TRURO — On a Thursday morning in early December, Rana O’Laughlin arrives at Jelena Duarte’s house, greeted by Pickle the cat and Duarte’s 18-month-old daughter, Vera. The atmosphere is subdued, […]
Archives for 2024
WATER QUALITY
Sewer District Lots Exempted From Upgrades
Board of health considers triggers for fixing Wellfleet septic systems
WELLFLEET — The board of health got mixed reactions when it brought an amended version of its new septic system regulations to the select board on Dec. 10. The resulting […]
PROVINCETOWN HOUSING
Developers Propose 40 Condos, 30 Below Market
Select board likes idea of $4 million to subsidize condos instead of rentals
PROVINCETOWN — The latest effort to create middle-income housing here underwent a major revision this month when the select board endorsed a change in plans for a new 40-unit building […]
MENTAL HEALTH
ARPA-Funded Behavioral Health Clinician Serves the Outer Cape
Short-term counseling is free, designed as a bridge to longer-term care
EASTHAM — Even in the best of circumstances, accessing mental and behavioral health care can become a Herculean journey. The country’s mental health care system is byzantine, there are rarely […]
ON PAUSE
Political Signs Are a Reminder of Unenforced Bylaw
‘Save Cape Cod’ did not register its spending with state, yet its signs linger on Route 6
TRURO — A fleet of roadside signs urging drivers to “Vote NO” on Question 7 remained on the public right-of-way along Route 6 for weeks before and after election day […]
CENTENARIANS
A Man of Habit and Adventure
He’s 100, but Frank Koebel has always been on the young side
WELLFLEET — It seemed to Frank Koebel that he was always the youngest in everything. When he started school in Columbus, Ohio at five, he was young for his class. […]
DEVELOPMENT
With Septic Plan Approved, Collins Cove Sale May Proceed
Lawyers say they’re close to deal on cottages that buyer will convert to condos
EASTHAM — Despite a bitter disagreement between the sellers and a prospective buyer, the Collins Cove Cottage Colony, a cluster of summer rentals on the shore of Town Cove owned […]
HISTORY
In Search of Helltown
Stephan Cohen’s story of a place that’s not quite what popular lore imagines
PROVINCETOWN — It’s here — you just have to picture it. Imagine it’s midwinter in 1871 and your frozen feet are planted on a sandy stretch of what is now […]
THE ESSENTIALS
A New Year’s Tradition Based on an Old-World Confection
This fragrant orange-almond cake rises gently to the occasion
As traditions often do, this one developed at our house out of necessity. It’s a celebratory cake made with oranges and almonds but without wheat flour, milk, butter, or leavening […]
MORNING FLIGHT
When a Bird Ignores Its Zugunruhe
Looking for lingerers and finding the reasons some birds stay here for the winter
Zugunruhe is one of those perfect German words that have no equivalent in English, so we Anglophones just decided to steal it outright. The word translates as “migration-anxiety” and describes […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s early deadline on Monday, Dec. 23 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s […]
TO THE MAT
Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee
How Bhramari, a practice of breath control, can calm the mind and body
There are lots of opportunities to be as busy as a bee during these winter holidays. As we hustle toward the dawn of the New Year, it can be hard […]
TRACK
A New Runner Sets Her Sights on an Old Record
For Amina Iliusinova, America is an invitation to take sports seriously
EASTHAM — Amina Iliusinova had never run track before she joined the team at Nauset Regional High School as a junior last spring. She had been a high jumper at […]
NATURAL SELECTION
Never Too Soon for Sunscreen
Last week we marked the winter solstice, the daylight’s yearly nadir; now, each subsequent day will bring with it incrementally more sunshine. Xanthoria parietina is ready. The orange coloring of […]
GRAVEYARD SHIFT
A Tree Grows in Truro. But Who Planted It?
The legend of the Chinese mulberry might have to be enough
TRURO — Planting a tree is an act of hope, a belief in tomorrow, a promise to future generations one will never have the chance to meet. It makes sense, […]
