All Stories

ENVIRONMENT

WELLFLEET — Agnes Mittermayr, a marine ecologist at the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Provincetown, has coined a new term to describe the dark, sludgy material that fills Wellfleet […]

DEMOCRACY

At the start of each legislative session, Mass. State House lawmakers write their own rules for how bills will be introduced, studied, debated, and voted on over the next two […]

POLICING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

PROVINCETOWN — Massachusetts’s new police reform bill will change many aspects of policing, including training and certification, with new use-of-force rules, a duty to intervene and stop other officers from […]

HOUSING

TRURO — After more than a year of hearings, on Jan. 14, the Cloverleaf — which will give Truro 39 units of mostly affordable rental housing at 22 Highland Road […]

SCHOOL RENOVATION

EASTHAM — The Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA) has confirmed that the Nauset Regional High School renovation is eligible for a third extension of the deadline for qualifying for a […]

LET'S GET FISCAL

PROVINCETOWN — Even during the pandemic, the short-term rental tax is bringing in serious money to the four Outer Cape towns. The long-awaited tax — technically, an expansion of the […]

EFFLUENT

TRURO — The 100 Truro residents who have cesspools will have three years to hire engineers, get permits, and install new Title 5 septic systems if a proposed board of […]

BASKETBALL

EASTHAM — John Piemontese, head coach of the Nauset girls basketball team, said before the season started that the team’s goal was to win the Cape and Islands League championship. […]

WRITER’S LIFE

The quiet winter months on the Outer Cape call many to their desks to tell their stories in writing. And in this particularly dark winter, that call can seem more […]

THE CLOTH

PROVINCETOWN — Kate Wilkinson is tired. Which is no surprise. Who isn’t? It’s hardly controversial to write that hardly anything is going well right now. (I ask Tom Ryan, former […]

WARRIORS WATCH

Friday, Jan. 22 Boys and girls swimming: Nauset hosts a virtual swim meet against the Barnstable Red Raiders at 4 p.m. Girls basketball: The Warriors are scheduled to play an […]

A CUPPA

Odds are, you have a favorite mug. The one at the front of your cabinet or always on your drying rack, waiting to be picked up again. It fits your […]

THE LONG VIEW

TRURO — Philosophy trains the mind to take the long view of things. You try to take yourself out of the picture and see things as they truly are, undistorted […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The Sun enters the sign of Aquarius this week. Aquarius is the realm of brotherhood, of breaking boundaries, and of a bohemian approach to this bothersome thing called life. Even […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 19 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

FROM THE SNACKBOOK

It is easy to forget how special it is to be able to find free seafood across the street. I’m a washashore from a landlocked desert state, so it still […]

ROCK HARBOR

EASTHAM — The Rock Harbor Capital Projects Committee voted on Jan. 11 to accept “design number two” for a harbormaster’s office, a shed-like, 563-square-foot building on eight-foot pilings. “I like […]

COURT REPORT

TRURO — Ron Singer, a local plumber who admitted clear-cutting a swath of conservation land by his house on Francis Farm Road, has paid the Truro Conservation Trust to restore […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch.  Thursday, Jan. 21 Economic Development Committee, 1 p.m. Board of Health, 4 p.m. Zoning Board of […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to www.truro-ma.gov, click on the meeting you want to watch, and open its agenda for instructions on how to watch or take part online. Thursday, Jan. […]

Meetings are held remotely. From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely. […]

PHOTOGRAPHY

“Clear mind, tabula rasa, the four corners of the frame, calm breath,” photographer Lew Schwartz says as he prepares to shoot. “Someone on the street brushes away a mosquito, waves […]

MIXING MEDIA

A red sky is bisected by a darker red column, shadowed in black. Affixed are three paper fragments. The one at left is sheet music from Arthur Berger’s Trio for […]

BOOK REVIEW

Under no circumstances should you crack the covers of Amber Ruffin’s and Lacey Lamar’s You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey in a place you need to be quiet — […]

VIGNETTE

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OP-ED

Should I be so lucky as to reach old age, I imagine I will be asked what I did during the pandemic year, when a virus set fire to the […]

SKETCHBOOK

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

My last column (“The Bradford Street Wave”) came out on Jan. 7. In it, I decried the threat of violence that hung in the air and pled for reaching out […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘A Pitiful Display’ To the editor: My heart almost broke for the much maligned and persecuted Nick Nickerson and his “wife of two weeks” [“Nick Nickerson’s Day of Infamy,” Jan. […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

I’ve been thinking about the relationship between local newspapers and town leaders and wondering if what happens in small towns bears any resemblance to what’s been going on (and not […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Jan. 11 to Jan. 15, 2021. PROVINCETOWN Jan. 11. Allan P. Dillabough and Jonathan Runge to William Clay Faquin. 93 Commercial […]

John Burgess of Orleans died at Cape Cod Hospital on Jan. 8, 2021 following a stroke. He was 74 years old. A newspaper writer and editor in Boston for more […]

Peter Strom Goldstein of New York City and Truro died on Jan. 8, 2021 in New York. He was 91. Peter was born in Passaic, N.J. in 1929. After graduating […]

CLASSIFIEDS

CONNECTIONS Let’s Correspond. Conservative, unattached, financially secure widower seeks lady with similar qualities as pen pal friend. I can best be reached via phone at 716-652-0142. [3-11] ART CLASSES Online: […]

HERSTORIES

PROVINCETOWN — Michael Cestaro’s short film White Space will screen on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. on Zoom. In it, four women of color — Mozelle Andrulot, Alejandra Cuadra, […]

WATERSHED

TRURO — On the eve of the expected approval of what would be the town’s largest affordable housing development, a group calling itself Concerned Members of the Pond Village Watershed […]

SCHOOLS

EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional School Committee voted 6 to 1 on Jan. 7 to set March 30 as the date for a district-wide vote on the $131.8-million renovation of […]

BEING THERE

EASTHAM — Nathan “Nick” Nickerson III doesn’t regret going to the “rally” on Jan. 6 that turned into a violent storming of the U.S. Capitol, but he does wish that […]

TESTING, PART 7

PROVINCETOWN — Free asymptomatic coronavirus testing will continue on the Outer Cape. The free rapid-testing program that began here on Dec. 23 was scheduled to end on Jan. 10 and […]

HOUSING

WELLFLEET — The planning board voted 5 to 1 at its Jan. 6 meeting to draft a new umbrella bylaw regulating both accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and affordable accessory dwelling […]

National Seashore

WELLFLEET — On March 4 last year, the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission hit another roadblock on the road to reauthorization. The acting deputy director of the National Park […]

NATIONAL SEASHORE

WELLFLEET — On March 4 last year, the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission hit another roadblock on the road to reauthorization. The acting deputy director of the National Park […]

TRACK AND FIELD

EASTHAM — Last season, as a junior at Nauset Regional High School, Monique Malcolm placed first in both the 55-meter dash and 300-meter dash at the MIAA Division 4 track […]

BABYCAKES

Annie Longley and Erik Hamnquist are delighted to introduce Eva Rose and Thora Lillian Longley Hamnquist. Thora is above at left; Eva is on the right. Born at 8:30 a.m. […]

STRANDINGS

Tracks left by marine mammal rescuers were visible from the air after three common dolphins were found stranded at Bee’s River Marsh, near First Encounter Beach in Eastham on January […]

CLEANING HOUSE

As each new year begins, many people are motivated to purge their homes of clutter. “Everyone wants a fresh start,” says Diana Morgan, a professional organizer based in Brewster. But […]

WINTER INTEREST

There is a stillness that lays itself over our gardens during the winter months. Without the vibrant greens of leaves and pops of color from flowering plants, we are reminded […]

FROM THE LARDER

Life in the upside down has pushed me into some kitchen adventures I might not otherwise have entertained. One of them is membership in an “ugly” fruit and vegetable delivery […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Recalling the horoscope from the week of America’s national election, we knew even then that Uranus would play a disruptive role until just before Inauguration Day, when it will station […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 12, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

CROSSWORD #17

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TOWN HALL

WELLFLEET ­— Nearly three months after the abrupt dismissal of the town accountant, the town has filled the position. The new accountant, Heather Michaud, began work on Dec. 14, Town […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch.   Thursday, Jan. 14 Water & Sewer Board, 1 p.m. Public Pier Corp., 3 p.m. Planning Board, […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to www.truro-ma.gov, click on the meeting you want to watch, and open its agenda for instructions on how to watch or take part online. Thursday, Jan. […]

Meetings are held remotely. From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on the meeting you’re interested in to read its agenda and find out how to view and take part remotely.  Thursday, […]

MEDIA

“Community television is about telling the story of a community directly through the voice of the residents,” says Amy Davies. “And that is very appealing to me.” Davies is executive […]

MUSIC

For this new edition of the Indie Playlist, the focus was specifically on music videos and filmed performances. The result? “Radiated country music,” Dante pop, psychedelic Baroque, three harpists with […]

INDIE SCREEN

Watching the superhero movie Wonder Woman 1984 in my living room was a decidedly underwhelming experience. It has big-budget action set pieces and a surfeit of CGI magic, but they […]

DISPATCHES

In the fall, after finishing a summer fellowship at this newspaper, I began a pandemic-induced leave of absence from college. I dreamed of a normal gap year, in which I’d […]

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CAPITOL HAVOC

TRURO — By fomenting a violent uprising against democratic rule last week, President Trump did something unique in American history. He unleashed terror in his own country. Previous presidents have […]

ECHOES OF DR. KING

Living in Provincetown is a unique experience. It seems as if we are at the end of the world, tucked away on a beautiful spit of land, surrounded by glorious […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Mistakes were made, as they say. When newspapers make them (as we did last week, including getting the sponsor of the annual Martin Luther King Day breakfast wrong), we print […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Truro Tempers To the editor: Off-season Cape Cod has always been my favorite time. People wave to each other on the roads, the traffic lessens, and the pace of things […]

Estelle Rose White Nadel died peacefully at home in Wellfleet on Dec. 18, 2020, just a few weeks shy of her 95th birthday. Her family was at her side. Every […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Jan. 4 to Jan. 8, 2021. PROVINCETOWN Jan. 4. Ben S. and Patricia F. Stone to Kyoko and David Gelber. 19 […]

CLASSIFIEDS

THANK YOU On behalf of the Welsh family, thank you for your love and sympathy after the passing of our dear Charlie. He was truly a prince among men. We […]

RECYCLING, PART 2: GLASS

Garbage. It’s a story ripe with complexity. The Independent is dumpster diving into the subject to better understand where the Outer Cape’s garbage goes. In this second installment, we look […]

CLINICAL CARE

ORLEANS — The financial challenges that prompted Cape Cod Healthcare to temporarily shelve its $180-million hospital expansion plan last year and lay off more than 100 employees in late summer […]

THE DREDGE REPORT

PROVINCETOWN — Spudded just east of MacMillan Wharf, the Codfish II is crabbing. Behind her, her pipe threads beneath two piers and floats. Ahead, her cutterhead sinks, spins. Her depth […]

BUSINESS NEWS

EASTHAM — The select board voted four to one on Jan. 4 not to renew Willy’s World’s all-alcohol retail license and common victualer’s license, saying 2018 changes at the facility […]

IMMUNITY

PROVINCETOWN — The Outer Cape is getting vaccinated for Covid. Outer Cape Health Services has been inoculating its staff here and in Wellfleet with the Moderna vaccine. Seashore Point Wellness […]

THE DREDGE REPORT

WELLFLEET — Throwing its weight behind the Balaenidae of Cape Cod Bay, the Army Corps of Engineers on Dec. 30 rejected the town’s last-ditch request for a two-week extension of […]

TOWN FINANCE

EASTHAM — Though there are still some moving parts, as Finance Director Richard Bienvenue called them, the town’s 2022 operating budget of $36,364,711, presented at the select board’s Jan. 4 […]

PUBLIC SAFETY

EASTHAM — Firefighters get trucks and hoses; police officers, cuffs; EMTs, those screaming sirens. But 911 dispatchers? To them goes little glitz, little drama, still less recognition. The job may […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE

WELLFLEET — Following months of racial reckoning inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this was supposed to be a big year for Wellfleet’s 18-year-old Martin Luther King Day observance […]

HOPE IN A VIAL

PROVINCETOWN — Dr. Andrew Jorgensen received a much-hoped-for gift just before Christmas this year, in the form of an initial dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. He’s on track for […]

POST-HOLIDAY HOW TO

“Gratitude.” I feel like this word has taken on such power in recent times. I know I am not alone in trying to make being mindfully thankful a daily practice. […]

THE KIDS COOK

Last fall, I taught a foraging class for Wellfleet Elementary School students. We gathered once a week, after school, rain or shine, and headed out into the woods with no […]

PLAYING IN A PANDEMIC

EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School boys ice hockey team lost its first game of the season to the Nantucket Whalers 3-0 on Saturday, Jan. 2. Though it was […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The Sun and Moon meet in Capricorn this week for the first new Moon of the new year. When setting intentions for a new Moon, consider the qualities of the […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 5, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

HOMESTEADING

For some people, chickens are a gateway farm animal. You start out with a backyard flock. The fresh eggs are nice. So, you start thinking about producing something else, maybe […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch.   Thursday, Jan. 7 Town Manager Search Committee, 5 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. Monday, […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to www.truro-ma.gov, click on the meeting you want to watch, and open its agenda for instructions on how to watch or take part online. Thursday, Jan. […]

Meetings are held remotely. From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely.  […]

LOCAL COLOR

Felipe Ortiz stands on the deck of Wellfleet’s Lechay House, the modernist former home of the late painter James Lechay. The view stretches across the pine forest all the way […]

POETRY

Editor’s note: Truro poet Brendan Galvin’s 19th volume of poems, titled Partway to Geophany, was published by Louisiana State University Press in November 2020. Galvin’s many awards include a Guggenheim […]

BOOK REVIEW

Alexis Pauline Gumbs describes herself as a “queer Black feminist love evangelist and marine mammal apprentice” in Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons From Marine Mammals, published this past November. The description […]

SKETCHBOOK

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STEAMERS

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

PROVINCETOWN — Walking along Bradford Street with my dog, I see the DPW truck coming down the hill. I know many of the DPW guys, and one of them, Paul, […]

UP A CREEK

Cheers, community, from the Lower Cape Outdoor Winter Activities Council! Oh, what a year we’ve wassailed! We hope your holidays were abundant, yet realistic, and that you rejoiced in a […]

FROSTBITE

                      Who hung this here I do not know. He must be from the village, though, And must have brought […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Late on a Tuesday night, with the paper close to being finished, I’m doing the final top edit — the last review, to find any gaffes that have gotten by […]

Ruth Trewhella, a former resident of Provincetown, died on Dec. 29, 2020 in Tucson, Ariz. from complications related to Covid-19. She was 65. Ruth was born on Sept. 19, 1955 […]

The Rev. Robert Keith Dixon, who was known as Tim, died on Dec. 30, 2020 at the University of Connecticut John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington, Conn. He was 84. After […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Parking Lot Relief To the editor: Regarding the plan for solar panels in Provincetown’s historic district that Michael Rodgers referred to in his letter in last week’s Independent: If not […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Dec. 28 to Dec. 31, 2020.   PROVINCETOWN   Dec. 28. Carol Pineo to Kevin Buonaiuto Alcaraz. 501 Commercial St., Unit 16. $549,000. […]

We are grateful to the artists and photographers included here who have helped us create a New Year’s greeting card to the Independent’s readers. This page is available to subscribers. […]

COVID TESTS, PART 6

PROVINCETOWN — A long-running legislative effort to secure free asymptomatic Covid testing for many classes of frontline workers — particularly those employed in health care, restaurants, and retail and hospitality […]

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

PROVINCETOWN — With a real estate market rocket-fueled by the pandemic, housing officials here are calling for action and leadership to secure a larger supply of affordable homes for year-round […]

POINT OF ORDER

TRURO — Since purchasing their beachfront property at 42 Great Hollow Road in 2018, Susan and Wesley Chapman have sent out an annual email inviting their neighbors to be guests […]

WATERFRONT

EASTHAM — The Rock Harbor Improvements Capital Project Committee unveiled a new design concept for the harbormaster’s office at its Dec. 28 meeting. It involved a smaller footprint, lower roofline, […]

LEARNING

PROVINCETOWN — “We don’t sugarcoat anything,” said Dave Consalvi of the horticulture program at the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich. When freshmen explore their options for career […]

SWING TIME

PROVINCETOWN — For some who move off Cape, it’s a challenge to stay away. Like a full-moon tide, the lure of the place pulls them back. This was true for […]

ENVIRONMENT

  EASTHAM — The town and a volunteer property owner, Peter Dobyns, are participating in a wastewater treatment experiment that could alter the finances of controlling nitrogen contamination. The experimental […]

GALLERY

Following the roads and paths of Wellfleet’s Bound Brook Island, you’ll find hillsides covered with bearberry and stands of winterberry along the now-still tidal brook below. There are houses, too […]

SQUID’S EYE VIEW

It seems fitting at the end of this year to find oneself humming “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” “Don’t let the past remind us of what we are not now….” Stephen […]

WORKOUT WOES

PROVINCETOWN — As statewide Covid-19 rates spiked last week, Gov. Charlie Baker tightened pandemic restrictions from the Boston State House. Designed to tamp down the carnage of the holiday season, […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Dec. 29, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

KITCHEN TABLE

The mussel stew we’ve been enjoying forever is a good one: Portuguese-style with linguiça, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. A Cape Cod staple. But over the years we’ve tinkered with the […]

MOVEMENT

Surprise, surprise: working out at home is predicted to be one of the biggest fitness trends of 2021. Already in this year, finding strength training equipment has been a challenge. […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Finally, this year of folly finishes with a full Moon in the watery sign of Cancer, the Moon’s zodiacal domicile. Ruler of the realms of home and family, Cancer is […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

PROVINCETOWN — In January 1868, during the heyday of Provincetown’s whaling era, the Barnstable Patriot noted in a small item, halfway down column two on page two, that four whaling […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch.  Tuesday, Jan. 5 Conservation Commission, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6 Council on Aging, 5 […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to www.truro-ma.gov, click on the meeting you want to watch, and open its agenda for instructions on how to watch or take part online. Monday, […]

Meetings are held remotely. From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you are interested in to open its […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on the meeting you’re interested in to read its agenda and learn how to view and take part remotely. Tuesday, Jan. […]

INDIE SCREEN

August Wilson’s Pittsburgh cycle of 10 plays, one for each decade of the 20th century, is a towering achievement, chronicling the history of African-American life through powerful, personal storytelling. Now, […]

PERFORMANCE

“It’s a new year/ or about to be/ I wanna forgive/ everything that has harmed me.” These are the opening lyrics of the song “New Year,” by Bitch, formerly half […]

EYE FOR AN EAR

As more and more music making goes online — with YouTube videos, pre-recorded concerts, and live-streams — music critics are having to become more like film critics. They are having […]

VIGNETTE

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CELEBRATION

This fall, I designed four weddings and my best friend’s funeral. Planning a memorable gathering in a pandemic may sound impossible. In reality, all five events were experiences I will […]

DOCTORS’ ORDERS

The administration of the first safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines is reason for hope and celebration. The pandemic is global and the effort to combat its devastation must be international. […]

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK

In the same week that we were gathering the work of local artists for this special Art & Photography issue to kick off 2021, an article in the New York […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Are More Hotel Rooms Needed? To the editor: I am writing in support of Mr. Scott Ravelson’s, Mr. Robert Anderson’s, and Mr. Patrick Patrick’s effort “to annul the variances and […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Part-time Provincetown resident Frank J. Pantano died suddenly on Dec. 20, 2020 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The cause was still unknown at press time. He was 65. Born […]

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Dec. 21 to Dec. 24, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Dec. 21. Sebastian J. and Dawn Snow to William Peter Forni Jr. 29 Alden […]

CLASSIFIEDS

HELP WANTED Carpenters needed, skilled or semi-skilled. Own transportation and basic hand tools a must. If interested, call Winard Construction, 508-487-2538 or 508-789-8089. [1-7] Experienced editor needed. The Independent is ready […]

ECONOMY

WELLFLEET — For local shellfishermen, good news this fall was in short supply. Covid’s shuttering of restaurants across the country had wreaked havoc on the wholesale distribution chain, usually a […]

HEALTH

PROVINCETOWN — Until this week, only people with symptoms of Covid-19 and those who have had direct contact with infected people have been able to get tested for the coronavirus […]

CANNABUSINESS

EASTHAM — The marijuana dispensary Emerald Grove is anticipating a February opening for adult-use retail sales, but it may have to delay launching its medical marijuana dispensary until later in […]

HOUSING

TRURO — The development of the affordable housing project known as the Cloverleaf hit a snag on Dec. 17 that has delayed the approval of the 39-unit plan by the […]

SIZE MATTERS

PROVINCETOWN — The multi-million-dollar mixed-use development proposed for the site of the former Old Reliable Fish House off Commercial Street, which sailed smoothly through the town’s permitting process last winter […]

TIPPING POINT

WELLFLEET — The long-running drama of the Blasch house continues, as the structure is now just 12 to 14 feet from the edge of the coastal bank high above Cape […]

PANDEMIC RELIEF

PROVINCETOWN — A review of records released by the Small Business Administration (SBA) on Dec. 1 shows that small businesses and independent contractors on the Outer Cape received $37 million […]

DAY 286

On Christmas Eve, it will have been 286 days since social distancing became our new normal and our school, work, and home lives merged into one, sometimes overly close, space. […]

BOUGHS

In winters past, Rudelle Falkenburg’s Storybook School was a regular Santa’s workshop of handmade ornaments. Many families still lovingly unpack these decorations each year, and, with them, sweet memories. “We […]

THE CLAUS COVID CHRONICLES

TRURO — Santa Claus is used to tough questions. How, demanded one junior superfan, did Santa know to bequeath him a Star Wars figurine? Well, said Glenn Enos, a sergeant […]

HARDER THEY FALL

In a reality check for fans, the New England Patriots face an uncertain future. The Pats lost this past Sunday to the Miami Dolphins, 22-12, bringing the team’s record to […]

FROM THE LARDER

If you were to stop by my kitchen (were stopping by still allowed), you’d likely find a pot of stock murmuring gently on a back burner. Last spring, when everyone […]

COCKTAIL HOUR

Was it just last year at this time that I wrote about that frisson that comes with the first sip of a cocktail enjoyed while flying home for the holidays? […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape for the week came in on Monday, Dec. 21, a day ahead of the usual report, which is prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

D.I.Y.

“The fact that ‘hearth’ is synonymous with ‘home’ in so many tongues is sufficient argument for a fireplace,” writes Bradford Angier in his 1952 book How to Build Your Home […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Did you see the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn? The two planets were also conjunct (close together in the sky from our Earthly perspective) three times in the year […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Town Hall will close at noon on Thursday, Dec. 24, and be closed all day Friday, […]

Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Town Hall will be closed Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25 and […]

Meetings are held remotely. From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on the meeting you’re interested in. The agenda provides provide information about how to view and take part remotely. Monday, Dec. […]

ARTISTS

“There are far more similarities to human touch than there are differences, regardless of who you love,” says artist Cameron Barker. “Because of the need many people feel to reject […]

LOCAL ICONS

This article is the first in a series on town seals. Massachusetts is finally close to changing its state flag and state seal, with its problematic image of a sword […]

BOOK REVIEW

The cover of Toshimitsu Matsuhashi’s How to Hold Animals features an adorable sugar glider, a bug-eyed mouse-like creature, gently cupped between two human hands. Readers might therefore expect the book […]

SKETCHBOOK

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VIGNETTE

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STEAMERS

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

PROVINCETOWN — Once upon a time there was come unto the land a plague of broad proportions, a pestilence that brought death, desolation, and disruption, and caused many in the […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

With so many holiday traditions curtailed this year, the importance of memory and resilience has grown. And so, as we stay home, put up lights, and decorate the tree (if […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A Disservice To the editor: I appreciate the Independent for the in-depth stories that are important to those of us who live on the Outer Cape. It is thoughtful, well-written, and […]

Joan M. Roderick, 89, of Provincetown died on Dec. 19, 2020 at Seashore Point Wellness Center in Provincetown. She was the widow of James J. Roderick Sr., who died in […]

The death of Katherine Stillman of Wellfleet on July 20, 2020 at Cape Cod Hospital was reported to the Independent this week. She was 76. She was born on Oct. 5, […]

Margaret Elizabeth Ward of Wellfleet died on Dec. 11, 2020 at age 81. The cause was complications of lung cancer, said her son, Sean. Margaret was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Dec. 14 to Dec. 18, 2020. PROVINCETOWN  Dec. 15. 2 Commercial Street Realty Trust (Clifford J. Schorer, trustee) to Miren Etcheverry […]

FARMING

EASTHAM — The board of health wanted to tighten the town’s regulations on the keeping of noncommercial farm animals. But blowback from the public has made the board think again. […]

VISITING THE SICK

Among all the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, perhaps the greatest is not being able to visit elderly loved ones. In some cases, Covid patients have died in health-care facilities […]

SCHOOLS

EASTHAM — In an effort not to lose a Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA) grant of $35.6 million that’s contingent on voter approval of the proposed $131.8-million renovation of Nauset […]

ZONING

WELLFLEET — The planning board is discussing a new zoning bylaw that would loosen the rules governing accessory dwelling units by removing the requirement that they be “affordable.” The town’s […]

SCIENCE

TRURO — The 40-page “Report on Private Wells and Truro Safe Water” released in September by a group calling themselves Docs for Truro Safe Water has been promoted by critics […]

GOOD GRIEF

The holiday season is upon us and, for many, this is a time when grief hits hard. This year, as we continue to isolate from one another because of the […]

MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

Beginning around mid-month, Earth’s one and only natural satellite will appear in the evening sky. Then, as the days run down to the end of the year, the Moon will […]

Provincetown For assistance accessing programs in Provincetown, contact Alex, the Provincetown community support liaison, at 508-237-7042 or [email protected] Food Pantry, Council on Aging What: Pick up/delivery of nonperishables and personal […]

MEET THE MAKER

EASTHAM — Dolls are a special holiday gift many children hope for. But dolls really had their heyday about 150 years ago. Those who are intrigued by antique dolls know […]

BEHIND THE WHEEL

There’s talk of the first big winter storm, so it’s a pretty good bet someone in your pod just told you to get your snow tires on for the season. […]

AGONY AND ECSTASY

I spent this past Sunday in front of a television, laughing, cheering, complaining, and getting emotional. No, I wasn’t watching a rom-com. I was watching football. It was an important […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

We may have come around to Aquarius again, but the Moon is not in the Seventh House and Jupiter is definitely not aligned with Mars. Still, the winter solstice on Dec. 21 […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Dec. 15, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

Of all the things I inherited from my mother, including her special silver and the family china, the thing I cherish most is her waffle iron. It has no special […]

PERSPECTIVE

WELLFLEET — Dan Silverman’s years of responding to local emergencies with Wellfleet’s Fire and Rescue Dept. gave him a unique perspective on the town’s population, which barely tops 3,000. “You’re […]

OBITUARY

Judy Brubaker, a cabaret performer and actress whose singing voice thrilled Provincetown audiences for many years, died in Bath, Maine on Nov. 15, 2020. She was 96. Judy was born […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Dec. 17 Public Pier Corp., 4 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. Conversation Starters  […]

Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Dec. 17 Zoning Board of Appeals, 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18 Board […]

Meetings are held remotely. From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on the meeting you’re interested in. The agenda provides information about how to view and take part remotely. Thursday, Dec. 17 […]

MIXED MEDIA

There’s an obsessiveness to the art of Siân Robertson — multiple objects are organized, following rules and patterns. But an opposite impulse is also manifest — a relentless creativity. It’s […]

VIRTUAL ENTERTAINMENT

The idea for Wake Up! In Provincetown, a talk show hosted by Harrison Fish and Bob Keary that streams on YouTube on Fridays at 9 a.m., started as an inside […]

BOOK REVIEW

Hilary Holladay’s The Power of Adrienne Rich is an accessible biography of the celebrated American poet. Published last month, it is the first comprehensive exploration of both the person and […]

INDIE SCREEN

It’s a sign of the times that in more and more movies with LGBTQ main characters, their queerness is just one of the things that define them. Monsoon, about a […]

VIGNETTE

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OP-ED

Hey, Bro. We need to talk. It’s about the elves. I ran into Jingles last week. No, not the guy in Provincetown. The elf. It was all shop talk until, […]

UP A CREEK

Joyous Season’s Greetings and Hello From the Durgans!. We hope our annual holiday newsletter finds our friends & family in great spirits alive. What a truly wonderful year it has […]

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REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

When I was a child, my family relied on SNAP at different times, but I was completely oblivious to this fact. We always had good, healthy food available. We purchased […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A More Engaged America To the editor: To say that I was disappointed with the 2000 election, Bush vs. Gore, would be an understatement of epic proportions. But we survived […]

Calling hours have been set for Charles F. Welsh, former first assistant clerk magistrate of the Orleans District Court, who died at home on Dec. 5 of cancer at age […]

Constance de Smet of Brewster, who was known as Dakota, died at Cape Cod Hospital on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 2020, having just passed her 86th birthday. Dakota was a […]

Gregory W. Curtis of Provincetown and Vieques, Puerto Rico died on Dec. 1, 2020 at his home in Provincetown. He was 55. No cause of death was named. Gregg, known […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Dec. 7. Deborah V. Brome to Howard R. Hernandez and Eric S. Brown. 104A […]

CLASSIFIEDS

SEEKING Garage needed. Looking to rent garage space for my 1972 Citroen. Preferably in Wellfleet. Call Cathy, 339-227-0874. [12-31] A good dog (though puppies need not apply). I would like […]

ROUND FOOD FOR EVERY MOOD

TRURO — “The ranking goes: New York bagels,” said Claire Adams, chef and owner of North Truro’s Salty Market, “and then Montreal bagels. And then….” Here, Ellery Althaus, Salty’s manager […]

BREWING: COFFEE AND PLANS

WELLFLEET — The owners of the Route 6 doughnut emporium called Dunkin’ (“Donuts” was dropped from the name in January 2019) say they will revive a plan to add a […]

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

TRURO — Approval of a comprehensive permit for the 39-unit rental housing development known as the Cloverleaf on Highland Road in North Truro seems almost guaranteed. Counsel for the zoning […]

ECONOMY

PROVINCETOWN — The Covid-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program was so bedraggled in its rollout and early execution, it’s hard to pick which sadsack metaphor to use for it. […]

TOWN HALL

EASTHAM — The select board began its annual deliberations on whether to adopt a residential tax exemption for the next fiscal year at its Monday, Dec. 7 meeting, and division […]

HAPPENED UPON

EASTHAM — The Eastham Historical Society made a rare find last month while dusting and sorting items at the 1869 Schoolhouse Museum: a document signed by Samuel Adams. “Joe [Mistretta, […]

THE GAP

PROVINCETOWN — Jennifer Cortes is just the type of person policymakers have been trying to get to live in town for years: she’s a 2003 Provincetown High School graduate who […]

PHOTO SHOP

Photos by Nancy Bloom; text by K.C. Myers HARWICH — The newly renovated Cape Cod Regional Technical High School opened to students in September, but, because of the pandemic, even […]

OBITUARY

PROVINCETOWN — Charlie Welsh, who worked in Orleans District Court as an assistant clerk magistrate during the half century that his father, brother, and nephew all presided as first justices, […]

COVID TESTING, PART 4

PROVINCETOWN — Cape Cod’s struggle to get expanded access to Covid testing took a big step forward this week. Legislators and county leaders announced that drive-through testing sites will open […]

FAIR PLAY

Retired attorney Buddy Perkel remembers where he first learned to negotiate — on the basketball courts of New York City in the 1930s. “Pickup basketball taught me how to give […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Dec. 8, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

GALLERY

Flower designer Kate Formichella is known for making bouquets and installations that are naturally beautiful. She uses local flowers and plants, mostly from her own flower farm in Orleans. She […]

THE CURE

I didn’t grow up eating salmon, although when we were kids, my grandfather did teach us how to smoke it. That was something he learned on his fishing trips to […]

ANIMAL CLINIC

Getting a new puppy might sound like a great idea. But a puppy can suck everything out of you — they are adorable but exhausting. We are wiped out after […]

HOMESTEADING

We’re bundling up and our furry friends are growing thick coats, but what about our feathery flocks? How do domestic chickens get through the freezing winter months? I became a […]

BODY/MIND

Wrist pain. Every yoga teacher hears about it, and from all kinds of students — seasoned athletes and deskbound writers alike. I’ve had it, too. I think we’ve all paid […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Dec. 10 OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits) Meeting, 10:30 a.m. Public Pier Corp., 2 p.m. Planning […]

Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Dec. 10 Human Services Committee, 1 p.m. Housing Authority, 4:15 p.m. Friday, […]

From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document will provide […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on the meeting you’re interested in. The agenda provides information about how to view and take part remotely. Thursday, Dec. 10 […]

ARTISTS

The first light of dawn casts shadows on the white walls of an Outer Cape home. At low tide on Wellfleet Bay, shimmering mudflats mirror the image of a moored […]

WHOSE LIFE IS IT, ANYWAY?

Preparing for my phone call with actor, playwright, and director André Gregory, I felt a bit like the socially anxious Wallace Shawn at the beginning of My Dinner With André. […]

BOOK REVIEW

The concept behind Dan Moller’s recently published The Way of Bach: Three Years With the Man, the Music, and the Piano, is a good one. It tells of the author’s […]

STEAMERS

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

PROVINCETOWN — What a gorgeous monster! First, its size: over nine feet long and over 700 pounds. Then, its unreal color: dark steel blue with green reflections, merging into gun-metal […]

Vignette

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NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

This week’s solar eclipse energy overshadows the new Moon’s presence in Sagittarius. Normally, a new Moon would be a time for setting intentions. Considering the intensity of an eclipse, however, […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The pandemic has raised questions about certain words and what exactly is meant when they are used. Take “small business.” When I think of small businesses, what comes to mind […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Ways to Save the Planet To the editor: Today (11/23) my wife and I walked from the Salt Pond Visitor Center to Coast Guard Beach. Along the way, we saw […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Nov. 30. Kris E. McMurray and Barbara Norman to Kris E. McMurray. 368 Commercial […]

CLASSIFIEDS

SEEKING Garage needed. Looking to rent garage space for my 1972 Citroen. Preferably in Wellfleet. Cathy, 339-227-0874. [12-31] ART CLASSES Sometimes, we just have to make art that feels larger […]

CLIMATE CRISIS

PROVINCETOWN — On a Sunday morning in November, the low tide and lure of fresh foraged food drew many recreational shellfishermen to this season’s designated clamming area, the west side […]

PANDEMIC

PROVINCETOWN — Testing wastewater for Covid was an unproved idea at the start of this pandemic. If it worked, it would be a way to cheaply test entire communities at […]

LEARNING AND RESILIENCE

HARWICH — With isolation, possible illness, and family economic crises looming, the counselors at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School had every reason to believe the 626 students enrolled at […]

EDUCATION

PROVINCETOWN — For Christina Reid, 18 — a freshman at Boston’s Suffolk University, a 2020 graduate of Nauset Regional High School, and a third-through-eighth-grade alumna of Provincetown Schools — receiving […]

ENVIRONMENT

In a decision being watched closely by Cape Cod fishermen, the U.S. is rejecting a proposal that calls for a reduction in the total catch limit of the Western Atlantic […]

TRUE CRIME

PROVINCETOWN — Police Officer Thomas Radzik was parked at the CVS on Oct. 17 when a man — Brandon Czyoski, 39, of Truro — asked him for help. Czyoski said […]

HONORED

This year’s Cape and Islands League All-Stars for the fall sports season were announced last week. Nauset High was well represented with a total of 30 players on the All-Star […]

POD PEOPLE

WELLFLEET — When Hanna Morse, Emer Valdez, Charlotte Goldberg, and Leah Puffer were kids in Wellfleet, they spent as much time together as they could. They made crafts, played dress-up, […]

MAYFLOWER HISTORY, PART III

PROVINCETOWN — Two things Provincetown’s Cheryl Andrews disliked as a child: history and Thanksgiving. History, she said, was “boring as dust” — with its rote memorization of dates, wars, and […]

DISPATCHES

In a year that seems to have brought as many visitors as ever to the Outer Cape, including some who say they’ve come to stay, we also heard from people […]

GALLERY

While we won’t warm up shoulder-to-shoulder at artisan fairs as we have in holidays past, there are plenty of opportunities to support local shop owners, artists, and the creative community […]

VIRUS RULES

EASTHAM — The Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) on Nov. 20 approved modified winter seasons for basketball, ice hockey, swimming and diving, alpine and Nordic skiing, and gymnastics. That means […]

KITCHEN TABLE

It is such a strange feeling to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, take a triumphant inhale, and realize that — big exhale — everything around you is still […]

CROSSWORD #15

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RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Dec. 1, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

TURTLE WATCH

The Big Cc, a 350-pound loggerhead sea turtle who washed ashore — upside-down and cold-stunned — near Truro’s Great Hollow Beach on Nov. 20, died four days later in the […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The Sun has entered the fiery sign of Sagittarius the Archer, ruled by Jupiter. Unlike emotional, internally focused Scorpio, Sagittarius tends toward self-expression and expansion. The motto, as it were, […]

PIE TOWN

Calie Wotherspoon, Marla Rice, Anne Suggs, and Janet Lesniak (left to right) baked about 75 apple pies in the Wellfleet Preservation Hall kitchen to deliver to those in need over […]

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

Winter winds and cold temperatures might keep mere mortals inside, but the demand for seafood keeps our commercial fishermen offshore, working to provide for an insatiable market. Working at sea […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Dec. 3 Public Pier Corp., 2 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. […]

Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Dec. 3 Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m. Truro School Committee, 5:15 […]

From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda and find out how […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on any meeting to read its agenda and learn how to view and take part remotely. Thursday, Dec. 3 Council on […]

SEASCAPES

“The ocean is both beautiful and terrifying to me,” says Colin McGuire. An emerging local artist, he finds “limitless inspiration” in the seascapes of the Outer Cape and their “variety […]

TALKS

Provincetown first welcomed critically acclaimed actor Lili Taylor, best known for her work in independent films and on TV in Six Feet Under and American Crime, in the 1990s, when […]

MUSIC

Compiled and edited by Saskia Maxwell Keller Contributors to our first-ever Indie Playlist were given minimal instructions: choose a song or music video that you love and tell us about […]

BOOK REVIEW

Dr. Paul Farmer and three friends toured an Ebola treatment unit (E.T.U.) in Monrovia, Liberia, in October 2014. They watched as two brothers vomited and soiled themselves with diarrhea as […]

SKETCHBOOK

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

When I was in my early teens, in Pennsylvania, I worked: I had a paper route, was a stable boy, did door-to-door sales, and I saved my money. Finally, I […]

VIGNETTE

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

From a Mayflower Descendant To the editor: In regard to your Nov. 12 front-page article on Mayflower history, yes, the Wampanoag tribe did help the Pilgrims with hunting, fishing, and […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Here at the Independent, we are diverse, age-wise. But we have some old-fashioned ideas. We’re serious about proofreading and fact-checking. We think classified ads are fun. We want our website […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Nov. 23 to Nov. 27. PROVINCETOWN Nov. 23. AR Franklin LLC [Ronald L. Reil, manager] to Steven James Hatch. 65 Franklin […]

Barbara Lacombe Grant, who blazed a trail of friendships throughout her long life, died on Nov. 19, 2020 at Rosewood Manor in Harwich. Her death at 92 was caused by […]

The Rev. Henry J. Dahl died on Nov. 22, 2020 in Sun City, Ariz. a week after suffering severe brain injuries in an auto accident, said his friend Pat Pichette, […]

Anthony Paul Filiberto, of Provincetown and Jacksonville Beach, Fla., died on Nov. 25, 2020, after an 11-month battle with glioblastoma brain cancer. He was 72. Born on Sept. 22, 1948 […]

Beverly A. Brazil of North Truro died peacefully on Nov. 25, 2020 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis after an illness. She was 82 and was the partner of Edgar […]

Dan Mullin, a Boston real estate broker who hosted fundraisers for major political figures at his waterfront home in Provincetown’s West End, died on Nov. 26, 2020, at age 78. […]

CLASSIFIEDS

ART CLASSES Sometimes, we just have to make art that feels larger than life. Please join Laura Shabott and Alana Barrett for “Online: Creating Volume and Monumentality through the Figure” […]

WILDLIFE

Thanksgiving week is a busy time for the sea turtle team at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and some 200 volunteers who work to rescue cold-stunned turtles on the Outer […]

TOWN HALL

WELLFLEET — After a four-and-a-half-month delay in the annual town meeting and the still unexplained dismissal of the town accountant, Wellfleet has finally set its property tax rate for fiscal […]

CONDUCT UNBECOMING

TRURO — The select board has sent a letter of censure to planning board member Peter Herridge for violating town policies on honesty, integrity, and civility, suggesting that his actions […]

CIVICS

PROVINCETOWN — A member of the finance committee has resigned because of the behavior of the chair, Mark Hatch, which she described as “condescending, dismissive, and even shaming.” Dorie Seavey […]

PANDEMIC

PROVINCETOWN — Resources are arriving to expand Covid testing on Cape Cod — at about the same time as the coronavirus itself is arriving. The timing wasn’t exactly planned, but […]

THANKSGIVING BACK

PROVINCETOWN — Alice Brock came of age in the 1960s, which everyone knows because one of the most famous songs of that era was named after her. The song, of […]

OFF THE TABLE

Goodness, there are turkeys everywhere! We Outer Cape dwellers watch as ever-growing flocks, or rafters, of these wild birds boldly wander across our lawns and streets. We are also surrounded […]

HUNTING

EASTHAM — It’s an unusually warm Saturday in November. The noontime sun shines, and the air is still, when Jim McGrath lets out a turkey call in a remote, wooded […]

PLANTCRAFT

As winter draws near, we lose more leaves to the wind each day. The ones that remain give the landscape a patina of russet, sienna, ochre. The ground is covered […]

KITCHEN TABLE

When we first moved into our cottage in Truro several years ago, one of my first acts (after setting a great many mousetraps) was to scout out a place for […]

ECONOMY

WELLFLEET — For a few days of each week this summer, Will Barrio hung up his waders and went out to wire electrics. Normally, Barrio would wait to grab his […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

November ends with a lunar celebration, marked by a full Moon and lunar eclipse in the sign of Gemini. The Moon, of course, is the second most influential celestial body […]

Keeping it Going

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MOVEMENT

Feet are unsung heroes. They carry you for thousands of steps a day. And when you walk or run, every time your foot hits the ground, it’s loaded with an […]

JOURNALISM

The weekly Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror, owned by a series of corporate chains for the last 30 years, has returned to the ranks of independent and locally owned newspapers. A […]

LAND USE REGULATION

EASTHAM — Town officials are looking to create a zoning task force to examine and make recommendations on residential zoning and regulation issues, including the protection of historic homes and […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Wednesday, Dec. 2 Historic District Commission, 4 p.m. Conversation Starters Covid-19 Update As of Nov. 23, […]

Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Tuesday, Dec. 1 Board of Health, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2 Planning Board, […]

Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a meeting to read its agenda and get information about how to view and take part remotely.  Monday, Nov. 30 Eastham 400 Commemoration Committee, […]

SCULPTURE

Imagine traveling in a Cinderella carriage made of crystalized rock sugar. Or dancing under a translucent silicone chandelier, nine feet wide, in the shape of an enormous glowing jellyfish. These […]

CONCERT REVIEW

A Far Cry may be one of the most democratic ensembles out there. This Boston-based orchestra is “self-conducted,” meaning that the players, who call themselves “criers,” take turns leading the […]

INDIE SCREEN

It might have been called Vietnam, Mon Amour. Those of us who lived through the Vietnam War era and its political upheaval — government lies and repression, youth rebellion and […]

VIGNETTE

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OP-ED

One story surfacing this Thanksgiving tells of a search party from the Mayflower, anchored in Provincetown Harbor, raiding a gravesite near Corn Hill in Truro. About 10 bushels of corn […]

TEACAKE’S TAKE

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STEAMERS

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The death of Peter H. Rich of Colchester, Conn., on April 4, 2020, after an extended illness complicated by Covid-19, has been reported to the Independent. He was 80. Peter […]

Kathleen Marie (McCarthy) Sullivan, 66, died on Oct. 31, 2020, while holding hands with her devoted husband, Richard, of 41 years. They lived year-round in Truro. Kathy, as she was […]

CLASSIFIEDS

BASKETS OF LOVE The Wellfleet Farmers Market is holding our 1st Annual Baskets of Love online auction. Bidding will start Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. and end Dec. 7 at […]

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Nov. 16 to Nov. 20, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Nov. 16. Michael B. Ekman to Douglas M. Sherk and Michael C. Goins Sherk. […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

On Town Managers’ Leaving To the editor: I have thoroughly enjoyed my subscription to the Independent and look forward to all the interesting subjects and news that it covers. The […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Everyone must be thinking about the things they will miss this year on Thanksgiving. At our house, it’s a weekend-long gathering of old friends who come here from the city […]

From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda and see how to […]

WATERFRONT

EASTHAM — The Rock Harbor Improvements Committee will not recommend moving an antique half Cape from 60 Dyer Prince Road and turning it into the harbormaster’s new office. Instead, the […]

TOWN HALL

The smallest town on Cape Cod, Truro, with 2,000 residents, will be paying its new town manager $172,000 a year, about the same as the Barnstable County district attorney’s $175,000 […]

PANDEMIC

PROVINCETOWN — In the popular children’s book Stone Soup, the soup is started with no great resources — in fact, it’s just a large pot of water with one stone […]

ELDER CARE

Since late May, the state has provided detailed reports on fatalities from Covid-19 in nursing homes, but for assisted living facilities, the same information is hard to come by. The […]

REAL ESTATE

PROVINCETOWN — The former Provincetown Medical Group building on Shank Painter Road has been sold and will be redeveloped into a three-story building with eight condominiums. This story would not […]

BIG BIRDS

“It was so loud I could not hear myself think,” said Elena Ruehr, a composer who splits her time between Brookline and Wellfleet. “I felt like there was a giant […]

MAYFLOWER HISTORY, PART II

On Nov. 11, 1620, the Mayflower arrived in Provincetown Harbor. Four hundred years later, we — most of us, anyway, on the Outer Cape and all across the nation — […]

FISHING

PROVINCETOWN — Jeff Souza came in hot one quiet November evening at MacMillan Pier. He was at the helm of his brand-new lobster boat, Crash, a custom-made Provincial 45’, which […]

MEET THE MAKER

WELLFLEET — I am an artist who “paints” with fiber. Inspired by my grandmother’s skilled needlework and embroidery and a lifelong desire to paint, I developed my own technique by […]

ROOTS

Just because we can’t hang out in person to taste treats like the famous (or infamous) turnip whoopie pie doesn’t mean we have to miss a day of celebrating Eastham’s […]

SOCCER

EASTHAM — After finishing the regular season first in its conference with an impressive 7-1-2 record, the Nauset Regional High School girls soccer team felt like they still had something […]

THANKSGIVING ON THE SIDE

When I was a kid, and my mother set out her oval cut-glass platter and assembled a relish tray, we knew a celebration was at hand. Arranged artfully on the […]

THANKSGIVING ON THE SIDE

In the early ’80s, the local Hamptons farmers around the restaurant where I was cooking used to pay us for our used cooking grease. This was before biodiesel was a […]

THANKSGIVING ON THE SIDE

Thanksgiving’s indulgent dishes — stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, and cranberry — might feel like well-earned rewards after this crazy year. But all the rich and sweet sides weighing down […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

In the shadow of last week’s new Moon in Scorpio, truth’s clarion call rises from the depths of our hearts — in animus veritas. Scorpio energy doesn’t tolerate shallow anything, especially […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 17, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

RINGING TRUE

For many in Wellfleet, the sound of bells from the First Congregational Church, at 200 Main St., from around 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., frames their day. It is part […]

EVOLUTION

WELLFLEET — Myya Beck-Baum and Thor Baum are going through the town’s permitting process to demolish a historic downtown home and rebuild it to house a fitness studio with three […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Nov. 19 Board of Health, 4 p.m. Licensing Board, 5:15 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, […]

Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Nov. 19 Historical Commission, 2 p.m. School Committee, 5:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. […]

From wellfleet-ma.gov, on the calendar, click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely. Thursday, […]

Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely. Thursday, Nov. 19 Affordable Housing […]

LIGHTS FANTASTIC

“I’ve liked playing with lights since I was a kid,” says Chris Racine, one of Provincetown’s most sought after DJs and lighting-effect designers. Racine and his collaborator, Shelley Jennings, are […]

BOOKSTORES

At 242 Commercial St. in Provincetown, hidden at the end of a long alley that runs between a furniture store and a psychic’s office, there is a kind of enchanted […]

BOOK REVIEW

Dolly Parton, 74, has been singing and performing as a self-described “backwoods Barbie” for over half a century. With chart-topping hits such as “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Here […]

PUBLISHING

When Christopher Busa died suddenly at age 73 on June 20, of a congenital heart defect that had gone undetected, it was two days before the scheduled printing of the […]

VIGNETTE

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

PROVINCETOWN — Friday morning, Nov. 6, 2020. Under a serene and cloudless wide blue sky, with a temperature in the high 50s, a scene reminiscent of the work of Breughel: […]

STEAMERS

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UP A CREEK

As Jan. 20, 2021, creeps closer, and with experts describing the atmosphere at the White House as “tense,” it is looking like it may be time to get beyond alternative […]

EDITORIAL

What are the most important attributes to look for in a potential town manager or administrator? Judging from the comments (and reluctance to comment) of recent occupants of those positions […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Cloverleaf Apprehensions To the editor: In Kevin Grunwald’s op-ed column in your Nov. 12 edition [“Where Cloverleaf Stands After a Year of Review,” page 3], referring to the potential impacts […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Nov. 9 to Nov. 13, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Nov. 9. Jay C. Anderson to Steven Kane. 139 Commercial St., Unit A. $2,685,000. […]

Lawrence D. “Larry” Riley of Provincetown died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on Nov. 4, 2020, at Seashore Point Wellness and Rehabilitation Center in Provincetown. He was 81. Provincetown has […]

Lillian DeCroce, who was known as Lilli, died on Nov. 7, 2020, at her home in Wellfleet, surrounded by family. The cause was small-cell lung cancer, said her daughter, Christina. […]

Ernest E. Tesson died at his Wellfleet home on Oct. 28, 2020, with his wife, Katherine, holding his hand. He was 91. They were listening to Symphony Sid. Ernie, as […]

TRURO — The Outer Cape is one of the few places on the East Coast where the setting sun is visible over a water horizon. For Kosta Tsipis, enjoying the […]

CLASSIFIEDS

SEEKING Looking for artist’s studio to paint in. Will be using during winter months. Prefer Provincetown or Truro. Max $400/per month. Call or text Simone, 845-653-1002. [12-3] Man’s best friend […]

MAYFLOWER HISTORY, PART 1

PROVINCETOWN — On Nov. 11, 1620, 130-odd sea-weary Brits stepped off the Mayflower and onto Provincetown’s sandy shores — into a new world, barely inhabited and ripe with possibility. Then […]

CIVICS

PROVINCETOWN — They say politics in Provincetown is a blood sport. In an effort to try to change that, the select board is poised to adopt a code of conduct. […]

PANDEMIC

PROVINCETOWN — In a recent press call, state Sen. Julian Cyr sounded an alarm about coronavirus testing on Cape Cod. “We see the cases coming south and east towards Cape […]

OPIOID LITIGATION

The U.S. Dept. of Justice last month announced a settlement estimated at over $8.3 billion of its case against Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin. The settlement is opposed by […]

EASTHAM 400

EASTHAM — While working to create a display as part of this year’s 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival on Cape Cod, volunteers at Eastham’s 1869 Schoolhouse Museum unearthed a […]

OUTER CAPE PORTRAIT

DAN SILVERMAN / TOWN MODERATOR & WOODWORKER / WELLFLEET Just out of college, Dan Silverman drove to Wellfleet in 1972 for a job interview with a local builder. He’s never […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

EASTHAM — As the nights chill, the leaves fall, and the holidays approach, our thoughts turn to, yes, the turnip — that ancient crucifer that has, for too long, been […]

ENVIRONMENT

WELLFLEET — With a growing number of cyanobacteria blooms occurring in ponds across Cape Cod, researchers are expanding their efforts in hopes of better understanding toxic algal blooms and how […]

PUBLIC SPACE

PROVINCETOWN — One of the Outer Cape’s greatest assets is its proximity to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a federally protected swath of ocean whose southernmost boundary is just three […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 10, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

ON THE RUN

EASTHAM — When the Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) announced that competition in fall high school sports season would take place under new guidelines, Nauset High cross country coach Moira […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Alas, poor Scorpio, we know you well. Temperamental, unpredictable, intelligent, determined … sounds like a character from Shakespeare. Indeed, the zodiac’s most complicated sign is aptly represented by the prince […]

THE KIDS COOK

Here is something I am reminded of by the small cooks in my house: we all need more comfort food. Kids do not make obligatory salads. They follow their pleasure […]

DESIGN

Thanksgiving is a time to tend your table in such a way that it will bring on a smile. Kevin O’Shea, who knows from hosting — he and his partner, […]

BACK PAY

EASTHAM — It took 15 months, a boycott of Willy’s Gym, and civil citations from the attorney general’s office, but Barbara Niggel has paid back wages to the widow of […]

GEOLOGY 101

PROVINCETOWN — On Sunday morning, the Outer Cape lit up with variations of the question “Did you feel that?” At 9:10 a.m. on Nov. 8, a 3.6 magnitude earthquake shook […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Nov. 12 Water & Sewer Board, 1 p.m. Planning Board, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 […]

Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Nov. 12 Climate Action Committee, 10 a.m. Truro Housing Authority, 4:15 p.m. […]

From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document will provide […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely. Thursday, […]

MUSIC MATTERS

A dozen or so students watch, intently, as Paige Wayner, a flutist in the Cape Youth Orchestra, prepares to play Ernest Bloch’s Suite Modale in a master class for Zachary […]

AUTHORS

Sarah Anne Johnson’s new novel, The Last Sailor, explores the profoundly personal ways we deal with — or avoid — mourning, and the struggles we go through as we piece […]

NEIGHBORS

Grace Freundlich is a survivor in our midst. Retired and now 80, she lives in Truro year-round and counts it as a blessing. She has written a memoir of her […]

OPERA

The Metropolitan Opera will be streaming Les Dialogues des Carmélites by Francis Poulenc for free next Friday, Sept. 20, starting at 7:30 p.m. You won’t want to miss it. The opera is […]

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

Three days in a row, in late September, I went out to Race Point Beach in search of a couple of rare gulls. Three days in a row I failed […]

TONGASS AND US

Over his breakfast of toast and eggs smothered in ketchup one morning, my father told me, “I’m having those trees cut down,” motioning to the mature white pines framed by […]

VIGNETTE

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AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Approximately 2.4 percent of the year-round housing in Truro is classified as affordable. This translates to 27 homes or apartments that are affordable for residents earning up to 80 percent […]

POEM

A poem by Whitman has to be the one to celebrate the Biden-Harris victory — only Whitman expresses the sheer joy that democracy can give the spirit. When I looked […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

On County Government To the editor: I wish to thank the many Provincetown voters who gave me their votes and the prospect of my fourth term as your delegate to […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

One thing last week’s election revealed is how fond we are of the stories we want to believe. How else to explain the fact that so many voters believe that […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Nov. 2 to Nov. 6, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Nov. 2. Nina S. Harrison 2014 Trust (Nina S. Harrison, trustee), Majorie R. Bullock […]

CLASSIFIEDS

SEEKING Looking for artist’s studio to paint in. Will be using during winter months. Prefer Provincetown or Truro. Max $400/per month. Call or text Simone, 845-653-1002. [12-3] Man’s best friend […]

DEMOCRACY 2020

The Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris swept the Outer Cape in Tuesday’s presidential election, defeating Donald Trump and Mike Pence by margins ranging from 42 percent in […]

THE THIRD WAVE

PROVINCETOWN — Gov. Charlie Baker announced three new executive orders on Monday, Nov. 2, and a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, all of which will go into effect on […]

WATERFRONT

EASTHAM — The Rock Harbor Improvements Committee, a subgroup of the Capital Projects Committee, has hit pause on a plan for a new harbormaster’s building while town staff try to […]

LEARNING

PROVINCETOWN — Sixth- through eighth-graders will be invited back to school for four more hours per week starting Thursday, Nov. 5, as the school slowly moves toward in-person learning. The […]

ADMINISTRATION

TRURO — It took about a year to find him, but the smallest town on Cape Cod finally has a town manager, who will begin work in January. Darrin Tangeman, […]

HEALTH

Although the much-trumpeted vaccine for Covid-19 vaccine is still unavailable, flu shots can be had at multiple locations on the Outer Cape. And this year, just like every other year, […]

TECHNOLOGY

WELLFLEET — Thanks to a new contract with five Lower and Outer Cape towns, Comcast may soon provide broadband internet connections to residents of Truro, Wellfleet, and Eastham who live […]

KITCHEN TABLE

Is it possible that this week some of us might feel something like relief? I’m writing this before any of us know. What I do know for certain is that […]

WHAT’S OPEN

There’s hope for those wanting to dine out. The restaurants listed here have confirmed they are open. We’ve listed their current schedules, though many told us they are still undecided […]

CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST

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BODY/MIND

I’ve been sitting on the couch a lot, looking at my phone, and balancing my laptop on my knees. In the past, I probably would have felt bad about this, […]

RECYCLING, PART 1

Garbage. It’s a story ripe with complexity. The Independent is dumpster diving into the subject to better understand where the Outer Cape’s garbage goes. In this first installment, we look […]

NOSTALGIA

PROVINCETOWN — Drag queens are part of the fabric of Provincetown. In a normal year, they can be seen performing at various clubs in town or parading down Commercial Street […]

MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

The Moon is always with us. Even when we can’t see it, it’s there, gently tugging on our oceans and causing our tides. It hasn’t always been with us; the […]

COCKTAIL HOUR

I have no idea if, by the time this column is in your hands, dear reader, the election will be decided and accepted, or whether the streets will be on […]

PLANTCRAFT

The days are shorter. We move inside and want to bring the landscape with us. We start with dried bouquets, then move to wreaths, garlands, and soon, maybe, the tree. […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 3, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

This week’s major planetary transit is brought to you by Uranus retrograde in Taurus. Uranus, which rules humanitarian Aquarius, is a “generational” planet — its transits last longer and tend […]

CROSSWORD #15

Sophia Maymudes has history on her mind.   Need some answers? Just ask and we’ll send them. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get […]

DEMOGRAPHICS

PROVINCETOWN — With the counting stage of the 2020 census having drawn to its abrupt close, the Census Bureau’s next step is to release its final report, which will contain […]

TRUE CRIME

TRURO — Driving north on Route 6 around midnight last Sunday, Shelby Zawaduk passed a car she could’ve sworn she recognized. Stopped by police just shy of Truro’s Stotts Crossing […]

WARRIORS WATCH

Thursday, Nov. 5 Boys soccer: The undefeated Warriors (8-0) will play a home game against the Sandwich Blue Knights at 4 p.m. Girls soccer: The Warriors (6-0-2) travel to play […]

DIGGING DEEP

WELLFLEET — Driving northbound on Bound Brook Island Road in Wellfleet last week, travelers were greeted with a peculiar sight: a number of workers in reflective vests sifting through buckets […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Nov. 5 Harbor Committee, 5 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. Tuesday, […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to Truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Nov. 5 Charter Review Committee, 4 p.m. Zoning Board of […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take […]

INTO THE WOODS

“Everything I do, I do because I love nature, because I want to be connected to nature. That guides every decision in my life,” says Rich Blundell. He has come […]

THAT WAS THEN

Did you know that Provincetown used to have a symphony? The Provincetown Symphony Orchestra, sometimes called the Provincetown Symphony Society, was founded in 1955 by the conductor Joseph Hawthorne. The […]

GRAPHIC NOVELS

“We believe we make our choices, but no — they make us,” writes the late Daniel Menaker in his poem, “Last Will and Testament.” Though our choices add up to […]

SKETCHBOOK

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

I meant to write this in time for last week’s paper, but I missed the deadline. That means you will be reading these words on Nov. 5. Between this day […]

NEWSPAPER AS ART

“I took a collage class from Michael Walczak at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, and one of the assignments was to use print to create a picture. […]

LOS MUERTOS

This past week, as the days began to shorten and the nights became cooler, my thoughts drifted to All Souls Day, Dia de los Muertos. I have been trying to […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

One of our correspondents this week, Michael Spielman, was provoked by my last column to unleash his own set of language beefs, which have him screaming at his TV, he […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

For a Brighter Future To the editor: I highly recommend the new movie David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix). It is at once full of beauty, achingly sad, […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Oct. 26 to Oct. 30. PROVINCETOWN Oct 26. Nicole M. Peterson to Daniel Alan Escola. 54 Bradford St., Unit A. $590,000. […]

Paulo Alexandre Dalomba, 42, died in his home in Plymouth on Oct. 27, 2020. The cause of death is unknown, said his sister, Natalia. Born in Hyannis on Feb. 18, […]

CLASSIFIEDS

HELP WANTED Carpenters needed, skilled or semi-skilled. Own transportation and basic hand tools a must. If interested, call Winard Construction, 508-487-2538 or 508-789-8089. FIREWOOD Seasoned firewood for sale. Free local delivery. […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

TRICK OR TREAT

Before we get into this week’s news, here’s an update from each town about what trick-or-treating will look like this year. From Eastham to Provincetown, you’ll find “reverse” set ups, […]

ELECTION

PROVINCETOWN — The Outer Cape likes to vote. Turnout in the 2016 presidential election ranged from 81 percent in Provincetown to a staggering 87 percent in Eastham. This year, early […]

ENVIRONMENT

TRURO — George Mooney couldn’t recognize his farm on South Pamet Road. His pasture and vegetable gardens were completely submerged under two feet of salt water during three consecutive nor’easters […]

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

TRURO — The so-called Cloverleaf development, an affordable housing complex on South Highland Road at Route 6, received about half the approvals it needs for full permitting last week, while […]

FOOD SECURITY

PROVINCETOWN — It is the season of Outer Cape soup kitchens, community kitchens, food banks, and food pantries. “There’s just always need here,” said Philip Franchini, board chair of the […]

NATIONAL SEASHORE

EASTHAM — A plan to demolish three dwellings and a garage in the Cape Cod National Seashore and build a 3,481-square-foot house and garage in their place received site plan […]

ELDER CARE

PROVINCETOWN — Bernice Burchman is 92 and has Stage 4 lung cancer, and yet her son Howard said his mom has been thriving ever since he took her out of […]

THE KIDS COOK

In September, my two girls, ages six and nine, became responsible for dinner once a week. We’re home schooling, and a little kitchen responsibility seemed like a good way to […]

FIGURE SKATING

In only its second year, the Nauset Figure Skating Club is having a lot of new experiences, including cyber skating. The club participated in the first-ever Fall Cyber Challenge through […]

THE DREDGE REPORT

WELLFLEET — “Look,” said Carin Pierce, standing on the marina in Wellfleet, one hand on her poodle and the other pointing waterward. “It’s scooping!” Since the long-awaited Wellfleet Harbor dredging […]

HOMESTEADING

The weather is getting colder, the days shorter, and your chickens are laying fewer and fewer eggs. Soon there will be none at all for your breakfast table. (That’s because […]

BEHIND THE WHEEL

People complain a lot when they bring their cars in for brake work. “I just had my car inspected and they’re telling me I need new brakes,” they say. “Didn’t […]

GALLERY

Its light was said to mislead travelers at night, flickering over peat bogs, swamps, and marshes, resembling a lantern shining in the dark. Where scientists now see bioluminescence, storytellers saw […]

TRUE CRIME

As the presidential election enters its final week, it has colored even crime on the Outer Cape. On Monday, Oct. 26, Cory Mcculloch, 33, of Eastham, was arraigned in Orleans […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Oct. 27, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

WARRIORS WATCH

A word to fans: according to league rules, fans may only attend home games. Masks are required and physical distancing rules will apply. Thursday, Oct. 29 Boys soccer: The undefeated […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Oct. 29 Economic Development Committee, 1 p.m. Public Pier Corp., 2 p.m. Harbor […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to Truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Oct. 29 Climate Action Committee, 1:30 p.m. Housing Authority, 4:15 […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take […]

MIXED MEDIA

“I came to Truro to create cremation urns,” says sculptor Jamie Lehrhoff Levine, one of five resident artists who recently arrived at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. […]

POTPOURRI

Provincetown’s Jim Broussard had the idea of getting artists to paint cigar boxes as a fund-raising effort, which he’s dubbed “Art From the Heart.” He hopes to make it an […]

POETRY REVIEW

Marge Piercy’s latest poetry collection, On the Way Out, Turn Off the Light, is an ode to a life lived big and full. In these direct, earthy poems, Piercy reflects […]

OUTER CAPE PORTRAIT

STORMY MAYO & LAURA LUDWIG / DAHLIA GARDENERS / PROVINCETOWN Stormy Mayo grew up in Provincetown; his family has been here since the mid 1600s. Stormy is a founder of […]

AN ELECTION ISSUE ARTISTS’ SPECIAL

Editor’s note: Maybe it’s anxiety about the election ahead. It seems as if worry has quieted the usual clamor of civic and community life here. With so many of us […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Happy Halloween, witches and wanderers! This week’s full Moon in Taurus occurs on All Hallow’s Eve. In the ancient traditions of the Celts, the Hindus, and the indigenous peoples of […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

I’m concerned about the word concerning. Not worried, really; just concerned. People keep using that word, and, as Mandy Patinkin said in The Princess Bride, I do not think it […]

Real Estate Transactions Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Oct. 19 to Oct. 23, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Oct. 19. Christina Pazzanese to Michael and Maura Canny. 23 Bradford […]

CLASSIFIEDS

FIREWOOD Seasoned firewood for sale. Free local delivery. Large pickup truck load of nicely split locust/oak, seasoned firewood, delivered locally for $220. Let us know the length you want. Leave a […]

VOTERS SPEAK

Four years ago, 2,282 citizens of the four Outer Cape towns voted for Donald Trump: 208 in Provincetown, 361 in Truro, 515 in Wellfleet, and 1,198 in Eastham. (Hillary Clinton […]

COVID-19

WELLFLEET — The board of health is considering a set of mandatory safety standards for municipal workplaces after a visit to town hall set off alarms last week. Health Agent […]

THE REST OF THE BALLOT

PROVINCETOWN — It’s not easy sharing a ballot with the president. Presidential elections always hoover up the attention, even in a normal year, even when the contest is boring. This […]

COVID UPDATE

EASTHAM — The fifth-grade class at Eastham Elementary School will be quarantined for 14 days and educated remotely after a student tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Principal William Crosby […]

CO-OWNERSHIP

A new California-based real estate company that packages one-half to one-eighth ownership shares in luxury homes is eyeing Cape Cod as part of its opening strategy, which includes 26 cities […]

WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT

EASTHAM — Abutters to the harbormaster’s building project at Rock Harbor were expected to weigh in at a Wednesday, Oct. 21, Zoom meeting on two alternate proposals for the project: […]

ENVIRONMENT

WELLFLEET — After a mysterious flopping in the water, a large dorsal fin emerges. You think: “shark!” But it turns out to be an ocean sunfish, Mola mola, leisurely swimming […]

OYSTERFEST RERUN

The shuck off was the main event at the virtual version of the Wellfleet OysterFest on Saturday. In a production filmed on the stage at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater […]

MEET THE MAKER

If you happened by the Wellfleet Farmers Market this past summer, you might have seen Beth Donovan’s handiwork along your stroll. Her handmade quilts, aprons, masks, and totes consist almost […]

DOVETAIL JOINT

If you are considering renovating your worn wood floor, upgrading from vinyl, or installing flooring in a new home, you might have seen something new since the last time you […]

KITCHEN TABLE

I think of the suddenly cool days this time of year as “gumbo and sweater” weather. Where I come from, which is rural south-central Louisiana — much in the news […]

MOVEMENT

Although we’ve had a lovely fall, winter is surely on its way. If you find that with the first brisk breeze you’ve already started giving in to the idea that […]

WARRIORS WATCH

A word to fans: according to league rules, fans may only attend home games. Masks are required and physical distancing rules will apply. Thursday, Oct. 22 Boys golf: The Warriors […]

HOOPLESS

With a chill in the evening air, now is the time of year when the Outer Cape’s pickup basketballers normally move indoors. On weeknights throughout the winter, the elementary school […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The Sun enters the sign of Scorpio this week. Deeply passionate and resourceful, Scorpio’s intense energy has no patience for the superficial. It’s an all-or-nothing sign committed to digging deep […]

The last day to register to vote on Nov. 3 is Saturday, Oct 24. You can register online at sec.state.ma.us/OVR/. You can also verify that you’re properly registered at that […]

Irving Puffer at work on his grant in Wellfleet Harbor on a perfectly calm Monday morning after OysterFest weekend. Working with him, but not in this photo was Jake, his […]

TRUE CRIME

Angel Gomez Gonzalez, the Springfield man accused of assaulting George Kraniotakis, 81, of Provincetown, owner of George’s Pizza, was arraigned in Orleans District Court on Oct. 9 on charges of […]

LET'S GET FISCAL

Three of four Outer Cape towns have set their fiscal year 2021 tax rates; Provincetown and Eastham taxpayers face 7-percent and 5-percent increases, respectively, while Truro’s rate is just slightly […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Oct. 22 Public Pier Corp., 4 p.m. Planning Board, 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to Truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Oct. 22 Human Services Committee, 11 a.m. Commission on Disabilities, […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take […]

BOOKS

“I have been an activist and organizer from my teenage years onwards,” says Jane Fleishman, author of The Stonewall Generation: LGBTQ Elders on Sex, Activism, and Aging. “As Mandy Carter, […]

INDIE SCREEN

These days, new films are difficult to track. Miranda July’s Kajillionaire, for example, premiered at Sundance in January, then opened in theaters on Sept. 25, but not locally on the […]

BOOK REVIEW

Jack Boughton, the protagonist of Marilynne Robinson’s much-anticipated novel, Jack, is a thief, a liar, and an alcoholic. He is also exquisitely sensitive, self-deprecatingly funny, and finely attuned to the […]

NATIVE TALENT

“I grew up in both the Bronx and Mashpee,” says Morgan James Peters, also known as Mwalim DaPhunkee Professor, in his recording studio, Polyphonic Studios, in Buzzards Bay. “My mom’s […]

SKETCHBOOK

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

In every soul there is an alleyway. And every town has one: at least one place like this. Even in beautiful Provincetown, full of narrow winding lanes, lovely gardens, charming […]

VIGNETTE

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OP-ED

The Independent has published articles about the problem of internet connectivity on the Outer Cape, and we are currently waiting to see the results of the latest round of negotiations […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Questions on Cloverleaf To the editor: Before the Truro Zoning Board of Appeals discusses and votes on approval or denial of the 20 or more waivers sought by the Cloverleaf […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

On Monday the New York Times published a front-page article about “a fast-growing network of nearly 1,300 websites that aim to fill a void left by vanishing local newspapers across […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Real Estate Transactions Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Oct. 12 to Oct. 16, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Oct. 13. Margo Ether Reyes Revocable Trust (Margo Ether Reyes, trustee) […]

Dorothy M. (Mannato) Fitzsimmons, 89, of Fairhaven died on Oct. 13, 2020, at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, following a long illness. Born in Boston, Dorothy was raised in […]

Kristin Thomas Verde, a Provincetown native, died suddenly of pneumonia caused by Covid-19 in New Bedford on Sept. 20, 2020. She was 55. Kristin was born and raised here, the […]

CLASSIFIEDS

KUDOS Kevin and Stephanie, you’re the best. From one happy Neighborhood Auto customer who says thank you, for your skills and for your big hearts. [10-22] BACK ROADS Enjoy a […]

IGLOO WARMTH

PROVINCETOWN — Anticipating a higher-than-normal off-season population in residence coupled with the need to restrict indoor occupancy, local restaurants are looking for creative solutions to staying open this winter. Many […]

CLOVERLEAF PROJECT

TRURO — Health and Conservation Agent Emily Beebe had a lot of things to say about water quality and the Cloverleaf affordable housing proposal, both in a letter to the […]

SCHOOLING

In early October each year, all of the state’s public schools finalize their enrollment numbers for the new school year, and school aid from the state follows. At the Nauset […]

ECONOMY

PROVINCETOWN — In February 2019, the Provincetown Municipal Airport Commission stated that the airport’s revolving account would be empty by the fiscal year 2021-2022. The commission wrote, “We are working […]

TECHNOLOGY

PROVINCETOWN — Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill in August authorizing up to $1.8 billion in infrastructure investment, including $1.7 million to expand broadband coverage in Provincetown via the OpenCape […]

DEMOGRAPHICS

PROVINCETOWN — After a slow start that saw all four Outer Cape towns lagging behind in 2020 census self-response rates, the U.S. Census Bureau now claims that every single household […]

VIRTUAL OYSTERFEST

WELLFLEET — Like almost everything else in 2020, the Wellfleet OysterFest will look very different this year. The town’s signature celebration, which in 2019 hosted about 23,000 visitors and routinely […]

CONTENDERS

There will be a shuck off at the 20th annual OysterFest. But there will be no competitive parking, no pressing through crowds on Main Street, and no lines under the […]

PROTEST

PROVINCETOWN — Though passers-by were chatting, bicycle bells were ringing, and the sounds of cars, strollers, and dogs filled the air, the silence from protesters still felt audible, as if […]

LEARNING

TRURO — In a school across from Truro’s vines, stood 113 children in nearly straight lines. It was a scene that evoked the melodious words of Ludwig Bemelman’s Madeline. The […]

OUTER CAPE PORTRAIT

Richard Blakeley has been growing clams and oysters on the Wellfleet flats since the 1980s. A year ago, he spoke of slowing down, perhaps even getting ready to pass the […]

COCKTAIL HOUR

As OysterFest rolls around, it’s time to talk about what you should drink with those briny, sparkling Wellfleets. The classic wines to go with oysters have lively acidity and pronounced […]

PLAYING APART

PROVINCETOWN — What do you get when a group of Provincetown locals have Tuesdays off in the middle of the summer of the pandemic, when social distance is required? A […]

KITCHEN TABLE

Winter squash was legend in my house growing up. One Halloween, my mother wouldn’t let my sisters trick-or-treat until they ate their acorn squash. No squash, no candy. Ultimately, she […]

GALLERY

Oyster plates were a Victorian-era idea that became part of the evolution of oysters from inexpensive street food to coveted delicacy, a shift that happened in the early 1900s, when […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

TRURO — In June 1872, John Fairfield Rich, a journalist living in Ware, in central Mass., realized the fulfillment of a dream he had had a decade earlier, when he […]

ANIMAL CLINIC

Halloween is a terrifying time of year when you treat animals who struggle with portion control. Maybe not as nerve-wracking as Thanksgiving, but still anxiety-inducing. We hold our breath waiting […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Oct. 13, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The final week of Libra season is highlighted, so to speak, by the new Moon. While the new Moon isn’t a time to begin anything — you should wait until […]

TRUE CRIME

ORLEANS — At an Oct. 8 dangerousness hearing, Orleans District Court Judge Robert A. Welsh ordered Joseph Amato, 45, of Provincetown, held without bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility […]

THE DREDGE REPORT

WELLFLEET — “Well,” said Dan Conroy, a field engineer-slash-hydrographic surveyor at Cashman Dredging and Marine Contracting, a Quincy-based company working under the supervision of the Army Corps of Engineers, “I […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Oct. 15 Board of Health, 4 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to Truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Oct. 15 Climate Action Committee, 10 a.m. Housing […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda.  That document will provide information about how to view and take […]

GALLERIES

Political protest art is not new, as anyone who has seen Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, about an 1830 anti-royalist uprising in France, or Picasso’s Guernica, depicting the merciless bombing […]

SIGHT AND SOUND

The viewer is immediately drawn to the eyes. This is true of many paintings by Provincetown art colony founder Charles Webster Hawthorne. They are dark brown and serious. The glint […]

BOOKS

“Do a lot of people call you Cockring?” So begins the relationship between Charlie Besson and movie star Kathi Kannon in Byron Lane’s hilarious debut novel, A Star Is Bored. […]

PERFORMANCES

Sitting at the top of a set of weathered wooden stairs overlooking the ocean, Genie Morrow seems to belong in Wellfleet’s wild, windswept landscape. “I believe we can access creativity […]

VIGNETTE

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OP-ED

Readers must have noticed that Cape Cod’s only daily newspaper has gotten much slimmer in the last few months. It’s no accident. According to the Brookings Institution, over 2,000 U.S. […]

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

It was just about a year ago that I suggested that readers of the Independent observe “Writing Thursday,” because we wanted to get more letters to the editor. Sure enough, […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

On Naming Names To the editor: After reading the letter from the editor in last week’s issue [“The Bloody Facts,” page A2], I understand why you included several articles about […]

Real Estate Transactions Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9. PROVINCETOWN Oct 5. John Hardin Carroll and John L. Lofton to Peter F. […]

CLASSIFIEDS

BACK ROADS Enjoy a private Hopper House tour, on back roads and hidden spaces. You follow the Guide’s car using a provided walkie-talkie. Art, architecture, history, and the environmental changes […]

Joseph Corea, who died at home in Truro on Sept. 22, 2020, loved family, hunting, and fishing. He was 78. The cause was cancer, which he had fought long and […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

ENVIRONMENT

Though there are no hard numbers for the population of Canada geese on the Outer Cape, it’s not hard to infer that they are growing. And there’s little argument about […]

ELDER AFFAIRS

PROVINCETOWN — The owners of two units at the Residences at Seashore Point are about to file suit against the company that controls the senior living community and its adjoining […]

FACT CHECK

TRURO — Out West, the saying goes that “Whisky’s for drinkin’, and water’s for fightin’.” In Truro’s ongoing debate about affordable housing at the Cloverleaf parcel, the water is for […]

NATIONAL SEASHORE

EASTHAM — The owners of a property in the Cape Cod National Seashore who want to demolish three dwellings and a garage and build a new residence and garage with […]

REVOLVING DOOR

WELLFLEET — One of the first tasks of new Town Administrator Maria Broadbent was to fire the town accountant. Gene Ferrari Jr. said he was dismissed on Sept. 22, the […]

UPDATE

EASTHAM — The owner of Willy’s Gym is appealing a state order to pay fines and restitution for various wage law violations, while friends of the gym’s late tennis pro […]

TRUE CRIME

PROVINCETOWN — The call came last Wednesday night, just over halfway into Police Officer Emmett Catanese’s 3 to 11 p.m. shift. On the line was Christian Peters, 50. He was […]

VIEW FROM THE TOP

The pandemic has shattered routines, shrunken social circles, and shut most of us off from the world outside our immediate radius. But I learned last week that a little training […]

DEVELOPMENT

TRURO — After digging deep for year-round workers and young families, the Truro Select Board has found 16 people to serve on the Walsh Property Community Planning Committee. The group […]

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

PROVINCETOWN — Michelle Axelson came to town in November 2010, for a break. A Boston-based social worker by training, she had loved working at Mass. Correctional Institution — Framingham, a […]

BODY/MIND

It feels like just yesterday that we were all holed up, arguing on Facebook about opening up for the summer season and wondering what would happen. And then it did. […]

KITCHEN TABLE

Something ridiculous always happens when the seasons change. I find myself excited for the foods I associate with the new season, and immediately nostalgic for the foods of the season […]

IF I HAD A HAMMER

With Women’s Week in view, the Independent asked three Outer Cape women to tell us what it’s like to make themselves at home working in what is still seen as […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Fresh off a full Moon in Aries, many of us may have noticed a weekend full of headaches, heartaches, and a rather edgy disposition. The best way to balance aggression […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Oct. 6, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

ALL RISE

WELLFLEET — If you search for Abbe Seldin in the archives of the New York Times, you’ll find four articles. The first, by Leslie Oelsner, appeared on Feb. 1, 1972, […]

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

PROVINCETOWN — The staff at the Lobster Pot sent word on Oct. 3 to the restaurant’s customers and friends: Mary Joy McNulty, “our beloved owner, leader, and inspiration,” is retiring. […]

EASTHAM — Nauset Regional School District Supt. Thomas Conrad would not comment this week on the termination process for James Saidnawey, a fourth-grade teacher at Eastham Elementary School who was […]

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Oct. 8 Scholarship & Trust Administration Committee, 3 p.m. Public Pier Corp., 2 […]

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Oct. 8 Zoning Board of Appeals, 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 Community Preservation Committee, 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13 Council on Aging Board, 10 a.m. Select Board, […]

Meetings Ahead From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document […]

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take […]

COVID UPDATE

Theater and music lovers were overjoyed last week when Gov. Charlie Baker announced that lower-risk communities may move to “step two” of phase three reopening guidelines, as of Monday, Oct. […]

CERAMICS

“The Cape is where I want to be as an artist,” says ceramicist Isabel Souza. “The direction of my art is very influenced by my roots and my family history […]

BOOK REVIEW

What is the likely career trajectory of an inventive, gifted Teacher of the Year who is passionate about racial and social justice and who works in an urban public school? […]

CONCERT REVIEW

“This is the first indoor [musical] event that anyone on the Cape can experience since February,” said David Kuehn, executive director of Cotuit Center for the Arts, introducing a solo […]

SKETCHBOOK

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

PROVINCETOWN — I have not had a haircut in at least seven months. My hair is almost as long as it was 50 years ago. It doesn’t really matter; I […]

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OUR MR. NATURAL

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

“If it bleeds, it leads” is an old saw in the news business. Stories of crime and violence sell, and in newsrooms driven by competition for viewers and readers, the […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A Nice Guy To the editor: Todd Silva’s letter in last week’s Independent [“Noises of the Waterfront”] was the most restrained, polite, and neighborly reply imaginable to a jerk. Imagine complaining about […]

Real Estate Transactions Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2. PROVINCETOWN Sept. 28. BPJC LLC [Christopher D. Wise, manager] to Paulo Martini. 350 […]

CLASSIFIEDS

YARD SALE Huge yard sale in North Truro. Moving and downsizing. This Sat., Oct. 10 and Sun., Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. No early birds! Masks required. 50 […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Know when to hit the flats

THE WATERFRONT

WELLFLEET — It took a town-wide effort, a federal campaign, and 26 years, but the dredging of Wellfleet Harbor’s federal channel is set to begin on Oct. 1. “It’s just […]

TOWN MEETING

TRURO — It was a short but not sweet town meeting on Saturday, Sept. 26. All 17 warrant articles passed, the weather was balmy, and 243 people (or 12 percent […]

TOWN MEETING

EASTHAM — The voters were in an agreeable mood at last Saturday’s town meeting, approving every warrant article presented and agreeing to postpone two. Three of the adopted articles will […]

LEARNING IN A PANDEMIC

PROVINCETOWN — Provincetown Schools Supt. Suzanne Scallion has received a letter from state Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley questioning her decision not to reopen the school for […]

SAFETY NET

PROVINCETOWN — Unemployment insurance dates back to 1935 and the same New Deal law that created Social Security. This year, however, unemployment benefits were radically expanded and repurposed as coronavirus […]

TRUE CRIME

WELLFLEET — An employee at Bay Sails Marine on Route 6 was flushing out his boat Saturday evening at the end of a beautiful late September day when he noticed […]

CONNECTIVITY

TRURO — More residents in areas currently without broadband service will soon be able to get connected, following a breakthrough in negotiations with Comcast — though exactly how many will […]

AN APPRECIATION

PROVINCETOWN — In his poem “Chariot,” Stanley Kunitz, a founder of the Fine Arts Work Center, wrote of Varujan Boghosian, “In my friend’s studio, where curiosity runs the shop, and […]

ENVIRONMENT

WELLFLEET — Cape Cod is known as a global stranding hot spot for whales and dolphins. Probably no one knows that better than the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) […]

POLITICS

PROVINCETOWN — Mary L. Trump’s book Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man sold more copies in one week than her uncle Donald’s […]

GALLERY

Masses of mums have arrived at local garden stores, ready to be shepherded to our dooryards to replace summer’s now-bedraggled geraniums. Natalie Van Staden stands surrounded by what seems like […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 29, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

AIR CONDITIONED

EASTHAM — “Unfortunately, the kids are getting used to disappointment right now,” said Head Coach Bruce Strunk of the Nauset Warriors football team. Friday nights in September would normally bring […]

PUBLIC HEALTH

WELLFLEET — The discovery of E. coli bacteria in the town’s public water supply led to a “boil water order” from the state on Saturday evening, Sept. 26. Occupants of […]

ALL-STAR

Elle Simone Scott took delivery last week on 72 Wellfleet oysters at America’s Test Kitchen in Boston, where she is a test chef and stylist. The oysters were courtesy of […]

KITCHEN TABLE

Sometimes recipes come from friends, relatives, or a cookbook. But sometimes, they happen by accident. They all start with some kind of inspiration. Just as those final slicing tomatoes of […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

It should be noted for transparency’s sake that this astro-columnist is himself a Libra, born Oct. 9, 1985. For me, writing about Libra poses a challenge. How to turn the […]

BIRTHDAY

The staff of the Provincetown Independent celebrated the completion of Volume 1 of the newspaper on Friday, Sept. 25 with a series of surprise awards, announced by the editor, Ed […]

CROSSWORD #14

Sophia Maymudes created this month’s puzzle with a special place in mind. Need some answers? Just ask and we’ll send them. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to […]

ROOTS

EASTHAM — The Outer Cape’s annual fall festivals have all taken a hit during 2020, thanks to Covid-19. “What’s next?” you might be asking. “No Eastham Turnip Festival this year?” […]

A TRURO THING

Susan Kurtzman, who owns Jobi Pottery in Truro, with state Sen. Julian Cyr, who nominated Jobi for inclusion in Artists Under the Dome, an annual State House event. “It was […]

CURRENTS

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Oct. 1 Recycling & Renewable Energy Committee, 10 a.m. Public Pier Corp., 1 p.m. Select […]

CURRENTS

Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Oct. 1 Climate Action Committee, 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5 Conservation Commission, […]

CURRENTS

From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document will provide […]

CURRENTS

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on any meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely. Thursday, […]

EXHIBITIONS

“It’s historical; it’s interactive; you walk through it,” Mimi Gross says. She is describing how museum-goers will experience The Arrival, 1620, her site-specific installation that is opening on Friday, Oct. […]

BOOKS

Next Wednesday, East End Books Ptown is holding a virtual book event on the The Piano Student, with author Lea Singer and translator Elisabeth Lauffer. The novel, newly translated from […]

ARTISTS

“That’s the life force we get from being present in the moment, experiencing what is happening around us,” says Bill Evaul in his North Truro home, leaning forward in an […]

BENEFIT AUCTIONS

The Ptown Gallery Stroll, a nonprofit organization of more than 30 art galleries in Provincetown, was formed in the spring in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the threat it […]

CONCERT REVIEW

Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings is a warhorse — a piece of classical music that is played so repeatedly, it ought to get old. But it doesn’t. Partly because of […]

VIGNETTE

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OP-ED

EASTHAM — It started as a quick trip down the steps to the pond, with sandwich in hand, before a run into town to fetch bird seed from the Bird […]

TEACAKE’S TAKE

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PRESERVATION

EASTHAM — One of the reasons my husband and I decided to move back to Eastham from Orleans was its scenic beauty. When I lived in Orleans, I was a […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Noises of the Waterfront To the editor: I am a commercial lobsterman fishing out of Provincetown, as my father and grandfather did before me. After a week of unfishable weather, […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Now that all four of the Outer Cape towns have held their annual town meetings, gathering outdoors on athletic fields and in a parking lot, maintaining safe distancing and observing […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS Vacation rental coordinator. Part-time year-round vacation rental coordinator for busy Wellfleet real estate office. Excellent organizational and computer skills essential. Current MA real estate license, or obtain one within […]

Real Estate Transactions Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Sept. 21 to Sept. 25, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Sept. 21. Debora Lyn Charpentier and Christine Erin Smith to Thomas […]

public health

WELLFLEET — The discovery of E. coli bacteria in the town’s public water supply led to a “boil water order” from the state on Saturday evening. Occupants of the 290 […]

AN INVESTIGATION

WELLFLEET — At the Sept. 12 annual town meeting voters agreed to spend $110,000 to design a sprinkler system for the Wellfleet Elementary School, because, the fire chief said, one […]

HOUSING RELIEF

PROVINCETOWN — First, the good news: checks of up to $5,000 are available to help vulnerable Cape Cod tenants with up to three months of rent payments. The Housing Assistance […]

CIVICS

PROVINCETOWN — The long-delayed annual town meeting moved at a brisk pace on Monday, Sept. 21, with the chilly weather perhaps encouraging voters gathered in the parking lot at St. […]

#BLM

WELLFLEET — About 100 people marched from the pier to the First Congregational Church in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on Sept. 20. The crowd on Sunday was […]

UNRESTORATION

WELLFLEET — Three days after town meeting voters agreed to spend another $10,000 to continue a years-long cemetery restoration and repair project, an independent historic gravestone conservator delivered her report […]

CIVICS

TRURO — After heaping praise on Darrin Tangeman, 46, a former Green Beret with municipal and medical experience, the select board on Sept. 22 unanimously picked him to be the […]

HEALTH

WELLFLEET — Liberty Schilpp’s middle-school-age children have already had four different dentists and are about to meet number five, this one in South Dennis. The problem is not a dearth […]

KITCHEN TABLE

What are you going to do with that last sun-warmed tomato from the garden, the one that’s waiting on the counter right now? Here’s how a few of the Outer […]

HOMESTEADING

WELLFLEET — Most chickens on the Outer Cape are, like the rest of us, among the fortunate on this Earth. Instead of inhabiting large-production poultry farms, our backyard babies live […]

DAWN PATROL

EASTHAM — When Joe Rossetti was a kid, back in the 1960s, his family spent summers at a cottage in North Truro, just steps away from Highland Light and Coast […]

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

There is no mistaking it: the fall season is upon us. Unrelenting winds from northerly quadrants have been buffeting us for days on end, and, as of this writing, the remnants […]

PLANTCRAFT

September, the golden month on Cape Cod. Sunrises and sunsets that linger in the mind’s eye with color and light. Solidago sempervirens, seaside goldenrod, is just beginning to open at […]

CROSS COUNTRY

EASTHAM — “I’m glad that we’ll be able to have some sort of season,” said Izzy Nobili, senior captain of the Nauset Regional High School cross country team. Normally, cross […]

MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

In the very first issue of the Independent, I wrote about Jupiter and Saturn, which were prominently in view at the time. After making their way across the sky and […]

OUTER CAPE PORTRAIT

AIDAN HANDVILLE / HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR, ATHLETE / EASTHAM Aidan Handville is captain of the Nauset Regional High School football team. This fall, because of Covid, there’s no regular football […]

PERSONAL HISTORY

The first time I was bullied, I was in second grade. It was a classic case. A kid my age with a scary, tough way about him stole money from […]

BEHIND THE WHEEL

People ask me what I think of Question One, which will be on the ballot in the Commonwealth on Nov. 3. My answer is that, while it may not be […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

All rise for Libra season. Perched between high-minded Virgo and sub-conscious Scorpio, Libra seeks to balance the cosmic forces of good and evil by delivering an equalizing light to their […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 22, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

CURRENTS

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Sept. 24 Public Pier Corp., 2 p.m. Planning Board, 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28 […]

CURRENTS

Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Sept. 24 School Committee, 9 a.m. Shellfish Advisory Committee, 2 p.m. Zoning […]

CURRENTS

From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document will […]

CURRENTS

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely. Saturday, […]

THEATER

The view from the Grace Hall parking lot #3 of the dune and water tower above it would not be part of a Provincetown promotional flyer. But the sky was […]

PUBLIC ART

Many visitors to Provincetown have admired the funky, colorful Bob Gasoi Memorial Alley beside Shop Therapy at 290 Commercial St. Few, however, are familiar with Arnold Charnick, the artist who […]

PROVINCETOWN 400

The Provincetown Art Association and Museum has joined forces with the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum for “Members’ Juried: Provincetown 400,” an exhibit of artwork by PAAM members that is […]

BOOK REVIEW

Watch a video clip of mathematician Eugenia Cheng making puff pastry with Stephen Colbert, and you’ll quickly appreciate why her students at the Art Institute of Chicago surely consider themselves […]

INDIE SCREEN

As residencies go, Marco Calvani’s time in Provincetown has been productive and reflective. It culminated with a fund-raiser at the Mary Heaton Vorse House on Thursday, Sept. 17, presented by […]

GOING LIVE

The summer came and went. And against all odds, we had live music, cabaret, and drag. Performers and venues acclimated to an entirely new way of performing — outdoors and […]

JUSTICE

“Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof: Justice, Justice you shall pursue. This quote hung in her office. I’ve given her a gold pin inscribed with it.”—Traci Harmon-Hay This page is available to subscribers. […]

SUNSET

I stare at this photograph The setting of the sun Over the ocean the dunes My world Luminous So alive Without her body She pours her love Upon us Dare […]

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

I aspire to be a writer. My two young granddaughters, though, ages four and seven, would not care if I never wrote another word. They are staying with us now, […]

STEAMERS

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Playing With Space and Time To the editor: Marnie Crawford Samuelson’s interview with and portrait of my brother, Miah Nate Johnson, were sensitive and wonderful [“Laugh! Laugh Out Loud,” Sept. […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Things go wrong sometimes. That’s always of interest to reporters and editors. We’re tuned to ask what happened and tell the story of how things came apart. It’s good to […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Real Estate Transactions Recorded at the Barnstable Country Registry of Deeds from Sept. 14 to Sept. 18, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Sept. 14. Cheryl A. Bready to Robert Parisi. 531 Commercial St. […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS Vacation rental coordinator. Part-time year-round vacation rental coordinator for busy Wellfleet real estate office. Excellent organizational and computer skills essential. Current MA real estate license, or obtain one within […]

Anne Elizabeth Mahoney, 59, of Truro and Cambridge, died of complications from heart surgery on Sept. 15, 2020, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She was the wife of […]

Artemis Diana Warburton of Eastham died peacefully on Sept. 3, 2020 at Pleasant Bay Nursing and Rehab Center in Brewster at the age of 97. Artemis, who was known as […]

Joseph Jay Buteau of North Truro died at home on Sept. 12, 2020, surrounded by his wife and daughters. Born on Aug. 2, 1950, in Heidelberg, Germany, he was the […]

Varujan Boghosian, a towering figure among Provincetown artists, died of complications of a hip fracture at his home in Hanover, N.H., on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. He was 94. His […]

WILDLIFE

WELLFLEET — She pulled up to the gas pump at the Mobil station on Route 6, but I knew she wasn’t there to fill up her tank. She was a […]

ON THE PITCH

As high school sports seasons progress, the Independent will be reporting regularly on how the pandemic is affecting the games, players, coaches, and fans. PROVINCETOWN — “I thought it would […]

HEALTH

TRURO — Summer 2020 came and went with nearly the usual influx of tourists, many of them from metropolitan areas with far higher incidence of Covid-19. But the infection rate […]

TOWN MEETING PREVIEW

PROVINCETOWN — Like much of the summer season this year, town meeting in Provincetown is going to arrive later, leaner, and al fresco. Originally scheduled for early April, at the […]

CIVICS

WELLFLEET — Standing on the pitcher’s mound at the Wellfleet Elementary School ballfield, Moderator Dan Silverman pitched a no-hitter on Sept. 12, with voters approving all the articles that came […]

TOWN MEETING PREVIEW

EASTHAM — The warrant for the Sept. 26 annual town meeting has arrived in mailboxes and is now available on the town’s website at eastham-ma.gov. Voters will be asked to […]

POLICING, PART 3

As U.S. police forces face a reckoning, issues of transparency and racial equity are on the table at the State House in Boston. A conference committee works on a bill […]

FELLOWSHIP

EASTHAM — Over the last five decades, if you turned on your radio on Cape Cod or in the Boston-Providence area, chances are you’d hear the voice of Bob Seay. […]

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

This past week saw more evidence of the effects of global warming on our oceans. We continue to see more warm-water fish moving up into our area. Charter boats out of […]

UNDEVELOPMENT

EASTHAM — Usually, when a basement floods, the home owner starts planning to get rid of the water. When Joanna Buffington’s basement was inundated, she started planning to get rid […]

KITCHEN TABLE

When there are raspberries and then blueberries, you can tell yourself you’ve got all kinds of time. You can go for a swim tomorrow. Or read a book. You have […]

ANIMAL CLINIC

The passing of Labor Day marks the end of our cut-pad-on-an-oyster-shell season and the beginning of the itchy-dog-and-cat season here on the Cape. (This will be followed by pancreatic inflammation […]

GALLERY

All of us on the Outer Cape are in some way or another living in a national park. Even if our homes are not within its boundaries, we are surrounded […]

Here at the tail end of Virgo season, the New Moon in the sign of the Virgin gives birth to new beginnings. The orderly and analytical nature of Virgo would […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 15, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

MOVEMENT

Back in March, you set up your laptop on the dining room table and the kids took to the couch with their devices. You figured you could make do — […]

BOMB SQUAD

WELLFLEET — While doing landscaping chores on Sept. 12, Donald Thimas came across nine World War I-era bombs, including six powerful anti-tank devices that later rocked neighborhoods when they were […]

THE CLOSER

WELLFLEET — “It’s nut day,” says Sandy Valli. I look around, confused. The shop, Gelato Joy, is busy for sure, but not particularly crazy. It is 4 p.m. on the […]

HAZE

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BACK TO SCHOOL

EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School ventilation system turns out not to be as bad as expected, with the majority of classrooms expected to be ready for an Oct. […]

LEARNING AT A DISTANCE

PROVINCETOWN — The Provincetown Schools superintendent has penciled in the date of Oct. 5 for some students to return to school, but not inside the building. “We’re not going to […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Sept. 17 Scholarship & Trust Administration Committee, 3 p.m. Board of Health, 4 […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and follow the “helpful link” to Truro Channel 18. Thursday, Sept. 17 Climate Action Committee, 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 18 […]

currents

Meetings Ahead From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on the meeting you’re interested to read its agenda and find information about how to view and take part […]

Elections 2020

Ed Markey, who soundly defeated Joe Kennedy in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary on Sept. 1, was the winner in every town on the Outer Cape. Looking at results across […]

THE CLOSER

WELLFLEET — “It’s nut day,” says Sandy Valli. I look around, confused. The shop, Gelato Joy, is busy for sure, but not particularly crazy. It is 4 p.m. on the […]

GALLERIES

The painter Edith (“Edie”) Vonnegut sits in the sand on Mayo Beach in Wellfleet, gazing at sailboats floating by in the sunshine. Her slender figure and natural beauty defy any […]

PROVINCETOWN 400

“Unity: Exploring Freedom and Democracy in 2020,” an exhibit on view at Berta Walker Gallery at 208 Bradford St. in Provincetown through Election Day, includes about 20 works by Varujan […]

BOOK REVIEW

Faced with impending climate doom, extreme housing shortages, and a global pandemic that spreads through close human proximity, most people hope Americans will get fewer and farther between. In his […]

QUEER ‘I’

A million years ago, back in 2016, I sat on a panel at a literary conference in New Orleans. At the time, I was working on my second novel, and […]

THEATER OF ART

The art of Kahn & Selesnick — otherwise known as Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick, who met at Washington University in St. Louis in the ’80s, moved to the Cape […]

LIVE MUSIC

This Friday, singer-songwriter Thea Hopkins will be performing on the Payomet Performing Arts Center’s Drive-in stage, offering the rare pleasure, these days, of experiencing a live musician in concert on […]

VIGNETTE

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SKETCHBOOK

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OP-ED

In the middle of August, a group of eight writers, prompted perhaps by chants of “12 more years!” at the Republican National Convention, began an online discussion about finding ways […]

HIGH HOLIDAYS

The year 5781 in the Jewish calendar begins this Friday evening, Sept.18. The season is called the Days of Awe, beginning with the two days of Rosh Hashanah, the “head […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Wellfleet was the first of the Outer Cape towns to conduct its long-delayed annual town meeting this past Saturday, and as Provincetown, Truro, and Eastham have also chosen, it was […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Native American Stereotypes To the editor: People in Truro who are unhappy with the Massachusetts seal [“State Flag and Seal Question Is on Wellfleet, Truro Warrants,” Sept. 10, page A8] […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Real Estate Transactions Recorded at the Barnstable Country Registry of Deeds from Sept. 7 to Sept. 11, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Sept. 8. Benjamin I. Dobson and Timothy C. Harrington Jr. to […]

The Rev. Manuel Peter Ferreira, 90, died on Sept. 6, 2020, at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, after a period of declining health. Father Ferreira was ordained as a […]

Helen Duberstein Lipton died peacefully on Sept. 2, 2020, in North Truro. She was surrounded by her daughters, Jackie and Irene, and close family at Irene’s home, where she had […]

Kathleen Forrest Connors, 75, died peacefully on Sept. 13, 2020, at her Wellfleet home, surrounded by family and friends. Born in Bridgeport, Conn., in 1945, she was the eldest daughter […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS Truro Central School, health office assistant. Assist the school nurse with administrative work, student care, and implementing school-wide health and safety protocols. Health-care and/or child-care experience preferred. Send letter, […]

OLD BUSINESS

WELLFLEET — Back in 1949, Maurice and Ann Gauthier of New Bedford were in search of a better lifestyle for their growing family. They eventually found it in the woods […]

DEMOGRAPHICS

WELLFLEET — Every Cape Cod real estate agent seems to have a story of this summer’s pandemic home-buying bonanza: homes going under contract the day they are listed, often with […]

CANNABIZ

PROVINCETOWN — When b\well opened here on Friday, Sept. 4, it became the second recreational (or “adult-use”) marijuana dispensary on Cape Cod. Nine more dispensaries are on a path to […]

THE 2020 CENSUS

As the current deadline of Sept. 30 for completing the 2020 census draws near, low self-response rates and misconceptions about filling out the census questionnaire are lowering hopes for a […]

BLIGHT

EASTHAM — The old Nickerson Service Center property on Route 6 in North Eastham took a bashing at the select board’s Aug. 31 meeting, as the board considered the idea […]

TOWN MEETING PREVIEW

WELLFLEET — The annual town meeting is set to kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, five months after it was initially postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. […]

TOWN MEETING PREVIEW

TRURO — Town meeting may feel more like recess this year, as voters gather outdoors at the Truro Central School ballfield at noon on Saturday, Sept. 26. Even the warrant […]

OUTER CAPE PORTRAIT

MIAH NATE JOHNSON / PAINTER, SEWER, CREATOR / WELLFLEET In the 1980s, Miah began traveling the world as a photojournalist, working with major photo agencies and clients like National Geographic. […]

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

I have always said the summer season goes by in three blinks of the eye. The first time you blink, Memorial Day is gone; the second time, the Fourth of July […]

MEET THE MAKER

The Tiny Pricks Project began in 2018 when Diana Weymar, a Canadian-born, Princeton-educated textile artist, heard the current president say, “I am a very stable genius,” and found herself stitching […]

MATCH

PROVINCETOWN — The Provincetown Tennis Club (PTC) finished up its members tournament last week. Maria Cirino defeated Judy Mencher in two sets, 6-2, 6-3, in the women’s singles final, while […]

COCKTAIL HOUR

There have been years, like the ones when we had our restaurant in Provincetown, when I did not think a lot about the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, where […]

UNSOLVED MYSTERY

Fail Gail. The epithet strikes fear in the hearts of high schoolers, yet no one seems to know her real name. I am speaking, of course, of the infamous road […]

WIND

PROVINCETOWN — The Provincetown Yacht Club crammed three races and a party into Labor Day Weekend — and with just a week left in the summer racing season, the PYC […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

Even before there was a written Wellfleet history, there were Wellfleet oysters. We know that indigenous peoples savored them raw, smoked, roasted, steamed, and dried, because of the massive shell […]

BODY/MIND

“See you Friday night at Sangha!” Hugh said to me on the way out the door. I looked at the schedule on the back of my manual and sure enough: […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 8, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

As the summer begins to wane, so, too, can our sense of motivation, especially now, as Mars goes retrograde. A rarer celestial event than Mercury’s three or four retrogrades a […]

NO CONTACT

EASTHAM — Nauset fall sports will be a completely different game this year. The Cape & Islands League Executive Board voted last week to allow boys golf, cross country, boys […]

ADMINISTRATION

TRURO — After Robert Wood, the top town manager candidate, and the select board could not agree on salary and benefits, the board met on Sept. 4 to weigh its […]

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

For more than 100 years, Massachusetts has used as its state seal a colonial swordsman’s disembodied arm brandished over a Native American. The same coat of arms has also been […]

CURRENTS