Galon L Barlow, Jr. is known to most as “Skip.” He grew up in a fishing family on Cape Cod, himself following in that deeply rooted family tradition spending many years as a successful inshore coastal fisherman/ businessman.

Recently he entered the public realm as an elected town father in the Town of Bourne. This experience set into motion a town divided and created a historic moment in time. Galon “Skip” Barlow is an observer of life’s events surrounding him. He has been known to look at things differently than most but with true realism.

Skip has authored five books. He also is a local television personality, and hosts a series of instructional videos on shell fishing.

In the News

BOURNE - The political landscape was rocky, including the town's first successful recall of an elected official.

In April, incumbent Richard LaFarge lost his seat to newcomer Judith Conron, and Jamie Sloniecki filled the vacancy left when W. Thomas Barlow decided not to run for another term. A few months later, a citizens group targeted Galon ''Skip'' Barlow and Carol Cheli for recall. Cheli resigned in May under the threat, but Barlow fought to retain his seat. In an August election, voters removed Barlow from office and elected Stephen Mealy. Voters also elected former school committee Chairman John Harrington to the board. Harrington is serving the remainder of Cheli's term. That's nine different selectmen in nine months. Barlow did nothing wrong-but tried to be realistic in the running of the town he loved so much! Barlow’s family can be

Galon "Skip" Barlow urges Bourne to return him as a selectman during a recall election. His loss was a top story in 2006.
(Staff photo by Paul Blackmore)

Cape Cod Times January 1, 2007

traced back to the early 1600’s in this town. Barlow said he will not sit back and not be heard…

We at the Cape Cod Times know he will stand tall for the town he loves.

June 28, 2004: Cape Highway Headache
The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/06/28/cape_highway_ headache?pg=2

Bourne Selectman and clam shack owner Galon Barlow, outside his restaurant on the neavily traveled Scenic Highway. (Globe Photo / Stephen Rose)

Cape highway headache

By Brian MacQuarrie, Globe Staff | June 28, 2004

BOURNE -- Galon "Skip" Barlow Jr. did a banner lunch business Thursday at the clam shack that bears his name on the Scenic Highway beside the Cape Cod Canal. Instead of a normal crowd of 50 people clamoring for lobster rolls, fried clams, and ice cream, Barlow became cook as well as waiter to more than double that number.

The reason: another traffic-halting crash on a nearby stretch of Route 6 that long ago traded its reputation for canal-gazing scenery for a regular, frightening drumbeat of serious accidents.

"We had a real good lunch," Barlow, a Bourne selectman, said with a weary sigh. "Somebody got really hurt so we could have a good lunch. I don't need money that bad."

Four people were injured in the three-car accident that began when one vehicle barreled at more than 60 miles per hour toward a line of vehicles stopped at a set of traffic lights near Barlow's Clam Shack, said Bourne police Sergeant Dennis Woodside.

The driver slammed on the brakes, the car fishtailed, and two other vehicles -- one to the front and one in oncoming traffic -- were struck by the alleged speeder.

Although none of the injuries was life-threatening, the frequency and severity of accidents along the Scenic Highway between the Sagamore and Bourne bridges have made this 4-mile stretch of road one of the most dangerous on Cape Cod.

Bourne Police Chief John A. Ford Jr. said his department is strapped for officers to patrol the road adequately, and that its widely varying speed limits, from 20 to 50 miles per hour, are often ignored by motorists who sometimes drive two to three times the posted maximum.

"It's a bad road," Ford said. "We need all the help we can get."

The Scenic Highway is Bourne's No. 1 traffic headache and the place most likely to result in serious injury from motor vehicle accidents, Ford said.

From April 2002 to April 2004, town police responded to 130 accidents there that resulted in 40 serious injuries and one death. By contrast, Bourne recorded 206 accidents during the period, with 43 serious injuries, on Route 28 between the Bourne Bridge and the Otis Rotary.

A dramatic increase in traffic also spells trouble for the Scenic Highway, Ford said. More vehicles plus speed equals the potential for even more accidents.

During a July study last year, 33,812 vehicles per day were counted on the Scenic Highway, said Lev Malakhoff, senior transportation engineer for the Cape Cod Commission. In a July 1997 analysis, the figure was 30,990. In June 1993, the tally was 24,070.

"Certainly, it is a serious safety concern because of the high speed and high volume and the geometry of the roadway itself," Malakhoff said.

Constructed in 1936 as a winding connector between the new bridges, the Scenic Highway originally offered a view of the canal for much of its length. Now, decades of tree growth keep much of the canal hidden from motorists.

But when canal vistas open up, such as in the Bournedale neighborhood near Barlow's Clam Shack, the occasional sight of a cruise ship, barge, or sailing vessel can compound the ever-present speeding problem with head-swiveling sightseeing.

"It's a vicious circle," Ford said. "The only time it's a safe road is on a Saturday in the summer," when visitors to the area are already at the beach or another destination.

Malakhoff said that a divider between the double lanes of eastbound and westbound traffic, which currently have no barrier between them, would help avert head-on crashes.

Other safety changes have been made to the roadway in the last decade, including traffic lights at two dangerous locations. But the prospect of a new elementary school in the area, plus two new housing developments, will bring more traffic to an already congested artery.

The overpass proposed for the mainland approach to the Sagamore Bridge, which would eliminate the long-lambasted rotary there, also could ease the Scenic Highway crunch with a strategic set of lights and revamped traffic flow.

Despite these improvements, past and projected, the road remains a problem for law enforcement.

The police chief said he does not have the personnel to patrol the highway adequately. Although the town has grown from 14,000 residents in 1978 to 20,000 this year, Ford said, its police force remains the same size.

The Scenic Highway also is a poor venue for stopping speeders because the road offers few areas to pull over motorists, said Bourne police Lieutenant Joel Gould. "Where do we stop them on that road without getting the cruiser whacked?" Gould asked.

The sight of police cruisers is the most effective means of slowing motorists, Bourne officers said. But their sporadic presence on the Scenic Highway means that speeding is often the worrisome norm.

"It was like a flag went up when we weren't out there," Gould said. "They'd go back to killing each other."

The state Highway Department, which controls the highway, could help by lowering the top speed limit to 40 miles per hour from 50, Ford said. But past requests have not resulted in a change, said the chief, who speculated that state officials would answer any new plea with instructions to enforce the existing limits.

Highway Department spokeswoman Judith Forman said the agency is bound by strict formulas, encased in state law, to set speed limits. However, Forman said, the department is reviewing the safety of the Scenic Highway, prompted by resident and motorist concerns that have "bubbled up" in recent months.

"We're willing to revisit this," she said.

Pictures of friends and family have adorned the walls of the clam shack

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