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More Studies Planned for Breakwater Gap
PROVINCETOWN — An on-again, off-again effort to install a gap in the Long Point Dike, more commonly called the West End breakwater, took a small step forward last week at […]
A New Wellness Center Offers In-Person Support
WELLFLEET — Outer Cape Health Services has opened a new behavioral health facility in Wellfleet. It will be open year-round to help people recovering from substance use disorder. The A.I.M. […]
Condo Owners’ Long Wait for Year-Round OK
TRURO — Elaine Eliopoulos told the Truro Select Board on Sept. 10 that she and the other owners of the 13 residential units at the Anchorage on the Bay condominiums […]
Conservationists Seek ‘Endangered’ Designation for Terrapins
WELLFLEET — A petition submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service on Sept. 19 by a coalition of 20 nonprofit organizations led by the Tucson, Ariz.-based Center for Biological Diversity […]
DEP Wants to Allow ‘Intervenors’ in Holtec Appeal Hearing
PLYMOUTH — The state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) determined in July that Holtec Decommissioning International’s proposal to discharge up to one million gallons of wastewater from the Pilgrim Nuclear […]
Wall-Raising Set for 4 Habitat Homes in Wellfleet
WELLFLEET — The winners of a lottery to become owners of four affordable houses to be built by Habitat for Humanity on Old Kings Highway were selected early last month. […]
Wellfleet Special Town Meeting to Consider a Series of Tidy-Ups
WELLFLEET — The special town meeting set for Oct. 21 may be far from special. Town Administrator Tom Guerino told the select board on Sept. 17 that what voters will […]
With Ishmael, on Johnny Cake Hill
NEW BEDFORD — Herman Melville’s Ishmael certainly must have scuffed his soles on the cobblestones of Johnny Cake Hill. I know he arrived thinking “…whenever it is a damp, drizzly […]
How Puritan Beliefs Shaped Cape Cod’s Landscape
EASTHAM — Somewhat surprisingly, given that Cape Cod is an enormous glacial sandpile, the first European settlers to build permanent homes on the Outer Cape were in search of dirt. […]
Poultry and Their Politics
It’s a hen-peck-hen world out there. By “out there,” I refer to the front garden of our house in Wellfleet, where our three hens are placidly sipping from a puddle. […]
Tiny Tyke Soccer Is a Kick
PROVINCETOWN — The little chickens sitting on small soccer balls like round yellow eggs flew into a frenzy at the chirp of a neon whistle. They ran around, sometimes kicking […]
It’s Not Dutch, and It’s Not a Baby
It’s weird how much I long for both the coming of summer and its end. We’re breathing a little more easily now, as the year shifts into a slower tempo, […]
Eastham Offers Seniors a Walk in the Park Every Friday
EASTHAM — Jean Ehret stepped around a puddle and looked out across the rolling, recently mowed fields of Fort Hill in Eastham, which were taking on the browns and golds […]
The Ocean Gets a Good Mixing
Our recent inhospitable fall weather continued to dominate the waterfront, with east and northeast winds making going out and catching fish challenging. Despite the lack of southerly winds, though, water […]
The Enduring Teachings of a Childhood Pond
We called it Spectacle Pond, but maybe that’s just a name we neighborhood kids made up. All I can find now on maps of Lexington is a tiny, roundish pond […]
Blessed Dogs and Dancing Ones, Too
PROVINCETOWN — The Rev. Brian Raiche made his way through a crowd of some 50 animal lovers and dozens of dogs gathered on the sunny lawn of St. Mary of […]
In the Glow of the Glasswort
Glowing in the afternoon sun at Nauset Marsh like Chihuly art, Salicornia ambigua, the perennial glasswort, unambiguously lives up to its name. Evolved to survive the salt water as a […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Oct. 1 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Say It Loud
The Sun is in Libra, emphasizing our need to be heard. And now Mercury comes along, too, reminding everyone that it is your responsibility to communicate your needs and expectations. […]
Airport Commission
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Farm to School
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, Oct. […]
Septic Regulations
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
New Deputy Fire Chief
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in-person, typically with an online attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All […]
Megan Hinton Finds the Throughline
Megan Hinton’s first career survey show at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum reveals an artist whose work is instantly recognizable for its strong use of line, a line that […]
For Monica Rizzio, Music Is Everything
Monica Rizzio is singing something new. Her strong, sure voice fills the room; the guitar in her hands sounds bigger than it is. It creates its own kind of gravity: […]
The Value of Getting the Color Right
Reggie Cabral bought the first landscape painting Hilda Neily sold in Provincetown over 50 years ago with $100 worth of bar change. Cabral, who owned the Atlantic House from 1949 […]
Jeremy Hobson Is the Man in the Middle
At his house in the Truro woods, journalist and radio host Jeremy Hobson sits at a desk in his unfinished basement. The air smells of exposed wood and cement floors. […]
Two Poems by Marilyn A. Johnson
The current ghost broom clean the measure of absence in the mud room no mud scuffed baseboards rusted sinks house we have worn you out mother locks the last door […]
Arts Briefs
A Very Gorey Dracula Five decades ago, illustrator and writer Edward Gorey channeled his fascination with the macabre to the stage with set and costume designs for an adaptation of […]
Peaceable Kingdom
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Raw Deal
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Unsponsored Content
Scroll down the Boston Globe’s homepage and you’ll come to a lineup of stories under the heading “From Our Partners.” They have headlines like “You can afford that big European […]
Letters, October 3, 2024
Building in Paradise To the editor: Why is it that land used for affordable housing raises so much ire, while land lost to large single-family homes does not? It has […]
Financial Planner Lorraine Hart Dies at 73
Lorraine Ann Hart of Truro and South Deerfield died peacefully, surrounded by family, on Sept. 19, 2024 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield of a rare and aggressive form of […]
Former Truro Selectman Mark Peters Was 72
Mark Nicholas Peters of North Truro died peacefully on July 24, 2024 at Cape Cod Hospital, with his stepdaughter by his side. The cause was acute renal failure. He was […]
TIDE CHART
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Sept. 23 to Sept. 27, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Sept. 23. Charles Loring Revocable Trust (Charles Vincent Loring, trustee) to Jed Frank Lippard […]
Classifieds Oct. 3, 2024 – Oct.10, 2024
ARTS AND MUSIC Appalachian Irish Fusion Concert with Claudine Langille, banjo, formerly of the band Touchstone, and Deborah Silverstein, guitar, founding member of Boston’s New Harmony Sisterhood Band. Saturday, Oct. […]
Indie’s Choice
Back in Black (Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 3-6) The 27th annual Mates Leather Weekend — featuring a leather market, fetish parties, a tattoo contest cookout, and more — heats up various locations […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
Town of Wellfleet Conservation Commission Public Hearing October 16, 2024 Please take notice that the Wellfleet Conservation Commission, in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 131, Section 40, and the Wellfleet Environmental […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro INVITATION FOR BIDS The Town of Truro is seeking sealed bids for construction of the Central School Roof & HVAC Renovations. Bids will be received at the […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing October 16, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, in […]
Upstairs, Downstairs
Provincetown is a high-density town. Case in point, what once was a small home in the East End with two buildings on a narrow lot recently became three condos squeezed […]
In Truro, Memories of Old Provincetown
Braunwyn Jackett and Nate McKean describe their North Truro house as having an “old-school Provincetown” aesthetic. “This is how we grew up,” Jackett says. The couple have deep Outer Cape […]
Scratch Circles
We stood on the steps of the dune shack, chipped enamel cups full of strong coffee in our hands, and looked out over a world made clean and new. The […]
Blurring the Edges
Keith LeBlanc has focused for years on designing landscapes and gardens that eschew suburban ideals of clipped lawns and formal flower beds while seamlessly blending into our Outer Cape ecosystem. […]
A Craftsman Finds the Power of Punk in Plywood
When the Cape Cod Modern House Trust was a fledgling organization, Thomas Moses signed up to advance its mission to restore the Outer Cape’s modern houses, many of which were […]
Small changes with big results for when a space doesn’t suit your style
I knew I would have to make compromises when I was in the market to buy a house here a little over a year ago. Along the way, I saw […]
On a Former Gravel Pit, a Healing Garden Grows
Fiona Mulligan is wearing a shirt that she hand-dyed using indigo she grew herself. The color is a dusty purple-blue that stands out against her deeply suntanned skin. Mulligan, who […]
Foot Juice
TRURO — The annual Truro Vineyards Grape Stomp celebrates traditional winemaking. And even though that might not figure as a big part of the town’s history, for a lot of […]
Current Tenants Can Stay, Say New Owners
PROVINCETOWN — The 12 apartments at 25-27A Bradford St. known as “Napiville” after their former owner, Anton “Napi” Van Dereck Haunstrup, were sold for half their assessed value last month […]
22 Sheraton Workers Lived in 2 Rooms This Summer
EASTHAM — The 22 seasonal workers who spent the summer employed at the Four Points Sheraton in Eastham as part of the J-1 visa program have now returned home. It’s […]
Peake Resigns as State Rep. to Advise Gov. Healey
PROVINCETOWN — Sarah Peake is one week away from turning 67, but it turns out she’s not retiring after all. After announcing in January that her current, ninth term representing […]
Commission Aims to Create Community Land Trust
HARWICH — An effort to secure more housing for working people on Cape Cod took a step forward last week when the Cape Cod Commission announced it would hold a […]
The Independent Is Newspaper of the Year
PROVIDENCE — The Provincetown Independent was named Newspaper of the Year among the region’s small weekly newspapers at the fall conference of the New England Newspaper and Press Association on […]
Downpours Cause Flooding, Beach Stair Collapse, and Shellfishing Closures
After three sunny, dry weeks, parts of the Outer Cape got over half a foot of rain between Sept. 19 and 22. The National Weather Service reported that Eastham recorded […]
Where All Roads Lead in Truro
TRURO — Torrential rain caused a one-day delay, but it couldn’t keep a treasure hunt at bay. Guided by eight clues, four teams set out on Sept. 22 by bicycle […]
Delays in Issuing Permits Afflict Builders in Wellfleet
WELLFLEET — It is common knowledge among local contractors here that getting work done in Wellfleet takes longer than it does in other towns. The difference has to do with […]
Pick Your Own Sweet Memories
Apple trees were big when I was a kid. On annual apple-picking excursions with my family, I would clamber into the branches of trees in New Jersey and sometimes in […]
Not Apple Pie. Not Honey Cake, Either.
When I am not in Wellfleet, I spend a lot of time on the bench in my local dog park in Brooklyn, kibbitzing. Occasionally, an idea for an outing — […]
Repairing Bikes and a Life in a Provincetown Shop
PROVINCETOWN — At the Bike Shack on Shank Painter Road, the squeal of mechanical parts harmonizes with the squawk of the house parakeets. “This bike’s been outside,” owner Liz Athineos […]
Northeast Winds Bring a Chill to Fishing
Just when we start enjoying epic weather and think we have a fall bass run commencing, here comes Mother Nature to slap us in the face with reality. In the […]
Turn Your Ear Skyward for Bobolinks
Bink! The sound pinged overhead as I walked along High Toss Road in Wellfleet. It was a crisp early autumn morning, and the north winds overnight had dropped a smattering […]
A New Way to Be Happy: Fighting Garbage
BREWSTER — On their last dive of the 2024 season, Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage retrieved an abandoned anchor, a half dozen golf balls, and at least a cooler-full of […]
Fungi Are Our Friends
The spooky season has a way of arriving overnight: one day candy corn suddenly appears on the grocery shelf, the next day shelves of candy corn pop up along the […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 24 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Saturn and Mars Make Us Get Stuff Done
Do you need to go to the RMV? I recommend you do it now. This week the stars are sending us all a major kick in the behind, urging us […]
Joint Water Meeting
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
RTE Bumped to 35 Percent
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, Sept. […]
Harbormaster Update
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
A Leaky Library
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in-person, typically with an online attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All […]
An Artist Gets to the Truth of This Place
When Pete Hocking wanders in the dunes of Provincetown and Wellfleet, he stands quietly and listens to the ocean. He feels the cool air coming off the Atlantic, the heat […]
Father Figures
The faces, all handsome, all angular, none smiling, stare right back at the viewer. The way the paintings combine glamour and danger, they might be models’ portraits or mug shots […]
Variations on the Theme of Memory
Actor and playwright Jacob Storms says that an extraordinary high-school experience of theater gave him the courage to write a one-man play in which he cast himself as an up-and-coming […]
The Provincetown Beauty Myth
I’ve been finding it difficult to write about Provincetown. This is, in part, because there already exists so much writing about the place. The territory is already charted. This town […]
A Forgotten Artist Comes to Life
Provincetown, the 1950s: Billie Holiday and Barbra Streisand are booked at the Atlantic House. Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut are meeting for cocktails. And Abstract Expressionist Hans Hofmann, considered one […]
Arts Briefs
Rediscovering the Life and Art of Earle Pilgrim A new exhibition at the Truro Public Library sheds light on a mid-century Black American artist whose life and work constitute a […]
Ready for the Storm
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Fat Rats
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Matters of the Mind and Body
Last night a young friend (almost 27) said to me, “I am an old soul.” Those words got me thinking. Not about the soul — God help me from ever […]
We Need to Talk About Drugs
I joined the Provincetown Fire Dept. as a part-time emergency medical technician this year. Our job is to provide support to residents and visitors on what is often one of […]
A Prize in Providence
With this issue of the Independent, we complete Volume 5, our fifth full year of weekly publication — 261 issues in all. All those deadlines have kept us tightly bound […]
Letters, September 26, 2024
In Defense of OCHS To the editor: I have been going to Outer Cape Health Services in Wellfleet for the past eight years and am very happy with the care […]
Seashore Point Resident Arlene Reed Was 89
Arlene B. (Dunn) Reed, who lived at Provincetown’s Seashore Point Wellness Center for six years, died on Sept. 16, 2024. The cause was acute respiratory distress with underlying chronic obstructive […]
Ruth Anne Dykeman Memorial
A celebration of life for Ruth Anne Dykeman of Wellfleet, who died on Aug. 7, 2024 at 98, will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6 at the […]
Classical Flutist Eric Maul Dies at 33
Eric Maul, a classical flutist who studied at the New England Conservatory and the Peabody Institute in his native Maryland, died unexpectedly on Sept. 12, 2024 at his home in […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Sept. 16 to Sept. 20, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Sept. 16. Mark Scott to Davis Family Investments LLC [Evans & Davis PLLC, agent […]
Classifieds Sept. 26, 2024 – Oct. 3, 2024
EVENTS October 2 is the International Day of Non-Violence. ArtPeaceMakers invite you to listen and participate in a nonviolence virtual teach-in at paceebene.org/events on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. […]
Indie’s Choice
I’ll Take Manhattan (Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 26-28) The annual Manhattan Short Film Festival at Wellfleet Preservation Hall (335 Main St.) from Thursday, Sept 26 to Saturday, Sept. 28 features 10 films […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
Town of Wellfleet Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing October 10, 2024 Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40-A, Section 11 and Wellfleet Section 235, the ZBA will hold public […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing October 3, 2024 The Provincetown Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a Public Hearing at 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, October 3, […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Planning Board Public Hearing October 16, 2024 The Town of Eastham Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 in […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Select Board Remote Public Hearing FY2025 Tax Classification Hearing September 24, 2024 Notice is hereby given that the Truro Select Board will hold a remote public hearing […]
Classical Flutist Eric Maul Dies at 33
Eric Maul, a classical flutist who studied at the New England Conservatory and the Peabody Institute in his native Maryland, died unexpectedly on Sept. 12, 2024 at his home in […]
Inside a Vestige of Provincetown’s Mercantile Past
PROVINCETOWN — The large, decaying buildings that formerly housed fish-processing businesses, an industrial freezer, a pair of restaurants, and several apartments at 227, 227R, and 229 Commercial St. are mostly […]
Kindergarten Vaccination Rates Fall Short
The immunization of children entering kindergarten against preventable diseases in all four towns on Outer Cape Cod lags far behind statewide averages. In both Truro and Provincetown, less than 80 […]
Short-Term Rentals: an Industry of Ones and Twos
PROVINCETOWN — Almost a year ago, town meeting voters endorsed two measures to regulate the ownership of short-term rental properties here and prevent consolidation of the industry in the hands […]
Fire Chief Orders Heavy Trucks Off the L-Pier
WELLFLEET — Fire Chief Joseph Capello issued a cease-and-desist order on Sept. 17 to prevent fuel delivery trucks and water tankers from driving onto the commercial L-pier at the town’s […]
A Dig Reveals the Ways of One of Eastham’s Early Settlers
EASTHAM — John Doane, who emigrated from England to the Plymouth Colony sometime between 1628 and 1632, became the patriarch of one of the first seven families that settled in […]
Shellfish Dept. Answers Fears With Positive Harvest Data
WELLFLEET — At select board meetings throughout the summer, wild oyster harvesters used the public comment period as a platform to decry the state of the town’s wild fishery. “I […]
Against the Wind: Questions About BOEM’s Fisheries Analysis
TRURO — The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the final sale notice for the Gulf of Maine offshore wind project lease areas on Sept. 16. The agency shrunk […]
Turning the Tables on Mayo Beach
WELLFLEET — The select board on Sept. 10 reviewed the only bid received for the leasing in 2025 of the town-owned sandy lot at 255 Commercial St. between Mac’s on […]
Obscure Regulation Limits What Employers Can Charge Staff for Housing
PROVINCETOWN — As the cost of living has become increasingly untenable for workers on Cape Cod, many local businesses have had to sign leases on rental properties, or buy properties […]
At Nauset Light, the Chance to Live (a Little) Like a Keeper
EASTHAM — The small house on the edge isn’t everyone’s idea of a dream vacation home. There’s no air conditioning, and a constant stream of visitors crowds the front lawn, […]
Rescue Operation
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This Place in Blue and White
Nicole Goveia tried painting and printmaking at school, but when she got a camera for her 16th birthday and taught herself the ins and outs of photography, it opened the […]
Mini Crossword
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Hello, Halo-Halo
Halo-halo, a beloved dessert from the Philippines — one that’s as valued as ice cream is in America — found me through PBS Kids and my Filipino godmothers, Rina and […]
From Hat to Home, Channing Wilroy Makes His Own World
PROVINCETOWN — Channing Wilroy takes a brisk walk through town every day, his shoulders rolled slightly forward as if they, too, are in a hurry. He rarely stops, because he […]
A Fall Bass Run
A fall bass run has evaded us for about six years, but this week there was clear evidence that one is underway. As everybody out here knows, the weather has been […]
In Space, We See What Was
Distances in space are enormous. Look up on any night and pick a star, any one you like. Then consider this: the sparkling light you see began its journey tens, […]
When Jigglypuff, Pikachu, and Kirby Show Up on Saturdays at the Library
EASTHAM — It’s the first round, and I’m already getting bodied by a little kid in a Minecraft shirt. Seven-year-old Wesley Spoor jumps out of his chair, laughing hard, his […]
Starry, Starry Days
Along the quiet back stretch of the Beech Forest trail, a sea of serrated hearts has been patiently photosynthesizing since the spring, steadfastly preparing for its late summer show. The […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 17 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
The Libra Season Calls for Decisions
The Sun moves from Virgo into the sign of Libra this week. The scales offer encouragement to strive for balance. Libra understands the virtue of decision-making, and now’s the time […]
New Napiville Owners
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
A Housing Trust How-To
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, Sept. […]
Where to Put the Pantry
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Wellness Walking
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in-person, typically with an online attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All […]
An Artist’s First Language Is a Colorful One
In Provincetown, the tide’s comings and goings are always in view. But in a small fishing village on Paros Island in Greece, where Barbara Cohen had an artist residency this […]
There’s Nothing Statuesque About Lady Liberty
Even today, as Donald Trump recklessly exploits the xenophobia of American voters, the Statue of Liberty, rising majestically in New York Harbor, is a powerful symbol of New World freedom […]
Fairies Live Here — Believe It or Not
If you want to see a fairy, says Andrew Warburton, all you have to do is find a four-leaf clover and place it on your forehead. He’s never found a […]
The Way We Teach Ourselves to See
While New Yorker theater critic Vinson Cunningham’s Great Expectations is an autobiographical novel based on his experiences as a young staffer on Barack Obama’s first presidential run, it is not […]
Indie Reads: Back to School Edition
For this installment of Indie Reads, we asked members of the Independent staff to offer some book recommendations now that summer is over and the transition from frothy beach reads […]
Arts Briefs
Immigrants’ Stories at Cape Rep Nina Zoie Lam was drawn to direct Lloyd Suh’s 2023 play The Heart Sellers at the Cape Rep Theatre in part because it reminds her of her […]
Flight of the Drinking Birds
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Art Supply Desert
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Honor at the End
A couple of weeks ago a reader wrote to say that he was “uplifted” by an obituary we had published. He said he would like to read more about the […]
Letters, September 19, 2024
The Cape Air Surprise To the editor: Cape Air’s discontinuation of air service between Provincetown and Boston [“Cape Air Drops 6 Months of P’town Flights,” Sept. 12, front page] was […]
Sept. 11 Volunteer Bonnie Campbell Dies at 65
Bonnie Adams Campbell died on Sept 10, 2024 in Spartanburg, S.C. after struggling with lung and coronary issues caused by exposure to toxins after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack. […]
Microbiologist Laura Runkel Dies at 70
Laura Runkel of Wellfleet died peacefully at home on Sept. 11, 2024. The cause was glioblastoma. She was 70. The daughter of Harry and Joan Runkel, Laura was born on […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Sept. 9 to Sept. 13, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Sept. 9. Javier Barrientos to Michael S. Dunn and Carlo A. Real. 15 Creek […]
Classifieds Sept. 19, 2024 – Sept. 26, 2024
EVENTS Outermost Contra Dance is back for a new season of dance. Dereck Kalish will kick us off, calling to the great music of Rose Clancy and Jacqueline Schwab. Friday, […]
Indie’s Choice
Goodbye, Girl! (Thursday, Sept. 19) An all-star roster of local drag and comedy talent will be at the Post Office Café and Cabaret (303 Commercial St., Provincetown) on Thursday, Sept. […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
Town of Wellfleet Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing October 10, 2024 Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40-A, Section 11 and Wellfleet Section 235, the ZBA will hold public […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Historical Commission Public Hearing October 1, 2024 The Truro Historical Commission will hold a remote Public Hearing on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 5:00PM to review a […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing October 2, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, in […]
On Windmill Weekend, Dragons Are Farmers, Too
EASTHAM — It was gray and blustery on First Encounter Beach, but nine teams of artists refused to let the summer end last weekend. The peal of a cowbell signaled […]
IRS Tells Delgizzi’s Tenants It Will Collect the Rent
TRURO — Officials from the Internal Revenue Service knocked on the doors of tenants who rent from David Delgizzi here last week and instructed them to make their rent payments […]
Cape Air Cancels 6 Months of Provincetown Flights
PROVINCETOWN — Cape Air CEO Linda Markham announced in an Aug. 30 letter to Provincetown Airport Commission chair Brian Orter that the company was canceling all flights between Provincetown and […]
Outer Cape Health Restructures as It Loses Top Staff
WELLFLEET — Outer Cape Health Services is regrouping after a rash of staff departures over the past several months left the organization with a shortage of top leadership and primary […]
A Trove of Provincetown Treasures Is Coming Home
PROVINCETOWN — Salvador R. Vasques III, that handsome boy from Washington Avenue who often went fishing on his dad’s dragger, jumped into a red Datsun 1600 convertible one day in […]
Wellfleet Moves to Replace Cesspools and Old Septic Systems
WELLFLEET — The board of health unveiled new regulations on Aug. 27 aimed at reducing nitrogen levels in Wellfleet Harbor and its estuaries. These regulations mandate cesspool removal and will […]
New Ladders Will Soon Arrive at MacMillan Pier
PROVINCETOWN — A recent safety grant from the state’s Seaport Economic Council will pay for the installation of six new ladders rising from the water of Provincetown Harbor onto MacMillan […]
Cold Water and Warm Smiles at Swim for Life
PROVINCETOWN — Hundreds of swimmers braved cold water on Saturday, Sept. 7 for the 37th annual Swim for Life fundraiser. The event, which consisted of 1.2-mile and half-mile swims in […]
Proposed Beach Stairs Get OK From Cape Cod Commission
TRURO — The Cape Cod Commission voted 11-1 on Sept. 5 to grant a Development of Regional Impact exemption for a proposed 200-foot stairway from a house at 3 Corn […]
Notes From a Naive Swimmer
PROVINCETOWN — The intensity of the physical and emotional exertion I was about to undertake didn’t hit me until I was packed into the last Funk Bus full of neoprene-suited […]
A Pork Shoulder to Make an Exception For
I am an aspiring vegetarian. I love the idea of eating low on the food chain, and I think there are considerable ethical arguments for doing so (not to mention […]
Birding on the Underwater Edge of the Continent
HYANNIS PORT — We boarded the ship in the dark, 50 of us, schlepping backpacks and duffle bags and coolers of food. It was 5:30 in the morning, but most […]
Riding the Rails and Rallying the Resolute
PROVINCETOWN — Preident Ulysses S. Grant’s visit to Cape Cod and the Islands in late August 1874 was more than a mere celebration. Ostensibly, Grant was here to commemorate the […]
A Pose to Welcome Change
Let’s all take a deep breath in and let a big sigh out. With summer behind us, we begin to welcome the fall — to me the most beautiful time […]
For Outer Cape Groomers, It’s a Doggy Dog World
There is perhaps nothing that more consistently occupies the minds and civic spaces of the Outer Cape than questions concerning our dogs. Between leash laws in Truro, dangerous dogs in […]
Call Them Fluke or Summer Flounder — They’re Back
Well, it’s official: the fluke are back. After a 10-year absence, they are turning up both in Cape Cod Bay and on the backside beaches. This past week, good catches […]
Not Very Mindful, Not Very Demure
Clematis terniflora’s common name, sweet autumn clematis, does a lot of PR work for this badly behaved garden vine, which is repeatedly guilty of reseeding itself into neglected spaces and […]
In Flag Football, Women Show Up for Each Other
PROVINCETOWN — Diane Beruldsen spent last Friday afternoon on Motta Field with the Underground Loose Women, Provincetown’s team of flag football players, getting them ready for a weekend of games. […]
Meet the Farmers of Mayo Beach
WELLFLEET — Jake Puffer beckons a group of touring visitors closer, asking if they want to peek inside the ridges of his farm’s oyster hats. Disks dipped in lime, sand, […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 10 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Let’s Be Real — It’s Townie Summer
This bright and beautiful not-quite-fall time is especially busy for some people here — a time for a final push before the season ends. For others, it’s about goodbyes as […]
EEE Virus Detected
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
New Members for Ad Hoc Committee
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, Sept. […]
Clark Is Deputy Fire Chief
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Still No Exemption
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. […]
Free to Frame a Boundless World
Living for three weeks in a dune shack tucked in a hollow by the Atlantic, Lili Chin found the landscape both daunting and inspiring. “There’s a boundlessness that’s almost intimidating,” […]
Creating the Future From Pieces of the Past
In 1976, artist Lee Krasner took scissors to a pile of still-life charcoal and figure drawings from her late-1930s art classes with Provincetown’s Hans Hofmann. She turned the triangular shards […]
Muppets and Murder in Moscow
In 1992, a year after the collapse of the Soviet Union, American television producer and reporter Natasha Lance Rogoff accepted the role of executive producer for a new project: Ulitsa […]
It’s Cloud Illusions He Recalls
It’s never a clear day in a Bowersock painting. His clouds — rising over sparkling water or looming over farmland — suggest narratives, but ethereal ones. “My skies aren’t real,” […]
The Disorienting Clarity of a Captured Moment
In David Gonville’s painting July at Davis Farm, the outline of a gable-roofed house, sketched onto a landscape of yellow, looks as though it might float away. Not only that […]
Two Poems by Kary Wayson
Sweet Spring Summer in the Morning Afternoon Room-warm tea in the chipped blue cup. My husband — how I love him! — has gone off across the water we can […]
Arts Briefs
American Roots and Rock at Payomet The Adam Ezra Group is a case study in how seismic shifts in the music industry have radically altered the way musicians and fans […]
Dangerous Curve
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Taking Flight
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Saving Land
Somewhere in my disheveled archives sits a tattered yellow news clipping from the New York Times, circa 1980, that was pinned to the bulletin board over my desk for decades. […]
The Congressman Who Rescued Stellwagen Bank
Provincetown is the gateway to the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, but you’re forgiven if you didn’t know that. In 1995, Don Young (R-Alaska), chair of the […]
Diagraming for Democracy
The statements coming from the Republican candidate for president are setting many people’s nerves on edge. Our correspondent Mike Rice gives one example this week of an absurd accusation, repeated […]
Letters, September 12, 2024
Visitor Center ‘Nightmare’ To the editor: Re “Select Board Balks at Plan for Stellwagen Center” [Sept. 5, front page]: I am horrified by the proposed building of a huge visitor […]
Barbara Knapp, a Former Bank Vice President, Dies at 71
Barbara Elizabeth Knapp of Eastham, who was branch manager of the Cape Cod 5 Bank in Wellfleet, died in hospice care in Milton on July 14, 2024 after an 18-year […]
Thomas Murzyn of Eastham Was 73
Thomas Walter Murzyn died peacefully in his Eastham home on Aug. 1, 2024 after fighting metastatic cancer. He was 73. Tom was born on Aug. 12, 1950 in Hartford, Conn. […]
JB Browne Memorials
A Funeral Mass for John “JB” Browne of Provincetown, who died on July 7, 2024 at 79, will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 at St. Peter […]
Maureen Cronin of North Truro Dies at 85
Maureen Ellen Cronin, who retired to North Truro in 2007, died peacefully at home on May 7, 2024 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease that she endured with grace. […]
Robert Jones Memorial
A celebration of life for Robert Jones of Orleans, who died at 80 on July 2, 2024, will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the First […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Sept. 3 to Sept. 6, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Sept. 4. Jeffrey Mulliken and Elbert Ruff to Ptown House LLC [C T Corporation […]
Classifieds Sept. 12, 2024 – Sept. 19, 2024
EVENTS Outermost Contra Dance is back for a new season of dance. Dereck Kalish will kick us off, calling to the great music of Rose Clancy and Jacqueline Schwab. Friday, […]
Indie’s Choice
Fall Harvest (Thursday, Sept. 12) The Autumn Sunset Market at the Provincetown Arts Society (466 Commercial St.) on Thursday, Sept. 12, 4:30 p.m. features seafood, produce, and flowers from local […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Historical Commission Public Hearing October 1, 2024 The Truro Historical Commission will hold a remote Public Hearing on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 5:00PM to review a […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Invitation for Bids Contracted Services Sealed bids for furnishing the following item will be received on the Towns electronic procurement system https://www.provincetown-ma.gov/37/Procurement For the following projects: Fire […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Planning Board Public Hearing September 18, 2024 The Town of Eastham Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, in […]
Provincetown Celebrates Summer’s End With Flair
PROVINCETOWN — There was no shortage of spectacle at the 36th annual White Party on Aug. 31, where 800 people gathered to admire each other’s white outfits and raise money […]
Studies Look at Turbine Cables and Lobsters
WELLFLEET — Two years after its first public announcement in August 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) plans to hold public auctions for eight offshore wind energy leasing […]
Select Board Balks at Plan for Stellwagen Center
PROVINCETOWN — Plans to build a visitor center for the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary on town-owned land at the base of MacMillan Pier hit a significant snag last week […]
Truro Select Board Postpones Taking of Truro Motor Inn
TRURO — The select board decided at its Aug. 27 meeting to table a motion that would have executed the taking by eminent domain of the now-empty Truro Motor Inn […]
Grief Redoubled by a Death Certificate Delayed
TRURO — Richard Pask, 72, came to the select board on Aug. 27 distraught. His wife, Carol Harris, 69, who had ALS, had died at home in hospice care on […]
Outer Cape Voters Turned Out for State Primary
EASTHAM — Roughly a quarter of the registered voters in Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, and Eastham participated in the state’s primary election this year on Tuesday, Sept. 3 but included more […]
Scientists Measure an Ecological Transition at Duck Harbor
WELLFLEET — Duck Harbor, enjoyed by visitors as a bayside beach, is returning to its 19th-century roots as a salt marsh, according to Tim Smith, a restoration ecologist at the […]
Meet the Farmers of Mayo Beach
WELLFLEET — Jake Puffer beckons a group of touring visitors closer, asking if they want to peek inside the ridges of his farm’s oyster hats. Disks dipped in lime, sand, […]
Beach Plum Bliss
Of all the delights that can be made with beach plums — the jam and jelly, sauces, cakes, and tea — for me nothing matches the pure pleasure of beach […]
A Weaver Makes Her Own Palette
TRURO — Donna McLaughlin used to think of herself as a quilter. The colorful products of that particular penchant are draped over the couch and hang on the walls of […]
Of Flukes and Flukes
Fishing bounced back in a big way this past week with striped bass and bluefish biting well; many boats had some big catches. As has been the case most of […]
At Circus Camp, Teamwork, Trust, and Human Pyramids
Gabrielle “Teddy” Ment’s passion for circus goes beyond physical skills and performances: “While we are teaching circus skills,” Ment says, “what we really want to impart is the essence of […]
Why in Autumn an Explorer Returns to His Familiar Haunts
A good friend of mine is convinced that humankind is composed of three distinct personalities: farmers, explorers, and seekers. According to her theory, exploration is part of each one’s purpose, […]
WHORLY GIG
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One Last Taste
As popular as the Nauset Light is as an Eastham tourist destination, it might have less buzz than the shining sumac nearby — at least while it’s in bloom. The […]
The Swinging Sisters Are Good on the Green
EASTHAM — Susan Everett, Carol Aro, Eileen Miller, and Dawn Skiba finished each other’s sentences. This tendency, like their golf games, evolved over their four-decades-long friendship, their strengths and foibles […]
The Oldtimers Longboard Classic Turns 50 in the Fog
WELLFLEET — Swells from the aftermath of Hurricane Ernesto and an eerie fog mixed with drifting smoke from Canada’s wildfires enveloped White Crest Beach on Aug. 18 as hundreds of […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 3 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
A Time of Blessings in Disguise
Virgo season is full of blessings in disguise. Mercury transitions into its sign of Virgo midweek, bringing clarity and making goals slightly more attainable, so try to keep your eyes […]
Provincetown Remembers 9/11
Townspeople are invited to gather at the Provincetown Fire Dept.’s headquarters, 25 Shank Painter Road, for a ceremony commemorating those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks […]
National Seashore
meetings ahead Monday, Sept. 9 Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission, 1 p.m., Salt Pond Visitors Center and online This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in […]
Planning Shank Painter
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Get In on Budgeting
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, Sept. […]
Where to Put the Pantry
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Windmill Weekend
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in-person, typically with an online attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All […]
The Viewer and the Viewed in the ‘Eye of the Storm’
Stare into Susan Bee’s Eye of the Storm, a painting prominently displayed at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, and you’ll observe bundles of tightly knit red, white, and blue […]
Wayfinding in Paint and Pliable Planes
Liz Collins takes some of her artwork off the wall of her studio at Provincetown’s Fine Arts Work Center. She lays it on the scuffed-up cement floor. The works are […]
The Haunted Memories of Larry Collins
Provincetown artist Larry Collins stands over the kitchen sink in his apartment on Alden Street stirring an iced coffee. Every turn of the spoon is considered. Collins’s hair is neatly […]
Henri Bendel’s Passion for Beauty
Henri Bendel, the store, was synonymous in the American imagination with good taste, astronomical price tags, and a certain uptown vision of the good life. To shop at Henri Bendel […]
Wellfleet, Saturday Night
AMZehnder Gallery (25 Bank St. No. 3) Kate McConnell, who splits her year between Provincetown and Washington D.C., picks out a piece from Lorrie La Pointe’s 21 “Emotional Landscapes.” Each […]
Arts Briefs
A Classic Whodunit on the Stage Anna Marie Johansen typically directs comedies. But she’s also a fan of Agatha Christie. So, Johansen said yes when she was asked to direct […]
Back to School
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Cruisin’ For A Bruisin’
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Free Speech and Student Protests
Leonard Cohen’s 1992 song lyrics suggesting that democracy might be coming to the U.S.A. have been very much with me lately. Ever since I sat under the Payomet tent with […]
An Endangered Landscape
I hope that readers have been noticing the collection of 34 essays by columnist Kai Potter that we published last month. His book is called Noticing, something that Kai does […]
Letters, September 5, 2024
Part-Time Matters To the editor: Re “Truro Part-Timers Worry About Housing and Health,” [Aug. 29, front page]: Your article quoted a part-time resident advisory committee (PTRAC) member suggesting folks ask […]
Judy Berkowitz, Who Created Scavenger Art, Dies at 85
Judy Berkowitz, a bohemian New Yorker who was well known in Provincetown for a life of art and adventure, died on July 12, 2024 at the Throgs Neck Nursing and […]
Thomas Peters Memorial
A memorial service for Wellfleet resident and former Navy lawyer Thomas H. Peters III will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 at St. Mary of the Harbor […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Aug. 26 to Aug. 30, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Aug. 26. Lenihan-Martin Trust (Brian M. Lenihan and Courtney H. Martin, trustees) to Ellen […]
Classifieds Sept. 5, 2024 – Sept. 12, 2024
EVENTSEarthstar Play School Ice Cream Social. Join us for an evening of music by SugarBucket, Lewis Brothers ice cream, snacks, and activities for the kids. $25 per person, $45 per […]
Indie’s Choice
What a Doll! (Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 5-7) Everyone’s favorite evil AI companion robot doll comes to musical life in “MEG4N: The Unauthorized Musical Parody” at the Art House (214 Commercial St., […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
Town of Wellfleet Selectboard Public Hearing September 10, 2024 Notice is hereby given that the Wellfleet Selectboard will hold a public hearing on Tuesday September 10, 2024, at 7:00p.m. virtually […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing September 18, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, in […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Planning Board Public Hearing September 18, 2024 The Town of Eastham Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, in […]
Carnival’s ‘Revolution’ Theme Tests the Edge of Vacation Fantasies
PROVINCETOWN — The town’s 46th annual Carnival parade moved down Commercial Street with its typical buoyance on Aug. 22: painted props and bodies glittered in sunlight, and floats sent out […]
Truro Part-Timers Worry About Housing and Health
TRURO — At a forum organized by the Truro Part-Time Resident Advisory Committee on Aug. 19, several part-time residents advocated building more affordable housing in town, with some saying the […]
Audit Reveals Close Call on $1M Wire Fraud
WELLFLEET — The town came close to being scammed out of more than $1 million last summer. According to the fiscal 2023 audit and internal emails between town officials, in […]
Marina Committee Blames Former Staff for Poor Management
WELLFLEET — Following three resignations in the harbormaster’s office within a two-week period earlier this summer, members of the town’s marina advisory committee claimed former staff failed to address critical […]
Truro and Disabilities Group Can’t Reach Compromise on Deck
TRURO — An organization established to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in activities that others enjoy is locked in a dispute with the Truro Conservation Commission over […]
Owner of Seashore Park Inn Halts Auction With Bankruptcy Filing
ORLEANS — Taylor Perkins, a hotelier based in York, Maine, purchased two motels and a vacation-rental property in three different Lower Cape towns in the last two years through a […]
Wi-Fi Comes to Lecount Hollow; 2 Other Beaches Soon to Follow
WELLFLEET — Most beachgoers at Lecount Hollow on a Sunday morning in late August didn’t know that if they pulled out their phones they would find Wi-Fi waiting for them […]
13 Electric Buses Will Join CCRTA’s Fleet
PROVINCETOWN — The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority received a $14.6-million federal grant in July that will pay for 13 new hybrid-electric buses at around $1 million each, along with […]
Nauset High Reconstruction Is Almost Half Done
EASTHAM — The eastern half of Nauset Regional High School’s campus has been under construction since February 2023, pushing faculty and students into temporary modular classrooms, but with the new […]
The Oldtimers Longboard Classic Turns 50 in the Fog
WELLFLEET — Swells from the aftermath of Hurricane Ernesto and an eerie fog mixed with drifting smoke from Canada’s wildfires enveloped White Crest Beach on Aug. 18 as hundreds of […]
Kale by Any Other Name
I saw the dark green, somewhat spindly plantlets this past May at Bayberry Gardens in Truro. The hand-lettered sign contained a single word that I’d never seen before — “couves,” […]
Brewster Wool Inspires a Procrastinator’s Return to the Loom
A friend had a significant birthday recently, which is to say that one day she turned a decade older than she used to be. By “recently” I mean over two […]
Michelle Silvi Puts Her Own Stamp on Block-Printed Textiles
It was a vintage tunic that led Michelle Silva to found Amisha, the label she designs in Boston. It was beautifully colored in saturated hues of red and pink, block […]
Eye to Eye With a Catbird
BREWSTER — I pulled into the parking lot of the Cape Cod Natural History Museum at 5:30 a.m. on a mid-August morning that was hot and humid even at that […]
One Small Impression at a Time, a Big Picture of American History
Hugh Daugherty lingers under the low doorjamb of his 19th-century house in Eastham on a sunlit afternoon before he turns and leads the way through his office — what used […]
A Salt Lover’s Life
The intertidal zone around the circular 40-foot-deep Salt Pond in Eastham is divided into strata: the inner ring is composed of the tall saltmarsh cordgrass, which prefers the inundation of […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 27 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
The Invasion of the Dogfish
As we roll from summer into fall, the fishing, regrettably, remains sporadic and most days just not very good. Bluefish are still hard to find, and the striped bass aren’t […]
The Kids Will Squid
PROVINCETOWN — It’s 7:30 p.m. and the sky is changing from navy blue to black. It’s squidding time. Squidding is a tradition passed down through generations, says Maxine Meads-Stojiljkovic, the […]
Off the Tides, the Work Goes On for Oystermen
WELLFLEET — Jimmy Mulpeter stands under the shade of a patio umbrella on an August afternoon, holding oyster after oyster against a metal gauge before tossing them into one of […]
Enthusiasm Abounds. Can You Curb It a Little?
Virgo season continues, with Mercury finally stationed directly in Leo, leading to a welcome energetic shift. The stars beg us this week to temper action with a healthy dose of […]
Voting
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Early In-Person Voting
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, Aug. […]
A Town’s Own Counsel
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Voting
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in-person, typically with an online attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All […]
Le Grande Tour: Destination Whimsy
Designer Jimmy Lee Curtis has some answers to all the nostalgia for a Provincetown that was more outlandish and subversive than it is now and where eccentricity and whimsy were […]
Matteo Lane’s Practiced Ease
Onstage, Matteo Lane radiates ease. Often, he says, he’ll get this comment after a show: “It felt like I was sitting there catching up with a friend.” On his podcast, […]
Liz Callaway Passes on the Gift of Sondheim
Broadway singer and actress Liz Callaway has performed a half-dozen times in Provincetown but returns Aug. 30 and 31 to a different venue — and with a new honor as […]
Delta Miles Celebrates Judy Garland at Her Best
Blue lights cover the stage of the cabaret room at the Crown & Anchor. A voice seeps through the narrow opening in the curtain: “Another openin’, another show,” sings Delta […]
Provincetown, Friday Night
Cortile Gallery (230 Commercial St.) It’s been 24 hours since the Carnival parade ended, and Provincetown is still looking for a street party. Across from the Cortile Gallery, a Dixieland […]
Arts Briefs
A Hollywood Murder Revisited Note: The Casey Sherman talk on Aug. 29 has been canceled because of illness. The Wellfleet library hopes to reschedule. Casey Sherman believes that one of […]
One Last Shopping Trip
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Stuff a Fish In It
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Where Does the Eagle Fly — and Why?
We were out at Race Point, looking over the flocks of shorebirds, terns, and gulls on the beach, when suddenly the mass of them rose into the air in their […]
A Shadow Close to Shore
I walked north up Newcomb Hollow Beach, away from the lounging crowds packed together under brightly colored umbrellas. From extended families to old people pairs, nearly naked toddlers to equally […]
Picking a Funny Bone
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s suddenly ubiquitous word for the Republican ticket — “weird” — “is solidly Nebraskan and from the school of Carson,” writes Ian Frazier in the New York […]
Letters, August 29, 2024
Quick Thinking To the editor: This letter is to thank and commend the three young sailors, JJ Blake, Andrew Shope, and Kevin Woznac, as well as Assistant Harbormaster Jesse Boyd […]
Ruth Anne Dykeman, ‘Mom’ to Many, Dies at 98
After a long and happy life, Ruth Anne (Kemp) Dykeman died on Aug. 7, 2024, at Liberty Commons in Chatham. She was 98. Ruth Anne was born in Weymouth on […]
Celebrating Norma Marcellino
A celebration of the life of Norma Ellen Marcellino of Eastham and Brewster, who died on March 29, 2024, will take place from 4 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. […]
John ‘JB’ Browne, ‘The Personification of Provincetown,’ Was 79
John O. Browne, known as “JB,” died unexpectedly at Cape Cod Hospital on July 7, 2024 of respiratory failure caused by sepsis. He was 79. “JB personified all the things […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Aug. 19 to Aug. 23, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Aug. 23. The Lisa J. Drapkin 2016 Living Trust (Lisa J. Drapkin, trustee) to […]
Classifieds August 29, 2024 – Sept. 5, 2024
AUCTIONS Support local artists and Truro history. View artwork inspired by Truro Historical Society’s new railroad exhibit in museum lobby at 6 Highland Light Road. Bid online or in person […]
Indie’s Choice
Good Value (Thursday, Aug. 29) Johnny Spampinato & the Value Leaders play as part of the summer concert series at the Truro Public Library (7 Standish Way) on Thursday, Aug. […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Zoning Board of Appeals Executive Session pursuant to G.L. c. 30A, Section 21(a)(3), to discuss strategy with respect to litigation in the matter of Great White, et […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Request for Proposals – Grant Administration CDBG Program Grant The Town of Truro is requesting proposals for grant administration services for its CDBG FY24 CDBG Program that […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Select Board Public Hearing Petition Installation of Electrical Equipment September 9, 2024 The Provincetown Select Board will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, September 9, 2024 at […]
Making the Leap in Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN — Pier jumping is a tradition here. On almost any summer day when the tide is high, you’ll see people laughing, holding hands, and then leaping off MacMillan Pier […]
Hydraulic Fluid Spills; Oysters Deemed Safe
WELLFLEET — Local and state agencies sprang into action when a sheen — later identified as spilled hydraulic fluid — was seen coating the surface of Wellfleet Harbor on the […]
3 Young Sailors Come to the Rescue at Town Pier
PROVINCETOWN — JJ Blake, Andrew Shope, and Kevin Woznac were biking down MacMillan Wharf on Aug. 19 to go pier jumping before their daily lessons at West End Racing Children’s […]
Cannabis Toxicity in Dogs Is Increasing on Cape
TRURO — After a morning walk on Ballston Beach over the July 4th weekend, Heather Murray noticed her four-year-old Portuguese water dog, Maple, behaving strangely. “She was just sort of […]
With Ford Retiring, Trustees Seek More Influence
TRURO — In this town where several hundred people spent the spring in hot debates about voting, housing, lawn signs, and the meaning of the word “rural,” there is one […]
Truro Commission Considers Intervention for Decaying House
TRURO — The 180-year-old Greek Revival house at 7 Pond Road is quickly slipping past the point where it can be saved, according to members of the Truro Historical Commission […]
Wildfire Smoke Blankets Outer Cape for Five Days
PROVINCETOWN — Residents and visitors to the Outer Cape spent nearly five days last week under a hazy, gray-brown sky that dimmed the Sun and tinted it orange and red. […]
Augustitis Is Provincetown’s Perennial Affliction
PROVINCETOWN — The middle of August is a uniquely busy time on the Outer Cape. Children are a week or two away from going back to school, so families are […]
Nuclear Plant Owner Appeals Denial of Permit Change
PLYMOUTH — Looking for a way to gain approval for disposing of a million gallons of contaminated wastewater into Cape Cod Bay, Holtec International, the company decommissioning the Pilgrim nuclear […]
Beyond That Red Barn, Sacro Bosco Revisited
EASTHAM — As a recent student of landscape design — an endeavor that involves examining the layout and imagery of the famous gardens of the world — I couldn’t help […]
Beyond Remembrance of Tea Sandwiches Past
Cucumber sandwiches are one of the indelible memories of my childhood visits to Chatham. My grandmother served them with warm milky tea after sailboat races in Stage Harbor. These were […]
An Artist Paints for the Parade
PROVINCETOWN — With one week to go until the Carnival parade sets out on Commercial Street, Mark Adams is working late in his Miller Hill studio, painting the author’s name […]
The Kids Will Squid
PROVINCETOWN — It’s 7:30 p.m. and the sky is changing from navy blue to black. It’s squidding time. Squidding is a tradition passed down through generations, says Maxine Meads-Stojiljkovic, the […]
A Polish Grandma’s Pickles
When I visit my grandma in Poland, she always prepares a meal that’s more than I can eat. Saying no to her cooking is not an option, though: food is […]
The Art of the Interview
There are four rules that underpin a good interview, says Ira Wood, host and producer of The Lowdown on WOMR. Maybe the most important one, he says, is this: lavish […]
A Walk in the Buttonbushes
The straight stems and spherical inflorescences of Cephalanthus occidentalis are reminiscent of childhood craftwork, each cluster like a model molecule or solar system made from sticks and foam. The individual […]
Night Light
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Caution: Humpbacks in the Harbor
This has been quite an interesting week on the waterfront. Pogies have invaded Provincetown Harbor by the thousands, and that usually attracts predators such as tuna, striped bass, and bluefish. […]
Off the Tides, the Work Goes On for Oystermen
WELLFLEET — Jimmy Mulpeter stands under the shade of a patio umbrella on an August afternoon, holding oyster after oyster against a metal gauge before tossing them into one of […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 20 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Show Up for Virgo Season
The Sun shifts out of Leo this week, heralding the season of Virgo. May practicality and dependability reign supreme. Virgo season starts off strong with its ruling planet Mercury sextile […]
Early Voting Off to the Races
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Early in-Person Voting
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, Aug. […]
Early in-Person Voting
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Early in-Person Voting
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
The Slipperiness of Realism
“Anything is possible” is written at the top of a painting by Sam Messer currently on view in “Edge Conditions,” a group exhibition of work by former visual arts fellows […]
Tedd Firth Plays With the Greats
Pianist, arranger, and musical director Tedd Firth says he has always had only one goal in life: “I just wanted to play.” He took piano lessons as a child and […]
Object Permanence and What Remains in Absence
August is a poet with a fellowship in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He’s lonely. The intoxication of procrastination and the cold fingers of autumn poking into his cabin […]
Kathy Griffin Returns From ‘Hell’ With Some Hope
Once-“canceled” comic Kathy Griffin has been on a 10-week break in her 50-stop comeback tour since June, and her life and outlook have shifted. Griffin now has her natural voice […]
Opening Up to Dance
Dancer, choreographer, and teacher Jean Appolon has long found dance to be a vital way to communicate, a way to heal, and a way to bring people together. Dance can […]
Michael Andor Brodeur Asks the Big Questions
In his powerlifting prime, Washington Post classical music critic Michael Andor Brodeur was able to lift 1,200 pounds of iron: the combined weight of his best deadlift, bench, and squat. […]
Arts Briefs
To Provincetown, With Love New York City-based singer-musician David Raleigh first came to Provincetown 20 years ago. Raleigh and his then-boyfriend (now husband) fell in love with the town, which […]
Shark Attack
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Darkness Heights
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Secrecy and Censorship
In her July rulings that the Wellfleet Select Board had violated the Open Meeting Law, Assistant Attorney General Carrie Benedon wrote that the discussion at the board’s June 27, 2023 […]
Letters, August 22, 2024
Supporting Grandparents To the editor: The article on grandparenting on the front page of your Aug. 15 issue [“Grandparents Care for More Than 10% of Cape Children”] was eye-opening. I […]
Former Eastham Moderator David Schropfer Dies at 84
Former Eastham Select Board member and Town Moderator David Schropfer, Sr. died peacefully in his sleep on Aug. 13, 2024 at Regal Care in Harwich. He was 84. He had […]
Lillian Atwood Chase Was 78
The friends of Lillian Atwood Chase, who died in Marlborough, Conn. on July 6, 2024, are invited to join her family for happy hour at JDs, 258 Commercial St. in […]
Volunteer and Bocce Aficionado Maria Redo Dies at 99
This article was updated on Aug. 25, 2024. Maria E. Redo always said she was a city girl through and through, but that she loved Truro more than any other […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
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Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Aug. 12 to Aug. 16, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Aug. 12. David M. Amero and Matthew J. Dixon to Robert Michael Saltzman. 368 […]
Classifieds August 22, 2024 – August 29, 2024
AUCTIONS Support local artists and Truro history. View artwork inspired by Truro Historical Society’s new railroad exhibit in museum lobby at 6 Highland Light Road. Bid online or in person […]
Indie’s Choice
Round and Round (Thursday, Aug. 22) Meet at the Eastham Public Library (190 Samoset Road) on Thursday, Aug. 22, 6 p.m. to learn about the history of Eastham’s windmill with […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Zoning Board of Appeals Executive Session pursuant to G.L. c. 30A, Section 21(a)(3), to discuss strategy with respect to litigation in the matter of Great White, et […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Request for Proposals – Grant Administration CDBG Program Grant The Town of Truro is requesting proposals for grant administration services for its CDBG FY24 CDBG Program that […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Select Board Public Hearing FY2025 Property Tax Rate Classification August 26, 2024 The Provincetown Select Board will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 26, 2024, at […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACTCOMMITTEE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING SEPTEMBER 11, 2024 5:00 PM EASTHAM TOWN HALL The Eastham Community Preservation Act Committee will hold a Public Hearing on […]
The Domino Effect
PROVINCETOWN — Jamaica’s Independence Day on Aug. 6 was celebrated in fits and starts here, as intermittent rainstorms moved across the sky and work commitments drew people away from the […]
Minutes Reveal Deep Confusion on Select Board
WELLFLEET — More than a year after a closed select board meeting led to a schism among board members and former Town Administrator Rich Waldo, the mostly unredacted minutes of […]
High-Interest Loan Pushes Willy’s Into Bankruptcy
EASTHAM — Barbara Niggel, the owner of Willy’s World Wellness and Conference Center, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, unable to pay off a $6.87-million short-term commercial loan on her […]
One Month After Turbine Blade Breaks, Effect Is Still Being Measured
Approximately 15 miles south of Nantucket on Saturday, July 13, one of the blades on a non-operational wind turbine that Vineyard Wind was testing broke at its base, scattering debris […]
Grandparents Care for More Than 10% of Cape Children
ORLEANS — Carla Koehl, the executive director of the Cape Cod Foster Closet, set out one year ago to answer a simple question: how many kids living on the Cape […]
Inventory of Subsidized Units Falls Across Outer Cape
PROVINCETOWN — All four Outer Cape towns have recently seen a decrease in the state’s subsidized housing inventory, or SHI, which measures how much of a community’s year-round residential housing […]
Napi’s Bradford St. Apartments Sold to Undisclosed Owners
PROVINCETOWN — The 12-unit apartment complex on Bradford Street known as “Napiville” after its late owner, Anton “Napi” Van Dereck Haunstrup, that long provided housing for his restaurant employees and […]
With Clinicians Overbooked, Agencies Try to ‘Triage’ the Delays
WELLFLEET — When Dikke Hansen decided to “semi-retire,” giving up her position as director of behavioral health at Outer Cape Health Services in 2021 and taking up part-time work as […]
Eastham’s Zoning Task Force Looks Ahead to a New Downtown
EASTHAM — For the last three-and-a-half years, Eastham’s task force on residential zoning and regulation has done intensive behind-the-scenes work to adapt the town’s zoning bylaws to its major strategic […]
One Neighbor’s ‘Menagerie’ Is Another’s Leaf Blower
ORLEANS — Complaints by neighbors about backyard farming operations in their midst may not be the most frequent grievances the health dept. gets, but they are among the most frustrating, […]
At a Forum on Temporary Signs, Opinions Are Few But Strong
TRURO — After a controversy over election signs this spring resulted in multiple calls to the police dept., the town is still not enforcing its bylaw on temporary signs, according […]
The Bachelorettes Are Here
PROVINCETOWN — Among the glitzy and glamorous denizens of this place in summer, a certain wig-wearing, sequin-bedazzled subset, one often displaying ostentation and flair, tends to be on the receiving […]
Off the Tides, the Work Goes On for Oystermen
WELLFLEET — Jimmy Mulpeter stands under the shade of a patio umbrella on an August afternoon, holding oyster after oyster against a metal gauge before tossing them into one of […]
Finding Disco, Leather, and Love in 1970s Provincetown
Leading the way to her living room, Ardis Markarian adjusts a visitor’s view of Provincetown. “You don’t have to be a writer or artist to live here,” she says. “You […]
Torn Between Two Currents
Fishing took a bit of a nosedive this past week. Striped bass really thinned out between Race Point and Peaked Hill Bar, and although some moved down toward Head of […]
A Nectarine Torte, With Thanks to Marian Burros
I had to leave the Cape for a couple of weeks just as summer settled in. Aside from all the other inherent longings of homesickness — in this instance mostly […]
For Birds, Summer Is Over
The more time I spend in nature, the clearer it becomes that the four seasons are a myth. At the very least, they are too simplistic: how can we look […]
What’s Up, Water-Lily?
Chancing upon a nymph in her freshwater abode could be the inciting incident in a mythological tale, an encounter leading to glory or ruin. Fortunately, the Nymphaea odorata bathing near Blackwater Pond seems […]
The Secret of Tasty Blues
Everybody who owns a rod and reel enjoys catching bluefish. They are aggressive, hard-fighting, love to come close to shore, and will eagerly hit just about any lure cast their […]
Oliver Egger and the Olive Eggers
EASTHAM — While trying to avoid typing practice during a sixth-grade computer lab, I typed my name into Google to discover if there were any other Oliver Eggers out there […]
At Race Point, a Shipwreck Rescue Relived
PROVINCETOWN — It was a dark Thursday afternoon with a squall moving in, the kind of conditions that might set the stage for the dramatic rescue of shipwrecked mariners but […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tue sday, August 13 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s […]
Mercury Makes a Bold Move
As Mercury takes a step back into Leo, it aligns with the Sun. That is, on Aug. 19, Mercury cazimis Leo at 26 degrees. This could be a significant moment […]
Moods and Microbiomes
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Making More Minutes Public
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, Aug. […]
Capello Named Fire Chief
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
History Talks
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Sara Moran Tells a Story of Survival
Outside her home in the woods of South Wellfleet, Sara Moran is making a shrine. The broken seat of a wooden chair leans against a piece of wood, which is […]
Sapphira Cristál Keeps It in the Family
Don’t tell JD Vance, but a church is a great place to nurture a future drag queen. She can develop an arsenal of talents: singing, sewing, working a crowd. And […]
Mozelle Andrulot Comes Full Circle
It isn’t much of a surprise to learn that Mozelle Andrulot was a musical child. “My mother said that I didn’t talk at first — I sang everything,” she says. […]
Ellen LeBow Begins Again in Bas-Relief
Over decades of artmaking, Ellen LeBow has forged her own path through stages and styles, figurative rather than abstract. The luminous scratchboard drawings she shows at Rice Polak Gallery in […]
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dog?
There’s a threat weighing on the two couples who inhabit a pleasant living room in Brenda Withers’s hilarious new play, Westminster, at the Harbor Stage Company in Wellfleet through Sept. […]
Friendship in a Season of Compromise
So many friendships are born of circumstance — two people become roommates, neighbors, parents at the same time, or co-workers — and the experience can be intense for a time, […]
Three Poems
Night-Blooming Cereus It wakes us to say to bloom once is not nothing. Night Once in a while –– sparks between people –– so stars can see everything they’re missing. […]
Compensation
I think I understand. Without sufficient love, they compensate with hatred, not seeing how bountiful (how bountiful) it all really is… Rob Taylor’s Ads for Simplicity was published in 2013. He […]
Arts Briefs
Bob Mackie, Still Sparkling If you close your eyes and picture some of the most memorable celebrity fashion looks of the past half century — particularly the more revealing ones […]
Cutting Edge
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Modern Life Saver
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Too Late for Tea?
As if Provincetown needed any promotion going into August, the New Yorker magazine published a short profile of the town by Hannah Goldfield, titled “Beach Boys,” in its July 29 […]
A Profit-Driven Health-Care System Is the Problem
I had just returned from a visit with my sister, who has lived at the Seashore Point Wellness Center in Provincetown since 2018, when I saw the Independent’s July 25 […]
Trafficking in the Unexpected
After writing about artists here for two years, I was relieved to find myself hustling through the mist that hung over Commercial Street to PAAM a couple of weeks ago […]
Letters, August 15, 2024
Eastham’s Master Plan To the editor: Re “In Eastham, Housing Plan Must Wait Until 2035” [Aug. 1, page A7]: This article did not accurately reflect the presentation given to the […]
Robert Collis, Who Forged a Life of Kindness, Dies at 57
Robert Matthew Collis, a lifelong visitor to Provincetown who found acceptance and a spiritual home here, died on June 28, 2024 of lung cancer. He died in hospice care at […]
Insurance Administrator Elinor Reardon Was 74
Elinor Joyce Reardon of Eastham died on July 23, 2024 at Cape Cod Hospital. The cause was metastatic breast cancer. She was 74. Elin was born in New Haven, Conn. […]
Richard Higgins of Provincetown Dies at 91
Richard Bernard Higgins, a longtime Provincetown resident, died peacefully at home in hospice care on July 31, 2024. He was 91. The son of Patrick Higgins and Helen (Foss) Higgins, […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Aug. 5 to Aug. 9, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Aug. 5. Robert F. Cameron and Jennifer Elizabeth Muldowney to Edward J. Agolia and […]
Classifieds August 15, 2024 – August 22, 2024
Competitively Outbid, Give Your Filing Cabinet to, Hire, and Love Thy Neighbor EVENTS Art and Spirit Online Auction. A charitable event featuring local artists. Open for bidding Friday, Aug. 30 […]
Indie’s Choice
All That Jazz (Thursday, Aug. 15) The U.S. Air Force Jazz Ensemble performs on Eastham Windmill Green (2505 Route 6) as part of the Windmill Green Concert Series on Thursday, […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Select Board Public Hearing FY2025 Property Tax Rate Classification August 26, 2024 The Provincetown Select Board will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 26, 2024, at […]
Farmers Market Week Kicks Off With Song and Dance
TRURO — The Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers performed here on Aug. 5 in front of a crowd that included the market’s usual Monday shoppers along with Mass. Dept. of […]
Nursing Home Reform Languishes on Beacon Hill
PROVINCETOWN — Massachusetts politicians at both the state and federal level have made recent moves toward tightening regulation of the long-term care industry, especially as private-equity firms continue to buy […]
Historic Wellfleet Inn, After Fire, Is up for Auction
This article was updated on Aug. 7. WELLFLEET — The historic property at 70 Main St., not far from Wellfleet’s center, has seen more than its share of woes over […]
State Passes Housing and Veterans Bills, Protections for LGBTQ Parents
The state legislature failed to act on final versions of nine major pieces of legislation last week, including bills about hospital oversight, clean energy, economic development, maternal health care, prescription […]
A Test of Ocean De-Acidification Begins Next Month
A group of scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is planning to release 6,600 gallons of sodium hydroxide into the waters south of Martha’s Vineyard in September to […]
Interested in Aquaculture? Ask a Clambassador.
PROVINCETOWN — A squad of marine educators has been deployed on the oyster flats of Provincetown in an attempt to teach the curious while protecting the livelihoods of those who […]
An Initial ‘Community Conversation’ About Maurice’s
WELLFLEET — The excitement was palpable at the Adult Community Center as roughly 60 people filed in to discuss the future of Maurice’s Campground, the 22-acre parcel that the town […]
At Race Point, a Shipwreck Rescue Relived
PROVINCETOWN — It was a dark Thursday afternoon with a squall moving in, the kind of conditions that might set the stage for the dramatic rescue of shipwrecked mariners but […]
Liberate Your Summer Pie
“We made great time, just over the bridge,” said the text. Friends were arriving after a long drive — but hours earlier than I expected them to. I would have […]
The Kalmar Nyckel Returns to Provincetown Harbor
PROVINCETOWN — The return of public sailing trips on the Kalmar Nyckel, a tall ship based in Delaware, after a five-year hiatus has revealed a pent-up demand for time aboard […]
On and Off the Lifeguards’ Chair at Herring Cove Beach
PROVINCETOWN — Alan Weaver is a real estate broker in Hudson, N.Y. for most of the year, but this summer he’s a lifeguard at Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown. With […]
Using Yoga to Recharge
This is a strange time of year, when we are supposedly in more relaxed modes and keeping more relaxed schedules. But for most of us it’s a busy time, and […]
Oliver Egger and the Olive Eggers
EASTHAM — While trying to avoid typing practice during a sixth-grade computer lab, I typed my name into Google to discover if there were any other Oliver Eggers out there […]
When a Side Hustle Sparks a Fashion Trend
Through the windows of the mud room in her house in Summerfield, N.C., Janelle Robinson can see her farm: miniature cows, chickens, turkeys. The mud room doubles as her office, […]
Renaissance x REvolution
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The Naked Moon
The Moon is the biggest, brightest object in the night sky, the most recognizable and familiar — and the most underappreciated. Over years of observing the stars with friends and […]
Spreading Happiness at a Wellfleet Water Stop
The volunteers at the Wellfleet rest stop, one of three on Cape Cod for last weekend’s Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), had just one job: keep the thousands of cyclists who pass […]
Summer Ups and Downs
Fishing remained good on the Outer Cape this past week, with August rolling in on a quiet note weatherwise. Striped-bass fishing was again solid from Race Point all the way […]
Beach Volleyballers Mourn Loss of Longnook
TRURO — The sun beats down on an 81-degree Sunday at Ballston Beach. The southwest wind whips, and the net writhes. It’s a battle against the elements at beach volleyball […]
Midsummer’s Sweet Scent
It has been written that upon approaching our shores shipmen of old would take great pleasure in the sweet perfume of Clethra alnifolia that traveled over the waves to welcome […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, August 6 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Let Mercury Give You a Cosmic Do-Over
Retrograde season is in full swing with Mercury joining the ranks of Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto. This time around, things should start off fairly smoothly, as Mercury retrogrades in its […]
33 Conwell St.
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option for both committee members and residents. Click on the meeting you want to attend on […]
‘The State of the World’
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, Aug. […]
Select Board Goals
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Speedy Select Board
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Tom Deininger Turns Chaos Into Catharsis
Mounted on the wall at Jeff Soderbergh Gallery in Wellfleet is a large striped bass. From a distance, the fish looks natural and seamless — an iridescent specimen with a […]
Forum 24 Asks, ‘What Is an Artist?’
About 70 people crowded into the Robert Charles and Lorraine Bauer Duffy Family Gallery at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum on July 31 to contemplate the question “What is […]
Working Toward Imperfectionism
In Elspeth Slayter’s mixed-media works, paint is pressed on paint, layer after layer: a web of yellow covers a block of cayenne red; sky blue buoys are bruised with violet; […]
In the Audience With Miss Richfield
Nathaniel is a lawyer from Boston. (Actually, he’s from Milton, which sounds nice but also boring.) He’s here with his children, Teddy and Sophia. It’s Family Week in Provincetown, meaning […]
Taylor Mac Wants You to Try a Little Tenderness
Theater artist Taylor Mac says he’s been misrepresented by headlines claiming that he wants to make audiences “uncomfortable.” That isn’t the whole truth. Instead, he says, “I use theater to […]
Provincetown, Friday Night
William-Scott Gallery (439 Commercial St.) Daniel Schwarz says Michael Costello’s paintings at the William-Scott Gallery might be a reference to American poet and critic Marianne Moore’s definition of art: “imaginary gardens with […]
The Long Shadows of a Dictatorship
Last September the people of Chile commemorated the 50th anniversary of the bloody, U.S.-backed coup d’état that changed the fate of their country and their lives on Sept. 11, 1973. […]
Arts Briefs
Jazz for All at the Provincetown Festival When Bart Weisman moved to Cape Cod after growing up in Washington, D.C., he didn’t see much in the way of jazz on […]
Big Doings
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P’Town Gold
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Be Kind, Say Thank You, and Hold the Door, Please
When I moved here as a kid a million years ago — OK, not a million, but it was a different century — it was a very different Cape Cod. […]
Young Writers Needed
Last week was Family Week in Provincetown, and Commercial Street was packed with people pushing strollers and hundreds of kids of every age and disposition. It’s an unusual and welcome […]
Letters, August 8, 2024
Leasing to Locals To the editor: I was very pleased to read about Provincetown’s “Lease to Locals” program [“Provincetown Aims to Lure Landlords Into Year-Round Rental Market,” Aug. 1, page […]
Pediatrician and Housing Advocate Susan Spear Dies at 78
Pediatrician, hospital administrator, and affordable housing advocate Susan Spear of New York City and Wellfleet died at home on July 30, 2024 after fighting metastatic breast cancer for 10 years. […]
Indie’s Choice
Move to the Beat (Thursday, Aug. 8) DJ Emerson spins at the free, family-friendly Beats on the Hill dance party at the Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum (1 High Pole […]
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from July 29 to Aug. 2, 2024. PROVINCETOWN July 30. Laura F. Aronson and Brian Rizzo Living Trust (Brian Rizzo, trustee) to […]
Classifieds August 8, 2024 – August 15, 2024
SERVICES Local Window Cleaning. We clean windows before we wash them, providing thorough exterior and interior window cleaning (including sills, screens, sliding door tracks, window frames, etc.). We are insured […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Conservation Commission Public Hearing August 21, 2024 Please take notice that the Wellfleet Conservation Commission, in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 131, Section 40, and the Wellfleet Environmental […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Zoning Board of Appeals Remote Public Hearing MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2024 AT 5:30 PM PM2024-006/ZBA – Christine M. Murphy, property located at 9 Bay View Road(Atlas Map […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Historical Commission Public Hearing August 20, 2024 The Town of Eastham Historical Commission will hold a public hearing on AUGUST 20, 2024, AT 11:00 AM in the […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Zoning Board of Appeals Remote Public Hearing MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2024 AT 5:30 PM PM2024-006/ZBA – Christine M. Murphy, property located at 9 Bay View Road(Atlas Map […]
Aging Gardeners’ New Favorite Crop: Cannabis
WELLFLEET — The Outer Cape is full of children of the ’60s. Some of those who have green thumbs have found in their home gardens a new way of reconnecting […]
When the Boss Is Your Landlord, It’s Complicated
PROVINCETOWN — When eight longtime employees of Marine Specialties owner Patrick Patrick arrived back on Cape Cod from Jamaica in 2019, their housing had fallen through. After a fruitless search, […]
Reviewers Suspect Fraud in Nursing Home Filings
PROVINCETOWN — Since taking over the nursing home at Seashore Point in 2019, the current owners have used a complex network of companies to pay themselves hidden profits — possibly […]
Seashore Offers Up a House on the Edge
EASTHAM — The Cape Cod National Seashore announced last week that the Bartlett House, a gray shingled ranch overlooking Coast Guard Beach, is no longer safe for habitation, as it […]
Orleans Motel Is Set to Be Auctioned
Editor’s note: The auction of the Seashore Park Inn that was scheduled for Aug. 8, as reported below, has been postponed to Friday, Aug. 23 at 11 a.m. ORLEANS — […]
In Eastham, Housing Plan Must Wait Until 2035
EASTHAM — It has been five years since the town bought the 11-acre T-Time property for housing and commercial development. During that time, a nine-person committee spent four years gathering […]
Provincetown Aims to Lure Landlords to Year-Round Rental Market
PROVINCETOWN — When Steven Rayl and Scott Presley purchased a gallery space at 352 Commercial St. with an attached apartment in 2017, they planned to rent out the one-bedroom unit […]
Covid-19 Pauses Outer Cape Entertainment
PROVINCETOWN — Four years after Covid-19 brought live performances worldwide to a halt, the virus is still working its will on Outer Cape arts venues. The Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater […]
Midway Into Their Season Here, More Sea Turtles Are Dying
The leatherback turtles are here for their annual visit, feeding in Cape Cod Bay. The loggerheads are here too — though they’re more recent arrivals as climate change has made […]
Peak Trash Season Strains Outer Cape Transfer Stations
August is peak trash season here, and the staff who run the Outer Cape’s transfer stations say there will be challenges in coping with volumes more than four times what […]
Former Kennel and Long-Planned Dispensary Could Become a House
PROVINCETOWN — The owners of the former Provincetown Pet Resort at 79 Shank Painter Road, which for years was slated to become the Green Harbor cannabis dispensary, have petitioned the planning […]
Secret Plots of Lilies and Foxgloves
PROVINCETOWN — Realizing there might be a limit to what can be done and learned in this world, I have taken to asking, when getting to know someone, “What are […]
Low and Slow Is the Way to Go With a Bumper Crop of Beans
I had a lot of things for the first time in college. Sex, for example — that was a keeper. And bagels. We didn’t have bagels where I grew up. […]
Where the Wild Things Grow
Across much of the Outer Cape, along wooded trails, the sides of roads, the edges of marshes, and the mouths of rivers, those who pay close attention to the land […]
A Windless Week Makes for Good Fishing
It’s been another good week for catching striped bass and some bluefish. Provincetown charter and party boats all reported excellent catches, and we’re very grateful we’ve had a windless week […]
How to Build a Beach Fire
Building a campfire is a rite of passage. The first one I built on my own was one that kept me warm on a cool night in Vermont. It seemed […]
Walking Wags the Dog in Truro
TRURO — It’s eight o’clock in the morning, and the traffic at Corn Hill Beach is heavy. This strip of sand on the bay side is a downtown of sorts […]
In Fancy Frocks of Red
The native Lobelia cardinalis was named for its intense cardinal color, which in turn was derived from those certain Catholic clerics (who for centuries have fancied frocks of the brightest […]
Birdbaths and Other Ways Birds Stay Cool in Hot Weather
The beginning of August is just about the hottest point of the year on Cape Cod. This year has already proved to be a warm one: a mid-June heat dome […]
Rain Causes Calendar Crunch for the Firebirds
ORLEANS — The Firebirds will have to slog through a tough schedule of back-to-back games to secure a playoff spot in the final days of the Cape Cod Baseball League’s […]
Cape Cod’s Coral Gardens (Yes, We Have Corals Here) Are in Trouble
If you were to picture coral right now, your mind’s eye would surely see tropical reefs with crystal-clear turquoise water. But that image is incomplete: the temperate seas around the […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, July 30 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Bada Bing, Bada Boom
Last week we talked about avoiding blowups. This week we’re seeking them out. The precarious placement of the Sun sextile Mars is changed when Jupiter joins the party. Jupiter, the […]
Affordable Ownership
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
About Those Temporary Signs
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Monday, Aug. […]
A Failed Bid
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
A Seasonal Salt Pond?
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Abraham Storer Paints the Real Eden
In Abraham Storer’s painting Heart, a painfully red disk-shaped object unabashedly occupies the foreground. It’s the top of a large wooden spool. Visible to the left of it: the edge […]
Images of Belonging and Detachment
Certain motifs appear repeatedly in artistic depictions of Provincetown: the sweep of the dunes, the silhouette of the Pilgrim Monument, the transcendent quality of the storied Cape light. But photographer […]
Two Artists a Generation Apart Find Rhythms in Figures and Forms
Michael Prodanou’s abstract figures are composed slowly but energetically. First, he considers a nude, making sketches and drawings in charcoal. Later, painting from these sketches, Prodanou moves fast, applying oil […]
Cape Window
Tonight the west wind is blowing through Aaron’s small window over his half-size bed, his toddler’s body. Where does wind come from? he asks. The sky, the weather, the whole […]
Unpin That Red Pin Icon
The car slowly passed, back and forth, then at last crept up our half-washed-out driveway. An electric window slid down. “We’re looking for Moses Hinkley,” the driver said. I took […]
The Swing
The light leads down the long white ropes it fills the swing, it swings the seat Each night each night the moon is full the long white ropes, the sucked-in cheeks […]
The Compromised Power of Being Young and Beautiful
Gordon, the 24-year-old antihero of Thomas Grattan’s queer coming-of-age novel In Tongues, craves attention the way Wall Street traders crave cocaine: with a slick kind of desperation and the certainty […]
Indie Playlist: Summer Sounds
For this installment of Indie’s Playlist, we asked six members of the Independent team to describe their songs of the summer: the song that best encapsulates the feeling of the […]
The Borromeo String Quartet Does What the Music Demands
Yeesun Kim says she and her Peregrino Zanetto cello, built in 1576, have a happy marriage. She accepts its shortcomings — its struggle, once, to project powerfully enough against an […]
Arts Briefs
Agata Storer Connects Time, Place, and Memory Photographer Agata Storer is interested in how we remember. She’s long been obsessed with documentation, something she attributes, in part, to a life […]
Love at First Sign
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Impression Speed Boat
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The Recyclable Life Force: An Unformed Idea
Walking on the East End beach at low tide with my 11-year old granddaughter, I pointed out the rivulets of groundwater streaming onto the flats. All the water in the […]
Private Equity Doesn’t Care
Last week’s article by Jack Styler on the substandard care at the nursing home at Seashore Point in Provincetown, now formally called AdviniaCare at Provincetown, was one of the more […]
Letters, August 1, 2024
The Latest Resignations To the editor: Re “Tensions Are Bared by Rash of Resignations” [July 25, front page]: Thanks for covering the latest episode in Wellfleet’s ongoing problem holding onto […]
Aquarium Curator Frederick Nichyparowich Was 97
Marine biologist, research scientist, and Woods Hole Fisheries Aquarium Curator Frederick Eugene Nichyparowich died at Falmouth Hospital on July 3, 2024, surrounded by his four daughters. The cause was congestive […]
Robert Kearin Service
Visiting hours for Robert Kearin, 74, of Eastham, who died on July 22, will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 4 at Nickerson Funeral Home, 77 […]
John Lee Brock, Who Loved the Sea, Was 71
John Brock died on July 3, 2024, at his home in Orleans after a long fight against COPD and emphysema. He was 71. Born at Fort Dix, N.J. on Oct. […]
Biologist Paul Goetinck Dies at 91
Paul Firmin Goetinck, a biologist and longtime Wellfleet resident, died peacefully at home in hospice care on July 15, 2024. The cause was a rare, incurable blood condition caused by […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from July 22 to July 26, 2024. PROVINCETOWN July 24. Michael B. Beard and James S. Flowers to Sutherland ADK Holdings LLC […]
Classifieds August 1, 2024 – August 8, 2024
EVENTS Truro Historical Society’s annual party. Join us for an unforgettable evening at Truro Vineyards. Enjoy delicious cuisine from Cosmo’s Catering, dance to the lively tunes of Toast & Jam, […]
Indie’s Choice
En Plein Air (Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 1-3) The Eastham Painters Guild presents an outdoor fine art show on the lawn of the 1869 Schoolhouse Museum (25 Schoolhouse Rd., Eastham) daily from […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Historical Commission Public Hearing August 15, 2024 The Truro Historical Commission will hold a remote Public Hearing on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at 5:00PM to review a […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Licensing Board Public Hearing August 13, 2024 The Provincetown Licensing Board will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. in the Judge […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Historical Commission Public Hearing August 20, 2024 The Town of Eastham Historical Commission will hold a public hearing on AUGUST 20, 2024, AT 11:00 AM in the […]
Provincetown Was Final Event for Biden-Harris Campaign
PROVINCETOWN — In a late-afternoon speech at a Biden-Harris Victory Fund event at the Pilgrim Monument on Saturday, July 20, Vice President Kamala Harris sounded practically presidential. This page is […]
Tensions Are Bared by Rash of Resignations
WELLFLEET — Less than two weeks after Wellfleet’s harbormaster quit his post to take the same job in Provincetown, two more staff members have walked out, with one telling the […]
Patients Suffer at Outer Cape’s Only Nursing Home
PROVINCETOWN — This past spring, a Provincetown resident who the Independent has agreed not to name to protect the person’s privacy checked into the Seashore Point nursing home for rehabilitation […]
Old Reliable Plans Take Two Steps Forward
PROVINCETOWN — Developer Christine Barker has won two victories in her years-long attempt to get plans for redeveloping the derelict Old Reliable Fish House property over the finish line. She […]
BOEM Hears Mostly Opposition at a Meeting in Eastham
EASTHAM — Local officials on the Outer Cape have for a month been calling for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to hold a public information session here about […]
In Truro and Eastham, Drones Are Assisting Police and Fire
EASTHAM — When a Truro resident with Alzheimer’s went missing on Monday, a fleet of at least three drones was dispatched to join the search — one from the Barnstable […]
DEP Denies Permit to Discharge Wastewater Into Cape Cod Bay
PLYMOUTH — State environmental officials won’t allow the company decommissioning the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to dump one million gallons of filtered wastewater containing radionuclides and other contaminants from the […]
DPH Launches Campaign on Risks at ‘Crisis Pregnancy Centers’
HYANNIS — In the year since medication abortion became available on Cape Cod for the first time since 2008, the landscape of access has continued to shift. Access to prescriptions […]
Court Upholds Select Board’s Dangerous Dog Judgment
EASTHAM — The Orleans District Court has upheld the select board’s determination that two Boreen Road huskies are dangerous dogs. Assistant Clerk Magistrate Katie Sugermeyer, who oversaw the decision, also […]
At Provincetown Event, Younger Leaders Spoke of Hope and High Stakes
PROVINCETOWN — For an event aimed at reelecting an 81-year-old president, the Biden-Harris Victory Fund fundraiser here on Saturday, July 20 featured a roster of notably young leaders. Boston Mayor […]
Provincetown’s Commuters Have Miles to Go
PROVINCETOWN — After an eight-hour shift at Tin Pan Alley, Isheka Morgan sits on a bench on MacMillan Pier waiting for the Flex bus to take her home to Eastham. […]
Know Your Enemy
Determining whether a plant is a weed is a subjective thing. Most gardeners define them as plants that just happen to be in the wrong place. But there’s another layer […]
A Summer Skillet Dinner of Peaches, Zucchini, and Chicken
As soon as I spot peaches ripening on the little tree in a corner of our yard, I count them. If there are enough to eat straight off the tree […]
Cape Cod’s Coral Gardens (Yes, We Have Corals Here) Are in Trouble
If you were to picture coral right now, your mind’s eye would surely see tropical reefs with crystal-clear turquoise water. But that image is incomplete: the temperate seas around the […]
Learning to Read the Chop
On Father’s Day I pick the meat off a big lobster in honor of my father, who spent his winters dreaming about getting back to Provincetown and eating freshly cooked […]
Rebecca Orchant’s Memoir Simmers and Sears
Rebecca Orchant had me with grilled cheese sandwiches for breakfast. Her father made her one every morning in the kitchen of their house on Quixote Drive when she was growing […]
The Small Wave Days
Coffee spilled from our mugs as we drove over the big tree root at the end of the driveway. It happens every time Eli and I go to check the […]
Summer Weather Brings On the Blues
Fishing around the Outer Cape is heating up with this summer weather, which has been ideal; we are getting a fraction of the heat they’ve been feeling on the mainland. Striped […]
The Provincetown Tennis Club’s 100-ish Years of Fun and Games
PROVINCETOWN — With its reggae clam dances and its groovy homemade posters by the likes of comic artist Al Jaffee, the Provincetown Tennis Club has long had a reputation as […]
The Tiger Swallowtail’s Favorite Show
The conspicuous red-orange blooms of the wood lily are runway lights to certain overhead fliers, guiding them in for landing like air traffic control. Lilium philadelphicum requires a large vehicle […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, July 23 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
The Sun and Mars Heat Things Up
There are a few placements this week to look out for, depending on where you’re sitting. The Sun and Mars are sextiled and locked in a position that is sure […]
Pier Commission Appointed
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Longnook Questions Answered
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, July […]
A Land Exchange
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Big Plans
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Ted Chapin and the Art of Complication
Ted Chapin pulls the guts out of machines — “eviscerating them,” he says. That’s how he assembles his intricate wall sculptures, which combine machines like typewriters with natural elements like […]
The String Queens Live Up to Their Name
The first time The String Queens showed up for a gig as a trio, they were hired by one of their own: Dawn Johnson, the violist, was having a birthday […]
Take a Time Warp to a Live Rocky Horror
Most of us who are familiar with The Rocky Horror Show know it from the 1975 film version (the Rocky Horror Picture Show), which is the quintessential cult movie — […]
Punk Kids Playing Jazz
Eight members of the Dirty Rotten Vipers came to Provincetown for the season last year, and the band made the alleyway next to Marine Specialties on Commercial Street their summer […]
In Wellfleet, Food for Thought
Back when their thumbs up or down held some sway over box office sales, movie critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both named 1981’s My Dinner With Andre among the […]
Paintings That Reveal Unintended Narratives
On the desk where I spent most of my first winter in Provincetown were tokens that introduced me to this place but only obliquely: a wooden carving of a semi-erect […]
Outline
The merest touch of breeze or rain or passerby in early June sets pitch pines off in green-gold pollen spasms: old efficiencies of hazardous excess, their clouds stain everything they […]
Long Nook
Poems of Truro resident Mary Maxwell’s five collections first appeared in Paris Review, Salmagundi, and Yale Review, among other publications. Submit poems to [email protected]. Include your full name, complete home […]
Arts Briefs
A Cape-Wide Celebration of Chamber Music The 45th annual Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, which takes place in several venues for two weeks this summer, begins on Tuesday, July 30 […]
Shark Sightings
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President’s Town
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Discontent Comes to the Outer Cape
In the summer of 2008, I published a quickly forgotten book titled Why We Hate Us: American Discontent in the New Millennium. It was not optimistic. But it came out […]
Asleep at the Tweet
When Twitter launched in social media’s early days (it was 2006 when Jack Dorsey sent out the first tweet) most journalists scoffed at the idea of living by 140-character soundbites. […]
Letters, July 25, 2024
Part-Timers and Voters To the editor: Your July 18 article “Truro Now Has Two Part-Time Residents Groups” [page A9] was factually in error about me in serious and harmful ways. […]
Former Bank Teller Jane Peters of Truro Was 81
Longtime Truro resident Jane Hutchings Peters, who worked for many years for Cape Cod Bank and Trust in Provincetown, died peacefully at the McCarthy Care Center in Sandwich on June […]
Richard Bergman, Who Loved Provincetown, Dies at 76
Richard Avald Bergman of Provincetown died at the Village at Rancho Solano Memory Care facility in Fairfield, Calif. on July 8, 2024. No cause of death was given. He was […]
Nathan Berrio Memorial Sunday
A celebration of the life of Nathan Thomas Berrio, who died at 47 on May 6, 2024, will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 28 at […]
Robert Jones, Co-Founder of Cape Cod Village, Dies at 80
Robert Jones, who co-founded Orleans Psychotherapy Associates in 1986 and the Cape Cod Village for adults with autism in 2020, died on July 2, 2024 while attending an AA meeting […]
A Family Week Calendar
In addition to the official Family Week 2024 schedule presented by Family Equality and COLAGE, many organizations and facilities on the Outer Cape will present special events for families, kids, […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from July 15 to July 19, 2024. PROVINCETOWN July 15. Damian Szary and Amy Carlson to Elizabeth Bradford LLC [Barbara Clarke, agent]. […]
Classifieds July 25, 2024 – August 1, 2024
EVENTS Truro Historical Society’s annual party. Join us for an unforgettable evening at Truro Vineyards. Enjoy delicious cuisine from Cosmo’s Catering, dance to the lively tunes of Toast & Jam, […]
Indie’s Choice
Love Story (Thursday, July 25) Author David Levithan discusses his young adult queer romance novel Ryan and Avery at Wellfleet Public Library (55 West Main St.) on Thursday, July 25, […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Conservation Commission Public Hearing August 7, 2024 Please take notice that the Wellfleet Conservation Commission, in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 131, Section 40, and the Wellfleet Environmental […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Invitation for Bids The Town of Truro is seeking sealed bids for the supply and delivery of a closed top ejector trailer. Bid specifications may be obtained […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing August 7, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, in […]
Leaders Ask BOEM for Time and Information
WELLFLEET — Plans for permitting the construction of wind farms in the Gulf of Maine have been in the works at the U.S. Dept. of the Interior since at least […]
Inside the Quest for a Provincetown Fishermen’s Memorial
PROVINCETOWN — It has been nearly 50 years since the select board approved the idea of a memorial statue dedicated to local fishermen lost at sea. It’s a monument that […]
Albino Is First Woman to Be Fire Chief on the Cape
EASTHAM — Lisa Albino joined the Eastham Fire Dept. as a call firefighter in 1986. Now she is set to become the department’s next chief, and she’ll be making history […]
Old Leaking Oil Tanks Unearthed at Truro DPW
TRURO — Twelve test pits dug at Truro’s current DPW site last week unearthed piles of metallic debris that had spent at least two decades underground, Director Jarrod Cabral said. […]
Judge Rules Against Sextons in Clearcutting Case
WELLFLEET — A Land Court judge has settled a dispute between the town and Kevin Sexton over the June 2021 clearcutting of a swath of woods on his family’s land […]
Harbor Hill Apartments Will Not Be Sold — for Now
PROVINCETOWN — The 28 apartments in the former timeshare complex at Harbor Hill will not be sold by the town — at least for now. That’s the decision reached earlier […]
12 Outer Cape Hotels Sued for Website Accessibility
PROVINCETOWN — Outer Cape hoteliers have been warned to check that their websites comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) following a spate of lawsuits from a single attorney. […]
Truro Now Has Two Part-Time Residents Groups
This article was updated on July 19. TRURO — As Cape Cod’s most seasonal town, Truro has been a hotspot for questions about whether people have the right to vote […]
Select Board Cited for Violating Open Meeting Law
WELLFLEET — The Mass. attorney general’s office has cited multiple violations of the Open Meeting Law related to a closed meeting of the select board on June 27, 2023. In […]
Orleans Partners With Growers to Preserve Its Agricultural Heritage
ORLEANS — Farmers tilling the soil on large plots of town-owned land at Putnam Farm, just off the Route 6 rotary, range from enthusiastic first-timers interested in producing their own […]
Nine Young Adults and Two Advisers Make a Sassy House
PROVINCETOWN — The Summer of Sass began in 2017 to help young queer people from less-accepting parts of the country — such as Shreveport, La., where founder Kristen Becker grew […]
Winds of Change Come to West End Racing Children’s Community Sailing
PROVINCETOWN — Susan Avellar is the first to arrive at the West End Racing Children’s Community Sailing (WERCCS) clubhouse around 8:30 on a foggy Monday morning. Ms. Avellar, as she […]
Beet Greens Get the Quiche Treatment
Sometime during the early spring of 2020, a friend told me about an enterprising young couple who were, for a reasonable fee, building victory gardens in and around Wellfleet for […]
A Light Touch
When Kelly and Chris Berardi found out the Nauset Lantern Shop in Orleans was looking for a new owner, it seemed as though destiny was calling. Chris, a builder, had […]
The Summer of Wind
The summer of 2024 will be remembered on the waterfront as the summer of wind. Apart from a few windless days here and there, we have been pummeled day in […]
A Hibiscus Margarita Makes a Splash
Bi, lesbian, femme, butch, Cancer, Libra. What do these labels really tell you about a person? And is your chosen label invalidated when you deviate from its traditional meaning at […]
When a Farmer Favors Flowers
Paula Erickson walks among delicate dots of yellow, purple, and white. She is searching for something with a touch of wildness to complete her bouquet. Rows of sweet pea, foxgloves, […]
The Rare Work of Seeing Birds as Individuals
When you walk into the campground area north of the parking lot at Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary, you’ll likely hear the twittery trill of birdsong emanating from the pines. […]
A Calendar of Celestial Sights for Summer Nights
Whether you’re an early riser, twilight stroller, nighttime stargazer, Moon lover, planet fan, or meteor enthusiast, there’s something for you in the night sky this summer. Here’s a suggested itinerary, […]
Summoning a Sport Kite Resurgence One Flight at a Time
EASTHAM — There is the prototypical single-line diamond kite suspended and stagnant above the flier’s head. And then there are sport kites, which carve the air, spin tight circles, and […]
A Grass Presages Autumn
The tan flower stalks of Deschampsia flexuosa seem out of place this early in the season, presaging the end of summer just when we were getting warmed up. A cool-season […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, July 16 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Leo Roars In
No matter that Pride month is behind us. The energy of this week will take a noticeable shift as the Sun moves out of Cancer into its home sign of […]
Benefits for Firefighters
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Walsh Committee Interviews
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, July […]
Planning for Maurice’s
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Stubborn on Paint Stewardship
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Paintings Tell a Kaleidoscopic Civil War Story
The poor thing, he’s seen so much. Death sprawls across the field, bodies lying next to one another like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. How do you walk through a […]
The Art of Bitchcraft
A line has formed outside the Post Office Café: some men, but mostly women, many middle-aged, their hair styled into mullets and pixie cuts, their faces framed by fringes and […]
How Sondheim and Burnett Got Darren Criss to Provincetown
Provincetown hasn’t been compared to The Godfather or Star Wars very often, but those are the examples actor and singer Darren Criss names in acknowledging that his July 21 town hall appearance will be […]
An Exhibition Reunites a Family of Artists
Though often overshadowed by her famous father, Ben Shahn, Judith Shahn, who died in 2009, was the star at Wellfleet’s Cove Gallery, which has promoted her artwork since she first […]
Three Friends From College, in Provincetown
Summertime: the livin’ is easy, and maybe the reading should be, too. Dipping into Jamie Brenner’s new novel is like massaging your soles in the sand while anticipating that first […]
Arthur Nichols’s Panoramic Vision
Eastham photographer Arthur Nichols was standing on a causeway at the edge of Onota Lake in Pittsfield during a wet snowstorm in late March 1972. He was looking at trees. […]
Wellfleet, Saturday Night
AMZehnder Gallery (25 Bank St. #3) At AMZehnder Gallery, Provincetown-based artist Pete Hocking, whose work is also currently hanging on the walls, takes a long moment to consider Patte Ormsby’s […]
Arts Briefs
Chara Percussion Ensemble Explores ‘Uncharted’ Sounds The Chara Percussion Ensemble is aptly named. A Greek word meaning “finding joy despite circumstance,” chara is visible on the musicians’ faces whenever they […]
Outdoor Shower
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Bummer Time
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My Ongoing Conversations With The Dead
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Truro: It’s Not Provincetown
Lately I have been trying to imagine what it’s like to live in Truro. Really, I have no idea. Although I have been next door, in Provincetown, going on 60 […]
Elections Under Threat
I received my official 2024 vote by mail application today from the Mass. Elections Division, and it reminded me of the systems, checks, and balances that make sure our elections […]
Letters, July 18, 2024
Alternates Voting To the editor: Thank you for your coverage of the recent Provincetown Planning Board elections [“Mulliken Quits After Failed Bid to Become Chair,” July 11, front page]. I […]
Air Force Veteran David Foster Sr. Was 90
Air Force veteran and Truro resident David S. Foster Sr., who earned a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam, died peacefully at Cape Cod Hospital on July 10, 2024 […]
Provincetown’s Robert Alvin Taylor Dies at 67
After years of health struggles, Robert Alvin Taylor died on June 3, 2024 at Seashore Point in Provincetown. He was 67. The son of George and Gladys Taylor, Bobby was […]
Benjamin Weinryb Grohsgal, Who Set Out to See and Change the World, Dies at 37
Benjamin Weinryb Grohsgal of Philadelphia, New York City, and Provincetown died on July 13, 2024 after a year-long battle with glioblastoma. A scholar, linguist, software engineer, and artist, he was […]
Mass for John O. Browne, 79, Is Sept. 28
The death of Provincetown fisherman and chef John O. Browne, who was known as “JB,” on July 7, 2024 was reported by his wife, Frannie Coco, and family. A 1964 […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from July 8 to July 12, 2024. PROVINCETOWN July 9. Joyce Coleman and Deborah Haynor to Ronald C. Berry Living Trust (Ronald […]
Classifieds July 18, 2024 – July 25, 2024
EVENTS Annual bake sale for the Wellfleet Democratic Town Committee will be held Tuesday, July 23 from 9 a.m. to noon at Preservation Hall, 335 Main St., Wellfleet. Purchase or […]
Indie’s Choice
Make a Splash (Thursday, July 18) AWOL (59 Province Lands Rd., Provincetown) hosts “Gender Splash,” a trans-inclusive/trans-centered pool party, on Thursday, July 18, noon. Preregistration required, and suggested admission is […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Invitation for Bids The Town of Truro is seeking sealed bids for the supply and delivery of a closed top ejector trailer. Bid specifications may be obtained […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Invitation for Bids Contracted Services Sealed bids for furnishing the following item will be received on the Towns electronic procurement system https://www.provincetown-ma.gov/37/Procurement Bulk Gas/Diesel, Liquid propane, and […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Select Board Public Hearing August 5, 2024 The Town of Eastham will hold a public hearing at 5:30p.m Monday, August 5, 2024, at the Eastham Town Hall, […]
Worries and Waves at the Fourth of July Parade
PROVINCETOWN — The Fourth of July parade unfolded with the usual pomp and circumstance last Thursday. The town crier and a drum corps led the procession down Commercial Street. Weary-looking […]
Mulliken Quits After Failed Bid to Become Chair
PROVINCETOWN — Jeffrey Mulliken, vice chair of the Provincetown Planning Board, resigned from the board on June 28, one day after his bid to replace Dana Masterpolo as chair failed […]
Dolphins’ ‘Signature Calls’ Could Predict Strandings
WELLFLEET — The unique sounds known as “signature whistles” that all the dolphin species found in Cape Cod waters use to identify themselves may be the key to finding out […]
Beach Access Limited When Plovers Nest Near Trails
PROVINCETOWN — Mildred Champlin remembers a time when piping plover chicks were in constant danger of being run over by cars on Race Point Beach. She has spent every summer […]
Kamala Harris’s Provincetown Fundraiser Comes Amid Party Rift
This article was updated on July 12. PROVINCETOWN — When Vice President Kamala Harris comes to Provincetown to meet with donors on July 20, she will face a crowd of […]
Lobster Shanty Reopens After Tax Bill Is Paid
EASTHAM — He may still owe the Internal Revenue Service and others millions of dollars, but David Delgizzi has paid his taxes in Eastham, allowing his Lobster Shanty restaurant on […]
Inside Sharktivity
PROVINCETOWN — As the waters off Outer Cape Cod warm and beaches fill, John Chisholm, the man working the virtual tip line at Sharktivity, knows his workload is about to […]
From Mount Gilboa to Your Car: a WOMR Journey
PROVINCETOWN — Atop Mount Gilboa, perhaps more dune than mountain, sits a large light blue water tower whose paint has begun to fade and flake. A radio antenna sticks out […]
Roosters Wake the Neighbors at Dawn’s Early Light
ORLEANS — Residents of Hopkins Lane and Mayo Way are early risers, but it’s not by choice. The crowing of a rooster at 39 Hopkins jolts them awake at 4 […]
Townspeople and Consultants Head Deeper Into Coastal Resilience Plan
PROVINCETOWN — Four winter storms in the last seven years have pushed seawater across Commercial Street and into neighborhoods, inundating homes and businesses near town hall in 2018, along Howland […]
Provincetown Celebrates With Low-Noise Fireworks
PROVINCETOWN — Just after 9 p.m. on July 4, the lights of MacMillan Pier were shut off, fireworks began to launch from a barge in Provincetown Harbor, and hot streaks […]
A Sweet Glimpse of Wellfleet’s Parade
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The Elemental Elegance of Whole Roasted Fish
It’s hard not to brag about the wonderful seafood we have here: the freshest bluefish, meaty striped bass, pearly scallops, hard and soft clams, and world-class oysters. I enjoy salmon […]
A Yoga Pose for Finding the Joys of July
All the pleasures of summer are upon us. And so are the crowds. If you’re one who really loves the hubbub, lucky you. But for many of us drawn to […]
Bass Fishing Heats Up, but Bluefish Are Nowhere to Be Found
Fishing for striped bass took a giant leap forward last week as the area between Race Point and Peaked Hill Bar exploded on July 4 like the fireworks that were […]
Independent Parts
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In Summer’s Slow Nightfall, a Glimmer of a Reward
I should have known the chickens would not go into their coop until it was properly dusk. I had stopped in at my mom’s place to shut the chickens in […]
In Wellfleet, Oyster Farmers Catch Future Crops
Oyster hats, dipped in cement to roughen their surfaces, sit in a dinghy at Chipman’s Cove, ready to be set in this corner of Wellfleet Harbor. Like many oyster farmers, […]
Oh Yeah
Laura Brown, who works at Bayberry Gardens in Truro, planted this container to create the illusion of cooler temperatures on hot days. She chose an aluminum trough for its watery […]
Light Winds and a Slow-Motion Start to Summer Racing Season
PROVINCETOWN — After two weekends of dangerously high winds, the forecast for July 7 predicted winds of seven to nine knots — “perfect conditions” for the Provincetown Yacht Club’s first […]
Nothing to Smile At
’Round these parts, venturing off the forest trail and into the brush is not without some risk. Poison ivy is common, Lyme-bearing ticks lie in wait, and the native vine […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, July 9 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Summer Heats Up — With a Boost From Mars
Things are starting to heat up, and I don’t just mean the weather. As the Sun begins to leave its trine with Saturn, it enters a sextile with Mars. This […]
Coastal Flooding Survey
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
The Slope at Longnook
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, July […]
Herring River Contingency Update
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, locations for those held in person are noted. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch for […]
Route 6 ‘Road Diet’ Update
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Paul Kelly’s Cubist Constructions of a Town Gone Wild
Provincetown artist Paul Kelly begins to work on a new painting by creating architectural graphite sketches. There is a certainty to Kelly’s sketches — a commitment to contrast and shape. […]
The Living Sounds of Ukraine
There’s a game elementary students used to play, usually in P.E. class, stretched out on the grass or the polished wood of the gym floor. It involved a rainbow parachute, […]
Jinkx Monsoon Is Going for It
Since Jinkx Monsoon was last in Provincetown for Halloween 2022, she’s achieved many firsts for drag artists and transgender performers: she’s been featured in a record-breaking Broadway-musical run, starred in […]
The Unfurling of a Creative Vision
The Sam Feinstein exhibition at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum charts his lifelong commitment to abstraction and color. The paintings span his early years in Provincetown as a student […]
Queercore Takes a Bow on the Provincetown Stage
When Hedwig and the Angry Inch premiered in 1998 at the small Jane Street Theatre in Manhattan’s West Village, the transgender rights movement had little of its current visibility or […]
‘Reefer Madness,’ the Musical, Plays for Laughs and Makes a Point
The concerned citizens file onto the stage: 12 adult actors dressed as well-to-do parents and respectable high school students. One couple is holding hands. A girl wears the sash of […]
A Warning Against Fascism Returns to the Stage
A theatrical warning about fascism and liberal complacency was performed on 21 stages across the country one week before the national election of 1936. The play was It Can’t Happen […]
Arts Briefs
Aparna Nancherla at Payomet “Maybe she’s born with it — maybe she’s trapped in a societal prison of impossible beauty standards” goes stand-up comic Aparna Nancherla’s riff on that old […]
Bug Beat
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The Elephant Men
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Writers’ Block
We started this newspaper with plans focused on the future — one where small-town newspapers thrived again. But some of the things we hoped for were old-fashioned. We wanted people […]
Letters, July 11, 2024
‘Put Your Money Where Your Mud Is’ To the editor: In his July 4 letter, Joe Aberdale, chair of the Wellfleet Marina Advisory Committee, says that Wellfleet Harbor could accommodate […]
Jean G. Rose of Wellfleet Was 84
Jean Gail Rose died peacefully at home in Wellfleet on July 6, 2024. She was 84 and had been living with dementia. “She was the strongest person,” attentive, loving, and […]
A Lover of Solitude, Philip Mastrobattisto Dies at 68
Philip Mastrobattisto, a fisherman, wanderer, explorer, craftsman, and artist, died on April 18, 2024 at his friend Eric Lindholm’s Eastham home at age 68. The cause, according to his family, […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
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Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from July 1 to July 5, 2024. PROVINCETOWN July 1. Van Derek Trust (Bernard F. McEneaney, trustee) to Harbour House LLC (Michael […]
Classifieds July 11, 2024 – July 18, 2024
EVENTS TCK’s Summer Festival at Truro Vineyards. A cheerful fundraiser supporting Truro Community Kitchen’s free community meal program. This night of fun features live music by Sarah Swain and the […]
Indie’s Choice
Over & Over (Thursday, July 11) Tusk, the “#1 Fleetwood Mac tribute band in the world,” performs at Payomet Performing Arts Center (29 Old Dewline Road, North Truro) on Thursday, […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET PUBLIC NOTICE All licenses and permits can now be purchased online. All departments that issue licenses and permits, excluding shellfish and beaches, will be moving to Open […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Board of Health Public Hearing July 18, 2024 The Provincetown Board of Health will hold a public hearing on Thursday July 18, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. in the […]
In Provincetown, a Celebration With History
PROVINCETOWN — The reds and greens of flags and scarves and the percussive sounds of drums and ratchets that accompanied the Provincetown Portuguese Festival all weekend brightened a foggy, windy […]
Stranding Stirs Dolphin Rescue Effort at ‘the Gut’
WELLFLEET — Last week’s mass dolphin stranding here is thought to be the largest in at least a quarter century, and its causes may never be fully explained. One hundred twenty-five […]
When Recreation Wrecks Your Erection
PROVINCETOWN — As summer ramps up, so too does a nightlife scene that draws throngs of gay men to the tip of the Cape. Nightclubs like Purgatory and the Paramount […]
District Court to Decide Whether Two Dogs Are ‘Dangerous’
EASTHAM — Richard Moore wants to overturn the select board’s April determination that his two huskies are “dangerous dogs” — a designation that allows the town to order steps to […]
Bacteria Monitoring Expands in Outer Cape Towns
PROVINCETOWN — Sophia Feuerhake and Jacob Scola meet at the entrance to Clapps Pond off Route 6 and unload a box full of equipment — tubes, nets, bottles, and a […]
Voters OK HVAC Repairs, DPW Design, Mill Pond Culvert
TRURO — Voters approved three Proposition 2½ debt exclusions at a special election on June 27, allowing the town to move forward with long-discussed projects. But the hiring of a […]
Provincetown’s Matriarchs Are Due for a Reprint
PROVINCETOWN — Almeda Segura, Eva Silva, Mary Jason, Bea Cabral, and Frances Raymond. Since 2003, these five women have kept an eye on Provincetown Harbor — or rather, their portraits […]
Developer Drops Marina and Pier Expansion From Plans
PROVINCETOWN — Christine Barker’s ambitious and long-delayed proposal for the redevelopment of the derelict Old Reliable site on Provincetown Harbor has been altered in an attempt by the developer to […]
Senate Drops Transfer Fee From Housing Bill
PROVINCETOWN — A legislative push by towns on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket and in the Berkshires and metro Boston for the right to impose a transfer fee of […]
Truro Transfer Station Is Closed 2 Days a Week for the Summer
TRURO — The transfer station’s usual seven-days-a-week summer schedule is the latest casualty of a waning local workforce. It will be closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays “until further notice.” Four […]
Marsha Sirota Is Provincetown’s Senior of the Year
PROVINCETOWN — Marsha Sirota and her wife, Carol MacDonald, arrive at the Carrie A. Seaman Animal Shelter (CASAS) in Provincetown around 8 a.m. every Sunday. They spend about an hour […]
For Clam Growers, It’s Planting Time
For most clam lovers, the labor involved in enjoying the bivalves is about as rigorous as scooping them baked and stuffed out of their shells, or perhaps balancing them, along […]
Young People Revel in the Blessings of the Day
PROVINCETOWN — MacMillan Pier was busy on the misty morning of the Blessing of the Fleet on Sunday as our family rushed past the twirling skirts of dancers in Lopes […]
At Play Among the Hydrangeas
Jenny Faw steps lightly up the wooden front steps of what she calls her “princess shed” — a small, sturdy outpost built for her by her husband, the architect Peter […]
The East End Is Perfect for Billy From Bradford
I called ahead and ordered an Italian from Angel Foods. I’m eating it as I walk down Commercial Street to the far East End, chomping as a tomato slips out […]
Cocktail Hour for a Lazy Summer Day
After one of his days at the beach, Christopher sees nothing wrong with inviting friends to get together for drinks without giving the first thought to what we’ll serve with […]
Whale Watching Is for the Tubenoses
I’ve always loved visiting nature in ways that make me feel out of my element. We have so dominated nature, so domesticated it, so segregated it from our normal lives […]
When Sweet Sea Breezes Are Winds That Won’t Quit
I’m not a scientist, but as a more-than-casual observer of all things ocean-related, it seems to me that it’s been getting windier out here. What I have known since childhood […]
The Other Red, White, & Blue
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The Scoop on the Outer Cape’s Scoops
Ice cream is always a good idea. But with so many choices, a good idea can easily become an intense deliberation: where is it creamiest, which flavor to choose, is […]
A Local Rose Has Its Day
The last days of May saw the first beachside blooms of the naturalized Asian species Rosa rugosa, and June was filled with the dramatic, arching white displays of multiflora rose, […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Monday, July 1 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Seeing the Sky Behind the Fireworks
Fireworks may fill the sky this week, but let’s not forget that behind them always are the stars, trying to express a message for us all. Saturn begins its four-and-a-half-month […]
Corridor Vision
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Cloverleaf Rearrangements
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Saturday, July […]
Mosquito Money
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Plant Giveaway
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Portraits of the Artists
Nearly everyone who lives in or visits Provincetown knows about its vibrant artistic community. Far fewer know the names and faces of the artists who compose it. “I didn’t know […]
Greater Than Their Parts
Ten apricots, a bunch of grapes, three blueberries, a skull tipped over, a half-empty glass: these subjects would be just as at home on the walls of the Rijksmuseum in […]
Varla Jean Takes You Underneath the Wig
Varla Jean Merman has been on television, on Broadway, and, she says, on welfare. She’s been on the front page of the New York Times and, for 35 years, on […]
The Abstract Journeys of Malu Tan
A spiral staircase leads to artist Malu Tan’s second-floor studio in North Tryon, an industrial district in uptown Charlotte, N.C. Her building is a converted bomb shelter. The studio is […]
Pete’s Beard
Long and white, prone to blowing like a whale’s salty plume it’s the first thing you notice: his panache, his dare his disguise. And then the eyes a quiet blue, […]
The Thing Itself
It was really like that. Autumn brown night washed the avenues and we talked of nothing important, just power and pleasure and paradise. Nothing was, but the slope of her […]
Sociologist Allison Pugh Warns Against ‘Heedless Technophilia’
Almost half of the four-year-olds in Utah are enrolled in preschool online. They watch animated videos and sing songs to learn “pre-reading,” which education administrators in the Beehive State apparently […]
Arts Briefs
Stories of a Gay Mormon Dad Claybourne Elder has a shorter commute to perform in Provincetown this year than he did last summer. The Broadway and television star is spending […]
Air Fryer
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Gobbless
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Ten Nauset Students Try Out Practical Politics
EASTHAM — Ten Nauset Regional High School juniors spent the last week of school building a whole new government from the ground up. We were among a few hundred students […]
A Crime Compounded
It’s hard for me to understand those people who believe there is a “deep state” of corrupt government officials determined to take away our rights. The fabrications and fantasies of […]
Flava in Ya Ear
While enjoying my cup of chocolate chip on the porch outside Wellfleet’s Gelato Joy, I watched a woman approach the counter. She scanned the list of flavors, then turned to […]
Letters, July 4, 2024
Holtec and the Whistleblower To the editor: Christine Legere’s report on the Holtec whistleblower letter [“Holtec Confirms Pilgrim Worker Was Contaminated,” June 20, front page] highlights the fact that the […]
Former Shop Owner and Author Irma Ruckstuhl Dies at 93
Irma Ruckstuhl died peacefully in her North Truro home on June 23, 2024. The author of Old Provincetown in Early Photographs, she was an antiques expert, gift shop owner, and […]
Dorothy Ross, a Historian of Social Science, Dies at 87
Dorothy Ross, a pioneering historian of the origins of modern social science and the first woman chair of the history department at Johns Hopkins University, died at her home in […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from June 24 to June 28, 2024. PROVINCETOWN June 25. Bruce K. Huie to Nancy E. Peplau and Margaret B. Costello. 32 […]
Classifieds July 4, 2024 – July 11, 2024
THE ARTS Did you read the blog Wellfleet Today? Blogger Sandy Grabbe is pleased to announce the publication of her short story collection, The Nansen Factor, written in Wellfleet. Mark […]
Indie’s Choice
With a Bang (Thursday, July 4) Provincetown’s annual Independence Day Parade begins at the Harbor Hotel (698 Commercial St.) at 11 a.m. and proceeds down Commercial Street to Franklin Street. Fireworks over […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing July 17, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in […]
In Wellfleet, Mooring Means Your Rudder’s in the Mud
WELLFLEET — It’s been so long since the mooring field in the harbor was dredged that those most familiar with the marina can only guess how many boats it might […]
Nonprofits Struggle to Keep Their Services Running
EASTHAM — Nauset Neighbors, an all-volunteer nonprofit that assists more than 300 older adults living alone on Cape Cod, began turning away new members requesting the organization’s help in May. […]
Chief Trovato and 18 Volunteer Firefighters Quit
PROVINCETOWN — In two separate letters, Provincetown Fire Chief Mike Trovato and 18 members of the town’s “call,” or volunteer, fire dept. announced their intention to resign as of midnight […]
Canceled Appointments, Dropped Referrals, and Tangled Phone Lines
PROVINCETOWN — Nick Jefferson lives to rock climb. “I work so I can go climbing,” he told the Independent. So, when Jefferson, who moved to Provincetown in 2013, cut a […]
Owner of Dilapidated Rentals Told to Fix Violations
TRURO — David Delgizzi of Weston, the owner of numerous dilapidated rental properties on the Outer Cape, has once again run afoul of the Truro Health Dept., this time for […]
Select Board Drops ‘Walk Zone’ Idea Without a Hearing
PROVINCETOWN — The select board’s proposal for a “walk only zone” on the densest part of Commercial Street between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which sparked vocal opposition and little […]
Police Failures Short-Circuit Justice for Abused J-1 Students
PROVINCETOWN — Paul Schofield, the innkeeper charged last fall with assaulting a Bulgarian student, destruction of property, and disorderly conduct, was found not guilty by a jury at a March […]
Two Houses Moved to S. Highland Road Sit Forlorn for Now
TRURO — Two houses that were pulled down the highway in late February to be renovated and used to house some of the town’s seasonal staff stand side by side […]
Commission Approves Razing and Rebuilding of Guesthouse
PROVINCETOWN — Preservation of the town’s historic structures is always preferable, but in some cases, it just can’t be done. That’s the conclusion the town’s historic district commission came to […]
Rains and Floods Set Stage for Another Mosquito Boom
WELLFLEET — It’s not just you — even the county’s mosquito control experts say 2024 is shaping up to be a bad year for the bugs. They’re also worried that […]
Regional Count of Homeless Persons Jumps 33 Percent
PROVINCETOWN — Every year on one winter night, homelessness workers across the country fan out for a census of America’s unhoused population: people sleeping in shelters or who are unsheltered […]
It’s Getting Easier, Being Green
Tucked away at the southernmost end of the Truro’s Old North Cemetery, a small tract of land is girded by a split-rail fence where a sign reads: “Old North Cemetery, […]
A Not-So-Straight-Up Potato Salad
I attended a swanky dinner party on an early summer night when the weather was still cool enough to ward off mosquitoes and invite indulgent feasting. It was at an […]
Structure and Color for Every Season of the Year
Story and drawings by Abraham Storer Keri Thomas and David Smile’s garden comes as a surprise to a visitor arriving on Oak Ridge Road in Eastham, not far from Cooks […]
On Juneteenth, Speakers Take Up the Question of Belonging
PROVINCETOWN — As drummers walked through the crowd to energize a Wednesday afternoon gathering, some 150 people converged on the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House to hear James Jackson Jr., Jordan […]
Pedaling an Unofficial Route to Provincetown
Every year since I was 15 years old, I’ve biked the Cape Cod Rail Trail end to end. The tradition started when I was even younger; my best friend and […]
A Fisherman’s Luck
Knowing a backshore beach’s structures — the deeps, shallows, and river-like troughs between the shore and the first sandbar — is as important to catching fish as knowing the tides, […]
Of Flaky Fish and Future Storms
The fish cannot seem to make up their minds about where they want to be for more than a day at a time. It looked like they were settling in […]
Lifting Up the Patron Saint of Netmakers, Shipbuilders, and Fishermen
PROVINCETOWN — The 28th Provincetown Portuguese Festival begins Friday, June 28 with live music and dancing in Portuguese Square on Ryder Street. During the three-day-long celebration, there will be a […]
Wellfleet’s Grace Ebert Finds a Happy Moment in Every Day
WELLFLEET — Of the past 100 years, Grace Ebert remembers only the exceedingly good and exceedingly bad days. “If I have to think hard to remember a day, it could […]
Provincetown Schools Celebrate 8th-Grade Graduation
PROVINCETOWN — Fourteen eighth-graders graduated from the Provincetown International Baccalaureate Schools at its annual promotion ceremony on June 21. Three of the newly minted middle-school graduates will attend Cape Cod […]
A Commoner for the Monarchs
There are many threats to the survival of the monarch, that iconic orange-and-black butterfly that migrates each summer from Mexico to the Northeast and back over multiple generations. One is […]
Temporary Players, Shuffling Rosters Mark Early Summer Ball
ORLEANS — Each year, while the best collegiate players are occupied in Omaha at the NCAA Division I College World Series in June, coaches across the Cape Cod Baseball League […]
School’s Out for Summer
Tradition has it that students from Wellfleet Elementary School head to Newcomb Hollow Beach on the last day of school for good times and a beach picnic. This year’s excursion […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, June 25 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Can You Be Your Own Summer Love?
The stars this week foretell quite a bit of interplay between the social and romantic aspects of our lives. When it comes to passion, though, most of us tend to […]
Coastal Resilience Planning
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Fiber Optic Network Grant
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, June […]
Preschool Vouchers
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Check the Fridge
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Polly Burnell’s Interior Vision Unearths Complex Worlds
One of Polly Burnell’s most recent paintings, The Whale Dream (5 years before I came here), is of a whale that seems to be ascending from the water toward a […]
Ari Shapiro on the Art of Listening
In Ari Shapiro’s cabaret show Thank You for Listening, at the Gifford House in Provincetown this weekend, he’ll sing songs he’s never performed for an audience before and tell personal […]
The Quirky Works That Filled the White Horse Inn
Even if you are not the kind to frequent galleries, you’ve seen Jackson Lambert’s art. He worked with Anton “Napi” Van Dereck Haunstrup, making the paintings, sculptures, and signs that […]
Kate Baldwin’s Close Calls
Musician John McDaniel first accompanied two-time Tony nominee Kate Baldwin last year on an Alaska cruise. Now he’s the force behind her Provincetown debut this weekend in a show titled Sing […]
Provincetown, Friday Night
On Center Gallery (352 Commercial St.) Katie Faria from Middleborough looks thoughtfully at Lorraine DeProspo’s Kiss the Day. Mounted on the wall at On Center Gallery between two other paintings […]
Arts Briefs
Glisson, Reedy, and Salas Return to Alden Gallery Over the years, an exhibition for the artists Robert Glisson, Linda Reedy, and Anne Salas has become the summer season opening tradition […]
Vacationers
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Guilty Good
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Lawrence of the Dunes
I imagine Lawrence Schuster as a child in 1950s Pennsylvania being asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and answering, with steely blue eyes and a […]
Obfuscation Events
There are certain words that pop up frequently in news stories and set off alarms in an editor’s brain. Several of them appeared in our report last week about an […]
Letters, June 27, 2024
Tall Structures and Energy To the editor: William von Herff’s Reporter’s Notebook “Lighthouses and Windmills” [June 20, page A2] made me think about other tall structures, like power-plant smokestacks in […]
Timothy Sherlock of Wellfleet Dies at 51
Timothy Michael Sherlock of Wellfleet died peacefully at home with his three sisters by his side on June 15, 2024. He had faced esophageal cancer with great courage. He was […]
Psychotherapist David W. Griffiths Dies at 77
David W. Griffiths, a clinical psychologist, was for many years an instructor at Harvard Medical School; he was well known in the Boston area for his decades of professional service […]
Vernon L. Brown III, a Lover of the Cape, Was 73
An interior designer and restorer of classic homes in Provincetown and Truro, Vernon Lee Brown III died on April 17, 2024 after several long illnesses. The cause of death, confirmed […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from June 17 to June 21, 2024. PROVINCETOWN June 17. 9A Conwell Realty Trust (Alan Thanh Tang, trustee) to Thomas Francis Walsh. […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Conservation Commission Public Hearing July 17, 2024 Please take notice that the Wellfleet Conservation Commission, in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 131, Section 40, and the Wellfleet Environmental […]
Classifieds June 27, 2024 – July 4, 2024
THE ARTS From Here to There: How Is Movement Created in Art? This lecture with Laura Shabott explores a century of Cape-affiliated artworks while focusing on movement both visually and […]
Indie’s Choice
Get Crafty (Thursday, June 27) The Wellfleet Oyster Alliance’s first weekly Makers Mart of the season, featuring handmade goods from local artisans, takes place at Mayo Beach (101 Kendrick Ave., […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown POSITION OPENINGS 2024 SEASONAL DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS POSITIONS The Town of Provincetown is accepting applications for the following seasonal positions with the Department of Public Works: […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Planning Board Public Hearing July 17, 2024 The Town of Eastham Zoning Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 […]
Truro Pursues Return of Pamet Salt Marsh
TRURO — The Pamet is not just a tidal river but an entire estuarial system — albeit an altered one — that stretches the width of Truro. At its eastern […]
Wellfleet OKs Purchase of Gestalt Center for Town Offices
WELLFLEET — Town meetings on the Outer Cape rarely happen in the summer, but Town Administrator Tom Guerino told Wellfleet’s assembled electorate on Monday that the matter at hand was […]
Holtec Confirms Pilgrim Worker Was Contaminated
PLYMOUTH — An incident that exposed a worker at the shuttered Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to airborne radioactive contamination was confirmed on June 14 by Patrick O’Brien, spokesman for Holtec […]
Proposed ‘Walk Zone’ Revives a Rider’s Conundrum: Commercial or Bradford?
PROVINCETOWN — Standing at the crosswalk on top of the hill where Bradford Street meets Prince Street, Michael Hart observes the flow of car traffic. “I’m never going down that […]
After 10 Years, AIDS Quilt Panels Return to Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN — The AIDS Memorial Quilt, which now includes 50,000 cloth panels honoring more than 110,000 people who have died of AIDS since 1981, has long been too large to […]
The Tech’s Class of 2024 Is Ready for the Real World
HARWICH — Cape Cod Regional Technical High School’s June 1 graduation ceremony was full of reflection. Student speeches recalled the obstacles of starting high school in the middle of the […]
Small Plane Lands on Eastham Beach After Losing Power
This article was updated on June 20, 2024. EASTHAM — A small tour plane made an emergency landing between Marconi Beach in Wellfleet and Nauset Light Beach in Eastham Sunday […]
Kiran Johnson Wants To Explain This Place
The Provincetown Independent, in collaboration with its nonprofit partner, the Local Journalism Project, last week welcomed its fifth cohort of summer journalism fellows for 10 weeks of work and learning […]
Jacob Smollen Is Ready to Dig In
The Provincetown Independent, in collaboration with its nonprofit partner, the Local Journalism Project, last week welcomed its fifth cohort of summer journalism fellows for 10 weeks of work and learning […]
Molly Reinmann Measures Life In Stories
The Provincetown Independent, in collaboration with its nonprofit partner, the Local Journalism Project, last week welcomed its fifth cohort of summer journalism fellows for 10 weeks of work and learning […]
Cam Kettles Sees How News Connects People
The Provincetown Independent, in collaboration with its nonprofit partner, the Local Journalism Project, last week welcomed its fifth cohort of summer journalism fellows for 10 weeks of work and learning […]
In Wellfleet, Watching a Bird That Relies on Us
At this time of year, a unique birdsong rings out over the parking lot at Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s jumbled and metallic, almost bubbly, and unlike any […]
Helen Molesworth Explains the Art of Basketball
PROVINCETOWN — George’s Pizza is packed on a rainy Friday night for Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. A man at the […]
An Earthbound Rainbow
I was looking at an iris the other day, watching a bee tumble and bumble its way through the folds, ripples, and petals, drunk with pollen-dusted happiness, and I thought: […]
An Odd Pod off Nantucket and Rambunctious Dolphins in Provincetown
I wrote last week that fishing being what it is, we could have a 180-degree turnaround from the slow showing of bass. Well, we did. Striped bass made a big […]
Planning the Next Bowlful of Risi e Bisi
Every year I tempt fate and plant my peas dangerously early. It’s worth the risk so that I can look out on gray, chilly spring days and see green poking up in the […]
Roaring With Pride
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Oh Lanceolata, Thou Showeth Up Everywhere
Yellow-blooming species of the Coreopsis genus are not native to New England, though several have come from elsewhere in the country to naturalize here. The most widespread visitor is Coreopsis lanceolata, a tough […]
Catching a Glimmer of Mercury’s Magic
Our solar system has eight planets, including Earth. Of these, five are visible to the unaided eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Uranus and Neptune require a telescope. Of […]
Baseball Is Back at Eldredge Park
ORLEANS — At Eldredge Park the first-base line is blanketed with lawn chairs. Children wearing baseball caps and carrying gloves roam the outer edges of the field in search of […]
Close-Up of a Touch-Up at the Unitarian Meeting House
PROVINCETOWN — The Provincetown skyline was transformed in early April by what looked like a new 10-story structure: a bright-green encrustation from certain vantages, a translucent scrim from others. It […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, June 18 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Dive Deep Into Crab Season
With the Sun shifting from loquacious Gemini to the more sensitive but ever-resilient Cancer, let’s all exercise a little compassion for ourselves and others. Cancer can be characterized as intuitive […]
Walk Zone Public Hearing
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
On the Ballot
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, June […]
Planning for the Planner
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Kicking the Paint Can
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Kathryn Engberg Forsakes the Male Gaze
Madonna is depressed. Not because — as in her appearances as the Virgin Mary since the Renaissance — she knows that her kid, the baby Jesus, is going to be […]
Betty Buckley Is in Focus
Picture it: early ’90s, a cruise ship sailing down the coast of Mexico. I was but a squirrely young thing on my first RSVP cruise rushing to the cabaret room […]
Three Provincetown Painters Display Whimsy, Masculinity, and Identity
Three Provincetown painters — Trevor Mikula, Josh Wilmoth, and Andy Towle — will be showing new works at the Provincetown Commons starting next week. The concurrent shows open Tuesday, June […]
Dina Martina Is in a Good Place
Dina Martina says she was born nine months early. “I looked like a poached egg,” she confides. Her grandmother looks just like Colonel Sanders. “Beautiful, hirsute lady,” says Martina. “She […]
Camera in a Cage: A 50-Year Retrospective
There’s a coyote about town. Several, in fact. One is the shadow you see disappearing into the dunes off Route 6, gone in such an acute flash you wonder if […]
Arts Briefs
A Musical Trip to Planet Bitch In the late 1990s, Bitch and Animal, a self-styled punk dyke duo with what Bitch says was an “otherworldly connection,” played a summer of […]
Beach Buddies
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Bike Valet
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Lighthouses and Windmills
When my friend Elizabeth came to visit me in Wellfleet for a weekend, one of the things she wanted to see was a “real” Cape Cod lighthouse. We drove over […]
Letters, June 20, 2024
The Importance of Community To the editor: Re “Van Dereck Estate Remains a Tangle of Secrets” [June 13, front page]: Community is important. Familiarity is important. It is especially important […]
Provincetown’s VFW Commander Philip Andrew Fingado Dies at 57
Paul Mendes was grocery shopping in 2009 when he saw a man in his early 40s wearing a Marine Corps buckle. A Vietnam vet of the Corps and longtime Provincetown […]
Photographer Barbara Cole Kirk of South Wellfleet Was 94
A lover of Wellfleet and the world, Barbara Cole Kirk died peacefully on May 16, 2024 at Seashore Point in Provincetown surrounded by family, friends, and caregivers. She had lived an […]
Jane Peters Memorial
A memorial service for Jane Hutchings Peters of North Truro, who died at 81 on June 5, 2024, will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 29 at the […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from June 10 to June 14, 2024. PROVINCETOWN June 12. Christoper M. Cameron to Karen Sontag. 586 Commercial St., Unit 10. $555,000. […]
Classifieds June 20, 2024 – June 27, 2024
THE ARTS From Here to There: How Is Movement Created in Art? This lecture with Laura Shabott explores a century of Cape-affiliated artworks while focusing on movement both visually and […]
Indie’s Choice
Sun Records Serenade (Thursday, June 20, continuing) Million Dollar Quartet, a musical about the 1956 impromptu jam session at Sun Records in Memphis with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro TRURO HISTORICAL COMMISSION Notice of Remote Public Hearing Monday, July 11, 2024 at 5:00 pm The Truro Historical Commission will hold a remote Public Hearing on Thursday, […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Planning Board Public Hearing June 27, 2024 The Provincetown Planning Board will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 6:00 P.M. in the Judge […]
Other Notices
Bay Sails Marine Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 255, Section 17, Bay Sails Marine, Inc. has a lien for boat storage in the amount of $4335.00 plus interest on a 25’ […]
The Class of 2024 Made the Best of 4 Trying Years
EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School Class of 2024 walked confidently onto the football field on Friday, June 7 for their graduation ceremony. Among the 186 graduates from across […]
Van Dereck Estate Remains a Tangle of Secrets
PROVINCETOWN — In the years since restaurateur, art collector, and landlord Anton “Napi” Van Dereck Haunstrup died and left his estate, estimated at $17 million, to his wife, Helen, a […]
House Drops Transfer Fee in Housing Bill
PROVINCETOWN — A years-long push for legislation that would allow towns to impose a real estate transfer fee of 0.5 to 2 percent on residential and commercial real estate sales […]
Probate Judge Keeps Napi’s Estate Documents Out of Public Eye
BARNSTABLE — A judge in Barnstable County Probate and Family Court denied a motion filed by Independent reporter Sam Pollak to unseal documents related to the guardianship and conservatorship of […]
Owners Ask Permission to Demolish Victorian Guesthouse
PROVINCETOWN — The owners of the Gaslamp Bed & Breakfast are looking to demolish the 170-year-old Victorian at 97 Bradford St., where they currently operate an eight-room guesthouse. The goal, […]
After a Spring Collapse, Longnook Beach Is Open Again
TRURO — Longnook Beach reopened on May 16 after a two-month closure caused by extreme coastal erosion. The dune under the steep sandy pathway that leads from the parking lot […]
Bound Brook Island Road Unbounded by Temporary Fix
WELLFLEET — For most of the winter and spring, repeated flooding has left Bound Brook Island periodically cut off from the rest of town. For months, the island’s 11 property […]
Mixed-Use Proposal on Route 6A Faces Hurdles
ORLEANS — Eastham developer Tim Klink is trying to make good on his promise to build a mixed-use project at 177 Route 6A. But his proposal includes below-grade apartments, which […]
CCRTA Set to Bring Cheap Rides to Outer Cape
PROVINCETOWN — Christopher McGregor’s taxi business is braced for a tough season. He said he’s heard a new rideshare company is coming soon to the Outer Cape. The rumor is […]
Life Among the Dragonflies and Damselflies
If you are in the right place and at the right time, you might find yourself among the dragonflies and damselflies as they emerge from their natal coastal ponds and […]
Cornbread Should Not Be Sweet
One thing my dad has learned since moving to Cape Cod from Hot Springs, Ark. is that the main difference between people here and the people he really relates to […]
Close-Up of a Touch-Up at the Unitarian Meeting House
PROVINCETOWN — The Provincetown skyline was transformed in early April by what looked like a new 10-story structure: a bright-green encrustation from certain vantages, a translucent scrim from others. It […]
Kingsley Samuel Recycles It
PROVINCETOWN — In morning’s early light, Kingsley Samuel, known around town as KG, loads recyclables into the bed of his Chevrolet low cab forward parked outside Spiritus Pizza. KG handles […]
Natarajasana Is a Dance for Summer
After all those quiet months, suddenly there is so much to do. June’s arrival on Outer Cape Cod can make a person feel scattered. That is why this month I’m […]
A Not-So-Secret Garden Is Blooming Again
Suzanne Sinaiko never wanted a vegetable garden in the plot near her East End home. “My mother said to me right at the beginning, ‘Look, I can get vegetables at […]
The Tallest Tulips Are From Tennessee
Getting to inspect the blooms of a tulip poplar while out for a walk is a treat, since they’re often visible only to those equipped with wings. The tallest native […]
Old Thom Is Back
Striped bass fishing slowed this past week, as the fish seem to have moved out of the bay, and the few that are around are down on the ocean side […]
Nauset Lacrosse Falls in Its First-Ever Final Four Match
EASTHAM — The fifth-ranked Nauset boys lacrosse team fell 19-5 to top-seeded Medfield in the MIAA Division 3 Final Four match on Tuesday. Senior Colby Smith led the way with […]
Spring Colors
ROSY VIEW FLORID This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, June 11 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
A Bad Week for the Dishonest
What would the world look like if we didn’t have the ability to lie or misrepresent things? Can you even imagine what it would be like to live with radical […]
Groundbreaking at VFW
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Select Board Reorganization
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, June […]
Late Spring Town Meeting
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Adding a Story, With Subtractions
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
In Amy Arbus’s Latest Images, Glimpses of Life Before the Fall
Amy Arbus did not take photographs of circus performers until a year ago. But as soon as she started, she thought, “I know that I can do something interesting here.” […]
Vaguely Creepy Things
It’s so annoying, isn’t it? Aging parents, needing help, expecting you to just drop everything and take care of them when you’ve got so much going on. What’s an American […]
Lonely Are the Brave
Queer cinema has been an important presence at the Provincetown International Film Festival since it began in 1999. Several past Filmmaker on the Edge award winners, such as Christine Vachon […]
Joel Kim Booster Knows How the World Works
Joel Kim Booster was squatting on the corner of Carver and Bradford in Provincetown, wearing just a jockstrap. He held his phone to his ear. He had just been at […]
Betrayal Comes Back to Wellfleet
Jonathan Fielding admits he was only a casual fan of Harold Pinter’s classic drama Betrayal when he took the role of Jerry, who’s having an affair with his best friend’s wife. […]
Arts Briefs
Poet Laureate Ada Limón Can Imagine If you close your eyes to consider the bones, sinews, and arteries composing this flexed arm of sand and land, you might see the […]
Jobs for Whales
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Not in Kansas Anymore
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Ancestors and Descendants
My father was born near the end of the 19th century (1897); I arrived near the middle of the 20th (1945); my four grandchildren, early in the 21st (between 2005 […]
An HVAC Fix That Might Have Been Avoided
At Wellfleet’s recent town meeting, a voter asked why we had to spend $350,000 to upgrade the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a fire station that’s only […]
Something From Nothing
Sometimes it feels as if being a journalist consists mostly of waiting for return phone calls from people who are never going to call you back. The other day I […]
Letters, June 13, 2024
The Formula Business Bylaw To the editor: Re “Luke’s Lobster Is Exempted From Formula Business Bylaw” [June 6, page A6]: I take exception to the word “exempted” in your headline […]
Writer, Artist, and Judge Dermot Meagher Dies at 83
Dermot Meagher, the first openly gay judge in Massachusetts, who was also a writer and artist, died on Dec. 28, 2023 at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He […]
Donald Morris Sr., Owner of Central Parking, Was 90
Fisherman and parking lot owner Donald L. Morris Sr. of Provincetown died on June 6, 2024 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. He was 90. Born on Oct. 19, 1933 […]
Custodio Silva Sr. Was 97
Custodio Joseph Silva Sr., known as Joe, died peacefully at home on June 4, 2024 at 97. He was born in New Bedford on Christmas Day 1926 to Custodio Charles […]
First Amendment Champion Meredith Bradford Dies at 80
Meredith Bradford died on April 13, 2024 at her home in Truro after a brief battle with complications from bladder cancer. She was 80. Born in Boston on March 23, […]
Educator Kerin Francis Brodie Dies at 56
Kerin Francis Brodie of Harwich died on June 5, 2024 at Mass. General Hospital in Boston from complications of sarcoidosis. She was 56. Kerin was born in Hyannis on March […]
Truro Carpenter Malcolm Rose Was 86
Malcolm Rose died peacefully at the Lodge at Aspen Village, a memory care facility in Dallas, Ga., on Oct. 22, 2023. The cause was complications of dementia. He was 86. […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from June 3 to June 7, 2024. PROVINCETOWN June 6. JJDJJF LLC (John J. Dougherty Jr., manager) to Andrew E. Zobler. 110 […]
Classifieds June 13, 2024 – June 20, 2024
TUNES The Music Is Back! Weekly Irish and Old Time music sessions, Tuesdays in Wellfleet 6:30-8:30 p.m. indoors at Hog Island Surf Lodge, Route 6 opposite Lieutenant Island Rd. Upbeat […]
Indie’s Choice
The Olympic Gaymes (Thursday-Monday, June 13-17) Frolic Weekend, five days of social mixers, club takeovers, and pool parties for queer and trans men of color, remakes Provincetown into the ultimate […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Select Board Proposal to Update Traffic & Parking Regulations to Define Electric Bicycles Public Hearing June 24, 2024 The Provincetown Select Board will hold a Public Hearing […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Zoning Board of Appeals Notice of Remote Public Hearing Monday, June 24, 2024 at 5:30 pm 2024-004/ZBA – Amy Holt, for property located at 113 Castle Road […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Select Board Public Hearing June 17, 2024 A Select Board Public Hearing will be held on Monday, June 17, 2024, at 5:30 PM, in the Earle Mountain […]
Go Ahead, Climb the Rock That Holds a Place in Eastham’s Heart
EASTHAM — For at least the last couple of hundred years, the boulder near Coast Guard Beach known as Doane Rock has been a popular spot for rock climbers and […]
Medoff and Girard-Irwin Are Elected to Select Board
TRURO — Nancy Medoff and Susan Girard-Irwin were elected to the select board on May 29. The election drew 950 voters — a 41 percent turnout, well above last year’s […]
Delgizzis Told to Pay Up or Shut Restaurant
EASTHAM — David and Carolyn Delgizzi will not be allowed to open the Lobster Shanty this summer because they haven’t paid their taxes. The select board voted unanimously on May […]
Officials Say Sign Complaints Are Based on a Misconception
TRURO — Complaints that campaign signs were removed from private property are based on misconceptions about where property lines are, Town Manager Darrin Tangeman and DPW Director Jarrod Cabral both […]
Child-Care Providers Navigate a Trying Landscape
PROVINCETOWN — Outer Cape towns’ efforts to help families afford child care are being stymied by a lack of space and staffing. Some families with young children are unable to […]
Luke’s Lobster Is Exempted From Formula Business Bylaw
PROVINCETOWN — Luke’s Lobster currently has 17 lobster “shacks” in the Northeast, two in Las Vegas, five in Japan, and four in Singapore — but when it opens a full-service […]
FBI Holds ‘Active Shooter’ Response Training in Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN — Almost 160 people, including many of Provincetown’s nightclub owners, bar managers, and hotel and restaurant staff, came to town hall on June 3 for an unusual kind of […]
Pea Shoots and Pansies Washed Down With Kale
TRURO — Students at Truro Central School, be they kindergartners or fifth-graders, know that the florets that sprout at the top of kale plants are to be picked. And eaten. […]
Peak Pine Pollen Is Upon Us
WELLFLEET — The beginning of summer brings a few things denizens of the Outer Cape are wary of, bridge traffic and a bump in gas prices among them. But perhaps […]
Remembering That Last Bobwhite’s Song
When I think back to my childhood here, I remember days spent in the woods and fields and on the marshes and the dune tops. The memories have an enchanted […]
Calm Summer Seas Deliver Dayboat Scallop Feasts
Living at the ocean’s edge means ready access to many rare treats local fishermen bring in. When friends arrive for summer suppers, the ones I like best, because they’re at […]
An Artist in the Garden
In Tessera C. Knowles’s painting Saltine at Egg’s Isle, Provincetown’s drag mistress of political satire sits in a chair on the sand behind the Julie Heller Gallery surrounded by an […]
Watching for Rebounds in Canada and Spain
Striped bass fishing is heating up in the bay, and Billingsgate Shoals is the place to be. A few days ago there were a lot of bass off Wood End […]
What Pollen Season Reveals
Pollen season has arrived. With it comes the revelation of one of nature’s wonders: spiderwebs. By design they are almost invisible, but pine pollen now dusts them into full view […]
Hawkwatching on Bearberry Hill
TRURO — In the world of birding, there are a few categories with their own histories and techniques. Seawatching, where a birder peers out at the sea with a scope […]
I’m So Over This Rainbow
The iris shares its name with the Greek goddess of the rainbow, ostensibly for the multitude of colors found across its hundreds of species worldwide. In this neck of the […]
Nauset Honors This Year’s Senior Athletes
EASTHAM – “There’s a whole group that are antsy to take your spots,” Nauset Regional High School Principal Patrick Clark told the school’s seniors who are bound for college competition […]
Baseball, Lacrosse Boys Advance; Tennis Teams Ousted
EASTHAM — The Nauset High boys and girls lacrosse and baseball teams all advanced in their respective Division 3 state tournaments this week. No. 16 ranked baseball defeated No. 17 […]
An Ode to the Morning Cold Plunge
PROVINCETOWN — We don’t quite remember how it started. There was surely a need for physical catharsis after a winter spent too much indoors, and perhaps we had notions of […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, June 4 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Love or Loss Under A Sliver of Moon
The new Moon is on June 6, and it carries a message of love — or of loss. In astrology, new Moons represent change, endings, or renewal. This month, it […]
Local Health Fair
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Ad Hoc DPW Planning
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, June […]
Special Town Meeting Preview
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Charging to Charge
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Extraordinary Stories Stitched in Relatable Cloth
When you walk into the Urvashi Vaid and Kate Clinton Community Room at the Provincetown Commons, you see a collection of jackets and shirts hanging on the walls. The 25 […]
Through Andrew de Lory’s Viewfinder
If you were to flip through Andrew de Lory’s portrait photographs, you might come face to face with Prince Charles playing polo or Odetta, eyes closed, serenading an unseen crowd […]
The Totality of Julia Salinger
A maximalist by nature, Julia Salinger indulges in all that she finds curious and delightful. She’s a voracious collector of paper ephemera and a compulsive creator. “I basically live inside […]
Ahmed Ibrahim’s Work Refuses Categorization
Under the pergola of his friend’s house on Bangs Street in Provincetown, filmmaker Ahmed Ibrahim sits hunched over his MacBook typing an email to his manager. Bo, a border collie-black […]
A Time for Shots in the Dark
These days, in the world of “theatrical” movies — films screened in theaters — surviving and thriving are challenging at best. That’s certainly true for the Provincetown International Film Festival, […]
Arts Briefs
Lee McColgan and A House Restored The first thing Lee McColgan wants you to know is that preserving an 18th-century New England house is not like an episode of HGTV’s […]
Happy Spring
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Mild Max: Scooter Road
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Leadership Transitions Take Time
A letter to the editor in the May 23 edition of the Independent expressed concern about “the high turnover at Outer Cape Health Services” and vacancies in key positions there. […]
Pride and Fear
When I heard that Provincetown was hosting an “active shooter attack prevention and preparedness” training session, my initial reaction was skepticism. The town’s press release said, “This crucial training event […]
Letters, June 6, 2024
Truro: A Role Model To the editor: I was sorry to read that employees of the town of Truro have been facing harassment and intimidation [“Truro Stops Enforcing Bylaw on […]
Tennis Teacher and Shop Owner Patrice Gordon Was 73
Athlete, photographer, and owner of Tumbleweed, a “hippie shop” in Ridgewood, N.J., Patrice Gordon of Provincetown and Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. died at home on March 30, 2024 after a long illness. […]
Provincetown Artist Elisabeth Pearl Dies at 79
Provincetown artist Elisabeth Pearl, who painted colorful street scenes in works such as Carnival Parade, Gathering at Spiritus, and Book Sale at the Old Library, died on May 25, 2024 […]
James Butler of Ireland and Corn Hill Dies at 52
Every year, James Butler insisted on his “first dunk” in the ocean off Truro on Memorial Day weekend “no matter what,” according to his friend Mark Battista. Jim died at […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from May 28 to May 31, 2024. PROVINCETOWN May 28. Machinaw LLC [Robert R. Anderson and Christine M. Anderson, signatories] to Paul […]
Classifieds June 6, 2024 – June 13, 2024
TUNES The Music Is Back! Weekly Irish and Old Time music sessions, Tuesdays in Wellfleet 6:30-8:30 p.m. indoors at Hog Island Surf Lodge, Route 6 opposite Lieutenant Island Rd. Upbeat […]
Indie’s Choice
Body Electric (Thursday, June 6) The Provincetown Health Dept. and Outer Cape Community Solutions are putting on a local health fair at Provincetown Town Hall (260 Commercial St.) on Thursday, […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Planning Board Notice of Remote Public Hearing Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 5:00 PM View on television Channel 8 in Truro; or on the Homepage website (www.truro-ma.gov), […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Position Opening Harbormaster The Harbormaster enforces state and local laws and regulations for the protection and safety of the professional and general boating public on Provincetown’s waterways. […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Public Hearing June 17, 2024 The Town of Eastham will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 17, 2024, at the Eastham Town Hall, […]
Decoration Day
Members of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Provincetown Police Dept. make up the color guard in front of town hall on Memorial Day, May 27. From left, Patrol Officer […]
Truro Stops Enforcing Sign Bylaw; Medoff & Girard-Irwin Elected
TRURO — The town has stopped enforcing its bylaw regulating temporary signs, Town Manager Darrin Tangeman and Town Planner Barbara Carboni said this week. The decision followed controversy over the […]
U.S. State Dept. Still Has a Provincetown Blacklist
PROVINCETOWN — When employers here first began hearing from their returning J-1 visa students in Bulgaria that they had received emails in April from the U.S. embassy there telling them […]
Provincetown Weighs In as DEP Proposes New Coastal Protection Rules
PROVINCETOWN — The Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection has proposed revisions to its wetlands regulations aimed at providing better protection to coastal floodplains from the effects of climate change, sea […]
Guerino Signs 3-Year Contract With Wellfleet
WELLFLEET — Town Administrator Tom Guerino is officially here to stay. Guerino and the select board signed a three-year contract at the board’s May 21 meeting after Guerino had served […]
Lobstermen and Scientists See a Fishery in Flux
PROVINCETOWN — This year, May 15 marked the beginning of the lobster fishing season on the Outer Cape. The fishery is not an insignificant one here. There are 42 fishermen […]
Towns Gear Up and Fill Up for Summer Recreation
With the end of school fast approaching, towns are readying summer recreation programs. In Eastham and Truro, hopeful families are already putting their names on waiting lists. Besides being fun, […]
An Ode to the Morning Cold Plunge
PROVINCETOWN — We don’t quite remember how it started. There was surely a need for physical catharsis after a winter spent too much indoors, and perhaps we had notions of […]
A Greek Egg-Lemon Soup That’s Truly Best
That lady you saw make a U-turn on Route 6 just past the handwritten roadside sign advertising “Fresh Eggs”? That might have been me. Besides that there’s no comparison between […]
A Hillside in Bloom
Story and drawings by Abraham Storer If you’ve ever driven up Bradford Street in Provincetown, you’ve likely seen Reed Boland’s garden — or part of it. The tiered landscape stretches […]
Jan Kelly Is Still Following Her Intuition
A yellow sticky note on the door outside Jan Kelly’s third-floor apartment on Alden Street reads, “My horse rides high as the devil rides by.” The sound of someone beating […]
Summertime and the Citizen Science Is Easy
The summer season is officially upon us, and now is the time to enjoy all our marine environment has to offer. Whale watching has been fantastic, and people on board […]
Baseball, Lacrosse Bound for State Tournaments
EASTHAM — The Nauset High boys track team placed fifth overall at the MIAA Division 4 Track and Field State Championship hosted by Westfield State University last weekend. The girls […]
Where Orchids Grow
To the visiting bee, the flower of Cypripedium acaule, the pink lady’s slipper, looks like a friendly spot for an easy meal of nectar or pollen. Once entered, the slipper is […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, May 28 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
The Striper Fisherman’s Dilemma
It was the kind of afternoon a fisherman dreams about all winter — one spent wading in the spectacular beauty of the Herring River, casting surface lures into receding waters […]
Dispatch From the World Series of Birding
“Competitive birding” sounds like an oxymoron. People think of birding as a deeply personal hobby. It’s supposed to be about one’s connection with nature and desire to know one’s place […]
The Rigger’s Life Is a Curious One
On a calm and sunny Monday morning in May, Samuel Rouse hops into his small skiff to make an easy commute, zipping across Provincetown Harbor toward a 37-foot sailboat that […]
The Air Signs Get Their Air Time
Ah, the interesting case of the shifting stelliums. For those not in the astrological know, a stellium is a grouping of three or more planets in one sign (or house). […]
Chief Trovato’s Future
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Medoff and Girard-Irwin Are Elected
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, May […]
Filling the Finance Committee
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Time to Conform
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
The Fantastical Spaces of Phil Jimenez
Comics artist and writer Phil Jimenez was alone a lot when he was growing up in Long Beach, Calif. “Drawing was a way to entertain myself,” he says. Known for […]
The Fundamentals of Vibration
Imagine the dreaded Zoom call: monotonous droning, endless PowerPoint slides, pairs of eyes dissociating in cyberspace. Now, imagine the opposite, or at least an absurdist doppelgänger. Here’s one vision: A […]
Arthur V. Diehl’s Restless Imagination
Born in 1870, Arthur V. Diehl emigrated from England to the United States in his early 20s and hustled throughout his life to earn a living as a painter. In […]
Marian Roth’s Obsession With Time Never Stops
“I could turn this gallery into a pinhole camera,” says Marian Roth. Her retrospective “Then and Now — Reflecting on Forty Years” is at On Center Gallery in Provincetown and […]
Lilacs
Walking up our road On a chilly April morning I encountered two locals Did you see those daffodils? The tall one asked by way of greeting One day they were […]
The Bandit
My grandfather always said that living is like licking honey from a thorn. —Louis Adamic The raccoon boldly strode through the garden. Attuned to my presence she merely slowed, turned […]
Mitchell Anderson’s Life After Hollywood
Most of the people who’ve seen Mitchell Anderson’s one-man show, You Better Call Your Mother, were already familiar with at least one part of his autobiographical story. Anderson, 62, has […]
Arts Briefs
All That Jazz The tenth annual Provincetown Cabaret Festival takes place June 3 to 9 and celebrates “The Golden Era of Night Clubs.” The weekend includes master classes, awards ceremonies, […]
Lawn Mowers
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Swimming Up Street
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Living in Three Dimensions
On the way to the beach, I passed a trellis festooned — indeed, overpowered — by English Ivy. Let’s call it a hedge. I had to stop, because emanating from […]
The Shameful Disregard of Medicare for All
The Independent’s otherwise comprehensive coverage of Wellfleet’s May 20 town meeting (“Wellfleet OKs Gaza Ceasefire and Pesticide Petitions,” May 23) failed to mention the nearly unanimous vote to approve a […]
A Litany of Errors
I taught writing to college freshmen back in the 1980s, when the internet was young. As a tool for doing research, the new technology seemed almost magically powerful and seductive. […]
Letters, May 30, 2024
Wellfleet’s Gaza Resolution To the editor: The Gaza war resolution adopted at the Wellfleet town meeting on May 20 is both ill-advised and blatantly one-sided. It is purely a political […]
A Master Fisherman With a Big Heart, Peter Cabral Dies at 70
Described as “saltier than a Scully Joe” by his daughter, Ashley, master fisherman Peter Cabral, who earned his first full share on a commercial fishing boat when he was eight […]
Charles Griffeth Memorial
A celebration of the life of musician and teacher Charles A. Griffeth of North Truro and Wilton Manors, Fla. will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 8 at […]
A Man of Many Talents, Thomas Wolfson Dies at 74
Writer, actor, teacher, and visual artist Thomas Langdon Wolfson died on May 14, 2024 at his South Wellfleet home with his wife, Michele, by his side. He had been fighting […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from May 20 to May 24, 2024. PROVINCETOWN May 21. David R. Jenkins to Michael Idengren. 16 Holway Ave., Unit 2. $1,395,000. […]
Classifieds May 30, 2024 – June 6, 2024
THE ARTS The Music Is Back! Weekly Irish and Old Time music sessions, Tuesdays in Wellfleet 6:30-8:30 p.m. indoors at Hog Island Surf Lodge, Route 6 opposite Lieutenant Island Rd. […]
Indie’s Choice
Strengthen. Educate. Celebrate. (Thursday-Sunday, May 30-June 2) The parties, mixers, and workshops of “Womxn of Color Weekend” begin on Thursday, May 30, at 7:15 a.m. at Outermost Yoga (494 Commercial […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Planning Board Notice of Remote Public Hearing Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 5:00 PM View on television Channel 8 in Truro; or on the Homepage website (www.truro-ma.gov), […]
Other Notices
Seamen’s Bank Annual Meeting Tuesday, June 11, 2024 The Annual Meeting of the Corporators of the Seamen’s Bank for the election of Officers and the transaction of any other business that […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Position Opening Council on Aging Cook/Meal Coordinator The Town of Provincetown is accepting applications for the position of Council on Aging Cook/Meal Coordinator. Responsibilities include menu planning, […]
Schooner Hindu Sets Course for a Summer Return
THOMASTON, MAINE — Four years after a collision in Long Island Sound nearly sank the Schooner Hindu, a stem-to-stern rebuild of the historic boat has progressed enough to put her […]
Cape Cod Hospital Settles Medicare Suit for $24.3M
HYANNIS — Cape Cod Hospital has agreed to pay the federal government $24.3 million to settle allegations that it knowingly submitted hundreds of Medicare claims between 2015 and 2022 for […]
Provincetown Will Seek Receivership for ‘Napiville’
PROVINCETOWN — After the managers of the seven-building, 12-unit residential complex at 25-27 Bradford St. known as Napiville did not meet the town’s deadline for making it safe to live […]
Revisions on Path to Cove Don’t Sway Eastham Commission
EASTHAM — Steven and Cathy Sanders’s deed to 75 South Eastham St. includes a right-of-way allowing them access to Town Cove on the other side of Route 6. The couple’s […]
Wellfleet Voters OK Gaza Ceasefire and Pesticide Petitions
WELLFLEET — Roughly 300 voters at Monday’s annual town meeting reveled in a budget with no overrides and whipped through the first 12 financial articles on the 35-article warrant in […]
Truro Businesses Take on New Endeavors
TRURO — As the Outer Cape braces for its seasonal population swell, businesses are unlatching their doors for the surge. In Truro, several of them are also in transition — […]
Tracing the Shadow of Rodenticides on Cape Cod
EASTHAM — Sometimes, when a bird arrives at Wild Care, the wildlife rehabilitation center here, Executive Director Stephanie Ellis knows instantly what it is suffering from. She recalls when a […]
A Summer Cuppa
Walking through Dani Niedzielski and Meghan O’Connor’s Provincetown shop, the Captain’s Daughters, is a lesson in personal style. The shelves are loaded with temptations from one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces to cheeky […]
Lessons in Herbs, From My Salad Days
I love going to the grocery store almost as much as my mom hates taking me there. She says I’m a spendthrift. I prefer the term epicurean. To her point: […]
The Rigger’s Life Is a Curious One
On a calm and sunny Monday morning in May, Samuel Rouse hops into his small skiff to make an easy commute, zipping across Provincetown Harbor toward a 37-foot sailboat that […]
Learning to Expect the Unexpected
The Provincetown waterfront is coming alive with the lifting of the bay-wide 10-knot speed limit. Our first high-speed ferries from Boston arrived this week. Our first cruise ship also came […]
Dispatch From the World Series of Birding
“Competitive birding” sounds like an oxymoron. People think of birding as a deeply personal hobby. It’s supposed to be about one’s connection with nature and desire to know one’s place […]
Track and Field Gears Up for Championships
EASTHAM — The Nauset boys and girls track teams placed second and third, respectively, at the Cape and Islands League Championship at Barnstable High School on Monday. Barnstable won the […]
A Glimpse of Blue Toadflax
Squatting among the beach grass, plums, and roses that decorate the coastal bank bordering Wellfleet’s Mayo Beach is a colony of blue toadflax, a diminutive native wildflower whose beauty isn’t […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, May 21 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
The Inviting Opportunities of Gemini Season
At the end of last week, the Sun moved from Taurus into Gemini. With that the astrological forces move from embracing times of comfort to inviting times of sociability and […]
Affordable Ownership
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
School Committee Candidate
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, May […]
Allie the Alewife
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Election Results
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Studies in the Everyday Objects That Tether Us
“My work is always telling a story,” says Traci Harmon-Hay. Pieces from her new series, “Hovering Boats,” will be exhibited from May 24 to June 17 at Farm Projects in […]
Provincetown’s Forum 49 Was Born in Anguish
Following a decade marked by the horrors of war and on the cusp of another that would secure America’s global ascendancy, Provincetown’s Forum 49 was more than an art exhibition […]
Sarah Dineen Meditates on One Shape
In 2020, Sarah Dineen unearthed a 19-square-foot painting that she had made as a graduate student at the School of Visual Arts in New York. “I call it my adolescent […]
‘Departures’ Pushes the Envelope
Artist and gallerist Nick Lawrence was the sole juror for the show “Departures,” currently on exhibit at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis. Lawrence selected 53 works from […]
Weaving the Yarns of an American Family
Philosophy professor John Kaag has a lot of fun in his latest book, American Bloods: The Untamed Dynasty That Shaped a Nation. He tells the stories of selected members of […]
Arts Briefs
Jay Sefton Confronts the Past in Unreconciled When Jay Sefton was 13 and living in a town on the outskirts of Philadelphia, he won the starring role in a Catholic […]
They’re Here
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Herring Trawler Cove
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Joy at Day’s End
From early June to mid-September, rain or shine, I go for a swim at each day’s end. At some point, my late afternoon swims became more ritual than routine, without […]
Small Towns, Big Ideas
There is so much to fear. Hard-won progress in civil rights, reproductive rights, and gender equality has rapidly eroded; we are beyond the overture of a climate catastrophe; war and […]
Letters, May 23, 2024
Managing the Library To the editor: Last year at the Truro annual town meeting, voters strongly supported a petitioned change in the town charter that would restore the involvement of […]
Muriel Roby, 87, Loved Lazy Days in Wellfleet
A descendant of the Mayflower’s Stephen Hopkins, Muriel A. Roby died peacefully in Burlington on May 12, 2024 with family by her side. She had spent a lifetime of summer […]
Landscaper and Art Teacher Robert Canepa Dies at 73
Master landscaper and former art teacher Robert C. Canepa of Provincetown died suddenly in his sleep at a friend’s home in Quincy on May 16, 2024. The cause has not […]
Medical Researcher Judith Parmelee Dies at 86
A descendant of the Mayflower’s John Alden, Priscilla Mullins, and Stephen Hopkins, Judith Turner Parmelee of Eastham died on May 8, 2024. A nurse and medical researcher, she was 86. […]
An Artist at Heart, Nathan Berrio Was 47
Nathan Thomas Berrio died unexpectedly of organ failure at his home in Wellfleet on May 6, 2024. He was 47. The son of Charles “Chickie” Berrio and Jane (Dalby) Budreau, […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from May 13 to May 17, 2024. PROVINCETOWN May 13. Coastal Land Trust (Thomas Walter, trustee) to Frank Wirthwein. 9 Oppen Ln. […]
Classifieds May 23, 2024 – May 30, 2024
THE ARTS Memory Eel Day with Anne Hutchinson. Come enjoy an all-new hour of stand-up comedy from Anne before all the legitimately talented entertainers return for the summer. Thursday, May […]
Indie’s Choice
Spare Infinities (Thursday, May 23) Poet, Truro resident, and Fine Arts Work Center alum Keith Althaus reads from his latest collection, New & Selected Poems, at Truro Public Library (7 […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Planning Board Public Hearing June 5, 2024 The Wellfleet Planning Board will hold a public hearing on June 5, 2024, at 7:00 pm at the Wellfleet Adult […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing June 5, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing June 6, 2024 The Town of Eastham Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing at 5:00 PM ON THURSDAY, […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
TOWN OF TRURO SOLICITATION FOR QUOTATIONS BEACH FOOD VENDOR CONCESSIONS HEAD OF THE MEADOW BEACH * CORN HILL BEACH The Town of Truro is soliciting proposals from qualified mobile […]
Northern Lights Dance Over Outer Cape
WELLFLEET — On hearing there was a solar storm on the way, Jeremy Storer went online to find maps of where the northern lights might appear for those of us […]
Four Candidates Vie for Two Select Board Seats
TRURO — At a well-attended candidates forum on May 7, the four people running for two seats on the select board in the May 29 town election stated the priorities […]
Sandberg and Motta Field Win in Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN — According to a preliminary tally of the May 14 annual town election ballots, select board incumbent Leslie Sandberg has been elected to a second term on the board […]
Opinions Collide on Rules for Electric Vehicles on Commercial Street
PROVINCETOWN — Disagreement about public safety on Commercial Street kept the select board from finding a consensus on May 13, with three members supporting a “walk zone” that would require […]
Proposal for 14 Condos at 33 Conwell St. Draws Objections
PROVINCETOWN — Developer Jay Abbiuso has proposed building a 14-unit condominium complex encompassing five buildings on what is now a vacant lot at 33 Conwell St. Because the proposal includes […]
Town Aims to Raise Bound Brook Island Road by Memorial Day
WELLFLEET — The dept. of public works expects to complete construction on a project to raise a section of Old County Road leading to Bound Brook Island by Memorial Day. […]
Truro’s Ospreys Are Partial to the Transfer Station
TRURO — Of the osprey, Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Its shrill scream seems yet to linger in its throat, and the roar of the sea in its wings.” At the […]
A Glimpse of the Past at Motta Field
PROVINCETOWN — Many town residents are familiar with the name Motta — either because they have used Motta Field, the town’s 4.5-acre, rather antiquated sporting green, or because they have […]
Fishermen Join Fight for Herring Trawler Rules
The marine ecosystem around Cape Cod is built on the backs of Atlantic herring. These baitfish school in massive numbers, providing food for marine mammals, seabirds, and large fish like […]
A Year Later, Dune Shack Leasing Contest Concludes
PROVINCETOWN — The public leasing contest for eight dune shacks on the windswept back shore of Provincetown and Truro that began on May 1, 2023 has nearly come to an […]
A ‘Cape Cod Lawn’ Can Be a Haven for Turtles
When people design a back yard suitable for wildlife, they tend to create places that are appealing to birds and butterflies. That makes sense, because these animals are appealing visitors […]
An Essential Condiment Comes Home From Down Under
It’s no secret: I’m promiscuous. About condiments, that is. I’ve almost never met a condiment I didn’t like. In my experience, having some good ones on hand means almost anything […]
A Makers Renaissance in Provincetown
Richard Cuencas holds a silver ring in his hand. “This was once a fork,” he says. “And this is made with black coral from the beach.” He points to a […]
Reflections on Totality
Last month I watched the solar eclipse from a park in Westport, N.Y. by Lake Champlain. The lake and mountains beyond were a beautiful sight — a proper setting for […]
The Whales Have Moved North, and the Stripers Are Here
The bass are here, and the right whales are not. The whales left a week ago, and the latest aerial survey found no right whales in the area, so NOAA […]
Girls Golf, Baseball Lock Up Postseason Berths
EASTHAM — Nauset High’s baseball team (13-4) won three straight games over Dennis-Yarmouth, Martha’s Vineyard, and Wareham in the last week. Sophomore Jake Doherty had another solid outing, throwing a […]
Say It With Sassafras
The native Sassafras albidum is a tree full of wonders — scents of cinnamon and citrus from root to bark to tip; whimsical leaves shaped like mittens and tridents and footballs; resplendent […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, May 14 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
The Sun Is Shining on Us
The placements of the planets this week offer us the opportunity to spread joy even in these troubling times. The Sun is throwing around a lot of energy right now, […]
Blinking Stop Sign
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Additional Candidates
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, May […]
Cemetery Spring Cleaning
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Pressure Treated Pressure
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Looking Back at the Millennium With Anger
It’s hard to imagine now how different the worldview of the gay male community was in New York in 1985, when the city was the epicenter of the HIV-AIDS epidemic. […]
The Democratizing Lens of Quil Lemons
There is a shock of recognition. The photo looks like ones we’ve seen before — a Black man is tied up, suspended in the air. “When people see a picture […]
Siân Robertson’s Ephemeral Installation
For the artist Siân Robertson, physical borders are not a limit but an invitation to expand and play with perception. She works with old maps, carving up rivers, roads, bus […]
May Erlewine Makes Music to Make a Difference
May Erlewine’s songs speak of love, loss, and life’s dilemmas. Some have supported social causes, expressed the pain of women’s history, and voiced political worries about “being lost in the […]
Monique Aimee’s Study of Slowness
If you’ve spent enough time driving around Massachusetts, you’ve probably seen road signs that say a neighborhood is “Thickly Settled.” It’s an exclusively New England expression, and though the signs […]
Arts Briefs
Bring on the British Bops The British may be known, stereotypically at least, for keeping a stiff upper lip. But there’ll be no such signs of restraint when the Outer […]
Noisy Neighbors
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Duck, Duck, Beef
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Celebrating Stormy
Last Friday night I joined a crowd in Provincetown’s beautiful town hall to celebrate the life and career of Charles “Stormy” Mayo III. With all those who were there, I […]
Ghost Newsroom Busters
We started this newspaper in 2019 because we saw journalism dying here. The Provincetown Banner and the Cape Codder, once robust, were struggling. Word was readers and advertisers didn’t care […]
Letters, May 16, 2024
A Graceful Moderator To the editor: A big thank you to Truro’s new town moderator, Paul Wisotzky, for handling a very contentious town meeting with grace and good humor. After […]
Ann Maguire Celebration Is June 1 in Boston
A celebration of the life of political strategist and LGBTQ rights activist Ann Marie Maguire will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 1 at the Arlington Street Church, […]
Former Fashion Model Charlotte Guertin Dies at 90
Charlotte Adele Guertin of Truro died on May 4, 2024 at her daughter’s home in Marblehead after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 90. The daughter of the […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from May 6 to May 10, 2024. PROVINCETOWN May 7. Marsha A. Morello and Michele H. Beckerman to Maurice Grunberg. 100 Alden […]
Classifieds May 16, 2024 – May 23, 2024
THE ARTS Weekly Irish and old-time music sessions happening every Tuesday, 6:30-8:30 p.m., starting May 21 indoors at Hog Island Surf Lodge, 842 Route 6 in Wellfleet opposite Lieutenant Island […]
Indie’s Choice
Whimsical Walls (Thursday, May 16) Grab a peek and a slice at Terry Catalano’s two-week solo exhibition, which opens at Spiritus Pizza (190 Commercial St., Provincetown) on Thursday, May 16. […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing June 6, 2024 The Town of Eastham Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing at 5:00 PM ON THURSDAY, […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Licensing Board Public Hearing May 28, 2024 The Provincetown Licensing Board will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. in the Judge […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
TOWN OF TRURO SOLICITATION FOR QUOTATIONS BEACH FOOD VENDOR CONCESSIONS HEAD OF THE MEADOW BEACH * CORN HILL BEACH The Town of Truro is soliciting proposals from qualified mobile […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Selectboard Public Hearing May 21, 2024 Notice is hereby given that the Wellfleet Selectboard will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 6:00p.m. virtually […]
DPW Plan Sent Back; Voters OK Walsh Proposal
TRURO — Last weekend’s town meeting marathon saw overwhelming support for multi-pronged efforts to build affordable housing. But when it came to plans to upgrade a dept. of public works […]
For Once, a Town Meeting With No Override Votes
WELLFLEET — Voters whose thumbs are sore from opening their wallets will find relief at this year’s annual town meeting, scheduled for May 20 at 6 p.m. at the Wellfleet […]
Voters OK 2 Overrides, Short-Term Rental Rules
EASTHAM — Town meeting voters overwhelmingly approved a $44.2-million fiscal 2025 operating budget with a $1-million Proposition 2½ override on Saturday, May 4. By an even larger margin, they endorsed […]
Provincetown Has Contests for Select Board and School Committee
PROVINCETOWN — At the town’s annual election on Tuesday, May 14, voters will choose between two candidates for one seat on the select board — incumbent Leslie Sandberg and challenger […]
U.S. Proposes 8 Wind Energy Areas in Gulf of Maine
The U.S. Dept. of the Interior announced last week the proposed auction of eight offshore wind lease areas in the Gulf of Maine. The areas selected by the department’s Bureau […]
Truro Campground Makes Slow Amends for 2016 Violations
TRURO — Eight years after the owners of Horton’s Camping Resort in Truro illegally cleared 11 acres of land abutting the Cape Cod National Seashore, a habitat restoration project is […]
Huskies’ Owner Seeks to Overturn ‘Dangerous’ Designation
EASTHAM — The owner of two huskies designated as “dangerous dogs” by the select board last month is seeking to overturn that ruling and the accompanying requirements in Orleans District […]
Amateur Radio Enthusiasts Talk to the World From Wellfleet
WELLFLEET — About a dozen ham radio operators were here on April 27 to mark the 150th birthday of Guglielmo Marconi. It wasn’t really the inventor’s birthday — that’s April 25 […]
Wellfleet Board Wants Gestalt Center for Office Space
WELLFLEET — The select board has called a special town meeting for June 17 and a town election for June 18 to ask voters to consider the purchase of the […]
6 Porta-Potties, 3 Voting Booths, 1 Heated Tent
TRURO — Moderator Paul Wisotzky made it clear at the top of the meeting: no clapping, no booing, no laughing, no “oohing.” But the mood under the tent outside Truro […]
Chillin’ at Eastham Town Meeting
EASTHAM — While it wasn’t exactly the frozen tundra of Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, a very chilly Nauset High School football gridiron was where Eastham voters assembled on the first […]
Jars Are His Jam
I’m judgmental about food packaging. Some of it I find infuriating: All that waste! You know what I mean: lettuce in plastic boxes, green beans trapped in sealed bags. But […]
Red Fruits and Roses for Dessert
In the garden today looking for the first signs of fruit and smelling nothing but garlic chives, I figure the Outer Cape’s first strawberries are still about three weeks out. […]
A Portuguese Port of Call in Fall River
Since moving to the Outer Cape a few years ago I’ve enjoyed encountering the influence of Portuguese culture here. There’s the annual Blessing of the Fleet and the generations of […]
Reach for Your Toes
If I had a nickel for every time someone has said, “I can’t do yoga because I’m not flexible,” I’d have enough for a trip to Kripalu. You do not […]
My Grandmother’s Buttery Mashed Potatoes
When I was growing up in the small town of Preignac, in southwest France, the days of the week could be counted in culinary rituals. Wednesday was the day for […]
The Magic of Peak Migration
As I sit down to write about the birds I’ve seen recently — classic summer birds like barn swallows and Baltimore orioles, the first yellow warblers, and common terns are […]
Too Soon to Tell, But Not Too Soon to Worry
The striped bass are continuing to move into our area, and there seem to be a fair number of fish in Buzzards Bay, but the fishermen to our south in […]
Break Out the Sunscreen
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Roche Stars at Jim Hoar Invitational
EASTHAM — Nauset sophomore Violet Roche took home the MSTCA Outstanding Field Event Athlete from Saturday’s Jim Hoar Freshman Sophomore Invitational at Weymouth. Roche won the high jump with a […]
The Shuffle Bushes Are in Bloom Again
The spring-blooming shrubs and trees of the widespread, mostly North American genus Amelanchier have a long list of common names, many referring to their timing. Some people call them Juneberries because their […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, May 7 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Behind Those Clouds, the Sun Is Shining on You
Whether it’s evident here on Cape Cod or not, the Sun is working overtime this week, giving a boost to anyone who asks. Whatever your focus is this week, it’s […]
Going Both Ways
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Waiting at the Chapel Door
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, May […]
Chief Pauley to Retire
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Climate Action Survey
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
The Restaurant Sign That’s a Magnet for Artists
It happens from time to time: Tim McNulty, the owner and executive chef at the Lobster Pot in downtown Provincetown, will step outside and find an artist peering up at […]
The Work of Art Is Worth the Effort
In 2019, when Adam Moss left his powerful perch as top editor of New York magazine after 15 years, he decided to devote himself to painting. It didn’t go well. […]
Rosalind Pace’s Mysteries on Display
For three years in the late 1970s, Rosalind Pace worked on a series of paintings: eight large canvases in black and white that would read like a visual language. She […]
Travelers and Townies
Michael Joseph’s first visit to Provincetown left him underwhelmed. “I don’t understand it,” he thought. “Why do people love this town?” The photographer made the requisite stroll down Commercial Street […]
Arts Briefs
Twenty Summers Expands Its Space and Season Every spring, the Twenty Summers cultural program extends over five weeks in Provincetown. This year, it seems program director Alice Gong doesn’t want […]
Mother’s Day
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Free Stuff Season
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When Horses Roamed on Main Street
The articles about keeping horses by Jack Styler and Katherine Rossmoore in the May 2 edition of the Independent brought back so many pleasant memories of a simpler time in […]
Fifty-Five Horses
Jack Styler is a young writer who will be joining our newsroom as a staff reporter next month. He’s a Midwesterner; he graduated from the University of Wisconsin two years […]
Letters, May 9, 2024
Time Travel With Dad To the editor: So it goes, indeed. Thanks to Robert Kuttner for his essay “Time Travel With Kurt Vonnegut and My Dad” [May 2, page C3]. […]
Council on Aging Volunteer Joan Lenane-Fuxjager Was 92
Joan Elizabeth Lenane-Fuxjager of Provincetown died peacefully at home on May 5, 2024. She was 92. The younger of two daughters of Samuel and Margaret (Soden) Goodemoot, Joan was born […]
Keith Hayes, ‘The Mayor of Eastham,’ Dies at 43
Affectionately known as “the mayor of Eastham,” Keith Hayes died unexpectedly on April 24, 2024 at Massachusetts General Hospital with his parents and brother by his side. The cause was […]
Lobster Boat Capt. Jeffrey W. Johnson Dies at 67
Lobster boat Capt. Jeffrey Walter Johnson of Truro died at home on Jan. 19, 2024 from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 67. The son of Walter and […]
Old-School Scalloper Capt. Russell Murphy Dies at 76
Third-generation scallop boat Capt. Russell Louis Murphy Sr. of Wellfleet died peacefully at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis on April 27, 2024 with his family by his side. He had […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
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Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from April 29 to May 3, 2024. PROVINCETOWN April 29. Cohorts Inc. LLC [Leslie A. Brock, president] to 167 Commercial St LLC […]
Classifieds May 9, 2024 – May 16, 2024
SEEKING Retired male seeking small house or condo with parking in Provincetown. One week per month May to October. No smoking, drinking, drugs, parties, pets, or bull. Local references. Email […]
Indie’s Choice
Time for Tea (Friday-Sunday, May 10-12) Resident DJ Maryalice drops beats and ushers in the summer during weekend two of the 2024 season of Tea Dance at The Boatslip (161 […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing May 23, 2024 Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40-A, Section 11 and Wellfleet Section 235, the ZBA will hold public […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
TOWN OF TRURO LICENSING DEPARTMENT NEW SEASONAL ALL ALCOHOL ON-PREMISE POURING LICENSE AND NEW BUSINESS LICENSE COMMON VICTUALER The Truro Select Board will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, May […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Select Board Public Hearing May 13, 2024 Curb Cuts: 21 Commercial Street. The Provincetown Select Board will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, May 13, 2024, at […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Select Board Public Hearing May 20, 2024 The Town of Eastham will hold a public hearing at 5:30p.m Monday, May 20, 2024 at the Eastham Public Library, […]
Roaming Trails and Beaches and Finding Freedom on Horseback
WELLFLEET — Barbara Austin got her first horse, Duchess, when she was 10. The two went everywhere together, and their trust in each other was absolute. At Wellfleet’s kettle ponds, […]
Truro Leaders Reach 11th-Hour DPW Compromise
TRURO — This weekend’s double town meeting is widely expected to break Outer Cape records. About 1,000 chairs will be set up under a heated tent on the Truro Central […]
Lyons and Wolf Top the Balloting in Wellfleet
WELLFLEET — Challenger Sheila Lyons and incumbent John Wolf were the top vote-getters in a four-way race for two seats on the Wellfleet Select Board at the town’s annual election […]
Two Delgizzi Properties Go for $180K at IRS Auction
ORLEANS — Two houses owned by David Delgizzi and seized by the Internal Revenue Service attracted a high bid of $180,000 at an IRS auction held on April 23. The […]
Winter Floods Set the Stage for More Mosquitoes
WELLFLEET — Barton Morris stands in the Duck Harbor parking lot and surveys the floodplain to the north. It’s a cool April day, and it’s been about two weeks since […]
State Dept. Says Provincetown ‘Is Not Being Singled Out’ on J-1 Visas
PROVINCETOWN — In a meeting between U.S. Rep. Bill Keating and a team of State Dept. officials on April 29, the agency assured the congressman that Provincetown “is not being […]
Provincetown Man Faces Child Pornography Charges
PROVINCETOWN — Laurence Pagnoni, who founded a New York City-based consultancy in 1995, bought a condominium in Provincetown in 2021, and worked as a substitute teacher at the Provincetown Schools […]
One Last Wait for a Provincetown Kayak Permit
PROVINCETOWN — I’ll admit it: the first thing I did when I arrived at the harbormaster’s office on MacMillan Pier at 4:44 a.m. on April 16 was lie down on […]
Legislature Considers a Bill on Treating Severe Mental Illness
When Nick Craciun was 17, he began exhibiting signs of psychosis. At 20, he disappeared from home. He told his parents he was living at a friend’s house. By the […]
The ‘Barn Rat’ Beginnings of Two Outer Cape Horsewomen
When I was a teenager at Provincetown High School in the 1970s, I knew many girls who hung around the horse stables so they could ride horses. Back then, we […]
Antojitos and Mojitos
Mexicans have their botanas con bebidas down to an art. Their street-food-inspired snacks and sips range from the elegantly spare slice of jicama tossed with lime juice and sprinkled with […]
Packing a Ploughman’s Lunch for Town Meeting
I’m driving home to Truro from the hardware store in Provincetown when I see the poster-waving crowd on Route 6 across from the fire station. Maybe I’m going a tiny […]
Give a Bear a Grape
There’s a path off North Pamet Road in Truro that slowly climbs around a bearberry-covered dune up to a soaring overlook of the Atlantic at the top, but there’s another […]
Minimum Sizes for Summer Flounder and Scup Inch Up
The striped bass are finally heading our way. Reports from south of the Cape indicate slot-size fish have entered the west end of Long Island Sound and the bigger-than-slot-size fish […]
Warrior Boys Shine at MSTCA Relays
EASTHAM — The Nauset High boys track team finished fourth overall at the MSTCA Division 4 Relays hosted by Dracut High School on Saturday. Wakefield Memorial was first, followed by […]
A Shore Thing
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This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, April 30 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Taurus Season Turns Us On to Art
As the Sun shines from the constellation of Taurus, it carries with it the bull’s influence. You’ll feel the urge for comfort and luxury, beauty and art. That celestial message […]
Provincetown Inn Licenses
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Go to the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to attend […]
Hiding in Plain Sight?
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, May […]
Pesticides Warrant
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Eastham Schoolhouse Addition
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
The Charmed Life of R.C. Patterson
“My great-grandmother used to say, ‘Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,’ ” says Provincetown artist R.C. Patterson, “so I like to keep busy.” Patterson’s space at the Foley House on […]
Time Travel With Kurt Vonnegut and My Dad
My father, PFC Arthur Kuttner, was in the Normandy invasion of June 1944. His unit, the 28th Infantry Division, was not in the first wave, so he survived that ordeal. […]
Once Again, Taylor Swift Exposes Herself
Fans often call Taylor Swift’s music “diaristic”: at their best, her lyrics feel like the delicate and sometimes ugly truths most of us don’t dare utter aloud. “And I hate […]
Food, God, and Art According to Rossi
At four years old, Slovah Davida Shana bas Hannah Rachel Ross — she prefers the simpler “Rossi” — was already irate about gender inequity in the synagogue, and she was […]
Arts Briefs
Cold Chocolate at Wellfleet Preservation Hall Boston-based Americana band Cold Chocolate comes to Wellfleet Preservation Hall on Friday, May 3. The band is currently on tour for its latest album, […]
Hide and Seek
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House of Cards
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Unthinkable Thoughts
Some things are difficult to think about. The difficulty could lie in their complexity. I can’t wrap my brain around quantum mechanics, black holes, or the Electoral College. But other […]
Scare Tactics
In a front-page story in last week’s Independent, Paul Benson took a look at some of the supposed facts that have surfaced in talk about affordable housing on the Outer […]
Letters, May 2, 2024
‘A Sustainable Truro’ To the editor: I moved to Truro in 2021, and I have been shocked by the housing affordability crisis on the Outer Cape. In the three years […]
Celebrating Buddy Perkel at PAAM on May 11
A celebration of the life of Buddy Perkel, who died at 94 on March 22, will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at the […]
Documentary Filmmaker Peter Poor Dies at 97
Pioneering television documentary filmmaker and longtime Truro summer resident Peter Poor died on April 4, 2024 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where in the 1950s he had […]
Memorial Service for Johnny Strong Is May 18
A graveside Veterans Military Honors service for Johnny Strong, who died at 86 on Jan. 25, will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at the Provincetown […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
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Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from April 22 to April 26, 2024. PROVINCETOWN April 23. Provincetown Unit 49 Trust (Sandra Jean Pata and Rebecca Pata Gray, trustees) […]
Classifieds May 2, 2024- May 9, 2024
SEEKING Retired male seeking small house or condo with parking in Provincetown. One week per month May to October. No smoking, drinking, drugs, parties, pets, or bull. Local references. Email […]
Indie’s Choice
In the Cards (Thursday, May 2) Susan Mitchell leads a “friendly and light-hearted” tarot card workshop at Provincetown Public Library (356 Commercial St.) on Thursday, May 2, 6 p.m. Free; […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
TOWN OF TRURO LICENSING DEPARTMENT NEW SEASONAL ALL ALCOHOL ON-PREMISE POURING LICENSE AND NEW BUSINESS LICENSE COMMON VICTUALER The Truro Select Board will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, May […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing May 15, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing May 23, 2024 Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40-A, Section 11 and Wellfleet Section 235, the ZBA will hold public […]
Spring Shuffle Has Become an Anxious Scramble
PROVINCETOWN — Time is running out for Borislav Ivanov and his family. On May 15, the lease expires on the Commercial Street apartment where he, his wife, Iliana, and their […]
Final Challenges End in Three Upheld Voter Registrations
TRURO — The board of registrars heard a final set of challenges to voter registrations on Tuesday, April 16 and upheld all three. Truro voter Jon Slater had disputed the […]
As Voting Time Nears, Housing Is a Hot Topic
Spring has arrived on Outer Cape Cod, and along with the robins and pollen, another seasonal visitor is making the rounds: electioneering letters. Town meetings in Wellfleet and Eastham are […]
Southern Pine Beetles Arrive on the Outer Cape
The forests of the Outer Cape have undergone major changes throughout their history, affected by big forces, from fires to farming to 20th-century development. The next wave of change, however, […]
Wellfleet Offers Guerino Regular Town Administrator Job
WELLFLEET — Two months into his tenure as Wellfleet’s interim town administrator, Tom Guerino has reached a tentative agreement to take the helm as the town’s permanent administrator. At an […]
New Owners Plan to Make Wicked Oyster Year-Round
WELLFLEET — On the night after Alex Hay, Garrett Smythe, and Sebastien Taffara closed on a deal to buy the Wicked Oyster, the trio brought their families to the restaurant […]
Gardens That Make Runoff a Resource
ORLEANS — Agroecologist Peter Jensen placed a hose along the road above the Church of the Holy Spirit and turned it on. The water flowed into a dirty channel between […]
Seniors and Fifth-Graders Team Up in Spelling Bee
EASTHAM — In this town where the elderly population is growing and enrollment at the elementary school is steadily falling, young and old join forces every spring in a spelling […]
Students Take the Stage at WHAT to Sing and Dance ‘The Jungle Book’
WELLFLEET — Music is in the air at Wellfleet Elementary School. On the heels of their annual spring concert, performed earlier this month, students have been preparing to perform The […]
The Objects of Modernism
The house Marcel Breuer built in Wellfleet in 1949 represents the modernist ideal. It is above all simple. Pilings hold its small and seemingly lightweight box-shaped rooms just above the […]
The Spring Show Begins
We are still waiting patiently — or not so patiently in some cases — for the warmer weather to return to get those striped bass moving north. Water temperatures remain […]
The Sweet Return of the Hummingbird Cake
Hummingbird cake, like its namesake bird, has a migration story, though it’s one that’s hard to follow. Many articles about the cake claim it was originally a creation of the […]
Hang a Feeder for an Extraordinary Bird
In the couple of seconds it takes you to read these first few words, a ruby-throated hummingbird will flap its wings approximately 110 times. Its heart will beat 42 times. […]
Rogues Callery
If the endangered plants and animals of the Shank Painter Pond Wildlife Sanctuary are the rubies and diamonds of Provincetown’s ecological crown jewel, as the sanctuary is often described, then […]
Coral Punch Eyes Life After High School Lacrosse
EASTHAM — Senior Coral Punch is one of the standouts of the Nauset Regional High School girls lacrosse team. She recently eclipsed 100 career points for a team that has […]
Baseball Team Extends Winning Streak to 6
EASTHAM — Nauset High baseball (7-1) extended its winning streak to 6 games with victories over Bristol Plymouth RVT and Bishop Stang on Friday and Monday. The Warriors swept the […]
A New Old Favorite Fishing Spot
You would think that after 50 years of obsessive globe-trotting in search of new and better places to fish, the last place I’d find would be a pond in my […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, April 23 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Cold Comfort Greets the Season of the Bull
The season of the bull is here, the sign that exalts comfort and luxury over all else. This should be a period for rest and relaxation, but the cosmos may […]
Pier Commission
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
ZBA Applicants Wanted
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, April […]
Backshore Watch
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Budget Q&A
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
The Unfinished Business of Provincetown’s Forum 49
In the summer of 1949, a series of avant-garde art seminars and exhibitions took place in Provincetown. They covered a wide range of subjects, from painting and poetry to architecture, […]
Creating an Archive of Women’s Stories
Michelle Axelson grew up in Framingham, where her mom’s closest friends were Joyce and Judy. Former nuns, they’d left that life to run a child-care business. They lived together and […]
Judith Butler Would Like Us to Love Without Fear
Before she was a transphobe, J.K. Rowling was a writer. In her Harry Potter series, the villain Voldemort is so feared that everyone believes it is dangerous to utter his […]
The Pitfalls of Growing Up
Southern California teenagers can be a shallow bunch, especially in the movies that are made about them. From the beginnings of the postwar “youth” film — Rebel Without a Cause […]
Arts Briefs
Bob Cohen’s Life Becomes Musical Art After more than a decade of playwriting, Bob Cohen has written his first musical comedy. With a soundtrack of classic songs from the 1930s […]
Back to the Garden
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Pedi-Cure
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The Rise of Misinformation
Over the past year, I’ve seen a rise in misinformation on Truro’s Facebook community pages, especially regarding affordable housing at the Walsh property. Some of it comes from the TruroNews.org […]
Liking Sentences
Is writing a dying art? Sometimes I wonder. Years ago, I taught expository writing to freshmen at a college where many of the students were intensely ambitious. The ones who […]
Letters, April 25, 2024
Paying for Housing To the editor: I am writing in response to the excellent letters in recent issues of the Independent about housing in Truro. It is refreshing to hear […]
Deborah McCutcheon of Truro Dies at 78
Deborah Louise McCutcheon of Truro died at the Cape Regency Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Centerville on March 18, 2024 after a 15-year struggle with Parkinson’s disease. She was […]
Special Education Teacher Jerelyn Fields Was 73
Jerelyn Denise Fields, who spent 40 summers in Provincetown, died peacefully in her Hartford, Conn. home on April 11, 2024 surrounded by family and friends. The cause of death was […]
A Decorated Naval Officer, Thomas H. Peters III Dies at 75
Wellfleet resident and former Navy lawyer Thomas Harrison Peters III died peacefully on April 18, 2024 at Rosewood Manor in Harwich after a long illness. He was 75. The son […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from April 16 to April 19, 2024. PROVINCETOWN April 16. Betty E. Comey Revocable Living Trust (Julie N.W. Goodridge, trustee) to Janice […]
Classifieds April 25, 2024 – May 2, 2024
SEEKING Looking to rent a small house or condo in Provincetown with parking for 1 week per month this summer (starting in May) and maybe into the fall. It could […]
Indie’s Choice
Group Show (Thursday, April 25) Truro Center for the Arts resident artists Elizabeth James-Perry, Mara Manning, and Alexandra Thompson exhibit recent work in an open studio at Edgewood Farm (3 […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Selectboard Public Hearing May 7, 2024 Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. both virtually […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
TOWN OF TRURO Zoning Board of Appeals Notice of Remote Public Hearings Monday, May 20, 2024 at 5:30 pm 2024-002/ZBA – Jennifer Cabral (Nearen & Cubberly Nominee Trust, Christopher Snow, […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Invitation for Bids The Town of Provincetown is seeking proposals for the renovation of Fire House 2 upper floors Bid documents can be found on the town’s […]
The Nature of the Beach House
Beach houses have evolved since the modernists built their getaways on Outer Cape Cod starting in the late 1930s. But their work is still present in the minds of today’s […]
At Home on Pochet Island
Nancy Barrington can’t remember the first time she visited Pochet Island. “I’m sure Mom and Dad brought me when I was just a few weeks old,” she says, “and it’s been […]
From the Earth We’re Standing On
The Outer Cape has provided the bedrock of inspiration for ceramicists Michael Ceraldi, Paul Wisotzky, and Isabel Souza. Ceraldi takes creative nourishment from this place most literally, gathering clay from […]
The Art of Blanche Lazzell’s Flowers
“The gaiety and brilliancy of the flowers surrounding the studio of Blanche Lazzell attract and hold our attention whether we glimpse it from the waterside or through its narrow approach […]
Interior Landscapes in Dialogue With Light
Bob Henry paints all sorts of things but periodically he sets up his easel and paints the rooms he lives in. In these paintings, a few of which can be […]
Bringing Light to a Basement Makeover
When it comes to home renovation projects, sprucing up a basement falls low on most people’s priority lists. To some degree this makes sense: What could be more satisfying than […]
The Bee and the Beach Plum
The dunes of the Province Lands were in full bloom. It was May, and the tops of the sandy hills were crested pink with Rosa rugosa. Beach plum, covered in […]
Five Perennials for Your Outer Cape Cod Pollinator Garden
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) has flower spikes that look like fuzzy upright caterpillars the color of lavender. It blooms at intervals throughout the summer. This is a member of the […]
Pause for Plovers
With the piping plovers returning to their breeding grounds here to nest in the dunes, April 14 was the last day paragliders could launch from their favorite Outer Cape spot […]
IRS to Auction Two Delgizzi Houses in Orleans
ORLEANS — The Internal Revenue Service has seized two properties in Orleans owned by David Delgizzi of Weston, an absentee landlord notorious on the Outer Cape for allowing the buildings […]
Some J-1 Students Are Told to Avoid Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN — Frank Vasello, owner of the sandwich shop Relish in the West End, heard on Friday, April 12 from a Bulgarian student who worked for him last summer that […]
Court Records Reveal Select Board Candidate’s Two Guilty Pleas
PROVINCETOWN — Jere Miller, one of two candidates for select board on the ballot for the May 14 town election, is the subject of multiple restraining orders imposed in Orleans […]
Walkway Work Will Start in Fall, Owners Say
PROVINCETOWN — A 969-foot-long and 10-foot-wide public walkway that Ann and Chuck Lagasse promised to build on the Provincetown Marina in 2017, not long after they became its new owners, […]
State Commission Agrees to Ban Spring Horseshoe Crab Harvest
WELLFLEET — Every spring, horseshoe crabs arrive on the sheltered beaches of Cape Cod, crawling up onto the shore to lay their eggs in the sand. For years, during this […]
The Art House Will Return — With New Producers
PROVINCETOWN — Last season was producing director Mark Cortale’s last at the Art House, the intimate Commercial Street venue that launched his now-international career. Since 2011, Cortale had brought summer […]
Workshops at FAWC Inspire Provincetown Schools Artists and Poets
PROVINCETOWN — Seven third-graders from the Provincetown Schools took the stage at the Fine Arts Work Center on April 11 to thank artist Vicky Tomayko for showing them how to […]
A New Old Favorite Fishing Spot
You would think that after 50 years of obsessive globe-trotting in search of new and better places to fish, the last place I’d find would be a pond in my […]
Spring Greens and Bitter Herbs
“April is the cruelest month,” a friend said to me recently, involuntarily quoting T.S. Eliot. I instantly understood all the ways they both meant it. The trees almost have buds, […]
A Look at Early Predictions for the 2024 Hurricane Season
Spring in winter and winter in spring. That’s what this crazy year has brought us so far, along with copious amounts of rain. The more unpredictable the weather seems, the […]
Send in the Robots
Strangers see me standing next to my telescope on the street in New York or on First Encounter Beach in Eastham and think I might know the answers to any […]
How the Beach Draws Us Back
Something about the beach felt different that morning. The feeling was quiet but persistent — a background sound humming below louder thoughts. I’d walked an eighth of a mile before […]
The Red Maple Helicopters In
On the Outer Cape, the swamp maple (Acer rubrum) can often be found with its feet wet, growing vigorously in low spots like the Atlantic white cedar swamp in Wellfleet. […]
Girls Are Off to the Races in Truro
TRURO — The gymnasium at Truro Central School may not be vast, but until spring is in full swing, its perimeter is ample enough for 15 local elementary school girls […]
Boys Lacrosse, Baseball Extend Winning Streaks
EASTHAM — After dropping its opening game, the boys lacrosse team (5-1) reeled off 5 straight wins with 3 victories last week. The Warriors beat Martha’s Vineyard, Groton-Dunstable, and Central […]
On a Voyage with Captain Richard Bailey
WELLFLEET — Capt. Richard Bailey was fascinated as a child by two oil paintings that hung side by side in his great-aunt’s cabin on Chequessett Neck Road. On occasion, he […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, April 16 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
How to Navigate a Power Imbalance
Though the retrograde may have seemed rough at the start, it’s a best-case scenario, as these transits go. Mercury continues its retrograde into next week as it enjoys a little […]
Napiville Hearing
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Town Meeting Parking
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, April […]
Spilt Oil
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Once Upon a Time
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Tearing Meaning From a ‘River of Grass’
Sasha Wortzel says that her current work in film, photography, and printmaking is a form of kriah, the Hebrew word for “tearing” that refers to the Jewish practice of rending […]
Looking at Candy Darling
Candy Darling’s face could not be forgotten. It glued itself to the minds of the auteurs of late ’60s New York, her beauty playing out ad infinitum in their songs, […]
Three Wellfleet Galleries Close Their Doors
Three Wellfleet galleries — Off Main, Burdick, and Marrinan — won’t be opening their doors this summer. The closings mark the end of a chapter for the three spaces, each […]
Two Poems by Marilyn Johnson
Wistful Exurbia far enough apart our farms nothing for show flowers incidental roadside lilies in June our neighbors sold out for less than you’d […]
Three Poems by Andrea Cohen
All at Once When I was five I was five. Recalling being four, I turned six. It’s always been like this — one foot in the grave, one in gravy. […]
Indie Playlist: New Sounds
For this latest installment of the Indie Playlist, we asked Independent staff and contributors to reflect on the idea of newness, especially as it relates to the season marked by […]
Arts Briefs
Four Writers on Their Favorite Books The Fine Arts Work Center’s 24PearlStreet online program — named for FAWC’s physical location — was established to bring writing workshops, resources, and community […]
Summer Mansions
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Spring Season
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New Bird in Town
We are more than halfway through April, and the air is already full of birdsong. It seems every other bush in town hosts a song sparrow, lustily bellowing his qualifications […]
Short-Term Sins
Last week the Boston Globe reported “a rare bit of good news on the housing front — at least for vacationers” on Cape Cod: “renting at a reasonable rate might […]
Letters, April 18, 2024
‘A House Divided’ To the editor: My wife, Anne, and I, a schoolteacher, bought land in Truro 52 years ago and with the help of family, friends, and local subcontractors […]
Psychologist and Peace Activist Robert Holt Dies at 106
As director of the Research Center for Mental Health at New York University from 1953 to 1971, Robert R. Holt supervised “scientific research dedicated to the clarification and testing of […]
Zookeeper and Model Builder David Raboy Dies at 82
David Abraham Raboy, who ran a zoo in Provincetown in the 1970s and lived most recently in Newport, R.I., died at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River on April 6, […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from April 8 to April 12, 2024. PROVINCETOWN April 9. Caren M. Block and Jennifer A. Kroll to Yordan G. Georgiev and […]
Classifieds April 18, 2024 – April 25, 2024
SEEKING Looking to rent a small house or condo in Provincetown with parking for 1 week per month this summer (starting in May) and maybe into the fall. It could […]
Indie’s Choice
Spark It Up (Thursday-Saturday, April 18-20) Mackenzie stars in “Honey, I Smoked the Weed,” the fourth annual celebration of all things cannabis at the Crown & Anchor (247 Commercial St., […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Selectboard Public Hearing May 7, 2024 Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. both virtually […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
TOWN OF TRURO Zoning Board of Appeals Notice of Remote Public Hearings Monday, May 20, 2024 at 5:30 pm 2024-002/ZBA – Jennifer Cabral (Nearen & Cubberly Nominee Trust, Christopher Snow, […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing May 1, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in […]
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Legal Notices
THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION – HIGHWAY DIVISION NOTICE OF A PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING Project File No. 608020 A live Virtual Public Information Meeting will be hosted […]
Barker’s Plans for Old Reliable Hit Rough Waters
PROVINCETOWN — Christine Barker’s proposed pier and floating marina, recently redesigned and enlarged to extend 1,270 feet into Provincetown Harbor from the site of the derelict Old Reliable Fish House, […]
Eastham Faces $1M in Unexpected School Costs
EASTHAM — Voters at the May 4 annual town meeting will be asked to approve two Proposition 2½ overrides totaling $1.32 million to fund the town’s fiscal 2025 budget — […]
Truro Will Vote on Taking Motor Inn for Housing
TRURO — Voters at annual town meeting on May 4 will be asked to authorize the town’s taking of the Truro Motor Inn at 296 Route 6 by eminent domain. […]
Antitrust Lawsuit May Have Little Impact Here
PROVINCETOWN — A proposed settlement in antitrust lawsuits against the National Association of Realtors (NAR) grabbed headlines across the country in March and spurred speculation of a significant drop in […]
Court Says Nantucket Can’t Ignore Zoning Laws on Vacation Rentals
A ruling in state Land Court last month will likely force towns across the Cape and Islands to vote on new zoning bylaws for short-term rentals — a complex proposition […]
Two Candidates Are Unopposed for Eastham Select Board
EASTHAM — There are two separate races for select board this year: a three-year seat, for which incumbent Jamie Demetri has filed for re-election, and a two-year seat to complete the […]
Wi-Fi May Come to Wellfleet Beaches This Summer
WELLFLEET — A group of town residents has been working for the last year to bring Wi-Fi to three beaches on Wellfleet’s backshore. And it looks as if beachgoers may […]
After Five-Year Hiatus, Advisory Commission Reconvenes
EASTHAM — The 309th meeting of the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission began like many others at the Salt Pond Visitor Center and was even called to order by […]
Arborist Incident Response Team Takes on ‘Hazard Trees’
EASTHAM — Most mornings, the grounds of the Penniman House at Fort Hill are a peaceful setting for birds, squirrels, and the occasional tourist. But on the morning of April […]
Conservation Trust Is Ready to Make Offer on Chapel
TRURO — At the instruction of property owners Bob and Kathy Valleau, Pastor David Brown and his parishioners moved out of the Chapel on the Pond before the month of […]
On a Voyage with Captain Richard Bailey
WELLFLEET — Capt. Richard Bailey was fascinated as a child by two oil paintings that hung side by side in his great-aunt’s cabin on Chequessett Neck Road. On occasion, he […]
Getting Pickled With Garrett Smythe
Pickles can be polarizing. There are those who favor the fresh crunch of half sours and others who hew to the notion that its sweet edge makes the bread-and-butter pickle […]
The Sora on the Roof
PROVINCETOWN — It’s hard to predict when you might find a rare bird. You might try after a hurricane, a good night of migration, or some other event that seems […]
Making Local Change
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Striped Bass Are Stopped Cold for Now
The striped bass spring migration has come to a screeching halt for now. There has been no evidence of any significant movement north in the past week. It seems that […]
Mayflower Compact
At first glance, the native evergreen Epigaea repens looks a bit haggard. Its rough, leathery leaves, which have bite marks and brown spots left by the visiting insects it hosts, […]
Nauset’s Nicole Boyce Says Tennis Has Made Her Tenacious
EASTHAM — Nauset High School senior Nicole Boyce comes from a tennis-mad family. Her dad plays, her mom plays, and her grandparents play. For them, the sport truly is a […]
Spring Sports Weather April Storms
EASTHAM — The weather continued to disrupt early spring sports at Nauset Regional High School. But it didn’t stop boys lacrosse (2-1) from picking up a pair of wins, including […]
The Moon Turns the Sun Into a Sliver
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This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, April 9 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Caution: Fire Signs and Hot Tempers Ahead
I’d love to tell you it’s going to be a smooth week astrologically, but that would be a lie. Mercury is retrograding, forming a cazimi with the Sun on April […]
Bias-Free Policing
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Cyr’s DPW Dream
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, April […]
Dredging Task Force Meets
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Open Jobs and Staffing Shortages
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Rehab El Sadek Sculpts a Story of Political Dislocation
Rehab El Sadek has made herself at home since arriving in Provincetown this past October as a visual arts fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center. The vibe in her […]
Matty Dread Is an ‘Ambassador of Love’
Matthew Dunn, the operations manager at Provincetown’s Outermost Community Radio (WOMR), has waist-length dreadlocks and wears galaxy-print shirts. Both amplify his gravitational pull. In his corner office at 494 Commercial […]
RuPaul Tells His Origin Story
You’ve likely noticed while watching RuPaul’s Drag Race that host RuPaul Charles rarely gets physically close to the contestants. Some of this is likely a Covid holdover, but the pronounced […]
Craziness in the Eye of the Moviegoer
It was an inspired choice when the Provincetown International Film Festival’s gave Julio Torres, the writer-director-star of a fanciful new comedy, Problemista, one of its Next Wave awards last June. […]
Arts Briefs
A Bicoastal Musical Dialogue Comes to Wellfleet Anne Stott met Arielle Silver four years ago online during the first week of the pandemic lockdown. The two singer-songwriters were participants in […]
Town Meeting
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Life in the Slow Lane
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On another gray day in Provincetown
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What Species of Creature Must We Be?
Sitting in my cozy kitchen with the sun streaming in, I find myself torn up by the terrible state of our world and the unconscionable brutality of the wars raging […]
Tickled by the Fake
Two weeks ago, page 3 of the Independent was our annual April Fool’s fake front page. We’ve done this for five years, and you might think that readers would have […]
Letters, April 11, 2024
‘An Elderly Town’ To the editor: You recently reported on the isolation felt by the parent of a newborn [“New Moms Find Company and Comfort in Eastham,” March 28, front […]
Longtime SKIP Volunteer Diana Hardy Was 88
Diana Hardy, a cofounder and longtime volunteer at the Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, died peacefully on March 30, 2024 at Seashore Point in Provincetown. She was 88. The daughter of […]
Math Teacher Norma Marcellino Dies at 81
Norma Ellen Marcellino of Brewster died peacefully at The Terraces in Orleans on Good Friday, March 29, 2024, with her children close by. She had fought a short battle with […]
Self-Taught Artist Rebecca Whiting Dies at 86
Rebecca H. Whiting of Truro died peacefully at Cape Cod Hospital on March 6, 2024 with loved ones by her side. She was 86. The daughter of Robert and Viola […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from April 1 to April 5, 2024. PROVINCETOWN April 1. James F. Meads Jr. to Chester Philip Ritchie IV and Benjamin Walter […]
Classifieds April 11, 2024 – April 18, 2024
SEEKING Staffer seeks 6-month rental. I’m a seasonal worker for the Town of Provincetown, returning for another season beginning May 1, and am looking for a room or an apartment […]
Indie’s Choice
Well Versed (Thursday, April 11) Marge Piercy reads with the regional winners of the Joe Gouveia Outermost Poetry Contest at Wellfleet Preservation Hall (335 Main St.) on Thursday, April 11, […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Selectboard Hybrid Public Hearing April 16, 2024 In accordance with MLG Chapter 138, notice is hereby given that the Wellfleet Selectboard will hold a hybrid public hearing […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Position Opening Transfer Station/Sanitation Hybrid Skilled Staff The Town of Provincetown is accepting applications for an opening in the Department of Public Works for Transfer Station/Sanitation Hybrid […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Planning Board Public Hearing April 17, 2024 The Town of Eastham Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 in […]
Voters OK Motta Field, Retain Fire Engineers
PROVINCETOWN — At a four-hour town meeting on April 1, voters approved almost every article on the warrant, rejecting only two: Article 19, which would have shifted authority for hiring […]
Wellfleet Board Delays Dredging for Another Year
WELLFLEET — The harbor mooring basin here was last dredged in 1957. The job, which has been on the town’s agenda for a decade, will now be delayed for yet another […]
Ship Speed Limit Sparks Local Economy Worries
PROVINCETOWN — This year has proved especially lethal for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, with the discovery on March 30 of a dead female marking the fifth mortality […]
CVS Pharmacies Can Now Fill Scripts for Abortion Medications
PROVINCETOWN — Although medication abortions are legal for terminating pregnancies of up to 10 weeks in Massachusetts, access to the two-pill combination prescription is extremely limited on Cape Cod. That’s […]
Eastham’s Pressure-Treated Wood Bylaw Faces Challenge
EASTHAM — Eastham is the only town on Cape Cod that prohibits the use of pressure-treated wood in marine environments under its wetlands protection bylaws. But according to an environmental […]
Select Board Deems Two Huskies ‘Dangerous’
EASTHAM — The select board unanimously designated two aggressive male huskies who frequently run loose as “dangerous dogs” at an April 1 hearing that stretched to nearly three hours. Both […]
Fast Talking and Fast Voting at Town Meeting
PROVINCETOWN — At the midway break for refreshments, longtime voters and first-time observers all seemed to agree: Provincetown’s annual town meeting was going remarkably smoothly. Right from the beginning, town […]
Can Cape Cod’s Namesake Fish Come Back?
Cape Cod is named for the fish that for centuries was extremely abundant in these waters and became the focal point of a major fishery that is no more. I’ve […]
White Beans Fit for Springtime
By all rights, I should not be telling you how to make gumbo. After all, I wasn’t born and raised in New Orleans nor in any of the communities between […]
Chad Jacobs Feels the Light
Chad Jacobs can’t stand bare lightbulbs. Although they might be trendy in restaurants and coffee shops as a play on an industrial look, he just doesn’t get them. “You’re constantly […]
When the Moon Eclipses the Sun
The solar eclipse on April 8 is America’s headline astronomical event of 2024, but Cape Cod isn’t in the path of totality. That means we won’t experience the otherworldly twilight […]
The Call of the Catkins
A walk along the Head of the Meadow bike trail in the first days of spring can be a master class in cold-weather copulation — of the horticultural kind. In […]
Girls Lacrosse, Boys and Girls Tennis Start 2-0
EASTHAM — Last week’s sports schedule was disrupted by wet weather, but that didn’t stop Nauset High’s teams from getting their seasons underway. Girls lacrosse started the year 2-0 for […]
Pick Your Poison
Poison ivy, whose wood can trigger an allergic rash on contact just like its foliage can, might actually be easier to identify in the off-season when its “leaves of three” […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, April 2 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
When Dreams Eclipse Reality
A lot of planets are stationed in Pisces, which is affecting our dreams and unconscious minds. And just as Venus moves out of Pisces this week, the solar eclipse will […]
Housing Needs Assessment
Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a link to […]
Split Over Sand Pit Road
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, April […]
Ceasefire on the Warrant
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
House Fire
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Painting in the Key of Light
In the cold, short days of winter and early spring, when painting outdoors is practically impossible here, Mary Giammarino, a plein air painter, takes a counterintuitive route as she awaits […]
Cleaning the Fishbowl and Other Disruptions
As a kid, Molly Anders put her red betta fish in the microwave. Hearing this, you might envision a toilet bowl funeral and a big flush. That’s not what happened. […]
Figures Emerge Slowly From Agnes Walden’s Art
Agnes Walden is a teacher, but her paintings won’t teach you a thing. She speaks lucidly about painting with the off-the-cuff exactitude of an expert, but her paintings are inscrutable. […]
Arts Briefs
Music Times Two With Cape Symphony Guest conductor Francisco Noya will lead the Cape Symphony in “Better Together” at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center (744 West Main St., Hyannis) on […]
New Neighbor
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Long Road Home
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Waiting for the Tody
I fell in love with the little bird long before I saw it. Maybe it was the name. I was on a plane to Puerto Rico, studying the Princeton Guide […]
Get Your Land Off Drugs
Is your land-maintenance program laced with synthetic chemicals that scientists say travel a foot a day on average through our sandy soil? Is it time to quit cold turkey and […]
Shrinking the Kids
What is it like to live on Outer Cape Cod and have a new baby? The feeling of isolation can be overwhelming, Becky Fischer told Independent reporter Olivia Oldham in […]
Letters, April 4, 2024
On Development of the Walsh Property To the editor: I read with interest the front-page article in the March 28 Independent on the two additional candidates for the Truro Select […]
Coast Guard Veteran Manuel Macara Jr. Dies at 89
Coast Guard veteran and fisherman Manuel G. Macara Jr. of Truro died peacefully on March 23, 2024 at home with his children by his side. He was 89. Manny, or […]
West Waters, Owner of Codder’s Furniture, Was 66
West Waters, former owner of Codder’s Furniture Co. in Wellfleet and a self-taught artist, died suddenly on Feb. 24, 2024 at his home in King and Queen County, Virginia. The […]
‘Beautifully Fierce’ Wellfleet Painter Nora Speyer Dies at 101
The painter Nora Speyer, a founder of the Landmark Gallery in New York City and the Long Point Gallery in Provincetown, died on March 20, 2024 at Grand Oaks Assisted […]
Dr. Richard H. Wolff Was 95
Psychiatrist Richard Hinckley Wolff, a longtime summer resident of Wellfleet, died peacefully in his sleep on March 22, 2024 after a well-lived life. He lived for many years in West […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 25 to March 29, 2024. PROVINCETOWN March 25. ZF SPC LLC [Fred Bin, manager] to Twanda LLC. 5 Pilgrim Heights […]
Classifieds April 4, 2024 April 11, 2024
SEEKING Staffer seeks 6-month rental. I’m a seasonal worker for the Town of Provincetown, returning for another season beginning May 1, and am looking for a room or an apartment […]
Indie’s Choice
Yuk It Up (Friday, April 5) Improvincetown, “Provincetown’s most infamous comedy troupe,” performs at Wellfleet Preservation Hall (335 Main St.) on Friday, April 5, 7 p.m. See wellfleetpreservationhall.org for ticket information. No Tea, No […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Position Opening Conservation Agent The Town of Wellfleet is seeking to fill the position of Conservation Agent to assist and advise the Conservation Commission in interpreting and enforcing […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing April 17, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Planning Board Public Hearing April 17, 2024 The Town of Eastham Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 in […]
Provincetown Shows Off Its Nearly Ready Police Station
PROVINCETOWN — About 300 people listened to speeches, watched a color guard raise the flag, and then took a freeform tour of the town’s new police station at 2 Jerome […]
Board of Health Gives ‘Napiville’ One-Month Deadline
PROVINCETOWN — Last week the board of health ordered the property managers of “Napiville,” a 14-unit residential complex at 25-27 Bradford St., to fix multiple health-code violations within a month […]
Two More Candidates in Truro Select Board Race
TRURO — Incumbent John Dundas and concert committee vice chair Tim Hickey have both decided to run for select board this May. With these two contenders, five candidates are now […]
Four Habitat Homes Set for Construction After a Decade of Lawsuits
WELLFLEET — After a decade of delays caused by abutters’ lawsuits, Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod has opened the application window for four affordable homes on Old Kings Highway. […]
New Moms Find Company and Comfort in Eastham
EASTHAM — Tucked away in a corner classroom at the Cape Cod Children’s Place, four mothers and their infants sit on the floor in a circle. The babies coo and cry […]
Owner Has History of Allowing Dogs to Escape
EASTHAM — The select board opened a dangerous dog hearing on two male Siberian huskies owned by Richard Moore of 20 Boreen Road at its March 25 meeting but continued […]
Select Board Pushes Compromise on Fire Engineers Panel
This article was updated on March 28, 2024. PROVINCETOWN — At an unusual Sunday morning meeting held at the town’s fire station on March 24 and again at their regular […]
The Indie Wins 17 New England Press Awards
WALTHAM — The Provincetown Independent won 17 awards at the New England Newspaper and Press Association’s annual convention on March 23. The newspaper won six first-place prizes among weeklies in […]
With Herring Count Ahead, a Look at What Aids a Rebound
WELLFLEET — Every spring, river herring known as alewives migrate from the open ocean up Cape Cod’s streams to ponds to lay their eggs. There, their young develop before swimming […]
Mind the Raincatcher
Curious objects that tell stories of the past fill the displays at the Wellfleet Historical Society and Museum. More are stacked in boxes in the basement awaiting the completion of […]
Biscuits for a Charmed Brunch
The legendary bohemian community that flourished on the Outer Cape in the early to mid-20th century is known for its enormous contributions to the arts, literature, culture, politics, and social […]
The Patient Practice of Growing Orchids
There is one orchid in Christine and Alan Hight’s house in Wellfleet, a Cattleya or corsage orchid, that took 10 years to bloom. Each year, it would “spike” — a […]
Whales Are in the Bay, and Stripers Are on the Way
Spring is in the air on the Outer Cape. If you don’t believe me, just ask the whales and the stripers. The right whales are in Cape Cod Bay now, […]
An Ocean-Going Goose Departs Cape Cod Bay
Once upon a time, a barnacle was a kind of bird. Each winter in medieval England, people who lived on the shore watched as their usual waterfowl — the barnyard-looking […]
Nauset Spring Sports Get Underway
EASTHAM — Eleven teams in eight varsity sports warm up this week for the Nauset Regional spring sports season. Baseball starts with a new coach for the second time in […]
On the Morrow, an Invasion
The deciduous flora of the Cape has just barely begun to awaken and flower — most native trees and shrubs are still hitting snooze — and leaves aren’t on the […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, March 26 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
A Time for Cautious Optimism
This week brings some subtle energies, as few planets aspect each other. You may feel a cautious optimism brought on by Jupiter while it is in conjunction with Uranus and […]
Advisory Article
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Voter Roll Update
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, March […]
Fire at Massassoit Hills
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Thrift Shop Renovation
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Mark Adams Goes Big to Visualize Ocean Science
The centerpiece of Mark Adams’s newest exhibition was born from the gift of a sail. Adams says the artist Jimmy Lee Curtis often gathers materials to repurpose from thrift stores […]
David Drake on What Makes a Season
David Drake, artistic director of the Provincetown Theater, has spent the winter preparing for the 2024 season, with shows from May to November. The biggest challenge? How to please everyone. […]
‘You Think of a Line and You Bang It Up’
“I want to write about the people in my life in a way that shows how beautiful and complex they are,” says poet David Hutcheson. He runs to his kitchen […]
Tinja Ruusuvuori Practices Giving Up Control
In Tinja Ruusuvuori’s studio at the Fine Arts Work Center, some of her recent artwork is in piles on the floor. One piece that she recently showed at the Provincetown […]
Arts Briefs
Giving a Voice to Queer Youth on Cape Cod Seven years ago, Celeste Lecesne noticed a change in the young people he was meeting while speaking at schools. “They have […]
April Fool’s Issue
PARADISE Provincetown Inn to Reopen as Margaritaville The reimagined resort will be ‘all-inclusive’ By Teresa Parker PROVINCETOWN — Linchris Hotel Corp., the Plymouth-based hotel and investment company that bought the […]
Yart Sale
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The Unthinkable
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Not Mincing Words
When I heard last Friday that Buddy Perkel had died, my heart sank. I thought about the day we first met, nearly 30 years ago. Teresa and I had just […]
Letters, March 28, 2024
Walkers and Bikers To the editor: I am both an avid walker and bike rider and sympathize with the concern for walkers on the proposed multi-use path in Provincetown expressed […]
Businessman and Mentor Richard Paul White Dies at 81
Richard Paul White of Provincetown and Sarasota, Fla. died after a short illness on March 11, 2024 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital with his husband, David Scarbie Mitchell, by his side. […]
Provincetown Plumber Robert Meads Jr. Was 63
Robert Richard Meads Jr., who was known as Bullit, died on March 16, 2024 at his brother Nicholas’s house on Nelson Avenue in Provincetown after a period of failing health. […]
Bertram Perkel, a ‘Civil Rights Warrior,’ Dies at 94
Bertram Perkel, a New Yorker who made his home on the Outer Cape for the last 22 years and had a profound influence in local government and as a champion […]
Writer and Professor Kermit Wonders Moyer II Dies at 80
Professor Kermit Wonders Moyer II died at Cape Cod Hospital on March 8, 2024 at the end of a day spent with his family. The cause was advanced Parkinson’s disease. […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 18 to March 22, 2024. PROVINCETOWN March 18. Kara Keller and Samantha Keller to Counselman Holdings LLC. 9 Dyer St. […]
Classifieds March 28, 2024 — April 4, 2024
TIDINGS Happy 65th Natal Day, Carl T. Stange. Welcome, world traveler to the quaint, queer fishing village. Now a certified senior person, you can get a parking placard. You are […]
Indie’s Choice
One Fish, Two Fish (Thursday, March 28) Friends of Herring River presents its annual Wellfleet herring count workshop, with speakers discussing the effects of cyanobacteria and algal bloom on spawning […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Position Opening Conservation Agent The Town of Wellfleet is seeking to fill the position of Conservation Agent to assist and advise the Conservation Commission in interpreting and enforcing […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
TOWN OF TRURO Truro Planning Board Notice of Remote Public Hearing Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 5:00 pm View on television Channel 8 in Truro; or on the Homepage website […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Invitation for Bids The Town of Provincetown is seeking proposals for the repaving of Standish Street and Alden St Bid documents can be found on the town’s […]
Wellfleet’s Bound Brook Island Is Cut Off Again
WELLFLEET — For at least eight days this month, the roads connecting Bound Brook Island to the rest of town have been inundated with floodwater that prevented people from accessing […]
Petitioned Article Aims to Block Hotel Consolidation
PROVINCETOWN — Two town residents have put forward a petitioned article that aims to prevent further consolidation of the town’s hotel industry. Article 24 on the warrant for Provincetown’s April […]
After Attack on a Horse, 3 Huskies Face a Hearing
EASTHAM — Three Siberian huskies belonging to Richard Moore will be the subject of a dangerous dog hearing on March 25, prompted by two attacks on local livestock on Feb. […]
Two Town Parcels Along Route 6 Are Eyed for Housing
PROVINCETOWN — The Route 6 right-of-way, a long corridor that belongs to the town, could someday hold two housing developments and up to 110 parking spaces, according to two recent […]
Costs and Rents Rise at Shank Painter Development
PROVINCETOWN — Developers Christine Barker and M. Tatiana Eck, who were picked by the select board last July to build 40 market-rate apartments at the site of the old police […]
Mid-Cape Was Warned Last Year About Aging Oil Tank
WELLFLEET — The tank at Mid-Cape Home Centers on Commercial Street that was discovered to have leaked about 250 gallons of heating oil on Jan. 25 was inspected a year […]
Salt Pond Closed for a Second Time by Red Tide Toxicity
EASTHAM — The town’s dept. of natural resources closed Salt Pond in the Nauset Estuary on March 13 because of “red tide,” an outbreak of single-cell algae that produces a […]
Warriors Fall 1-0 in State Hockey Finals
BOSTON — History will have to wait. The Nauset Regional High School boys hockey team lost to Marblehead at TD Garden on Sunday in the Division 3 finals, ending the […]
Wellfleet Has Its Opening Day
WELLFLEET — The season opened for commercial shellfishing permit holders on March 15, and the next day, a partly sunny, mild Saturday, a dozen or so wild pickers waded and […]
On a Pool Tour and Liking It
This article was updated on March 22, 2024. We’ve read those annual midsummer Independent ice cream surveys with envy during our long winter months here, and, honestly, isn’t it sort […]
Saving the Dark Sky
We finally had a string of clear nights after what seemed like weeks of clouds and cold rain. Sunshine is nice, but what I was waiting for was the joy […]
A Cape Cod Après-Skate Fondue
One of my favorite things about living on Cape Cod when the crowds are away is that it means a chance to play tourist myself. I love taking mini-trips to […]
Go Up Cape
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Salad, Sort Of
While the wild plant community is still slowly waking up from winter dormancy, there’s one urbanite who’s wide awake, in full flower, and ready to be flung on your dinner […]
Outer Cape Community Shows Up for Truro Congregation
PROVINCETOWN — Back-to-back fundraisers last Friday and Saturday boosted the effort to purchase a Pond Village chapel in North Truro so it can be leased back to its largely Jamaican […]
Streitmatter Is All-Star Team’s MVP
EASTHAM — Nauset senior Jordyn Streitmatter represented the Warriors in the Cape and Islands High School All-Star basketball game last Sunday at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center. Streitmatter posted […]
We Are Artists Too
The Truro Central School Art Show is up in the Anne H. Brock Room at the town’s library, with works by students in kindergarten through grade 5 — but just […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, March 19 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Start Something — It’s Aries Season
There are few planets aspecting each other right now, but they are all very heavily on one side of the chart. Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, and Taurus may all be feeling […]
B.Y.O. Compost
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Community Pasta
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, March […]
Maurice’s Planner Selected
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
What About Bob?
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Astonishing Propositions of Momentary Liberation
The kids are at play. They’re on swings and trampolines. These contraptions allow them to fly, even if only for split seconds. They’re resisting gravity, getting out from under its […]
Tyler Raso Breathes to a Different Music
Reading Tyler Raso’s poetry feels like walking down an aisle in Spencer’s, the mall outlet store that peaked in the aughts and was famed for its hot pink sex toys […]
A Novel in the Midst of Life
Inverno, Cynthia Zarin’s first novel, eschews the classic structure of beginning, middle, and end. It captures, through the protagonist Caroline’s recollections of a relationship, the way life can’t be easily […]
Health insurance: living dangerously
Your member certificate indicates As in ancient Roman times Based on heredity, property, wealth What your out of pocket structure is Where the perimeter of your coverage lies And at […]
Deep Sea Currents
Moonlight illuminates shapes, washes away colors. Surface water reflects moon-deflected light from our hidden sun, hidden as sands below tides or the up-sides of clouds wind-surfing nightly. Moon masters the […]
A Taste for Trollope
Scheming politicians, female agency, marital bargains, and ambitious sociopaths were all up for discussion at a recent meeting in Truro. This was not a select board hearing, however. It was […]
Arts Briefs
Bringing ‘Gravel and Molasses’ to the Coffeehouse Musician and songwriter Chris Smither’s distinctive sound, honed over the course of more than 50 years, draws inspiration from the blues, American folk […]
Back Soon
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Pinocchio Pier
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Taking Inventory
I was amused to hear recently that archeologists had unearthed some salacious graffiti in Pompeii. I am not sure why this gladdens my heart so much, but it does. It […]
Don’t Pave Our Natural Paradise
The Old Colony Nature Pathway is only 1.5 miles long, but its value to Provincetown visitors and residents is immeasurable. The pathway bisects what is known as the Provincetown Greenway, […]
Northeast Kingdom News
I received a fine letter this week from Jeff Havlick, a subscriber in Eastham. He enclosed a clipping from the Caledonian Record, the local newspaper in St. Johnsbury, Vt., in […]
Letters, March 21, 2024
Dissolving the Pier Corp. To the editor: Article 15 on Provincetown’s town meeting warrant is a request from the administration to dissolve the Provincetown Public Pier Corp. [“Select Board Is […]
Printer and Provincetown Summer Resident George Gillen Was 90
George J. Gillen died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on March 1, 2024 at the V.A. Hospital in West Roxbury after a period of declining health. He was 90. A […]
Civil Rights Lawyer Julie Shapiro Dies at 68
Civil rights lawyer and legal scholar Julie Shapiro, a longtime summer resident of Truro, died at her home in Seattle on March 12, 2024 after a lifelong fight with Marfan […]
Artist and Adventurer Richard Iammarino Dies at 86
This article was updated on April 2, 2024. Artist Richard Iammarino was “starting a new series of pictures, returning to figurative work after years of abstraction” when he died suddenly […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
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Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 11 to March 15, 2024. PROVINCETOWN March 15. Paul Yate to William Olcott and Matthew N. Cerundolo. 29 Alden St., […]
Classifieds March 21, 2024 – March 28, 2024
SEEKING Work in exchange for lodging. Experienced painter and yard work professional seeks an exchange in Provincetown. Call 978-493-7910. [4-11] Hey, I’m making a zine about sharing resources and I’m […]
Indie’s Choice
Bound Together (Thursday, March 21) Higgins Art Gallery at Cape Cod Community College (2240 Iyannough Road, West Barnstable) celebrates “Cape Bound,” an exhibition of art featuring repurposed books by members […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Position Opening Conservation Agent The Town of Wellfleet is seeking to fill the position of Conservation Agent to assist and advise the Conservation Commission in interpreting and enforcing […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
TOWN OF TRURO Conservation Commission Public Hearing April 1, 2024 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: The Truro Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing Monday, April 1, 2024, at 5:00PM; THIS […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing April 3, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in […]
25 Acres Get Mulched to Aid Salt Hay’s Return
WELLFLEET — The Cape Cod National Seashore, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited and the National Park Foundation, has begun removing 25 acres of mostly live woody vegetation from around the […]
Provincetown May Ditch Fire Engineers Panel
PROVINCETOWN — The annual town meeting warrant was finalized on March 1, but the select board is still not sure about two measures: Article 19, to abolish the board of […]
Truro and Eastham May Limit Short-Term Rentals
Truro and Eastham are each considering town meeting articles that would limit how many short-term rental properties one person or corporation could legally own and that would ban “fractional ownership” […]
After a Cease-and-Desist Order, a Legal Battle Ensues
TRURO — The town’s building commissioner and zoning board of appeals have been consistent over the last year in their position that Robert Martin’s bulk sale of landscaping material from […]
Nauset Boys Head to TD Garden for State Finals
BOURNE — When the top-ranked Nauset Regional High School boys hockey team takes to the ice against no. 6 Marblehead High School in the MIAA Division 3 State Finals this […]
Chapel Fundraising Campaign Has All Hands on Deck
TRURO — Since the mostly Jamaican congregation that meets at the Chapel on the Pond in North Truro received news of a substantial anonymous donation toward a possible purchase of […]
NRC Cites Holtec for Improper Use of Funds
PLYMOUTH — Holtec Decommissioning International has misspent money from the decommissioning trust funds at all four nuclear plants it owns, using it to pay for activities like parades and softball […]
Observers Document Humpback Sex for the First Time
PROVINCETOWN — The news that the first-known human observation of copulation in humpback whales documented sex between two males of the species has captured imaginations across the globe and perhaps […]
Kopits Declares for a Seat on Wellfleet Select Board
WELLFLEET — Steven Kopits turned in select board nomination papers on Monday, along with challenger Sheila Lyons and incumbents John Wolf and Tim Sayre. The four will vie for two […]
New Waves at Wellfleet Elementary
WELLFLEET — A few things have changed at Wellfleet Elementary School since Principal Mary Beth Rodman retired last year and Adam O’Shea took the helm. For one, the signs look […]
A Corned Beef Hash Sam Spade Would Have Approved
If corned beef hash is on the menu, I order it. Rosy hand-cut hash with sunny eggs and steaming black coffee feels old-school, seductively noir. Like something the laconic Sam […]
A Greenhouse for Gatherings
Braunwyn Jackett wanted to have a kitchen garden with a greenhouse. But not just that. “I knew I wanted to be able to hang out in it, too,” she says. […]
When Birding Opens Up ‘a Whole Huge World’
Some people think birding is something only older people do — people who have time on their hands and an ability to focus that supposedly comes only with age. But […]
A Gray Whale’s New England Visit
Greetings from my winter off-Cape worlds of northern Connecticut and New Hampshire. I’m beginning to get excited about returning to Provincetown Harbor for our soon-to-start fishing season. While I sharpen […]
Girls Hockey Falls in Quarterfinals as Boys Advance
EASTHAM — Junior Logan Poulin had two goals and an assist, senior Julian Krivos recorded a goal and two assists, and junior Zach Coelho posted his second playoff shutout to […]
At First Blush
Of all the native plants, Corema conradii, the broom crowberry, has one of the earliest spring blooms on the Outer Cape if not the very first. It’s a rare plant, common […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, March 12 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Where to See the Whole Picture
The Sun conjunct Neptune continues, joined by Pluto as it forms a sextile with the Sun later in the week. This will bring tip-of-an-iceberg moments, and we will need to […]
Seashore Park Inn Is Set to Be Auctioned
ORLEANS — The Seashore Park Inn, a 62-room motel located just west of the Orleans-Eastham Route 6 rotary, is scheduled to go on the foreclosure auction block on March 21. […]
Old Reliable Plan Now Has Longer Pier and Marina
PROVINCETOWN — Developer Christine Barker’s vision for a blighted waterfront property has evolved dramatically since her initial proposal to redevelop the Old Reliable Fish House was unveiled in 2019. The […]
Duelling Forums
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Workshop With the Moderator
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, March […]
Uncontested
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Pesticide Article Included on Warrant
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Pushing Color at the North Light Studio
“You remember how to start?” Lauren Byrne asks a student. Byrne is giving a quick painting tutorial. “Start with the color note you see the best, and everything after that […]
A Fairy Tale at Land’s End
For Miguel Braceli, Provincetown is at once extraordinarily real and as fantastic as a fairy tale. His studio space at the Fine Arts Work Center is more “gathering place” than […]
Adeniyi Ademoroti’s Characters Are Their Own Worst Enemies
When Adeniyi Ademoroti sits down to write a story, there are always two things in his head: the first sentence and the final scene. “If I don’t have anything I’m […]
Indie Playlist: The Art of the Music Video
Previously in these lists, we’ve featured some of our favorite songs and the streaming selections that have kept us parked in front of our televisions (and laptops) for hours on […]
Arts Briefs
Student Art Celebrates Learning This year’s Provincetown IB Schools annual exhibition at the Commons (46 Bradford St., Provincetown) doubles as a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the school’s adoption […]
Spring Fever
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Shiny Village on a Hill
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Choosing Between Democracy and Theocracy
The Wellfleet Community Forum met on Feb. 26 to discuss how we might bring more civility and efficiency back to our town. Moderator Dan Silverman reminded us that conflict and […]
How Old Is Too Old?
At the start of the recent Wellfleet Community Forum, Sheila Lyons informed the large crowd that had come to talk about the precarious state of town government that Irene Daitch […]
Letters, March 14, 2024
Provincetown Developments To the editor: Last week I read an article in the New York Times about a couple who buy rundown houses, fix them up, and then rent to […]
Fisherman and Builder Martin Cordeiro Was 79
Longtime Provincetown resident Martin L. Cordeiro, most recently of Waite, Maine, died peacefully at the Calais Community Hospital in Calais, Maine on Feb. 28, 2024 with his niece, Rachel Hayden, […]
Molly Mae Benjamin of Wellfleet and Provincetown Dies at 52
Molly Mae Benjamin died unexpectedly at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis on Feb. 1, 2024. The cause of death was liver failure. She was 52. The daughter of fisherman and […]
Donald Thibeault Jr., Restorer of Wooden Boats, Dies at 70
Wooden boat restorer Donald Andrew Thibeault, Jr., who learned his skills at Flyer’s Boatyard in Provincetown, died at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. on Feb. 23, 2024. He […]
Paul Meehan of Eastham and Provincetown Was 79
Paul M. Meehan died peacefully from complications of a stroke on Feb. 27, 2024 at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 79. The third son of John […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 4 to March 8, 2024 PROVINCETOWN March 4. Scott R. Liddell to Jonathan Robert Tucker and Paul McVoy. 20 Montello […]
Classifieds March 14, 2023 – March 21, 2023
SEEKING Hey, I’m making a zine about sharing resources and I’m collecting stories about ways people share. Do you share? Can you tell me about it? Send anything you want […]
Indie’s Choice
In Memoriam (Thursday, March 14) Artist Laura Shabott leads a celebration of the life and legacy of artist and teacher Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) at Snow Cemetery (off Bridge Road, Truro) […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Select Board Public Hearing March 19, 2024 Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 6:00PM both virtually […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Charter Compliance Commission Public Hearing March 21, 2024 In accordance with §2-3-g.4 of the Provincetown Charter, the Provincetown Charter Compliance Commission will hold a Public Hearing on […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham Public Hearing Dangerous Dog(s) Hearing The Town of Eastham will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, March 25, 2024, at 4:30p.m. in the Eastham Town Hall, Earle […]
In Eastham, They Read Aloud to Dogs
EASTHAM — Dogs are not known for their literary prowess, their exceptional reading comprehension skills, nor for staying put for extended periods of time. Yet on the morning of March […]
Developer Asks Town for $1.8M for ‘Barracks’ Dormitory Project
PROVINCETOWN — Businessman Patrick Patrick, developer of a proposed seasonal dormitory and apartment building known as “The Barracks,” is seeking financial support from the town for the project, including $1.8 […]
Airman’s Death Is Both a Protest and a Loss
ORLEANS — In the days since Airman Aaron Bushnell died by fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. while shouting “free Palestine,” there has been a surge […]
Old Reliable Plan Now Has Longer Pier and Marina
PROVINCETOWN — Developer Christine Barker’s vision for a blighted waterfront property has evolved dramatically since her initial proposal to redevelop the Old Reliable Fish House was unveiled in 2019. The […]
6 Part-Timers Named to Truro Advisory Committee
TRURO — Six part-time Truro residents have been appointed to the town’s newly reconstituted Part-Time Resident Advisory Committee (PTRAC) with a mission to improve lines of communication between the town […]
Two More Local Families Are Picked to Apply for Leases
PROVINCETOWN — The National Park Service’s leasing contest for eight dune shacks on the windswept back shore of took another step toward resolution on March 1 when the Tasha and […]
Super Tuesday Comes to the Outer Cape
PROVINCETOWN — From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 5, Provincetown voters ascended the stairs in town hall and entered the grand auditorium, where they were greeted by a […]
Ad Hoc Committee Will Oversee Truro DPW Plans
TRURO — The hotly contested plans for a new dept. of public works facility, which dominate the warrant for a special town meeting postponed until May, are now partially in […]
Lyons Steps Into Wellfleet Select Board Race
WELLFLEET — The election of two select board members this May just got a bit more competitive. Days before the deadline for taking out nomination papers, County Commissioner Sheila Lyons […]
Tackling the Overstuffed Gadget Drawer
I don’t know why spring cleaning is a thing. Around here, winter is our chance to tackle tasks that can’t be done in the warm months. Come spring, seeds will […]
In February, a Surprising Feast Springs From Foraging and Farms
Nicole Cormier often dances, all by herself and spontaneously, in the kitchen of her North Truro cottage. And when she cooks, she likes to harness that same kind of improvisational […]
Model Ships That Start With Stories
Dan Sanders visits Ballston Beach most days, looking out on the vast stretch of ocean where so many ships, overwhelmed by nor’easters or shattered on shoals, lie with their ill-fated […]
Of Settlers and Silt
The measured opening of the 115-year-old Herring River dike is front and center in a decades-long restoration project aimed at bringing back some of the Wellfleet estuary’s original tidal flow. […]
Local Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza Grow
PROVINCETOWN — Calls for a ceasefire in Gaza were repeated by demonstrators who gathered both in Eastham and Provincetown on March 2. In Eastham, the demonstration brought out a handful […]
Hockey Teams Reach State Tournament Quarterfinals
EASTHAM — The Nauset High boys and girls hockey teams both advanced to the Elite 8 quarterfinal rounds of their respective state tournaments following triumphs at Charles Moore Arena in […]
The Real Understory
With an engulfing green understory and damp earth underfoot, the hike through Whistle Path Woods on its eponymous trail can feel almost tropical, even in winter. This narrow path in […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, March 5 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Seekers of Truth Don’t Have It Easy
With heavy, looming events at play in the world and among the stars, the Sun is shining on seekers of truth. We don’t have it easy. The Sun this week […]
Pursuing Coastal Resiliency
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
A Tentative $20,000 Tent
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Friday, March […]
A Delay for Town Meeting
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Housing Production Plan Updated
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
To visit the lot between 471 Commercial St. and Angel Foods in Provincetown is to stand on a precipice of potential energy. Here, where Cape Cod Bay licks the sea […]
Grand Stories Told From the Periphery of Loss
Something goes terribly wrong for one family in Grace Chao’s short story “Family Travel.” A train hits a couple’s small blue car — stopped on the train tracks going from […]
In Dialogue With the Past
Micha Patiniott can find the sensuality in a contorted body just as easily as he finds it in the movement of planets. His dreamlike minimalist paintings are united by “this […]
The Shameless Plan for a ‘New Fire Island’
If you’ve heard of it, then you probably already hate it. You’ve groaned and eye-rolled about it. So has the Provincetown Business Guild: in an Instagram post, the Guild wrote, […]
Arts Briefs
Áine Minogue Plays Harp From the Heart Born and raised in Borrisokane, County Tipperary, Ireland, Áine Minogue says that she grew up surrounded by traditional Irish music. Scattered throughout her […]
Eyes for you
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The Way It Used to Was
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Napiville
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Ruled by Our Stuff
I have never forgotten a story I heard over 50 years ago. A guy I worked with had an epiphany (perhaps inspired by something he read, perhaps by psychedelics) and […]
White-Collar Criminals
Before we started the Independent, I worked at the Provincetown Banner, where a weekly feature was the “police blotter.” That’s what we called it, at least, but it wasn’t full […]
Letters, March 7, 2024
Sending a Message To the editor: The death of Aaron Bushnell, a local boy who was raised in the Community of Jesus in Orleans and was a student in the […]
Former OCHS Board President Irene Daitch Dies at 100
When Kathleen Weiner took up her post as chief development officer for Outer Cape Health Services in 2017, she launched a capital campaign and chose Irene Daitch as one of […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 26 to March 1, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Feb. 26. The Michael F. Camardello Trust (Michael F. Camardello, trustee) and Mark A. […]
Classifieds March 7, 2023 – March 14, 2023
SEEKING IT consultant needed for help establishing a basic website for our fabulous reading group at the Truro Library. Specifically, we need help in evaluating the relative merits of Squarespace […]
Indie’s Choice
Bear Call (Thursday-Sunday, March 7-10) The Northeast Ursamen present the annual “Out of Hibernation” weekend — featuring a meet and greet, dance and gear parties, and a drag brunch — […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET Select Board Public Hearing March 12, 2024 In accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 138, notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on Tuesday, March […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE REMOTE AGENDA ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024,@5:00 PM Interested citizens can join the meeting via this link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81544816741 Or dial in: 1-646-931-3860 […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Annual Town Meeting – Finance Committee Recommendations Public Hearing March 14, 2024 Per the Provincetown Charter 2-3-g, the Provincetown Finance Committee will hold a Public Hearing on […]
Eastham Legal Notices
EASTHAM PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE Pursuant to the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, c.40A §5, the Eastham Planning Board will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday March 20, 2024 […]
Moving Day in Truro
TRURO — Two houses rolled down Route 6 on Feb. 22 and were successfully delivered to their new location on a town-owned lot at 25 South Highland Road. This page […]
Unnamed Donor Pledges up to $1M to Buy Church
TRURO — Two big pieces of news came from Fred Gaechter, chair of the Truro Conservation Trust, at last weekend’s meeting at the Chapel on the Pond, where a growing […]
Tenants Told to Leave ‘Napiville’ by April 1
PROVINCETOWN — Tenants of the multi-building property at 25-27 Bradford St. known as “Napiville” after its late owner, Anton “Napi” Van Dereck Haunstrup, have been ordered to move out of […]
Two Candidates Leap Into State House Race
PROVINCETOWN — Six weeks after Sarah Peake announced she would not run for a 10th two-year term representing the Outer and Lower Cape in the state House of Representatives, the […]
Cleanup Underway After Oil Leak at the Mid-Cape
WELLFLEET — Cleanup is underway for an estimated 250 gallons of heating oil that was discovered to have leaked into the ground at Mid-Cape Home Centers on Commercial Street on […]
Marconi Beach Was a Shooting Range; Now It’s Just a FUDS
WELLFLEET — Above Marconi Beach, passersby may come across a strange concrete object nudged into the umber dunes, entirely out of place against its pristine natural backdrop. Every morning at […]
Creativity and Connection Thrive on Winter Wednesdays
PROVINCETOWN — For the eighth year in a row, Wednesdays in winter have been brightened by free classes for adults at the Provincetown Schools. They begin in January, when even […]
Flying on the Edge of Sunset
For most of my life, I’ve had a recurring nightmare. It’s dusk, the light is fast fading from the day, and I’m headed to the ocean to surf. I arrive […]
The Rise of Sourdough Culture on Cape Cod
Making sourdough bread requires a commitment of time. If you can get hold of a friend’s mature starter and get your loaf underway now, you’ll be taking it out of […]
It’s Leap Day for Chickadees but Not for Gulls
There are a lot of ways to categorize birds. Waterbirds versus land birds, flying birds versus flightless ones, and whether birds are nocturnal or diurnal are all important distinctions. Another […]
What Leap Day Does for Us
Everybody knows that one day — the time it takes Earth to rotate once around its axis — is 24 hours. And one year — the time it takes Earth […]
All About That Bark
A stand of paper birch trees in Vermont in winter is an idyllic scene. Everywhere you look, you find ribbons of bark that practically beg to be used as canvases […]
‘The Margin for Error Is Nonexistent’
EASTHAM — They fly through the air, legs and arms circling to propel their bodies forward, and in an instant they thud into the sand. “The long jump is one […]
In Whaling, Blacks Had Power, at Least When at Sea
PROVINCETOWN — Whaling was a difficult and dangerous way to make a living and generally not a very profitable one for members of the crews, who had to face typhoons […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Feb. 27 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
You’re Going to Need That Extra Day
We have an extra day on hand this trip around the Sun, and we just may need it to get through the bumpy transition out of a particularly harsh conjunction […]
Warrant Is Closing
Voting Note: The presidential primary election is Tuesday, March 5. Each party’s candidates, as well as candidates for state and town party committees, are on the ballot. Early in-person voting […]
Board and Committee Openings
Voting Note: The presidential primary election is Tuesday, March 5. Each party’s candidates, as well as candidates for state and town party committees, are on the ballot. Early in-person voting […]
Forum Brings a Quorum
Voting Note: The presidential primary election is Tuesday, March 5. Each party’s candidates, as well as candidates for state and town party committees, are on the ballot. Early in-person voting […]
Override for Four New Police Officers
Voting Note: The presidential primary election is Tuesday, March 5. Each party’s candidates, as well as candidates for state and town party committees, are on the ballot. Early in-person voting […]
The Decisive Moments of Constantine Manos
Two men kneel in prayer in a modest church, one shielding his face from a light perhaps only he can see. A single note played by a group of classical […]
Zeinab Shahidi Marnani’s Tricks of the Light
Zeinab Shahidi Marnani’s studio on Pearl Street in Provincetown is dimly lit. In one corner sits a lounge chair with yellow pillows on it. A desk in the middle of […]
Hopkins’ Tempests
I was living off turtles, birds, mollusks, and wild pigs and wanted to live on the Isle of Devils forever. The Governor sentenced me to death when I tried mutiny. […]
‘Barbenheimer’ Comes to the Academy Awards
When Barbie and Oppenheimer, two big-budget Hollywood films, opened in theaters on the same day, July 21, 2023, they merged into a cultural phenomenon known by the portmanteau “Barbenheimer.” Finally, […]
Arts Briefs
‘Music for Peace’ Is Music Without Borders “Music for Peace” is the official title of a concert at the Christian Union Church (27 Shore Road, North Truro) at 3 p.m. […]
Breath of Spring
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Doesn’t Spark Joy
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Top-Down Control Thwarts Health Insurance Reform
In his thoughtful op-ed essay “The Choice Facing Peake’s Successor” (Feb. 1, page A3), Stephen Kinzer reflected on the workings of the Massachusetts General Court and on Rep. Sarah Peake’s […]
Forsaking Science
A significant number of Americans are skeptical of climate science. According to the Pew Research Center, about 3 in 10 say that taking action on climate change is not important, […]
Letters, February 29, 2024
ACK for Whales Responds To the editor: The Independent’s Feb. 8 article “Entanglement Leads to Death of Young Right Whale” [front page] falsely stated that our group, ACK for Whales, is […]
John Kiely of Wellfleet was 61
John “Jay” Kiely of Wellfleet died peacefully on Feb. 13, 2024 after one day in hospice at the McCarthy Care Center in Sandwich. The cause was cancer, which Jay had […]
Melissa Rhys Powel, ‘Aunt Lissy,’ Dies at 68
After a brief illness, Melissa Rhys Powel died unexpectedly in her sleep on Jan. 4, 2024 at her home in Albany, Ore. She was alone at the time; no cause […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
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Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 20 to Feb. 23, 2024. PROVINCETOWN No transactions over $10,000 were recorded in Provincetown last week. TRURO No transactions over […]
Classifieds February 29, 2024- March 7, 2024
SEEKING Carpenter or woodworker needed to build a basic box for displaying and storing a set of Christmas ornaments. A simple, functional box — a hobbyist can build this. I […]
Indie’s Choice
Silent Glory (Thursday, Feb. 29) WOMR (494 Commercial St., Provincetown) screens Raoul Walsh’s 1926 silent drama What Price Glory?, starring Victor McLaglen and Dolores del Rio with Fred Magee on […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET SELECT BOARD PUBLIC HEARING March 12, 2024 Notice is hereby given that the Wellfleet Selectboard will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 12, 2024; 6:00pm. virtually […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE REMOTE AGENDA ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024,@5:00 PM Interested citizens can join the meeting via this link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81544816741 Or dial in: 1-646-931-3860 […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Open Space Committee: Town Meeting Articles Public Hearing March 7, 2024 In accordance with §2-3-g of the Provincetown Charter and §5-2-1 of the General Bylaw, the Provincetown […]
Eastham Legal Notices
EASTHAM PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE Pursuant to the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, c.40A §5, the Eastham Planning Board will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday March 20, 2024 […]
A Shout-Out for the Provincetown Cheer Team
PROVINCETOWN — It’s T-minus-one day until the first-ever halftime show for seven cheerleaders at practice on Feb. 15. Fifth-grade energy abounds, and arms punch high. Then the cardboard parcel of […]
Eastham Raises Fee for Vacation Rentals to $350
EASTHAM — The town’s short-term rental registration fee will increase from $75 this year to $350 in 2025. The projected additional $192,500 in revenue will fund stricter oversight of more […]
Jamaican Congregation Hopes to Stay in Its Truro Chapel
TRURO — Alarm over the impending eviction of the mostly Jamaican congregation that meets at Truro’s Chapel on the Pond coalesced into a community meeting last weekend, as neighbors, preservationists, […]
State Sues Holtec for Mishandling Asbestos at Pilgrim Reactor Site
BOSTON — Mass. Attorney General Andrea Campbell has filed a civil complaint against Holtec Decommissioning International, owner of the shuttered Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, for a long list […]
Provincetown Takes Steps to Sell Harbor Hill
PROVINCETOWN — The town is looking for a real estate broker to help sell or lease the town-owned apartments at Harbor Hill, the 28-unit former timeshare complex where 55 people […]
For Cape Cod’s Homeless Youth, Resources Are Few
EASTHAM — For Tony, who graduated from Nauset Regional High School last May, the stress of homework was the least of his troubles. He was one of three homeless students […]
Cape’s Only Abortion Care Clinic Prepares to Manage With One Medication
HYANNIS — Six months ago, Health Imperatives became the only clinic on Cape Cod to offer medication abortion, ending the Cape’s 15-year period as an abortion care desert. Now the […]
A February Tour in Provincetown
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In Whaling, Blacks Had Power, at Least When at Sea
PROVINCETOWN — Whaling was a difficult and dangerous way to make a living and generally not a very profitable one for members of the crews, who had to face typhoons […]
Timelessness, Sculpted Slowly
On a tabletop in Sophia Dress’s Truro studio are about a half dozen wooden objects carved from walnut wood. It’s not obvious how to categorize them. About the size of […]
A Collection of Costumes Hits the Runway for a Cause
Two-foot-tall wigs and chandelier headpieces barely cleared the doorway of the Gifford House in Provincetown on Feb. 10, where the lobby served as backstage for “Thirsty Through the Years.” It […]
As Sweet as a California Surfing Town Can Be
Our annual visits to San Diego always involve tacos of every description. With Mexico less than 20 miles away, our meals here also feature extraordinary fruits and full-flavored vegetables from […]
Of Avian SAD Lamps and the Hunt for Winter Eggs
Like rosebuds, like leaves, like most living things, in the absence of sunlight, hens’ eggs do not bloom. In the depths of winter, a farm-fresh egg seems like the perfect […]
An Azalea of Our Own
A flower bud in winter is a good symbol of hope, reminding us that spring will come again if we simply can endure. The shingled buds of the swamp azalea, […]
Seeing Light Pollution for What It Is
The winter cold can be challenging for stargazers, but it offers rewards to the warmly dressed. That’s because cold air can’t hold as much water vapor as warm air, so […]
Hockey Teams Await Postseason Fate
EASTHAM — The Nauset boys hockey team cemented its position at the top of MIAA Division 3 with home victories over highly ranked Nantucket and Scituate before shutting out Monomoy […]
That’s Cold
ON ICE IDYLL-ING This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Cape Cod’s Beach Grass Is Farm Grown
As climate change causes more frequent, more intense, and slower-moving storms, people on Outer Cape Cod are having to adjust their ideas about how quickly its beaches are eroding. A […]
When the Hypercritical Get Hyperexpressive
This week will have us dealing with some pretty intense transits, but here is one we should all beware of: Mercury and Saturn “cazimi” — that is, they enter the […]
Housing Workshop Canceled
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
Town Calendar Adjustments
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Truro are held online. Locations are noted for in-person meetings. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details […]
Showing Up
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
The Tax Work-Off Is Back
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Jim Broussard, Before the Light Changes
It’s 36 degrees on a February afternoon, and Provincetown painter Jim Broussard is standing with his easel on Tremont Street next to a melting pile of snow. “I got my […]
Bye Bye, Brown Paper
“Anything is better than brown paper,” says Marc Guerrette, the brains and the brawn behind “Winter Windows,” a project that aims to remedy a problem that has been bothering Guerrette […]
A Story of Your Leaving
J.J. Starr-McClain is a fifth-generation Chicagoan whose ’90s childhood was split between city and suburb, father and mother, steel and sky. In life and in her poetry, she still tends […]
Jeff Zinn Explores the History of Acting
Jeff Zinn, former artistic director at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater and former managing director at Gloucester Stage Company, has spent his life in the theater. But a few years ago, […]
In the Wellfleet Winter, Some Summer Sun
There was something quite unexpected in Wellfleet on Friday evening, Feb. 9: a full parking lot. People chatted, keys in hands, heading to their cars outside the public library. This […]
Arts Briefs
Art as a Family Affair Artwork by members of 37 Cape Cod families is the subject of “Familial,” an exhibit currently on view in the Hope McClennen Gallery at the […]
Good Coach
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Extra Uncurricular
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Perspective Versus Hyperbole
Here’s something we all can agree on: we live in a beautiful place, largely free of dissension and stress. The world over the bridge is an increasingly scary place, full […]
The Historical Power of Storytelling
The powerfully told story is the muscle of history. When it is a first-person account, a primary source, the impact is even greater. The history taught during my years in […]
State of the Town
What is there to say about the state of the town of Wellfleet? In his ode to Eastham last week, Brendan Noonan wrote that the “terrifying” front page of the […]
Letters, February 22, 2024
‘The Madness Must End’ To the editor: Wellfleet has a citizen disengagement problem. Many Wellfleet residents have simply stopped showing up. Vacancies exist across almost all town boards and committees. […]
Dick Elkin, Climate Activist and Nauset Neighbors Founder, Dies at 81
For Wellfleet, Cape Cod, and the Earth, Dick Elkin’s vision was clear: because most greenhouse gas emissions on the Outer Cape are generated by vehicles, residential power consumption, and heating, […]
Musician and Principal Betty Comey Was 100
Betty E. Comey retired to Provincetown 30 years ago, where, her family wrote, she loved “the many talented artists, musicians, performers, storytellers, longtime residents, and members of the Unitarian Church.” […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
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Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 12 to Feb. 16, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Feb. 15. The 2010 Marcia Cinamon Revocable Trust (Mitchell Shifrin and George M. Locarno, […]
Classifieds February 22, 2024 — February 29, 2024
SEEKING Carpenter or woodworker needed to build a basic box for displaying and storing a set of Christmas ornaments. A simple, functional box — a hobbyist can build this. I […]
Indie’s Choice
Silent Laughs (Thursday, Feb. 22) Steamboat Bill Jr., Charles Reisner’s 1928 silent comedy starring Buster Keaton, screens at WOMR (494 Commercial St., Provincetown) on Thursday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m. Free. […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
TOWN OF WELLFLEET SELECT BOARD PUBLIC HEARING March 12, 2024 Notice is hereby given that the Wellfleet Selectboard will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 12, 2024; 6:00pm. virtually […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Town of Truro Bid Announcement Cottage Housing Relocation and Upgrades Project The Town of Truro is seeking sealed bids from General Contractors for the construction of the Cottage Housing Relocation […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing March 6, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in […]
State Sues Holtec for Mishandling Asbestos at Pilgrim Reactor Site
BOSTON — Mass. Attorney General Andrea Campbell has filed a civil complaint against Holtec Decommissioning International, owner of the shuttered Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, for a long list […]
Truro Will Sue 8 Homeowners for Cesspool Inaction
TRURO — Installing a cesspool has been illegal in Massachusetts since 1978. They are considered “failed” septic systems. But people on the Outer Cape have kept on living with them […]
Provincetown Select Board Is Set to Dissolve the Pier Corp.
PROVINCETOWN — The Public Pier Corporation, created in 2000 to receive major state funding for the renovation of the town-owned MacMillan Pier, has now served its purpose, according to Pier […]
Curley Objects to Two Hires as Waldo Departs
WELLFLEET — During Rich Waldo’s final two weeks as town administrator, he hired Wellfleet’s first-ever town planner and a new town accountant — a key municipal position that had been […]
Truro Select Board Plans Two Separate Town Meetings
TRURO — The warrant for last fall’s special town meeting, which was repeatedly postponed amid a series of voter registration challenges and then moved from November to May when a […]
Two Years After Approval, Injectable HIV Prevention Is Still Scarce
PROVINCETOWN — After its approval by the Food and Drug Administration in December 2021, Apretude, an injectable medication for HIV prevention, was expected to be a game-changer for several high-risk […]
Planning Board Still Doesn’t Like Road to Fisher Beach Lot
TRURO — Willie and Gloria Cater bought three acres overlooking Fisher Beach in Truro in 1979. They’ve traveled a long road in pursuit of the chance to build there. The […]
How a Whale Biologist Became a War Volunteer
PROVINCETOWN — Olga Shpak is as surprised as anyone that she became a war volunteer. Growing up in Soviet Ukraine, Shpak had a hard time collaborating with other kids. She […]
Delgizzi Owes Over $500K in Truro Taxes
BOSTON — David Delgizzi, known across Outer Cape Cod as an absentee landlord who rents his rundown properties at substantial rates while ignoring tax bills for years on end, is […]
Cape Cod’s Beach Grass Is Farm Grown
As climate change causes more frequent, more intense, and slower-moving storms, people on Outer Cape Cod are having to adjust their ideas about how quickly its beaches are eroding. A […]
Michael Ceraldi’s Carrot Sformatino
I’ve seen my fair share of tasting menus but only because I’ve spent the last decade working in fine dining. If you’re lucky enough to have a job in a […]
An Eagle Scout at Art School
PROVINCETOWN — One floor up from the stately galleries of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum are a series of classrooms with soft natural light. On Saturdays in the off-season […]
What’s Old Becomes New-ish at the Wellfleet Fix-It Clinic
Lydia Vivante’s trusty 1964 Singer Featherweight sewing machine is acting up. “You can see the stitches are a little loose, a little bumpy,” says Vivante, holding a piece of cloth […]
TV Times
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New Winter Birds That Are Here to Stay
Charles Townsend was an acclaimed ornithologist who lived on the North Shore of Boston. Studying the birds around him, he quickly rose to prominence as an expert on the bird […]
DRIFT
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America, the Invaded
The view across a Cape marsh in winter can be downright lyrical, with beautiful, spacious skies and amber waves of Phragmites australis, the invasive common reed. Soaring up to 20 […]
Boys Hockey Wins 11th Straight Game
EASTHAM — The Nauset boys hockey team stayed hot, winning its 11th straight game and finishing its Cape and Islands Atlantic Division schedule undefeated. The Warriors (14-1-1 overall) beat Barnstable […]
Short Stories, Told Plate by Plate
Jim Farley started his license plate collection in 1976. That year, the states were creating special plates in recognition of the nation’s Bicentennial. Farley, who grew up in Peru, Ill., […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Feb. 13 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Where There’s Heat, There’s Fire
Move over, Cupid (or Eros, if you like the Greek gods better than the Roman ones), this is a week for passions to flare. We start off real spicy, with […]
Expanding the Housing Office
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
A House Convoy
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. Thursday, Feb. […]
8 Years of Roadwork?
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Election Season
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
The Intimacy of the Everyday
From a young age, Oscar Morel exhibited an interest in feeling, touch, and texture. “My mom used to call me Toca Mano — her nickname for ‘touchy’ — because whenever […]
‘Our Queer Elders’ in History and Song
Katie Castagno is a geologist at Provincetown’s Center for Coastal Studies by day who goes home and writes songs at night. She remembers the moment she learned that the marine […]
Double and Triple Trouble in ‘Little Devils’
The Helltown Players is a self-described “collaborative of dramatists and theater enthusiasts from the Outer Cape” who, inspired by those historic rebels the Provincetown Players, aim to produce plays “written […]
Beauty, Brokenness, and Moral Complexity
Luis Rodríguez Noa, a young Cuban painter and graphic artist, won first prize in his country’s National Contest of Posters in 2005 for a witty entry commemorating the 400th anniversary […]
Arts Briefs
Celebrating the Music of Irving Berlin For baritone and voice instructor John Murelle, entertainment and “enlightenment” go hand in hand. Accompanied by pianist Chris Morris and guest singer Johanna Stipetic, […]
Sous-Vide
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Three of My All-Time Heroes
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Eastham Is Really Good
I was taken aback by the front pages of the last two editions of the Independent because both had pictures of Eastham. The Feb. 8 issue even had a front-page […]
An Anchor in Provincetown
Last week Teresa and I took ourselves to the Fine Arts Work Center for the first of this winter’s “Fellows Fridays” — showcases of work by the 20 artists and […]
Letters, February 15, 2024
The Death of a Whale To the editor: Kudos to the Provincetown Independent and reporter William von Herff for digging into the facts surrounding the death of a right whale off Martha’s […]
Charles Rogers of Conwell Lumber Dies at 75
Charles Nickerson Rogers of North Truro, a Provincetown native and former owner of Conwell Lumber, died at Cape Cod Hospital on Feb. 8, 2024. He was 75. Charlie was born […]
Lawrence Thomas, Town Hall Custodian, Was 56
Lawrence Thomas died at his home in Provincetown on Feb. 8, 2024. No cause of death was given. He was 56. The son of Dewey and Jean Thomas, Larry was […]
Provincetown’s Loretta Amaral Alves Dies at 80
Loretta Amaral Alves of Provincetown died on Feb. 6, 2024 at Cape Cod Hospital after a brief illness. No specific cause of death was given. She was 80. Born in […]
Eastham’s Select Board Chair, Arthur Autorino, Was 77
The chair of the Eastham Select Board, Arthur A. Autorino, died peacefully on Feb. 4, 2024 while on vacation in South Carolina with his wife, Georgia Wirth Autorino. The cause […]
Margaret Cassano of South Wellfleet Dies at 97
A beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Margaret C. Cassano of South Wellfleet, known as Peggy, died peacefully on Feb. 2, 2024 at Brightview’s Wellspring Village in Shelton, Conn., surrounded by […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 5 to Feb. 9, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Feb. 5. Trevor’s Trail II LLC [Thomas G. Tannariello, agent] to Conwell Pine LLC […]
Classifieds February 15, 2024 — February 22, 2024
LOVE, BELATEDLY From one shallot to another: Thank you for all the cooking adventures, for also loving the finer things, for welcoming me to this town and looking out for […]
Indie’s Choice
Battle Station (Thursday, Feb. 15) Playground, Laura Wandel’s 2021 French-language drama about the emotional battleground of a Belgian grade school playground, screens as part of the Provincetown Film Art Society […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
Town of Wellfleet Conservation Commission Public Hearing March 6, 2024 Please take notice that the Wellfleet Conservation Commission, in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 131, Section 40, and the Wellfleet Environmental […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham INVITATION FOR BIDS Sealed bids for furnishing the following will be received at the Office of the Town Administrator, 2500 State Highway, Eastham, MA 02642, until […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Licensing Board Public Hearing February 27, 2024 The Provincetown Licensing Board will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 5:15 p.m. in the Judge […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
TOWN OF TRURO Zoning Board of Appeals Notice of Remote Public Hearings Monday, February 26, 2024 at 5:30 pm 2024-002/ZBA – Jennifer Cabral (Nearen & Cubberly Nominee Trust, Christopher Snow, […]
Eastham’s Art Autorino Dies at 77
EASTHAM — Art Autorino, 77, chair of Eastham’s select board and former chair of its planning board and strategic planning committee, died in South Carolina on Feb. 4, 2024. He […]
Entanglement Leads to Death of Young Right Whale
This article was updated on Feb. 28, 2024. PROVINCETOWN — A North Atlantic right whale was found dead near Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard on Jan. 28. The death represents a […]
Provincetown Adopts a ‘Phased Approach’ to DPW Renovation
PROVINCETOWN — Almost two years ago, departing Dept. of Public Works Director Rich Waldo made a pitch to the select board for a new DPW facility slated to cost $31 […]
Hiring a Shellfish Deputy Becomes a Pitched Battle in Wellfleet
WELLFLEET — The addition of a fourth full-time employee of the shellfish dept. has stirred turmoil between town officials and members of the shellfishing community, who claim the process by […]
In Winter’s Civics Vortex, Reviewing a Meeting That Might Have Been
TRURO — The buzz about the special town meeting was not put off until May 4 — even if the meeting itself was. Debate over its two most controversial subjects, […]
Eastham Takes on the Housing Management Problem
EASTHAM — Last July, the Eastham Affordable Housing Trust’s housing management contract with the nonprofit Community Development Partnership (CDP) expired, and the trust didn’t renew it. Instead, it decided to have […]
Black History Month Gets Little Attention at Nauset High This Year
EASTHAM — Nauset Regional High School’s observance of Black History Month last year caused controversy when an “All Lives Matter” banner was hung in a school hallway. This year, students say, […]
So Far, Experiments With Shark Barriers Don’t Sway Local Experts
WELLFLEET — Great white sharks have become as synonymous with Cape Cod summers as lobster rolls and bridge traffic. But as their population has rebounded after decades of decline, so […]
For Vintage Purses, a Second Life
Lucy Siegel’s obsession with salvaging vintage leather goods began at the swap shop at the transfer station in Wellfleet. There, four years ago, browsing with her sister, she found an […]
Shrimp and Okra Gumbo: A Movable Mardi Gras Feast
I won’t be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year. We’re visiting my brother Brit and his family in Montana. But I’m not worried. My brothers and I have […]
Short Stories, Told Plate by Plate
Jim Farley started his license plate collection in 1976. That year, the states were creating special plates in recognition of the nation’s Bicentennial. Farley, who grew up in Peru, Ill., […]
Francine Williams’s First Winter on the Cape
Wellfleet, Dec. 30, 7:34 p.m.: Francine Williams is nearing the end of her 14-hour shift at the Mobil gas station on Route 6. She clocked in just before 6 a.m. […]
Gentle and Slow Is the Path to Warrior 3
Strength, balance, and fortitude. These are surely the qualities a person who is pursuing a spiritual path would need. But it seems to me they are also important qualities for anyone […]
Indoor Track Teams Are Cape and Islands Champs
EASTHAM — The Nauset boys and girls indoor track teams were crowned Cape and Islands Champions after claiming the top spot at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston on Sunday. […]
Your Friend Hedera Is a Clingy Climber
English ivy is a determined escape artist. It sneaks under garden fences while no one is looking to set up house in neglected or forgotten places, then starts working on […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Feb. 6 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
It’s a Week for Revelations
There is a lot going on in the world, and just as much is happening with the cosmic forces that oversee it. This week may reveal a lot, and not […]
Provincetown Marchers Call for Ceasefire in Gaza
PROVINCETOWN –– Around 40 demonstrators took to Commercial Street on the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 3 to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. On signs and in speeches, they demanded […]
State Says Holtec Must Report on Chemicals in Vaporized Wastewater
PLYMOUTH — Holtec International, the company that now owns the shuttered nuclear power station here, has so far not received permission to pursue its initial plan to discharge 1.1 million […]
Wellness Program
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
The Warrant Is Open
Meetings Ahead Truro meetings are often held remotely. Go to truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on joining. Thursday, Feb. 8 Select […]
Wellfleet May Hire Its Own Accountant
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda […]
No Break for Year-Rounders (Again)
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in-person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link to […]
In Poland With Abraham Storer
Abraham Storer was standing in a cemetery in Gliwice, Poland in the fall of 2020. He wasn’t there to mourn but to paint — positioned with easel, canvas, and palette […]
Oscar Gets an International Itch
Making a film about the Holocaust is always problematic. How do you create something that properly represents or explains an atrocity so enormous it defies comprehension? The Nazis systematically exterminated […]
A Poet’s Prose
Lindsay Miles, one of this winter’s Fine Arts Work Center fellows, doesn’t feel comfortable calling herself a writer. “I think I’ll be 80 and I’ll still be unsure of the […]
The Internal Contradictions of Avigayl Sharp
A wave of doubt rolls through fiction writer Avigayl Sharp moments before she meets the page. “Writing is scary for me because I go in with absolutely nothing,” she says. […]
Arts Briefs
A New Executive Director at Twenty Summers Bill Reihl has been visiting Provincetown for decades. Some of his favorite memories from those visits, he says, are of events at the […]
Valentine’s Day Do’s
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True Love
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Losing Our Connection
I am walking with my dog, Dory, along Provincetown’s Old Colony Nature Trail on an unusually mild January day. I pause at a certain spot, as I do every day, […]
Housing Rears Its Head
Do we spend too much time talking about the Outer Cape’s shortage of reasonably priced housing? Some people we know think so, including friends in Truro who tell us that […]
Letters, February 8, 2024
Receivership: An Important Tool To the editor: The Independent’s Jan. 25 edition spoke volumes about the ironies of our Outer Cape housing crisis. A once grand, historic house rots in […]
Services for Margaret Cassano
Calling hours for Margaret C. “Peggy” Cassano of South Wellfleet, who died at 97 on Feb. 2, 2024, will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9 […]
E-Z-Doze-It Founder Harold McGinn Dies at 81
Harold J. “Sonny” McGinn died peacefully at his home in Bonita Springs, Fla. on Jan. 11, 2024 with his wife, Julia, by his side. He was founder of E-Z-Doze-It Excavating […]
VFW Commander Johnny Strong Was 86
Johnny Strong died on Jan. 25, 2024 at Regal Care Nursing Home in Harwich, surrounded by family. The cause was vascular dementia. He was 86. One of 13 children of […]
A Passionate Lover of the Arts, Dian Reynolds Dies at 93
Dian K. Reynolds, a writer, producer, stage manager, and lover of the arts on the Outer Cape and beyond, died at her home in Wellfleet on Jan. 28, 2024. The […]
Marjorie Gidman of North Truro Was 86
Marjorie Margaret Mary (Gresko) Gidman of North Truro died on Jan. 23, 2024 at Winchester Hospital in Winchester after a brief period of declining health. She was 86. Born on […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Jan. 31. 304 Commercial Realty LLC [Francesca D. Cerutti and Cynthia A. Bolduc, managers] […]
Classifieds February 8, 2024 – February 15, 2024
TRUE LOVE Dear Duck: You are my perennial summer crush. Every crossing — in rain, twilight, or morning light — feels like a blessing. When I float like a spacewalker […]
Indie’s Choice
Devilish Delights (Thursday, Feb. 8) The Helltown Players present Little Devils, a collection of six short plays written by Cape Cod playwrights, at Provincetown Theater (238 Bradford St.) on Thursday, […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
TOWN OF TRURO Zoning Board of Appeals Notice of Remote Public Hearings Monday, February 26, 2024 at 5:30 pm 2024-002/ZBA – Jennifer Cabral (Nearen & Cubberly Nominee Trust, Christopher Snow, […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Historic District Commission Public Hearing February 21, 2024 The Provincetown Historic District Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, in […]
Eastham Legal Notices
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) TOWN OF EASTHAM REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) OWNER’S PROJECT MANAGER for Construction of Wastewater Treatment Facility and Phase 1 of Sewer Collection System The Town of […]
North Eastham Master Plan Has Time to Evolve
EASTHAM — The North Eastham Master Plan, which was created in 2022 to help guide the development of three parcels of town-owned land, will likely need some updates before any shovels […]
State Says Holtec Must Report on Chemicals in Vaporized Wastewater
PLYMOUTH — Holtec International, the company that now owns the shuttered nuclear power station here, has so far not received permission to pursue its initial plan to discharge 1.1 million […]
Provincetown Select Board Wants to End Single-Family Zoning
PROVINCETOWN — The select board is enthusiastic about two zoning amendments that it wants to bring to town meeting voters this spring — one that would “upzone” the town’s zoning […]
Former Bourne Administrator Is Tapped in Wellfleet
WELLFLEET — As the town heads into budget and warrant season, its leaders have been faced with a more urgent job: finding a new administrator for its rapidly approaching busiest […]
3 New Hopefuls Enter Race for Select Board
TRURO — At least three challengers plan to run for the two select board seats on Truro’s May 14 ballot this year — Susan Girard-Irwin, Kevin Grunwald, and Nancy Medoff. […]
Sextons Appeal Land Court Decision on Fred Bell Way
WELLFLEET — The Sexton family’s failed bid to claim ownership of property on Old King’s Highway where the town built affordable housing more than 20 years ago isn’t over. A […]
Post Office Staffing Problems Delay Outer Cape’s Mail
PROVINCETOWN — Residents and business owners from Provincetown to Eastham are reporting issues with mail delivery, with some saying they are waiting days or weeks to receive their mail. Seven […]
An After-School Culinary Club Explores Healthy Foods and New Flavors
Students in the Wellfleet Elementary School’s culinary club have, over the past month, stayed after school to make things many of them had never heard of, like pho, the Vietnamese […]
Broccoli Rabe, Right Away
Last week, I made a joke about dropping all of my New Year’s resolutions in favor of a commitment to eat 52 different kinds of soup instead. A friend reached […]
Snow-Sowing in February for a Payoff in Summer Blooms
The first time I walked outside on a late February morning and scattered a packet of poppy seeds on the snow I felt the same way I did the few […]
Lichens Like It Here
Shrubby lichens like the bushy beard (Usnea strigosa) are sensitive enough to air pollution to be bioindicators: the bushier the beards, the cleaner the air. Judging by the robustness of […]
The Art of Pishing
Some days, birds just aren’t cooperative. Warblers stick to the crowns of trees, sparrows hide in the bushes, and finches won’t leave the hedges. Birds can be skulky beasts sometimes. […]
Indoor Track, Swimmers Shine at Team Competitions
EASTHAM — Nauset indoor track had a strong showing at the MSTCA Coaches Invitational at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston on Sunday, highlighting a busy week for Warriors sports. […]
Seeing the Light Under a Dark Sky
On the Outer Cape, far from the lights of shopping centers, interstate highways, and urban downtowns, we’re used to seeing bright stars sparkle amidst hundreds of fainter ones. The ghostly […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 30 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Do-Gooders Rejoice, Aquarius Rules the Skies
Aquarius continues to rule the skies this month, and it looks like some of the signs are taking advantage of the dream weaver’s beneficence. The Earth signs are digging deep […]
Dissolving the Pier Corp.
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option for both committee members and residents. Click on the meeting you want to attend on […]
Office Hours
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Truro are remote. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in. The agenda includes instructions on how to join. Thursday, Feb. 1 Climate […]
Who Will Join the WHA?
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Town Meeting Decorum
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option for both committee members and residents. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the […]
Joan Hopkins Coughlin Works From Memory
Joan Hopkins Coughlin’s Wellfleet home is perched on a hill overlooking Duck Creek, a subject she’s continually returned to in her paintings. By the door in her kitchen hangs a […]
The Curse Tells Unnerving Truths
The Curse, the latest wild-card creation from director Nathan Fielder now streaming on Paramount Plus, is a show about the two worst people in the world: newlyweds Whitney and Asher […]
Robert Jay Lifton: Connoisseur of Hope
Karl Marx famously said, “The philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways. The point however is to change it.” But what if interpreting the world is precisely […]
Jeff Gibbons’s Root Balls, Tiny Chairs, and Talking Rocks
Inside his studio off Pearl Street, Jeff Gibbons is mulling over his latest work, Orion’s Belty Button. The earthen sculpture, a helmet-size hornbeam root ball, rests on a wooden pedestal, […]
After This
When I die You shall set me free For I would like to be clover. Deep-rooted clover with a few lucky leaves And small white flowers That pop up overnight […]
Arts Briefs
The Bourbon Sunset Trio in Harmony “The joke is that ‘Tequila Sunrise’ was taken,” says banjo player Lynda Shuster, one of the three musicians who make up Bourbon Sunset along […]
Underwater Playground
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Co-Hog Day
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The Choice Facing Peake’s Successor
The retirement of our state representative, Sarah Peake, after nine terms on Beacon Hill marks a generational change that may affect the Outer Cape in unexpected ways. It raises an […]
Google Chooses Evil
I use Google probably a hundred times a day, searching the internet as I check facts. I’ve been feeling a looming wariness as I watch the company’s downshift into AI, […]
Letters, February 1, 2024
Peace Valley Memories To the editor: The report by Christine Legere on the old house at 177 Peace Valley Road in Wellfleet [“A Once Grand Property, Now Condemned, May Finally […]
The Fanning Gallery’s Dorrit Jacob Dies at 88
Dorrit Jean Jacob of Green Valley, Ariz., who was known as Bimbi, died peacefully at home on Jan. 15, 2024. No cause of death was reported. She was 88. Bimbi […]
Art Enthusiast and Dog Lover John W. Brewer Was 84
John Wilton Brewer died peacefully on Jan. 21, 2024 at the Pat Roche Hospice House in Hingham. The cause was heart failure. He was 84. The son of Jane Alberson […]
Retired Language Teacher Ksenija Oset Powers Dies at 86
Ksenija Oset Powers, who taught Russian at Nauset High School and later became the chair of the language department at Provincetown High School, died at Oakleaf Manor Retirement Community in […]
A Dancer From Childhood, Provincetown’s Richard H. Gibson Dies at 82
Richard H. Gibson died peacefully in hospice care at Seashore Point on Jan. 10, 2024 with his partner of 48 years, Jerry Cassese, at his bedside. The cause was diabetes-related […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Jan. 22 to Jan. 26, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Jan. 24. Gianna Gifford and Sarah Hagan to James C. Donovan, Brian R. Crete, […]
Classifieds February 1, 2024 – February 8, 2024
SEEKING Fresh eggs. Are your chickens laying more than you need? Full-time Eastham seniors looking for year-round source for local eggs, about a dozen a week. Eastham, Orleans, South Wellfleet […]
Indie’s Choice
Now Playing (Thursday, Feb. 1) Wellfleet Elementary School (100 Lawrence Road) hosts Youth Open Gym evening for students in grades 6 through 10 on Thursday, Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m. Free. […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
Town of Wellfleet Conservation Commission Public Hearing February 21, 2024 Please take notice that the Wellfleet Conservation Commission, in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 131, Section 40, and the Wellfleet Environmental […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
TOWN OF PROVINCETOWN INVITATON FOR BIDS REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE SERVICES FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES The Provincetown Year-round Market Rate Rental Housing Trust is seeking proposals for professional marketing services from qualified […]
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Legal Notices
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Eastham Legal Notices
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) TOWN OF EASTHAM REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) OWNER’S PROJECT MANAGER for Construction of Wastewater Treatment Facility and Phase 1 of Sewer Collection System The Town of […]
A Once Grand Property, Now Condemned, May Finally Get a Cleanup
WELLFLEET — A 19th-century Queen Anne-style house just off Route 6 once numbered among a cluster of grand properties owned by wealthy members of the local business community in a […]
Wellfleet’s Lawrence Hill Project Wins State Support
WELLFLEET — The plan to build 46 affordable apartments at 95 Lawrence Road has cleared its last major hurdle. On Monday, the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities […]
Montano’s New Owner Has Been Eating There for 16 Years
TRURO — After close to 36 years at the helm of Montano’s, a beacon for pasta lovers and Truro’s only deep-winter dinner spot, Bob Montano is selling the restaurant that […]
Outer Cape Towns Institute Opioid Remediation Plan
The four Outer Cape towns began a joint effort on Jan. 1 to spend an unusual pool of money: $621,100 in “opioid remediation funds” that will come to the towns […]
Another Administrator Resigns, Leaving Wellfleet With None
WELLFLEET — At its Jan. 9 meeting, the Wellfleet Select Board voted to appoint Assistant Town Administrator Silvio Genao to the position of interim town administrator. Genao resigned on Jan. […]
Pizza Spinello Brings Dinner to Main Street
WELLFLEET — A new light is flickering on Wellfleet’s ever-darkening Main Street. Pizza Spinello opened its doors on Jan. 3 to a bevy of townspeople hungry for a new dinner […]
After 9 Terms, Peake Will Give Up House Seat
PROVINCETOWN — State Rep. Sarah Peake’s ninth term on Beacon Hill will be her last, she announced last week. Peake, 66, a Democrat who lives in Provincetown and whose Fourth […]
The Meditative Practice of Sharpening a Knife
At first, the idea of sharpening your own knives seems intimidating, even a little mysterious — the kind of thing that’s “only for pros.” And it’s true that chefs’ relationships […]
Seeing the Light Under a Dark Sky
On the Outer Cape, far from the lights of shopping centers, interstate highways, and urban downtowns, we’re used to seeing bright stars sparkle amidst hundreds of fainter ones. The ghostly […]
Rob Scott Carves Out a Place in Folk Art Tradition
Woodcarver Rob Scott’s winter studio on Conwell Street in Provincetown is like an extension of the hardware store next door — if a Carhartt-enthused Geppetto fascinated by saltwater aquariums were […]
Michael Costa Combs the Shore
Provincetown, Dec. 11, 2:02 p.m.: Michael Costa’s metal detector is beeping. He drops to his knees and digs and sieves through the sand with an unselfconscious eagerness. The man is looking […]
Adobo for Dinner, No Matter the Season You’re In
The first time I met Priscilla Lasmarias Kelso, she had joined us on a walk at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain — the Boston neighborhood where Christopher and I […]
Indoor Track Shines at Division 4 State Relays
EASTHAM — The Nauset High boys indoor track team capped a banner week by beating Barnstable 53-46 on Tuesday to finish the regular season undefeated, 6-0, and claim the Cape […]
The Groundcover That Refreshes
If the state of the world has left a bad taste in your mouth, a stroll through Provincetown’s Beech Forest can be a palate cleanser. Clear your mind on the […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 23 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Be Cunning or Bold — It’s Only a Game
We are in the heart of winter. My personal favorite pastime for this icy stretch? Getting cozy for a game night with friends. There’s something about friendly competition that really […]
Election Season
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option for both committee members and residents. Click on the meeting you want to attend on […]
Voter Challenge Update
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Truro are remote. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in. The agenda includes instructions on how to join. Friday, Jan. 26 Finance […]
Seasonal Residents Raise Concerns
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
Child-Care Subsidy Gets Boost
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in-person, with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link to an […]
Peter Hutchinson Through the Decades
Peter Hutchinson stands in his studio flipping through photos from past projects. He turns a page, and there he is — tiptoeing around the caldera of a volcano, dropping crumbs […]
Notes From a Native Daughter
On the first floor of the Provincetown Public Library, in the magazine section, is Henry Hensche’s Portrait of Margaret Mayo Expecting Motherhood. The woman’s eyes are pained and sad yet […]
The Truths and Untruths of Writers and Movies
Much of the efforts of the postwar civil rights and Black Power movements focused on restoring dignity to the Black male, who had been emasculated by slavery and the subsequent […]
The Art of the Frame
Beveled or square-edged, gold or chartreuse, deep-set or floater? Does a frame enhance a work of art? The frame is a statement, a declaration by the artist. Finding a suitable […]
Arts Briefs
Documenting The Young Vote in American Politics “A lot of young people just feel like their vote doesn’t matter,” says Dariel Cruz Rodriguez, an 18-year-old political organizer from Florida, in […]
Underdressed
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Contracting Time
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Face to Face With a Nonvoter
I’m not sure exactly what I expected from my first time covering the Iowa caucuses. As a nerdy middle-schooler growing up in the D.C. suburbs, I had read some American […]
In Pursuit of the Hearty Garlic
The shelves and coolers at Stop & Shop have a plethora of pickles. There are dill pickles aplenty: hot dill, kosher dill, hamburger dill, and baby dill. There are half […]
A Dearth of Letters
Except for one deliciously pithy communication from Richard Spada, we had a dearth of letters to the editor this week. I don’t understand this, because last week’s issue of the […]
Letters, January 25, 2024
A Smell in Truro To the editor: As a founding member of a community church in Berkeley, Calif. in the year 2000 and a leader on the board of directors […]
Paul Tasha, a Provincetown Original, Dies at 71
PROVINCETOWN — Paul Tasha, a renegade spirit who built houses by hand and fished for lobsters in scuba gear, died on Jan. 5, 2024 at Cape Cod Hospital. He was […]
Former Provincetown Selectman Michael Perel Dies at 78
Fisherman and former Provincetown Selectman Michael Perel died on Dec. 7, 2023 at his home in Katy, Texas surrounded by his wife, Helaine, his children, and their spouses. The cause […]
Eastham’s Sheila Hatch Dies at 80
Sheila B. Hatch of Eastham and Stratham, N.H. died peacefully on Oct. 23, 2023 at Cedar Healthcare Center in Portsmouth, N.H. The cause of death was not reported by the […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Jan. 15 to Jan. 19, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Jan. 18. Paul Fradin to Ralph Jackson and Noah Spring. 15 Miller Hill Rd., […]
Classifieds January 25, 2024 – February 1, 2024
TIDINGS 50 Years of Love. David and Anita Butler recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a few friends at Fanizzi’s Restaurant. The couple were married on Jan. 19, 1974 […]
Indie’s Choice
Model Behavior (Thursday, Jan. 25) Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill (10 Meetinghouse Road) presents an open studio session with a live model on Thursday, Jan. 25, 9:30 […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Town of Provincetown Assessors’ Notice To all persons subject to taxation in the Town of Provincetown: Fiscal Year 2025 In accordance with the provisions of General Laws, Ch. 59, § […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham PROPOSED FY25-FY26 FEE SCHEDULE Public Hearing February 5, 2024 The Eastham Select Board will hold a public hearing on Monday, February 5, 2024 at 5:30 PM at […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Truro Central School School Committee PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED SCHOOL BUDGET In accordance with Chapter 71, Sec. 38N, of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Truro School Committee will hold a Public […]
A Big Storm, but Less Flooding in Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN — The powerful storm that hit New England on Jan. 13 and caused major coastal flooding from Boston to Maine brought several saltwater intrusions to Provincetown. This page is […]
Historical Commission Proposes a New Museum
PROVINCETOWN — The attic of the old firehouse next to town hall is packed with artifacts from the former Provincetown Heritage Museum that have languished there for the last 24 […]
Jamaican Congregation Told to Leave Truro Chapel
TRURO — The Chapel on the Pond, which has hosted a growing, mostly Jamaican congregation since Pastor David Brown began to lead services there in 2017, must close its doors […]
Out Here, Getting There Happens Thanks to Volunteers
DENNIS — On a nippy Tuesday afternoon, Marianne Thomas, who lives in Wellfleet, picks up Nancy Yeaw of Provincetown from her dentist appointment in South Dennis. “They didn’t take the […]
Calls for Overdose Rescues Fall as Narcan Use Rises
EASTHAM — According to data from the state Dept. of Public Health, calls to emergency medical services for opioid-related emergencies — that is, overdoses — decreased on the Outer Cape […]
Truro’s Cloverleaf Faces up to $7M Funding Shortfall
TRURO — Construction at the Cloverleaf project at 22 Highland Road has yet to begin, seven years after the state transferred the 3.9-acre property to the town specifically for affordable […]
Two Select Board Seats Are Up for Election in Wellfleet
WELLFLEET — All throughout this year, American voters will experience an omnipresent election campaign that will eventually culminate in a November choice for the presidency. This spring, however, Wellfleet voters […]
Seawater Sweeps Streets in Wellfleet and Truro
Saturday’s storm brought seawater into Wellfleet and Truro, and readers were out, cameras in hand, to document the scene at high tide. We thank Trevor Pontbriand, Edouard Fontenot, and the […]
The Bitter and Sweet of a Midwinter Feast
Most everyone who loves to cook has probably gone over the top at least once and created a feast of embarrassing excess. My long-ago decadent dinner began as an unlikely work […]
The Year of Saffron, Violet, and Coconut
My friend Livi Bois made a beeline for the stand at the back of the Canteen craft market like a scent hound on the trail of its prey, leaving her […]
Pick Six
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Button Mushrooms Can Be Magical, Too
We were on our annual pilgrimage to the Met a few years ago and I was giddy with anticipation of getting to watch the chandeliers sail into the ether, but […]
Hockey Teams Ranked 1st and 3rd in MIAA
EASTHAM — Nauset/Monomoy girls hockey won two games this week, defeating Bishop Feehan 1-0 with the goal scored by sophomore Julia Kipperman at Charles More Arena on Saturday before easing […]
In the Grove
Once you learn to identify the black locust by its deeply furrowed, interlacing bark, you’ll start to see it everywhere on the Outer Cape — where there’s one, there are […]
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 16 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Bundle Up for Aquarius Season
This week the Sun transits from practical, persistent Capricorn to progressive and analytical Aquarius. Aquarius is in tune, at least in some ways, with the stark and direct nature of […]
Chapter 91 Action Plan
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option for both committee members and residents. Click on the meeting you want to attend on […]
Permit to Burn It
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Truro are remote. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in. The agenda includes instructions on how to join. Thursday, Jan. 18 Climate […]
Administration Turmoil Continues
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the […]
A First Look at the Budget
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link […]
Sheryl Jaffe Explores Life’s Interconnectedness
Sheryl Jaffe’s studio in her Wellfleet home feels equal parts science laboratory, industrial workshop, and cabinet of curiosities. Objects that she has collected on walks line the shelves and ledges: […]
A Joyful Shift
Mark Boucher Peter Gherardi Peter Gherardi, a psychiatrist, and Mark Boucher, a lead patient service representative, retired in December 2023 from Outer Cape Health Services in Provincetown. I spoke with […]
A Stranding
Before Dürer, dragons existed; after him, they did not. —Philip Hoare Two mola mola washed ashore last night during a full […]
Cape Strata
How many people pass this place … every day and never see it! Once it is seen, painted, and put into a frame everyone will come to look at it. […]
Nick Flynn Searches for Lost Time
Nick Flynn’s Low, his sixth volume of poems, is perfectly tuned to winter’s meditative months. Published in November by Graywolf Press, the collection consists of poems of varying lengths that […]
In Wellfleet, Walking, Chalking, and Singing for Racial Justice
WELLFLEET — Between two big winter storms, the sun came out long enough for townspeople of all ages to gather for reflection and action for racial justice on the Jan. […]
Arts Briefs
Fred Magee and the BFD at Wellfleet Library Wellfleet musician Fred Magee will play a concert of original songs with his newly formed band, the BFD, at the Wellfleet Public […]
The Days Grow Longer
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Town Anchors
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MLK Day 2024
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Dysfunctional Democracy
Early in the new year, President Biden gave a powerful speech near Valley Forge warning of all the ways that democracy could be destroyed if Donald Trump returns to the […]
Listening to Vorse
This is the third winter that the Independent has hosted young journalists in a fellowship named for Mary Heaton Vorse, who lived from 1907 until her death in 1966 in […]
Letters, January 18, 2024
Denotation vs. Connotation To the editor: As we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday this week, I was reminded that we are approaching Black History Month. I imagine that the […]
Nurseryman and BMW Aficionado James K. Dowd Was 75
James Kane Dowd died peacefully at Cape Cod Hospital, attended by his brother and other caregivers, on Jan. 2, 2024. The cause of death was pneumonia. Jim was 75. The […]
Radiologist and Art Collector Karl Rosarius Dies at 85
Dr. Karl Rosarius, who was known as Charly, picked up his wife, Bettina, at the Cologne train station in Germany on the morning of Dec. 8, 2023; she had just […]
Provincetown and Wellfleet Harbors
Know when to hit the flats. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Real Estate Transactions
Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Jan. 8 to Jan. 12, 2024. PROVINCETOWN Jan. 10. Susan J. Classi and Lisa R. West to Edward Blake Romaine and […]
Classifieds January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024
MUSIC & DANCE Outermost Contra Dance is happening Jan. 19 at 6:30 at Wellfleet Preservation Hall. Local caller Pat Nash will teach all dances to the music of fiddler Stuart […]
Indie’s Choice
Trash Talk (Thursday, Jan. 18) The Truro Climate Action Committee hosts “Talking Trash,” a discussion with DPW Director Jerrold Cabral, at Truro Public Library (7 Standish Way) on Thursday, Jan. […]
Provincetown Legal Notices
Position Opening AFSCME – DPW Transfer Station Skilled Staff The Town of Provincetown is accepting applications for an opening in the Department of Public Works for Transfer Station Skilled Staff. […]
Wellfleet Legal Notices
Attorney General’s Notice Pursuant to G.L. c. 40, § 32 Town of Wellfleet — Case No. 11177 Special Town Meeting of September 18, 2023 Articles # 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and […]
Town of Truro Legal Notices
Truro Zoning Board of Appeals Notice of Remote Public Hearings Monday, February 26, 2024 at 5:30 pm 2023-012/ZBA Robert J. Martin II and 100 Route 6 LLC for property located […]
Eastham Legal Notices
Town of Eastham ANNUAL TOWN MEETING The Warrant for the Eastham Annual Town Meeting to be held on Monday, May 6, 2024 opens Monday, January22, 2024 and will close Monday, […]
Italian Instruction Is ‘Presente’ in Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN — When Provincetown International Baccalaureate Schools students enter the classroom of their new Italian instructor, Tiziana Murray, they’re faced with an immediate challenge: a sentence on the board in […]
Mayo Will Retire After 48 Years at Coastal Studies
PROVINCETOWN — The Center for Coastal Studies is set to announce that Charles “Stormy” Mayo III, a cofounder of the organization and director of its Right Whale Ecology Program, will […]
Court Rejects Sextons’ Latest Land Gambit
WELLFLEET — Chellise Sexton and her son Kevin are known for repeatedly trying to wrest properties away from their current owners using 100-year-old deeds to back their claims. They have […]
Outer Cape Is Whistle Stop on Senators’ Housing Policy Tour
PROVINCETOWN — Sen. Lydia Edwards of Boston, who represents the third Suffolk district and cochairs the state legislature’s joint committee on housing, visited Provincetown on Dec. 22 to talk with […]
State Expands Eligibility for Low-Cost Health Plans
PROVINCETOWN — This year’s “open enrollment” period on the state’s Health Connector website — that is, the window of time in which people without health insurance can easily sign up […]
Chamber of Commerce Proposes New Hotel Tax to Promote Tourism
EASTHAM — The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce is proposing to generate money for tourism marketing with a new 1.5-percent tax on stays at hotels and motels with 15 or more […]
Wellfleet’s Wastewater Plan Is on Track to Meet State Deadline
WELLFLEET — Town officials are working to finalize a targeted watershed management plan aimed at reducing the nitrogen load in the harbor and bringing Wellfleet into compliance with state and […]