Welcome to Pond Village's third newsletter |
In addition to celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims discovering our Pond, this past year many of us living in Pond Village realized the constancy and importance of water in our shared history. Fresh water was the draw for the first settlement here. Pond Villagers continue to share land, flora and fauna, and the resources provided by our common watershed and aquifer.
Since the Truro News platform can be used by our neighborhood to enable communication when appropriate to all residents of our watershed, this platform allows us to develop a casual friendly or relaxed forum in which we can share neighborhood “news.”
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Village Businesses that have recently reopened |
Captain's Choice
Captain’s Choice is a casual restaurant offering the freshest seafood, chicken wings, burgers, salads and more in a comfortable relaxed atmosphere. Captain’s is currently open for late lunch, dinner, and take-out with seating outdoors on the lawn, patio, and under the awning. Their full service bar is temporarily closed due to Covid restrictions, but they hope to reopen it later this season. Their partnership with Cape Tip Seafood ensures you get the best the ocean has to offer! Check out their website for more information including hours, menu options and Covid protocols.
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Chequessett Chocolate
The Chequessett Chocolate shop and the High Tide Kitchen have opened for in-person shopping! Owners, Katherine Reed and Josiah Mayo, are excited to welcome the next season after recently being included in the 50 Finest Chocolate Makers and Chocolate Shops by Food and Wine. Make sure to stop in for a coffee and to try one of their recent International Chocolate Award winners, White Lemon Thyme, Monomoy Mochaccino, and Sconset Brown Butter Sage! To learn more about their chocolate bar selections, visit their website.
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All in the Family
Kristen Reed, Pond Village resident and sister to Katie Reed, is the youngest person in Truro's history to be elected to the Select Board. Kristen is one of the original founders of FarmMaid Foods, the parent corporation of Chequessett Chocolate, with which she has been intimately involved over the past decade.
“There’s an entrepreneurial spirit here because it’s a necessity. You need to be resilient and you need to be creative. Constraint breeds creativity and so the Cape really nurtures that.”
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Partnering Again with the Conservation Trust
15 Laura’s Way is a wrap! Given the challenge of raising $125,000 by May 1st (less than 8 weeks) to help the Truro Conservation Trust secure a critical piece of pond front acreage, a group of Pond Villagers went to work: 300 + campaign emails, 42 yard signs, one amazing website, and over 100 generous donations later - we met our goal and then some! This piece of land will soon join the Pond Village Preserve totaling 26.6 acres of conservation and town owned land around the pond and village. But there’s more… While the Village People were working to raise the funds for Laura’s Way, the Trust has been working on securing even more property for the Preservation! The extra money raised will go into a fund for this next phase. So, it’s not over, and you haven’t missed your chance to be a part of this amazing vision. To learn more or donate, go to PondVillage.org
In the notes section, please designate your donation for the Pond Village Preserve. Thank you!
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Conservation Partnership Celebrates Earth Day
Traveling Pond Road in North Truro, a favorite route of dog owners, cyclists, and people on their way to Cold Storage Beach for a swim or another gorgeous sunset, you might take the rural, serene setting for granted. As you look across Pilgrim Pond to the sweeping expanse of marsh and hill on the other side, it is hard to imagine it looking or being any different. “We live at the end of the earth in a beautiful place.’’
Pond Village is always changing and at one time was home to a wide array of industry and endeavor. The small, red house at 18 Pond Road was once a barber shop. A little way up the street at 24 Pond Road is a former art school, which was an ice house before that. The large blue house with the Greek columns at 7 Pond Road was a popular restaurant in the past.
Change is the only constant, but as of last week one thing that won’t be changing is that treasured view across the pond.
In celebration of Earth Day the Truro Conservation Trust announced to about 30 people gathered at the Pilgrim Pond Park that as of that morning, the last $63 of the $125,000 needed in private funding to purchase a 1.4 acre lot on the southern shore of the Pond had been secured. Enthusiasm for this project was boundless; it took less than 60 days for the Pond Village Volunteers to raise those funds. The baseline funding was provided by a generous anonymous donor, the Truro Conservation Trust also made a sizable contribution, and in the final stretch another generous donor matched individual contributions to reach the goal for private donations.
At the Celebration, Fred Gaechter of the Trust explained that purchasing the land means more than just preserving a serene vista. The purpose of setting aside any land from development is threefold: Safeguarding the ecosystem, the wildlife, and the rural character of a place. Gaechter apprised the attendees that buying the land is the easy part; stewardship of the land is more involved. So now that we are the new stewards of 1.4 acres of undisturbed marshes, trees, and one very old, barely traceable fire road (ask Sheila Coleman how to take that walk sometime), roll up your sleeves. The real work begins. What a GREAT Earth Day Celebration for Pond Village!
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Postcards from Pond Village
HOW DID COLD STORAGE BEACH GET ITS NAME? (Also known as Freezer Beach!)
The booming weir fishing industry on Cape Cod in the late 1800’s led to the construction of fish freezer plants, also called cold storage plants. One was built in North Truro in 1893 on Cape Cod Bay, and could process three thousand barrels of fish at a time. The plant was strategically located next to the North Truro railroad stop so the frozen fish could be loaded directly onto the train to Boston. Visit the Truro Historical Society (when they open again) to find out more about weir fishing and freezer plants. More...
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What's Blooming in Pond Village?
Three Months of Daffodils and Narcissus
Daffodils and narcissus are one of the most welcome signs of spring, and they are also one of the very easiest flowers to grow. With May now upon us, we are past peak daffodil season. But by choosing the right varieties, you can have daffodils from March through the end of May.
The very earliest to bloom is Rijnveld’s Early Sensation, an old-fashioned yellow trumpet style that can bloom as early as late February on the protected south side of your house. Other very early bloomers are February Gold (more of a late March bloomer here on the Cape), the miniature Topolino, and Ice Follies, the top-selling daffodil on the market today.
The bulk of varieties are mid-season bloomers – too many to name—but two favorites are Thalia (pure white with several graceful blooms to a stem), and Actaea, a fragrant narcissus that opens a soft yellow and fades to pure white.
Two late bloomers are Stratosphere, a very tall, fragrant jonquil type, and Sun Disc, which forms nice clumps covered in small soft yellow flowers. The very last to flower (still in bloom on Memorial Day) is Sinopel, an interesting narcissus type with white petals and a small green cup. More…
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The Return of Ollie the Otter
Going back to the summer of 1997, Pond Village residents reported seeing otters in the Pond, but the staff at the Wellfleet Audubon scoffed at the alleged sightings. After an otter showed up as roadkill on Rt. 6 near East Harbor (aka Pilgrim Lake) in the winter of 97-98, by the summer of 1998 most humans had accepted that otters had fully and clearly arrived on the Outer Cape. Fast forward to 2021, few would challenge that the Village Pond is home to 1 - 3 or more charming and playful otters. Neighbors have named them: “Ollie.”
Who are these Mustelid neighbors? More…
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Pond Village Pooches
Name: Leon Althaus
Named After: Maybe Leon Panetta, Maybe Leon
Spinks, Maybe Leon Trotsky
Nickname: “Village Ambassador”
Breed: Basset Hound
Age: Almost 10
Party Affiliation: Politically Progressive
Hobbies: Taxidermy
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For Some Fun
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and benefit Payomet! Wednesday, May 5, 5 PM
The Payomet dares you NOT to dance!
Las Cafeteras is coming to your home for an online Cinco de Mayo celebration!!
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Healthy Water Habits
Laundry Hints - a 3 part series
There has been much in the recent news about “forever plastics.” Washing clothes that contain synthetic fibers is a major source of environmental pollution. Instead of polyester, nylon, acrylic, fleece, and microfleece, purchase clothes made of eco-friendly materials including: organic hemp, organic linen, recycled cotton and wool, or the next best options: organic cotton, tencel and monocel. It has been suggested that a single load of wash can release up to 700,000 microfibers into our aquifer and therefore into our well-water. More…
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Why do we feature an Environmental Piece in each issue of the Pond Village Voice?
Because Words Matter
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Water Testing Program Update
Thanks to the 50+ Pond Villagers who have thus far participated in our drinking water testing program. Not only has this been helpful to you, it has demonstrated our willingness to engage in important matters of public health.
If you haven't had your water tested, please do so. The larger our sample size the more statistically significant our results, and the stronger our voice in managing the safety of our wells and Pond.
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Financial Help Upgrading Your Septic System
The Truro Board of Health has issued a sunset regulation on cesspools, giving people until Dec. 31, 2023 to replace them.
If you are the owner of a cesspool or failed residential septic system, major financial support is likely available from the Barnstable County Community Septic Management Loan Program. This program provides loans at 5% interest over 20 years to fund all costs directly related to a septic system upgrade that complies with Title 5 requirements. Expenses covered include design and installation, and loans can be approved within 24 hours. Alternative septic systems qualify for funding. State tax credits for septic system repair are also available for primary residence property owners. The funds were made available by the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust, which provides financial assistance to local governments to prevent groundwater pollution and protect drinking water. More information and applications are available at https://www.barnstablecountysepticloan.org
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Revealing Garden Plots in Pond Village
Our village is filled with extraordinary gardens. We would love to add a new monthly feature and are looking for a Village Person to help us develop this. If anyone with perpetually dirty fingernails has an interest, please contact us at PondVillageNewsAdmin. Here is the big benefit - you will gain admission into many of the secret gardens of North Truro.
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Town Meeting Calendar of Key Dates
June 26, 2021 Annual Town Meeting, Time and Location to Be Announced - likely at 10 AM outside at the School, with rain date June 27, but subject to confirmation.
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Want to Help Out in the Neighborhood?
We can use your help in suggesting content to be shared in this newsletter. Even just a few minutes here or there when you have time would be a big help. If you think you can contribute, just click here and let us know.
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About the Pond Village Voice
The Pond Village Voice has been created by a volunteer group of neighbors, to benefit residents of and visitors to the Pond Village Watershed. As always, please email us your news, comments, and suggestions to PondVillageNewsAdmin
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Want Summer News Only?
The Pond Village Voice will be emailed most months throughout the year. If you'd like to put a "seasonal hold" on your free subscription, you can easily do that. Just click here to let us know your preferences.
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