What’s With The Banana Peels On The South Orleans Rotary?

ORLEANS – On a picturesque early September morning last week, the new sculpture in the center of the South Orleans rotary glistened in the warm sunshine. Beneath it, banana peels sat strewn about the concrete foundation.

 Wait, banana peels? Really?

 Motorists commuting along Route 28 may have noticed some odd redecoration of the rotary in recent weeks. Banana peels, some blackened and others a fresh yellow, could be seen around the concrete base. On Thursday of last week, about seven peels, including a few whole bananas, could be found littering the ground.

 “We live right down Portanimicut Road, so that rotary is an everyday passage,” said Orleans resident and artist Dave Holbrook. “Then I thought ‘Huh, this isn’t just a one-off,’ because there were fresh peels everyday.”

 But why, and who is throwing them? Holbrook’s curiosity was such that he announced what he’d seen to members of the Orleans, MA Community Space Facebook page, where residents and visitors gather to discuss various happenings around town.

 “So childish,” one commenter wrote.

 “Donkey Kong must be riding around,” joked another.

 “So he just drops them and splits,” wrote another poster.

 Reached by phone last week, Orleans Police Chief Scott MacDonald said he was unaware of the litter on the rotary, which was deemed substantially complete back in May. Police have not received any calls or complaints, but MacDonald said he has advised patrol officers to keep an eye on any suspicious activity in the area.

 As unusual as the sight of discarded peels adorning one of the most identifiable areas of town might be, there’s actually a precedent for similar activity elsewhere on the Cape. In Sandwich, a small rotary known by locals as the “fruit loop” has been the site of errant peels for years. 

 While it’s anyone’s guess as to what’s driving such unappealing behavior in Orleans, Holbrook and others have their theories. For instance, some in town have been critical of the rotary’s design, namely the extensive concrete at the base of the bronze sculpture.

 “I assumed it was some kind of a protest,” Holbrook said.

 Meanwhile, the Orleans Improvement Association privately raised more than $400,000 to create and install “Wind Dance,” the 13.5-foot-tall weathered steel structure designed by Chatham artist Tom Odell. Nancy Jorgensen of the association said she’s heard more criticism about the amount of concrete used in the new rotary than the sculpture itself.

 “It is disappointing and it is childish, and it’s unfortunate,” she said of the littering in the rotary, adding that the association will continue to work with the town on future projects.

 The rotary is under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, but the town’s public works department has periodically stopped by the area to remove and dispose of the peels, said Rich Waldo, the town’s public works director.

 “Ultimately it is a state road but we feel our obligation is to maintain it at a level acceptable by the town,” he said.

 Meanwhile, persons caught littering at the rotary or elsewhere in town could be penalized by fine under Massachusetts general law. Littering on or within 20 feet of a public highway or land is punishable by fines of up to $5,500 for a first offense and up to $15,000 for a second and each subsequent offense. Penalties also apply to “coastal or inland waters” and “lands dedicated for open space purposes, including lands subject to conservation restrictions and agricultural preservation restrictions as defined in chapter 184.”