Losing Our Lobster Fishery
To the editor:
The decline of the lobster fishery in Cape Cod Bay, following the loss of the fishery in Long Island Sound [Nov. 21, page B9], is a harbinger of the economic consequences of climate change.
As ocean temperatures rise due to heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions, lobsters and other cold-water species will be pushed out of traditional fishing grounds. This trajectory endangers not just an iconic New England culinary tradition but an entire industry and way of life for lobstermen. Livelihoods hang in the balance as lobster catches dwindle and traps must be relocated ever farther from shore.
While I understand that lobstermen have legitimate concerns about the potential effects of offshore wind farms on the Gulf of Maine lobster population, one thing is certain: if we continue to rely on fossil fuels, the Gulf of Maine — already one of the fastest-warming bodies of water in the world — will soon become inhospitable to lobsters. That will be a great loss to lobstermen, to tourists who look forward to eating lobster each summer, and to the Cape Cod economy.
Lili Flanders
Truro
A Town Crier’s Tribute
To the editor:
The passing of your retired Town Crier Kenneth Lonergan should inspire a lasting tribute to Provincetown’s unique legacy.
Where else in the world would be a more fitting place for an exhibit celebrating what has been proclaimed on your streets, that “all is well in Provincetown because you’re here”? This spirit of freedom — the voice of goodwill — has been a tradition since the signing of the Mayflower Compact in your harbor.
Kenneth Lonergan was to have been a judge at the recent town crier competition in Provincetown, but failing health prevented him. I was among those town criers who were welcomed so warmly during that remarkable event. I hope your town history buffs will encourage the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum to create an exhibit about this tradition.
Kathy-Ann Becker
Wendell
The writer is the town crier of Wendell, Mass.
Editor’s note: An obituary for former Town Crier Kenneth Lonergan, who died on Nov. 17, will be published in next week’s Independent.
Holding Holtec Accountable
To the editor:
Thank you for Christine Legere’s article “Pilgrim Worker Claims He Was Poisoned by Radiation” [Nov. 21, page A4].
Finally, with this lawsuit alleging radiation contamination due to negligence, Holtec management may be held accountable for its sloppy and dangerous decommissioning work that discounts worker, public, and environmental health and safety. This lawsuit is one in a line of complaints across the U.S. against Holtec, a corporation that is siphoning billions from ratepayer and taxpayer monies.
Adam Snyder’s claim follows the Aug. 18, 2023 whistleblower letter that cited radiation exposure to Holtec staff while the company was evaporating radioactive wastewater inside the building cavity. The company implemented procedures that were deemed unacceptable by its own radiation protection staff. Obviously, the whistleblower needed to reach outside Holtec and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to seek redress because neither entity was doing its job. Those allegations remain unresolved.
The NRC’s Nov. 18, 2022 inspection report documents that six workers were exposed in 2020. Other contamination incidents were recorded by the NRC, which allows Holtec simply to place these reports in its “corrective action plan.” That’s it. No fines are levied or other consequences enforced for repeated offenses.
Holtec has years of documented health and safety violations but continues to get only a slap on the wrist from the NRC. We hope justice prevails for Adam Snyder in court. That may open the door for many others to follow.
Diane Turco
Harwich
The writer is director of the advocacy group Cape Downwinders.
Discovering a New Holiday
To the editor:
Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, offers solace and connection amid grief, honoring the lives of those who’ve passed with an openness that transcends simple mourning. This tradition, which fills streets and homes with flowers and offerings, is more than a remembrance — it’s an invitation to keep our loved ones close and to find beauty in the continuity of life and death.
I spent a recent weekend in Provincetown with friends celebrating Halloween, and it was during a conversation at Adam’s Nest that the realization of the layers of loss that ripple through our community came to light. The AIDS crisis left a wound that, even decades later, is still raw in its collective toll on gay men and their loved ones.
Día de los Muertos offers a way to hold space for those we lost too soon and to honor a generation whose absence is felt deeply. Through this lens, the holiday becomes more than just tradition. It becomes a lifeline — a way of keeping alive the voices and spirits of those who made us who we are.
There’s a quiet beauty in discovering a new holiday — one that brings unexpected meaning and allows us to embrace remembrance in a way that feels both fresh and timeless.
Tim Essary
Birmingham, Ala.
Coyotes From Texas
To the editor:
I read with great interest William von Herff’s article “After-Dinner Research on the Outer Cape’s 81 Coywolves” [Oct. 31, page A9].
In the late 1980s, I was working as a Dept. of Defense police officer at Otis Air Base-Camp Edwards. The 36th Texas Infantry Division had come to Camp Edwards in 1942 for amphibious training. In the battalion photos, I saw the 36th ID’s mascots: coyotes!
The 36th did not leave Camp Edwards till 1943. My guess is they released these semi-domesticated coyotes into the woods before going overseas. The coyotes, used to eating human food, would have naturally been drawn to the scraps of food in the base’s open dump. I would go to the dump at night and turn my spotlight on to watch dozens of small coyotes feeding on the trash. When the dump was capped, the coyotes dispersed.
A few years later, while patrolling the flight line, I saw a small group of coyotes that had a den near the end of a runway. They were huge — the size of small German shepherds. I don’t know if evolution takes a million years or just a few generations. I wonder if the DNA from the current Cape coywolves could be compared to coyote DNA from Texas to see if they are related.
Joseph Yukna
Mashpee
Not an ‘Issue’
To the editor:
Re “ ‘Systems Issue’ Empties Shelves at Stop & Shop” [Nov. 21, front page]:
I giggled at Stop & Shop’s description of what happened to the broccoli and chicken thighs as a “systems issue.”
We word lovers object to this use of “issue” as a synonym for “problem.” Here’s to precise language and clarity.
Barbara Leedom
South Yarmouth
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.
