All meetings in Wellfleet are remote only and can be watched online. Go to wellfleet-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the instructions on the agenda.
Friday, Nov. 12
- Natural Resources Advisory Board, 9 a.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 17
- Conservation Commission, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 18
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Trees at Baker’s Field Removed
Two autumn olive shrubs were removed from Baker’s Field last week. They had been a favorite playtime spot for children.
“Looking at these tree stumps, it’s very, very upsetting,” said Truro resident Linda Schlechter, a babysitter who often brings children to the playground.
The town posted a Nov. 4 news alert saying they “want everyone to know that we tried to save the trees.”
The alert explained branches had been breaking off more frequently this year as children climbed them. Their fragility was due to a combination of deterioration and climbing, said Dept. of Public Works Director Jay Norton by email.
The Recreation Dept. and the DPW this past fall placed signs around the shrubs warning people not to climb them, as it had become a safety issue. After the storm on Oct. 27, three-quarters of each shrub sustained wind damage.
Wellfleet Elementary School third-grader Lily Kinshaw remembers sitting under the trees with her friends “telling funny stories.”
“We just had a lot of fun on those trees, and now they’re gone,” Lily said. “I think we should be planting some new ones.”
The recreation dept. will work with the DPW and the community to replant, Norton said.
WES Playground Update
Wellfleet Elementary School Principal Mary Beth Rodman met with the school’s playground committee on Monday, Nov. 8 and will submit a final application this week for Community Preservation Act funding, according to the principal’s secretary, Laura Hansen. The playground was removed in March 2020 because of safety concerns. Meanwhile, the school’s PTA has sent letters to townspeople asking for funds to round out the effort. Donations can go to the Wellfleet Elementary School PTA, attn: Playground Project, 100 Lawrence Road, Wellfleet 02667. —Michaela Chesin
