EXTRA...

Two ways to look at the fate of sea turtles

TODAY's Quote: “It’s in our interest now to make sure people understand the correct situation."
- New York Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy.

It depends on your newspaper's point of view

Two major newspapers view the same news 180 degrees different

Today's newspaper headlines offer a stunning reminder of how much the old media has slipped since the Internet stole its readership, revenue and its talent. Below are three poignant examples from today's headlines in three of them.

We hope the Ledger is the one that got the story right.

Even the Old Grey Lady is screwing up big time.

It would be nice to be able to report that at least the inky world's paragons of virtue were still getting it right, but yesterday's New York Times carried this amazing confession:

• The Times E-Mails Millions by Mistake to Say Subscriptions Were Canceled
  "The New York Times mistakenly sent an e-mail on Wednesday to more than eight million people who had shared their information with the company, erroneously informing them that they had canceled home delivery of the newspaper. The Times Company, which initially mischaracterized the mishap as spam, apologized for sending the e-mail... (but later spokeswoman Eileen Murphy) said the e-mail had been sent by a Times employee and not Epsilon Interactive, a third-party service the company uses to communicate with subscribers..." New York Times.

With the circulation of newspaper's plummeting, it is a cruel joke when a one cancels eight million of its subscribers, especially when it only had 1,150,589 daily and 1,645,152 on Sunday to begin with. The chart below demonstrates the collapse of the industry.

Newspapers continue their 20 year drop in circulation

This 20-year view shows a steady slide in paid circulation.  Daily circulation, which stood at 62.3 million in 1990, fell to 43.4 million in 2010, a decline of 30%. Sunday circulation held up slightly better, falling from 62.6 million in 1990 to 46.2 million last year, off 26%.

No National Register for beach camps; Harwich gets reef

TODAY's quote: The camps “lack integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship, and lack significant historic and/or architectural associations, thus fail to meet the criteria for listing in the National Register as a National Register District.” - Massachusetts Historical Commission Betsy Friedberg.

The low, December sun is a photographer's delight

Looking east from Fanizzi's Restaurant in the East End of Provincetown on the day after Christmas around 1 p.m. Walter Brooks photo.

Chatham beach camps not eligible for National Register

The Cape Cod Chronicle reports that the Massachusetts Historic Commission has ruled that the North Beach Island camps slated for demolition by the Cape Cod National Seashore are not eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The request by camp owners and leaseholders was a final effort to stop the Seashore from razing the five camps it owns after the current leases expire Dec. 31. 

Read the Chronicle here.

State pushes artificial fishing reef off Harwich's Saquatucket Harbor

The state Division of Marine Fisheries will be working with the town over the next six months to put permitting in place to locate an artificial fishing reef in Nantucket Sound, a mile and a half south of Saquatucket Harbor.

The Cape Cod Chronicle reports that Mark Rousseau and Vincent Malkoski, marine biologists with the state agency, came before the commission to enlist town officials’ support for the project. The idea was initially brought forward by fishing party boat operator Clem Kacergis, owner of the Yankee out of Saquatucket Harbor.

Read the Chronicle here.

Ferry in reverse when hit by lobster boat

Steamship Authority has a tough month

Collision at Hyannis dock followed by collision with lobster boat

The SSA car ferry Katama at the Vineyard Haven dock. Walter Brooks photo.

Statement by Steamship Authority General Manager Wayne Lamson:

At approximately 15:25 [3:25 pm, December 21], the M/V Katama was en route to Woods Hole from Vineyard Haven on a westerly course with a flood tide near buoy 26 off Nobska Point.
      The M/V Katama crew observed a lobster style boat abaft the starboard beam approaching at a high speed headed in a southerly direction down Vineyard Sound.
      As the vessel approached from the starboard side, it appeared they would pass ahead of the Katama. The M/V Katama started to slow down and eventually was all stopped, sounding the danger signal and backing when the lobster boat struck the starboard side.
      The lobster boat glanced off the Katama and continued down Vineyard Sound.
      At no time did the lobster boat acknowledge any radio traffic from the Katama or stop to ensure the safety of both vessels.
      There were no injuries and no damage to the M/V Katama.The Martha's Vineyard Times reports that the Coast Guard is actively investigating an incident last week in which the Steamship Authority (SSA) car ferry Katama was struck by a lobster boat, the 36-foot Mirage, operated by commercial fisherman Glenn Pachico of Vineyard Haven in Nantucket Sound a mile and a half noth of Vineyard Haven.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Amber Mitchell, a public affairs officer assigned to the First Coast Guard District, said the Mirage reported minor damage to her waterline and damage to the VHF radio.

Steamship Authority general manager Wayne Lamson, keeping with established protocol, said all of the Katama's crew members were immediately alcohol- and drug-tested after the collision.

See the MV Times story here.

Another week, another bump

Earlier this month the ferry Eagle crashed into the steamship ferry Sankaty which was docked at the SSA Hyannis Harbor dock at the time. 

See the Eagle-Sankaty story here.

About the Katama

The Katama is a 235’x 40’, 13.5-knot, “freight” vessel. In 1981, she started life as an Offshore Supply Vessel running to oil rigs and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. 1988 marked her first conversion to ferry service when the SSA added a rounded stern to fit loading ramps and a small passenger area. Ten years later a fifty-foot midsection was added along with an engine upgrade to more powerful EMDs. Katama is certified for 149 persons on board and serves (on most schedules) Martha’s Vineyard as a truck and back-up car carrier. She also performs important tasks such as moving all of the Island’s SEMASS recycling plant trash across the Sound; bringing hazardous propane and petroleum products to heat Island homes and power Island vehicles; and moving every sort of general cargo to power the Island life and economy. Free Wi-Fi internet access is available. Source.

Plymouth Nuke plant closed down - again

TODAY's quote: "This type of work is not uncommon in steam-generating plants.”
- Rob Williams, Entergy spokesman.

Safety relief valve leak closes Pilgrim Nuclear plant

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant on the shores of Cape Cod Bay a few miles north of the Cape Cod Canal. Photo courtesy of Entergy from NRC.gov.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission reports Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station has been shut down after a safety relief valve was declared inoperable. There is no threat to public safety and the senior resident inspector has been notified, according to the NRC statement. The Entergy nuclear plant in Plymouth is the same type and age at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.

According to the Boston Globe, a leak was found in one of four valves used to relieve pressure. Temperature sensors identified the problem and the plant shut down at 1:30 a.m., Tuesday.

The plant shut down in November due to a problem with a different type of valve.  At that time the NRC officially required a yearlong review of safety procedures because of the problems which occurred as control room operators were restarting the reactor after it had been refueled. Last Spring the plant had an emergency shut down resulting in a year-long review of safety procedures.

Earlier this month the Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley filed an appeal of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s rejection of her move to suspend relicensing of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.

Read the Globe story here.

Wixon Middle School needs $10M in repairs

TODAY's quote: “The lighting in the cafeteria is inefficient, and the old, noisy heating system interferes with learning. he fire doors have spaces that violate code, with hardware that’s falling off. The bathrooms, with their 1969 plumbing, need to be made handicapped accessible, lockers need replacing, and some doors don’t function properly.” - D-Y Facilities manager Sandy Cashen.

 42-year-old D-Y building no longer meets state standards

Forty-two may not be old for most buildings, but a middle school gets a lot more use than most. Above is Wixon Middle School from the north and from the south. capecodtoday photos.

The Wixon Middle School a mile north of Route 6 on Route 134 in South Dennis is 42-years-old and needs a facelift costing at least $10 million.

The Register reports that a Dennis-Yarmouth Regional facilities study conducted in 2008 estimated needed repairs and upgrades to the school could cost more than $10 million. The project would trigger Americans With Disabilities Act upgrades, costing even more, and the study is four years old and the building's conditions may be even worse now.

As our editorial last week pointed out, a matter like this underscores our position that if Dennis withdraws from the D-Y Region they will be forced to join the Monomoy Region. Presently Dennis-Yarmouth finds itself losing over 300 students to other districts under school choice – and paying $1.9 million in school choice money to those other districts in the process.

Read the Register story here.

Route 6 blogger is sweet on the Cape; State cuts paroles 75%

TODAY's quote: “Oh my God. After what’s happened? I’m outraged by this.”
- Les Gosule, whose daughter Melissa Gosule, a 27-year-old schoolteacher, was raped and murdered on Cape Cod in 1999 by a man convicted of more than two dozen crimes.

Two local bakeries make Top Five Small Town Bakeries list

Blogger Malerie Yolen-Cohen is something of an expert on Route 6.  And by Route 6, we don't just mean the little bit that runs from tip to tip on our sandbar. No, she's an expert on the entire stretch from coast to coast--all 3,000+ miles of it.

If you plan to do some traveling across this great country of ours, you'll want to check out Malerie's blog for some ideas on where to stay, eat and have fun. 

And if you haven't had your fill of sweets over the holidays, be sure to check out Malerie's Top Five Small Town Bakeries.  She's put together a list of the sweetest, the tastiest and the ooey-gooiest treats on Route 6 and two local favorites have made the cut:

PB Boulangerie Bistro on Route 6 in South Wellfleet - think flaky croissant, says Malerie

Buckie's Underground Bakery just off Route 6 (on Route 6A, actually) in Dennis Village - diet be damned, try the nutmeg muffin, says Malerie

See the Stay on Route 6 blog here.

State Parole Board pardoned far fewer in 2011, Adam Hart not sentenced

The Boston Herald reported yesterday that 11 convicted criminals serving second-degree life sentences were granted parole during this year compared to 42 in 2010. Of the 104 serving life sentences, 26 were up for parole for the first time, and five of them were voted on favorably.

Before the lifers are released they must undergo a 12- to 18-month transition to re-entry in minimum security. The Herald also reported the Adam Hart of Dennis and the others awaiting sentencing for running a sports book at the Ocean House restaurant in Dennis were not sentenced last Thursday as announced previously.

Read the Herald parole story here and the Adam Hart story here.

West Barnstable man killed in 495 crash Monday morning

Driver and passenger ejected during crash

WCVB-Boston is reporting that a West Barnstable man was killed in an early morning crash on Route 495 in Mansfield Monday.  The driver of a 2003 Ford pickup, identified as 53-year-old Gary Ostrom of West Barnstable, and a passenger, identified as 19-year-old Joshua Ostrom, were both ejected from the truck when it left the road and rolled over near Exit 11 in Mansfield.

State Police told WCVB that Gary Ostrom was pronounced dead at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro. Joshua Ostrom was MedFlighted to a Boston-area hospital.

During the crash, the vehicle struck and caused minor damage to an unoccupied state police cruiser, which was stopped on the southbound side of the highway while Trooper Robert Crocker was investigating another car crash that had been caused by icy road conditions.

Gary Ostrom was the second vice president of the lobstermen's association untilk recently, and fifteen years ago the International Fund for Animal Welfare said he designed a device that caused lobster lines to break when entangled with whales.

The crash is being investigated by the State Police.

Read the WCVB story here.

Is the Cape a Presidential jinx? War of 1812 Bicentennial

TODAY's quote: "The bottom line is that we're going to stay here as long as it takes to make sure that the American people's taxes don't go up on Jan. 1." - Barack Obama on postponing his Christmas Holiday.

Kennedy was here when the Berlin Wall fell

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that vacations have often interfered with the U.S. Presidents' duties, and often with slightly embarrassing results.

President John F. Kennedy was here on Cape Cod when the Soviets began building the Berlin Wall, and this past week, President Barack Obama who spends his summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard, had his Hawaii Christmas holiday postponed by the Congressional impasse over extending unemployment benefits and avoiding a middle class tax hike due to a rebellious Tea Party Congressman whom even the Republican House leadership couldn't control.

For President Barack Obama, simply going on vacation these days seems to demand the theatrics of a Houdini-like escape from the padlocked box of Washington according to the newspaper.

Read the Post-Dispatch story here.

Cape Cod and the War of 1812 Bicentennial

On 19 August 1812 the Guerriere's fore and main-masts were blown away by the Constitution and the badly damaged Guerriere was burned and sunk.The Bourne Courier reminds us that Cape Cod has another historic anniversary coming, the bicentennial of the War of 1812 which will see many dignitaries and tall sailing ships arriving in Massachusetts which played a prominent role in repelling the British for a second time in our founding fathers' lifetimes.

The newspaper's editorial writer tells us that the British Navy was the most powerful force on earth back then, and some Cape Codders joined the American Navy to do battle with it. Two served on the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) when she captured the British frigate Guerriere on August 16, 1812.

Locally the British kept a watchful eye on the brickyard at Town Neck in Sandwich, according to town archivist Barbara Gill. “For some reason they thought it was a hotbed of sorts,” she said.

Read the Courier Editorial here.

Orpheum Cafe; Dr. Cragin to stay; Harwich closes firing range

TODAY's quote: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this." - Isaiah 9:6-7.

Nothing exceeds like excess

Home on the north side of Route 28 in West Dennis vies for the most elaborate on Cape Cod. cctoday photo.

Cafe will be part of the new Orpheum theater in Chatham

A short Orpheum Theater Group video.Just in case the Chatham Orpheum Theater group isn't able to raise the money necessary to purchase the former Chatham Theater building at 637 Main St., owner Ronald Rudnick has a Plan B.

The Cape Cod Chronicle reports that another party, whom Rudnick did not identify, is interested in opening up a cafe at the location and wants to be able to open the interior to the sidewalk, he said. A 28-seat cafe is also part of the plans of the Chatham Orpheum Theater group, which has an agreement with Rudnick to purchase the building.

The group has until March to raise $1 million to buy the property and begin renovations in the former CVS store. 

See the story in the Chronicle here.

Carolyn Cragin will remain Monomoy School Superintendent

“The district needs and deserves a new leader, a new vision from the outside that can take the district to the next step.”
- Chatham School Committee Chairman Eric WhiteleyChatham has, and probably always will have, a resistance to "rubbing hides with the herd" as Mal Hobbs used to say.

Now the Cape Cod Chronicle reports that Chatham School Board members are trying to dump the transitional superintendent of its new Monomoy District because "Chatham is being gobbled up, annexed, taken over by the Harwich school system."

Anyone might have a difficult time "gobbling up" a tough old bird like Chatham, so despite pressure from some Chatham citizens to do so, the Monomoy Regional School Committee voted last week not to begin the search for a new superintendent.

Carolyn Cragin is the Monomoy Superintendent.Dr. Cragin had previously announced she had planned to retire a year ago, but she agreed to a request by the Harwich School Committee that she remain on during the transition.

Next year, the new regional district will become officially operational, and will begin sharing a middle school and a high school in 2014 .  See the story in the

Chronicle here.

The traditionalist superintendent Dr. Carolyn Cragin told the Chronicle last week that she intended fully to retire at the end of the year, but the school committee asked her to reconsider that decision “because of where we are in the process.” 

See the story in the Chronicle here.

Harwich Police close firing range to outside agencies

Police Chief William Mason responded to complaints from Beverly and Tim Millar about increased frequency of use and more noise coming from the town’s firing range off Depot Road, and he has ended the use of the facility by outside agencies and promises to keep neighbors informed about when the range will be used.

See the story in the Chronicle here.

Dickens reads "A Christmas Carol" for Cape Cod charity

Hear a Dickens read "A Christmas Carol"

It was recorded on Cape Cod

Charles Dickens' granddaughter, Monica Dickens, wrote more than 40 books in her lifetime, but still found time to start the Samaritans' first branch in America.

It was to raise money for the center in Cape Cod that a recording was made in the 1970s of a Dickens reading the most famous Christmas story, and the proceeds from her recording of her narration has just been released with proceeds going to the Samaritans.

As a child Monica Dickens, a writer who died in 1992, had listened spellbound as her grandfather indulged in the rite. That grandfather had learned the recitation from Charles Dickens himself.

Read the BBC story here.

"If it weren't for the Samaritans, I'd be dead now."

A dramatic statement, to be sure – one that The Samaritans on Cape Cod & the Islands volunteers have heard from callers on their crisis hotlines. Calls range from those who need to be heard and respected to those who are truly desperate.

Visit The Samaritans website here.

Here's the whole story:

arley was dead: to begin with.  There is no doubt whatever about that.  The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner.  Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to.  Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

Mind!  I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail.  I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. 

But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country's done for.  You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

Scrooge knew he was dead?  Of course he did. How could it be otherwise?  Scrooge and he were partners for I don't know how many years.  Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend and sole mourner. 

And even Scrooge was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event, but that he was an excellent man of business on the very day of the funeral, and solemnised it with an undoubted bargain...

Read the rest here.