Author Archives: Brent

Pay-as-you-throw in Wellfleet: reasons for the pushback [op-ed Cape Cod Times,7 January 2014] 7 Jan 2014

Wellfleet’s new pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) transfer station policy has incurred unexpected rancor in its first month. There have been a facebook analogies to Nazi German and petitions to recall two selectmen. About 40% of Massachusetts towns (and counting) have gone PAYT, but as with the U.S. and single- payer healthcare, evidence that something works well elsewhere […]

February 5, 2014 – 3:36 pm | By Brent | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (1)

The Christmas revolution [op-ed Cape Cod Times, 24 December 2013]

It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times. That paraphrase from that other Dickens novel pretty much sums up Christmastime. Christmas is full of contradictions, contrasts, conflict: some of the most dismal weather of the year vs. the demand to be jolly. The darkest month, the holiday lights. Death of the year but […]

February 5, 2014 – 2:54 pm | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Wind turbine siting and the Falmouth cautionary tale [op-ed Cape Cod Times, 10 December 2013 ] ec 13

The state is trying to come up with guidelines for siting wind turbines to reconcile the state’s wind vision with the view from the actual towns and neighborhoods in which the turbines will be installed. Presumably they are taking notes on the ongoing cautionary tale (read siting nightmare) of Falmouth. Falmouth has been all over […]

February 5, 2014 – 1:59 pm | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged | Comments (0)

The world unknowable [ op-ed Cape Cod Times 26 nov 2013 ]

The really big story getting so much attention on this 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK is not the assassination itself but the fact that there is no story. At least not one story. It’s one of the great and tragic events of our history, and those of a certain age all remember it […]

February 5, 2014 – 1:50 pm | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged | Comments (0)

Atheism: not chopped liver; or, In godlessness some of us trust [op ed Cape Cod Times 12 November 2013]

At this writing the Supreme Court is deliberating the legality of prayers being said before town government meetings in the town of Greece, New York. They took up the issue 30 years ago and decided that it was OK to say a non-sectarian prayer before Nebraska state legislature sessions. The complaints about prayers in Greece […]

November 14, 2013 – 10:50 am | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged | Comments (0)

Handing off the future [ op ed Cape Cod Times 29 October 2013 ]

“Where are the young people? We need to reach out to the young people.” In meetings of a local group working to close down Pilgrim, the mostly gray and graying membership talk ardently (the only way we know how to talk) about the crying need to recruit more young people to our ranks.   How […]

November 14, 2013 – 10:44 am | By Brent | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

The appeal of “Breaking Bad” [ OP ED Cape Cod Times 15 october 2013]

Well, now that the much -celebrated “Breaking Bad” has wound down to its horrific finish it can be said: damn was that fun. Serious fun. Fun and then some. What was there about “Bad” that so many found irresistible? Great writing, great acting, innovative music and photography—definitely; and what else do you need to know? […]

November 14, 2013 – 10:41 am | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Hanford mill to Pilgrim: rethinking progress [ op ed Cape Cod Times 1 October 2013]

For a week in early summer, when the world was making its way to the mecca of Cape Cod, we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere, the lush folds of farmland west of the Catskills. Our host said, “You’ve got to see the Hanford mill” and took us to downtown East Meredith, NY, to […]

November 14, 2013 – 10:26 am | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

They’re baaaack: NStar to spray again [op ed Cape Cod Times 17 september 2013]

With astounding callousness NStar, the so-called public utility, has announced its intention, after a voluntary moratorium, to go ahead and spray herbicide on the foliage in the powerlines right of way. All Cape towns have passed resolutions against spraying. Thousands of residents, visitors, and businesses have signed GreenCAPE petitions against spraying. Physicians, public health academics, […]

November 14, 2013 – 10:22 am | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged | Comments (0)

Accidents- waiting- to- happen [op ed Cape Cod Times 3 september 2013]

A local teen killed trying to cross Route 6 on his bike. A town doing its best to share in the grief of the bereaved single mom. The police quickly determine that nobody is at fault. Nobody is charged. Nobody is to blame. But it feels like maybe the summer crowding itself is somehow to […]

November 14, 2013 – 9:36 am | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , | Comments (1)