Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link to an agenda and details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise indicated.
Thursday, April 4
- Board of Assessors, 11 a.m.
- Cultural Council, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, April 9
- Conservation Commission onsite, 8:15 a.m.
- Capital Projects Committee, 3 p.m.
- Zoning Task Force, 4 p.m.
- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m.
Thursday, April 11
- Affordable Housing Trust, 9 a.m.
- Climate Action Committee, 4:30 p.m.
Conversation Starters
House Fire
The fire dept. received a report at 10:37 a.m. on March 26 from residents near 55 Bonaya Road that the ranch-style house there was on fire. Fire Chief Dan Keane, Deputy Chief Lisa Albino, and two of the department’s fire engines responded; Orleans and Wellfleet each sent a fire engine as well.
By the time firefighters arrived, “100 percent of the home was engulfed in fire and heavy smoke,” said Keane. The house was unoccupied.
It took roughly an hour to get the fire under control, Keane said, and it did not spread to neighboring properties. The responders were aided by a new fire hydrant that had been installed directly in the front of the house, he said. Still, the house is not salvageable.
Town records show the three-bedroom house is registered to Kim Bednar of Andover, Conn. Bednar declined to comment.
The cause of the fire is still undetermined, and Keane said evidence was inconclusive. An official determination from the state fire marshal could take some time, he said.
Open Jobs and Staff Shortages
The dept. of public works announced on March 27 that the town’s transfer station would cut its hours due to staffing constraints. The transfer station is open Saturday through Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but beginning May 1, it will close at 3 p.m.
The transfer station has had laborer positions posted since May 2022. The town also needs a wharfinger, who works with the harbormaster. Each position pays $17 per hour.
The community development dept. is hiring a director, a job that pays $67,010 to $73,966. The health dept. seeks an office assistant at a salary of $55,843 to $69,740. The fire dept. listed an opening on March 18 for a firefighter/paramedic with an annual salary of $67,333 to $78,055. —Olivia Oldham
