The Big Yellow Cadillac
To the editor:
Thanks to Tom Recchio for another insightful obituary of a storied Provincetown resident, Alice Brock [“Artist and Cook Alice Brock, Made Famous by a Song, Dies at 83,” Nov. 28, page A21].
I worked with Alice in the late 1980s at Franco’s by the Sea, where the Provincetown Mews now stands. We bonded quickly, as I was older than most of the other staff at a ripe 37.
She would start her shift as we closed after dinner service and worked all night, by herself, doing much of the prep work for the restaurant. She liked the solitude and didn’t like being interrupted by the late-night antics that were a part of that era. (A story for another time.)
In the morning, as we were getting ready for lunch service and her work was done, she would sit at the bar with her trademark drink, bourbon straight up, and smoke a cigarette. That’s when she was at her best, speaking her mind without compunction.
Forgive the cliché, but she was the real deal — an authentic piece of the beloved tapestry that makes up Provincetown.
One detail I would add to her tribute is her big yellow Cadillac convertible that she drove down Commercial Street as if the town were hers.
David Hay
Eastham
Changes at the Marina
To the editor:
Re David Longfritz’s letter, “Managing the Marina,” in last week’s issue:
The writer’s concerns are certainly valid. Those concerns, and even more, need to be addressed.
Changes related to two of his concerns, communication and transparency, have been implemented and will remain one of the highest ongoing goals. An audit is ongoing, and a full review of the slip assignments and slip waiting list is underway. The many needs of the marina’s infrastructure are also being addressed.
A new qualified professional staff is receiving training and is sincerely dedicated to serving the public in a way we can be proud of. The development of new operational procedures is an ongoing transparent process with public input.
Patience will be appreciated, as this arduous task is going to take some time. I am very confident that the coming year will see a first-rate marina operation that will be competently and professionally run with strong fiscal stability.
Joe Aberdale
Wellfleet
The writer is chair of the Wellfleet Marina Advisory Committee.
Provincetown’s Business District
To the editor:
Re “Bylaws Aimed at ‘Keeping the Life in P’town’ ” [Dec. 5, front page]:
As a land use planner and city planner with decades of experience — especially with business district planning, development, and redevelopment — I sympathize with the effort to keep the Provincetown business district vibrant.
I don’t know all of the details that have led to the bylaw changes that are proposed. But I hope that municipal officials are involving the private sector in the decision-making process in a meaningful way.
I am all too familiar with attempts by public officials to regulate land use that ignore marketplace conditions and lead to unintended consequences. Specifically, I wonder if some of the allowed “lively pedestrian-friendly uses” in the proposed bylaw are realistic, given the marketplace realities of Provincetown in the 21st century.
I wish town officials good luck in “keeping Provincetown Provincetown,” but they should remember that communities and their business districts must evolve in order to survive and thrive in the years ahead.
Ken Nelson
Eastham
Getting Water to Walsh
To the editor:
Re the Independent’s Dec. 5 front-page article “Five Years of Fits and Starts for Walsh Property”:
I have thought from the get-go that the planned use of the Walsh property is an insulting assault on Truro’s resources, tranquility, and infrastructure. But I was absolutely floored by ad hoc advisory committee chair Jeffrey Fischer’s take on the town-wide threat inherent in the problems of water supply to the proposed development.
To quote: “Despite [Town Manager] Tangeman’s warning about the uncertain water supply, Fischer reiterated the committee’s focus on developing housing on the Walsh land. ‘I don’t think that we can let that hold us back at this point’” (italics mine).
If getting water to the site and the effect of that on the town’s water supply (recall, please, that 100 percent of Cape water comes from rainfall) can’t hold back a gargantuan housing development, what the hell can?
Dan Katz
Truro and Westport, Conn.
Billy’s Crowing
To the editor:
According to your Nov. 28 Conversation Starter “Meet Billy the Rooster” [page A19], the Wellfleet Board of Health has received four letters “expressing dissatisfaction with the noise from Billy.” One of the neighbors who wants Billy “rehoused” said his noise was “unsettling” and “more disturbing than man-made noises.”
I can think of quite a few manmade noises (like Russian bombs falling in Ukraine) that are a helluva lot more unsettling and disturbing than Billy the rooster.
If a crowing rooster is your biggest problem, take a moment to count your blessings and realize how fortunate you are.
Mike Rice
Wellfleet
Action at the Food Pantry
To the editor:
Thank you for your article about the Eastham Food Pantry [“A Food Pantry That Helps Residents Feel the Love,” Nov. 28, page A5].
I posted a link to the article on the Eastham Facebook page as well as my own and have gotten hundreds of likes and positive comments. Even better, someone came to the pantry with bags and bags of shampoos, toothpaste, and toilet paper. I have also received several inquiries from folks who want to volunteer and others pledging to drop off food, checks, and other items.
Good journalism creates awareness, educates, inspires, and, even better, motivates people to take action. Your story did all of that.
Joan Lockhart
Eastham
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.
