Entering Falmouth

The Edward Kennedy Legacy

This column is decidedly local. Falmouth issues are my experience and interest, and as a local news source, Cape Cod Today is primarily concerned with the issues that touch our lives every day.  Sometimes, though, an issue - or person - is so significant that the local impact is noteworthy in this space.

In May of last year, when Sen. Edward Kennedy became very publicly ill, and courageously chose to share his illness and his struggles with all of us, I wrote the following column.  With his passing, the words ring ever true.

We've all felt it at one time or another - that tap on the shoulder when no one is around, that feeling that someone is with you when you're alone in a room. Most times, we attribute that unknown to a loved one, gone from the Earth, but still somehow present in our lives. Whether real or imagined, we can feel their presence.

Few people who walk among us can create that presence and be part of our consciousness, our hopes, and our attempts to help our fellow citizens while still existing in human form. These rare individuals, through their deeds and dreams, carry us to another level and make themselves felt in our everyday lives. Edward M. Kennedy is such a person.

I've spent much of my adult life waxing on about smaller and better government, fiscal responsibility, and how government should be. Ted Kennedy has taught us for 40 years how government can be. His presence in our political consciousness is so great that any proposal or policy initiative that attempts to better the plight of any struggling citizen or population is gauged on the Kennedy barometer for its true measure of hope and kindness.

The recent news that our neighbor and friend Senator Kennedy is struggling - but not suffering - with a cancerous growth in his brain, the epicenter of nearly five decades of public work, was a blow to us all. It was a crushing blow not just to our sense of decency and compassion for a family that has suffered so deeply and a man who has led America's family so adroitly, but for the idealism, the purest and simplest thought of the nobility and goodness of public service that will wither as this great man passes through this trying time to join his beloved brothers.

I have struggled at times to find an issue on which I agree with Ted Kennedy, yet I cannot think of a person in my lifetime, even President Ronald Reagan, who has had more of an impact on our American psyche and my personal commitment to good government than Senator Edward Kennedy. And that's just it.  Those who simplistically call Kennedy the "Liberal Lion," whether using that phrase with affection or disdain, miss the real impact of the youngest member of the Camelot clan in our lives. Through personal struggles, some epic, some tragic, Kennedy has remained a force in our lives. Yes, the causes he has championed can mostly be classified as left-of-center, but his passion for the plight of humanity knows no side of the aisle.

Like the legendary and mythical Phoenix rose from the ashes of its own demise, the power of the legacy, not simply the Kennedy legacy, but the Edward Kennedy legacy, will gain strength from today's struggles and move to inspire generations of citizens to choose service to others as a life's work. Edward Kennedy has risen from the ashes - personal and political - to fight another day for a better America and a better human kind. What better legacy could there be?

Thank you, Senator Phoenix, for tapping us all on the shoulder and being present in our lives. Thank you for reminding us that there is no greater call than service to mankind.

This column is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

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Lowdown Behavior in Falmouth Heights

At a time when Town Meeting members are being asked yet again to dip into the pockets of residents and visitors with tax-hike proposals on the Town Meeting warrant, the crusade of a couple of members of Falmouth's best known impediment-to-progress organizations, the Falmouth Heights Maravista Improvement Association, is almost laughable in its inappropriateness.  We need more dollars, not less, and the crusade against public use of the kite park would result in less.

This group of perennial naysayers, having been thwarted in their oppressive efforts to close the Casino and BBC early, kick Smitty and his tasty hot dogs off the beach, and shut down public use of the beach parking lots after the sun sets and they determine dining and merriment should cease, have now set their sights one of the jewels of Falmouth Heights. Association member Nellie Emigh has expressed lament and exasperation over the recent approval by Selectmen of a wedding ceremony on this verdant slice of beauty on Vineyard Sound, citing an outdated 1880 deed that limited use on the site. Much like the arguments against public enjoyment of the beach and its parking lots, the Association through Ms. Emigh believes that an invisible forcefield rolls down Falmouth Heights Road and clear along the beachfront, then turns a corner up Maravista, creating a private enclave where only a chosen few can enjoy the beauty of the environs.  Most of the rest of us know how silly that notion is, but it does not deter the Association from loudly and forcefully making their wayward points anyway.

So this latest dustup between the Association and the rest of Falmouth centers on the kite field and the Selectmen's proper (legally, politically and common-sensically) assertion that since the kite field is public property, the Board of Selectmen can determine appropriate public use, in this case, permitting a wedding and allowing a bride and groom to pledge devotion and commitment before friends family and breathtaking views.

Attorney Ed Kirk must love these guys.  They keep paying him to show up at Selectmen's meetings, toss a trial balloon or two into the corner conference room, then scoot before they pop with the hot air of the Association hissing through the assembled maddening masses.  Even though he is 0-for-the 21^st Century when it comes to Heights issues with the Selectmen, Attorney Kirk gets points for both persistence and resilience.

It's funny, though, that Ms. Emigh characterizes the Associations' bullying of the Falmouth Yacht club as a successful challenge - my recollection is that is was an old fashioned beat-down - and I was there.  Back ten years ago or so, The Yacht Club, bringing visitors in from near and far away to spend time and dollars in Falmouth, wanted to park cars and small sailboats on the kite field for a couple of days.  To listen to the Association members, the proposal was a challenge to civilization itself.  I remember few lively meetings where the shouting and veiled threats of election defeats that have come to define this organization resonated through the room like the Three Tenors in a phone booth.  The proposal went nowhere and the visiting dollars went elsewhere.

The reactionary behavior to this latest innocent proposal is no different.  Proposals that most local government observers determine to be innocuous, or even beneficial to our tourism-based economy, are treated as hostile and destructive by the myopic managers of this civic group.  I wrote recently that I'd love to stop writing about Selectmen Mustafa but that his bizarre behavior begs an almost weekly mention in this space.  The Falmouth Heights Maravista Improvement Association is approaching such infamous local status.  The fact that they have an ally in Mustafa, the now self-proclaimed outcast is no endorsement of their cause.

Ms. Emigh and the Association now seek to define who can use the kite park.  They would like the Selectmen to develop a policy that develops "restrictions and clarifications" on future permits.  Here's a suggestion for clarification: and an idea for wording on future permits:  "The kite park is public.  All are welcome." 

This column is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

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Silence and Inaction in Falmouth

I've been chewing on it for a couple of days, and I'm still not sure what I saw last Monday night in the Selectmen's Meeting Room.  I saw inaction that was decisive and inaction that caused me to scratch my head by its indecisiveness.  I saw silence that spoke volumes and silence that said nothing.

As I left in a daze, trying to figure out what it all meant, I observed the aftermath of some poor soul who had gotten sick on the sidewalk right in front of the large picture windows which allow the public to glance into the inner workings of the seat of local government.  As I lamented the unknown person's plight, I overheard a senior town official quip, "If you were just at that meeting, wouldn't you get sick too?" That frustration was pervasive.

There was certainly action by inaction Monday night.  By saying nary a word on the discussion to reconsider the appointment of former Constable George Morse, the Selectmen loudly declared that issue closed.  No matter what side you lined up on for this first of two title bouts, the Selectmen declared a TKO before the bell rang and forced Morse to hang up his gloves.  With that, they took a major source of contention off the table. That is good for the community, as our local mood has suffered greatly of late with a host of negative issues swirling around our collective consciousness.

On the main event of the evening, a discussion on the fate of Town Manager Bob Whritenour, the Selectmen allowed a pre-bout comedy routine by their attorney, but shrank into their corner when the bell rang.  Attorney Lenny Kesten might have thought he was Lenny Clark when he quipped that if each employee faced with a discrimination claim was suspended, there may not be any Selectmen left in the Commonwealth, which "may be for the better," according to the Boston barrister.  This comment drew a few giggles and snickers from the assembled supporters and detractors, but did little to lighten the somber mood.  Similarly, the conclusion of the Selectmen to simply ask Kesten to deliver a note to the MA Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) did little to lift the cloud over the corner office and the larger Falmouth community.

This type of silence and indecisive inaction is precisely what Falmouth does not need in one of its darkest and most difficult times in the last decade. Few who left the meeting seemed to understand what happened.  The assembled groups and cliques who opined and quibbled outside of Town Hall after the meeting seemed to all reach the same conclusion - little happened in the Selectmen's abbreviated public Executive Session to give either the Town Manager or the public at large the tools to move forward with any remote sense of closure.  The division between the Selectmen, and by extension, the chasm between the Selectmen and the Town Manager, lingers and widens.

In his brief statement after the meeting on a particularly canicular August evening, Bob Whritenour offered the most salient point of the night: "There are serious issues facing the town, and that's where my energies are," said our town's CEO.  Amen.

The problem is, with no action, no hint of resolution from the Selectmen, Bob's ability to lead will be hampered if not crippled moving forward.  If the Selectmen have confidence in the Town Manager's judgment and abilities, they owe it to him - and to us - to say so.  If that confidence has waned to the point of no return, we all - including Bob Whritenour - need to know that as well. This silence is deafening by the clamor it is creating.  This inaction is fostering a bustle of destructive discontent.

Leadership at the local level is about so much more than setting the budget and approving dock locations - it is about setting the local mood and creating a direction, a course for our community.  It is also about setting an example for performance under pressure.  I'm not sure that the course and the example set Monday night is one we collectively want to follow and emulate.

 This column is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

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Seven Miles, Lots of Smiles - Finishing Falmouthites

I ran my first Falmouth Road Race in 1992.  I had just lost my first bid for elected office, and thought that waving to adoring fans for seven miles while taking a leisurely jog along the coast would be a great campaign stunt for the next election.  That thought changed before I hit the Church Street Bridge.  Anyone who has completed the 7.1 mile course of one of the world's premier road races knows that, fit or not, veteran or rookie, the winding course from the Capn' Kidd to the Casino offers challenges to even the most experienced runner.  I can remember vividly walking, no, limping, past the mile 6 marker and getting a boost from some cheering friends as I approached the final turn near the Falmouth Yacht Club.  As I wiped my brow and donned my neon pink 102^nd Fighter Wing baseball cap to some folks I recognized through my exhausted haze, I plodded my way up heartbreak hill.  Near the crest of the pinnacle of Falmouth Heights, I spotted a photographer taking what appeared to be official photos of the runners.  I burst into my most athletic stride, forced a smile through the pain, and my first and only professional action photo was born.  I finished a few feet later and can still remember the wonderful support of the volunteers tending to me, obviously knowing I had no business taking on such a feat. 

Many Falmouthites took on the same challenge last weekend, perhaps without the self-imposed drama of my first attempt, but with a personal goal nonetheless.  Here's a tribute to many of our friends and neighbors who finished and deserve recognition:

Former neighbor and friend Sandee Parkinson deserves special recognition as the first Falmouth female, but also as one of the fastest women overall.  I'd be hard pressed to ride a bike from Woods Hole to Falmouth in the time it took Sandee to breeze through the course.  Hubby and local doc Greg had a nice finish as well.   I saw a smattering of McGills in the results.  UMass-bound Dan took the family trophy, finishing in an impressive 48 minutes, but brother Drew was not far behind, followed by sister Ally making a respectable finish, and even Dad Jay and Mom Margie proudly crossing the finish line - what a great family event!

Even though my Fisherman's Cove friend and neighbor Matt Palanza was bested by his wife Meghan, he gets kudos for completing the course, much like the tandem of Janice and Bob Brown.  This wasn't chivalry folks, it was the ladies outrunning the guys, plain and simple. 

It was music to my ears to see two former FHS bandleaders, Tom Borning and Peter Cook, finish.  I remember George Killory, III as a kid; now he's finishing the road race and racing toward 30. Speaking of kids, it was fitting that Race Director Rich Sherman's financial services ad was on the results page; it was almost as though he was smiling upon the results of daughters Elizabeth and Catherine, demonstrating togetherness in finishing within a second of one another. 

Falmouth Town Hall was well represented, with ZBA members Dennis Murphy and Ken Foreman breaking the tape (Dennis gets the Zoning Board bragging rights), Wastewater guru Gerry Potamis extending the line, and Rec Department veteran Joe Olenick having some fun.  Town Manager Bob Whritenour completed the race just ahead of trusty Assistant Heather Harper, and even Police Chief Anthony Riello took the final step to assimilation into his adopted hometown, finishing with a respectable time.

Newlywed Kevin Mikolazyk took a break from his new found bliss to make the trek, as did timeless road race vets Ron Pokraka and Don Delinks.  Tim Lineaweaver took a break from making the world a better place to improve his own health, and Main Street mainstay Dave Jarvis left the ‘deck to make the trip.

Enterprise chief Bill Hough crossed the finish line; I wonder if former staffer Dan Webb was waiting to take his pic after his seven mile jaunt.

We all know of the value of the race - the people and dollars it brings into town, and the hundreds of thousands raised for charity by runners.  The greatest value, though, are stories like these -   stories of personal triumph, perseverance, and families making memories together. 

Speaking of memories, I must admit, my first Falmouth was also my only.  I haven't made a second attempt.  Next year, maybe?

This column is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

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Thoughts on Dying and Praying

Note to Eddie Marks, Bob Antonucci, and Virginia Valiela:  I am grateful (and you should be too) that your long and distinguished service to Falmouth was in the Pre-Putnam era.  If Selectman Brent Putnam had his druthers, the Edward Marks House would just be an office building, the Robert Antonucci Field House would be only a gym, and the Virginia Valiela Water Conservation Garden would simply be a bunch of plants in front of Town Hall.   His proposed policy on naming things, like buildings, benches, and meeting rooms, featured a provision that required a potential honoree to be in the Big Selectmen's' Room in the sky (dead) for at least five years before enjoying the honor. 

Imagine telling Lily-esque Falmouth Philanthropists Jim and Ruth Clark, "Thanks for your generous $10,000,000 donation for the new oncology center, but we're going to name it the Sippewissett Center while you're still with us."  On Monday, his colleagues had the good sense to strike that provision during a discussion on the policy which means there is still hope for the George Calise bike path extension, the Dick Kendall Senior Center and the Andy Dufresne public bathroom in Falmouth Heights.  

Speaking of good sense and the Selectmen, they showed a little more in their discussion with several local churches in approving a request to set up a small table and offer prayer to those seeking it.  Before you pen a letter reminding me of the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution, my recollection of civics class is that our founding fathers frowned on a state-sponsored religion, but didn't opine on volunteers offering prayers on a beach, public or private. I'm not a member of any of the churches planning to offer a prayer to anyone who wants (or needs) one, but if I happen upon the kind and generous folks at Old Silver Beach before the summer is up, I'll probably ask for a little consideration and thank the volunteers for their willingness to make Falmouth just a bit better, prayer by volunteer prayer.  I think Thomas Jefferson would be happy with that, too. 

On the subject of volunteers, I'd love to see someone from Cape Cod Healthcare offer kudos to the countless volunteers and generous donors that have made the Community Health Center (formerly the Cape Cod Free Clinic) so successful.  I'm sure that new hospital helmsman Dr. Richard Salluzzo and his team have done yeoman's work in bringing Cape Cod Healthcare from a $25 million loss to a $3 million surplus in a year, but someone should look at the value of the free care provided by the CHC and how that has impacted the hospitals' bottom line.  Simply put, every dollar of free care provided by the CHC is a dollar of free care not impacting the bottom line of Cape Cod Healthcare.  That's got to be worth at least a passing thanks to the CHC.

And speaking of saving dollars on the bottom line, I took a brief trip with the family to Philadelphia last weekend to visit former Falmouthite, FHS classmate and gifted musician Mike Marotta that made me think of the upcoming special Town Meeting next month to address an expected half-million dollar shortfall in state and local revenues.  We stayed in Collingswood NJ, a short trip over the Ben Franklin Bridge to Philly.  I noticed that gas in New Jersey was about thirty cents cheaper per gallon than in Pennsylvania, due to state and local taxes.  I naturally bought my gas (and a couple of bottles of water and candy bars) in Jersey.  If Town Meeting approves a hike in local meals taxes that is not approved by surrounding towns, won't some of our restaurateurs suffer the same fate as the Philly gas merchants?  More to follow on that one in the coming weeks.  

Finally on the subject of Philly and gas, I can now say that I have eaten a genuine Philly cheese steak.  Next to running up the steps where Rocky Balboa celebrated his newfound confidence, that was the highlight of my trip - even with the meals tax. 

This column is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

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The Wisdom of Sports Talk Radio

Sports talk radio is not necessarily an abundant source of wisdom, but while listening to some of my favorite Red Sox pundits on the way home the other day, I heard the following gem: "The best way to have the last word is to say you're sorry."  The quote was in relation to David "Big Papi" Ortiz and his current troubles, but my thoughts shot directly to our local government seat at 59 Town Hall Square, where Ortiz' offensive and pharmaceutical struggles look like a pesky hangnail compared to the mortal wounds from shark bite behavior bleeding confidence and trust in our leaders lately. 

Looking at the letters to the editor and lending an ear to the coffee shop prognosticators of late, it appears that stock in our local government is near an all-time low.  The reasons for this crisis of confidence are many, but all paths on this journey lead to the crescent-shaped table in the corner conference room, so as a focus-on-the-solution sort of guy, I'll simply offer my sports talk radio solution to this current conundrum: Why not say you're sorry, and have the last word?

The question becomes, then, to whom is the advice directed? The answer is as simple and as beautiful as a glimmering Old Silver sunset: all of ‘em.

None of us behaves perfectly. Our Selectmen are "us," and each has contributed to the current downer dynamic, so why not simply admit to your part of the problem, Ahmed, Brent, Carey, Melissa and Pat, and create a new, cooperative dynamic that we can admire and emulate? It really is that easy.  I know, because I've done it myself.

During a sometimes bumpy, sometimes grumpy, and always thought-provoking ride through a twelve-year tenure as a Selectman, I created many opportunities to apologize, and, truth be told, many times I did not, probably for many of the same reasons that some of our fab five are holding their ground and wearing out the casters on their chairs with their efforts to distance themselves from each other. I can admit now (and have to many a Falmouthite), with a few years of distance between me and the office, that I at times felt that the town and its people owed me something for the hard work and dedication I showed (not to mention that I was a great one for insisting that I was always right).  I know now that it was my privilege to serve and that no one owes me a thing.  Are you listening, Ahmed?

Despite what any individual Selectman may feel about the current state of affairs, the behavior exhibited every Monday night has an impact on our local mood, and on how our citizens view the quality of local leadership.  If a Selectman bemoans the sorry state of affairs on the Board, the public inevitably will get caught up in that toxic storm water swirling down the drain.  Do you see that, Brent?

They say that familiarity breeds contempt.  Boy did that become a two-way prophecy for me.  After four terms, I had had enough, and it became obvious with the results at the ballot box that the people had sure had enough of me.  Part of the contempt, though, certainly came from my inability to own any of my mistakes and misstatements and move on.  Is their wisdom in that lesson, Carey?

No matter what happened on the campaign trail, the honor of serving presents an opportunity to cooperate and collaborate in the interest of all citizens.  I'm sure you get that, Melissa.

The buck, the gavel, and probably the mood ring stop on the desk of the Chairman.  She who holds the gavel sets the tone.  You have an opportunity to start this ball rolling, Pat.

Here's another gem I heard from the sage pundits of sports talk radio: It's never too late to start your day over.  Every day, the sun rises over Washburn's Islands and sets on Buzzards Bay.  In between are plenty of opportunities to shed the cloak of negativity from the events of the day and begin anew with enthusiasm - and to apologize for our mistakes and have the last word.  We'll see if anyone in the corner conference room is listening.

Thiscolumn is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

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Falmouth Service Center - The House that Faith Built

Faith can be an overused word in our American lexicon.  Sometimes, I think people misplace "confidence" with faith, like, "I have faith that the sun will come up tomorrow," or "I am faithful that the Red Sox will make the playoffs."  Before you groan and turn the page thinking that this is a column about my religious views, stop and, well,  have faith.  The faith that I'm talking about is more of a "trust in and loyalty to" kind of dynamic, as in, I have an unyielding faith in our local government, but my faith in some of those entrusted to lead it has been waning lately, and with it, my faith in our community. 

On Sunday afternoon, all that changed.  As the playground behavior in the corner conference room at Town Hall was reaching its nadir this past week, dozens of volunteers were planning an event that indeed restored my faith in our community, and reminded me why Falmouth is a  truly special place to live.  I had the good fortune and pleasure to attend the annual "FUNd" Raiser event on the grounds of the Falmouth Service Center, and was reminded that events like this one, and the people that make it happen, are what is right with Falmouth.  This event was teeming with locals just giving or giving back to an organization that exists solely to help neighbors in need.  They came out to show their support and show it they did.   

As I enjoyed a musical number from The Rev. Nicole Lamarche of the Cotuit Federated Church accompanied by Rabbi Elias Lieberman of the Falmouth Jewish Congregation, I turned to share a smile with Rev. Bob Murphy of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth.  That's community, folks.  That's faith.  As I was smiling and soaking in that good will, I got a warm handshake from a Falmouthite who knows a thing or two about music: gifted pianist, teacher and big band leader John Salerno.  He, too, was there just to share in the goodness and leave behind a couple of bucks to make sure that the hundreds of Falmouthites who struggle to put a meal on the table can have that meal, and as important, a family gathering.  We shared a memory of his big band sound at my wedding those many years ago, and he faded into the crowd - a crowd that included a generous participant in the day's events who seemed at peace - activist and videographer Paul Rifkin. 

 I had the pleasure to share a laugh and a burger with tireless volunteers John and Debbie Netto, who were among the throngs of volunteers coordinating the food for this family event.  These were no pre-formed patties - they were genuine hand-made backyard burgers - and were a genuine delight.  Johnny actually had a great idea for our fab five in town hall - he volunteered to fill a bus with our Selectmen as a team building exercise and drive them to the Service Center to help paint the building.  I'm buying the paint, if you're interested.

Speaking of the Selectmen, our Chair Pat Flynn was there with friend and political veteran Thelma Goldstein.  If Mildred Allen enjoys the moniker of Falmouth's spry centerian, then Thelma is certainly deserving of the title of our spryest nonagenarian.  Just her presence was a boost to many at this event, and her energy and wide smile are a lesson to any Falmouthite on keeping a positive attitude and having faith.

A positive attitude is what another attendee, Rick Smillie, is all about.  As we shared stories on the best place in town for breakfast, Rick shared goodwill with many a passerby. 

I guess that's what this event at the house that faith built was all about - good will.  It came in many forms: from volunteers, to attendees sharing some dollars, to neighbors in need getting a good meal, to a man restoring his own faith - faith as in "trust in and loyalty to"  - in his community.  That's a gift from the Falmouth Service Center for which I will always be grateful.

 This column is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

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Half a Billion Reasons to Listen to Matt Patrick

Although public policy, and specifically local government, has been both my avocation and my career, I have never really given much thought to the concept of urine diverting toilets.  That, however, does certainly not mean that it is not a subject worthy of consideration.    

Nearly a year ago, I offered some thoughts on the planned sewering of major portions of East Falmouth, called the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) by the professionals.  I suggested that before the CWMP get out of control, citizens and professionals alike pause and really examine both the need and the affordability of the largest public works project in our history. 

Here's what I said of this idea...

"An idea with merit is discussed at a Selectmen's meeting and all agree it is a good idea, and that a committee should take a closer look.  Soon enough, that "take a closer look" is given a dash of committee input, a sprinkle of knowledge, and a heap of good will and has blossomed into a hearty mandate with nary a second look and the idea is driving itself straight to Town Meeting and the ballot box.

Before this issue drives itself anywhere, there are half a billion reasons why the brakes should be put on..."

In the ten months since I wrote that, the CWMP has seen anything but brakes - this little engine is chugging toward Town Meeting to be sure - and toward our pocketbooks.  To the Committee's credit, they have conducted significant public outreach and are making a sincere effort to inform the citizenry - but their effort has been limited to providing information, not gathering it.

Which brings me back to the subject of urine diverting toilets.  While this subject may not generate lovely images and intense debate in the barbershops and grocery aisles of Falmouth, it is indeed at the heart of the current sewer discussion - both as an alternative to sewering itself and even more importantly as a symbol of the fast-track/one-track process that has characterized this issue to date.

"I am concerned that Falmouth has not adequately considered alternative technologies in the discussion of new sewers in Falmouth."  Those are the words of a man who should know.  State Rep. Matt Patrick served as a Selectman and Public Works Commissioner in Falmouth for six years before making the journey to Beacon Hill.  Up there, he has been a champ on environmental issues and recently expressed his growing concerns in a letter to the environmental triumvirate in Town Hall: The Selectmen, Board of Health, and Conservation Commission.  Matt's point is similar to mine - that not enough has been done to consider other options than a five-hundred-million dollar solution to the problem of nitrogen in our estuaries.  "I ask the Town of Falmouth to take a breath; rethink this issue and put more resources into planning and research," said our veteran Rep. Right on.  Take a breath, please, because the thought of heading headlong into spending half a billion dollars is enough to make us all hyperventilate.

We don't live in 1800's rural Kansas where tumbleweeds roll through a barren village.  We live in one of the scientific hubs of this planet, and have an assemblage of able and eager scientists poised to volunteer their smarts and experience to help solve the vexing problem of the degradation of our natural resources.  Why not, as Matt suggests, enlist the help of the great scientific minds in Woods Hole and allow their "blue ribbon panel" to chime in?  What is the possible harm in that? That expertise would be a complement to, not a replacement of, the work done to date by our paid and volunteer policymakers.

Matt's final words to the leaders of our community wrap it up perfectly: "This is the largest and most expensive problem that the town will ever have to negotiate.  Once the decision is made, we will all be committed for the rest of our lifetimes in Falmouth."  Think about the permanency he's speaking of to our most trusted leaders.   For the rest of our lifetimes.  Shouldn't we make sure we get it right?

 This column is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

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Of Constables and Fences

I sat in my big rocking chair Monday night, a tall glass of fruit punch and healthy portion of peanut butter cup ice cream on the end table, and waited for the unfolding of the latest haymaker to be thrown in the George Morse vs. the Town of Falmouth bout, but alas, the unfolding of that drama will have to wait for another day.  The standoff between Chairman Pat Flynn and Morse's attorney Gus Wagner on the paperwork provided to the Town has postponed a second vote on the Constable appointment for at least a week.  Postponement or not, the still-in-limbo appointment of Morse as a Constable, entrusted with serving civil process, posting Town Meetings, and assisting in debt collection, has provided much political theater over the last few weeks.

Selectman Brent Putnam has been only too willing to share his disdain for his colleagues on this issue, opining Monday that Mr. Morse is "getting the shaft," and offering freely to anyone who will listen that his colleagues and other high ranking town officials have engaged in some sort of dastardly deeds in reviewing the now disputed information on Morse's past.  That issue will be fully vetted between Attorney Wagner and Town Counsel Frank Duffy in the coming days, but what is really disturbing and deserves mention here is Putnam's eagerness to call out his colleagues publicly and bring the disagreement between Selectmen to the center stage.  Our form of government suggests, perhaps even demands philosophical disagreement amongst its leaders, but the sort of personal "gotcha" that Putnam has introduced on this issue is troubling. It is also potentially harmful to the entire Board of Selectmen and the Town.  The Board, after all, is our executive authority, and any individual member's thoughts on the legal exposure to the Town should be just that, thoughts.  Putnam has a duty to keep that stuff confidential, lest he or she contribute negatively to that very exposure.  To put it simply, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

Speaking of troubling and political theater, the near volcanic exchange between Attorney Wagner and another member of the Selectmen during that same hearing ended peacefully enough, but was ramping up to be the title bout as Wagner suggested (or politely demanded) that Selectman Carey Murphy recuse himself from this debate, which is quickly gaining cranberry-like status on the local political scale.  Because Murphy had previously offered an opinion on the Constable subject (one not to Wagner's or Morse's liking), he was accused of being "less than appropriate."  Having served with Carey for some time, I've come to recognize the signs of trouble, when that crimson color rises from the neck and slowly populates the cheeks and forehead.  To the veteran Selectman's credit, though, he maintained his composure in the face of some unabashed goading and simply stated that he would participate in the hearing that never came to be. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as Act III of this drama unfolds in the corner conference room.

And speaking of the corner conference room, I did notice, as I was scraping the last bits of melted peanut butter cup from the bottom of the bowl, a flash of fairness from the oft-criticized Selectman Mustafa.  During what was at times a silly debate on placing a fence along a homeowner's property along the new bike path (we need a committee to place a fence?), Selectman Mustafa plainly re-stated the words of  both retired Town Engineer George Calise and his able replacement Peter McConarty.  These two no-nonsense public servants studied the issue at length and recommended placing a fence to restore the privacy of the local homeowner, at his own expense.  Some bikers and walkers lamented that their Shining Sea experience may be altered by looking at a 300-foot fence.  In sympathizing with the homeowner, I wonder how wonderfully civic-minded but misguided bikers like Patty and Leonard Johnson would feel if dozens of folks were peering into their living room every day? Anyway, Selectman Mustafa simply offered that the experts had stated their well-studied thoughts on the issue and made the motion to allow the installation.  Of course, the motion was not approved, as the Board decided to take some more time to consider other options, but Mustafa's no-nonsense common sense approach to this issue reminded me of the man-of-the-people local leader elected those many years ago.  Is the "old Ahmed" back? Stay tuned for that one as well.

This column is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

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Falmouth Main Street is Alive and Well

I love Main Street.  When my wife and I owned a business in the heart of Falmouth's primary commercial district, I used to joke that I was like razor pitchman and former Patriots owner Victor Kiam.  He used to quip that he loved the razor so much, he bought the company.  Well, we loved Main Street so much, we bought a business there.  A decade later, we have sold the business and moved onto other ventures, but the love continues.

Last weekend, I had the privilege of joining Chamber Chief Jay Zavala on Main Street for an afternoon as the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce's first "celebrity Sunday" volunteer at the Chamber Visitors' center on Academy Lane, just steps from the bustle of our hometown downtown.  When my kids asked me why I was listed as taking part in any celebrity event, I told them that Peter Griffin, the dad from the TV show Family Guy wasn't available and that I was his stand-in.  They didn't laugh.

Anyway, my afternoon on Main Street rekindled my love for this wonderful slice of Americana and bustling heartbeat of our town.  I come to Main Street often to grab a cone at Ben & Bill's, a t-shirt at Soft as a Grape, a gift at Black Dog, or to simply take a walk and soak in the sea of humanity, but last weekend was the first time in a while I had the chance to stick around for a few hours.  What fun.

Of the 117 visitors to stop in the welcoming, nautically-themed Visitors' Center, vacationers and Falmouthites alike fell into three categories: those looking for information on the bikepath, those looking for places to eat and things to do, and those looking for a respite in the rest room.  Some had dual purposes.  What struck me was how grateful all of the visitors were to have a chance to chat with us and ask questions on the rich culture and history of the Cape's best destination.  Chamber stalwart Betty Bailey knows more about Falmouth than Bartholomew Gosnold himself, and shared directions and anecdotes like a kind neighbor.  Speaking of acts of kindness, when several visitors inquired about the reasons for the public rest rooms being closed, Jay called an unlikely source, Police Capt. Steve O'Neil.  Rather than pawn the request off to the DPW, Capt. O'Neil came down to the Chamber in his shorts and t-shirt (which paid a nice tribute to the Cape Cod Curling Club), and made a couple of calls himself to ensure the opening of our public loo.  That, folks, is community policing. Look for Steve and Chief Anthony Riello at a celebrity Sunday soon.

As Jay and I strolled among the throngs and along the flag-lined thoroughfare, chatting about our careers and families and looking for a place to take a break from our first two-hour stint and enjoy some lunch, our Main Street journey took us to the Firefly, where we opened the doors to the wailing of a fire alarm.  Within minutes, Lt. Scott Thrasher was leading a team of Falmouth Fire & Rescue professionals into this downtown eatery, and discovered a malfunctioning fan; more helpful public safety Falmouthites at work. 

As if that wasn't enough enjoyment and excitement for the day, the Friends of the Falmouth Public Library were having their annual book sale, and I grabbed a couple of great political biographies of only two dollars each. 

Jay and I did grab a pizza and enjoyed the crooning of Dean Martin at Villagio, and returned to eat it with Betty and Jay's wife Susan, where we were visited by more affable and inquisitive bikers, strollers, and mother nature calls. A welcoming sunshine, warm temperatures, and holiday atmosphere made this day one of the young summer's best.

As I finished my volunteer stint and remarked on a wonderful downtown day, I remembered more than a decade ago, sitting in the old Selectmen's office in Town Hall where the big conference room is now, gazing sadly at empty storefronts and hearing about a then-obscure grant program from Town Administrator Peter Boyer.  He told me that this PWED (public works economic development) program could give us millions to improve the aesthetics and pedestrian access on Main Street and bring the visitors back.  It did.

This column is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

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