Most meetings are being held in person, but some are still remote or virtual. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on the meeting you are interested in to learn about meeting locations and any remote options that may be offered.
Thursday, Feb. 24
- Council on Aging Board, 9:30 a.m., Town Hall
- Board of Health, 3 p.m., Town Hall
- Cape Cod Commission, 3 p.m., virtual
Monday, Feb. 28
- Nauset Regional School District Budget & Finance Subcommittee, 3:30 p.m., Nauset Administration Building
- Select Board, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall
Tuesday, March 1
- Olde Town Centre Historic District Commission, 11:30 a.m., Town Hall
- Zoning Task Force, 4 p.m., virtual
- Cape Cod Commission Public Hearing, 5 p.m., virtual
- T-Time Development Committee, 5 p.m., Town Hall
Thursday, March 3
- Board of Health, 2 p.m., Town Hall
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m., Town Hall
- Nauset Regional School Committee budget meeting, 6 p.m., Town Hall
Conversation Starters
Nauset’s Mask Policy May Loosen
During a Nauset Joint School Committee meeting on Feb. 15, many people spoke in favor of loosening the Nauset Schools’ districtwide mask mandate.
“I hope Nauset will be a leader in this area,” said Bonnie Nunheimer of Brewster, noting that youths experienced isolation and mental health issues because of the pandemic.
The Nauset Schools Policy Subcommittee and Joint School Committee were scheduled to meet Feb. 23 to finalize a new policy for the district following Gov. Charlie Baker’s plan to lift the statewide mask mandate on Feb. 28.
Jen Stevens, a Nauset High School teacher and mother, expressed concern about the effect of masks on learning for one of her own children, who is in an early intervention program.
But some parents firmly supported requiring masks. Sophia Fox of Wellfleet said she’s at high risk for severe illness if she gets Covid.
“I have to worry about our exposure to Covid daily,” Fox said. Masks are the reason she can safely send her children to school, she added.
After public comment, Supt. Brooke Clenchy and Mary Ellen Reed, the district’s lead nurse, gave a presentation on current case numbers in Barnstable County and the results of surveys taken about parent preferences about masks. One poll showed 74 percent of parents agreeing with making masks optional.
Clenchy said the district will follow the guidance of health authorities. “We are educators first, not scientists,” she said. “We have to defer to people in the area of science.” —Abbey Dwight
