Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Eastham are in-person, typically with an online-attendance option. Go to eastham-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise indicated.
Thursday, May 4
- Council on Aging Board of Directors, 9:15 a.m.
- Board of Assessors, 11 a.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m.
- Cultural Council, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 6
- Annual Town Meeting, 10 a.m., Nauset Regional High School Football Field
Monday, May 8
- Search Committee, 10 a.m.
- Candidates Night, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 9
- Conservation Commission on site, 8:15 a.m. (meets at Town Hall)
- Historical Commission, 10:30 a.m., Public Library
- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m.
Conversation Starters
No Challengers for Select Board
The annual town election is fast approaching on May 16. There are two select board seats on the ballot this year, and incumbents Arthur Autorino and Aimee Eckman are running for reelection unopposed.
Mail-in ballots can be requested until May 9. A more complete town election report will be in next week’s paper.
Free Citizenship Class
This month, the Eastham Public Library is hosting a free six-week prep course for the U.S. citizenship test, sponsored by the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod. Stephanie Souza, an immigration attorney for the committee’s Immigration Resource Center, is leading the course, which will help attendees study U.S. history and government and practice for their interviews. The Immigration Resource Center offers similar free courses at its offices in Hyannis.
The course began on May 2 and runs until June 6, every Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants can register by emailing [email protected].
Town Meeting Timing Questioned
In response to grumbling on social media, town staff have gone out of their way to clarify why annual town meeting is scheduled to be outside on a Saturday morning rather than indoors on the traditional first Monday evening in May.
On April 25, the town’s official account on Facebook explained that the gym and cafeteria at Nauset High are unavailable this year because of construction. “We know the location and time of this year’s Town Meeting has been a hot topic!” said the post. It also alluded to Article 5A on the warrant, which would allow Eastham to hold its town meeting in Orleans or Wellfleet while the high school’s facilities remain closed for the next three years.
At the public pre-town meeting on April 24, Moderator Scott Kerry also addressed the controversy. “The town meeting being moved to Saturday was not for any other reason other than the school gymnasium not being available,” Kerry said.
“It’s very unfortunate when people make almost slanderous comments about the board,” Kerry added. “Anyone who thinks that Saturday was trying to box out someone from being there is inappropriate.” —Amelia Roth-Dishy
