Opinion/Letters: Mass. printed voter guide missing information on Question 4

I would like to inform the voting public the recently mailed "Massachusetts Information for Voters, 2022 Ballot Questions" guide is incomplete. There are four important questions for voters to decide on, however, only three are listed.

Interestingly, the request for mail-in ballots have already been mailed out as well. Secretary William Galvin was well aware of the huge grassroots effort that took place to get the fourth question, regarding eligibility for a driver's license, on the ballot, as his office decided the timeline to submit the required 40,000 signatures.

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Myself and hundreds of others not only acquired the required 40,000 signatures, we more than doubled that to over 80,000 within the timeline! Why did Secretary Galvin allow both the incomplete voter's guide and request for mail-in ballots to go out when he knew voters did not have all the information needed to decide on important issues?

Please folks do not send in any ballots you receive or go to any voting booth until you are informed about the very important Question 4 so we the voters can decide on it and not Beacon Hill.

Lesley Phillips, Pocasset

Editor's note: According to the Massachusetts Secretary of State's website, Information about Question 4, regarding eligibility for driver's licenses, was not included in the voters' booklet mailed to each household because the petition was submitted after the July 2022 deadline for inclusion in the printed booklet. The question will appear on the Nov. 8 ballots statewide. Information about Question 4, and other ballot information, can be found on the Secretary of State's website at: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele22/information-for-voters-22/quest_4.htm

Ells should propose preservation plan for Stewart's Creek, Joshua's Brook

Time for Ells to propose his plan to preserve fragile local ecosystems

Let's give Mark Ells a chance

It might be time for Barnstable Town Manager Mark Ells to step forward and propose his plan to preserve and protect the fragile ecosystem of Joshua’s Brook and Stewart's Creek.

It's been more than a year since Tom Cambareri dragged his kayak to the shore of Aunt Betty's Pond in West Hyannis to test for PFAS. The sample taken there had one of the highest readings for PFAS compounds in all Barnstable. (10/4/2021)

Since then, we've heard crickets.

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Ells was Director of the Barnstable DPW when earlier efforts were made to restore Stewart's Creek. Ells oversaw the sewer project in the area and signed off on the design of the much-maligned culvert connecting Stewart's Creek to Nantucket Sound.

It is generally agreed that these projects failed. Residents have resisted the high cost of connecting to the town sewer. The culvert built by the Army Corp. of Engineers is considered too small to be effective. And, no effort has been made to address the steady flow of pollutants into the Creek from waterways deeply embedded in our neighborhoods.

Now, Mr. Ells has the full resources of the town backing him. We just have to encourage him to think bigger.

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Restoring the waterways in and around the old Twin Brooks Golf Course could be Ells' crowning achievement after a lifetime of achievement in the town of Barnstable. Let's give our town manager the resources and support he needs to make this worthwhile project a reality.

Eric Schwaab, Hyannis

Eastham Community Preservation grant applications now available

Have you enjoyed the tennis courts at the Nauset Regional High School? Have your children or grandchildren played at the playground at Wiley Park? Perhaps you gave some summer visitors a tour of the refurbished Nauset Light House. Are you one of the lucky ones to win a spot at the Village at Nauset Green? These are just a few of the projects the taxpayers of Eastham have supported through the years with Community Preservation Act funds.

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The town of Eastham first adopted the Community Preservation Act (CPA) in 2005 and formed a committee to evaluate proposals submitted by individuals, town boards, committees and community groups. Money for these CPA projects is raised locally through a 3% surcharge on property taxes and a state match.

The Eastham Community Preservation Committee is actively soliciting grant applications for FY 2024. Application forms can be found on the town of Eastham website — eastham-ma.gov — for the core funding areas of open space, historic preservation, recreation and affordable housing. The deadline for applications this year is Nov. 2, 2022. The CPA Committee hopes to hear from you.

Mary Shaw of Eastham is chair of the Eastham Community Preservation Committee.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Opinion: Question 4 should have been included in the Mass. voter guide