Support for Recovery
To the editor:
I was featured in your article “Working the Winter Shift” [Oct. 10, page B1], and I feel there was important information missing from the piece.
The off-season can be a particularly tough time for those suffering from substance use disorder or trouble with mental health. It is imperative, especially given several recent losses in our community, that local support services are clearly visible.
In addition to the twice weekly crystal-free support group meetings mentioned in Pat Kearns’s article, I also facilitate a SMART Recovery meeting. SMART (which stands for Self Management and Recovery Training) is different from traditional 12-step programs. It focuses on self-motivation, peer support, and evidence-based cognitive behavior therapy techniques to help sustain long-term recovery from addictive behaviors.
There is also a weekly Family and Friends group led by Martha Gordon of Wellfleet, which SMART offers to those with family or loved ones in recovery or active use.
More information about these groups and ways to attend them can be found at smartrecovery.org as well as from the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod at ASGCC.org. Readers who want to know more are also welcome to email me at [email protected].
Eric Loscher
Provincetown
Commuting Is the Answer
To the editor:
For many years, I worked at various jobs in Manhattan. I couldn’t afford to live there, but that’s where the jobs were. Living where I could afford rental costs forced me to travel some distance to work every day. It’s called commuting. My father did it, my grandfather did it, and so do millions of people all over the world every day.
My commute involved one and a half hours of travel time each way, by bus or trolley and train, sometimes multiple trains, and later by car. About half a working week’s time spent traveling to and from work. I commuted for as many years as I had to, and I never considered it a problem.
So, why do I keep hearing that it’s necessary for those who work here to also live here? Perhaps improved public transportation is a more sensible goal than stuffing unattractive dense housing into our remaining vacant land.
One more thing: I’m puzzled when some say that tradespeople and public servants are priced out of living here. My plumber charges $135 an hour, and he has more work than he can handle. Police officers regularly earn in excess of six figures plus benefits. Having worked in real estate, I know that there are houses here and close by that are priced within range of those folks. And if Kamala gets elected, those opportunities will only improve.
Chuck Leigh
Provincetown and Truro
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.
