‘Time to Save Truro’
To the editor:
In the run-up to the vote on the Walsh property proposal at this Saturday’s town meeting, I received a call from someone who said they didn’t want Truro to become Eastham.
I assume they were referring to the commercial stretch of Route 6 in Eastham, because once you leave the highway there are nice neighborhoods, recreational spaces, beaches, the Cape Cod National Seashore, and a lot of people who grew up in Provincetown, Truro, and Wellfleet. There’s also a Cumberland Farms that cannot keep regular hours in the off-season because of a lack of employees.
Opponents of the plan say that putting in 160 housing units will be a strain on town services. On the contrary, the people living in those units will likely be the ones providing the services. Filling 160 units year-round shouldn’t be a strain on Truro, as we accommodate much more than that every day during the summer.
The Walsh committee addressed climate-friendly construction, walking trails, open space, habitat protection, wastewater, water supply protection, topography, building costs and funding, traffic, public safety, parking, energy, aesthetics, commercial uses, and phasing. All of this information is in the committee’s report, which can be found at town hall, the library, and on the web. I encourage everyone to read it before rushing to conclusions.
Misinformation and fear-mongering are being circulated — a disservice to our community and an insult to the Walsh committee.
I have never quite understood the meaning of “Take Back Truro.” From whom is it being taken back? I do believe it’s time to save Truro for the people who have lived here all or most of their lives and raised families who would like to live and work here.
Come to town meeting. Be civil, ask questions, and then vote with your heart.
Jane Corbin
Truro
Calling for Caution on Walsh
To the editor:
The Walsh Property Community Planning Committee’s plan for development of up to 160 housing units includes a recommendation to use a municipal water source yet to be discussed in detail, much less constructed.
The potential water tower site depicted in the committee’s proposal is a parcel immediately adjacent the Walsh property as well as two existing neighborhoods: Short Lots Lane and Quail Ridge Road and Way. That the committee and select board are eager to move forward with such a plan without a detailed discussion of the construction of the water tower is very disturbing.
Discussing the construction of a major municipal industrial infrastructure project immediately adjacent to three residential neighborhoods, including the proposed development, should be integral to the planning process, not tacked on as an assumption that municipal water should be used for this project.
As an abutter, I support the needs of the community for measured growth. I urge caution and a more incremental approach. The current proposal lacks the necessary detailed assessments and discussion for traffic management and especially water needs and resources.
Geoffrey Doherty
Boxborough
The writer owns an unimproved lot adjacent to the proposed water tower site.
Walsh Plan Is ‘Long Overdue’
To the editor:
I was born and raised in Truro and have watched it change over the years. When I was growing up, its neighborhoods included folks from different professions who often built their own homes: police and EMTs, DPW workers, carpenters, fishermen, servers, teachers, and health-care workers.
I am a speech and language pathologist. I have two colleagues who are anxiously searching for stable year-round housing so they can maintain their careers on the Outer Cape. My family lives in a house that my carpenter father built; it is the only way we could possibly have a foothold in Truro, despite our advanced degrees.
Essential workers with crucial skills find it nearly impossible to secure housing in Truro. It’s not just about physical proximity to work; it’s about weaving threads of connection back into the fabric of daily life. When those who work in our community can live here, engagement and understanding of townspeople’s unique needs are better served.
The Walsh property proposal earmarks a tract of land for urgently needed affordable housing. The proposal is pragmatic and long overdue. It’s not merely about brick and mortar but about rejuvenating the human essence of Truro. It invites us to act judiciously to restore the warmth and camaraderie that once defined our town.
If you support reinvigorating Truro’s communal harmony and want to ensure the retention of essential workers, please support the Walsh property proposal.
Kait Blehm
Truro
Truro’s Communal Spaces
To the editor:
The future and vibrancy of Truro hinge on its ability to be a welcoming home for all its residents, young and old, year-round and seasonal. The Walsh property proposal represents a beacon of hope for people like me, who see the promise of our town and yearn for its continued growth.
Take the example of Savory and the Sweet Escape, which is owned by my in-laws. Once a year-round hub, the restaurant has had to cut back to seasonal operation because of staffing challenges. It thrived being open year-round for over a decade, providing a gathering spot for the community to come together: a place where moms can chat, where our hardworking first responders can take a breather, and where part-time residents can feel the warmth of our community.
The Walsh property proposal holds the potential to reinvigorate such communal spaces by addressing the heart of the issue: housing affordability. Let’s rally behind this initiative for a brighter, more inclusive Truro.
Amy Smith
Truro
Middle East Blindness
To the editor:
How does anyone imagine that sending more weapons to Israel is the moral, sensible, humane response to the crisis there? Why doesn’t our country send in an expert team of negotiators, diplomats, and conflict resolution experts? Why doesn’t the U.S. call for an immediate cease fire?
More weapons will not solve this 70-year-old conflict but will only make our country culpable in a genocide. Hamas was wrong in its horrific attack. The Israeli government has been wrong in its apartheid actions toward the Palestinian people.
In the Jewish tradition, we say Kaddish when we mourn. We need to say Kaddish for all the Israelis and Palestinians who have been murdered and then put our energies into resolution, not retaliation. “An eye for an eye” is making us all blind.
Candace Perry
Wellfleet
Roaring in Wellfleet
To the editor:
I am one of the neighbors who attended the Wellfleet Zoning Board of Appeals hearing on Oct. 12 regarding 1065 Route 6 — the Great White Realty property. First, let me commend Sharon Inger and the other ZBA members for their efforts and community service.
Since the day that land was raped by the clear-cutting of trees, multiple cease-and-desist orders were issued but not enforced. Then came the period when every day at approximately 6 a.m. the “contractor’s yard” would fire up with incessant beeping, dump truck gates crashing, fumes, and engines roaring. It was if they wanted to see how many of the neighbors would complain.
Now it seems to be less often, but the noise still starts at 6. Great White’s lawyer denigrated abutters by telling them that their homes are essentially on “the wrong side of the tracks” — so we should just suck it up.
Jim Cornell
Wellfleet
Salinity Success Story
To the editor:
Yes, as salinity has gradually increased in East Harbor, the coastal creatures have found their way back [“Researchers Find Horseshoe Crabs Thriving in East Harbor,” Oct. 12, page A5]. The return of tidal exchange to this lake/harbor is a heartening success story. Can it really be 20 years since agreement was reached to open the culvert allowing seawater to enter from the bay?
In addition to the ecologists from the Cape Cod National Seashore who have been studying the changes, marine biologists from the University of Rhode Island, the Center for Coastal Studies, and the Horseshoe Crab Conservation Association are among those who have made site visits to investigate. Now, graduate student Kelly McCusker from Antioch University is doing her research there. May she and the horseshoe crabs find success in this revived ecosystem.
Massachusetts horseshoe crabs are in dire need of more protected habitat like East Harbor.
Brenda J. Boleyn
Duxbury
The writer, formerly of Truro, is a member of the Horseshoe Crab Conservation Association.
A Poisoned Dog
To the editor:
My dog was inadvertently poisoned on Friday, Oct. 13.
After a hellish night at the emergency vet in Dennis, it was determined that my dog may have eaten a chipmunk or some other rodent that had ingested some kind of poison and was in turn poisoned.
It was touch and go for a few hours, but after I.V. fluids, meds, and close observation, I was able to take her home at 2 a.m.
Three rabbits have been found dead in my neighborhood in the past three weeks. I saw two of them, and a neighbor found the third in his driveway. None of the rabbits had any signs of trauma. It is possible they, too, were poisoned.
I wish now that I had put the rabbits in the trash and not contributed to the chain of animals ingesting poisoned animals. It is possible that a hawk, owl, or fox may have taken and eaten them. They, too, may now be dead from ingesting poison.
Patricia B. Walsh
North Truro
