PROVINCETOWN — New data emerged last week on the global outbreak of the monkeypox virus. A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that cases are falling off in […]
Archives for 2022
INCLUSIONARY BYLAW
Two Multi-Unit Projects Spark Neighborhood Ire
Some affordable units are included, but abutters see much else to dislike
PROVINCETOWN — A town that almost universally supports affordable housing and that routinely endorses housing provisions at town meeting has suddenly found itself somewhere unexpected — in a housing fight. […]
HEALTH CARE
Abortion Rights Bill Lacks Cape Cod Access Expansion
The bill protects reproductive health providers from prosecution by other states
Although women’s rights advocates are cheering the passage of a reproductive rights act, the new state law doesn’t do anything to improve the situation on Cape Cod, which has been […]
POND SCUM
Cyanobacteria Blooms Rise With Water Temperatures
Swimmers are advised to learn to spot and report ephemeral blooms
TRURO — Kettle ponds, the glittering pools of fresh water that are one of the Outer Cape’s most prized natural features, are facing a growing threat caused not only by […]
ASYLUM
Two Afghan Women Flee the Taliban and Land in Wellfleet
The sisters are safe but hoping to rescue the rest of their family
WELLFLEET — Maryam and Shabnam have been enjoying a typical Outer Cape summer — going to Newcomb Hollow Beach and the Fox and Crow Café and on whale watch excursions […]
OUT AND ABOUT
Dykes Study the Demise (and Plot the Return) of the Lesbian Bar
What’s needed more than safe spaces are places for pride and connection
PROVINCETOWN — Of all the places where one might expect to find a lesbian bar, Provincetown is surely near the top of the list. But residents and tourists say they […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
All About August’s Incandescence
Be patient and the Perseids will offer their summer show
The Earth is plunging through the debris trail of Comet Swift-Tuttle right now. It happens every August. The debris consists mostly of rocks about half an inch across, tumbling through […]
BACK TO THE GARDEN
Conifers Are the Heart of the Year-Round Garden
The conifer bed is an exercise in the appreciation of subtlety
Flowers get a lot of attention, and for good reason. They are wondrous, wild, living bursts of color. They are also fleeting, with some blossoms lasting only a day. Deciduous […]
RUNNING
Athletes Prepare for Half Marathon on the Beach
The annual Cape Cod Outer Beach Run, Relay, and Walk is this Sunday
WELLFLEET — The Cape Cod Outer Beach Half Marathon, scheduled for this Sunday, Aug. 14 at 7 a.m., is not for the faint of heart. It’s 13.1 miles on sand, […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
Corn Chowder With BLT Salsa Is a Marriage Made in August
A light, no-cream soup is the base for a bacon, herb, and tomato topping
When my next-door neighbor left a bag of local corn and tomatoes on my doorstep, it was like Christmas in July. I am polyamorous when it comes to corn and […]
READING ROOM
When the Big Bad Wolf Walks in the Door
A children’s book about domestic abuse might be best read in a supportive setting
The book was handed to me by my daughter’s friend with a request to read it aloud. We were at the Wellfleet Public Library, and as I started reading, I realized […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Limit Reached, Commercial Season for Stripers Closes
The case for revising catch limits to decrease losses of ‘shorts’
Commercial striped bass fishing closed for the season on Aug. 3 and will not reopen until next June. The 735,240-pound quota was filled, and that’s all she wrote. It was […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 9 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
CAPE COD BASEBALL
Orleans Swept by Yarmouth-Dennis in Playoffs
Firebirds finish with 18-22-4 record overall
ORLEANS — The number-three seeded Orleans Firebirds were swept out of the Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs by the number-two Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, ending the Firebirds’ 2022 campaign. Orleans finished […]
BUGGIES & BIRDS
On ‘the Outer,’ Piping Plover Protection Is Working
From Nauset Beach to Race Point, shorebird programs balance over-sand vehicle access
ORLEANS — From the sandy bank of Pochet Creek emerge two small piping plover chicks. Their fuzzy plumage serves as camouflage against the sand, making it nearly impossible to spot […]
