Letters to the Editor

The Grinch Comes to Harwich

Harwich Police lose sense of holiday humor

A Harwich holiday tradition was abruptly interrupted on Christmas Eve when Mr. Robert Doane, of Forest Street in Harwich Center, was visited by local police ordering him to shut down his famous animated Christmas lighting display.  The reason given for the unexpected order was "traffic nuisance".

Mr. Doane, known locally as "The Head Reindeer", has been creating his displays annually in his field along Forest Street, using a low-frequency FM transmitter and a computer program.  It requires 4 months preparation each year, and has been covered frequently by local newspapers.

Mr. Doane requested a warrant or court order be produced, but none was to be had.  Assertions of "complaints" could not be verified.

Richard Butler
Forest Beach Ext.
S. Chatham, MA

Beaty, Lynch, help Barnstable avoid an electoral blunder

To The Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to heartily congratulate and thank West Barnstable resident, Ron Beaty, Jr., and the Town of Barnstable's delegate to the Barnstable County Assembly, Tom Lynch, for a recent job well done in motivating our three apparently absent-minded County Commissioners to finally fill the county clerk position after it was vacant for almost an entire year. There was no viable excuse for their inaction.

The BARNSTABLE COUNTY HOME RULE CHARTER, Article 4, Section 4-2, Subsection (b)2, states that "There shall be a regional clerk, appointed by the board of regional commissioners to serve for a term of office as established by ordinance.  The regional clerk shall be a person especially qualified by education, training and experience to perform the duties of the office.  The office of the regional clerk shall coordinate and supervise all election and election related matters affecting the Cape Cod regional government with the city and town clerks, boards of registrars of voters, election commissions and other local officers performing similar duties.  The regional clerk may, if chosen by the assembly of delegates, serve as clerk of the Assembly of Delegates.  The office of regional clerk shall perform and may exercise such other powers and duties as may be assigned by this charter, by ordinance or by other vote of the Assembly of Delegates."

During the election of 2010, five candidates were unfairly left off of the ballot due to bureaucratic foul ups on the part of the County Clerk's office at the time. At the end of that year, the particular official in question declined to be reappointed as the Regional County Clerk.  The 2012 election cycle begins only one and a half months from now with nomination papers becoming available from the Secretary of State on or about February 14th. I realistically believe that if it were not for the astute efforts of Mr. Beaty and Mr. Lynch, the voters of Cape Cod would be witness to yet another major electoral blunder because for whatever reason the County Commissioners would most certainly have continued to sit on their thumbs regarding this particular matter.

Nancy Johnson
Hyannis, MA

Ron Beaty to seek federal pardon for threats against President

Barnstable candidate asks forgiveness
Mailed death threats in separate letters sent in June 1990
to President Bush, Sen. Kennedy and State Sen. Lois Pines

It seems a bit “ironic” that County Commissioner Bill Doherty should advise and encourage a man with “my background” to run for election next year for one of the Barnstable County Commissioner seats. 

After all, a little over 20 years ago (1991) I was arrested, convicted and sentenced by federal authorities for threatening various elected public officials, including the President of the United States. I will have to reflect long and hard about Bill Doherty's proposal.

I shall seek advice, feedback and counsel from family, friends, and the public at large before any firm decision can be made. 

Perhaps after twenty years, it is also about time that I finally ask for formal "forgiveness" from the federal government as well. With that in mind, I will be seeking a Presidential pardon from President Barack Obama relative to the previously mentioned legal issues…

• “Man Gets 16-month Term, Threatened Bush, Others”
• “Man sentenced for letter threats”

Ron Beaty
West Barnstable