New members disagree with leadership By Edward F. Maroney emaroney@barnstablepatriot.com EDWARD F. MARONEY PHOTO COULDN 'T STAY AWAY - Former town councilor Hank Farnham addresses former colleagues and new members of the board Jan. 5. An ostensible battle over public comment at town council meet- ings last week offered a look at the board's internal allegiances as well. On the agenda was a proposal to change the council's meeting schedule from twice a month to "at least" once a month, with the provision that special meetings - aka workshops - could be held at other times. The charter calls for at least one meeting a month, but the council rules, on the books as an ordinance, requires there be two except in July and August. The charter also requires a period of public comment at each regular meeting. The council's leadership -Pres- ident Fred Chi- rigotis and Vice President Jan Barton - spon- sored the change with former council president Janet Joakim and councilors Jen Cullum and Debra Dagwan. When the time came for a deci- sion Jan. 5, how- ever, only Coun- cilor June Daley joined Barton , Chirigotis, and Joakim in voting in the affirmative.The action failed, 8to 4. Members of the public who spoke last week said the proposal was an end-run to eliminate one of two opportunities a month for general public comment before the council. The quality of that comment is an issue as well, as it ranges from genteel to profane. All the varieties were on display at the podium last Thursday.Former coun- cilor Henry Farnham told the council the proposal "signals a shift away from democracy" and had "one objective -to curtail citizen participation and neutral- ize a few people who make aggressive statements during public comment." "I know I am being targeted as one of those individuals," said Patrick Page of West Barnstable. "Taking away public comment is an absolute disgrace to the American flag." CONTINUED ON PAGE A:4 Council debateis revealing UP FRONT Barnstable breast cancer rates highest in state A breast cancer diagnosis is ¦ always unsettling, but the news : pertaining to breast cancer rates \ in Barnstable is sobering. _ A:3 i Emerging contaminant testing may come to county lab Withagrowinginterestinemerging ¦ ground water contaminants in the : Cape'sdrinkingwater,theBarnstable : CountyHealthDepartmentishoping : to get certified to test for them, as ; wellas otherkeycompoundsrelated \ to wastewater testing. A:3 A new "outlet" for Sandy Neck The halfway house at Sandy ; Neck is used by scientists, artists, ¦ outdoorsmen and others.While its ; lack of electricitymakes for a rustic ! visit, it makes some of the science I done there more difficult. _ A:5 OPINION GAUVIN: "Selective Enforcement" Thetown'shandlingofanalleged Cotuitzoningviolationhasunveiled an egregious case of selective enforcement by the town building department. A:6 BUSINESS Wine,beer sales OK'd for Barnstable Market BarnstableVillagecanstart plan- ning to make local wine and beer purchases again soon, following the licensing authority's granting of a retail store package license Jan. 9. A:8 SPORTS Barnstable rolls over Nauset Smothering defense was the key to the Barnstable girls varsity basketball team's 46-27 victory against Nauset on Jan. 10. A:12 Arts & Entertainment Back Section BLACKBOARD A:13 Business A:8 Classifieds A&E:18-19 Events A&E:4 Editorials A:6 NEW:A HealthyAttitude A&E:8 Legals A&E:15-18 MovieListings A&E:2 Obituaries A:11 Op-Ed A:7 Sports A;12 Weather - A14 INSIDE THIS WEEK Hot Stove event to feature Red Sox historian By Kathleen Szmit kszmit@banstablepatriot.com DAVID STILL II PHOTO A LOOK BACK- Boston Red Sox Vice President Emeritus and longtime historian Dick Bresciani looks into a case atthe Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame with former Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell during a Hall of Fame event Nov. 18, 2011. Bresciani will be the keynote speaker at the Hyannis Athletic Association's Hot Stove evening Jan 21, sharing Red Sox memories and more. For baseball fans, the long stretch between the World Series and Open- ing Day can seem endless, but local enthusiasts rejoice. The Hyannis Harbor Hawks, in partnership with The Barnstable Patriot and Wells Fargo Advi- sors, are bringing baseball to town in January. On the evening of Jan. 21, folks with tickets are invited to listen in as Boston Red Sox Vice President Emeritus and team historian Dick Bresciani shares stories about the beloved boys of Beantown as well as about his experiences with the Cape Cod Baseball League. The mid-winter fundraiser will benefit the Hyannis Ath- letic Association and pave the way for much-needed improve- ments to the playing field at McKeon Park in Hyannis, as well as provide scholarships. "We wanted to do something a little different ," said Priscilla Merritt , vice president of me- dia for the HAA. "Something that took us outside the Cape League." Peter Scarafile , HAA vice president , got in touch with Bresciani and asked if he'd be willing to speak, with Bresciani agreeing enthusiastically. "The Cape League always appealed to me going back to the 60s because it gave young college players an opportunity to play in a fast-paceJ sum- mer league where they could improve their skills and see how they stacked up against top notch players from around the country, and at the same time give them a sense of what Minor League baseball feels like," Bresciani said during a Jan. 11 phone interview. "It gives you a taste of what the Minor League can be like." While Bresciani wishes he could get to the Cape more often for visits and games, he maintains strong ties to the CCBL by serving as liaison between the Red Sox and the league. He has been with the Red Sox for 40 years. Bresciani said some of the highlights of his time with the Sox were working with the stel- lar teams of 1975 and 1986, in spite of their late-season losses, and especially being part of the 2004 and 2007 World Series teams. "Those were great momen- tous years. Coming back to beat the Yankees after be- ing down three games to none, then to go on and win that game and eliminate the Yankees," he said. "Then the World Series. In the ninth inning I went down to the club- house to be ready to help out with the media when the game ended. " Bresciani acknowledged delighting in a good dousing of champagne following the Sox victory. "That was the ultimate thrill ," he said. "Then to repeat again in '07." CONTINUED ON PAGE A:14 BASEBALL AT THE GOURMET BRUNCH KATHLEEN SZMIT PHOTO OUTLOOK FOGGY - A veil of fog blankets Hyannis Harbor not long after heavy rains doused the region Jan. 12.After a few more raindrops this morning, and another mild day, the weekend looks to be much colder with a few snowflakes swirling through. All is calm State law mandates training program By Kathleen Szmit kszmit@barnstablepatriot.com C oncussions and head injuries in high school sports are topics that have gained widespread media attention in recent years , and now the top ic has come to the Barnstable School Committee. During its Jan 10 meeting, school district attorney Bill Butler presented committee members with an initial draft of a policy being created in Barnstable. According to Butler , the creation of such a policy is mandated by the Massachusetts Act Relative to Safety Regulations for School Athletic Pro- grams , which requires school districts CONTINUED ON PAGE A:3 District adopting concussion policy \ Current, future | budgetstight ; By David Still II ¦ dstill@barnstablepatriot.com B arnstable County officials are prepping for a period of lower revenues that will require belt tightening in current and future budget cycles. Collections across all sources is running at 41 percent of projections for the first six months of this fiscal year, according to handouts provided to the county commissioners Jan. 11. Along with lower Registry of Deeds collections , the total is dragged lower by a usual lag in state rental income, a sizeable drop in Cape Cod Commission grant revenues and a number of accounts that will sit at zero until the end-of-year transfers. j Still , the county commissioners are preparing to deal with lower revenues for the current budget. Speaking later in the day at the Special Commission on County Governance, Commissioners Chair Mary Pat Flynn of Falmouth talked about the need to trim $400,000 to $600,000 in current expense. Her comments came as the special com- mission discussed possible revenue streams for the county. At the commissioners budget review Wednesday morning, Flynn said that she's looking at maybe four or five years before things turn around. "From my point of view, this next year's budget has to be extremely conservative," Flynn said. The $25 million 2012 budget, ap- proved by the Assembly last May, projected revenues $3.5 million higher than what was collected in FY' 11. Of that amount , $1.9 million was to come from increased revenues out of the Registry of Deeds. At the halfway point , Registry collections stand at 53 percent of last year's totals, but are they are behind year-to-year comparisons 5.5 percent , or $265,000. Unlike towns, which rely heavily on a reliable stream of real estate taxes , the county's main revenue source is subject to the booms and busts of the real estate market. That volatility can wreak havoc on budget planners . Add to that an aggressive forecast contained in the 2012 bud get by County Ad- ministrator/Finance Director Mark Zielinski , who increased projections from Register of Deeds Jack Meade. Meade planned for a year that was essentially flat. • Deeds taxes are collected on the sales of homes, which have been fewer and for fewer dollars as a result of the market turndown. The business revenue, which includes recording fees, copies and other of- fice fees, is also driven by the volume of activity. The county 's 15 towns do provide annual tax assessments that grow 2.5 percent a year, but those repre- C0NTINUED ON PAGE A:11 i Countyheadedtoward cuts Town's onboard with concept of expanded sailing lessons By Edward F. Maroney emaroney@barnstablepatriot.com With only three others on Cape Cod, the Barnstable Recre- ation Department is justl y proud of its public sailing program. Now a non-profit group, Sail Cape Cod, wants to collaborate with the town to expand opportunities for access after- hours and in the shoulder season Sail Cape Cod's steering committee members Sue Nickerson and Chuck Sabatt spoke with the recreation com- mission Jan. 9 about plans to use the town's beaches and boats outside of town program hours to provide "access to all...without limitation. " CONTINUED ON PAGE A:14 Sail Cape Cod gets OK to keep talking :New library to set sail with compass rose BM VILLAGE :BHS gymnasts post season-high score B:3 SPORTS A wild timefor kids in Cotuit A&E: , OCR Text: New members disagree with leadership By Edward F. Maroney emaroney@barnstablepatriot.com EDWARD F. MARONEY PHOTO COULDN 'T STAY AWAY - Former town councilor Hank Farnham addresses former colleagues and new members of the board Jan. 5. An ostensible battle over public comment at town council meet- ings last week offered a look at the board's internal allegiances as well. On the agenda was a proposal to change the council's meeting schedule from twice a month to "at least" once a month, with the provision that special meetings - aka workshops - could be held at other times. The charter calls for at least one meeting a month, but the council rules, on the books as an ordinance, requires there be two except in July and August. The charter also requires a period of public comment at each regular meeting. The council's leadership -Pres- ident Fred Chi- rigotis and Vice President Jan Barton - spon- sored the change with former council president Janet Joakim and councilors Jen Cullum and Debra Dagwan. When the time came for a deci- sion Jan. 5, how- ever, only Coun- cilor June Daley joined Barton , Chirigotis, and Joakim in voting in the affirmative.The action failed, 8to 4. Members of the public who spoke last week said the proposal was an end-run to eliminate one of two opportunities a month for general public comment before the council. The quality of that comment is an issue as well, as it ranges from genteel to profane. All the varieties were on display at the podium last Thursday.Former coun- cilor Henry Farnham told the council the proposal "signals a shift away from democracy" and had "one objective -to curtail citizen participation and neutral- ize a few people who make aggressive statements during public comment." "I know I am being targeted as one of those individuals," said Patrick Page of West Barnstable. "Taking away public comment is an absolute disgrace to the American flag." CONTINUED ON PAGE A:4 Council debateis revealing UP FRONT Barnstable breast cancer rates highest in state A breast cancer diagnosis is ¦ always unsettling, but the news : pertaining to breast cancer rates \ in Barnstable is sobering. _ A:3 i Emerging contaminant testing may come to county lab Withagrowinginterestinemerging ¦ ground water contaminants in the : Cape'sdrinkingwater,theBarnstable : CountyHealthDepartmentishoping : to get certified to test for them, as ; wellas otherkeycompoundsrelated \ to wastewater testing. A:3 A new "outlet" for Sandy Neck The halfway house at Sandy ; Neck is used by scientists, artists, ¦ outdoorsmen and others.While its ; lack of electricitymakes for a rustic ! visit, it makes some of the science I done there more difficult. _ A:5 OPINION GAUVIN: "Selective Enforcement" Thetown'shandlingofanalleged Cotuitzoningviolationhasunveiled an egregious case of selective enforcement by the town building department. A:6 BUSINESS Wine,beer sales OK'd for Barnstable Market BarnstableVillagecanstart plan- ning to make local wine and beer purchases again soon, following the licensing authority's granting of a retail store package license Jan. 9. A:8 SPORTS Barnstable rolls over Nauset Smothering defense was the key to the Barnstable girls varsity basketball team's 46-27 victory against Nauset on Jan. 10. A:12 Arts & Entertainment Back Section BLACKBOARD A:13 Business A:8 Classifieds A&E:18-19 Events A&E:4 Editorials A:6 NEW:A HealthyAttitude A&E:8 Legals A&E:15-18 MovieListings A&E:2 Obituaries A:11 Op-Ed A:7 Sports A;12 Weather - A14 INSIDE THIS WEEK Hot Stove event to feature Red Sox historian By Kathleen Szmit kszmit@banstablepatriot.com DAVID STILL II PHOTO A LOOK BACK- Boston Red Sox Vice President Emeritus and longtime historian Dick Bresciani looks into a case atthe Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame with former Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell during a Hall of Fame event Nov. 18, 2011. Bresciani will be the keynote speaker at the Hyannis Athletic Association's Hot Stove evening Jan 21, sharing Red Sox memories and more. For baseball fans, the long stretch between the World Series and Open- ing Day can seem endless, but local enthusiasts rejoice. The Hyannis Harbor Hawks, in partnership with The Barnstable Patriot and Wells Fargo Advi- sors, are bringing baseball to town in January. On the evening of Jan. 21, folks with tickets are invited to listen in as Boston Red Sox Vice President Emeritus and team historian Dick Bresciani shares stories about the beloved boys of Beantown as well as about his experiences with the Cape Cod Baseball League. The mid-winter fundraiser will benefit the Hyannis Ath- letic Association and pave the way for much-needed improve- ments to the playing field at McKeon Park in Hyannis, as well as provide scholarships. "We wanted to do something a little different ," said Priscilla Merritt , vice president of me- dia for the HAA. "Something that took us outside the Cape League." Peter Scarafile , HAA vice president , got in touch with Bresciani and asked if he'd be willing to speak, with Bresciani agreeing enthusiastically. "The Cape League always appealed to me going back to the 60s because it gave young college players an opportunity to play in a fast-paceJ sum- mer league where they could improve their skills and see how they stacked up against top notch players from around the country, and at the same time give them a sense of what Minor League baseball feels like," Bresciani said during a Jan. 11 phone interview. "It gives you a taste of what the Minor League can be like." While Bresciani wishes he could get to the Cape more often for visits and games, he maintains strong ties to the CCBL by serving as liaison between the Red Sox and the league. He has been with the Red Sox for 40 years. Bresciani said some of the highlights of his time with the Sox were working with the stel- lar teams of 1975 and 1986, in spite of their late-season losses, and especially being part of the 2004 and 2007 World Series teams. "Those were great momen- tous years. Coming back to beat the Yankees after be- ing down three games to none, then to go on and win that game and eliminate the Yankees," he said. "Then the World Series. In the ninth inning I went down to the club- house to be ready to help out with the media when the game ended. " Bresciani acknowledged delighting in a good dousing of champagne following the Sox victory. "That was the ultimate thrill ," he said. "Then to repeat again in '07." CONTINUED ON PAGE A:14 BASEBALL AT THE GOURMET BRUNCH KATHLEEN SZMIT PHOTO OUTLOOK FOGGY - A veil of fog blankets Hyannis Harbor not long after heavy rains doused the region Jan. 12.After a few more raindrops this morning, and another mild day, the weekend looks to be much colder with a few snowflakes swirling through. All is calm State law mandates training program By Kathleen Szmit kszmit@barnstablepatriot.com C oncussions and head injuries in high school sports are topics that have gained widespread media attention in recent years , and now the top ic has come to the Barnstable School Committee. During its Jan 10 meeting, school district attorney Bill Butler presented committee members with an initial draft of a policy being created in Barnstable. According to Butler , the creation of such a policy is mandated by the Massachusetts Act Relative to Safety Regulations for School Athletic Pro- grams , which requires school districts CONTINUED ON PAGE A:3 District adopting concussion policy \ Current, future | budgetstight ; By David Still II ¦ dstill@barnstablepatriot.com B arnstable County officials are prepping for a period of lower revenues that will require belt tightening in current and future budget cycles. Collections across all sources is running at 41 percent of projections for the first six months of this fiscal year, according to handouts provided to the county commissioners Jan. 11. Along with lower Registry of Deeds collections , the total is dragged lower by a usual lag in state rental income, a sizeable drop in Cape Cod Commission grant revenues and a number of accounts that will sit at zero until the end-of-year transfers. j Still , the county commissioners are preparing to deal with lower revenues for the current budget. Speaking later in the day at the Special Commission on County Governance, Commissioners Chair Mary Pat Flynn of Falmouth talked about the need to trim $400,000 to $600,000 in current expense. Her comments came as the special com- mission discussed possible revenue streams for the county. At the commissioners budget review Wednesday morning, Flynn said that she's looking at maybe four or five years before things turn around. "From my point of view, this next year's budget has to be extremely conservative," Flynn said. The $25 million 2012 budget, ap- proved by the Assembly last May, projected revenues $3.5 million higher than what was collected in FY' 11. Of that amount , $1.9 million was to come from increased revenues out of the Registry of Deeds. At the halfway point , Registry collections stand at 53 percent of last year's totals, but are they are behind year-to-year comparisons 5.5 percent , or $265,000. Unlike towns, which rely heavily on a reliable stream of real estate taxes , the county's main revenue source is subject to the booms and busts of the real estate market. That volatility can wreak havoc on budget planners . Add to that an aggressive forecast contained in the 2012 bud get by County Ad- ministrator/Finance Director Mark Zielinski , who increased projections from Register of Deeds Jack Meade. Meade planned for a year that was essentially flat. • Deeds taxes are collected on the sales of homes, which have been fewer and for fewer dollars as a result of the market turndown. The business revenue, which includes recording fees, copies and other of- fice fees, is also driven by the volume of activity. The county 's 15 towns do provide annual tax assessments that grow 2.5 percent a year, but those repre- C0NTINUED ON PAGE A:11 i Countyheadedtoward cuts Town's onboard with concept of expanded sailing lessons By Edward F. Maroney emaroney@barnstablepatriot.com With only three others on Cape Cod, the Barnstable Recre- ation Department is justl y proud of its public sailing program. Now a non-profit group, Sail Cape Cod, wants to collaborate with the town to expand opportunities for access after- hours and in the shoulder season Sail Cape Cod's steering committee members Sue Nickerson and Chuck Sabatt spoke with the recreation com- mission Jan. 9 about plans to use the town's beaches and boats outside of town program hours to provide "access to all...without limitation. " CONTINUED ON PAGE A:14 Sail Cape Cod gets OK to keep talking :New library to set sail with compass rose BM VILLAGE :BHS gymnasts post season-high score B:3 SPORTS A wild timefor kids in Cotuit A&E: , Z ArchiveInABox,Historic Photos & Documents,Documents,Sample Files,054-bar-2012-01-13-0001.pdf,054-bar-2012-01-13-0001.pdf Page 1, 054-bar-2012-01-13-0001.pdf Page 1