Editor:

 I strongly endorse Caroline McCarley and Pete Dahl for the two open seats on the Brewster Select Board. They are proven town leaders who have served Brewster in many ways. Caroline’s on the planning board, and I serve with her on the Sea Camps Advisory Committee. She listens to all sides of issues and believes in public engagement. Brewster benefits from her many years of public service.

 Pete Dahl has served Brewster on the finance committee for nine years and really understands our town’s finances. Both Caroline and Pete have experience on school committees which will be important as we deal with school costs and providing high-quality education.

 The third candidate for select board to my knowledge has not served Brewster on any committees.

 It’s been an honor to serve on the Brewster Select Board for the last nine years and I’m glad there are two excellent candidates for voters to support this year. Caroline McCarley and Pete Dahl have the right experience and skills to serve our town effectively on the select board. 

Cindy Bingham
Brewster

Editor:

 The committee for the candidates forum at the Chatham UU meeting Meeting House on April 14 would like to publicly thank the candidates Jeff Dykens, Brian Phillips, Mike Schell and Stuart Smith and the full house of community attendees for an experience that was both enlightening and inspiring. 

 So many projects are underway in this beautiful town of Chatham to provide us all with an enviable community in which we live. I personally was impressed with the dedication and commitment these four gentlemen have in devoting hours of their time to the studies of our clean water, housing issues, the airport concerns, the effects of climate change on our fragile peninsula, our school system and our sewage project, all for the betterment of our shared community. They shared a common pride and goal of making this an outstanding place to live.

 Together the audience and candidates took the opportunity to share experiences and concerns which can lead to further healthy, informed discussions. It was clear there are no simple solutions to some very complex issues, but listening to each other and hearing the differences of opinions and willingness to share is what makes Chatham a place I am so grateful to call home! 

Gail Tilton
Chatham

Editor:

 The Brewster Recreation Commission is ready for a new voice to help lead recreation opportunities in our future, from our parks and programs to plans for the Sea Camps properties. I believe my career as a problem solver, my experience as a Minnesota school board member and dad to two boys who were actively involved in community recreation programs help make me ready to step into Brewster’s recreational government.

 Like many washashores, I spent summers camping in Nickerson and skimboarding on the Brewster Flats. Those memories drew me back fulltime to Brewster in 2021. Since then, my “fourth quarter” has been spent on adult recreation. I’m the Nauset Newcomers’ Group Activities Chair and coordinate over 50 groups for active adults from walking and paddleboarding, to knitting and woodworking. I’m a Brewster Ponds Coalition citizen scientist, testing our waters to keep them safe for local recreation. In addition to being a member of Brewster Pickleball and Captains Golf, I’m on the Lower Cape Curling Club Board, where active seniors curl in winter months. A keen sailor, I am a member of the Namequoit Sailing Association, which provides youth and adult sailing programs on Pleasant Bay. I also help preserve that recreational gem as a member of the Friends of Pleasant Bay Board. I believe in community recreation programs. I have researched our Brewster plans and current programs. I’m involved and ready to put my energy to work for our Brewster Recreation Commission. I’d appreciate your vote on May 20.

Peter Jelinek
Brewster

Editor:

 At the corner of Bells Neck and Depot stands a monument etched with the names of eight Chase men. For 400 years, that family — and many others like it — have fought for the town of Harwich. They fought the French, the British, the South, the Spanish, the Germans, and the Japanese. They fought against slavery and for civil rights. Generation after generation, this town has been shaped by those who stood their ground — both in battle and in belief — fighting to protect the very soul of this community.

 These families fought for Harwich; they also built it. They laid the roads, raised the homes, they taught in the schools, and gathered in the churches. And they built with such care and conviction that much of their work still stands today. A testament to their craftsmanship and love for this town.

 The West Harwich Baptist Church is a powerful example of this. At 197 years old, it’s certainly not just another building — step inside and you will see it’s the crown jewel of West Harwich. It carries the weight of nearly two centuries of our town’s history.

 In the fall of 2022, at the special town meeting, Harwich made its voice heard: preserve the West Harwich Baptist Church. That vote wasn’t symbolic — it was a mandate. And it should matter. To every citizen. To every board. To every company that wants to do business here. We, the people, were clear. The town should have been clear: Preserve the church.

John Carey
Harwich

Editor:

 I read with concern the reactions of both the Chatham and Harwich select boards in regard to the work necessary for the Crowell Road [Monomoy Regional Middle] School. It appears the Harwich Select Board perceives there is something unfair about the 76 percent (Harwich) / 24 percent (Chatham) cost sharing formula developed by the regionalization committee, of which I was a member. From an operations standpoint, and as it pertains to the Monomoy Regional High School building itself, this remains an equitable formula.

 As to the Crowell Road School, the expansion and renovation to that building was done 27 years ago to address our then-aged middle school and thus accommodate the Chatham middle, junior high and senior school in one building. For 16 years Chatham had the sole use of that property, and for the last 11 years as the Monomoy Regional Middle School.

 Therefore, for this one and only situation, in fairness to both towns, I propose a revised formula in which Chatham would pay for its 16 years’ of sole use and Chatham’s and Harwich’s 11 years’ shared use based on the cost-sharing formula. I could bore you with the mathematics but would gladly share the calculation to anyone interested. It works out that Chatham would be responsible for about 69% of the cost of the work to be done and Harwich would be responsible for 31% of the cost of the work to be done.

 Chatham has been a fair partner with Harwich and has amended the agreement so each town is responsible for funding its own neighborhood elementary school; keeping the neighborhood elementary schools was a promise to the Harwich and Chatham communities in our Regionalization plan.

 Finally, as a reminder, Harwich voted 97 percent in favor of regionalization and Chatham, less so, at 53 percent.

Craig S. Vokey
Chatham

Editor:

 There's an important election coming up in May and serious decisions need to be made. Lack of transparency by the two current board members running for re-election, and the town manager, are out of control. They need to be replaced. I speak from experience. I've been vocal about maintenance issues in our cemeteries. Recently many trees were clear cut in Union Cemetery; along with a town staff member, we counted 27 tree stumps. The tree warden thought there were only eight to 10. When we told him, he was surprised. I emailed Mr. Schell, chair of the select board; when he finally responded 11 days later, the cemetery commission, town counsel, town manager and [select board member] Jeff Dykens were all copied. 

 It wasn't a response I'd expect to a concerned citizen from a select board chair about a very sensitive matter. It was a defensive legal opinion, citing Mass. General Law, and a tortured definition of trees versus shrubs. Mr. Schell said no trees were cut, only shrubs- but tree stumps were ground up. On Google Earth you can see the trees that used to be there. Can't they think for themselves without lawyers who we must pay for, putting in their two cents for everything? Just because they may have the legal authority to do anything they want, doesn't mean they should. Mr. Dykens, the select board liaison, hasn’t even attended cemetery commission meetings since before July of 2024. They refused to say who cut these trees or the total cost. Chairman Whitcomb of the cemetery commission was oddly silent. When everyone is copied on a legal response, including town counsel, you know there’s a problem. 

 What else haven't we been told? Think twice before you vote in the next election. Enough is enough. The operating budget, up 8.19 percent, is a mess; sewering and enough drinking water is a mess; school regionalization is a mess; and affordable housing is a mess. The transfer station, which is costing us a fortune, is a mess, accepting commercial trash from Harwich, Orleans and Brewster. Frankly, the whole town's a mess with wider roads, more pavement, more directional signs, bike paths everywhere, more weeds, and less trees. Chatham’s become unrecognizable. It’s time to take back our town and replace Schell and Dykens. They both want more density and more tourism. This is our town, not theirs. Vote for open and truly transparent government. Stuart Smith is my choice.

Judy Patterson
West Chatham

Editor:

 Seeking final approval at town hall on Thursday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. the Pine Oaks Village developers will request from the Harwich Zoning Board of Appeals a long list of variances from our town zoning regulations. We urge residents to consider all that’s at stake and attend the meeting. To submit concerns for the Board to review, email Rachel Lohr at rachel.lohr@harwich-ma.gov.

 The developers hope to build 10 densely spaced and oversized multi-story buildings in North Harwich’s Low-Density Residential R-L Zone on 31 acres of undisturbed pine and oak forest that contain wetlands and at least one certified vernal pool. The land lies within the zone of contribution to the Herring River, from which the town will soon be required to remove 75 percent of the nitrogen it now carries, at a cost of tens of millions of taxpayer dollars. POV would add greatly to the nitrogen load. Thursday is our last chance to downsize and place restrictions on a financially and environmentally disastrous project. 

 Most alarming of the many waivers POV seeks from zoning law is their request that no oversight or approval be required by the town’s conservation commission. From the start, the developers have avoided all environmental study of the site. Whenever we’ve asked, we’ve been assured of a future, thorough environmental study. We ourselves know what lives there: the animals, birds, turtles and rare plants that will be lost when over 20 acres are clear-cut. We know that streams and pools forming the watershed of the river are fragile and require 100-foot buffer zones that are meticulously protected. But the developers want no environmental oversight.

 Within the 100-foot buffer zone, the developers ask to waive all oversight of tree-removal and land-disturbance, i.e., seeking permission to cut native trees of any size and to cause erosion into wetlands. Within the 100-foot buffer zone, they ask to waive the requirement to re-vegetate or stabilize any denuded area of over 50 square feet, seeking permission just to mulch bare ground or to lay down turf lawns. Within the 100-foot buffer, they ask to use fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and rodenticides. Residents know that heavy rain would wash all that shallow cover-glop and its toxic chemicals into the wetland and from there, into our river. 

Basically, POV asks permission to ruin our land and water: waivers from zoning regulations that the town and its people have set in place to protect the environment and priceless resources like the Herring River. 

 We pray that residents wake up and see this project for what it is: a great detriment to our town’s character and environment that would allow the state to fill our town with new renters and allow the developers to fill their pockets. 

Paula Myles 
North Harwich

Editor:

 I am writing to express my support for Peter Jelinek in the upcoming election for the Brewster recreation commission. Peter actively participates in recreational activities in Brewster and has an in-depth understanding of the issues surrounding them. He has a strong grasp of town governance and knows how to set budget priorities. He's also a team player who will work well with other members of the committee.

 Most importantly, once he commits to something, Peter is fully engaged. He brings an impressive range of skills and knowledge to help solve the problems at hand. That's why I support "Jelinek for Rec," and I hope that my fellow citizens in Brewster will join me in electing Peter to our Town's Recreation Committee.

Wayne Jenkins
Brewster

Editor: 

 I suspect those of you who voted for Trump did not anticipate the chaos he has created in the economy and immigration or his defiance of the courts, including the Supreme Court. Here is a very short list:

 Trump promised to deport the thousands of alleged murderers, rapists, terrorists and other violent criminals who “invaded” our country. ICE does not specify how many have been deported or what crimes they committed but the numbers are nowhere near thousands and of those who have, few if any have been provided the due process required by the Supreme Court. Students, women, green card holders and non-criminals are now the easy ICE prey.

 Trump promised to end the Ukraine war in one day — he didn’t and has washed his hands of the war apparently because he lost interest.

 Trump’s economic promises are in chaotic shambles — prices are up not down, tariffs on-and-off whenever Trump blinks, markets up-and-down, businesses that rely on China in danger of folding, allies retaliating, China shaking him down and stopping exports of rare earth materials and imports of US beef, poultry and Boeing aircraft.

 Trump promised to end DEI in government and has scrubbed, redacted or erased much of it from government documents and websites. Now, he threatens loss of government funding and First Amendment rights of private universities, their presidents, faculties and students if they do not kowtow to his DEI mandate and made-up claims of rampant antisemitism on campus.

 Unfortunately, no space left for his unconscionable coercion of law firms.

George Myers
Venice, Fla.

Editor:

 Brewster voters have the opportunity to elect two experienced community leaders to the two open seats on the select board. I’ll be voting for Caroline McCarley and Harvey “Pete” Dahl. Each has made significant contributions to Brewster, and they have the knowledge and skills to provide expert leadership.

 Caroline McCarley has been a thoughtful leader involved in shaping the future of the Sea Camps. Her focus has been on public engagement and using the views of the community to propose the way ahead. I’ve worked closely with Caroline on the Sea Camps committees and am always impressed with her professionalism and calm style of leadership. She also serves us well on the planning board and Ladies Library finance committee. Brewster is fortunate that someone with all of her experience in municipal government is fully engaged in our community activities.

 I’ve served with Pete Dahl on the town’s audit committee. As a longtime member of the Brewster finance committee, Pete really understands municipal finance and budgets. He is a good colleague to work with on the committee. He’ll bring expert knowledge to service on the select board.

 Brewster government is well run because we have great town staff and effective community leaders. By electing Caroline McCarley and Pete Dahl to the Brewster Select Board we will ensure that our town government will remain in good hands.

Karl Fryzel
Brewster

Editor:

 I write in support of Harvey (Pete) Dahl for Brewster select board. I have served five years on Brewster's finance committee with Pete, now in his ninth year on the finance committee; he has been our chairperson for two years and currently is our vice chairperson. Pete brings relatable elected experience from a former town. He is well versed in the issues and opportunities facing Brewster.

 I find Pete to be firm in his convictions and strong-minded, but at the same time, open-minded. He will listen for the facts and hear — really hear — opposing arguments and allow those arguments to inform his decision-making. A town is made up of many “small communities,” groups of people who share common interests. When these interests conflict, finding compromise and partnership among these small communities is the diplomacy we need from our select board members to make decisions in the best interest of the town as a whole. 

 While I haven't always agreed with Pete — heck, I don't even agree with my wife half the time — I believe Pete will act in a manner to represent and serve the best interests of Brewster as a whole. I urge Brewster residents to vote on May 20 at the town election and select Harvey (Pete) Dahl to serve on the Brewster select board.

Robert Tobias
Brewster

Editor:

 I am writing to express my strong support for Jeff Dykens and Michael Schell in their candidacy for re-election to the Chatham select board. Both Jeff and Michael possess the qualities, experience and dedication necessary to serve our community effectively and with integrity.

 Jeff Dykens has demonstrated his commitment to Chatham through years of public service. His deep understanding of local issues and his ability to navigate complex challenges have been instrumental in driving positive change. Jeff was instrumental in the formation of the Monomoy Regional School District, which provides a modern high school and a premier K-12 education to Chatham students without any increase in the Chatham school budget over the last 10 years.

 Michael Schell, likewise, brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the select board. His collaborative approach and willingness to listen to diverse viewpoints make him an ideal candidate for this role. Although issues related to sewers may be contentious, Mike Schell collaborated with diverse groups to come to a consensus resolution of differences regarding the sewer project. Moreover, Mike Schell was instrumental in identifying the Cape Aquifund, which will provide Chatham homeowners 20-year loans at 2 percent interest to cover the cost of sewer connections, and interest free loans to residents with an annual income of less than $100,000.

 Together, Jeff Dykens and Michael Schell represent a dynamic and balanced team that is well equipped to address the pressing issues facing Chatham. Their combined expertise in management, planning and community engagement will benefit all residents. They are committed to maintaining the high quality of life we enjoy, fostering economic growth, and ensuring the sustainability of our natural resources.

 I urge my fellow citizens to join me in supporting Jeff Dykens and Michael Schell for election to the Chatham select board. Our vote for them is a vote for a prosperous and harmonious future for our town.

Joel Rottner
Chatham

Editor:

Pete Jelinek is on the Board of Friends of Pleasant Bay. He would make an excellent member of the Brewster Recreation Commission. I support his candidacy.

Rob Michaels
Brewster

Editor:

 I found Ryan Bray's [April 17] article in the Chronicle interesting on several accounts. First, I would welcome Linda Shea as a full-time member of our community. She seems passionate and energetic, just the type of person we need to help build our year-round community. Joint ownership does not prevent one from receiving the residential exemption.

 Second, when I say that full-time residents are "subsidizing" second homeowners, I am referring to the wealth and income disparity between the two. Due to their typically higher wealth and income, second homeowners have bid up the price of housing and enjoy what to them are low property taxes compared to what they pay on their full-time residences. They are pricing our local workforce out of the market. Our teachers, police, firefighters, electricians, fishermen, etc. can't afford to live in Orleans any longer. Ask them. Please. What is our town becoming without them?

 Third, each year at their fall property classification hearing, the select board has failed to even discuss a possible residential exemption. The burden is not on me to put it on their agenda, though I have discussed it privately with most of them, starting as long as five years ago. I have heard them say that they don't have enough information; I'd suggest that they start their research now, because ultimately, the decision does not belong to town meeting. It belongs solely to them. I am just trying to spur them to action.

Tim Counihan
Orleans