Managing the Library
To the editor:
Last year at the Truro annual town meeting, voters strongly supported a petitioned change in the town charter that would restore the involvement of the library trustees in the selection of a library director. That change has been approved by the Mass. attorney general’s office, a requirement for any town charter change, and it will now appear on the Truro town election ballot for final approval.
Truro voters will have received by mail a notification from the select board regarding the upcoming vote. A yes vote is a vote for the library.
As elected officials with a charge given by the Mass. General Laws to oversee our public library, the trustees should have the opportunity to participate in any change in management of the library. This charter change will allow the library trustees to collaborate with the town manager to make the best choices for our library in the future.
Martha Magane
Truro
The writer is a member of the Truro Board of Library Trustees.
Listening to the Voters
To the editor:
We have been active in our community for over 40 years. On Wednesday we’ll be voting for Nancy Medoff and Susan Girard-Irwin to fill the two select board vacancies.
Both will change the direction of the select board. They are hard workers who have served on town boards and gotten things done. We are impressed by their campaigns and willingness to engage voters. Neither is aligned with any other candidate nor backed by a special interest group like Take Back Truro or the Truro Part-Time Resident Taxpayers’ Association. Instead, they are listening to the voters.
We need candidates who will work together to engage the community and reflect the sea change of behavior at our recent town meetings.
John Marksbury and Chuck Steinman
North Truro
‘The Type of Person We Need’
To the editor:
I’m writing in support of Susan Girard-Irwin’s candidacy for the Truro Select Board.
I first encountered her through my experience in attending the revitalized Truro Women’s Birthday Club. This group became inactive during Covid. Previously, it had held well-attended monthly events for many years.
When Susan heard about its demise, as a member of the Truro Council on Aging board, she took the lead in making sure that the group returned. It has become more successful than ever.
Susan is a thoughtful, articulate, hard-working person who accomplishes what she sets out to do. This is the type of person we need on Truro’s select board. I will be voting for her on May 29 at the Truro Community Center.
Joellen Farley
North Truro
Concerns About OCHS
To the editor:
I recently learned that Provincetown is losing another gender-affirming care provider and primary care physician, Dr. Cody Nolan. This adds to my ongoing concerns about the high turnover at Outer Cape Health Services.
The chief operating officer position at Outer Cape Health remains vacant, despite being posted in January. Additionally, several managerial roles, including those supporting Harwich operations and the phone center and referrals, have been eliminated.
Local sources have also informed me that the new patient coordinator is no longer with the organization, leading to continued delays in response times. Other recent changes in the communications and development department cast doubt on the future of community events such as Lobsterfest.
These developments are deeply worrisome. I urge Outer Cape Health Services to be more transparent with the community about these changes and the steps being taken to address them. It is crucial that OCHS communicate effectively about new patient services and maintain a visible presence in the community.
Our patients and community deserve better. There is much work to be done to restore confidence and ensure that Outer Cape Health Services can continue to provide essential health care services effectively.
Kathy Anderson
Eastham
Editor’s note: Efforts to confirm and explain the staffing changes described by the writer did not get a response from senior management at OCHS before this week’s deadline.
Playing Down Covid
To the editor:
I’m tired of hearing “This country was better off four years ago under Trump than it is today under Biden.”
On February 26, 2020 at a White House press briefing, then-President Donald Trump spoke about Covid-19, saying, “This is like a flu. It’s a little like a regular flu that we have shots for.”
On March 19 of that same year, during an interview, Trump said, “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down because I don’t want to create a panic.”
By March 26, 2020, the U.S. had surpassed China and Italy as having the world’s highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases.
I’m left wondering how many people in this country died because President Donald Trump intentionally downplayed that hideous disease.
Mike Rice
Wellfleet
*****
Letters to the Editor
The Provincetown Independent welcomes letters from readers on all subjects. They must be signed with the writer’s name, home address, and telephone number (for verification). Letters will be published only if they have been sent exclusively to the Independent. They should be no more than 300 words and may be edited for clarity, accuracy, conciseness, and good taste. Longer pieces (up to 600 words) may be submitted for consideration as op-ed commentary. Send letters to [email protected] or by mail to P.O. Box 1034, Provincetown, MA 02657. The deadline for letters is Monday at noon for each week’s edition.
