Guest Speakers: Provincetown Independent Editor, Ed Miller and Publisher, Teresa Parker
Against the Odds – Starting a Local Newspaper on Cape Cod.
Thoughts from the founders of the Provincetown Independent

Click here to see a recording of the forum

Since 2005 the United States has lost a quarter of its newspapers.  Many of the survivors are characterized as ‘zombie papers’ as news staff have been laid off and local content has shrunk.  Some areas are news deserts where there are no papers at all.  The drivers of this decline are many and the consequences are complicated – but troubling – for a healthy democracy.  In the face of these realities, the notion of a start-up paper on the outer edge of Cape Cod might not seem like a good idea.

Ed Miller and Teresa Parker thought differently.  They are both strong believers in the practice of professional journalism at the local level which is a cornerstone of democracy.  They thoughtfully and carefully embraced the risk and established The Provincetown Independent in 2019.  They are still in business.

Ed is the Editor of the paper and Teresa is the Publisher.  In 2022 the paper was recognized by the New England Newspaper and Press Association as ‘The Newspaper of the Year’ of those with circulations over 5,000.  What gives?

Ed and Teresa shared their story and their views on the news landscape at our Annual Meeting.  Both have impressive resumes with lots of experience in business and the media.  Ed established two weekly newspapers before the Independent, one magazine and a book publishing company.  He taught writing at Sarah Lawrence and Harvard, served as an associate editor of the Provincetown Banner for 4 years  and has written five books.  Teresa was a senior manager at the Ernst and Young Center for Business Innovation, ran her own travel business and helped several start up local organizations, including the incubator that became the Wellfleet OysterFest.

Watch the video for a stimulating tour d’horizon of today’s news world.

Prior to Ed and Teresa’s presentation, we held a brief business meeting and election of 2023-2024 Board Members and Officers. The following documents were voted on at the business meeting: By-Laws;   Conflict-of-interest-policy

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping
the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town

CANDIDATES FORUM
What can we look forward to from the Select Board?
Thursday, April 27, 2023

Click here to see a recording of the forum

Orleans’ town election will take placeTuesday, May 16, Much of the ballot will include a number of items related to action at the Spring Town Meeting.

There are also a number of positions that will be voted on, including two Select Board seats.

Andrea Shaw Reed and Mefford Runyon have filed papers for these positions.  Both are incumbents who will be running for re-election.

On Thursday, April 27, the candidates participated in a Candidates Forum hosted by the Orleans Citizens Forum at the Nauset Room in Town Hall.  This was an in-person event, live streamed, accessible by zoom and archived on the Town and Orleans Forum websites.

The candidates were introduced, given a chance to make short statements about their priorities during their second term.  A question-and-answer session followed.

 

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping
the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town

What do we need to know to be informed voters?
April 20, 2023

Click HERE to watch a recording of the forum.

To help residents prepare for the town meeting and election, the Orleans Citizens Forum hosted a presentation on some of its major components on April 20, 2023. The meeting was in-person presentation, live streamed, accessible by zoom, and archived on the Town and Orleans Citizens Forum websites. The panel included the following speakers and topics.

Charles Sumner, Acting Town Administrator:  Budget overrides.

Tom Daley, Director, Public Works and Natural Resources:  Herring Run Renewal Warrant.
View Tom’s presentation by clicking here

Kevin Galligan, Member, Select Board and Wastewater Management Committee: Water warrants.
View Kevin’s presentation by clicking here

Alan McClennen, Chair, Affordable Housing Trust: Update on community housing.
View Kevin’s presentation by clicking here

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping
the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town

On  March 2, the forum hosted a panel discussion on Doing Business in Orleans: Perspectives from the Front Line. This session built on two recent forums that looked at some long term economic trends we face, town planning in relation to those trends, and possible investments in capital projects to enhance both growth prospects and the quality of life in the community.

The forum explored the impact of these trends on Orleans’ business community.  Among challenges faced by businesses are the impact the pandemic has had on our habits and priorities, the lack of affordable housing for our workforce, and the need to improve quality of life for all members of our community – from preschoolers to senior citizens.

Despite these and other challenges, there are successful businesses in town, and occasional new businesses springing up. Orleans’ residents have a strong desire to create a year-round vibrant town center.

The questions that were explored at this forum built on some of the discussions already taking place at town hall, the Chamber of Commerce, and all around town:

• What lessons have been learned?
• How can we build on the successes?
• How is the business community tackling the obstacles that stand in their way?
• How can the Town and its citizens work with the business community to help make this happen?

The panelists shared their experiences and thoughts on these issues, answered questions from the audience and gained their perspectives as well.  They were:

• Cameron Hadfield – The Rail Restaurant
• Brian Junkins – Friends Market
• Dawn Lee – Gibson Sotheby’s
• Pam Andersen – Community Development Partnership

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town

• A new library
• A new fire-rescue station
• The development of the Governor Prence property
• A community center

While all these projects will not be starting up at the same time, and some will not be built for a long time, the planning has already begun, and it’s important that citizens have information and answers to questions such as:

• What is the current status of these projects?
• How will they contribute to the quality of life in Orleans?
• What are some of the fiscal considerations associated with funding such capital projects?

A knowledgeable panel addressed these issues and answered participants’ questions. 

Speakers for the January 26^th Forum were:

• Tom Finan, Chair, New Fire-Rescue Station Feasibility Study Committee
• Steven Gass, Member, Trustees of Snow Library
• Fritz Luft, Chair, Community Center Feasibility Task Force
• John Sargent, Chair, Governor Prence Planning Committee
• Scott Walker, Orleans Treasurer/Collector

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping
the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town

Orleans Housing: How extensive is the housing crisis in Orleans? What do we mean by ‘affordable housing’? Which housing needs should we address? Do we have viable solutions?

The Orleans Citizens Forum hosted a forum digging deeper into the ‘housing problem’. Everyone agrees we need ‘affordable housing’, but everyone is not talking about the same thing. There are multiple housing needs, each with its own challenges. If we are going to tackle the housing problem in Orleans we need to understand the problem thoroughly. Who are the housing-stressed people in Orleans and how do we prioritize their needs? Whom do we want to provide housing for: Low-income or missing middle-income families? Young professionals or hourly wage earners? Municipal employees or labor force for area businesses? Grown children of our neighbors or people commuting to work in Orleans? All of the above? Lastly, we need to look at the resources needed and obstacles faced to provide the different types of housing needed to allow people to live and work here.

Fran McClennen, of the Affordable Housing Committee, explained the types of housing needs facing Orleans, and helped us understand the terminology used to define these needs. View Fran’s presentation by clicking here.

Lisa Simundson, Executive Director, Orleans Chamber of Commerce, illustrated the effect lack of affordable housing has on local businesses. In turn, we saw how all of us are affected by the lack of services driven by the housing shortage.

Hadley Luddy, Chief Executive Officer, Orleans Homeless Prevention Council (HPC), put a face on the housing and financially stressed residents of the Lower and Outer Cape. View Hadley’s presentation by clicking here.

Marsha Allgeier, Affordable Housing Coordinator for the Town of Orleans, spoke to the challenges we face providing affordable and attainable housing, including available government subsidies, other possible incentives and strategies, and ongoing planning and efforts needed. View Marsha’s presentation by clicking here.

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town

The following panelists explored these questions and discussed potential ramifications for the future, depending on how the Town and the Cape in general chooses to address these issues.

Chloe Schaefer, Chief Planner of the Cape Cod Commission, presented data that underlies regional priorities and talk about how regional trends and goals impact the Cape, and Orleans in particular. View Chloe’s presentation here

George Meservey, Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Orleans, focused in on Orleans’ Comprehensive Plan, how it’s impacted by the regional vision, and the anticipated consequences of various options versus doing nothing.90

Andrea Reed, Orleans Select Board Chair and Former Chair of the Orleans Planning Committee, elaborated on the planning process for key Town initiatives.