Editor:

Our family would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the town, our community friends, and our family for the incredible love, kindness, and recognition shown to 105-year-old Ella Rose.

We were deeply touched by Tom Birch, Jeff Brown and other neighbors who helped to upright the name stone after it was knocked over during the winter. Their care and attention to preserving this special tribute meant so much to all of us.

The plaque presented by the town in honor of her 105th birthday was a tremendous honor and a gift that our family will always cherish. We are truly grateful for this thoughtful recognition of such a remarkable milestone.

Thank you as well for the many cards, gifts, flowers and warm wishes. Every expression of love and support brought joy to her and to our entire family.

We are blessed to be part of such a caring and compassionate community. Your kindness has made this celebration even more meaningful, and we thank each of you from the bottom of our hearts.

The Lombard Family
Harwich

Editor:

I am writing to express alarm at the use of a particular type of electric vehicle on the Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) as well as public streets on Cape Cod.

The vehicle is called by various names — electric cargo bike, electric dirt bike, electric off-road moped style bike. They have pedals and crank arms, but by no stretch of the imagination are these vehicles “bicycles” or even traditional “electric bikes” like those rented by various outlets on the CCRT. These are motorized vehicles and should be regulated as such.

There are many companies that manufacture these vehicles, some of which generate up to 7,000 watts of power, with a range of 70 to 80 miles and top speeds of 50 mph. Some have enough torque for the rider to do wheelies, which I have seen many times on the CCRT as well as on streets in Brewster and elsewhere. A few weeks ago, there was a double fatality in New York City involving a traditional cyclist and a high-speed e-scooter in a designated bike lane. The type of scooter involved in that accident is illegal in New York City. I fear that we will soon see a similar incident on Cape Cod, whether on the CCRT or on the street.

Enforcement resources of CCRT (governed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation) are limited and the various towns along the CCRT have no jurisdiction over the trail itself. But this problem extends far beyond the bike trail, and any truly effective enforcement measures must be undertaken by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

All towns on the Cape, but especially those on the CCRT should lobby the state to intensify its regulation of these vehicles as follows: 1) They should be sold to, and only operated by, people with a valid driver’s license. 2) The vehicles themselves should have a license plate, just like other motor vehicles, and should be operated only on public thoroughfares, not on bike trails. 3) The vehicles should be subject to annual safety inspections, especially to ensure that the internal software has not been manipulated to allow for higher speeds, which is easily done on these vehicles.

All of this will take time and concerted effort. Meanwhile, parents who purchase these vehicles must hold themselves accountable for the safety of their children and others. Don’t allow your kids to operate these vehicles on bike trails or on public streets. Better yet, exercise good judgement and don’t buy these vehicles for your kids.

Kevin Kearns
Brewster

Editor:

Multiple New World screwworm cases have been confirmed in the United States after over 50 years of eradication. This deadly flesh-eating parasite has infected cattle, goats and now a dog. Researchers estimate that American cattle ranchers could lose billions of dollars this year if the parasite continues to spread and dogs and horses across the country could be killed. If screwworm continues to spread, it could reach Massachusetts and affect our wildlife and pets.

In the 1960s, screwworm was eradicated from America thanks to robust foreign assistance. A joint operation between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) enabled dropping sterile flies around the U.S.-Mexico border. Today, American labs only have the capacity to drop 100 million sterile flies. That is 400 million less than scientists estimate is needed to prevent further spread.

Worse, last year the Trump administration gutted USAID, including a program to monitor and contain the spread of screwworm in Central America. Diseases do not respect borders. When we cut international assistance, Americans suffer. I don’t want my dog to die because our government allowed parasites to spread out of control. USAID represented less than 1 percent of the federal budget yet saved millions of lives each year and prevented Ebola, screwworm, and other diseases from reaching our shores. Representatives Keating and Senators Warren and Markey should restore our strategic international assistance programs.

Hannah Greenwood
Sagamore Beach

Editor:

The parks and garden committee of the Garden Club of Harwich would like to extend a sincere thank you to the town’s recreation department and the department of public works for the transformation of the Larsen Park/Wychmere Overlook Garden. Due to the necessity of moving the park’s flagpole, the garden was extended to include the flagpole and two memorial stones. One of those stones recognizes Ellouise Baker Larsen, a native Cape Codder who donated the land to the town in 1957 to be maintained as a scenic overlook on Route 28 in Harwich Port. 

Elaine Banta from the Harwich Recreation Department and Jared Hopkins, the manager of parks and beaches for the DPW, worked together with GCH Parks and Gardens co-chairs Karen McLaughlin and Mary Mannix resulting in a much improved space for the Garden Club, giving more room for native plants in particular. Enjoy the view!

Maura Costa 
Susan Bliss
Jennifer Ayers
Melinda Maryniuk
The Wychmere Overlook Garden Crew

Editor:

The continuing efforts to address affordable housing issues are acknowledged and appreciated. In Orleans the community has become galvanized by the work of the Homeless Prevention Council to assist many in critical needs.

Having said that, the culture of Cape Cod remains intractable. It continues to be a museum and not a place of community where people live and work. We are well aware of the economic metrics. Housing prices have increased 60 per cent while wages increased 7.5 percent. A modest home now requires an income of in excess of $200,000 annually while per capita income is $92,000.

The challenges are significant, yet not impossible. Until and unless the available land is used to create the number of housing units needed to meet the needs, frustrations will be the future. The construction of multi-units on available land requires state-mandated zoning changes. 

Other efforts are worthwhile and are to be encouraged and be celebrated. Yet, the simple fact remains, more units are needed on the land which remains available.

Mark I. Berson
Orleans 

Editor:

I am writing in response to the You Guest It column written by Mike Schell in the June 11 edition. Mr Schell references the Chatham Long Range Comprehensive Plan approved at town meeting in 2003 in support of the Pennrose affordable housing project on Meetinghouse Road in South Chatham. While he is correct that a section of the plan supports the objective of 10 percent affordable year-round housing units, the plan’s first goal regarding housing is to improve opportunities for the area’s low- and moderate-income housing. The third stated goal states that “new and rehabilitated affordable housing should be designed to fit into the existing neighborhood so neither the appearance nor location of the units would identify them as affordable.” The affordable housing trust with two select board members put out a request for proposals asking for maximum density on this site. There was no discussion at that time with those in the neighborhood. The ZBA has been filling the void in seeking input from the community and is seeking to implement, to the degree possible at this late date, the mandate from the approved town plan that affordable housing be designed to fit into the existing neighborhood.

John Sweeney
South Chatham

Editor:

I liked that Linda Jean Kirkpatrick’s letter (“Something Must Be Done On Housing,” June 11) about affordable housing broadened the group needing help beyond police, firemen and teachers. It’s true that most normal employees (who don’t own the company) have trouble financing housing here.

But I suspect her demand that somebody do something about it is an invitation to expensive, harmful mischief.

I believe prices are always set by supply and demand. And anything that makes the Cape more attractive to those already here makes it more attractive to those who’d like to come. For example, the expansion of the canal bridges will bring more people on Cape where they will contemplate properties now more attractive because they’re now more accessible. That can’t help but drive up the prices those properties can command.

And there is little that can be done to increase our supply of land. Even if we did build polders and dikes to fill in Cape Cod Bay, that might destroy the island climate that makes this place so attractive. 

We could increase the density of people housed on Cape land. But building Miami style high-rises seems counterproductive. High-rises allow very little outdoors for their residents.

My dream is that we create more affordable housing by building more minimal housing: starter homes designed to allow expansion as the owners mature. That would require larger lots (say quarter acre) to permit future expansions (such as a garage).

Even then, the people Ms. Kirkpatrick hopes to help might not come. They may judge that a nicer house, in an established community, where their children are already in the schools is the better choice even though it entails a bad commute. In that case we may just have to pay the higher prices necessary to compensate them for that commute.

Fred Anderson
Chatham and Pittsburgh, Pa.