Meetings Ahead
Thursday, March 12
- Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m., Brewster Town Hall
Saturday, March 14
- Board of Library Trustees, 9 a.m., Greg Turner Room, Eastham Public Library
Monday, March 16
- Elementary School Committee, 5:30 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Town Hall
- Select Board, 5:30 p.m., Earle Mountain Meeting Room, Town Hall
Tuesday, March 17
- Charter Review Committee, 5:30 p.m., Earle Mountain Meeting Room, Town Hall
Wednesday, March 18
- Board of Cemetery Commissioners, 10 a.m., Earle Mountain Meeting Room, Town Hall
- Planning Board, 4:30 p.m., Earle Mountain Meeting Room, Town Hall
Conversation Starters
Meetup on School Renovation
Finance Committee Chair Jerry Cerasale said his peer in Brewster has contacted him about getting together all four finance committee chairs from the Nauset School District towns to discuss holding a joint meeting of the four committees on the high school building project. “It’s not something that’s hidden,” he said. “It’s an important issue for all of us, and a very important issue for Brewster. They’re looking at paying half the cost potentially.” At its meeting March 12 in Brewster Town Hall, the regional school committee was to receive an update on the project from the building committee, hear from its adviser on the alternatives regarding number of years for bonding the debt, and hold public hearings on next year’s budget and participation in school choice. —Ed Maroney
Decision Coming on Storage Buildings
At its March 5 meeting, the zoning board of appeals again discussed the proposal from Barbara Niggel and her companies, Goeroe’s Goldens and Stow Away, to construct six storage buildings at 4730 State Highway. The buildings would contain multiple storage units.
Attorney Ben Zehnder, representing Niggel, requested a continuance to April 2. The ZBA is expected to make a ruling then. The proposal must receive special permits from both the ZBA and planning board. “Bringing this permit to two different boards in different cycles is creating significant problems for us,” Zehnder said at the meeting.
The ZBA has received letters for and against this project. One letter of support, submitted by Deb Mangelus in early February, was read into the record at that time. At the March 5 meeting, ZBA member Steve Wasby said that Mangelus is Niggel’s partner but did not so identify herself in her letter. He said this presented a conflict of interest that should have been made clear at the time. —Ryan Fitzgerald
Residential Development
The planning board may vote on special permits for two residential development proposals at its meeting March 18. Cedar Banks Landing LLC wants to build a 16-unit apartment complex at 4615 State Highway, while 4655 State Highway LLC wants to demolish buildings at that address and put up a mixed-use (retail and residential) commercial building and accessory storage building.
Who’s Running?
The last day to pick up nomination papers to run in the May 19 town election is March 30. They need to be returned to the town clerk’s office by April 1.
Of those who have returned papers, Aimee Eckman is seeking another term on the select board and Arthur Autorino is a candidate for the other available seat. Scott Kerry is running for moderator and incumbent Cindy Nicholson for town clerk. Library trustees Mary Shaw and Al Alfano want another term, as does elementary school committee member Judy Lindahl. Papers have not been taken out for the other school committee seat, now held by Joanne Irish.
New Restaurant in Old Box
Select Board Member Jamie Rivers expressed concern March 2 when Natacha Krum applied for common victualler and beer, wine and malt on-premise licenses for her new business, Basco Grill, at 4205 State Highway.
“It’s where Box Lunch used to be,” said Krum, who plans to serve burgers, seafood, and hot sandwiches for lunch and dinner year-round. “We’re looking for a beer and wine license,” she said. “It’s good with a burger.”
Rivers said that “liquor licenses are very easy to distribute and very hard to revoke, so when we’re making a decision to approve one, we have to be very diligent about that process.” Asking to see at least a tentative menu as well as specific plans for how beer and wine would be served, she said, “I need more information before I can approve another liquor license in town, not because I want to be anti-business but because I want to be safe.”
The board approved the food license March 2. At its March 9 meeting, after reviewing a printed menu and a plan of the premises, members granted the beer and wine license.
(Editor’s note: Because of an editing error, a headline in last week’s Currents that read “TIPS Yes, Nips No at Sam Deli’s” referred to owner Susan Knight’s statement that she and her manager have taken TIPS [Training Intervention Procedures] training and “will require anyone checking out anybody to be TIPS-certified.” Since the new register area will handle all transactions, said Knight, the store is discontinuing sales of nip bottles of alcohol.)
Help Wipe Out Infection
Bleach wipes and Purell alcohol-based antiseptic have been distributed to every town department, Jacqui Beebe told the select board March 2. “We’re wiping down handles on doors, fixtures every day just to knock the virus back,” she said. “Each department assigned a person, and our cleaning person does it every night.”
Beebe said the fire and health departments are working on preparing the town for the arrival of the coronavirus. “Our health agent is on the phone with the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] for weekly updates and more if needed.” Summing up, the town administrator said, “People need to take precautions but stay calm.”
On March 9, Beebe said a coronavirus response team that includes the health agent and representatives from the police and fire departments, the library, and the COA are meeting “at least weekly” and plan to release a public statement early next week. —Ed Maroney
