Welcome to Judy-Land .... (By Anonymous)

(NOTE:  This contributor asked that her/his name be omitted from this article.  Unfortunately, like many others, he/she is reluctant to publicly criticize others.  Perhaps, our little sandbar would become a more rational place if the Silent Majority were more willing to call a spade a spade -- or point out when somebody is using their own head to perform a do-it-yourself colonoscopy!    BS)

It’s got to be pretty interesting going through life as Judy Koenig, Sandwich Emptyprize staffer, observer and opinion expresser on all things Sandwich.

Evidently, Judy is allergic to both fact and reason. This has to be a challenge to her daily living. Judy’s ability to survive despite her truth-based aversions is, I guess, strangely admirable. It’s nice too that the Emptyprize keeps publishing her unique, imagined, one of a kind perspective. 

Last week, Judy decided to write about the Community School. In Judy’s world, that public enterprise was once “profitable.” It’s really something that Judy can imagine and pretend “profits” and “cash” into her own odd reality. For the rest of us, two or three written reports and letters from the Town’s Auditors were enough proof of the school’s long-standing dire fiscal state. 

More Questions than Answers

It appears that, once again, The Emptyprize is more interested in accepting spoon-fed information for a public relations puff piece than they are on providing any "real news".  Their latest stories on the Fire Yacht, SS Overkill, raised many unanswered questions in the minds of folks -- including some who were on-shore watching that day.  

When was the Coast Guard notified?

Did the Sandwich 911 Operator immediately notify USCG when the call came in?   Witnesses say a USCG boat was on the scene seconds after the SFD -- maybe somebody didn't get their invtation to the party on time?  If USCG (as the agency with rescue assets closest to the scene) wasn't dispatched first for a water rescue, somebody needs to be fired.

What about the ambulance?

Because the first fire crew arrived from Station 1 in an SUV, a second crew had to be dispatched from Station 3 in Forestdale with an Ambulance.  This left the remainder of the Town without any Fire or EMS coverage.  Will this be standard procedure for all boat calls?   I'm not pushing for carpooling, but is there any reason the first crew couldn't have ridden over in an ambulance?

What about our neighbors?

Because the entire department was tied up on this call, two Sandwich medical emergencies needed to be handled by the Bourne and West Barnstable Fire Departments.  While mutual aid is an integral part of emergency service, according to the last Town Report, we received aid from surrounding Towns 158 times but only provided aid to them 68 times.  (The prior year we received aid 150 times and only provided it 50 times.)  We are obviously under-staffed, so why are we exacerbating the situation by duplicating a service that is already handled very well by the Coast Guard?  What if we can no longer rely on the generosity of our neighboring towns to pay to provide emergency service to Sandwich on a fairly regular basis?