Cape & Islands News

Four more dolphins rescued in Wellfleet Sunday night

Rescuers perform nighttime release at Herring Cove in Provincetown

   Rescuers prepare two of the four dolphins for release back into the water Sunday night. David G. Curran photo.

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) rescue teams were at it again Sunday, rescuing four more dolphins that had stranded earlier in the day in Wellfleet. While many Cape Codders were settling in for the Super Bowl kick-off, rescuers were freeing the four Common dolphins from an area in Wellfleet that now goes by "the gut", according to Michael Booth, IFAW's communication officer.

The dolphins were examined, tagged and transported to Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown where they were released into the ocean around 9 p.m.

This batch of strandings now brings to the total to 122 as of January 12. This batch of strandings now brings to the total to 122 as of January 12.  Rescuers and researchers are still puzzled by the high number of strandings that have occurred since that date. On Saturday, two more Common dolphins, a male and a female, were rescued from Wellfleet Harbor and released at Herring Cove just before 6 p.m. that same day.

The crisis has received the attention of NOAA and now Washington, where IFAW's head of Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Katie Moore addressed Congress on Friday. Moore is expected to comment on the address sometime Monday.

Read more about the recent strandings here:

• More than ten dolphins strand in Wellfleet, seven rescued
• IFAW rescues nine more dolphins after Brewster stranding
• Dolphin stranding mystery continues; member of IFAW team to address Congress later this week
• IFAW reports the death of two more dolphins Monday
  
• Kerry, Keating ask for NOAA's help in finding cause of dolphin strandings
  
• Seven more dolphins strand in Wellfleet Thursday
  
• Six stranded dolphins rescued in Wellfleet

Men at work: a bird's eye view of Harwich

Those with a fear of heights, need not apply

Our Mr. Fitts captured some folks with his camera last week, engaged in a lofty occupation.  The two were working at the top of the communications flag pole high above the East Harwich Fire Station. 

Hopefully, neither suffers from a fear of heights. To make matters more difficult, it was quite windy judging by the flap of the flag.

Photos by John Fitts.

More than ten dolphins strand in Wellfleet, seven rescued

One of seven was pregnant

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) reports that dolphin strandings continue on the Cape.  Friday just before noon, IFAW learned that ten more Common dolphins had stranded in Blackfish Creek in Wellfleet.

The rescue team worked most of the afternoon, according to Michael Booth, IFAW's communication officer.  Seven of the dolphins were able to swim away from Blackfish Creek.  One dolphin, which was pregnant, was transported to Herring Cove in Provincetown where she was released around 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Since the strandings began on January 12, according to Booth, 116 dolphins have stranded, of which 84 have died.

IFAW's rescue teams have worked all week treating and freeing dolphins along the bay side. Most recently, rescuers were in Brewster on Thursday where nine animals were treated and later released in Truro.

Yesterday in Washington DC, IFAW's Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Manager Katie Moore addressed Congress on the current dolphin stranding crisis.

Read more about the recent strandings here:

• IFAW rescues nine more dolphins after Brewster stranding
• Dolphin stranding mystery continues; member of IFAW team to address Congress later this week
• IFAW reports the death of two more dolphins Monday
  
• Kerry, Keating ask for NOAA's help in finding cause of dolphin strandings
  
• Seven more dolphins strand in Wellfleet Thursday
  
• Six stranded dolphins rescued in Wellfleet

“Advantage Week” starts February 14 at DY

Dennis-Yarmouth Region offers a grade 8 accelerated learning program

This Lib Dub by DY student John Terrio Jr. gives you a little idea of the esprit at DY High.

District to showcase its schools, everyone is invited to have a look

This is thetime of year when many parents are thinking about "School Choice", and the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District will hold “DY Community Advantage Week” events on Tuesday, February 14, Wednesday February 15 and Thursday February 16.  District schools will welcome parents, students and interested community members to open house events that highlight the district’s many unique programs. 

You have a choice… make yours the D-Y Advantage!
Click image above to see what's happening at DY.

Families considering Dennis-Yarmouth as a school choice destination are especially welcome.

DY offers a grade 8 accelerated learning program at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, the grade 6-7 "Wixon Middle Learning Academy" and the M.E. Innovation School for grades 4 and 5, along with many other innovative learning opportunities.

Events at all levels

Elementary school “Advantage” sessions will be held on each of the three days from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.  at the Laurence C. MacArthur Elementary School, Station Avenue Elementary School, Ezra H. Baker School and Maguerite E. Small  Innovation School.

Middle school sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.  each day at the Mattacheese Middle School and the Nathaniel H. Wixon Middle School.

Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School will hold its “DY Advantage” sessions from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Location, location, location

   Even Wareham and Plymouth are only 36 miles from DY, and Provincetown two miles further

That's the mantra of every real estate expert, and it applies to parent living on this 75-mile long peninsula when they think about where to send their children to school.

It is only a 15 mile drive from the canal to Yarmouth and that includes the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Sandwich and Barnstable.

It's the same distance (or less) from Dennis to Orleans which includes Chatham and Harwich.

It appears that at least one district is acting like a "customer-friendly" business and reaching out to parents and students who might to try the "DY Advantage."

Click here to download the flyer.

Dr. John L. Cox to begin Cape Cod Community presidency on July 1, 2012

State Board of Higher Education confirms Cox

Dr. John Cox. Photo courtesy of Cape Cod Community College.

Earlier this week, the State Board of Higher Education met in Framingham where they confirmed the appointment of Dr. John L. Cox as the new president of Cape Cod Community College. Cox, who will succeed Dr. Kathleen Schatzberg as president of the college, will begin on July 1 of this year.

In a unanimous vote on December 7, 2011, Cape Cod Community College Trustees nominated Dr. Cox as the school's next president. Dr. Cox is currently the Vice President of Finance, Operations and Government Relations at Hartford Community College in Maryland. 

CCCC’s Board of Trustees Chairperson Christopher Oddleifson was asked to speak to the State Board regarding the search process and the selection of Dr. Cox. In testimony on Tuesday January 24, 2012, he noted, "…Dr. John Cox has demonstrated… that he has the expertise to meet our institution’s challenges and opportunities ahead…We believe he is an experienced, visionary leader who embraces the needs and challenges of our institution, celebrates the diversity of our region, and for many years to come will champion our mission to serve our unique geographic area and contribute to the growth of the Commonwealth."

Dr. Cox will be replacing Dr. Schatzberg who has served as president for the past fourteen years.

CG Helicopter rescues fisherman with heart attack

Heavy weather prevented on-deck rescue, basket lowered to hoist victim

The U.S. Coast Guard reports that a helicopter crew transported a man experiencing heart attack-like symptoms from a fishing boat 60 miles southeast of Nantucket,  to a Cape Cod, Mass., hospital, Wednesday night.

The rescue occurred in 6-foot seas southeast of Nantucket.The crew of the fishing vessel Monomoy contacted Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England at 11 p.m., reporting that a 46-year old crewman was experiencing severe chest pains, with tingling hands, clammy skin and heavy breathing and was in need of immediate medical attention.

The 1^st Coast Guard District Command Center conducted a conference call with the flight surgeon who recommended a medical evacuation.

An MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod launched with a corpsman aboard. When performing a medevac, the helicopter crew always has a corpsman to administer first aid.

Corpsmen aboard helicopters are required to have some of the same vigorous training as the rest of the helicopter crew such as emergency egress, dunk tank and low pressure chamber training. Coast Guardsmen's experience, skills and training allow for quick action and an appropriate and efficient response to all maritime needs.

Due to the boat’s rigging and sea conditions, a rescue swimmer could not be lowered safely from the helicopter so the crew lowered a rescue basket to the deck of the boat where the man could climb in to be hoisted up to the helicopter.

"The conditions were definitely challenging but the entire crew did an outstanding job and we were able to hoist the crewmember aboard where our corpsman administered life-saving medications while en route to the hospital," said helicopter co-pilot Lt. j.g. Zephyr Mays.

The weather on scene was 11-knot winds with 6-foot seas.

Courtesy USCG.

IFAW rescues nine more dolphins after Brewster stranding

Rescue teams en route to Truro for release Wednesday afternoon

Video by David G. Curran.

IFAW is reporting some good news Wednesday afternoon.  A team of trained rescuers is making the trip from Brewster to Truro to release nine Common dolphins back into the sea. Around 11 a.m. Wednesday, IFAW received the report of six dolphins about to strand near Sea Pines Drive in Brewster as low tide approached.

As of 1 p.m., the rescue team had successfully collected nine dolphins in all. The dolphins were transported to the rescue trailers where they were evaluated. 

One of the nine dolphins rescued by IFAW in Brewster yesterday.  Photo © IFAW/M. Booth.

Kerry Branon, IFAW's media asset manager, reported later in the afternoon that all nine were deemed healthy enough to be returned to the water. The dolphins are being transported to Head of the Meadow Beach on Truro's oceanside where they will be released in deep water.

As of 7 p.m. Wednesday night, Branon reported the release of the nine dolphins in Truro to be a success.

Wednesday's rescue is good news for IFAW rescuers and researchers who have been grappling with the recent high number of dolphin strandings along the bay.

Monday, rescuers attempted to save a dolphin that stranded at Power's Landing in Wellfleet, but the animal succumbed to its injuries.

A representative of IFAW is scheduled to address Congress on the strandings this Friday.

Read more about the recent strandings here:

• Dolphin stranding mystery continues; member of IFAW team to address Congress later this week
• IFAW reports the death of two more dolphins Monday
  
• Kerry, Keating ask for NOAA's help in finding cause of dolphin strandings
  
• Seven more dolphins strand in Wellfleet Thursday
  
• Six stranded dolphins rescued in Wellfleet

Christmas in February--a look back at Occupy Santa in Woods Hole

Video of Occupy Santa event in Woods Hole in early December

Video by Jon Goldman

The holidays may have passed, but filmmaker Jon Goldman of Woods Hole provides us with one finally look at Santa. Well, sixty Santas actually, at the Occupy Santa event staged in Woods Hole at the beginning of December.

On that clear day, sixty "occupiers" in bright red, blow-up Santa suits took to the streets of the quaint seaside village in search of year-round jobs. 

Jon Goldman, the creator of the video, was also the organizer of the event. He also created the documentary Oil in the Family.

See Paul Rifkin's coverage of the event here.

What attracts attracts 271 sex offenders to this area

Is Cape Cod becoming a sex offender haven?

The red dots on this map each represents where a registered sex offender live in the Mid-Cape area.

187 on Cape Cod, 84 more in in towns just over the bridge

By Walter Brooks

Like a patient about to die of in the final stages of a dread disease, the Mid Cape towns of Hyannis, Dennis and Yarmouth are covered with a red rash of registered sex offenders, 95 living in those three town alone.

We know that local 12-Step groups of every stripe often suggest that there is a logical reason why Cape Cod has a higher than average percentage of alcoholics, drug addicts and other hopefuls now in recovery.

We wondered if this also might explain the seemingly large numbers of sex offenders who have located here as well.

It is documented that when people feel they have a serious problem like alcohol abuse, they seek the place where they previously were happy and free of alcohol and other drugs, and that place is often the vacation area of their youth. That's probably why every Cape town except three are on the list for the 75 towns with the highest number of liquor licenses.

This is one reason there are more scheduled A.A. meetings here per capita than in any other area of which we know. Cape Cod TODAY even has a regularly updated A.A. blog called K.I.S.S. (for Keep It Simple, Stupid).

There is no comparison between the human problems above with the evils of sexual abuse because all the former can be arrested by anyone willing to admit they have a problem, and then be prepared to do whatever it takes to stop.

Sex offenders, on the other hand, seldom if ever stop their predatory and heinous actions, and we wondered whether the unusually high number of sex offenders per capita living on Cape Cod moved here for similar reasons. (Editor's Note: We were wrong about this See this Letter to the Editor.)

Michael J. Hill. SORB photo.

Throw in the just-off Cape towns of Wareham and Plymouth where there are 28 more, and there are 163 registered sex offenders from Plymouth to Provincetown.

What's it mean for Cape Cod?

This prurient interest in sex offenders was prompted by a story in the Berkshire Eagle this week which reported that a Level 3 sex offender named Michael J. Hill, 37, was arrested and charged by police on Cape Cod with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

Hill is facing eight charges, including aggravated rape, kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon and threat to commit murder.

At his trial in Pittsfield which began Monday,  the alleged victim testified that she was held against her will and sexually assaulted over the course of about 20 days in late-January and February 2010.

Hill, a Level 3 sex offender which is a designation for those considered by the state to be at the highest risk for re-offending, has sexual assault convictions going back to 1989.

Cape has the same percentage of sex offenders as Boston

Over 75 % of our sex offenders
live in  the five towns of
Bourne, Dennis, Hyannis,
Wareham and Yarmouth.There are 216,902 people living on Cape Cod and 617,594 in Boston.

That means bucolic Cape Cod has about the same percentage of sex offenders as that big city.

I guess bucolic ain't what it used to be.

I'll bet most of you, like myself, assumed the sex offenders living here would mostly be in Hyannis and Wareham.

But tiny Dennis is #5 on the list with 16 sex offenders in that 2-mile wide town and Yarmouth and Bourne are at the top of the list ahead of Hyannis and Wareham.

Our alarm was discovering how many sex offenders have settled here, and our relief came when we discovered how easy it is to see WHO they are  and WHERE they live.

You simply go to this site, www.familywatchdog.us, type in the town name, and when the page appears, click on the "List" at top for the name and address of each offender.

• Yarmouth: 45 offenders
• Hyannis: 35 offenders
• Dennis:  25 offenders
• Bourne: 23 offenders
• Wareham: 21 offenders
• Plymouth: 17 offenders
• Harwich: 15 offenders
• Kingston: 13 offenders
• Plympton: 13 offender
• Falmouth: 13 offenders
• Duxbury: 11 offenders
• Mashpee: 10 offenders
• Carver: 9 offenders
• Brewster: 8 offenders
• Sandwich: 8 offenders
• Chatham: 2 offenders
• Provincetown: 2 offenders
• Eastham: 1 offender
• Orleans: 1 offender
• Truro: 1 offender
• Wellfleet: 1 offender

Sex offender information is also available on most every local police department's website as well.

Cape Cod Five files to change structure

Sorry, no IPO here! Just a tool for long-term strategy and local focus

By Teresa Martin

Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank has filed paperwork to reorganize into a mutual holding company, according to published legal notices.

 In some places, this move opens the door to a capital-raising initial public offering (IPO) by the organization or even eventual acquisition of the bank -- but the Cape Cod Five structured its filing to prevent both those scenarios.

"We set up a structure that is very common for mutual banks, but we did in a way that is a little unique in that we have just one share, owned by the holding company," said Dorothy A. Savarese, president and CEO of The Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank.

Filings on record

Click here to see a larger version of the notice as it appeared in the local daily today.According to Federal Reserve Bank records, The Cape Cod Five Mutual Company of Harwich Port on January 27 2012 sought to become a mutual bank holding company by acquiring 100% of the voting shares of the current Cape Cod Five.

Additional legal notices describe this as a multi-stage transaction that begins by creating a new mutual savings bank. This new bank then reorganizes into a mutual holding company with a subsidiary banking institution in stock form.  Lastly, the current Cape Cod Five Cents Saving Bank merges into the newly formed stock savings bank and continues operating under the Cape Cod Five name.

One term, many uses

Banks adopt this type of structure for multiple reasons. For many, a stock structure enables the bank to raise capital from the markets. This means the bank can tap into funds for corporate investment, growth, or other business purposes.

In other cases, the conversion has served as the prelude for a sale to a larger bank.

Savarese says that the Cape Cod Five has no interest in either of these scenarios and, in contrast to these approaches, used the restructuring as a tool to prevent them.

"We did it for flexibility." - Dorothy Savarese, CC5 President & CEO

"We did it for flexibility," she said.

The 157-year old organization plans to use the holding company structure to ensure the bank remains tied to the community and held by its members. She also said it could serve as a possible future platform for developing or buying new businesses, keeping each as a separate and distinct entity.

Umbrella

She describes the restructuring as being a bit like an umbrella.  From the seagull eye above, the bank remains a mutual organization. But from within, different kinds of operations can co-exist without having to roll into one company.

"As we go down the road and develop different products and services, this give us more opportunity to be flexible and take advantage of opportunities in the market place," explained Savarese.

Billion raised since the 70s

According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a "mutual" company is a company that is owned by its members instead by public or private shareholders.  Mutual savings banks first appeared in the early 1800; the structure was supposed to encourage the emerging middle class to put its cash in banks.

Deregulation in the 1970s started the wave of mutual to stock conversion. Since then, thousand of banks used deregulation to free up cash - according to Barron's more than $40 billion has been raised in this process.

During the 1990s, competition intensified and banks of all sizes came under increasing pressure to raise money, expand operations, and have financial tools for incenting employees. Many banks elected a mutual-to-stock conversion as means to this end.

For example, last week, in Wellesley MA, Wellesley Bank completed a similar conversion, but instead of issuing one stock to the mutual company, it created a community and public offering with millions of shares.

Its stock (WEBK) began trading January 26 on the Nasdaq Capital Market. During its subscription and community offering phase, 2,249,674 shares of common stock were sold in the subscription and community offering at $10.00 per share - raising $22.4 million. As of midday January 31 shares were trading at $12.03.

Not at the Five

"We have no need for additional capital; we are very well capitalized." - Dorothy Savarese, CC5 President & CEO Savarese stressed that the Five's intent is completely different.

She pointed out that instead of creating a stock entity with multiple shares, her bank took the rather unusual step of creating one lone share of stock. The mutual holding company owns that single share, creating the effect of a mutual bank that cannot be sold or traded.

"We have no need for additional capital; we are very well capitalized," she pointed out. "And we are really trying to make it very difficult for anybody in the future to change use from being a mutual organization."

"We have the same commitment to the community, to providing community banking services as always. We wanted the additional flexibility to grow and expand to meet future customer and community needs."

As intriguing as that statement sounds, the bank doesn't have any concrete plans for new launches. In fact, Savarese took pains to point out that many banks made this change decades ago and nothing changed. It's just good to plan ahead for what might come, she said.

"This is a thorough regulatory process," said noted. "You don't want to wait until there's something you want to do tomorrow to put it into place.

Time table

Now that the Cape Cod Five has filed for conversion, the application moves into the review cycle. On Feb 14, the state board of banking has a scheduled public hearing on the request in Boston.

In addition, the Board of Bank Incorporation and the Division of Banks will take written comments on the Cape Cod Five's filing through February 24.

Teresa Martin is a well-known Cape Cod technology and business leader who served as  C.E.O. of the Cape Cod Technology Council and was a founder and officer of the OpenCape Corporation, which is dedicated to fixing the Cape's dropped cell calls and upload issues. Read Teresa's tech blog, Cape Eyes on CapeCodToday.com here.