On May 5, after years of emotional debate on whether or not to build a town beach
between Nauset Light and Coast Guard beaches, Eastham voted 502-476
to totally abandon the project (a 2/3 majority was needed to continue). The Ocean Beach project began
in 2002 following a decision by the National Seashore to end drop offs
at Coast Guard beach. Nursing a long time grievance from the
loss of parking spaces at Coast Guard Beach after a 1978 storm, this
decision was the final straw. A group of residents discovered that the
town of Eastham owned 127 acres on the bluff south of Nauset Light and
formed the The Ocean Beach Committee. Committee members worked hard to
address conservation and cost concerns. On Monday night a majority of
town residents decided to leave the undeveloped area alone. Even though
The Committee failed in its primary goal the effort caused the National
Seashore to set aside 72 parking spots (62 at Nauset Light 10 at Coast
Guard) dedicated exclusively to Eastham residents. Here's the
story of Monday night's vote in the Cape Cod Times.
Learn more about the history of Eastham's Ocean Beach here.
|
|
Last Updated ( Saturday, 10 May 2008 )
|
|
 Before and after Cyclone Nargis, NASA images
"Kwagyi is a village on a river island which is so low and exposed that
during
the twelve hours of Cyclone Nargis’s spate, it ceased to be
an island at
all. The waters were six and a half feet high; they covered everything
except
the
buildings, and many of those had been blown away...
Myint Swa the boatman climbed a palm tree and hung on for dear life.
His wife
and eight children cowered in the boat and rode out the boiling
waters."
Kenneth Denby in Pyapon, Burma for Timesonline UK.
Over 1.5 million people are reported to have been severely affected by
the storm. The death toll may reach 100,000+. Help has been offered by world agencies. Unfortunately the prideful, corrupt and worthless dictators of Burma have only recently begun to accept it.
Here's the Wikipedia entry on Nargis
| |
|
