patrol Agawam Village on Sandwich Road, all quiet

08:56 AM directed patrol Garden Homes South on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

09:04 AM directed patrol Garden Homes East on Cranberry Highway all quiet

09:11 AM directed patrol Wareham Lake Shores on Wareham Lake Shores Drive, all quiet

09:11 AM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, citation issued for red light violation

09:13 AM directed patrol on Merchant's Way all quiet

09:31 AM directed patrol Shangri-La/White Island Shores on Barker Road, all quiet

09:51 AM domestic disturbance on County Road, disturbance overheard inside vehicle, unable to locate

09:55 AM disturbance/general on Tyler Ave, threats made, one female under arrest

10:16 AM directed patrol Brandy Hill Apartment's on State Street, all quiet

10:23 AM suspicious activity on Winship Ave., no crime to report, log entry made

10:53 AM building check White Pines Motel on Cranberry Highway, secured

11:12 AM directed patrol Redwood Park on Church Ave., all quiet

11:28 AM directed patrol Great Hill Estates on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

11:40 AM motor vehicle stop Swifts Beach Road and Eunice Ave., operating an uninsured vehicle, driver and passenger (car owner) arrested

11:41 AM prisoner transport Wareham District Court on Cranberry Highway, one female to court

11:51 AM vandalism on Pond Street, brick thrown at summer residence

11:57 AM suspicious person on Ellis Ave., two males walking in woods, no issue

11:58 AM parking enforcement Home Depot on Cranberry Highway, handicapped parking, no violation

12:10 PM directed patrol Garden Homes North on Cranberry Highway all quiet

12:29 PM directed patrol Brandy Hill Apartment's on State Street, all quiet

12:30 PM utility/NStar on Sandwich Road and Avenue A, wire down

12:57 PM MVA/hit and run Cumberland Farms on Main Street, driver hit car in lot, left

01:07 PM building check on Madeline Street secured

01:40 PM directed patrol Royal Crest Trailer Park on Cranberry Highway, glass in driveway, unknown source

01:56 PM disabled motor vehicle Main Street and Marion Road, car towed, transport for two car seats needed

02:03 PM paper service/209A on Charlie Ave., no one was home

02:05 PM directed patrol Kennedy Lane, all quiet

02:06 PM property/recovered stolen Rosewood Motel on Cranberry Highway, attempted stolen property (TVs) recovered

02:30 PM paper service/HPO on Onset Ave., could not locate

02:31 PM directed patrol Wareham Free Library on Marion Road, all quiet

02:34 PM directed patrol Community of Christ, Commonwealth Ave., all quiet

02:40 PM directed patrol on Merchant's Way all quiet

02:40 PM directed patrol Brandy Hill Apartment's on State Street, all quiet

02:46 PM directed patrol Merchant's Way, all quiet

02:48 PM directed patrol Redwood Park on Church Ave., all quiet

02:56 PM directed patrol on Parkwood Drive, all quiet

02:57 PM directed patrol Wareham Free Library on Marion Road, two skateboarders sent away

03:11 PM alarm/burglar on Savary Road, secured

03:55 PM gathering on Kennedy Lane, report of youths smoking marijuana, youths left

04:34 PM suspicious person Stop & Shop on Cranberry Highway, intoxicated male taken into protective custody

04:55 PM building check White Pines Motel on Cranberry Highway, secured

04:56 PM directed patrol Indian Mound Beach on Cohasset Road, all quiet

04:59 PM directed patrol Garden Homes North on Cranberry Highway all quiet

05:09 PM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, written warning for speeding

05:10 PM alarm/burglar on Main Street, audible alarm in area, reset, unable to locate

05:15 PM motor vehicle accident with property damage on Charge Pond Road and Cranberry Highway, one child checked, no injury

05:22 PM disabled motor vehicle on Cranberry Highway and Sandwich Road, AAA requested

05:27 PM disabled motor vehicle on Elm Street and Cranberry Highway, vehicle blocking road, moved

06:28 PM bylaw violation Baker's Island Road and Flint Street, reported illegal dumping, logged

06:29 PM directed patrol Garden Homes South on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

06:30 PM domestic disturbance on Standish Ave., argument, female taken into protective custody

06:47 PM suspicious activity on Merchant's Way two needles found on ground, taken to Tobey Hospital

07:06 PM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, citation issued for red light violation

07:11 PM unwanted guest on Kristen Lane, unwanted male, left prior to arrival

07:13 PM disturbance/general on Main Street, problem with neighbor

07:16 PM noise complaint on Sandwich Road, loud drums, spoke with homeowner

07:22 PM suspicious person Hong Kong Island on Cranberry Highway, reported underage serving alcohol, unfounded

07:42 PM directed patrol Community of Christ, Commonwealth Ave., all quiet

07:46 PM directed patrol Onset Mobile Home Park on Waban Ave, all quiet

07:46 PM directed patrol Garden Homes East on Cranberry Highway all quiet

07:49 PM directed patrol Garden Homes South on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

07:53 PM motor vehicle stop Cranberry Highway and Main Street, verbal warning for speeding

07:57 PM building check on Madeline Street, secured

07:59 PM paper service/209A on Fillmore Street, served in hand

08:21 PM motor vehicle stop on Cranberry Highway, verbal warning for defective tail light

08:48 PM directed patrol Wareham Lake Shores on Wareham Lake Shores Drive, all quiet

08:48 PM motor vehicle stop 195 Overpass on Cranberry Highway, citation for defective tail light

08:55 PM motor vehicle stop Cranberry Highway and Ames Island Road citation for red light violation

08:56 PM directed patrol Shangri-La/White Island Shores on Barker Road, all quiet

09:03 PM disabled motor vehicle on Sandwich Road, owner making arrangements to move vehicle

09:30 PM directed patrol Great Hill Estates on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

09:38 PM directed patrol Royal Crest Trailer Park on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

09:43 PM motor vehicle stop Wareham Lake Shore Drive, verbal warning for speeding

09:48 PM directed patrol Redwood Park on Church Ave., all quiet

09:50 PM directed patrol Agawam Village on Sandwich Road, all quiet

09:52 PM directed patrol on Parkwood Drive, all quiet

10:02 PM directed patrol Indian Mound Beach on Cohasset Road, all quiet

10:23 PM directed patrol Garden Homes South on Cranberry Highway, all quiet

10:27 PM motor vehicle stop on Onset Ave., operating after suspension, other charges, arrest

10:50 PM disturbance/general Travelers Choice Inn on Cranberry Highway, ongoing disturbance in Room 4

11:03 PM 911/abandoned call on Carmichael Way, open line

11:29 PM medical on Chestnut Street, incoherent male, transported to Tobey Hospital by EM

Army Tanks in Marstons Mills

And other sights and sounds from the Mid-Cape.

Video and Photos by Jonathan Mayo

Someone took a  great deal of time to restore these WW2 era tanks, fitted with "AA Orelikon" guns. It's quite a sight to see in the sleepy village of Marstons Mills.

D-Y Concert Band, Chorus and String orchestra perform in Formal Concert.

Watch some great performances by D-Y students.

Another Great Sunset from Scargo Tower

Spaywaggin' Visits The Cape

The Animal Rescue league of Boston has a mobile animal hospital, dubbed the "Spaywaggin",  which travels The Bay State offering low-cost spaying and neutering services. It recently paid a visit to Cape Maid Farms. To learn more about the "Spaywaggin" click the link below.

http://www.arlboston.org/site/DocServer/SW_April_2011_poster.pdf?docID=3581

Swan enjoys Indian Lands,  Dennis.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

?Everything Hitler Did Was Legal?

This quote comes from Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From A Birmingham Jail in which he points out to a group of white Alabama clergymen that legalizing an act does not ipso facto make it moral or just.

King's remark reminds us that we ought to take a look at how fascism can take root in a democratic system.

Many people believe that dictators only come to power through a military coup d'état. Examples abound. Augusto Pinochet in Chile in 1973. Roberto Micheletti in Honduras in 2009. Sani Abacha in 1993 in Nigeria. In many cases, the CIA paved the way for military takeovers by murdering democratically-elected presidents or by physically removing them from office as the agency did with Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines and Jean Bertrand Aristide in Haiti.

The most diabolical dictator of all, however, wiggled his way to power through a parliamentary system that had been in place in Germany for just over a decade, a post-World War I era of economic and political instability.

In The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, William Shirer describes in excruciating detail the circumstances that brought President Paul von Hindenburg to take the drastic step on January 30, 1933, of offering Adolf Hitler, the National Socialist Party leader and a man he detested, the chancellorship of the German Republic. The unintended consequences of this move set in motion the twelve horror-filled years of the Nazi regime that finally ended on April 30, 1945, when Hitler committed suicide in his underground bunker as Allied Forces moved in.

Having secured this office, Hitler and his inner circle immediately began making plans to consolidate his power. A German chancellor needed a two-thirds parliamentary majority in order to be able to appoint cabinet officers and assure passage of legislative proposals.

Less than a month later, the Reichstag building, was set on fire. Although it has never been conclusively determined who was guilty, Hitler's underlings blamed the arson on communists. In any case, Hitler took advantage of this incident to persuade the aged Hindenburg to sign a temporary decree that stripped the constitution of individual and civil liberties. The purpose was to defend the state against communist acts of violence. It also permitted Hitler to have control over the federal government and it prescribed the death penalty for additional crimes.

Since there was a new chancellor, the old Reichstag was dissolved and new elections were set for March 5, 1933. Now that Hitler was chancellor, the business class, especially the industrialists like Alfred Krupp, manufacturer of tanks and munitions, Fritz Thyssen, a steel magnet, and the owners of I.G.Farben, a huge chemical conglomerate, gave the Nazis plenty of money to run a full-bore campaign. But the National Socialists failed to achieve a majority vote, never mind the two-thirds the Nazis had hoped for.

This required Hitler, Goebbels, and Goering to come up with a Plan B. Goebbels master-minded what today would be called a media event that gave Hitler the opportunity to flim-flam Hindenburg, the old Field Marshall, into giving Hitler what would appear to be an endorsement. For the March 21st opening of the new Reichstag, Goebbels chose the Garrison Church in Potsdam, a city reminiscent of imperial Germany and its glories. Goebbels put together a razzle-dazzle patriotic pageant for the elite of Germany who were in attendance along with Reichstag members and other dignitaries.

Shirer writes that after his remarks from the podium, "Hitler, with a show of deep humility toward the President he intended to rob of his political power before the week was up, stepped down, bowed low to Hindenburg and gripped his hand." Flashbulbs popped and newsreel cameras whirred as this clasping of hands signified the union of the old Germany with the new.

Forty-eight hours later, on March 23, 1933, Hitler placed an Enabling Act before the Reichstag. Shirer explains: "Its five brief paragraphs took the power of legislation, including control of the Reich budget, approval of treaties with foreign nations and the initiating of constitutional amendments, away from parliament and handed it over to the Reich cabinet for a period of four years. Moreover, the act stipulated that the laws enacted by the cabinet were to be drafted by the Chancellor and ‘might deviate from the constitution.'"

In introducing the bill, Hitler assured members that the powers would be used wisely and sparingly, etc., etc. The earlier decree, issued immediately after the Reichstag fire, had given Hitler the power to detain or arrest "troublemakers," i.e., his opponents. He used this power to keep from this meeting the more vociferous members, mainly Communists and a number of Social Democrats. The weakened opposition caved and voted, "Ja." Hitler won passage of this measure in a 441 - 84 vote.

Hitler now had a clear path to fulfill his dreams of conquest.

On April 7, 1933, Hitler appointed Party members to the governorships of all the states and empowered them to remove local governments, dismiss state officials and judges, and appoint new ones.

Later that April, the Nazis declared that May Day 1933 would be a "Day of National Labor," and promised to make it the biggest celebration of this holiday that Germany had ever seen. Although taken aback by the elaborate plans, labor leaders cooperated in making the day a huge success. Hitler, himself, addressed 100,000 workers in Tempelhof Stadium where he introduced the slogan, "Honor Work and Respect the Worker!"

On the very next day, without warning, unions throughout Germany were taken over, their holdings confiscated, their organizations decertified, and their leaders arrested. Many were sent to newly-built concentration camps.

As Shirer notes, "Within three weeks the hollowness of another Nazi promise was exposed when Hitler decreed a law bringing an end to collective bargaining and providing that henceforth ‘labor trustees' appointed by him, would regulate ‘labor contracts' and maintain ‘labor peace.'" This gave employers complete control over their workplaces.

Also during this period, Shirer writes, "To Hitler, as he had publicly declared a thousand times, the Jews were not Germans, and though he did not exterminate them at once (only a relative few - a few thousand, that is - were robbed, beaten or murdered during the first months), he issued laws excluding them from public service, the universities and the professions. And on April 1, 1933, he proclaimed a boycott of Jewish shops."

From February through June 1933, anarchy prevailed in the streets. Legions of the two million Brownshirts along with other ruffians accosted and attacked whomever they pleased and went about breaking windows and smashing storefronts. Those from the lower classes, believers in National Socialism, who did not yet comprehend that Hitler had used their party as a vehicle for his personal ambitions, also began demanding that they take over small businesses, be given management positions, and agitated for industries to be nationalized and profits shared, etc.

The question of who would control the SA troops, the Brownshirts, who had functioned as the Nazis' private army - call them off or let them roll on into a second revolution - was at issue for the next year between their leader, Ernst Roehm, a very close friend of Hitler, and the Fuehrer himself. It was finally settled in a bloody purge that turned over power to Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS troops and eventually of the dreaded secret police, the Gestapo, who carried out a major portion of the dirty work of fascism.

Imprisoned in the new concentration camps in addition to the communists, labor party members, and Jews were homosexuals, Gypsies, religious and political opponents, disaffected Nazis and so forth. Later on, four camps were transformed into extermination camps where the Jewish population of western Europe was decimated and the Gypsies nearly wiped out altogether.

Having legally criminalized any opposition to his regime, Hitler began to plan actions outside Germany's borders and to prepare for war by building the ships and tanks, producing guns and ammunition, much of it through slave labor, and drafting youth for an army that were necessary for carrying out his plans for world domination.

Hitler brought fascism to Germany in a relatively short period of time. Now we might gauge how far down the road we have come by examining a few of the events here that parallel Germany's.

Capitalists have long understood that unions represented their greatest obstacle to unrestricted profit-making. Hitler promised the corporate class, whom he knew he needed on his side in order to go to war, that he would take care of trade unions.

During his 1980 campaign for president, Ronald Reagan, who had been the public face for GE before his 1966 election to the governorship of California, wrote a letter to the members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO), endorsing the union and promising "a spirit of cooperation" between the union and his administration. Union members joined Reagan's successful campaign. In 1981, PATCO went out on strike. The issues were better pay, a shorter workweek, less stressful work conditions and safer air travel for the American public. Although the odious 1948 Taft-Hartley Act had given presidents the authority to fire striking federal employees, none had done so. Ronald Reagan became the first.

In an ironic political twist Reagan put a candle in a White House window to demonstrate his support for the Solidarity Movement in Poland that was struggling for the right to strike. Reagan approved this struggle only because it was a thorn in the side of their so-called communist government. Neither would he have supported the other demands made by Solidarity since they centered on increasing or instituting the very social services that he was systematically cutting in his budget proposals.

While on a state visit to West Germany in May 1985, Reagan attended a wreath-laying ceremony at a military cemetery in Bitburg with Chancellor Helmut Kohl, a reactionary from his Christian Democratic party. Reagan maintained that all the young soldiers buried there including the men from the Waffen-SS, an elite fighting force, were victims just as much as there were victims of the concentration camps. But many felt that it was affirmation for Germany's fascist past.

The burning of the Reichstag, a significant event in Hitler's rise to power, parallels the September 11th, 2001, destruction of the World Trade Center. Controversy has arisen as to who was responsible for this reprehensible act. George Bush blamed "terrorists," claiming the act was orchestrated by Osama bin Laden who the public was led to believe was based in Afghanistan. For years now, no one has even asked his whereabouts. In a speech to Congress on September 20, 2001, Bush officially announced the War on Terrorism. On October 7, 2001, he initiated Operation Enduring Freedom, the code name for the Afghanistan war.

Later, Bush used the September attack to stampede Congress into passing on October 26, 2001, the USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism). This act, now due to run out in May of 2011, allows the government to secretly search people's private and public records as long as the government says that it is to protect against terrorism. It authorizes Internet surveillance, wiretaps, subpoenas of personal records without just cause, and establishes a category of crime called "domestic terrorism." This act "stripped the constitution of individual and civil liberties."

Furthermore, Bush condoned torture, in particular "waterboarding," as well as allowing the CIA to seize people in other countries and transport them for indefinite detention to places like Guantanamo. Under his term in office, the practice of extraordinary rendition whereby a person taken into custody can be remanded to another country for the purpose of torture was instituted.

Yet Obama, ignoring the fact that Reagan, in a bid to win white voters in the South, opened his campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where three civil rights workers (one of whom was black) had been murdered sixteen years previously, spoke of his admiration for Reagan during his own campaign for the presidency.

In fact, Obama went further than Reagan by exploiting the emotions of all workers when he promised during his campaign: "if American workers are being denied their rights to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes and I'll walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States." Like Hitler's and Reagan's, it, too, was a hollow promise.

At both the state and federal levels, attacks on workers and their unions have been unleashed. Denying workers the right to collectively bargain cuts out the heart of what it means to be a union. Other attacks include right-to-work proposals that would not require union dues be paid as a condition of employment, exempting companies from paying a state's prevailing wage, busting unions by outsourcing their jobs, refusal by Congress to pass EFCA that would have allowed workers a simpler way to become unionized, cutting workers off food stamps or denying them when they go on strike, reducing the time that workers can receive unemployment benefits, and appointing corporate supporters to the National Labor Relations Board.

Attempts are being made to override democracy at the local level. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, for example, now has the power to take over any municipal government or school board in his state for basically any reason. He also is empowered to sell off state-owned utilities to private corporations without even a bid process.

The recent Supreme Court decision on Citizens United v the Federal Election Commission opened the floodgates for the uber-wealthy to pour money into the coffers of candidates and political parties. The line is getting less and less defined as to who holds government office and who runs a corporation or a financial institution.

Fascism doesn't come with a label. Here in the United States a leader is more likely to step forward from the corporate world rather than out of the gutter to demagogue us into giving up what power we have

Mixed-use community comes to Cape Cod

Housing will ease the burden on veterans looking for a place to live

   An architect's rendering of a street in the commercial section of Forestdale Village in Sandwich. About 10,000 square feet of shops, a restaurant, a market and medical and professional offices--some with second and third floor apartments--will be built in the community. Courtesy of Bailey, LLC Brokerage and Consulting.

By Gerald Rogovin

A first in this part of the country -- a mixed-use community for military veterans, disabled people and seniors -- is about to rise in Sandwich.  Forestdale Village will include 148 single-family homes ranging in price from $140,000 to $180,000. Twenty-five percent will be offered at a reduced figure.  About 100,000 square feet of shops, a branch bank, medical and professional buildings, a restaurant and a market comparable to Peterson's in Yarmouth Port or Rings Bros. in South Dennis, are planned.   Second- and third-floor apartments will be added to some of the buildings.

One of the homes will be given to the Sandwich American Legion post by the developer to use any way it wishes.

In an effort to make the village a self-contained community, a pharmacy and/or a 60-bed assisted living facility could be added in the second phase of construction. A sewage treatment plant will also be built on the site.

The concept of thanking veterans for their service by reducing their struggle to find housing that meets special needs, and eases financing problems has begun to take wing in the nation. Ground was broken earlier this month in Palmetto, Florida, on a prototype community. Other sites are being considered in Alabama, Louisiana and New Jersey.

"It will be sort of a homogenized Mashpee Commons." - Jonathan Fitch

Impetus for communities focused on veterans has come from the American Ideals Foundation, a Ruskin, Florida-based organization that got
a 78-home subdivision under way in Palmetto. It enlisted local contractors, bankers and mortgage consultants to join forces, and create the
community there.

"Veterans have had problems getting homes they can actually move around in on walkers and in wheelchairs. It's been going on for decades.
This recognizes a glitch in giving vets what they need, and doing something about it," a foundation official told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Steve Powers, Forestdale Village's developer and a Sandwich resident, apparently shares that point of view.  He would not consent to an interview, but designated Jonathan Fitch, his attorney, and two realtors marketing the project to be his spokesmen. All three described Powers as a patriot, proud of his neighbors who work at the Massachusetts Military Reservation and veterans of wars in which Americans have been involved.

Forestdale Village will be located on a 75.9-acre parcel on the east side of Route 130 just south of a Mobil Mart and about three-quarters of a mile north of the Animal Inn. Until the 1980s, the parcel was considered one of the town's five commercial areas. A post office, gas station, restaurant and fire station were located in the vicinity.

Powers promised the town he would keep as many trees as possible on the site. When built out, roughly half of it will be open space with a
boundary of woods.

Interiors of the homes will be designed to make the lives of disabled residents, in particular, simpler and easier. To move around their homes
without difficulty, they will be provide with doors that open out from bathrooms. Access boards between rooms will be no higher than a half-inch
to accommodate wheelchairs.

All five styles of the homes will include attached garages. Ramps into the homes will be built from inside the garages onto front porches and
into the interiors to protect residents from snow and icy conditions.

An architect's rendering of the residential homes that will be part of the mixed-use community. Courtesy of Bailey, LLC Brokerage and Consulting.

Houses will be positioned to the fronts of their lots to shorten the distances to driveways and sidewalks. Lot sizes will be smaller than Sandwich has required in the past to increase the percentage of open space in the community.

Smart growth principles will be incorporated into the community, including "walkability", the term used by planners to emphasize the ability of
residents to walk from their homes to the commercial area to shop and for necessary services.

"It will be sort of a homogenized Mashpee Commons," said Fitch. The Commons was one of the first smart growth developments in the U.S.

Powers has worked with Sandwich and state officials for several years to bring the development to fruition, according to Fitch, Peter Hanson and Christoper E. Bailey, the brokers.  Simultaneously, after acquiring a contract for the land, Powers queried neighbors along Route 130 to get their ideas about how the site should developed.

"For a long time, Sandwich has not been known for accepting commercial development," Fitch observed. "But town officials have been responding to change, perhaps spurred by the probable loss of the Mirant plant and the changed economy."

"While this attitude change was taking place, along came Steve Powers, an entrepreneur willing to take a risk," Fitch added. He credited the
October, 2009, Town Meeting vote to change the zoning in the Forestdale area back to commercial with pushing the project along.

At that same meeting, the Town hired a planning firm to find ways to increase its tax base, amended the Sandwich comprehensive plan to
allow the Powers proposal to proceed, and created an economic development committee.

Prior to that meeting, the Town permitted the residential portion of Forestdale Village through a Local Initiative Program administered by the
state's housing and community development agency.

Bailey agrees with Fitch's opinion that Sandwich residents have changed their view of themselves. "It shows in our dealings with Powers," he said, pointing to the work of town officials and the actions of the Town Meeting.

One consequence of those actions is the potential for the Town's economy. According to Powers, an estimated $650,000 in added tax revenues could be gained with minimal impact on the local schools because of the high percentage of Forestdale Villagers 55 years and older.

Gerald Rogovin began as a journalist in 1948 in dailies, weeklies, radio and magazines; and in the past 9 years back to weeklies and magazines. In between, for 36 years, he headed his own public relations firm in Boston. He lives in Yarmouth Port with a skepticism confirmed by 60 years in the inky trade.

Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts' Day Cape Codder II

On May 14th, 2011 the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts will be operating a special charter aboard the Cape Cod Central Railroad. This one day only special charter will operate between Hyannis and the Middleboro/Lakeville MBTA station in Middleboro. Passengers will be able to board the train at either Buzzards Bay, West Barnstable, or Middleboro/Lakeville. The train will arrive in West Barnstable around 7:25 AM, Buzzards Bay around 8:30 AM, and Middleboro/Lakeville at around 9:35 AM. Please note that passengers will not be able to board at Cape Cod Central Railroad's Hyannis Depot. Once all passengers have boarded the train will travel from Middleboro/Lakeville down the Cape Main to Hyannis. Upon arrival at Hyannis around 12:20 PM the train will make a "second arrival" in which, once all passenger have gotten off the train, will reverse and pull back into the station. Passengers will have the option of either staying at Hyannis for one hour or getting back on the train to West Barnstable to visit Cape Cod Chapter National Railroad Historical Society's museum in the restored depot there. Passengers who opt to visit the museum using the shuttle will arrive around 1:05 PM and have around 15 minutes to look around before departing back to Hyannis or they can get off at West Barnstable at 11:55 AM and have 1 hour and 15 minutes at the Museum. The train will then depart West Barnstable at 1:20 PM and return to Hyannis to pick up passengers who chose to stay in Hyannis. Once all passengers are boarded the train will proceed down the Cape Main dropping passengers off at West Barnstable around 2:25 PM.  Passengers who visited the NRHS Museum may also board at this time. The train will proceed to make two photo runbys at Hoxie Pound and the Bourne Bridge area around 3:00 PM. The train will return to Buzzards Bay at 4:10 PM and then will go on to the Middleboro/Lakeville MBTA station, arriving at 5:35 PM.  Passengers who to board at Middleboro/Lakeville will not be able to board via a commuter rail connection as the MBTA has temporarily suspended weekend service to Middleboro / Lakeville due to the ongoing tie replacement project. Passengers who wish to board at Middleboro/Lakeville may instead take a connecting bus from South Station or Braintree for $20 round trip. The bus leaves Boston's South Station at 8:00 AM and the MBTA Red Line station in Braintree  at 8:20 AM. The bus will return to South Station around 6:30 PM. Round-trip fares for the train excursion, from any departure point, are $29.00 for children 12 and under, $59 for adult Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts members and $69 for non members. Box lunches are available for $11 each.  Passengers are allowed to bring their own food and drinks on board the train.  Smoking and alcoholic beverages are not permitted.  Please see this page for more information: http://www.massbayrre.org/DayCapeCodder.html. For more details please visit the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiast's website , send an email to trips@massbayrre.org, or call 978-470-2066.  Tickets may be ordered by mail or phone only.

If It Keeps On Raining...

Nor'easter takes aim at Cape Cod

If John Bonham had a grandfather and he played on this track, Ol' Kansas Joe might be a household name today. I was not aware that Led Zep had stolen this song as well, but that's not today's topic.

The Colonel stopped me from writing to point out that A) the songs were stolen well, and B) lots of Englishmen worry about levees breaking in Delta blues regions. But back to the coverage...

What we're here to talk about today is the soaking rainstorm headed our way. The fun starts tonight, around 8 PM, and gets heavy overnight and into Friday. Showers are possible on either end of the storm, maybe even by noon Thursday and evening Friday.

Accuweather is calling for the village of Buzzards Bay to get 2.5-2.7 inches of rain. That's about 20-30 inches of snow, if we were colder. However, our temperatures are not forecast to drop below 38 at the coldest they get overnight.

That would be the problem of western and central Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and upstate Noo Yawk. 10" of snow are forecast there, and some regions could push past two feet.

The storm is forecast to truck right over Nantucket, and Cape Cod/South Shore should see the most precipitation. We'll get it all in rain, so don't bet on a snow day, kids!

We'll sneak back on later tonight or early tomorrow with some radar shots. The radar isn't impressive ATM, as the storm will pull itself together off the Virginia coast.  The weather you see in NY (and showers here in MA this afternoon) will actually be from a seperate system.

Plan for a treacherous Friday commute as the rain literally pours down on us. Be very wary if your business calls you West tomorrow, as you may drive into the lair of the Snow Demon. The present estimated rain/snow line looks to run about Boston to Providence, with the heavy stuff hitting the rectangular part of the state.

Minor splashover is expected at the time of high tide on Friday, as the storm should be beating us pretty hard by then. Winds will be out of the northeast, and could gust past 50 mph. Spring tides will be strengthened by an approaching new moon (April 3rd), but no homewrecking flood event is presently forecast.

We're in an active weather pattern, and several rain events are heading our way over the next few weeks. Bright side? Temperatures will moderate, with highs pushing towards or past 50 for about 12 of those 15 days. We have a 60 degree day forecast for the week after next, albeit with an inch of rain.

We'll be back to keep you informed on this Wet Weather.

5:30 Update... heavy snow in Buzzards Bay, lawns coated, roads wet but clear. The radar shows a South Shore-sized pocket of snow amidst a New England sized pile of rain. Actual Cape Cod proper seems to be all rain, but I may hear diifferently in the comments.

Falmouth Young Professionals after hours April 6th at the Beach House Restaurant

Gathering for those under 40 and those young at heart

Join the Falmouth Young Professionals (FYP) at their after hours networking event, Wednesday, April 6, from 5:30pm -7:30pm at the Beach House Restaurant, at the corner of Route 28A and 151 in North Falmouth.

The FYPs, a committee of the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce, have reorganized for 2011, set new agendas for networking, socializing, and bringing good times to those under 40 and those young at heart.  Committee Chair, Bryan Braley, will be leading a cast of seasoned FYP veterans in hosting a business networking and social gathering that should not be missed. 

Falmouth Chamber of Commerce members fee is $5, South Shore Young Professionals & Cape Cod Young Professionals $7, while non-members pay only $10. To attend register online at http://conta.cc/igYee5 and pay at the door.

For more information call the Falmouth Chamber at 508-548-8500 or visit www.falmouthchamber.com.  Make sure to bring your business cards to introduce yourself to others and make a lot of great connections!

Courtesy of the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce.

Cape Cod Regional Tech wins $61,750 wind turbine grant

Lower Cape school one of seven recipients of $700,000 in state clean energy grants

In a release today, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) announced Commonwealth Wind Community Scale Wind Initiative grants in the amount of $700,000.  The grants will be divided among seven recipients across the state.

“With two dozen wind turbines already in place across the state, Massachusetts communities and businesses clearly recognize the important role wind power has to play in the clean energy future Governor Patrick envisions for the Commonwealth,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard Sullivan, who serves as chairman of MassCEC’s board of directors

The grants will be used for one design and construction project totaling 3.2 megawatts in capacity and six feasibility studies for wind energy that will total between 5.4 megawatts and 8.3 megawatts in capacity if built.

On the Cape, one such grant in the amount of $61,750 has been awarded to Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich. The CCRTHS grant will be used to conduct a feasibility study on constructing a 9oo kW wind turbine on campus. According to the release, the study will explore third party ownership, in which the third party will sell 50% or more of the energy to the school. The school would benefit by reducing electric and natural gas expenses.

The other grants were awarded to the Town of Dartmouth, the Town of Becket, the Blandford Ski Area in Blandford, EMC Corporation in Hopkinton, Harvey Electric LLC in Heath and the Massachusetts Broken Stone Company in Holden.

According to MassCEC, the grant program supports responsibly-sited wind energy projects. 

To learn more, click here.

Source: MassCEC.