ORlEANS ANNUAl TOwN REPORt FOR YEAR ... - Town Of Orleans

The Freshwater Lake and Pond Monitoring Program continues with technical andanalytical support provided by the Cape Cod National Seashore's lab in Truro and thePALS (Pond and Lake Stewardship) project of the Cape Cod Commission. In 2008,freshwater pond samples were collected by volunteers from 16 Orleans ponds. Thissummer several ponds showed the signs of stress with algae blooms and fish killsevident. The declining water quality in freshwater ponds is caused by phosphorus, thekey growth nutrient in freshwater systems. Sources of phosphorus include road runoff,lawn fertilizers, and dishwashing detergents. Citizens can reduce the rate ofdeterioration of water quality in our ponds by reducing the use of fertilizers and choosingto use dishwashing detergents that do not contain phosphorus.Any property owner who wishes to have a pond sampled may leave a request andcontact information with the Planning Department. The sampling will be done in Augustand September.Volunteers are needed each summer to carry out monitoring in our estuaries andfreshwater ponds. Those with boats, canoes or kayaks are urgently needed. Trainingwill be provided. Contact information can be left with the Planning Department at TownHall.The Task Force wishes to honor several long-standing volunteers who have spent manyyears advocating for the health of Orleans waters. Bea Auty and Don Powers have bothretired from the Task Force after many years of dedication and service to the Town. Pegand Bob Wineman retired last year from their role as coordinators of the Pleasant Baysamplers. We thank them and all the volunteers who have faithfully captured watersamples through the past ten years. More than 200 citizen volunteers have beeninvolved in the collection of estuary data in Orleans in the past decade. Through theirefforts they have added significantly our knowledge and appreciation of the value of ourtown’s marine and aquatic resources.Respectfully submitted,Carolyn L. Kennedy, ChairmanNAUSET REGIONAL SCHOOL COMMITTEEWith the generous support of our four region towns, Brewster, Eastham, Orleans, andWellfleet, the students in our Region Schools have established new high watermarks instudent achievement.Nauset Regional Middle School provides its students with a range of programs thataddress academic, social and physical development. From exemplary special needsprograms to honors courses, the school consistently challenges the academic progressof its young scholars. In the world of technology, the school now has four computer labsand provides varied technology instruction to all students. Our health and physicaleducation components continue to focus on nutrition, exercise, and behavioral healthissues related to student development. Through the efforts of each grade levelcounselor, all students participate in activities which address both inside and outside-ofschoolconcerns such as peer mediation, anti-bullying strategies, and conflict resolution.The MCAS test scores continue to demonstrate the school’s commitment to academicexcellence. Mathematics, English/Language Arts, and the sciences are the focus of168