The Joy of Foolishness
To the editor:
I hope it’s not that we are getting older but rather that we are becoming more accepting as we age.
I read your April 1 front page [March 27, page A3], and only after several readings did my eyes travel to the top of the page and my mind traveled to that beautiful place of the April Fool.
Of particular beauty in all this was the part about the rules for the Truro town meeting, which will give “anyone who’s dreamed of living here” the right to vote at the meeting. After I read it twice, I discussed it with my partner and took the time to distinguish between voting in elections and voting at town meeting. She agreed with my brilliant distinction.
We went on to discuss rebuilding the Blasch house after having just taken a walk at Great Island and marveled at the emptiness of the dune without our beloved view of the house. We then concluded the day by getting our car stuck in the mud and having to get a tow truck to pull us out, which was just another delicious instance of the joy of being an April Fool.
Steven Seeche
Truro and Cambridge
The Pain of Fake News
To the editor:
The Wellfleet Historical Commission received a series of emails related to the article “Blasch House Will Be Rebuilt” on your April Fools fake front page. One person wrote, “Where in the Wellfleet Town Charter is the Historical Commission’s authority to demand that a resident replace a building that has been removed?”
I did my best to clarify the commission’s mandate, but my answers were received with some skepticism because I was “quoted” in the newspaper. I am writing to request that the Independent avoid quoting people falsely without their permission. People trust the paper, and it takes time and effort to convince people that sometimes even the Independent prints news that isn’t real.
For the record, I did not say anything that is quoted in “Blasch House Will Be Rebuilt.”
Merrill Mead-Fox
Wellfleet
The writer is co-chair of the Wellfleet Historical Commission.
‘A Sign of Apathy’
To the editor:
I was impressed by the town meeting forum on March 26 in Provincetown on many levels. Unfortunately, the forum was not well attended. This does not bode well for the town.
Lack of attendance is a sign of apathy. I hope this does not mean that residents who are essential workers in the retail, restaurant, and hospitality fields but are not property owners feel that their concerns have fallen on deaf ears and that the town is not interested in helping them to secure housing.
The forum addressed housing concerns in Article 8, capital funding for 26 Shank Painter Road, and Article 9, capital funding for 207 Route 6 (the Barracks Project). More can be done to address the housing shortage, but this is a good start. Infrastructure is needed in the form of public utilities such as water and sewage treatment for Provincetown. Banding together with adjacent communities for these services is not only logical but most likely necessary.
I applaud the efforts in Article 27 (limiting owners to three hotel or B&B businesses) and in Article 20, supporting gender-inclusive bathrooms. These ideas are long overdue.
To effect change, constituents need to show up and voice their concerns. Sitting back and letting the status quo operate only allows the system to be rigged. Do not be afraid to stand up and voice your opinion.
Robert F. Crook
Provincetown
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.
