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County leaders step up involvement

June 16, 2005
Cape Cod Times

By DAVID SCHOETZ STAFF WRITER BARNSTABLE - Persuading the state and federal government to send money to soften the economic strain caused by this year's red tide outbreak takes time.

Persuading the Barnstable county government to help does not.

Assembly of Delegates speaker Thomas Bernardo asked the three county commissioners yesterday to put $100,000 toward the effort, suggesting the county use Cape and Islands license plate revenues to fund a red tide educational program.

"There's probably no greater source of regional association to Cape Cod than shellfishing," said Bernardo, Chatham's delegate. "Give a big boost to an industry that's taking it on the chin."

While the trio must determine the best way to help, commissioner Lance Lambros said the county will respond quickly. "That's one of the benefits of being a county," he said.

Lambros said one option might be teaming up with the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and already, the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, the county's educational arm, is active in local shellfishing communities.

Many delegates echoed Bernardo's concerns, sharing stories from their respective towns and in some cases, their personal lives.

Dennis delegate John Ohman owns Liam's at Nauset Beach, a Cape Cod clam shack. He told the commissioners he's tired of explaining to customers that it's OK to eat scallops despite their red tide paranoia.

Fred Fenlon of Eastham piggybacked off Ohman. Fenlon walks the beach each day, and said he's had tourists tell him there's no way they would swim with these type of conditions. They don't want to get sick, he said.

The harmony yesterday over the county's need to pitch in was a contrast to relations two weeks ago, when a contentious county budget dispute had the executive and legislative branches speaking through lawyers.

But most county leaders agreed there's no time to waste on red tide.

"We get involved with a lot of other public health issues," said George Bryant of Provincetown. ''We should get involved in this one.''

David Schoetz can be reached at dschoetz@capecodonline.com.