CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

It is pleasing to see that common sense prevailed in Sandwich last night!

This reminds me of the witch hunt against one of my high school teachers back in the 70's. The man taught us a course on "Comparative Political Systems" which included a unit on propaganda. To compare what the "commies" were broadcasting, he played us recordings of both Radio Free Europe newscasts and also English language broadcasts from Radio Moscow.

We followed with some great exercises in how to decipher the truth, evaluate sources' credibility...etc.

For his trouble this teacher ended up with the superintendent sitting in our class to make sure he wasn't teaching us Communism.

From that day forward the school administration, driven by a couple of moon-bat parents, maintained a campaign to remove this teacher. The poor man finally resigned, much to the detriment of his students.

Radio Moscow did not make me a Communist any more than seeing a human embryo will make these kids into abortionists. We hope the Sandwich school committee stands behind their professional staff and defends them from this new generation of moon-bat parents.

I just looked up the MCAS scores for the Forestdale School. According to one press report, it appears they advanced this year to a point where they were removed from the "needs improvement" list.

Obviously what they are doing in this school works to the benefit of the students. The public should leave the teachers to their work and thank them for their efforts.

When I was a fifth grader that would have been a darned interesting lesson. We should be praising this teacher for a very creative learning experience!

Heck, kids see far worse than this on any of the CSI shows on network television.

The superintendent and school committee should offer this teacher their unequivocal support. Parents please call the school committee members with your statements of support.

Perhaps CCToday could post a list of all Sandwich school committee members' contact information to facilitate this.

I actually read and liked Libby's books except for the one on Obama. Would you please make your new one available for Kindle. Paper media is so yesterday.

I do not see a local tie to this story, unless invoking the Kennedys counts as a local tie to justify this tripe being published on CCToday?

Somebody please tell me that his store is not still open after the first incident???

That Thompson's Clam Bar jingle sure brought back memories.

Does anyone have the older version that starts off, "Hey! Where are we?"

Nice touch to put that on the site today.

This abomination goes to show that Europe wants a weak, passive America. They award a Nobel Peace Prize to the Apostle of Appeasement.

I am utterly appalled.

God Save the United States!

A retired elementary school teacher friend of mine, aged approximately 70, volunteered in a local school a few years back. She was tutoring third and fourth graders in math.

My friend was surprised when she was informed that she wasn't supposed to tell kids their answer was "wrong".

In mathematics an answer is right or wrong - it's not a "good try", nor do you sit there and rock the child while he sucks his thumb. It's wrong, you help him obtain the correct answer and then you move on.

Apparently the kids in that school must have needed counseling if they missed a question on a test. Pop quizzes are probably out of the question because they're too traumatic.

capecodemail - Clearly, you did not attend a rural school in the 1960's. All of the teachers hit the kids with rulers or worse. I hear the parochial schools were even more severe.

When my parents attended school in the 30's and 40's it was much the same. This kinder-gentler schooling is a very recent development. Fuctional illiteracy amongst public school students in America is also a very recent development. Is there a correlation between the two?

cantankerous - The kids learned to read, write and cipher back then.

In second grade, I remember our teacher playing "store" with us so we could learn to make change. One would sit across the table and the teacher would "purchase" items from us. We had to add up the total, collect her money and give her back change. Any mistake resulted in an immediate rap on the knuckles with her ever-present ruler.

Nobody died from her ruler strikes but we sure paid attention in class!

Our current educational system is raising generations of illiterate sissies. Surely we can do as well as they did in the 50's and 60's without going overboard.

There are no more wandering pederasts today than there were in the 1950's. It wouldn't kill the kids to walk .8 miles to school like we did. When I was in school we still had neighborhood schools and most kids walked.

Folks need to stop deluding themselves that all children can learn and master the same skills. This is one of the flaws in the current NCLB law that now has special ed students dragging down the AYP in districts all over the country.

When our school districts close schools, lay off teachers and increase class sizes... does the special ed budget receive the same percentage of cuts?

Somewhere we have had a disconnect in education. When most of us was growing up, if a child needed extra help in math (for example) either the teacher would work with him after school or the school would assign him a peer tutor. Now I hear that this same child would be tossed into the special ed "system", put on an IEP...etc. It seems like the special ed programs are quite self-perpetuating.

I know of many schools around the country where 40% of the student body is on an IEP. Does this mean that the gene pool has deteriorated in the past forty years or does it mean that the special ed careerists have found a way to grab more and more money with each succeeding year.

Does the position of Interim Senator carry a senatorial pension with it?

It will be nice to see the Lighthouse Charter School have a bigger, more school-like facility.

If Stu already owns the area perhaps he could develop a nice homeless housing project there or maybe a drug treatment facility. That would serve the town council right.

The Barnstable Police web site lists Costa's place of employment as Hearth
'n Kettle, 9 West Road, Orleans.

The name "Antone Costa" stuck in my mind for some reason. I just googled it and came across an excellent CCToday article done by Evan Albright in 2007 about Antone Costa the Truro sex criminal and serial murderer back in 1969.

Another "assignment" for CCToday's star reporters - is this Antone Costa III a descendent of Antone Charles Costa the serial murderer?

H&K? Well, I won't be eating lunch there any more. A family restaurant employing a Level 3 sex offender????

Maybe one of Cape Cod Today's ace reporters can find out which Skaket Corners business employes the subject so we all can avoid that establishment.

Perhaps the daily is killing the forums because there are too many pro-wind farm comments being posted. Does "moderated" equal "censored" when it comes to the CCTimes?

This morning the Herald reported that the Representative stopped at this liquor store on his way home from a weekend getaway with his wife. The Herald article also stated that he was driving a state-owned vehicle.

If this is truly a state-owned car (and who would buy a Crown Vic of their on volition?) why was he using that car on an apparently personal weekend getaway?

The Maritime Academy just re-named their training ship Kennedy didn't they?

Interesting how silent the Vatican has been in the midst of the whole Kennedy outpouring.

It is nice to see that "The Tennessean" has a different perspective on our late Senator.

Odd that a school as commendably "green" as 4C's gave Kennedy a pass on his wind farm opposition.

I wonder if there are wind farms where the good Senator now resides.

While I disagreed with almost every position Senator Kennedy ever held, I must commend the Senator for all of his good work to assist our state's wounded military personnel. His efforts on behalf of these young heros are often overlooked in the heat of partisan politics.

Posse - I think you meant TORT reform

Does this mean that Lot's Hollow Road is going to become Orleans' answer the infamous "triangle" in Hyannis??? Maybe Orleans' triangle will be Lots Hollow, Giddiah Hill and Rayber Road....

Since Mr. Bartlett played the Nazi card, here is something several people sent me over the past few weeks:

Who Am I?

I was born in one country, raised in another. My father was born in another country. I was not his only child. He fathered several children with several women.

I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me. My mother died at an early age from cancer.

Later in life, questions arose over my real name.

My birth records were sketchy and no one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate.

I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my country, but I practiced non-traditional beliefs & didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny.

I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them..

That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and I embarked on a new career.

I wrote a book about my struggles growing up. It was clear to those who read my memoirs that I had difficulties accepting that my father abandoned me as a child.

I became active in local politics in my 30's then with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for national office in my 40s. They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything. That reinforced my conceit.

I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization. Yet I was a powerful speaker and citizens were drawn to me as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks.

I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances. This bolstered my ego.

At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy. I was very critical of my country in the last war and seized every opportunity to bash my country.

I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess. It was the free market, banks & corporations. I decided to start making citizens hate them and if they were envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight.

I called mine "A People's Campaign" and that sounded good to all people.

I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside the traditional path of politics & was able to gain widespread popular support.

I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope' , together we could change our country and the world.

So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor, ignorant to include "persecuted minorities" like the Jews. My true views were not widely known and I needed to keep them unknown, until after I became my nation's leader.

I had to carefully guard reality, as anybody could have easily found out what I really believed, if they had simply read my writings and examined those people I associated with.

I'm glad they didn't. Then I became the most powerful man in the world. And the world learned the truth.

*Who am I? *
I am ADOLF HITLER

WHO WERE YOU THINKING OF? Scary isn't it?

Interesting that WildCare uses Animal Rescue League cardboard animal carriers.

I have seen these animals over the past year-and-a-half during frequent visits to the ARL shelter. It is pleasing to see how people-friendly they all are after the situation from which they came.

It will be interesting to see how many people enlist to pay for the crappy content on the CCTimes web site. It is one of the most scattered, un-intuitive sites I have seen.

I have used Kindles ever since they came out. Most of my periodicals come on Kindle now and virtually all of my books.

Wally is right. Amazon.com's customer service for Kindle is absolutely outstanding. When I upgrade to Kindle 2 I gave my original Kindle to a colleague. Amazon got on the phone with us and walked us through the transfer to my new Kindle and the de-registration of the old one. Then they took my colleague through the registration of the old one to his account.

The battery life on Kindle 2 is far superior to that of the first Kindle. The multi-function toggle mouse is a big improvement over the thumbwheel on the old one.

I find that keeping my Kindle in its cover helps to minimize the risk of damage.

The fellow from "CapeCast" did a surprisingly professional job with his coverage over the past few days. I did not know he was capable of that level of work. Maybe the Times will pull him from the frivolous pieces he usually does and have him do more work of this caliber.

Possee, we pray for your son's safety. Please thank him for his service and thank you for your raising him to serve the cause of freedom.

I notice the Governor himself is not coming to the funeral. Probably doesn't want to face all the police officers he offended with his recent remarks.

Nothing against the Lieutenant Governor, but I think a fallen hero deserves the Governor's attendance.

"Starry-eyed" conjures remembrances of Jerry (Governor Moonbeam) Brown of late renown.

There have been many occasions over the years when someone accidentally sets off the alarm at my home or office. If the police are summoned before we have a chance to call the alarm company, they are obligated to show up.

If the officer on the scene does not know one of us personally, he has always asked for ID. A couple of times I have even received a phone call to the effect of, "Does so-and-so belong in your house?"

We have never acted out with the police and (just like awayfromthebay) did not get arrested, either. True that Cape Cod is not Cambridge, but this sounded like a perfectly ordinary police call that went wrong when Prof. Gates started acting out.

My deepest condolences and prayers go out to Corporal Xiarhos' family and friends. May this hero rest in eternal peace.

Now let us all hope that the anti-war crowd doesn't turn this funeral into a photo-op or worse.

The Cape Cod Times reported this morning that CPL Xiarhos gave his life in action in the Afghanistan war.

I hope everyone will pause for a moment and make a remembrance for this young hero.

Nice writing Wally.

Pat, you're as beautiful now as you were then!

Thank you, Don, for a very nice account. It brought a tear to this animal lover's eye.

To invoke the Senate confirmation hearings of this week... When Senator Kennedy passes on to the Pearly Gates, he's "gonna have some splainin' to do!"

If voters do not want the see the local tax options exercised, we had all best contact our selectmen or town council to make our voices heard.

People who jabber loudly on their cell phones regardless of where they might be. I cannot believe some of the private conversations that people carry on in public. One time a man gave his credit card info over the phone in the middle of a crowded restaurant!

1. People that use the self-service checkout at Stop & Shop who have no business using a computer, let alone holding up an entire line while they figure out how to weigh their prunes.

2. The "new and improved" ATM's at Bank of America that take at least twice as long to process a simple transaction.

3. Obama apologists

4. Tourists that forget how to shop for groceries, as they dodder through Stop and Shop like "Dawn of the Dead".

5. Out of state drivers who "just stop" at random places on the road while they try to get their bearings.

Regarding Texas, I am a bit surprised that a public school system would employ an activist clergyman to review their textbooks.

If you visit Rev. Marshall's web site and go into the children's book section, it appears that he publishes textbooks on US History from a "Christian Perspective".

If Massachusetts used a person with Rev. Marshall's qualifications to review textbooks there would an horrific outcry.

Can someone explain the local options on the meals and rooms tax? Not much has been written on that topic and I'm not sure I have all the facts.

Snoopy - What are the same stats for the senior driver population?

Maybe a solution would be to require mandatory on-the-road driver education after a certain age. AAA has been offering senior driving schools for years. This might help the bad drivers screen themselves out or it might lead the instructors to screen them for RMV road tests.

Honestly, doesn't Massachusetts have enough to worry about without creating a whole new bureaucracy?

Nice story, Bethany. May your Dad rest in peace.

Can anybody make a financial "go" of a print newspaper at this point? How low would the price on either publication need to be to give them a chance of survival?

Billy Mays probably won't knock MJ off the front pages. I never could stand his ads but someone must have liked him - they kept using him over and over again... OxyClean, Orange Glo...etc.

His Wikipedia page listed over 30 products that man pitched. He must've been good at his craft.

bipr - 3) Everyone has TOTALLY forgotten about Steve Jobs' liver transplant.

dkfalmouth - True that MJ was acquitted on the criminal charges. But did you see that "Living with Michael Jackson" program that was on network TV a while back. The whole series was pretty creepy but it was downright repugnant when he went on about sharing his bed with young boys...etc. With respect, that sounded pretty "degenerate" to me.

The media coverage of the past few days would make you think a President had died.

Jacko's death knocked Farrah Fawcett's passing right off the airwaves. That poor woman showed a dignity and grace that would make anyone proud.

May we please keep things in perspective? Yesterday I heard Al Sharpton say something about Michael Jackson having made Tiger Woods and Barack Obama's ascendancy possible.

Not that I have much use for Mr. Obama, but I think even he might admit that M.J. had little to do with the hard work that earned Obama the presidency. As far as Tiger is concerned, I'm pretty sure it was his mastery of the game that got him where he is today.

Michael Jackson became a sad, disturbing spectre in his final years. The man was an arguably great entertainer but that's where this nonsense should stop.

saltflyfisher is right - Focus on the issues and DO NOT let yourself be seen in a Cadillac.

Clarification: I mis-worded what I wrote in haste. What I was trying to say is that I doubt Deval will go anywhere outside of Massachusetts after the way he betrayed the Clintons. Deval served in the Clinton administration and they supported his campaign here in Massachusetts. To return their numerous favors, Deval endorsed Obama right out of the gate, pushing aside the loyalty that the Clinton's rightfully expected from someone they supported.

I'm no lover of the Clintons but am realistic about the enormous clout they wield in the party organization.

Beautiful cat and a lovely story. We fellow cat lovers grive with the Brooks family.

CapeDoggie... Where do you think Deval will be if he's not here for the next go around? He has been passed over for so many federal appointments one loses count. I suspect his failure to endorse Mrs. Clinton for President may spell the end of his career outside Massachusetts. Yes, Obama won the nomination - but look at those with who he has surrounded himself. They're all Clinton's people, Mrs. Clinton is Secretary of State...etc. I doubt anyone like Deval who "betrayed" the Clintons after all they did for him is done... stick a fork in him.

Readers of capecodpets.com should pick up extra copies of Cape Cod Day. It makes excellent bird cage liner.

There are also numerous articles on the 'net about how to make "green" cat litter with shredded newsprint.

There was also a Yarmouth Drive-In approximately across from the Zooquarium. The Hyannis Drive-In was one of the larger ones I ever visited. I think Hyannis closed around 1985. I don't remember when Yarmouth closed but it might have been before Hyannis.

Poor Matt Kennedy! Anyone remember how embarrassing something like that is when you're 17 or 18?

The man who produces CapeCast is soooo frivolous. He made Nicky look like an idiot. :(

[yawning]

They may very well. Of course by the time something like this works its way through the legislative process, our liberal leadership will have the President of Iran giving video talks to our students justifying his denial of the Holocaust.

Nice sentiment but hardly appropriate to add anything enriching to the curriculum when so many kids can barely read or compute.

The other day in Staples I gave the cashier $10.25 on a $5.25 bill. She looked at me like I had just flown in from Neptune. I said, "Punch the numbers into the register. It will tell you what to give me back."

I have gotten the same kind of vibes in the thrift store next to the Homeport in Orleans. Some volunteers can be a bit imperious.

I am amazed to find myself in agreement with Mary on this one.

RE: Animal Cruelty conviction - It is very rare to see anyone in this area charged (much less convicted) of animal cruelty. Good for the police on this one! Animal cruelty very often escalates to violence against people.

The crying baby was on TV *after* she was rescued.

Showing her on television in that emotional state was irresponsible by both the police and the media.

The police and media did everything right leading up to her recovery and many things wrong from that point forward.

When I saw the CCToday photo I asked myself, "Is she smiling or crying?" When I saw the footage on Channel 7 I was saddened that they would show the baby in such a fearful, overwrought state.

...and we all commend Walter and grandson Will for participating. You're a wonderful grandpa Wally!

Today's Cape Cod Times published the cost of this rescue at $80,000.

If this were a normal rescue at sea I wouldn't have an issue with the cost. My concern is that this was a fairly high-profile, corporately sponsored project. Shouldn't such an effort take responsibility for its own safety?

If you stage a concert the town expects you to provide security and to pay for traffic control. If a contractor is doing road work, they pay for traffic details. Why then would an inherently dangerous publicity project at sea not be required to provide for the safety of their people?

Could a future venture such as this be required to have a "tender" vessel following the rower, ready to step in if he gets into trouble?

Hey Manatee - Maybe The Messiah can set you up as our ambassador to Iran or to North Korea.

If you understood how the French treated Americans and the British after the world wars perhaps you would sing French praise a little less.

Now go back to humming L'Internationale...

I do not question his personal courage. I question whether the American taxpayer should be required to pay for his publicity stunts.

The man isn't even a citizen of the US. Worse yet, he is from FRANCE!!! Once again the US military saves French hiney and will be spat upon for their efforts.

Girard has all kinds of corporate sponsors. There should be ample money to pay for that rescue. Perhaps some of our hard-working people in Congress should introduce a bill requiring commercial stunt-stagers like this to guarantee the cost of their rescue or to bring appropriate support vessels with them so that our Coast Guard isn't require to fish men like Girard out of the water when their publicity stunts fail.

Hopefully this time Charlie's corporate sponsors won't re-up for his next failed attempt. This man has received sufficient media attention to last a lifetime.

Is the local GateHouse group still persisting in the launch of their ill-starred Cape Cod daily?

numah - maybe Mary would like to debate the Iranian president if The Messiah is not available.

Buzz - Fear not! - With the Korean threat upon us, I have every confidence that The Messiah will hop right on Air Farce Once and fly to North Korea to arrange our surrender. Neville Chamberlain would be so proud!

dpie - BRAVO!

Chuck - I only regret that Dick Cheney did not get a chance to put you in a concentration camp.

How dare you presume to speak in the voices of our fallen heroes? Yours is one of the most offensive articles I have ever seen on this web site. Shame on you and SHAME ON CAPECODTODAY for giving you a pulpit for this tripe.

Buzz... I thought it was a Sedan DeVal.

Buick once had its "Presidential Edition" models. Perhaps Cadillac could create an Escalade Gubernatorial Edition that would include a safe travel area for Zoe in the back.

Saw Eric Patten's picture on the CCTimes web site today. One of the bloggers there made an interesting point about his being a possible homophobe that chose to live in P-Town two summers in a row... Excuse me???

Monponsett is right - perhaps some time in prison would help him get in touch with his issues. His first hint might be when they outfit him with a prom dress instead of a standard prison uniform.

The Senator is looking awfully thin these days. He is certainly putting up a valient fight, though.

jee - sometimes you have to drill down deeper than the pie charts on the annual report. For example, is the $44,614 conferences/conventions expense listed in "program services" or "overhead"? To my un-sophisticated eye it seem that $44,614 is more overhead than program service.

SHAME ON HAC!

Good reporting, Samantha! I used to have a lot of respect for HAC which I now see was grossly misplaced.

When in Orleans, if you see a Buick approaching RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. I'm serious - the Buick drivers are older and less competent than even the Grand Marquis drivers.

P-Town Pirates? No problem! The Messiah can board Air Farce One and fly right up to P-Town to arrange our surrender.

I thought it was a nice story too. Some people are just ducked up.

Are we calling Obama the Pied Piper now? I thought he was The Messiah LOL

Well at least Michelle gave us a new fashion trend with sleveless dresses. I was at a function this weekend and saw a parade of women in sleeveless outfits with simply hideous tattoos sticking out in the most unusual places.

On topic - If Chrysler and GM continue to make overpriced and underwhelming cars they will fail no matter how much money the Obama administration dumps into them.

Piece of trivia - Obama drove a Chrysler 300 before he bought the Hybrid Mercury Mariner during the election season. Last year someone was auctioned off his old Chrysler on eBay. Maybe Barack thinks he's the next Lee Iacocca.

Ford Motor Company seems to have reacted well enough to avoid the issues faced by GM and Chrysler. Unfortunately now Ford finds itself compelled to compete against two US carmakers now backed by the US government.

The statement by Peter Stagg is a class act. I hope they can survive.

It is too bad indeed. Chrysler said the other day that they were targeting dealerships that did not carry all three brands.

Never mind that Stagg held the franchise through some of Chrysler's darkest days and stood by the brand.

Since Chrysler is in bankruptcy I guess they can drop these franchises without any compensation to the dealers. I hope the dealers who want to are able to fight this in court.

I was never able to do business with the Stagg's but a lot of other people bought cars from them. It is a shame for folks on the Lower Cape to have their nearby car-purchasing options further limited.

voiceofreason22 - I believe this crew did some work for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters agency a few years ago and did a very fine job.

Nice article. It would be very helpful if you could add the contact information as to how a non-profit or an individual could apply to have work done by this crew.

Never mind... Today the Cape Cod Times ran the story on the Venture Centers in Hyannis and Orleans. A very good story, by the way.

Gatehouse is swirling in the bowl and they choose this moment to start a new Cape Cod daily???? Stunning!

Nice story, Samantha! You educated a lot of readers today.

There are new "business centers" recently opened in both Hyannis and Orleans. There is also some kind of business "incubator" being developed at the old Thompson's Farm Market in Harwichport.

Beer, boats and drag queens? Dearest Bethany, if that's the best you can come up with then the Cape is in deeper trouble than I thought.

If anyone else has a good business story to tell, please email the editors and maybe they can do a follow-up..

Many of today's "highly qualified" teachers with a Masters cannot teach their way out of a paper bag.

When I was in elementary school many years ago most of my teachers had a two year Normal School certification. We learned to read well, write a sentence in English and the basics of mathematics.

I would rather have one of those dear old ladies teach my kids today than some of the people we encountered in the public elementary schools today.

Those were also the days when we still had neighborhood schools. We had 36 kids in a second grade classroom with one teacher. There were no teacher aides - the ladies taught us to help each other. Every bright kid who finished his work early was assigned to help out one or two of the children who was having difficulty.

How about our first black President, William Jefferson Clinton?

Well if we want a gay woman, why not Sarah Peake? She's more qualified than Cadillac Deval... but then again one of my cats is more qualified than Deval - even the really dumb, blind one is more qualified. (With apologies to Sarah!)

Whatever happened to Little Aaron? "Where is he now?"

We spend way too much time and money on nonsense like this.

Bittersweet - Very unfair, sexist comment about the elderly woman on the scooter.

I know a lot of elderly women who worked their behinds off. Do not forget that it was the hard work of women during WWII that helped our country flex its industrial muscle to defeat the Nazi's and Japanese.

If the driver was actually talking on his phone at the time I think he ought to spend a least a couple of weeks in the House of Correction. Still, a 15 year loss of license is not exactly trivial...

Check out the executive salaries at the Animal Rescue League of Boston. They're not as high as those a MSPCA but they're still darned impressive.

My problem with the girl scouts is this Gestapo pressure on the kids and their parents to sell the darned cookies. When I see the salaries they are supporting, it looks to me like they are pimping the kids to pay the staff salaries.

Conservatives are all about private sector points of light. I do not consider the Girl Scouts to be one of those points of light.

Their executives appear to be another group of useless eaters at the charitable troth.

This particular group spent at least $188k on executive salaries, $121k on "marketing" salaries and (apparently) only $57k on program activities salaries.

It is a bit difficult to compare Boy Scouts "apples to apples" to the Girl Scouts because GuideStar shows them as a much more decentralized organization. I did look up the 990 of our local Boy Scout Council here on the Cape and thought their numbers a lot more laudible than what I saw on the Girl Scouts' tax returns.

The more decentralized the charity, the less executive salaries seem to come into play.

***Source guidestar.com***
FYI - Girls Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts has $5,983,707 in assets, $3,345,250 in income and $3,292,666 in expenses. (Fiscal year ending 12/31/07)

Their highest paid employees in the last fiscal year reported (12/31/07) are:

JUDITH E WISE FORMER EXEC DIR $115,691
BONNIE L BATCHELOR CHIEF OPERATIONS $67,600
BRENDA FITZGERALD-MELLO DIR. MARKETING $61,599
BETH TOOLAN DIR. MKTG & MEM $59,524
KARYN MARTIN DIR OF ACTIVITY $57,577

Forgive me if I do not weep over their weak cookie sales.

It is my understanding that a trivial amount of the cookie money ends up with the local group that sold them in the first place.

By the bye, I think he meant to say "you're" in his headline. Is Dan Quayle ghosting his pieces? "You say potato, he says potatoe"

What do I think, Mister Doherty? I think we need a new county commissioner and right now! I have read a lot of tripe on this web site over the years but this really goes over the top.

My politics are just to the right of Ronald Reagan but I have rarely read such an out-of-touch bunch of malarkey from a "respected" county commissioner. I voted for you in the past but I'm done with that now.

Oh... school professionals, please don't invite this man to speak to the children. They may get a twisted perspective on our public servants.

I had always expected that the governor would be heading to Washington to join the new administration. Apparently he's so inept that even The Messiah himself doesn't want Deval on his team.

Thank you, Capemom. That is an excellent way to say it.

When are we going to stop spending this kind of money on special education? Many of the kids classified as "special needs" are simply those that need a little extra help in math, reading or some other course. Back when I was in school 100 years ago, we used to tutor our peers and help them out. Today a kid who needs extra help is all too often classified "special needs" and dumped into the money-hungry special ed system.

At the other end of the spectrum are the hopelessly afflicted kids that the taxpayers are expected to support at tens of thousands of dollars per year so that they can be wheeled from room to room by a personal care attendant with little hope of ever attaining even the most rudimentary education.

Bravo Christy!

Just a second... This morning's daily rag published a profile of both candidates. It states that McGrath's kids attended the Chatham schools - not Nauset. Isn't it odd that someone who aspires to public office in Orleans doesn't send his kids to the local schools?

Good point on the changing age of maturity. When our fathers and grandfathers were 22 they had already fought a war and seen more than many of us will see in a lifetime. Today it seems that a 22 year old is still coddled as if he were a boy.

With respect, Joe, did she lure him into sexting her a picture of his private parts? The police were pretty explicit on that topic and also that he allegedly was trying to get her to send a nude picture of herself to him.

That aside, the temptations of a young man of 22 being in charge of nubile young high school girls might point to some very bad judgement by those responsible for such hiring.

What self-respecting queen would drive a Chevy?

Poor Old Narc Thought It was A Cadillac

The other vehicle looks like it might be an Escalade... Maybe that's why the cop car is sitting there watching it?

Maybe the people at the CARE facility in Dennis (which is in Chapter 11) could make some money by renting space out to the Cape Cod Animal Hospital staff so they can continue their practice while their facility is re-built...

Bethany - What are the requirements of the state regarding homeschooled children? Do they have to pass MCAS or any other standardized tests?

Back in the 1980's I remember some ink in the local daily about the Nauset schools giving some homeschool families a really difficult time over curriculum and other issues.

amanda - I was not insinuating the parents were of a lower education level.

How many of we parents out there have scratched our heads over high school homework with the kids? I cannot imagine doing the higher math and science day in and day out. Even some of us with advanced degrees cringe when it comes to Trig/Calculus.

How long are most of these folks able to sustain homeschooling? I have read that the homeschool population starts to drop off when the kids hit middle school. By the time the higher math/science of high school kick in the parents are often not academically able to continue. There are also the obvious social issues of adolescence.

How does the Cape's homeschool population break down both by age and by geographic area? Are the local school districts generally supportive of the homeschool families?

Something other than an auto retailer? That would be too bad in a way, as it seemed like a nice, modern facility for auto retail.

Still, anything would be better than a vacant building on that site.

If not Balise then what other auto retailer is strong enough to take on a new facility?

What is happening to Saturn of Hyannis? Don't they own another Saturn store in addition to the one in Hyannis?

Kudos again to Jeff at Cadillac-Saab. I heard his ad on the radio today. Those folks are a class act.

According to the Registry of Deeds web site there is a $1.88 million mortgage on the Puritan property the was written in 2004. Whether or not it's an SBA loan that is one heck of a nut to pay every month.

It would be nice to see Ford of Hyannis go into the Puritan property. Balise has done good work on the old Nissan and Cape Cod Chrysler properties. That would be much better than seeing the property stay vacant.

Very, very good point on Cadillac Saab being a class act.

Personally, I never had any use for Puritan's high-pressure tactics. I tried to do business there several times in 25 years and always found their showroom conduct stereotypically sleazy. Their service department, however, I hear had an excellent reputation. Maybe some of the service guys will find jobs and the showroom reptiles can crawl back under their rocks.

Jonathan is right. This badge-engineering is silly. One can spend from about $14k to almost $35k on a Toyota Camry because they offer a continuum of configurations versus six different badges.

As far as GM goes... Pontiac = Poor Old Nitwit Thinks Its a Cadillac.

If the Pontiac population should have had their licenses revoked, imagine the Buick population! In 2009 I cannot think of a more depressing thing than a Pontiac/Buick dealership.

A few years ago I believe that GM forced the venerable Warren Buick to merge with Puritan as part of GM's dealer realignment. With the death of Puritan, Hyannis has now lost two of its longest-serving dealerships.

It's interesting that where other dealers have failed, the Balise Auto Group seems to be thriving with Hyundai, Nissan and Ford dealerships.

Puritan's store will be a great loss to downtown Hyannis. Hopefully another dealership will be able to occupy that space so as not to further reduce business in downtown Hyannis.

Glad the kitten killer got some jail time. I understand that animal cruelty is very difficult to prosecute and is therefore seldom charged. Bravo to the New Bedford police for clipping this beast's wings before he progresses to throwing his wife down the stairs.

Sadly, one imagines they will end up back together when he gets out of jail.

Nice article, Jim. The people at the Brewster shelter are absolutely the best!

What a shame. The school committee finds a star in the otherwise dim light of the Barnstable school system and then decides to fuss with them.

It's a bit hypercritical to discipline a pupil for bullying when the school committee has made an art form of it.

With all of the angry parents afoot in Barnstable right now, has anyone started a recall petition against some or all of the school committee.

Bravo the the Charter Board for thwarting the evil plans of certain school committee members. It pays to stand up to bullies!

Ebonics anyone?

One point of information - Sturgis is a Commonwealth Charter School so it is not under the thumb of the Barnstable School Committee. Horace Mann Charter Schools are still connected to the local school district.

Cape Cod Lighthouse School in Orleans is also a Commonwealth Charter.

It only takes 100 signatures to initiate a recall petition in Barnstable. If you want change on the school committee it is not necessary to wait for people's terms to expire.

Distressed merchandise... water damaged?

I do not understand those who defended Hyannis East when the test scores show that the majority of the kids there were not testing as well as they should. It was the obvious choice to close that school on academic reasons alone.

I agree that this $6m deficit seems to have come up awfully fast and allegedly without warning. There are some sources that dispute the deficit amount but as much as 50%. You're right, though, if your enrollment is down sharply you have to make cuts. Look at the school building fiasco in Brewster.

Snoopy, don't you pee on fire hydrants now and then, you ole dog you?

The point I was making is that the crime stuff in the media - almost anything to do with Hyannis, heroin in Orleans, gangs in schools...etc. runs counter to the idyllic resort community that the tourism industry tries to sell.

Maybe the cop could build a whole new career around watersports fantasies with a tough-but-hot police persona? Wasn't there someone in the D-Y school system that used to produce adult videos... maybe would could morph the Silicon Sandbar into the Latex Sandbar.

I thought that the superintendent's original plan was fiscally and educationally sound.

This hijinks with the charter school indeed looks like kids being used as pawns.

It feels like a hideous shell game. The building stays open to placate the neighborhood but it's not a neighborhood school, it's not as good a building as the charter school...etc.

Maybe this is an attempt by the school committee to use the uproar to stage an effort shut down the charter school. I imagine the school committee doesn't want to tolerate any school that is not 100% under their capricious thumb.

Good point. "Move or lose your charter" it a great example of bullying, which is taken rather seriously in school these days.

I always wondered what happened to the schoolyard bullies when they grew up. Now we know.

We can't give the school board a rap on the hand with a ruler in this day and age so perhaps expulsion is the best remedy.

Ah yes, Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill - the wine that got a whole generation through high school... :)

I just googled Brewster Police and the Boston Herald article was the third item retrieved, with CCTimes coming in fourth. At least Cape Cod Today's article is not showing on that search.

More fine publicity for Cape tourism!

C'mon Wally, you ARE the media mogul after all.

Julie Brooks... the Cape's Katharine Graham :) If anyone can make this work, Julie and Walter can.

Nice article Jim! Please keep more positive stories like this coming.

...continued... If a public charity feels they were taken advantage of (or worse) by a professional fundraiser, I am certain that the Public Charities Division of the Attorney General's office wants to hear about it.

It would be interesting to hear from some of the smaller, local charities that were named in the AG's report and in the article. Were some of them naive about working with a fund-raising company? Are they satisfied with what they received at the end of the campaign? Do they feel that the fund-raising company accurately represented its fees and commissions?

IFAW is another story. They are big enough and old enough to know better. When one sees a negative balance like that on a fund-raising report it makes one wonder if there is a special relationship between the fund-raiser and the charity.

Is anyone from any of the named charities willing to step up and talk to us?

Peter is right. Child endangerment is a much cleaner line of prosecution. I cannot imagine that any grand juror or trial juror would consider this a "reasonable" or "safe" activity for an eight-year-old boy.

Naive question perhaps... Whatever happened to the plans to turn the Armory site into a cultural center? I remember Peter Robbins article about the abutting homeless camp.

Maybe that facility would be better used as a homeless service center and shelter.

Barack Hussein Obama may well be the most charismatic, compelling politician since... Adolph Hitler. Deutschland Erwache (German Awake!) ranks right up there with "Yes We Can!" and "Change We Can Believe In!". The man has no substance, nothing concrete to offer and is surrounded by henchmen that make Goering and Himmler look like statesmen.

Now that everyone knows Julie is telegenic, perhaps she will start broadcasting videos of her blog stories.

I read elsewhere that "Professor" McGowan was scheduled to teach a course in World Mythology. What is a course like that doing in the CCCC curriculum in the first place? It's not exactly along the lines of what the CCCC PR program tries to sell us as their training of our future Cape workforce.

The only place where there is concrete in that part of the parking lot is where the H-Spot is. The rest of it is all dirt. What will Ms. Makkay say if the new pictures show that her SUV was parked in the only place where someone with a wheelchair could have navigated to that ramp?

Thank you for pointing out the Nazi salute issue. A demagogue is a dangerous thing no matter what language he speaks or his nation of origin. A very liberal friend of mine recently said that the first time she heard Obama speak it "made my skin crawl".