Cape & Islands News

The tall ship “Kruzenshtern” arrives at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Free public boarding will be today though Sunday, July 3-5 from 12-5

The tall ship "Kruzenshtern" arrives at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Friday morning (07-03-09). The Kruzenshtern is a 376-foot in length, four-masted barque rig, and the second largest traditional sail training vessel in the world still in operation.

The Academy will host the Class A vessel from July 3-6th. The public is invited to tour the ship during her visit to the Buzzards Bay campus.

Hours for free public boarding will be on July 3-5 from 12:00-5:00. (Video and photo on right by David G. Curran)

The 376-foot long, four-masted barque is the world's second largest

Dusty Rhodes, organizer of Sail Boston stated that the visit would be part of their Sail Massachusetts initiative to invite tall ships to the Commonwealth coastal communities before their arrival in Boston.

Barque Kruzenshtern (shown here in an earlier photo at sea) is part of the Sail Boston event starting on July 8.

KRUZENSHTERN is 376-foot in length, four-masted barque rig, and the second largest traditional sail training vessel in the world still in operation.

The ship was built in 1927 as PADUA in Bremerhave, Germany, and was given to the USSR in 1946 as war reparation after World War II.

She was renamed KRUZENSHTERN after the early 19th century Baltic German explorer in Russian service, Adam Johann Krusenstern (1770-1846).

Since 1990 the vessel has been used as a sail training vessel by the Baltic Academy in Kalingrad, Russia and is supported by Tall Ship Friends, a non-profit organization in Hamburg, Germany.

Sail Boston

There are three dozen tall ships coming to Boston next week, see the list with photos here.

1 comment »

16-year-old boy rescued 125 miles southeast of Cape Cod

Coast Guard airlifts sailboat passenger

The Coast Guard airlifted a 16-year-old boy requiring medical attention from a sailboat 125 miles southeast of Cape Cod on Thursday.

The boy's father, aboard the sailing vessel Why Not, called the Coast Guard after becoming concerned about the condition of his son, who was believed to be suffering from the effects of dehydration.

The First Coast Guard District Command Center in Boston instructed the sailing vessel to head towards Nantucket in order to close the distance from shore.

Air Station Cape Cod launched a Jayhawk rescue helicopter, which arrived on scene with the vessel at 4:39 p.m. The Air Station also launched a Falcon jet to provide cover for the Jayhawk as a precaution because the sailing vessel was far off shore.

The helicopter crew successfully hoisted the boy and took him back to the Air Station, where local paramedics took the young man to Falmouth Hospital for further treatment.

"The sailing vessel was far off shore and his father was very concerned about his condition," said Lt. Josh Harrington, operations duty officer at the Air Station. "We consulted with the flight surgeon and were glad we could get this young man to a facility where he can get proper medial attention."

Leave a comment »

What Global Warming looks like in Chatham today

Greenpeace members rally 'round the beach shacks as they disappear

Greenpeace, Clean Power Now and Mass. Climate Summer members demonstrate the danger to Cape Cod from Global Warming by standing in front of beach cottages which are the latest, local victims of climate change as one by one they fall into the sea as the tide rises. Walter Brooks photos.

Clean Power Now, Mass. Power Shift join other activists on our barrier beach today

David Pomerantz directs the team to their goal on the southern tip of Nauset Beach this morning.

Carolyn Parker's kitchen became an "Environmental War Room" as the group planned their strategy.

The Whaler could only hold five at a time as these young activists wait in the dank, wet weather for their trip to the outer beach between thunderstorms today.

A crane removes another cottage as the group arrives.

By Walter Brooks

While it is the youth of America which lead the charge for social change, it is their parents who drive the car, or in this case, the Boston Whaler.

And when Caroline Parker of North Chatham got the call last night from her sister in Beverly Farms on the North Shore, little did she realize she would be at the helm in a choppy Chatham Harbor during this morning's nasty weather to ferry several groups of Greenpeace, Mass. Climate Summer and Clean Power Now activists to the outer beach shacks about to fall into the sea.

Youth acts, Maturity facilitates

The young activists felt that the old family beach cottages on Nauset Beach and North Beach Island off Chatham could be the latest "poster child" for proof of climate change and its damaging effect on our shoreline to say nothing of the disastrous effect on the Cape's tourism industry from even one meter of ocean rise.

But Carolyn Parker had forgotten about her sister's phone call this morning as she sat in her kitchen in North Chatham sipping coffee - then she noticed her driveway was filling up with cars disgorging a dozen or so young strangers.

These turned out to be friends of her sister's son who suggested to his peers that Aunt Carolyn wouldn't mind spending a wet and cold morning making over a half dozen trips to the outer beach across from her home on Bassing Harbor so these environmentally concerned young people could lead their elders to a renewable, clean air future.

So as the activists gathered in her kitchen to discuss their plans, Carolyn went and got the small Boston Whaler ready to act as a ferryboat during this morning's really unpleasant weather which included severe thunder storm warnings as they ended their campaign around noon.

Greenpeace leader David Pomerantz cautioned his group to stay below the high water line and respect the property of the cottage owners. He urged them to walk on the sand and not disturb the delicate beach grasses which help stabilize the outer beach.

David Pomerantz rallies his troops

"The beaches of Cape Cod are a precious part of Massachusetts' way of life and economy, and we need to protect them. While research cannot tie discrete events like the recent storm activity on the Cape and Islands to global warming, we do know that higher storm surges and coastal flooding are consistent with what scientists say will happen to Massachusetts' coastline if we do not act now" David Pomerantz told his group.

"President Obama and Congress should do what scientists say is necessary - and no less - to prevent catastrophic global warming," Greenpeace field organizer David Pomerantz added.

WWCD ? (What Would Christy Do?)

Some of the demonstrators wondered whether it would take a serious erosion of gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos' own private beach on Great Island for him to relax his opposition to the Cape Wind project six miles away. Others suggested dogging his campaign next Fall if the wind farm isn't approved by then. Our own conversations with Mr. Mihos elicited the same hope from him, that the project will be a thing of the past when he begins the serious part of his campaign to replace Deval Patrick.

The group was well aware that one offshore wind farm won't solve global warming, but they also believe that if the rich and powerful can stop Cape Wind, then no other entrepreneur will hazard $30 million of his or her own money to attempt another one.

The group is campaigning this summer for members and the public to contact Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar to urge him to issue the Record of Decision for Cape Wind as soon as possible so America can begin to move aggressively to exploit the abundant offshore wind energy potential with a shovel ready project and begin the move to free the nation from dependence on foreign oil.

Cape grassroots group joins forces with state group

The Arctic ice cap shrank so much this summer that waves briefly lapped along two long-imagined Arctic shipping routes, the Northwest Passage over Canada and the Northern Sea Route over Russia. NYT.

Today's demonstration was the first example of the 12,000 member Clean Power Now group's partnering with Massachusetts Power Shift this summer in their educational efforts on the Cape and Islands as they talk with residents and summer visitors alike about their goal of re-powering America with 100% renewable energy in 10 years. Clean Power Now says it recognizes the importance of this goal and sees it as a powerful endorsement of the Cape Wind project because without real projects and without real steel in the ground we will never achieve such an ambitious goal.

CPN told cc2day that the erosion caused by storm surges we witnessed today has been a part of Cape Cod's history and has continually reshaped the Cape's coastline throughout its history. The group says, however, the intensity and speed of this erosion will inevitably increase as climate change heightens the frequency and strength of storm surges.

The pictures taken today show a loss of homes and property that will become much more common and serve as a powerful image to awaken people to the severity of climate change and the need for new cleaner sources of energy, much like Cape Wind offers.

 Below is the scene as the activists arrived on Nauset Beach between storms today. Walter Brooks photos.

36 comments »

Severe thunderstorm warning until 12:30 p.m. today

Severe thunderstorm warning until 12:30 p.m. today

TAUNTON - The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Barnstable County. The warning was posted at 12:04 p.m., today, Thursday, July 2, 2009.

A severe thunderstorm warning remains in effect until 12:30 p.m. EDT for southern Barnstable County.

At 12:03 p.m. EDT the National Weather Service Doppler radar continued to indicate a severe thunderstorm capable of producing golf ball size hail and damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. 

This storm was located 7 miles east of Falmouth, moving northeast at 20 mph.

This storm has produced up to golf ball size hail on Martha's Vineyard.

Other locations in the warning include but are not limited to Mashpee, Hyannis and Barnstable.

Leave a comment »

A whale warrior comes home

Peter Brown fights for whales, not against them

   First mate Peter Brown aboard the R/V Farley Mowat. Photo courtesy Animal Planet.

By Bethany Gibbons

Not long ago, Cape Cod whaler’s wives would pace the widow’s walk, waiting for their husbands to return with pockets filled with the proceeds of slaughtering the great leviathans. While the coffers of Cape households are no longer swelled by whaling dollars, the hunt goes on in isolated deep-water pockets around the globe. Today, one native son has returned safe from the icy and treacherous Antarctic Ocean, and while his seafaring has earned him some fame and fortune as a whale warrior, his battles on the briny deep have been fought not against these formidable creatures, but for them.

“Once we’re on their tail, they can’t whale.” - Peter Brown

Peter Brown is first mate aboard the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s 180-foot, steel-hulled ship R/V Farley Mowat, which chases Japanese whalers on the hunt for minke in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary, carrying an earnest crew dead-set on harassing the whalers out of a catch. As Brown says, “Once we’re on their tail, they can’t whale.” 

From behind the camera to front and center

While his regular gig as a director-cameraman for film and television usually finds him behind the camera, his 27-year-long hobby of volunteering with the SSCS has recently put him front and center in Animal Planet’s surprise hit series, Whale Wars. The June 5 premier episode of their second season was seen by nearly 1.2 million viewers who tuned in for an edge-of-your-seat ride in aggressive environmentalism, complete with heaving seas, deadly ice flows, flying stink bombs and returning flash bombs. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, these folks are wildly committed to their cause and undeniably brazen.

Grassroots with Greenpeace

The SSCS got its start in 1977 when Greenpeace co-founder Paul Watson started the Earth Force Society in Vancouver, BC and soon purchased his first ship, the Sea Shepherd. According to Peter Brown, Watson was summarily voted out of the Greenpeace power structure for being “too extreme.” Brown was working in television in Los Angeles at the time, but it wouldn’t be long before Watson and Brown’s paths converged. In 1982, Watson made a trip to Japan’s Iki Island to meet with local representatives regarding the island fishermen’s slaughter of dolphins. He called on Brown, who produced the first 25 weeks of Entertainment Tonight, but was working on a popular show called Real People at the time, to film the events, and the issue received a great deal of publicity. The fishermen stopped driving dolphins for the next four years, and a friendship was formed between the two men. “I realized then I could do something to help,” said Brown.

Eastham native

“Growing up on Cape Cod, I was always affiliated with the ocean,” Brown said. “It bred conservation in my blood.”

Brown grew up in Eastham, and today he retires to a large home overlooking Herring Pond when he isn’t filming music festivals in South Africa or steering a Sea Shepherd boat through the ice. “Growing up on Cape Cod, I was always affiliated with the ocean,” he said. “It bred conservation in my blood.” Growing up a store-keep’s son, he lived above the Eastham Superette and worked there. “I learned to talk to all kinds of people,” he said. He cut his teeth on the protests and political arrests of the Vietnam War era. How he developed the constitution for dangerous activism, he isn’t sure, but he once made the claim that driving down Suicide Alley is more dangerous than what he does – an assertion Cape Codders who traversed that stretch before reflective posts and median hump can relate to. He also insists that his real job offers the “really dangerous stuff.” Given his role at the helm and the rail of the Sea Shepherd’s ships, one can only imagine the things he’s seen “at work.”

International exploits

As an activist with the SSCS, Brown has found himself in a Japanese prison – “being served what I think might have been whale meat” – jailed with his 10-year-old son in Ecuador, imbedded with Canadian seal hunters who forced him to eat seal meat to prove he wasn’t an environmentalist, and living for 18 months on the Pacific, fighting the Macaw Indians’ plans to kill grey whales, just to name a few of his exploits.

“If you’ve got a cause, don’t get me involved unless you’re really serious – I’m not going to do it half-assed. I’m not going to stop.”

In a philosophy mirrored by that of his Captain, Paul Watson, Brown asserts, “If you’ve got a cause, don’t get me involved unless you’re really serious – I’m not going to do it half-assed. I’m not going to stop.” As a member of Watson’s inner circle from the early days of the SSCS, he reports, “Paul Watson, Bob Hunter and I used to talk about Antarctica twenty years ago when it was a pipe dream.” Television found these guys relatively late in their crusade’s life, and if you’re thinking the action will stop once the cameras cease rolling, think again. “Paul will stick to it until the end,” Brown says. “We’re not just going to go away.” The Sea Shepherd crew sees their activities as enforcement, not protest. They operate under the UN Charter for Nature, which contains a section that allows non-government organizations to enforce the charter on the high seas.

Japanese research or profit?

The issues surrounding Japanese whaling are complicated. While the fishermen of that country have attempted to continue a long and close relationship with whaling, the self-imposed quota of minke they hope to fill in the Antarctic Ocean is harvested under the aegis of “research” – a fact they translate to the Whale Wars helicopter film crews. The giant signs, written in English, provide variations on the theme, “We are taking samples for research!” It is unclear what kind of research requires a yearly quota of 1,000 whales, but the practice makes whale meat available to Japanese markets, as the remaining whale, after sampled, is free for the filleting.

The business is heavily subsidized by the Japanese government, and Brown is suspicious about its ultimate purpose. “They can’t get rid of the stuff,” he says about the gamey-tasting meat. “Only the old people eat it – I think at one point they tried to use it for school lunches as whale burgers.” Long forays on the frigid ocean give Brown plenty of time to think, and fishermen have long been famed for spinning yarns, but his theory about the Japanese commitment to whaling in the face of ever-increasing pressure to stop married with a limited market for the product is interesting. “The Antarctic Treaty System expires in 2025,” he says. “Without a land base there, they want a seat at that table [when the treaty is re-issued.] They’ve pledged to create a completely hydrogen-powered economy, and they’re buying up huge tracts of land in places like Argentina to put up wind farms to create hydrogen. Antarctica would be a great resource for this kind of program – it’s all open land.” Some nations with bases in Antarctica that have been neglected due to the harsh conditions there have re-committed themselves to maintaining a foothold there in light of the up-coming negotiations. Chile is one of them. Brown conjectures that with an unbroken history of whaling in the region, Japan could claim some kind of foothold. Unwillingness to relinquish a time-honored tradition might be an easier explanation.

Deadly days on the high seas

Whatever Japan’s reasons are for supporting the hunt, Brown and his comrades aboard the vegan ship will continue to aggressively challenge the whalers. Last season’s whaling fleet reached a paltry half of their quota, and the Sea Shepherd gang is quick to claim responsibility for their poor showing. In the beginning of this year’s Whale Wars, a Japanese sailor fell overboard to his death and reports varied widely about the event, from suspicion that the Farley Mowat made it harder for the whaler to be recovered, to some Japanese media reports that he had committed suicide. Brown believes that the Japanese whalers intentionally led a Sea Shepherd ship into potentially deadly ice, and later was hauled out for serious repairs to its hull in Indonesia, while the Sea Shepherd boat escaped harm. Last year’s finale featured a stunned Paul Watson peeling off his bullet-proof vest to show a strange-looking shell that was slowed by his sheriff’s badge and lodged in the vest itself. Internet comment boards went wild with speculation that the Captain staged the event, and armchair firearms “experts” weighed in on the various impacts of various projectiles from various firearms. In the end, it seemed the item may have been the cap of a flash bomb – Japanese whalers’ weapon of choice against the conservationists.

Greenpeace, a bit too soft?

A contentious relationship with Greenpeace also exists. Brown contends that Greenpeace refuses to divulge the location of the Japanese whaling fleet in the Antarctic Ocean – a key piece of data in the hunt for the whalers. Greenpeace locates the fleet in order to take pictures that Brown insists helps the organization make money. “The whalers don’t think twice about killing whales when Greenpeace is around,” he says. “They almost never kill a whale in front of us – they know we will go nuts and try to ram them or something.” According to Brown, the Sea Shepherd crew has even asked the Greenpeace boats to radio the location of the Japanese fleet after “they get their photos, so we can come in and actually stop them from whaling.” Greenpeace has refused, leaving the Sea Shepherd crew to pull up the Greenpeace webcam and try to figure out their latitude and longitude from the weather and condition of the seas, a tactic Brown says once worked. Repeated calls to Greenpeace press contacts in Washington, DC and New York City were not returned for comment.

Despite lengthy campaigns in Antarctica that have kept Brown away from his loved ones for the last two Christmases and left him with a crushed thumb that required titanium part-replacement, Brown shows no signs of wearying. “I’ve been on 25 to 30 missions over the years, and the Antarctic campaigns are huge,” he said. “Missions usually last four weeks or so, but during the 2007 effort I was at sea for four months.” The ship can only hold enough fuel for four to six weeks, at a quarter million dollars a fill-up, so it returns to refuel, and during one of those stops in the 2008 mission, now airing on Animal Planet, Brown got off to travel to South Africa to film Jars of Clay in concert. “I’m sure they’re going to make me look like the bad guy, but they weren’t hurting for people to come on board and crew.” It’s hard to believe Paul Watson will hold it against him.

Brown has had the opportunity to speak publicly, and, with his newfound fame from the Whale Wars series, one can bet those engagements will increase. “It’s great to get the kids riled up,” he said. “I was lucky enough to end up in a situation where I can really make a difference. People will get mad at you, people may even scream at you, but eventually the great middle ground will follow. I don’t think it’s a waste of time; if you’re passionate about something, do something about it. Take hold of an idea and don’t let it go – there is no turning back.”  Brown offers a further word of advice for conservationists: “Stop bumping into the trees and try to save the forest. Once the oceans die, we’re next.”

Whale Wars airs Friday nights at 9pm on Animal Planet. Previous episodes are also available on Comcast OnDemand and on Hulu and on YouTube.

   The Farley Mowat in Antarctica. Photo courtesy Animal Planet.

11 comments »

MA OxyContin and Heroin Commission announces Cape Cod Hearing

Hearing scheduled for July 10th in Hyannis

On Friday, July 10, 2009, the Massachusetts OxyContin and Heroin Commission will hold the sixth in a series of public hearings regarding the state’s growing rate of OxyContin and heroin addiction.

“Our sixth public hearing will focus on how unique populations have been affected by substance use disorders,” said Senator Steven A. Tolman (D-Boston), commission chairman. “I am looking forward to hearing from experts in veterans’ issues, co-occurring disorders, and other unique populations. I am so pleased with the feedback and recommendations we are receiving from each and every community we visit.”

“Substance abuse is a vital public health and public safety issue in our State. The work of this Commission will hopefully find innovative ideas and responses to improve the State’s prevention, treatment, and law enforcement efforts,” said Representative Jeffrey Perry (R-Sandwich)

“Substance abuse is a vital public health and public safety issue in our State. The work of this Commission will hopefully find innovative ideas and responses to improve the State’s prevention, treatment, and law enforcement efforts,” said Representative Jeffrey Perry (R-Sandwich). “Public attendance and participation is vital; the Commission needs to hear the public stories and experiences to develop relevant policy recommendations.”

“Many people think of Cape Cod as an idyllic resort destination but all too often, our sandy beaches and beautiful scenery mask troubles at home,” said Senator Robert O’Leary (D-Barnstable). “The Cape and Islands are home to some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug abuse in the Commonwealth and bringing these issues out in the open is necessary to making sure we can stop the cycle of addiction. I want to thank my colleague, Senator Tolman for holding a hearing on this very important local matter here in Hyannis.”

The Cape Cod hearing will be held on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 11 a.m. in the Knight Auditorium of Barnstable High School, 744 West Main Street, Hyannis.

The Massachusetts OxyContin and Heroin Commission was created during the 2007-2008 legislative session and plans to hold regular public hearings across the Commonwealth through August. The commission will release a final report of its findings in the fall.

1 comment »

Cameras are rolling on the Lower Cape

Future stars hone their craft in Wellfleet and Truro

   On location with Jomar Motion Pictures in Truro. All photos courtesy of Jomar Motion Pictures.

by Bethany Gibbons

Cape Cod has, on occasion, been a playground for famous folk, but for the past few weeks, playgrounds on the Lower Cape might have been visited by future stars. The cameras have been rolling in Wellfleet and Truro, as Joel Greenberg and crew shoot scenes for his second independent film, Ironsides, based on his book 12 Year Old Ironsides.

The story takes place on a secluded island offshore the New England coast, where, as Greenberg’s synopsis puts it, “a 1973 summer vacation becomes a battle for two boys who each strive to make their fathers proud… one by fighting, the other by seeking peace.” The pacifist’s father makes a meager living as a ‘low-level boxer’ who espouses a cool-headed, fists-free response to trouble, while the town bullies endure sadistic tutorials in street fighting from their alcoholic father. In what is perhaps a nod to William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the island-bound rabble rousers adorn their faces with war paint and advocate brutality.

Creating a summertime resort

With a stable of child actors from around the country on hand, as well as adult leads and local extras, Greenberg’s Jomar Motion Pictures has made use of Wellfleet’s seaside rental cottages and Truro’s Concert Park to create the feel of what Greenberg calls a “summer beach-type resort.” Based in Peabody, the company’s choice of film location was a natural choice, and Greenberg has no shortage of flattery when it comes to describing the area. “We needed a town common for 2 scenes and discovered Concert Park. The backdrop is almost like a wheat field, and it has a little stage built in – it just looked perfect. Everyone at Town Hall was very receptive – very friendly people,” he said. Wellfleet’s scenes were shot on rented private property that doubled as housing for the crew. As public land was not used, clearance by that town’s government was not required. “The location here is just beautiful,” Greenberg said of working in Wellfleet.

Rain, rain, go away

Shooting commenced last Thursday in Truro, after rainy weather caused the first delays the production has seen. The Truro scenes included a talent show, during which the drunk, aggressive father creates an uncomfortable disturbance as he removes his son from the festivities for embarrassing him – apparently tough guys really shouldn’t dance. The second shoot in Truro was a Fourth of July fireworks scene, with incendiaries to be added digitally in post-production.

Ironsides is the first film Greenberg has both written and directed. The script for his first independent film, You Have the Right to Remain Violent, earned a world-wide top ten rating in the 2007 Slamdance Screenwriter’s Contest. Greenberg harnessed the screenwriting talent of Doug Klozzner and Ted Campbell for that project and found a multi-award winning director, Roberto Monticello, to direct the film.

The genesis of the Violent film is a story itself. “My whole company was really founded by accident,” said Greenberg. “Our first story began as a joke.” Greenberg was working as an ice-cream truck driver and ran into trouble with his neighbors – and Massachusett’s Blue Laws – for parking his truck in his driveway. Forced to purchase some commercial property, he made lemonade from lemons and expanded his fleet. While driving his route, he met a 13-year-old Mark Munford at a local skate park and the two got into joking around about the restrictive town government. They became fast friends and collaborators and soon came up with the idea for Greenberg’s first film. With a degree in communications from Boston’s Emerson College, Greenberg was no stranger to the mechanics of television and film, and he boasted friends in both places. “I’ve been around the business for years,” he said.

Putting the "Mar" in Jomar

It wasn’t an obvious choice for Greenberg to produce his first independent movie. “We were offered $100,000 for the rights to the screenplay and story,” he said. “We refused it. They wanted to change the story and drop Mark [as the lead character] because he never acted before. That’s not what we wanted to do. I raised the funds on my own from family and friends and people I knew. When I had $150,000 I shot the movie.” That venture just wrapped up post-production work and has been entered in major indy film fests, like the Hampton’s International Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival.

Greenberg hasn’t left behind young Mark Munford, whose name is ostensibly half of Joel Greenberg’s “Jomar” company name. In the new movie, Munford has a role as the equally abused older brother of the local bully.

Greenberg infused his script for Ironsides with the real-life experience of discovering – and ending – a case of child abuse. He says that he changed the characters and events so much, even the person he was writing about did not recognize himself in the film.

An admitted “big fan of using unknown kids,” Greenberg used a combination of online and in-person casting to find child actors from as far away as Missouri and Ohio. The leading roles are paid, while extras are not. Working hours of the young actors are restricted by child labor laws and some parents are on set. Greenberg is quick to note that there are also adult actors, and principal roles total around 10 characters.

Local talent includes behind the scenes players. After posting an ad on Craigslist, Greenberg found Niall Hopkins Builders of South Yarmouth. “He built the sets for the Truro scenes,” Greenberg said. “He’s really become our props person, too. He likes to do movies.”

Greenberg predicts more big-screen action for the Cape. “Hollywood likes the tax credits. They like to see 25 percent of their film back,” he said, making reference to the expanded tax credits for filmmakers Governor Deval Patrick helped put into place in July of 2007. “Plymouth Rock Studios should also bring a lot of film into the area,” he said.

Leave a comment »

State awards $100,000 in grants to organizations promoting agriculture

Commonwealth encourages consumers to buy locally-grown food

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) today awarded seven grants totaling $100,000 aimed at encouraging consumers to buy Massachusetts-grown food.

“Buying local, farm-fresh products bolsters the state’s agricultural economy while promoting good health and nutrition,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles, whose office includes DAR. “Buy Local campaigns are essential for spreading the word about the benefits of purchasing local produce.”

Organizations from South Deerfield, Great Barrington, Topsfield, Nantucket, Dartmouth, Barnstable and Boston will receive Buy Local Grants. Under this program, DAR awards grants to community organizations throughout the state to support efforts that encourage consumers and businesses to buy produce from local farmers.

“Local farms provide both fresh produce and sustainable, working landscapes for Massachusetts residents and visitors to enjoy. We’re thrilled to honor groups whose work promotes Massachusetts farm products,” said DAR Commissioner Scott Soares.

“Local farms provide both fresh produce and sustainable, working landscapes for Massachusetts residents and visitors to enjoy. We’re thrilled to honor groups whose work promotes Massachusetts farm products,” said DAR Commissioner Scott Soares.

“I echo the sentiments of Secretary Bowles and Commissioner Soares, in congratulating the grant winners, for the recipients’ determined efforts to promote local produce and the associated benefits of these products,” said Sen. Anthony Petruccelli, chair of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. 

“Buy Local Grants are a vital boost to local farmers and agricultural economies,” said Rep. William M. Straus, also chair of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture. “Even in this fiscal climate, I am pleased state government continues to promote both through direct grants to where it is needed.”

The grants are aimed at attracting additional funding to support future programs, increasing agricultural product sales for farmers, and promoting regional agricultural products such as maple syrup from Western Massachusetts or apples grown in Northeast Massachusetts.

Agricultural sales have trended up in recent years. A February 2009 report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that Massachusetts agriculture expanded from 2002 to 2007, growing by 27 percent both in crop and livestock sales and in the total number of farms. The USDA’s latest agricultural census states that the number of Massachusetts farms increased from 6,075 in 2002 to 7,691 farms in 2007. The market value of agricultural production also jumped during the same period, from $384 million to $490 million.

The grant winners are:

Cape Cod Cooperative Extension will promote its regional Buy Local program and create a new website.  Barnstable: $16,000

Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture will train volunteers and to promote local agriculture at local events.  South Deerfield: $13,057

Sustainable Business Networks of Greater Boston will assist with Buy Local campaigns throughout the Commonwealth.  Wayland: $2,000

Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP) will work on extending the season programs to help local growers increase their sales.  Dartmouth: $23,885

Berkshire Grown will work with the Berkshire Visitor’s Bureau to help promote their Buy Local campaign. It will also create community root cellars and other activities to extend the season.  Great Barrington: $24,5000

Sustainable Nantucket will promote the agricultural components of the Nantucket Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market, Nantucket: $10,000

Essex Ag Society will update its website and create Farm Kits to help farmers in their area use the Buy Local message in marketing their products. Topsfield (northeastern region): $10,557

The DAR’s mission is to ensure the long-term viability of local agriculture in Massachusetts. Through its four divisions – Agricultural Development, Animal Health, Crop and Pest Services, and Technical Assistance – the DAR strives to support, regulate, and enhance the Commonwealth’s agricultural community, working to promote economically and environmentally sound food safety and animal health measures, and fulfill agriculture’s role in energy conservation and production.

Release courtesy of the DAR.

Leave a comment »

Anti-war Activist Cindy Sheehan comes to the Cape promoting peace

“The corn on my toe is better than Bush” – Cindy Sheehan

   Cindy Sheehan addresses the crowd in Harwich Sunday.

by Samantha Pearsall

If the anti-war bumper stickers, books, pins, and pamphlets didn’t already give it away yesterday at the Brooks Free Library in Harwich, then hearing Cindy Sheehan’s name announced certainly would. This weekend anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan made two local appearances in Harwich and Falmouth to promote her most recent of four books, Myth America. Cape Codders for Peace and Justice, Diane Turco and Sarah Thacher welcomed and introduced Sheehan to the crowded Thorton Room in the library’s basement that hosted the standing-room-only talk. Turco and Thacher are both devoted local activists who were arrested last year for protesting outside Delahunt’s Hyannis office.

Sheehan listens as she is introduced.

“People came to hear the truth and this is a good place to come,” Thacher began. “The peace community has been paralyzed with disappointment [since Obama was inaugurated]” and the coalition of local groups was hoping their world-renowned guest speaker would inspire them. But first, to demonstrate their appreciation for Sheehan Turco began a tribute video. When she experienced technical difficulties, Carol Chichetto in the front row began a chant to fill the silence while others worked on getting the movie moving. “We’re gone build a brand new world,” she sang, “Keep on walkin’, keep on talkin’…” dozens others echoed.

Sheehan began the book tour in April and said at that time there were “many people who still had hope in a system that is hopeless,” Sheehan said. Just two months later, she now sees what Thacher described as “paralyzed” peace groups that are no longer picketing or protesting. “Now is the time,” she said, “to hit the streets again.”

Sheehan’s son, Casey, was killed in Iraq on April 4, 2004 when he was just 21 years old. Since then Sheehan has taken a progressive anti-war approach, founded Gold Star Families for Peace, was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and unsuccessfully ran for Congress against Nancy Pelosi (who she nicknamed “Nasty” Pelosi). Most notably, Sheehan camped outside President George W. Bush’s Crawford Ranch in August 2005 hoping to find an answer to what the “notable cause” was her son, and many others’, had died for while serving in Iraq. Sheehan said she never received an answer to her question.

A supporter of Cindy Sheehan.

On the same day Michael Jackson died last week Sheehan explained about 300 Iraqis were killed but the media did not cover it. “What makes Michael Jackson more important than the 300 people in Iraq? Just because he can sing and dance? Maybe those people could sing and dance too and I bet they did.”

Walter Powers of Brewster was one of dozens in the Cape’s peace community who came out to support Cindy and said he was a “big admirer” of her peace crusades. Powers is involved with the local political television series, “Talking Together” that airs Thursdays at 11 a.m. on Lower Cape Cable Channel 17.

Although most of the seats were filled with admirers of Sheehan and her work, not all in attendance were such staunch supporters. Joe Paul of Harwich, wearing an NRA cap next to his friend sporting a faux NASCAR shirt that read “NO LIBS,” joked he came to hear Sheehan speak today because it certainly wasn’t a beach day. He said he was expecting to hear her speak about peace and all the wrong ways to go about it. “You can’t have peace without the military and you can’t have freedom without the military,” Paul said.

Besides anti-war points, another main message was that of Sheehan’s class analysis that depicted the “Robber Class” and the “Robbed Class” where a line between the two has been arbitrarily drawn between the upper and middle/lower class. After pointing out America’s unnecessary devotion to the federal government she asked rhetorically “Why do we continue supporting a system that hurts us?”

One of the greatest challenges facing the Robbed is Robber Class Media according to Sheehan, who has become a household name through such national and international media attention. Renaming upcoming Independence Day the “Co-Dependence Day,” Sheehan described how the Robbed have become so reliant on the Robbers so the cycle is incessant, unless people stand up and stop it. She said, “Our country is very apathetic. We’d rather have our civil rights taken from us than stand up and fight for them.”

She finished her speech with a few words about her newest “book,” which is a 100-page Internet booklet that can be purchased in the form of a pdf file. “We are born, raised, and taught myths,” she said and then began listing and briefly discussing the 10 myths her book divulges. Myth One: America: Greatest Nation in the Universe!... Myth Two: Elections Matter… Myth Three: There's a huge Difference Between Dems and Repubs… Myth Four: It is Noble to Die in Robber Class Wars… Myth Five: The Federal Reserve Cares About You… Myth Six: It's a Privilege to pay Income Taxes to the Robber Class… Myth Seven: Housing, Health Care and Education are Privileges, too… Myth Eight: America has a Free Press… Myth Nine: The Environment, Who Needs it?

“It hurts my heart we are destroying our planet,” Sheehan said as she teared up and had to take a moment to collect herself. She then went on to describe Myth Ten: 19 Muslims with box cutters were responsible for 9/11.

To purchase Myth America or learn more about Cindy Sheehan visit www.CindySheehansSoapbox.com.

9 comments »

New twist on flight food

Several times each day from 3 to 5 baby birds settle on the edge of our roof and wait for their meals to be airlifted in.

I'm not sure, but I think these are baby chickadees. The adults fly in so fast its had to see their characteristics while the wings are flapping. The babies are dark and fluffy all over.

Best, Kathy Kleekamp, Sandwich

Leave a comment »