EXTRA...

Joe Kennedy leaves door open to run for Congress here; Huge spike in Falmouth suicides last year; Sandwich doctor guilty of tax evasion; "Live" flash map of current energy production

TODAY's quote: "Falmouth had a big spike. Not many communities have as big a spike as Falmouth."
- Elizabeth Albert, Cape and Islands Community Suicide Prevention Coalition co-chairman.

Herald: Joe Kennedy may run for Congress, Bill Keating may change districts

Move over guys, here comes the kid from The Clan. Will Joe Kennedy III (right) seek the Congressional seat now held by Bill Keating (left) or Barney Frank (center), or just Herald hoo-ha?

Congressman Bill Keating assures CapeCodTODAY he will run in the Ninth District

"He looked at the Cape seat. Why wouldn't he take a look at it? If you built a perfect Kennedy, it would be Joe the 3rd. Harvard Law degree, Stanford, speaks fluent Spanish, good looking, nice guy, and he has all the political discipline of his uncle."

The ever-feisty Boston Herald, threw state Democrat pols a curve ball today by suggesting that Joe Kennedy III, late of the Cape & Islands District Attorney's Office, may run for Congress in the new Ninth District which includes much of what is now represented by Representative Bill Keating's soon to disappearing Tenth District.

The newspaper reports that Middlesex assistant prosecutor Joseph P. Kennedy III is leaving the door open to a run for Congress. He left a similar Cape job earlier this year to escape the possible taint of DA O'Keefe's rumored involvement in an alleged Dennis gambling scandal and to move back to his family's political base area.

The newspaper says that one scenario has U.S. Rep. William Keating returning to his old home in Sharon to run in Barney Frank's open Fourth District seat, while Kennedy moves to Cape Cod to compete in that newly created district.

Not so fast Joe 'cause Bill ain't goin' anywhere but to Cape Cod

Congressman Keating's spokeswoman assured Cape Cod Today that Keating would be running in the new 9th Congressional District, which includes Cape Cod, and was very excited to continue to represent Southeastern Massachusetts' new coastal district.

Other local political junkies think the Herald is blowing smoke because if Keating opted to run in the redistricted Fourth District he would be facing a totally new constituency, and Joe III is more likely to move to Coolidge Corner in Brookline where his grand uncle John F. Kennedy was born and run from to enter congress in 1987. His father, Joe II, was also a member of congress for a dozen years starting in 1987 in the former Eighth District.

The negative aspect of the web was evident today as countless other media ran the Herald story as if it were fact, even in the Kennedy homeland of Ireland.

Read the Herald story here. 

"Live" Flash map of current energy production in Denmark

This "live" chart is in real time, so the figures change every few minutes. Bill Griswold sent this from across the pond, and at 8:40 PM last night it showed that wind power was currently generating 93% of electrical demand in Denmark.
      That comes to 2,942 MW versus an electrical demand of 3,168 MW.
      Energy exports to, and imports from, other countries are also shown. Since the chart is largely numeric, it should be self-evident. "Energiforbrug" is energy production. The ship has sailed, and we are not on it.

Ten suicides last year in Falmouth
Six died in a three month period

The Falmouth Enterprise reports that while there are usually about two suicides a year in Falmouth, last year there were ten, and the town wants to address the problem rather than ignore it.

The weekly newspaper reports that according to a report about the suicide spike prepared by Barnstable County Human Services, there were 10 suicides in Falmouth in 2010, most by middle-aged men.

Six of those deaths occurred between September and November. The Falmouth Task Force addressing the problem includes Barnstable County Human Services, Department of Mental Health, Falmouth School District, Falmouth Service Center, Falmouth Human Services, Falmouth Police Department, Falmouth Fire Rescue, Hospice & Palliative Care, the Town of Falmouth, and Samaritans of Cape Cod and the Islands.

Read the Enterprise story here.

Sandwich Doctor guilty of tax evasion, gets five years and a $20,000 fine

The Sandwich Broadsider reports that a local East Sandwich physician, Torrey A. Toltin, was sentenced five years and fined $20,000.

The judge made home confinement for nine months part the five-year period of supervised release, during which time Toltin will be required to cooperate with the Internal Revenue Service for the purpose of assessing and paying his outstanding tax obligation.

Read the Broadsider story here.

Yesterday's Extra:
Great twirling turbines in Beautiful Downtown Orleans;
Cape Cod pigskin heaven;
Speedy pols rush to replace Barney Frank;
Cape couple says dead son's ID was stolen;
Women take over Barnstable Town Council;
Chris Lambton to wed.

Great twirling turbines (at Snow's)! Cape Cod pigskin heaven; Speedy pols rush to replace Barney Frank; Cape couple says dead son's ID was stolen; Women take over Barnstable Town Council; Lambton to wed

TODAY's quote: ""I'm used to being in the minority. I'm a left-handed gay Jew.
I've never felt, automatically, a member of any majority." - Barney Frank.

Great twirling turbines (at Snow's)!

Model train aficionados and environmentalists now have something in common at Snow's Home & Garden in Orleans. The popular local shop--where you can find just about everything--is home to some wonderful model train displays made all the more festive and fun during the holiday season. This year, the large display has an extra something--three wind turbines, twirling away.  Photo by Jane Booth.

The Cape has become a pigskin heaven with three teams in state finals

The Boston Globe reports today about the amazing resurgence of high school football on Cape Cod. Towns like Harwich have added a football program even as the medical world warns of the new-found dangers of repeated head injuries.

Cape Cod schools have been in the Division 1A state title playoffs six times since 1999, Barnstable and Cape Cod Tech two times each, Bourne and Dennis-Yarmouth once each.

That may improve tonight when four Cape Cod school football teams take to the field for the Eastern Mass. semifinals, Bourne, Dennis-Yarmouth, Mashpee and Barnstable.

Read the Globe story here.

Cape Bachelor Lambton to wed

Chris Lambton and Peyton Wright met on The Bachelor franchise, and now the pair were spotted being photographed in front of Lambton's Cape Cod home the other day.
      Despite the bad track record for couples who meet on the TV show, they seem a good match and plan a May 2012 wedding.
      See Celeb Gather here.

Sandwich grieving parents find thief stole dead son's ID

The Internal Revenue Service says it will not say who the person was claiming Gerry and Carol Bellis's only son, Richie as a dependent, but the couple did some research on their own, finding an article in the Boston Herald about thieves who steal the publicly-available Social Security numbers of dead children in order to claim them as dependents.

Richie, the Sandwich couple's only son, died last year at the age of 16 in a dirt bike accident.

His parents say they will lobby local Congress members to change the laws that made their son's Social Security number available after his death.

Read the Globe story here.

Faster than three speeding politicians
Three Fall River pols opt for Barney Frank's seat

Bristol County D.A. Sutter (left) to run for Frank's old seat instead of Keating's (right).

Barney Frank's retirement speech was still echoing through the room when three Fall River politicians were already announcing their desire to replace him as the U.S. Congressman in the Mass. 4th District which now includes Wareham but will be redistricted towards the west where the three have more support when the new redistricting plan goes into effect for the November 2012 election.

The three speedy pols are Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter (on right with Bill Keating), Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan and State Sen. Marc Pacheco.

Sutter was heard to mutter his desire to oppose the present 10th District Congressman Bill Keating, but local  political junkies say that was just another Sutter-mutter to make voters shudder.

Read the Herald News here. 

How can the women possibly be any worse?
Women are now the majority in the Barnstable Town Council

The Register reports that when women replaced three of the council's male incumbents it gave the "weaker" sex a 7-6 majority for the first time.

The weekly pointed out that eight of the councilors have names starting with "J", and some of the new and incumbent councilors shared their thoughts last week on what the new majority might mean for the town.

Read the Register here.

Yesterday's Extra:
DAs O'Keefe & Sutter: post-conviction DNA testing bill flawed;
Provincetown close to becoming Cape's 3rd "Green Community";
Cod study under scrutiny;
Harwich observatory opens

DAs O'Keefe & Sutter: post-conviction DNA testing bill flawed; Provincetown close to becoming Cape's 3rd "Green Community"; Cod study under scrutiny; Harwich observatory opens

TODAY's quote: "There is a monstrous disconnect between that preliminary assessment result and all the other indicators of common sense." - Vito Giacalone, Northeast Seafood Coalition Policy Director

O'Keefe, other DAs debate post-conviction DNA testing proposal

The Herald News reports that as a bill that would allow post-conviction DNA testing makes its way through the Legislature, district attorneys across the state are debating its contents.  Several DAs have said they support post-conviction DNA testing, but see the bill in its current state as being "majorly flawed".

Massachusetts, according to the Herald News, is one of only two states in the country that does not have a post-conviction DNA testing law. The bill  easily passed the state Senate and is now pending approval by the House.

Both Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe and Bristol County District Attorney Samuel Sutter support the concept, but agree that the bill is flawed and allows what Sutter told the Herald News is "virtually unlimited opportunity" for defendants who have pled guilty to have their DNA tested. O'Keefe told the newspaper the bill as written could possibly result in "a harmful and counterproductive situation" for some victims.

Read the story in the Herald News here.

Provincetown close to becoming Cape's third "Green Community"

The Provincetown Banner reports that Provincetown is closing in on becoming the Cape's third "Green Community". The town has met the five criteria making it eligible for the state's "Green Community" program. The program, through the state's Department of Energy Resources, makes grant money available to eligible towns to be used for renewable energy projects.

Currently, according to the Banner, 74 towns/cities across the Commonwealth are official "Green Communities".  Of the fifteen towns on the Cape, only Mashpee and Truro are designated "green".

Red the story in the Provincetown Banner here.

Cod study under scrutiny

 The Gloucester Times reports that a recent study of cod which shows the stocks to be in a terrible state is being called into question by the people actually doing the fishing.  Three years ago, an assessment showed cod stocks to be bouncing back. But research released last month shows otherwise.

Many area fisherman, including Vito Giacalone, the policy director of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, see this as yet another example of conflict versus reality.  Giacalone told the Times, "There is a monstrous disconnect between that preliminary assessment result and all the other indicators of common sense."

An independent study of the research is set to begin this week, according to the Times.

Read the story in the Gloucester Times here.

Harwich observatory opens

The Cape Cod Chronicle is reporting that the stars seem just a little closer in Harwich after the opening last week of the Harwich Observatory at the town's elementary school.

Equipment donations made the facility--which will be open to the community--possible.  According to the Chronicle, the observatory has astrobinoculars and five telescopes, one of which is the largest in Southeastern Massachusetts.

In operation since June, last week marked the official opening to the public.

Read the story in the Cape Cod Chronicle here.

Yesterday's Extra:
Occupy Boston takes a field trip to Plymouth for Day of Mourning Friday;
Who's hoo in Brewster today;
Man dies at MMA Thanksgiving Day;
County wants to help rid Falmouth of its sharps;
MA casinos will strike a blow to those in CT

Occupy Boston takes a field trip to Plymouth for Day of Mourning Friday; Who's hoo in Brewster today; Man dies at MMA Thanksgiving Day; County wants to help rid Falmouth of its sharps; MA casinos will strike a blow to those in CT

TODAY's quote: "We share many of the same messages." - Susan Barney, Occupy Boston member on joining Native Americans during yesterday's National Day of Mourning gathering in Plymouth

Who's hoo in Brewster today

   It's a veritable "who's hoo" at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster today where the museum will host "Who's Watching You? Owls of the World" with Marcia and Mark Wilson. There will be three presentations of the popular show featuring live owls up close (10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.).  Registration is required and seating is limited. See the calendar here for details. Snowy owl photo courtesy of CCMNH.

Occupy Boston's field trip to Plymouth Friday

The Boston Globe reports that representatives of the Occupy Boston movement traveled to Plymouth yesterday to lend their support during the National Day of Mourning gathering on Cole's Hill.  More than two dozen Occupy members joined the crowd of two hundred gathered at the base of the statue of Massasoit which overlooks the Plymouth Rock enclosure.

The organizers reached out to the Occupy members, acknowledging their similar struggle, according to the Globe.

Susan Barney, a member of the Occupy Boston movement told the Globe, that Occupy folks and indigenous people "share many of the same messages."

Read the story in the Boston Globe here.

Man dies at MMA Thanksgiving Day

The Bourne Courier reports that a man was found dead at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay Thursday afternoon. Bourne Chief of Police Dennis Woodside told the weekly that a cadet saw the body and reported it to authorities just before 3:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Bourne Police have identified the local man as Patrick Donegan of Wareham. The Courier reports that Mr. Donegan walked regularly along the shore at the academy.

Read the story in the Bourne Courier here.

County wants to help rid Falmouth of sharps

The Enterprise reports that of the fifteen towns on Cape Cod, Falmouth is the only one that does not have a proper program in place for the safe disposal of hypodermic needles, or "sharps".

People with a variety of medical issues including diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis require needles to administer medication, but those needles can be a safety hazard if not disposed of properly.  According to the weekly, Barnstable County funds and operates a program that handles the disposal of the needles in each of the other fourteen towns on the Cape. Falmouth is the only Cape town that has refused the county's assistance.

Michael Maguire, who runs the program for the county, told the Enterprise that used needles represent a danger to others including anyone coming in contact with the needles such as trash collectors.

Read the story in the Enterprise here.

Massachusetts casinos will strike a blow to those in Connecticut

Bloomberg Businessweek reports that while the casino gaming bill recently signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick is expected to bolster the Commonwealth's economy, it will strike a blow to the economy of Connecticut, to the tune of 20%.

Clyde Barrow, Director of the UMASS Center for Policy Analysis, estimates that once a casino is built in Massachusetts, Connecticut's casinos, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, will begin to feel the pinch.

In an interview, Barrow told Bloomberg, "In Massachusetts we knew something like $1 billion a year was crossing the border, which is about 6,000 jobs."

Read the story in Bloomberg Businessweek here.

Yesterday's Extra:
Sgt. Matthew Gallagher's family learns alleged killer's name;
Hit the trails to work off that turkey;
Deadliest fishing?
Think New England, not Alaska;
Tingle: "At least we're not the Pilgrims";
Obama likes the Vineyard, Biden likes Nantucket

Sgt. Matthew Gallagher's family learns the name of his alleged killer; Hit the trails to work off that turkey; Deadliest fishing? Think New England, not Alaska; Tingle: "At least we're not the Pilgrims"; Obama likes the Vineyard, for Biden, it's Nantucket

TODAY's quote: "You don't ever think 'homicide' in the military." - Cheryl Ruggiero, mother of slain soldier Matthew Gallagher

Hit the trails to work off that turkey

Did you overindulge yesterday?  Stuff your self with sweet potatoes?  Over do it on the appetizers?  Why not hit the trails in addition to your Black Friday shopping spree? Here at Nauset Light in North Eastham. Photo by Jane Booth.

Sgt. Matthew Gallagher's family learns the name of alleged killer

The Boston Herald reports that the Army has released the name of the soldier alleged to have killed Sgt. Matthew Gallagher.  22-year-old  Gallagher of Falmouth was killed in Iraq on June 26, but it wasn't until this week that his family learned what really happened.

 The Army has named Sgt. Kevin McBride as the suspect in the shooting death of Gallagher.  McBride will face charges at Fort Hood next week.

Cheryl Ruggerio, told the Herald that the Army shared a possible motive for the killing, but she will not discuss it at this time.

Read the story in the Herald here.

Deadliest fishing? Think New England, not Alaska

The Worcester Telegram reports today on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's recent data on fishing industry-related deaths.  Fans of the Discovery show "Deadliest Catch", may be surprised to find out fishing off New England outranks crab fishing on the Bering Sea off Alaska in deaths.

According to the Telegram, from 2000 to 2009, 26 fisherman lost their lives in New England waters fishing for sole, cod and everything in between. That number is twice the number of those killed aboard crab boats off Alaska.

Read the Worcester Telegram story here.

Tingle: "At least we're not the Pilgrims"

Enjoy a little post-Thanksgiving chuckle from RadioBoston featuring one of the Outer Cape's favorite comedians, Jimmy Tingle. Here,Tingle puts his spin on the story of the Pilgrims, a people he calls "buckled up".

Read or listen at RadioBoston/WBUR here.

Obama likes the Vineyard, for Biden, it's Nantucket

The Inquirer and Mirror reported that Vice President Joe Biden arrived on Nantucket Tuesday evening to spend a traditional Thanksgiving with his family on the island.

According to the weekly, Secret Service agents arrived on Monday in anticipation of the VP's arrival with family aboard Air Force Two on Tuesday. 

The FAA has issued flight restrictions while the VP is on the island, through next Monday.

Read the story in the Inquirer and Mirror here.

Yesterday's Extra:
Chatham beach cottages denied historic status;
Crowded Teaticket Highway to get a little elbow room;
Catch share battle continues;
Did whales once walk the land?

Chatham beach cottages denied historic status; Crowded Teaticket Highway to get a little elbow room; Catch share battle continues; Did whales once walk the land?

TODAY's quote: "That's very brazen of the EDF." - Tina Jackson, commercial fisherperson on a recent claim by the Environmental Defense Fund.

What's cooking this Thanksgiving

   Things haven't changed too much through the years--women still spend today in the kitchen creating a Thanksgiving feast.  Although the men folk were most likely kept busy by something other than football. Above, costumed interpreters prepare blood pudding (not on our Thanksgiving menu this year) at Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth.  Photo by Jane Booth.

Chatham beach cottages denied historic status

The Boston Globe reports that the five North Beach cottages scheduled for demolition are again facing their final fate after being denied historic status by the National Register of Historic Places. In August, Cape Cod National Seashore Superintendent George Price announced that the tenants would be evicted and the Seashore-owned cottages would be demolished.

Fear of the cottages beginning destroyed during a storm and the resulting debris entering Chatham Harbor and other bodies of water led to the Seashore's decision to tear down the rustic homes. Shocked by the decision to destroy their family summer homes, the tenants turned to the Town of Chatham for assistance and eventually the National Register of Historic Places, which this week, denied their request for federal historic protection.

According to the Globe, Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places Patrick Andrus ruled that the cottages do not meet the criteria for federal protection. Superintendent Price has yet to announce exactly when, or how the Seashore will move forward with the demolition.

Read the story in the Globe here.

Crowded Teaticket Highway to get a little elbow room

A commercially-crowded section of Falmouth's Teaticket Highway will get a little elbow room according to the Falmouth Bulletin.  The 300 Committee is planning on purchasing what was once Joe's Driving Range and turning it into a park.

Joe's, which has been a place to practice your golf swing since the 1950s, closed shop this October, according to the weekly.

The 300 Committee is looking to purchase the land and convert it into a conservation area with walking paths. Once the land is purchased, the group estimates the project to take a year or two from start to finish.

Read the story in the Falmouth Bulletin here.

Catch share: the battle rages on

The Gloucester Times reports that the catch share battle rages on. This week the Environmental Defense Fund, a pro-catch share organization, announced that, "Congress supports catch shares" and local fisherman Tina Jackson told the Times, she finds that to be a "very brazen" statement.

Jackson doubts that Congress supports the locally-unpopular policy that was put into effect in May 2010.  Amanda Leland of the Environmental Defense Fund cited a letter in support of catch shares as having influenced a recent House-Senate conference committee meeting. Critics of the letter have labeled it pro-catch share and said the majority of the 100 signatures on the letter were those of members of the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association, a pro-catch share group.

Of the letter, Jackson told the Times, given two weeks, she could gather two or three times that number of signatures for an anti-catch share letter. To that end, Jackson plans on submitting her own petition to Congress.

Read the story in the Gloucester Times here.

Did whales once walk the land?

The Week poses a very interesting question in a recent article--did whales have legs? The seemingly odd query is a result of a very interesting find in Egypt--the remains of a more than 40-million-year-old whale.  The discovery in the Tarfa Valley of Egypt lends credence to the scientific belief that at one time, whales split their time between land and water.

Although there was evidence of legs--the legs were no where to be found--probably eaten, according to experts.

Researchers have named the creature aegyptocetus tarfa, or Egyptian whale from Tarfa.  The discover makes the possibility of whales roaming the land at one time, even more probable.

Read the story in The Week here.

Yesterday's Extra:
Only hours old, new gaming law triggers first lawsuit; First Thanksgiving: better story, than actual history; Pilgrims: Bloggers with quill pens?
Lawsuit could muffle the voice of NPR on the Vineyard; Former Secret Service agent shares personal account of JFK's assasination

Only hours old, new gaming law triggers first lawsuit; First Thanksgiving: better story, than actual history; Lawsuit could muffle the voice of NPR on the Vineyard; Former Secret Service agent's shares personal account of JFK's assasination

TODAY's quote: "The Act is riddled with explicit, race-based set-asides that give federally recognized Indian tribes a categorical advantage over all other applicants seeking a gaming license in Southeastern Massachusetts." - From KG Urban Enterprise's lawsuit over the new gaming law.

More than a room with a view

   A different view of the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown.  Head up early today to check it out, then watch them light it up at night for the holiday season.  See the calendar here for details. cctoday photo.

Only hours old, new gaming law triggers first lawsuit

The Herald News reports that it only took a few hours after signing the Commonwealth's new gaming bill before the first lawsuit was triggered.  The lawsuit was filed by KG Urban Enterprises and contends that the law offers an unfair advantage to Native American Tribes looking to open a casino in Southeastern Massachusetts.

The new law, signed this morning by Governor Deval Patrick, allows for three full-scale casinos--one in the western part of the state, one in the Greater Boston area and one in the southeastern part of the state. According to KG, the law's "Tribal carve-out provisions" do not permit fair competition as exists in the two other regions of the state thereby violating the Constitution.

Not so, says Cedric Cromwell, Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who applauded the legislation and Governor Patrick for the way they crafted the new law.

Read the story in the Herald News here.

Pilgrims: bloggers with quill pens?

The EE Times raises an interesting question about the Pilgrims.  In 1620, Nathaniel Morton was tasked with keeping an account of the voyages and day to day activities of the settlers--a non-digital blog or log, really.

Writing then wasn't nearly as simple as it is today.  According to the EE Times story, a blogger account, a keyboard and WiFi signal will get anyone up and writing in no time.

Not such an easy task over 400 years ago when paper and ink were costly and mistakes not easily erased.

Read the story in EE Times here.

Thanksgiving story: better tale, than actual history

The Voice of America reports that our celebration of the "first Thanksgiving", a joining of the English settlers and the Native Americans at a lavish meal, has most likely been greatly romanticized.

During a recent visit to Plimoth Plantation, VoA learned more about what most likely took place over 400 years ago on that historic fall day.  Curators from the popular just-off-Cape colonial living museum told VoA that our view of the day is really more "fable than fact". 

For starters, a joint Thanksgiving prayer, shared between natives and settlers, would never have happened. According to curators, the settlers would have never included nonbelievers in their prayers and the Wampanoag Indians would have not prayed to the lone Christian god. 

Read the story in Voice of America here.

Lawsuit could muffle the voice of NPR on the Vineyard

The Martha's Vineyard Times reports that a lawsuit recently filed by a homeowner could effectively muffle the voice of NPR on the Island if successful.  In July, the weekly reports, Cape & Islands NPR/WCAI was issued a special permit by the Tisbury ZBA to replace its current signal antenna in an effort to boost the station's signal.

Good for listeners, but not for Thomas N. Sullivan, who lives across from the station's tower on Carroll's Way in Vineyard Haven.  Although a boost for listeners of the local NPR affiliate WMVY, Mr. Sullivan's attorney contends that, "The plaintiff's enjoyment of his land and his health, safety, and welfare will be adversely affected" and that he "will also suffer economic harm in decreased value of his property."

Read the story in the Martha's Vineyard Times here.

Former Secret Service agent's shares personal account of JFK's assassination at Texas talk

Yesterday marked the 48th anniversary of the assassination of JFK in Dallas

The North Texas e-News reports on a recent talk featuring a former Secret Service agent.  Mike Howard, according to e-News, is a native Texan, who during his career as a Secret Service agent, was assigned to protect four presidents and their families.

During the August talk, Howard told the crowd about his time protecting Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Ford and about his personal opinion regarding the fateful event almost five decades ago in Dallas.

Howard's story of the assassination is fascinating and he shares some other interesting tidbits including his first meeting with President Kennedy and his family in Hyannisport.  Howard was told, according to e-News, that he was chosen for the job because of an interest he shared with the first lady--horseback riding.

Read the story in the North Texas e-News here.

Yesterday's Extra:
Guv to sign gaming bill this morning;
No payoff on 881 lb. tuna;
Thanksgiving without the stuffing?
Pilgrim Watch files new "contention" with NRC;
Entering Ptown: slow down!

Governor Patrick to sign gaming bill this morning; No payoff on 881 lb. tuna; Thanksgiving without the stuffing? Pilgrim Watch files new "contention" with NRC; Entering Provincetown: slow down!

TODAY's quote: "The problem is, in the old days having a feast was in contrast to the rest of the year--now everyday is a feast." - Neal Barnard, Associate Professor of Medicine at George Washington University of Medicine on today's Thanksgiving meal.

Governor Patrick to sign gaming bill this morning

The Boston Globe reports that while citizens, experts and legislators continue to squabble over casinos, Governor Deval Patrick is set to sign the gaming bill, making Massachusetts the 40th state with legal gambling casinos and slot parlors. The bill will allow for three casinos and one slot parlor spread out over the Commonwealth.

According to the Globe, the slot parlor will most likely open first and could be fully-operable within a year.

Once signed, the bill allows for the governor, State Treasure Steve Grossman and AG Martha Coakley to appoint a five-person panel of commissioners.  The commissioners will then be tasked with choosing developers for the casinos.  The gaming bill gives what the Globe calls a "leg up" to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe for locking down the casino set for Southeastern Massachusetts.

Read the story in the Boston Globe here.

No payoff on 881 lb. tuna

WCVB-TV 5 reports that Carlos Rafael, a commercial fisherman, saw dollar signs when his crew caught an 881 lb. tuna in their nets.  Rafael, a fisherman from New Bedford, has a tuna permit, according to WCVB, and dutifully called the feds to report the catch.

What he though would be a big payday, turned out to be a goose egg when NOAA agents met him on shore in Provincetown and confiscated the giant bluefin tuna.

WCVB reports that Rafael was told by NOAA that even though the tuna was inadvertently snagged in trawling gear, it should have been caught with a rod and reel.  A bluefin, some 80 lbs less than Rafael's, fetched almost $400,000 earlier this year.

Read the WCVB-TV story here.

Thanksgiving without the stuffing?

The Washington Post reports that many Americans are rethinking Thanksgiving this year and moving away from our country's food-centric traditions. Gone are the days of stuffing ourselves until you felt like you'd pop the button on your trousers.

Today many are swapping out binging on turkey, gravy and all the trimmings with activities that better portray the concepts of giving thanks and just plain giving.

Health trends, current affairs and the economy all impact the turkey day too, according to the Post, signaling a new way we look at the historic fall holiday.

Read the Washington Post story here.

Pilgrim Watch files new "contention" with Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Duxbury Reporter reports that the group Pilgrim Watch has filed a new "contention" with the Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  The contention was filed in light of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster and charges that the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station's environmental report is "inadequate." The Plymouth nuclear watchdog opposes the re-licensing of the Plymouth nuclear power plant in 2012.

Pilgrim Watch contends that the recent nuclear disaster in Japan shows that there is a higher probability of containment failure than that indicated in the re-licensing applications filed by Entergy, the company that operates Pilgrim.

According to Pilgrim Watch, the Fukushima plant was ill-prepared for dealing with the large volumes of contaminated water generated during the disaster and claims the same may be true should a crisis occur in Plymouth. That water, Pilgrim Watch contends, would find its way into Cape Cod Bay and points beyond.

Read the story in the Duxbury Reporter here. Read the recent CapeCodToday.com story on the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station here.

Entering Provincetown: slow down!

The Provincetown Banner reports that the Provincetown Police Department recently swapped out its radar guns for LIDAR laser speed guns.  The LIDAR, or "light detection and ranging" guns do a much better job of accurately pinpointing specific vehicles. According to Wikipedia, LIDAR measures the time-of-flight of a laser beam to calculate the speed of the target. Radar speed guns measure speed using doppler shifts and lack the accuracy of LIDAR.

The guns were purchased by the department to step up traffic enforcement and stop speeders.  Chief Jeff Jaran told the Banner that the updated technology and training are a must for his officers who are often challenged in court.

According to the Banner, several other departments on Cape Cod are already using the LIDAR guns.

Read the story in the Provincetown Banner here.

Yesterday's Extra:
Brown & Keating: working together on the things they agree on;
Cranberry juice: the cornerstone of some of America's favorite cocktails;
Katharine Lee Bates house for sale;
TD Bank to close S. Yarmouth branch;
Centralizing community colleges?

Brown & Keating: working together on the things they agree on; Cranberry juice: the cornerstone of some of America's favorite cocktails; Katharine Lee Bates house for sale; TD Bank to close S. Yarmouth branch; Centralizing community colleges?

TODAY's quote: "We should take the things we agree on and push them out yesterday." - Senator Scott Brown

Brown & Keating: working together on the things they agree on

At the Thanksgiving Parade in Plymouth Saturday, NECN caught up with two of our freshman representatives, Senator Scott Brown and Congressman Bill Keating.  Although on opposite sides of the aisle, both men have vowed to work together on things they both agree on.

Senator Brown told NECN, "We should take the things we agree on and push them out yesterday."

According to Congressman Keating, the two have proven they can put their differences aside and work together--especially on something they both see as critical--such as jobs.

Read the story and watch the video on NECN here.

Cranberry juice: the cornerstone of some of America's favorite cocktails

You like them in breads, muffins, juice boxes and in their gelatinous form next to your turkey--especially this coming Thursday.  But according to the Poughkeepsie Journal, you like them in your libations as well. 

The author of this bonafied "cranberry cocktail 101" says cranberry juice flavored drinks helped put him through college.  Cape Codders, Woo Woos, even Sex on the Beach.

Cosmos and Harpoons are all the rage these days and the Journal article includes a recipe for a new cocktail you may want to serve up on Thanksgiving: the Cranberry and Turkey.  Guaranteed to keep away scurvy and make a day with the family a piece of cake.

Read the story in the Poughkeepsie Journal here.

Katharine Lee Bates house for sale

Attention all history buffs--the Atlantic reports that the childhood home of Katharine Lee Bates is for sale in Falmouth. The restored Colonial is 2,400 square feet and has four bedrooms--not to mention a real historic connection.

The birthplace of Katharine Lee Bates is on the market. Photo courtesy of LandVest. Click here to see a slideshow of images.Katharine Lee Bates will be forever celebrated as the author of "America the Beautiful".  She wrote the words to the beloved patriotic song in 1893 while in Colorado. Bates was born on August 12, 1859 in Falmouth and each year her birthday and her contribution to American history are celebrated by the Falmouth Historical Society.

The home at 16 Main Street in Falmouth is represented by Stewart Young of LandVest, an affiliate of Christies. The home, which was built ca. 1810, is listed for $995,000.

Read the Atlantic story here. See the LandVest listing here.

Foundation releases recommendations for state community colleges

Inside Higher Ed reports that the Boston Foundation has released a new report on the Commonwealth's fifteen community colleges and recommendations include the state centralizing leadership and taking tighter control of the reigns.

As it stands now, each school has its own board of trustees operating independently of the state's Board of Higher Education--a system the foundation finds "not conducive to achieving state and regional workforce development goals."   Inside Higher Ed points out that centralized control is not a new concept and is typically presented when the economy falters.

Cape Cod Community College President Kathy Schatzberg agrees, telling Inside that she has seen similar suggestions over her almost decade and a half turn as the college's president, "this is only the latest iteration of a debate that's been going on for decades." Schatzberg, according to Inside, prefers the current setup of a local board for each school.

Read the story in Inside Higher Ed here.

TD Bank to close four Massachusetts branches--one on Cape Cod

The Gloucester Times reports that TD Bank has announced its plans to close four Massachusetts branches after the first of the year.  Three off-Cape branches, one in Gloucester, one in Essex and one in Salisbury, are slated for closing.

The fourth branch marked for closure is a part-time branch in South Yarmouth, according to the Times.

Editor's note: the branch was erroneously noted by CapeCodToday as the branch on Route 28 in South Yarmouth. The part-time branch is the Thirwood Place branch on North Main Street. The Route 28 branch will remain open.

Read the story in the Gloucester Times here.

Yesterday's Extra:
Former shelter dog to start training for YPD;
Hyannis welcomes cheap gas courtesy of Stop & Shop;
Truro chief resigns in wake of cruiser crash;
Bluefins sunk by Aviators;
Cape Air continues Mid West expansion

Former shelter dog to start training for YPD; Hyannis welcomes cheap gas courtesy of Stop & Shop; Truro chief resigns in wake of cruiser crash; Bluefins sunk by Aviators; Cape Air continues Mid West expansion

TODAY's quote: "We were so proud of him. In our history, we've never had this happen." - Nancy Harris, the Quincy Animal Shelter's Canine Manager on Thor, YPD's new drug detection dog.

Former shelter dog to start training for YPD

The Patriot Ledger is reporting that a former Quincy shelter dog recently caught the eye of a Quincy police officer who thought the dog might be well suited for a life of crime fighting.  Ken Ballinger, Assistant Deputy Superintendent of the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department, trains dogs for local, regional and state police departments, and after being asked to test the pup, agreed that he passed the "smell test."

Thor, a 6-month-old lab mix who was surrendered to the Quincy animal shelter last month, will begin drug-sniffing dog training for the Yarmouth Police Department.

According to the Ledger, over the past eight years, Ballinger's department has trained over 30 shelter dogs--a win for both law enforcement and the dogs. Thor will train for ten weeks before starting his new job--and new life--with a Yarmouth Police Department handler.

Read the story in the Patriot Ledger here. Read the CapeCodToday story here.

Hyannis welcomes cheap gas courtesy of Stop & Shop

The Barnstable Patriot reports that gas just got a little cheaper in Hyannis with the opening of the new Stop & Shop gas station on West Main Street. According to the weekly, the location offers the lowest gas prices in Hyannis. The location is so new, it has yet to register on the store's website locator.

Stop & Shop customers are encouraged to use their store discount cards to reap even further savings.

See the Barnstable Patriot story here.

Truro chief resigns in wake of cruiser crash

The Provincetown Banner reports that Truro Selectmen this week voted to accept the resignation of Police Chief John Lundborn.  Lundborn has been on leave for nearly a month after crashing the Truro Police Department's new cruiser into a tree on Cape Cod National Seashore property.

The board's vote was unanimous--4 to 0 to accept his resignation.

Acting Chief Kyle Takajian will be appointed permanent chief pending contracting, according to the weekly.

Read the story in the Banner here.

Bluefins sunk by Aviators 

The Brooklyn Daily reports (most gleefully) that the Cape Cod Bluefins fell to the Brooklyn Aviators 5-3 last night at the Floyd Bennet Field's Aviator Sports and Recreation Center.

Bad news for the the Bluefins, but good news for the Aviators who cracked a losing streak.

The Cape Cod Bluefins will take to the ice at home in Hyannis again Tuesday night when they host the Brooklyn at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center at 7:05 p.m. 

Follow Cape Cod Bluefins action on their site here.  Tickets are only $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Read the story in the Brooklyn Daily here.

Cape Air continues Mid West expansion

Tristate reports that on December 5, Massachusetts-based Cape Air will offer new service between Owensboro, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri. At the beginning of next month, flights between Owensboro-Davies County Regional Airport and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport will be available daily, year-round for $49.99 each way.

According to Cape Air Founder and CEO Dan Wolf, Cape Air serves 70,000 passengers annually out of St. Louis.

Owensboro will be the company's sixth destination from St. Louis.

Read the story on Tristate here.

Yesterday's Extra:
Another lawyer, another suit against Camp Good News;
Casino company calls gambling bill unconstitutional;
Weekly covers "Occupy Cape Cod";
Yarmouth wants a Route 28 "Entertainment Zone"