Parking by the Marsh
To the editor:
As a resident of Lieutenant Island, I applaud Conservation Agent Hillary Greenberg-Lemos and the members of the Wellfleet Conservation Commission for finally addressing the chronic, severe damage to the edges of the marsh around Loagy Bay caused by kayakers parking and launching their boats around the small bridge. [“Kayakers Say ‘No Launching’ Signs Go Too Far,” Dec. 1, page A4.]
By prohibiting the launching of kayaks at these vehicular pressure points, the commission is solving two problems at once: protecting public safety as well as the fragile marshland.
On a typical day, large vehicles, often filled with tourists, simply stop in the middle of the road at the entry to the bridge and begin the lengthy process of unloading their kayaks. Vehicles are blocked from getting back home or leaving the island.
After parking in the middle of the road or pulling onto the fragile marsh, kayakers depart for hours, leaving as many as six or seven vehicles strung out along Lieutenant Island Road for residents to dodge through.
Not stated in your article is that there is a parking area a dozen yards from the bridge, where kayaks can be unloaded safely — making parking in marshland on the sides of a busy bridge unnecessary.
I urge the DPW and the conservation commission to keep the “no launching” signs in place to alert unaware visitors that they are in an environmentally fragile area.
Steve Wood
Wellfleet and High Falls, N.Y.
The writer is a member of the Lieutenant Island Association Road Committee.
Access to Narcan
To the editor:
The services provided by the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, as described in “Sexual Health, Harm Reduction Move Downtown” [Dec. 1, front page] should be a model for every community. ASGCC provides tools to keep the community healthy (clean needles, Narcan, fentanyl test strips), as well as resources for physical and mental health.
Local pharmacies can also provide access to clean needles and Narcan. Syringes and needles are considered over-the-counter items, not needing a prescription. Anyone can purchase these items at a pharmacy. They are not free, so this may be a barrier for some.
There is a standing order in Massachusetts that permits anyone to request a naloxone (Narcan) rescue kit. The requester does not need to be the person that the rescue kit is intended for. Pharmacies can bill the requester’s insurance to cover the cost of the kit.
Unfortunately, if the requester does not have insurance, there is no public fund that pharmacies can bill the cost of the kit to. This can be a barrier to accessing the kits from a pharmacy.
I encourage anyone concerned about a loved one who may have an opioid abuse disorder to request a naloxone rescue kit from your pharmacy or from any of the other agencies that provide them, such as the ASGCC.
Annette Anderson
Eastham
The writer is a registered pharmacist at the CVS Pharmacy in Orleans.
Wellfleet’s ‘Gold Mine’
To the editor:
You report that a member of the Wellfleet Marina Advisory Committee said paid parking could be “a gold mine.” [“Marina Committee Readies Ideas for Parking Changes,” Dec. 1, page A6].
No, no, no! Why is everything always about money?
Wellfleet’s “gold mine” is its charm and character. Wellfleet is rare in that folks can come visit this quaint town that has not changed much over the years without the hassle of paid parking. In fact, we have one of the only beaches (Mayo) on the Cape that can be enjoyed without paying for parking or a sticker.
Please, let us not turn enjoyable local experiences for our visitors and residents into hassles just to support a money-grabbing parking operation.
Gary Kersteen
Wellfleet
Gnaaaaarly
To the editor:
My compliments to Kai Potter. His articles on surfing and gardening are sprinkled with warmth, insight, and humor.
I especially loved the “Epic Tale, in Dialect, With Sound Effects” [Dec. 1, page B9]. It brought me back to happy days of my youth on the beaches in California and in Wellfleet.
Please keep up the epic, sick (best), and gnaaaaarly reporting!
Marilyn Pechonis
Wellfleet
