CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

Christine's Weekend Picks for 7/1-7/4--July 4th Weekend

BARNSTABLE RECREATION OFFERS NOT QUITE SUNRISE BEACH YOGA AT VETERANS BEACH!

There's no better place to practice yoga than on a beach in the summer. Build strength, flexibility and balance while reducing your stress. This gentle Hatha Yoga class incorporates a gentle flow appropriate for beginners as well as more experienced practitioners. Bring a towel or two (mats are slippery in the sand) wear loose, comfortable clothing. Presented by Gin Ryan, RYT and founder of Community Yoga.

Mondays and Fridays, 7 am-8:15 am AT Veteran's Beach, Rain or Shine. (In case of inclement weather we will practice in the beach house).  Fee:  $75 for 8 week program.* Drop-ins also welcome-$5 per class, pay at the beach. Classes start Friday July 8, 2011 and end Monday August 29, 2011. Sign up for the 8 week program at Barnstable Recreation at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center, 141 Bassett Lane, Hyannis, MA. 02601. For more information contact: capecommunityyoga@gmail.com or 774-251-0370, or Mark Boardley 508-790-6345 x116.

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Could your home be a forever home?

Will Lighthouse Charter School fundraising hurt others?

Lighthouse Charter School’s Tottering Education Foundation
Donor Loyalty, Poor Economy Present Grave Challenges

The Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School series so far listed chronologically.

In the previous article in this series on the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School, we reported on the school’s plans to conduct a $2,000,000 capital campaign to rehabilitate the Regal Cinema property in Harwich in to a new home for the troubled charter school.

We  have left several messages at the school today both at the main number and on the business manager's voice-mail asking if the school intends to go ahead with the fundraising campaign, but have not received a response.

Between 2002 and 2011 the school’s Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School Education Foundation, Inc. has raised $707, 438.  Over a nine year period that averages $78,604 per year.  However, in the last three fiscal years the Foundation’s revenue dropped precipitously – from $138,641 in 2007 to only $39,700 in fiscal 2010.

Late last year the school engaged Development Solutions of New England (DSNE)to study the feasibility of their capital campaign to raise $2 million to offset the costs of the East Harwich theater project.  DSNE delivered their report at the March meeting of the CCLCS board of trustees. It's reports warned of the effects of negative publicity, and the DSNE findings were made before the present revelations concerning the school's management.

No track record of fundraising management

Will local philanthropists do something generous for CCLCS at the cost of donations they presently make to other local organizations?

Cape Cod Today questions the charter school’s ability to support a campaign that needs $400,000 per year over five years to accumulate $2 million.  In March Rose Resnik of DSNE told the board that public relations “confusion and misinformation” regarding the school was a challenge to a capital campaign – and that was before the past six weeks of revelations and leaks that have come across the screens of Cape Cod Today’s readers. 

Ms. Resnik told Cape Cod Today that her firm does not anticipate being hired to run the capital campaign.  The school has not made announcements on when – or if – they plan to launch the proposed campaign, but the school has a purchase and sales agreement with presumably a hefty down payment on the building, and no one in charge of the completion of the sale since three board members on the building committee just left and the former director Kathy McNamara's last day is today, and no new director is on the horizon as the latest candidate withdrew her application.

Where will CCLCS raise $2,000,000 in pledges for the new school?

Ineptitude, negative press and inexperience aside, there is a larger question:  Where will CCLCS raise $2,000,000 in pledges for the new school?

Most older schools have a good network of alumni who are already accustomed to donating money to their alma mater.  In the case of CCLCS, however, their oldest graduates are in their mid to late 20’s which is hardly an age at which young parents start making significant gifts to their old schools. This means that the school foundation may be forced to rely on experienced philanthropists in the area who already have an interest in doing generous things for children.  The question arises:  will these folks do something generous for CCLCS at the cost of donations they presently make to other organizations?

Will splitting the pie hurt others?

In order to get a sense of “how significant” $400,000 per year is in the philanthropic community today on Cape Cod, we pulled the State PC-1 filings for several child-oriented non-profits in the area.

Specifically, we selected a pool of seven charities with a similar geographical footprint to Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School, a similar education or child-oriented mission and similar revenue numbers to those projected if the school obtains $400,000 per year in capital campaign pledges for five years.

We selected the most recent state PC-1 filing for each organization and used their “Gross Support and Revenue” line from that report. There are hundreds of non-profits on Cape Cod, and we chose a few which we felt were relevant to compare with CCLCS. Any writer would have chosen a slightly different group.

The list includes the CCLCS Educational Foundation, Homeless Prevention Council (formerly known as Interfaith Council for the Homeless), Brewster After School Child Care Program (Nauset Youth Alliance), Friends of the Snow Library, William Sturgis Friends of Education Foundation, Inc., Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and the Academy of Performing Arts, Inc.  These seven organizations raised a combined “gross support and revenue” of $2,290.383 according to their most recent PC-1 filings.

Will CCLCS's fundraising be the 800 pound gorilla in the non-profit 'hood?

The Charter School’s stated capital campaign goal of $2 million over a five year pledge period is nearly equivalent to all of these organizations’ combined revenue for a single year. Will this make the CCLCS's fundraising effort the 800 pound gorilla in the room?

Local Cape Cod Charities' Revenue Compared to CCLCS Capital Campaign
Source - Most Recent Form PC-1 "Gross Support and Revenue" Line

Organization                                                                                                                                     Amount

Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter projected annual capital campaign (Projected)      $400,000

Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School Education Foundation, Inc. (2010)                $39,700
Homeless Prevention Council (fka Interfaith Council for the Homeless) (2009)   $338,299
Brewster After School Child Care Program, Inc. (Nauset Youth Alliance)(2009) $251,947
Friends of the Snow Library (2010)                                                                                           $ 70,878
William Sturgis Friends of Education Foundation, Inc. (2009)                                     $294,465
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Inc. (2009)                                                             $647,781
Academy of Performing Arts, Inc. (2009)                                                                              $647,313
Total of Pre-Existing Organizations' Revenue                                                  $2,290,383

Some of the organizations listed are long established entities with substantial followings of adults older than 30.  Others have significant church or other organizational support behind them.  The William Sturgis Friends of Education Foundation, Inc. is the supporting organization for the Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis, with revenue of $294,465 in their last reported fiscal year.

A lowering tide sinks some boats

Like the rest of the nation, Cape Cod was hard hit by the economic downturn of the past three years.  Even with our thriving tourism industry the Cape’s population being quite careful with their money, especially with spiraling fuel costs both for heating our homes in winter and powered our vehicles throughout the year.

A further caveat on a capital campaign arose after the first article in this series was published.  Several commentors remarked that the decline in fundraising by the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School Educational Foundation, Inc. may have been due to donor dissatisfaction with the administration of Kathy McNamara at CCLCS.  This causes us to question the loyalty of the school’s donors.  Would they abandon their pledge if they weren’t happy with the incumbent director or something else that happened at the school? 

Recent developments at the Cape Cod Museum of Fine Arts are a cautionary tale for CCLCS.  Local media today reported that a museum donor is demanding the refund of a $250,000 donation because of issues surrounding governance and leadership at the organization.  If an established, stable organization like the museum can suffer this type of crisis, we fear for the CCLCS capital campaign with such a reportedly malleable donor base.

It is not reasonable to believe that the local philanthropic “pie” will magically grow by $400,000 per year when CCLCS launches its capital campaign.  In one scenario, these organizations would all end up competing for nearly the same pool of dollars. In this scenario, the capital campaign to build the new charter school might literally take food and clothing away from other children in the area presently served by organizations against which Lighthouse Charter would compete for money.  

In the second scenario, the enthusiastic parents and friends of CCLCS would fuel the campaign with their own dollars.  If among this group are some individuals who could write five or six figure checks, significant headway could be made in paying down the balance on the large mortgage needed to purchase and renovate the cinema.  One of the challenges in the second scenario is to keep parents of today’s students engaged with the school – and their pledges – for the next five years.  Over this five year period, the parent of a sixth or seventh grader will want to put away money for college and will encounter all of the unanticipated expenses that are the joy of any parent of kids in high school.

Over the longer term, there is an additional challenge of engaging alumni as they grow to an age where they start feeling philanthropic towards their old schools.  In that situation, most philanthropically-included folks we know in their 50’s and 60’s tend to lean towards their college and high school alumni fundraisers.  We don’t know anyone who gives money to their middle school if that wasn’t a direct part of their high school, as in the case with many private schools.

Bicycle vs. SUV in Truro Thursday; Fill a cruiser with food today in Yarmouth; Falmouth police launch Facebook page; Chatham police issue 4th of July Parade parking/traffic restrictions

Bicycle vs. SUV in Truro Thursday

TRURO - Thursday morning, Truro police responded to a reported bicycle vs. SUV on Route 6, according to a Truro police release.  Lana Barbaro of Provincetown struck a small SUV driven by Barbara Bittel of New York, police said.

Barbaro was transported to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis for evaluation. Her bicycle struck the SUV in the southbound lane of Route 6, according to police. Neither Barbaro or Bittel were cited by Truro police.

Source: Truro Police Department.

Fill a cruiser with food today in Yarmouth

YARMOUTH - Today (Thursday, June 30), from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Yarmouth police officers and members of the Yarmouth Police Relief Association and the Yarmouth Police International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 422, will band together to collect food and other items for those in need in the community.

Charles Holway with his eight shopping carts full of donations. YPD photo.

This is the department's third bi-annual food drive, according to a Yarmouth police release. Donations will be accepted on behalf of the new Yarmouth Food Pantry.  The food pantry is in need of the following items: dry or evaporated milk, oatmeal, whole grain crackers, pasta, rice, canned or packaged tuna or chicken, peanut butter, beans, nuts, canned vegetables, spaghetti sauce, juice, healthy snacks for kids, diapers, baby food and cash/check donations payable to the Yarmouth Food Pantry.

Volunteers will be collecting donations at the following three locations in Yarmouth from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.:

• Stop and Shop, 55 Long Pond Drive, South Yarmouth
• Shaw's, 1120 Route 28, South Yarmouth
• Stop and Shop, 474 Station Avenue, South Yarmouth

Donations may also be dropped off at Yarmouth Police Headquarters anytime, according to police.

For more information, contact Yarmouth Patrol Officer Melissa Alden at 508-775-0445 ext. 2311 or at malden@yarmouthpolice.com.

Source: Yarmouth Police Department.

Falmouth police launch Facebook page

FALMOUTH - The Falmouth police have announced the launch of their new Facebook page. The page will allow the department to share valuable information with the community, according to a Falmouth police release.

Information including news releases, crime statistics, alerts, crime prevention tips and Level 3 sex offender announcements will be posted on the page.

"Like" the Falmouth police on their Facebook page here.

Source: Falmouth Police Department.

Chatham police issue 4th of July Parade parking and traffic restrictions

CHATHAM - The annual Chatham 4th of July Parade will step off at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, July 4 on Main Street at Shore Road. Beginning at 2:30 a.m. on the 4th, no parking restrictions will be in effect. Per the Chatham police department, there will be no parking allowed on Main Street from the rotary at Old Harbor Road to the intersection of Main Street and Shore Road.

There will be no parking-tow away zone restrictions on the Town Hall side of Main Street.  Chairs will not be allowed on Main Street until after 2:30 a.m., according to police.

Beginning at 8 a.m., there will be one-way (southbound) traffic on Shore Road from Old Harbor Road to Main Street. This will remain in effect until the end of the parade proceeds onto Main Street.

The intersection of Route 28, Main Street and Crowell Road will be closed at 9 a.m. and all inbound traffic will be detoured onto Crowell Road and Queen Anne Road.

Uniformed police officers will assist will traffic and there will be no parking signs, traffic cones and barricades in place to mark the parade route and surrounding streets.

The parade route is Main Street at Shore Road westbound to Main Street at Crowell Road. The parade will be held rain or shine.

Source: Chatham Police Department.

America's Evolving Facelift

Debate, vigorous and healthy in the United States, occasionally gets hot because the  representatives of the people are persistently pressed from five directions: 1) The needs of the nation; 2) The demands of constituents; 3) The demands of political parties: 4) The demands of those who fund campaigns and 5) Their own appetites for security and power.

 Hot rhetoric can be briefly disturbing, but it is soon forgotten for so long as the subject matter remains impersonal - for so long as the issues in play are congruent with the form of the government within which they would normally arise, for example, how best to maximize freedom..

 And there's the rub.  Too often, supporters of an expanded central government, using heart-tugging rhetoric, have raised issues that actually were (and are) challenges to the relevance of the form of government that was created by the Founders - they were often little more than a smoke screen for the desire of some to eliminate the power of the nation's primary documents: The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. 

 Now the form chosen for the United States government was not hastily decided.  The thought process that led to it probably began in the minds of some when the Boston Tea Party (1773) un-mistakenly demonstrated to all that the appetite of many colonists for freedom from Britain was bubbling to the surface.  The continental congresses began a year later and brought forth the Declaration of Independence (1776) -- the war began in the previous year and ended in 1782.

 Then the Founding Fathers (perhaps the most brilliant group of patriots ever assembled to form a new government) took five more years to construct the U.S. Constitution and to get it ratified (1787), and it was another two years before George Washington became the first president.  The Bill of Rights (1791) became the final paragraphs of the most unique  political document ever created, the U.S. Constitution.

 Forming the Constitution took so long because those who did the work were serious students of governmental forms; they realized that the final constitution would have to reflect man's natural appetite for freedom to a degree never seen before.  They wanted nothing to do with monarchy or dictatorship because they had seen and read about the lack of freedom under such rulers; they had no appetite for a government that denied God -- freedom of religious expression was of paramount importance to them because many of their ancestors had come to the colonies in search of it; they were fiercely independent and they wanted a government that would honor their right to live and strive as best they could, with little or no interference.     

 Commonsense tells us that such a document should not be weakened in any way without prolonged and serious debate; just as one should think long and hard before attempting to correct the logical conclusions of, say, Thomas Aquinas.  

 The Founders succeeded.  The Declaration of Independence makes it clear that the rights of citizens of the United States come from God, not from government.  The Constitution in Article I, Section 8 enumerates the limited powers that were allocated to the central government by the people, and Amendments IX and X make it eminently clear that all other powers are to be retained by the states and by the people. 

 Clearly, it was the intent of the Founders to limit the power of central government and to protect to the greatest possible extent the freedom of the states and of the people.  They put their trust in freedom and its inherent risks; they turned their backs on government control and its illusory comforts.     

 Many arguments about government policy - especially domestic policy - begin with dissatisfaction by some about the limited role of government.  The topic may be abortion, religion, food choices, smoking, welfare, aid to corporations, etc., but the real topic can be summed up with one question:

• Is the Constitution relevant in 2011?

If the form of the U.S. Government as defined by the Constitution should not be what it was intended to be, then what form should it be: Communism/ socialism/ monarchy/ dictatorship/a mixture?       

 Most who insist on a more intrusive federal government seldom directly damn the Constitution.  Instead they take isolated clauses from it and make a case for the theory that it is a "living document," which is to be interpreted by modern judges faced with modern circumstances.  By this circuitous route, they accomplish their purpose (strip the Constitution of its power) without suffering the political pain that a more direct attack would bring, inflicted by those who cherish the controlled form of government that was originally formed, and which led to America's pre-eminence and greatness.

 America's modern welfare state, begun by President Roosevelt, was expanded and protected by President Johnson and his followers, and it is being expanded again by President Obama.  Unhappy with restrictions imposed on the powers of the central government by the Constitution, each one of them found clauses, or court rulings of liberal judges, to justify unaffordable social programs, the cost of which may yet make America a fiscal cripple. 

 The original form of the United States government was created in the light of day, after long debate; the above-mentioned presidents disagreed with the Founders; they moved the nation into a totally different direction using the power of a veto-proof majority in Congress to force their will upon the people.   

 This new form of government has not been defined by its advocates - too dangerous.  .  Do you have any idea what it might be?  Where it is headed? 

Robert Kelly, author of several books on baseball and history/politics, is also a freelance, award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in many Massachusetts newspapers.  His latest book, Neck and Neck to the White House, is available at Amazon and the better bookstores. His e-mail address is bobkelly17@comcast.net

In My Footsteps: Norwell, Massachusetts

     For all of my travels up and down the coasts of Massachusetts, the South Shore and North Shore, there are still places that are completely unfamiliar to me.  Some of them are very close by to where I live.  One such spot is Norwell; it lies in between the places I have visited along the South Shore and some of the places further inland that I have seen like Easton and Brockton.  I was very interested in finding out what this area was about and I was not disappointed.

Norris Reservation

            Ironically even though it is not along the shore the town of Norwell was originally settled as a part of Scituate and was known as South Scituate up until 1888.  It was then that the name was changed to Norwell after dry goods merchant Henry Norwell who provided funding to maintain the town’s roads.  Norwell was originally settled for agriculture and relied heavily on shipbuilding through the 19^th century.  Now the small town of under 10,000 people is a very affluent community.

Stetson-Ford House c.1674

There are plenty of historic homes and buildings inside the borders of Norwell which I always enjoy but it was the conservation lands which stood out for me.  Chief among those was Norris Reservation on Dover Street.  I knew this spot was going to be special from the moment I spotted the small pond on the left hand side about a thousand feet from the parking lot.  The pond was iced over but it was still draining frigid water underneath a wooden footbridge and down a small creek.  With a bright sun in the sky it made for some amazing colors on the rushing water below and some impressive photos of the ice that had collected around the bases of a few trees and rocks partially submerged in the water. 

The North River

Jacobs Farmhouse c.1726

It was deserted on this day so I was able to walk around the grounds freely and snap some great photos.  There is an acre and a half field beside the farmhouse which is run by the non-profit Norwell Farms.  There was some farm equipment in a building across the street from the farmhouse including a really neat tractor.  Even though there was nobody around I did not dare get too close to the equipment.  I am sure if you arrive at the Jacobs Farmhouse while folks from the historical society are around they will show you the equipment close up.

Cape Cod Arraignments and Dispositions - June 30, 2011

QUICK LINKS: BARNSTABLE DISTRICT COURT :: ORLEANS DISTRICT COURT
FALMOUTH DISTRICT COURT :: WAREHAM DISTRICT COURT

BARNSTABLE DISTRICT COURT

June 30, 2011

In court June 29, 2011

ARRAIGNMENTS

CROWLEY, John, 62, 16 Kehtean Dr, Barnstable; OUI liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle; state highway traffic violation, July 18 in Barnstable.  Pretrial conference scheduled for July 18.

SHOREY, Devin C, 20, 44 Yarmouth Rd, Apt G, Hyannis; assault with a dangerous weapon, a water bottle; assault & battery; intimidating a witness, June 28 in Barnstable.  Pretrial conference scheduled for July 18.

THIBEAU, Jennifer R, 28, 21 Courtland Way, Yarmouth; Class E drug possession, suboxone, April 29 in Yarmouth.  Pretrial conference scheduled for July 21.

TILLMAN, Dino T, 22, 337 Mitchell's Way, Hyannis; two counts, Class B drug possession to distribute, oxycodone and cocaine; conspiracy to violate drug laws, June 23 in Barnstable.  Pretrial conference scheduled for July 29.  According to police reports, police with the SCU (Street Crimes Unit) pulled up to Beard Subaru in an unmarked car.  Tillman, exited a black 2004 Mustang and fled.  An officer tackled him and placed him in handcuffs, stating later he had seen Tillman toss items as he ran.  Police found a black T-Mobile cellphone, a red Kyocera cellphone and a bag of blue pills and white powder, the latter in three separate tied bags.

DISPOSITIONS

BRIMMER, John, 25, 30 Brimmer Ln, S. Wellfleet; conspiracy to violate drug laws; Class B drug possession; two counts, Class E drug possession, March 18 in Wellfleet.  Conspiracy, dismissed.  All other counts, admitted to sufficient facts.  Continued without a finding, continued for payment until June 23 2012.

DINEEN, Patricia J, 63, 441 Buck Island Rd, Apt B4, W. Yarmouth; OUI liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle; marked lanes violation, February 18 in Yarmouth.  OUI, dismissed.  Negligent operation, admitted to sufficient facts.  Continued without a finding until June 28 2012.  Marked lanes, not recorded.

KADY, Walter T, 71, 60 Sibley Dr, W. Yarmouth; leaving the scene of personal injury, January 31 in Barnstable.  Guilty plea.  Guilty finding.  Continued for payment, probation until June 28 2012.  Surrender license.

LACEY, Andrea H, 25, 96 Goff Terr, Centerville; breaking & entering at nighttime for felonious purposes; larceny over $250; two counts, larceny over $250 by false pretenses April 29 in Yarmouth.  First two counts, continued without a finding, continued for payment until December 28 2012.  Second two counts, dismissed.

LACH, Nicole M, 24, 1 Strawberry Lane, Plymouth; intimidating a witness, March 10 in Falmouth.  Dismissed.  This case was transferred to Barnstable District Court from Falmouth District Court per a Commonwealth Order of Transfer, "to avoid a potential conflict of interest."

MENDES, Anthony E, 17, 39 Pond St, Apt B, S. Yarmouth; breaking & entering at nighttime for felonious purposes; larceny over $250; larceny from a building June 26 2010 in Yarmouth.  Breaking & entering, larceny over $250, guilty plea.  Guilty finding.  Eighteen months house of correction, both counts, concurrent; sixty-three days credit.  Committed.  Larceny from a building, dismissed. 

ORLEANS DISTRICT COURT

June 30, 2011

In court June 29, 2011

ARRAIGNMENTS

LASKY, Christopher, 22, 10 Brookview Ave, Delmar; two counts, assault & battery; threatening to commit a crime, June 28 in Harwich.  Pretrial conference scheduled for August 9.

In court June 29, 2011

ARRAIGNMENTS

DAVIS, Bradford M, 58, 625 Main St, Harwich; violating an abuse prevention order, June 28 in Harwich.  Pretrial conference scheduled for July 5.

DISPOSITIONS

EGAN, Mark D, 28, 695 Falmouth Rd, Mashpee; failure to stop for police; reckless operation of a motor vehicle; marked lanes violation; speeding; open container violation; malicious destruction of property over $250; threatening to commit a crime; no sticker, April 25 in Orleans.  Failure to stop, reckless operation, marked lanes, speeding and no sticker, admitted to sufficient facts.  Failure to stop, guilty.  All other counts, dismissed.  Continued for payment until September 28.

FORTIER, Dorothy J, 50, 75 S. Eastham St, Eastham; OUI liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, April 27 in Eastham.  OUI liquor, admitted to sufficient facts.  24D program.  Continued without a finding until June 29 2012.  Negligent operation, admitted to sufficient facts.  Dismissed.

KLIMSHUK, Deborah J, 46, 40 Clay Hole Rd, Brewster; assault & battery, May 24 in Brewster. Dismissed.

FRITZ, Christopher R, 33, 27 Davis Rd, Rockland; larceny over 250, December 22 2010 in Dennis.  Dismissed.

FALMOUTH DISTRICT COURT

June 30, 2011

In court June 29, 2011

ARRAIGNMENTS

DOLEBEC, Kyle J, 19, 15 Buckingham Dr., Sandwich; negligent operation of a motor vehicle,  marked lanes, speeding, operation under the influence (liquor). Hearing scheduled for August 3.

TOMCHAK, Todd R, 49, 11 Pershing Dr., East Falmouth; disorderly conduct on April 14 in Falmouth. Guilty.

ANDRADE, Douglas, 24, 65 O’Donnell Ave., E. Falmouth; Larceny under $250 in Falmouth on June 2. August 10 hearing scheduled.

ANDRADE, Douglas, 24, 65 O’Donnell Ave, E. Falmouth; counterfeit note, conspiracy of $100 dollar bill on  June 2 in Mashpee. August 11 hearing scheduled.

FITZGIBBONS, Sheila M,  46, Sagamore Beach; larceny under $250 in Falmouth June 2. Hearing scheduled for August 10.

MENDES Nathan J, 39, 43 Head of the Bay Rd., Buzzards Bay; assault and battery on June 24 in  Bourne. July 25 hearing scheduled.

MEDINA, Brittany E, 22, 11 Beagle Lane, E. Falmouth; operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license on June 29 in Falmouth. August 3 hearing scheduled.

MEDINA, Brittany E, 22, 11 Beagle Lane, E. Falmouth; leaving the scene with property damage on June 2 in Bourne. August 3 hearing scheduled.

DISPOSITIONS

ENOS, Deborah L, 54, 74 Mooring Drive, Cotuit; operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended registration, uninsured motor vehicle, unregistered motor vehicle June 2 in Mashpee. Dismissed.

SEQUEIRA, Rosangela, 25, 314 Gifford St., Falmouth; marked lanes violation, obstruction of an emergency vehicle, operation of a motor vehicle unlicensed on May 18 in Bourne. Dismissed (not responsible).

DAYRELL, Adalgisa D, 23, 620 Main St., Falmouth; texting while driving, operation of a motor vehicle unlicensed on June 2 in Falmouth. Dismissed (not responsible).

TAYLOR, Tevin S, 19, 15 Bartlett Rd., Nantucket; larceny over $250, receiving stolen property. Dismissed.

WAREHAM DISTRICT COURT

June 30, 2011

In court June 29, 2011

ARRAIGNMENTS

COPSETTA, Justin, 24, 6 Flintlock Lane, Lakeville; from an arrest on June 28, Copsetta was arraigned on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a dangerous weapon. Copsetta was released on his own recognizance to appear on August 5 for pretrial conference. According to the police report, Carver police were dispatched to 8 Green St. on a report that two individuals had been shot with an “air-soft” gun. Copsetta allegedly fired the gun up to 14 times striking the victims numerous times. No one was seriously injured.

SIGGINS, Eric, 24, 426 Main St., Wareham; from an arrest on June 28, Siggins was arraigned on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He was released on his own recognizance to appear on August 3 for pretrial conference. According to the police report, Wareham police were dispatched to the area of Rite Aid Pharmacy for an assault on a juvenile with a necklace by an unknown man. The victim reported that he had been hit in the neck with a necklace that had large silver balls all the way around. Witnesses, as well as the victim provided the police with a description of the man who committed the assault. Siggins was apprehended a short distance away.

Caylee Anthony's dad died on Cape Cod; Cinema ceiling needs help; The best (and the worst) beaches; Three Vineyard towns go solar

TODAY's quote: "I need an army of volunteers to work on behalf of the Cinema." - Eric Hart.

The gorgeous Rockwell Kent Cape Cinema ceiling needs restoring

The Rockwell Kent ceiling will look down on "Midnight in Paris" starting tomorrow. Woody Allen's newest film is a fanciful time machine that allows him to indulge playfully in the artistic Paris of his and many other people's dreams.

Cape Cod's equivalent to the Sistine Chapel's frescoes

Did Caylee's dad die on Cape Cod

While millions of people are following the Florida trial of Casey Anthony, accused of murdering her daughter Caylee Anthony, one of the mysteries of this case has been who was Caylee's father.
      Now there's a report that Caylee Anthony's father was a Massachusetts man. Investigative reporter Diane Diamond on The Daily Beast website has identified Michael Patrick Duggan, a man killed in a car accident on Cape Cod, in 2007 in the photo above, as potentially being Caylee's father.
     In October 2007 Duggan was killed in a single car accident in Falmouth.
     Little Caylee Anthony died in 2008. Her mother is accused of killing her, and dumping her body in woods near her Orlando, Florida home.
      Read the FOX-TV story here.

Rockwell Kent's 6,400-square-foot mural on the domed ceiling of the theatre on Hope Lane, on the grounds of the Cape Playhouse, is easily the most famous, and certainly the largest, piece of art on Cape Cod, but you have to look up to see it at the Cape Cinema in Dennis.

It's Rockwell Kent's magnificent art deco fresco which cover's this historic theater's entire ceiling, and now it needs your help to be restored to its original beauty.

The Cape Codder reports that in 1981, the mural received its first restoration by conservators of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Cape Cinema president Eric Hart is now raising funds for another restoration. "There are some problems with the way it was attached to the ceiling," he says. "The mural needs to be cleaned, restored and attached again."

The 1981 restoration cost $50,000. Hart expects this one to cost at least twice that amount. "I need an army of volunteers to work on behalf of the Cinema," he said Monday afternoon, addressing the Friends of the Cape Cod Center for the Arts.

As owner of the Cape Cinema building, the Cape Cod Center for the Arts/ Raymond Moore Foundation is responsible for seeking restoration funds.

Read The Cape Codder story here.

The best - and the worst - beaches
Corporation & Old Silver Beach named on Cape Cod

Scroll down on this  NRDC page to read about Cape Cod's beaches in the report.

NRDC's annual survey of water quality and public notification at U.S. beaches finds that the number of beach closings and advisories in 2010 reached 24,091 - the second-highest level since NRDC began tracking these events 21 years ago, confirming that our nation's beaches continue to suffer from bacterial pollution that puts swimmers at risk.

Testing the Waters focuses primarily on bacteria-related beach water quality concerns. This year and last year, the report also highlighted closures, advisories, and notices issued at beaches impacted by last summer's BP oil disaster. From the beginning of the spill until June 15, 2011 there have been a total of 9,474 days of oil-related beach notices, advisories and closures at Gulf Coast beaches due to the spill.

Nearly three-quarters of the 2010 beach closings and advisories were issued because water quality monitoring revealed bacteria levels exceeding health and safety standards. Across the country, aging and poorly designed sewage treatment systems and contaminated stormwater are often to blame for beachwater pollution.

The Boston Globe reports that some 28 of Massachusetts' 614 coastal beaches exceeded state standards more than 20 percent of the time. Overall, 6 percent of all reported beach monitoring samples administered by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health exceeded the state's daily maximum bacterial standards. Here's the full report on Massachusetts.

Read the NRDC report here.

Three Vineyard towns go solar

The Martha's Vineyard Times reports that the island town of Tisbury expects to save about $1.3 million over 20 years, or about $65,000 annually in municipal energy costs, under a power purchase agreement and solar project development venture with the Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative (CVEC).

CVEC board clerk and Cape Light Compact (CLC) administrator Margaret Downey presented details of the project and draft documents at the selectmen's meeting Tuesday, where selectmen approved the initiative. She said the agreements would establish a fixed price for electricity at 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for 20 years.

Tisbury and Edgartown are two of seven CVEC member towns on Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod where the cooperative will install solar PV systems.

Read the Times story here.

Scroll down to:
Falmouth soldier, Matthew Gallagher, 22, dies in Iraq;
Governor Patrick visits Cape Abilities Farm in Dennis;
Film about Chatham top secret war center;
Our teachers may have to learn CPR;
Whitey's lawyer defended the Tribe.

Once More Into The Breach

Cape Electronics Store Suffering Repeated Robberies, now uninsurable
Rob me once, shame on you. Rob me twice, shame on me.

How to rob an Apple store.

Cape Mac Computers (CMC), a Mashpee Commons electronics store, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the people who have repeatedly burglarized his store.

The latest robbery went down Saturday. It involved a door being forced open, and crooks who knew just what they wanted getting in and out (and ghost) in mere minutes.

It was the most recent in a string of robberies that have focused on their Cape Cod locations. They are out somewhere between $200-250K. The last robbery took over $10K worth of Apple products.

The store is reportedly uninsurable at this point.  His stores have been robbed seven times. Orleans at least twice. Plymouth twice. Wareham at least once.

A string of robberies at the CMC in Falmouth led to the closing of that store. The company, owned by Steve Ide, now only have stores in Hyannis and Mashpee. Ide is undaunted, promising that he won't let the crooks break him.

Anyone with information on the robbery should contact Ide at steve@capemac.com or 508-815-4500, or the Mashpee police at 508-539-1480

Police describe the jobs as very smooth, with the crooks being "in and out" of the targeted store in 180 seconds or so. Many wonder who can get rid of $250K worth of gear with none of it turning up anywhere, ever.

Ide points out that numerous Apple-related stores in New England have been hit. He's not lying. I was able to pull up Connecticut, Vermont and (an inside) New Hampshire jobs with only a bit of Googling, as well as several in New Jersey. There was also a crackhead case in Hingham, where a cop had to save a guy who slashed open his arm while smashing a Derby Street shop window for nearly $20K worth of Mac stuff.

Here's a good bit on the matter of MacThefts.

Apple products are a popular theft item, as a lively black market exists for them on EBay and so forth. Maybe this item on Craiglist is stolen... who knows? Robberies of Apple stores are happening in every state. Generally, those robberies have all the subtlety of a car driven into the shop window or a murdered security guard, but the Cape jobs have been as smooth as sand... and, thusly, as fishy as Cod.

My people are currently questioning Orleans police as to whether there have been any moves made on an Apple store there, but repeated messages left with a detective there has as yet been un answered. It would be very unusual for professional thieves to target one particular chain of stores while ignoring similar stores nearby, and it would be very unusual for a bunch of dumb kids to be able to steal a quarter million dollars worth of goods without getting caught.

I'm also asking some of my shadier friends how one would get rid of stolen MacBooks, IPods, and so forth. Pretty much everyone is saying, "Craiglist," but I'm hoping that someone eventually gives me a more complex answer.

I actually believe Ide's version of the story, and don't believe that there are a bunch of insurance-settlement phones at the bottom of the sea somewhere. People like to steal Apple stuff, to the point where it is the trendy crime at the moment. Times are tough, and people do desperate things.

I'm rooting for Ide to be doing a late shift when these crooks, as they say in TV wrestling, go to the well once too often...  and that the late shift's duties that evening involve "cleaning and loading his shotgun," or "entertaining his friends from the motorcycle gang."