Spring Kudos

Far too much time has passed since I last mentioned those in town who are, in my humble opinion, worthy of recognition for the actions they have taken.

Kudos to...

Falmouth's police and fire departments. These are jobs which, by their very nature, put one's life in harm's way to protect others. My father is a retired firefighter, and he has seen some pretty gruesome things. At the Police Week memorial on Friday, May 14, FCTV producer Kevin Lynch asked me for a few comments, so I told him that these men and women are true heros. It cannot be said enough.

Town Meeting, for overwhelmingly supporting an updated noise ordinance. In spite of what some opponents say, it is not about impinging on rights, rather it is about protecting them. The town code specifically says we are entitled to the "quite enjoyment" of our property, and excessive noise is like a swinging fist. As Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said, "The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins."

Town meeting representatives Joe Netto (Precinct 9), and Marc Finneran (Precinct 6), for reminding us that the emperor has no clothes. Mr. Finneran put a petitioner's article on the warrant, asking selectmen to revisit the dump issue, and Mr. Netto made a presentation that exposed some alarming numbers. Those numbers included 0 (the revenue from the metals recycling for several years), and an operating deficit that was far less (hundreds of thousands of dollars less) than we were originally led to believe. In fact, the dump may have actually been making money, but someone wasn't minding the store.

Chairman Mary Pat Flynn for voting to appoint John Checklick to the Cape Light Compact (CLC) Board of Governors. What the public did not see during the interview process was Mr. Checklick's extensive resume, which included years of work in the power industry. The Board of Governors is the Board of Directors, and given the complaints about the CLC, having someone of Mr. Checklick's stature and experience there would have been invaluable to the CLC's customers.

Unfortunately, Ms. Flynn and I were the only two members of the Board who recognized this, and Mr. Checklick was not appointed. Indeed, the outcome of this vote is definitely a candidate for one of the more disappointing decisions that the Board has made during my tenure.

Selectman Melissa Freitag for voting to get the job done. Ms. Freitag was very vocal about making sure that Town Manager Whritenour got his review before the election - which includes the potential for a change on the Board.

Ironically, although one member of the Board suggested that two weeks was not enough time to do a review, that is exactly how much time has been given in the past. Every year, Mr. Whritenour has provided the Board with the review documents and a cover letter that concludes, "Please try to complete these materials in the next two weeks and forward them back to Chairman..."

David Moriarty and David Braga for running for selectmen. Democracy works only when 1) people vote, and 2) there are choices on the ballot.