All Stories

HUMAN RIGHTS

WELLFLEET — Protests against police brutality following the May 25 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis were not confined to America’s major cities. About 150 people marched through Wellfleet last […]

THE WATERFRONT

PROVINCETOWN — The Public Pier Corp. has raised the slip fees on seven MacMillan Pier tenants and rescinded permission for the Mayflower II to land here in September. The Pier Corp. board also […]

SCIENCE AT RISK: PART 2

This is the second in a series of articles on the Cape Cod National Seashore’s science program. It explores why science matters at the Seashore and why it’s at risk. […]

SUMMER

EASTHAM — The town has mapped its beaches, ponds, and landings and their parking areas with an eye to allowing socially distanced fun this summer. The exercise revealed that “we […]

PHASING IN

PROVINCETOWN — Outdoor dining for restaurants, new picnic areas on town property, an experimental car ban on Commercial Street, and extra oversight of the excursion fleet were all approved at […]

THE HAIL MARY

WELLFLEET — The Beachcomber, the Pearl, and Mac’s Shack will ask the select board on June 9 to be allowed to serve alcohol outdoors. Each restaurant hopes to set up […]

SHELLFISHING

WELLFLEET — Vacationers and visitors received another blow from the select board last week — a ban on seasonal recreational shellfishing permits. On top of the short-term rentals ban through […]

GRADUATION

  2020 class advisers Jennifer Stevens, Kate Blascio, and Jessica Reeves hand out caps and gowns, supervised by Savannah Stevens, age five. (Photos Nancy Bloom)   Libby Chase arrived by […]

CLASS OF 2020

Anna Rogers Truro School: NRHS Fall plan: Continuing my education After high school, I plan to stay on the Cape with my family. I couldn’t live without my dog, Oscar, […]

VALEDICTORY

I am the ceramics and painting teacher at Nauset Regional High School. Normally, each day, 125 students come to my classroom studio, where I try to create a vibrant and […]

ART SEEN

PROVINCETOWN — As of this week, art lovers can stroll past many of Provincetown’s galleries without getting up from their living room couches. A new website, ptowngallerystroll.com, was launched by […]

COCKTAIL HOUR

Memorial Day, marking the unofficial start of summer, has come and gone this year in a way unlike any before: no crowds, no traffic, no large gatherings. Only the middling […]

MAKER SPACE

My studio was a gift from my parents. It was built in 2017 with an inheritance I received after my mom and dad both died within four months of each […]

GALLERY

Leaving Wellfleet for her freshman year at UMass Amherst, Kenna Valli packed hundreds of pictures of family and friends, painstakingly arranging them in her dorm room with the approved adhesive. […]

BODY/MIND

I’ve learned some things navigating this new normal as a single person living in a one-bedroom apartment. One is that there are things we can do to adapt and get […]

COURT OF LAST RESORT

There is one good thing about life without professional basketball to watch. Memories of driveway and schoolyard games come along to fill the void. Playing five-on-five basketball is not advisable […]

DUNE TOWN

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Navigating by the Stars

Friday, June 5, brings a lunar eclipse in the sign of Sagittarius. Eclipses speak to the relationships between different areas of our lives and any lack therein. The sign of […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, June 2, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

TOWN ELECTIONS

All citizens are encouraged to vote by mail this year. To do that, however, a registered voter must fill out and mail in an absentee or early voting application, and […]

CIVICS

PROVINCETOWN — The Outer Cape’s health agents’ duties range from enforcing food and water safety to supporting emotional connection. Their jobs touch on sex, rats, and sewers. And that was […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held remotely. To watch a meeting, go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, June 4 Public Pier Corp., 3 […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov. Thursday, June 4 Select Board, 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 9 Select Board, 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jun 10 Planning […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Go to wellfleet-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for instructions on how to participate. Thursday, June 4 Coastal Resiliency Grant Listening Session, 10 a.m. […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on the meeting agenda for information about how to view and take part remotely. Thursday, June 4 Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m. […]

WATERCOLOR

The late George Floyd, against a background of all the states’ flowers. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

They were feathered jewels moving through the trees, gifts from the Southern Hemisphere and our Southern states, most on their way north, here on the Cape for a few days […]

ARCHIVES

If ever there were a match made in heaven, it was six years ago, when Chuck White walked into Angel Foods in the East End of Provincetown and asked for […]

POETRY

Ed Meek’s fourth book of poetry is all about cycles. High Tide, which Aubade Publishing will put out in July (its May launch was postponed due to the coronavirus), takes […]

MUSIC

Every September since 2014, a group of friends — Malcolm Pollack, Kemp Harris, Carl Sturken, Ray Castoldi, Gary Lue, and others — journey to Star Island, one of the Isles […]

QUEER ‘I’

To understand why Larry Kramer was a great artist and a singularly influential activist, you have to examine how much the world has changed from plague to plague, HIV to […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The first weekend in June is traditionally when our local public high schools — Nauset Regional High in Eastham and Cape Cod Regional Technical High in Harwich — hold graduation […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A Hard Look at Ourselves To the editor: What do we do when confronted with the terrible news of the actions and inactions of the Minneapolis police officers that led […]

CLASSIFIEDS

THANK YOU The children of Bernard N. Santos thank our family and friends for the prayers and cards of sympathy on the passing of our Dad. We appreciated the little […]

OBITUARY

Sheila E. (Lussier Costa) Silva, 77, of North Truro died peacefully on May 27, 2020, at Harbor Point in Centerville, where she resided for the last year. She was the […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from May 26 to May 29, 2020. PROVINCETOWN May 26. Equity Trust Company Custodian (Robert A. Newell IRA, trustee) to 3 Harbor […]

Know when to hit the flats

our picks for the week of June 4 through June 10

Outer Cape Calendar Pier Pressure The Addison Art Gallery in Orleans will make a donation to the Eastham, Wellfleet, and Truro public libraries for every Paul Schulenburg painting sold through […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Film and Wine Paired in Virtual Series Marc Strauss, Michael Rose, and Wellfleet Preservation Hall are presenting the virtual series “Film & Wine” on Zoom every other Tuesday through July […]

ESSENTIAL SERVICES

Send updates and additions to [email protected] Provincetown Community Kitchen Soup Kitchen in Provincetown at the United Methodist Church, 20 Shank Painter Road: Providing free lunches Monday through Friday, 12:30 p.m. […]

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

PROVINCETOWN — On March 27, Gov. Charlie Baker issued an advisory that travelers into Massachusetts from other states should self-quarantine for 14 days. At that time, New York State was […]

VIRTUAL MEETINGS

For the past eight years, John has made coffee, opened doors, and greeted people as they entered the Wellfleet First Congregational Church for the weekly Saturday night Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. […]

HEALTH

Outer Cape Health Services, the major provider of health care for the four Outer Cape towns, continues to operate its three clinics with reduced hours, staffing, and salaries, a result […]

CIVICS

WELLFLEET — The number of people viewing and participating in virtual select board meetings here in recent weeks is breaking the board’s attendance records. Since the Wellfleet Select Board began […]

WILDLIFE

PROVINCETOWN — Memorial Day weekend may have been quiet for some, but Herring Cove Beach was the scene of almost daily drama caused by at least one aggressive coyote, which […]

SEARCH

PROVINCETOWN — Carole Madru of Hyannis, whose body was found on the beach in North Truro on Saturday, May 23, had parked her car at Elena Hall’s waterfront parking lot […]

BUSINESS

EASTHAM — After an informal poll of the planning board revealed that four of six voting members — one short of the needed supermajority — would approve Barbara Niggel’s application […]

STEAMERS

Swipe Nope by A. Crock

WATER SAFETY

Scientists have reassuring news for Outer Cape residents and visitors who are worried about contracting coronavirus from swimming in ponds and in the ocean and Cape Cod Bay. There is […]

THE REOPENING

PROVINCETOWN — This week and next, town governments on the Outer Cape will be rolling out changes to traffic flow, restaurant rules, bathroom arrangements, and dozens of other adjustments to […]

RARA AVIS

on Tuesday, May 26, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. A late Bufflehead was reported in North Truro. A King Rail was […]

GALLERY

“Buy your second home first” is a popular piece of advice. For Jenny Shaw and Matt Bowman, who live in Quincy, purchasing their first home in Eastham made a lot […]

MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

This month we reach the summer solstice. June 20 will be the longest day of the year and start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s […]

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and all the questions about how busy the waterfront would be have now been answered. It’s not looking good. On top of the Covid-19-related […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

WELLFLEET — In a pretty little corner of town, there is a small, ancient burial ground, its scattering of headstones nestled amid the scrub oak leaves and pine needles. In […]

OFF THE PATH

In March, Susan Goodspeed set out to hike the Appalachian Trail for the first time in her life. “I researched the heck out of it,” Goodspeed says. “I don’t have […]

FIRST PEOPLES FOLLOW-UP

A U.S. district court judge has chastised attorneys for the Dept. of the Interior for filing an “incomprehensible” memorandum in a case that threatens the tribal sovereignty of the Mashpee […]

MATTERS OF FAITH

“New occasions teach new duties,” James Russell Lowell declared in a poem from which was drawn a familiar hymn, “Once to Every Man and Nation.” That sentiment is providing a […]

CLASS OF 2020

WELLFLEET — Gov. Charlie Baker’s Covid-19 recovery guidelines, issued on May 18, stated that “drive-in theaters are allowed to operate only for the purpose of showing movies.” That left some […]

FUTURE SHOCK

EASTHAM — In a few decades, some of Eastham’s most used roads could be underwater. The town, in coordination with environmental consultants from the Woods Hole Group (WHG), has studied […]

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is providing rides to 600 to 800 people a day. As one of the only public transit options […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held remotely. To watch a meeting, go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Follow the link to the agenda for […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and find meetings on the lower right of the home page. Click on the agenda of the meeting […]

currents

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held online. Go to wellfleet-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for instructions on how to participate. Tuesday, June 2 Select Board […]

currents

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

VIGNETTE

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OP-ED

Both the federal government and the state of Massachusetts are waging a heartless war on immigrants. While the Trump administration actively blocks asylum seekers, imprisons families, deports unaccompanied children, and […]

TEACAKE’S TAKE

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Navigating by the Stars

In terms of astrology, the planets can be seen as dynamic reference points. The angles, or aspects (square, conjunction, etc.), they make to one another create shapes of energy across […]

PERSONAL ESSAYS

In his moving and beautiful collection of essays, I’ve Been Wrong Before, Evan James reflects on the time he spent in a myriad of places around the world — San […]

MYSTERIES

The Matinée Murders, the newest in Jeannette de Beauvoir’s Sydney Riley series of mystery novels, may be a work of fiction, but it is full of real people and takes […]

INDIE SCREEN

Goodbye, Wendy Darling, Tiger Lily, and Tinkerbell. In Benh Zeitlin’s Wendy, a fantasy riff on J.M. Barrie’s iconic literary creation, Peter Pan, the restlessness of young Wendy (Devin France), a […]

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

People often ask us why the Independent doesn’t always cover certain stories that fill the daily papers and TV news — stories that punctuate everyday life and can be exciting. […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘This Planetary Moment’ To the editor: In only a little over six months, the Provincetown Independent has managed to establish itself as an indispensable lifeline and anchor to this extended […]

CLASSIFIEDS

THANK YOU The children of Bernard N. Santos thank our family and friends for the prayers and cards of sympathy on the passing of our Dad. We appreciated the little […]

J. Austin Pinkham Jr. of Harwich died on May 2, 2020, at Cape Cod Hospital following years of multiple health issues. He was 89. J. was born on Dec. 12, […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from May 18 to May 22, 2020. PROVINCETOWN May 18. Kathleen McGinley to Steven Sean Timothy Vojtasko. 616 Commercial St., Unit 2, […]

Know when to hit the flats

our picks for the week of May 28 through June 3

Outer Cape Calendar Animal Magnetism As part of Payomet Performing Arts Center’s “Early Stages” series, on Friday, May 29, at 10 a.m., Wellfleet musician and poet Alex Brewer, the host […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Swim for Life Does More Than Tread Water Instead of having a crowd of people running into the bay at Provincetown’s beach, this year’s Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, […]

LAUNCH HOUR

Some Memorial Day rituals have not been canceled. Here’s Jen Nichols, at the launch at Pamet Harbor in Truro last Sunday. For families, the rules are easy to follow; click […]

SEASONAL PROSPECTS

PROVINCETOWN — Phase one of the governor’s reopening plan began on Monday, but for the Outer Cape’s hospitality-driven economy, the big changes will come with phase two. That’s when renting […]

ECONOMY

Gov. Charlie Baker’s extension of the ban on short-term rentals until at least June 8 takes a bite out of one of the biggest pieces of the Outer Cape’s economic […]

DISTANCE

WELLFLEET — Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday, without providing evidence, that social distancing at beaches means blankets must be 12 feet apart — at least during phase one of the […]

SCHOOLS

Keep those corsages and graduation cards handy. Nauset Regional High School is planning a prom and a graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020. “The last week in July, we’re […]

NEVERMORE

In March, a pair of ravens built a large nest under the eves at Provincetown Town Hall, but then abandoned it — and their eggs –– after a major storm […]

OUTER CAPE PORTRAIT

LENNY FEDERICO / RECYCLER & TEACHER / WELLFLEET Lenny Federico has just returned to Wellfleet to begin his eighth summer on the job at the town’s recycling bins. Here’s Lenny […]

PEOPLE

You may not know her by name, but Lilli Osowski is one of Provincetown’s busiest residents. A senior studying health technology at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, she works […]

Crossword

The May puzzle from Sophia Maymudes should be done on dry land.   Need some answers? We send out the solution in our Friday newsletter. You’ll find the signup for […]

KITCHEN TABLE

These are the bars I’ve been making. They’re from what was supposed to be the May “travel” issue of Bon Appétit — an issue they seem to have hastily renamed “Recipes […]

GALLERY

Lilacs are in bloom and hummingbirds have returned. A catalog arrives showing vast outdoor rooms, outfitted with weatherproof versions of every indoor luxury. But keep on the sunny side: it […]

DOVETAIL JOINT

The question: I’m thinking of buying an old house. It will need a lot of work, and I want to do much of it myself. I’m especially interested in whether […]

MOVEMENT

Gardening is good for the soul. But if you don’t pay attention to good body mechanics, it can be hard on your back — or your knees, wrists, and elbows. […]

FARMERS MARKET

Photos and text by Edward Boches It was a windy but gloriously sunny opening day at the Wellfleet Farmers Market last Wednesday, May 13. Shoppers and vendors alike wore masks, […]

Navigating by the Stars

As the Sun enters the sign of Gemini, things begin to look light and bright — um, seasonally speaking. For us mere mortals who must endure the whims of unseen […]

RARA AVIS

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

LIVE PERFORMANCES

Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, N.H., hosted a public concert last Saturday that was safe enough for a sizable audience to be there live during the pandemic. How was that […]

HEALTH

After multiple extensions, open enrollment for health insurance is set to end on Monday, May 25. It’s not too late to get help with signups for health insurance, and people who […]

CIVICS

Provincetown: The April 6 annual town meeting is now scheduled for Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. The town election will be held June 30. Truro: The April 28 annual town […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held remotely. To watch a meeting, go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Follow the link to the agenda for […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. To watch live, go to truro-ma.gov and find meetings on the lower right of the home page. Click on the agenda of the meeting […]

currents

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held online. Go to wellfleet-ma.gov and click on the individual meetings for instructions. Thursday, May 21 Dredging Task Force, 11 a.m. Local Housing Partnership, 4 […]

currents

Meetings Ahead While town hall is closed to the public, meetings are being conducted remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda. That document […]

MEMORIAL DAY

Even in our current predicament, there’s no stopping nature. The daffodils have come and gone, and now the beach plum is fully abloom. The lilacs have begun to release their […]

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

I will miss the throngs on Commercial Street in the center of town: the hubbub, the chatter, the flow of people, the animated wave of humanity — young and old, […]

COVID PORTRAIT

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TELEVISION

You can take Jerry Bruckheimer to Carnival, but you can’t take the Hollywood out of Jerry Bruckheimer. The blockbuster producer (Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Flashdance, Bad Boys, Pirates of […]

ARTISTS

The current work of Truro-based artist Robert Cardinal is a solid series of mature paintings, simple scenes of manmade objects in nature. His harmonious compositions blend complementary colors with definite, […]

BOOKS

The writer Nick Flynn, whose work has been published in the New Yorker, Esquire, Paris Review, and a dozen books, came of age as a poet in Provincetown. He was […]

Obituaries

Edward G. Vitale of Wellfleet, known to all as Ted, died on May 1, 2020, at age 56, after his second valiant battle with cancer. Ted was a professional actor […]

Obituaries

James Kevin Stinson-Johnson, 61, died peacefully in his Provincetown home on May 11, 2020, after struggling with multiple system atrophy. Kevin’s smile and easygoing nature charmed one and all. He […]

Obituaries

Jacqueline Ann Enos, a loving sister and aunt, died on April 25, 2020. She was 52. Born on Dec. 23, 1967, at Cape Cod Hospital, Jackie grew up in Provincetown. […]

Walter Adams Bingham Jr., known to all as Bing, died on May 13, 2020, in Duxbury from chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He was born on Aug. 27, 1930, in Orange Memorial […]

Marie Carnevale “Ann” Rogers, 75, a compassionate noni, mother, teacher, and friend, died on May 13, 2020 at her home in Eastham after managing cancer for over 15 years. Born […]

Charles Gibbs “Charlie” Munroe, 77, of Wellfleet, died on April 29, 2020, after a battle with cancer. He was born on March 12, 1943, at Cape Cod Hospital and was […]

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

The most surprising thing about this newspaper, for someone outside it, is probably how we pick what to write. The process shocked me when I first saw it, and I continue […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dealing With Our Own Failures To the editor: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently claimed there was “enormous evidence” that Covid-19 originated in a lab in China. Few would dispute […]

CLASSIFIEDS

CRAFT Signs and Graphics from P’town to the Berkshires! Hand-carved signs and complete graphic design services. Shop signs. Storefront and window banners. Decals. Vehicle lettering. Covid-19 sign specialists. Carved and […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from May 11 to May 15, 2020. PROVINCETOWN May 15. Vasilios Patrinos to George Tobin. 15 Cottage St., Unit 4. $370,000. May […]

Know when to hit the flats

our picks for the week of May 21 through May 27

Outer Cape Calendar Single Lutz Starting off its 2020 season virtually, the Schoolhouse Gallery is offering an online show of small works by painter Sarah Lutz, at galleryschoolhouse.com/small-paintings-sarah-lutz/. Lutz is […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Chevy Wins a Bevy of Awards The Independent’s staff photographer, Nancy Bloom of Truro, shot this image of a 1961 bubble-top Chevy last October in front of the Bluebell, one […]

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

Gov. Charlie Baker had his reopening update news conference on Monday, May 18, and a lot of strict limitations on boats for hire are still in place. As I understand […]

MEMORIAL DAY

With a strong crew, a family sets out on an excursion around Truro’s Pamet Harbor. In Provincetown, Mike Winkler’s crane service places Flyer’s shuttle in the water. Boating is allowed […]

RECOVERY

PROVINCETOWN — The town’s Recovery Coalition is working on a phased reopening of Provincetown’s economy that depends on knowing how many people are here. That won’t be easy. This page is […]

QUIET SUMMER

PROVINCETOWN — With a flat tone and zero arguments, the select board on Monday rescinded parade permits and banned the use of town property through Dec. 31, in effect canceling […]

THE UNCOUNTED

The self-reported response to the U.S. Census from the Outer Cape has been extremely low so far — under 25 percent for all four towns. Truro’s rate is the second […]

THEATER COMPANIES

WELLFLEET — After the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater announced on May 5 that it was postponing its entire 2020 season of productions until 2021 due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the […]

STICKER SHOCK

WELLFLEET — In an effort to reduce crowding on town beaches, Wellfleet is moving the start date for requiring beach parking stickers forward 30 days, to May 20. And only […]

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

PROVINCETOWN — The much quieter than normal waterfront businesses are anxiously waiting to see what Gov. Baker does with the current stay-at-home and social distancing policies. It has given boat […]

SIGNS OF SPRING

This season, the Wellfleet Farmers Market is going to be one of those places where life’s new rules seem weirdest. The place to go to get your hands-on local produce […]

VIGNETTE

Vignette by Daniel Dejean

AQUACULTURE

WELLFLEET — This town’s signature day will be missing in 2020 due to fears about the spread of Covid-19. The select board voted on April 28 to ban public uses […]

ECONOMY

PROVINCETOWN — Bringing a business back from a dead standstill is hard enough. But the problems surrounding that effort during the Covid epidemic are so fiendishly interwoven, they resemble the […]

FROM A DISTANCE

EASTHAM — Elementary students and teachers won’t be returning to school this year, but the community is trying to help make the most of the situation. There were cheerful waves […]

GOING GREEN

Golfers can rejoice, as their green canvases have reopened. Gov. Charlie Baker announced on May 7 that golf courses, which had previously been required to close, could begin reopening across […]

RARA AVIS

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

RESILIENCE

WELLFLEET — Schools are shut for the rest of this term, at least, but that doesn’t mean Outer Cape high school seniors and their families won’t have a chance to […]

HALL OF FRAME

When it comes to framing art, my goal is always to enhance the piece and not distract from it. What’s fun about my job is that I never know who’s […]

GALLERY

Different from artworks in galleries, our home collections are more personal and varied. And in a gallery, little distracts from the art, while at home, it has to contend with […]

DISPATCHES

As we move toward a new normal, locally and globally, strict lockdowns are being modified, masks have become a fashion trend, and the Outer Cape enters the season that once […]

DEVELOPMENT

EASTHAM — Developer Tim Klink of Coastal Companies failed to persuade the zoning board of appeals on May 7 to overrule the building commissioner’s decision that Klink’s proposed 16-unit Route […]

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

WELLFLEET — Officials are pumping the brakes on the 95 Lawrence Road affordable housing project due to the delay of town meeting. The use of town-owned land at that location, […]

AT THE LIBRARY

EASTHAM — The town’s library closed to the public exactly two months ago, but staff have been busy providing online options for patrons and planning for the day when the […]

CURRENTS

All meetings are held remotely. To watch a meeting go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Follow the link to the agenda for instructions on […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. To watch live: go to the town website, truro-ma.gov and find meetings on the lower right of the home page. Click on the agenda […]

currents

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held online. Go to Wellfleet’s town website wellfleet-ma.gov and click on the individual meetings for instructions. Thursday, May 14 Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m. Friday, May […]

currents

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

SURFING

The moment: a slice of time of uncertain length, liberated. A sampling of the river, defined not by length but by its content and significance. The internet says a moment […]

SKETCHBOOK

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MIDDLE SCHOOL MORNINGS

For the first 10 minutes of each school day, the Provincetown Schools Middle Years students — grades six, seven, and eight —write in their journals about their experiences living through […]

POETRY

Slip a pair of scissors in your pocket, my son. Lace your thumb and pointer through the hand holds. Steady! Leave the realm of your home, out the front door, […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

With Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto gone retrograde this week, our collective momentum might stall out in the midst of adjusting to a new (temporary?) normal. Meanwhile, the Moon’s tryst […]

ARTISTS

When we enter this world as newborns, we experience our surroundings visually as forms, shadows, and, gradually, shades of color. We recognize our mother’s face before all else, then become […]

THINKERS

The 2020 Broto Art-Climate-Science conference will take place virtually on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17. This year’s theme is “Time Sensitive: Exploring the Nexus of Art-Climate-Science & Deep […]

MUSIC

One day a few years back, during a particularly snowy winter, jazz musician Bert Jackson sat on the couch in his Brewster home, picked up his guitar, and composed a […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

If you want to know what’s really killing America’s newspapers, read the May 7 report in the New York Times titled “Push for Profits Left Nursing Homes Struggling to Provide […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Context Is Important To the editor: I found the headline “Day-trippers Uninvited to Wellfleet Beaches” in your May 7 edition [page 5] misleading and hyperbolic. I think context is important. […]

CLASSIFIEDS

THANK YOU Mama Mia, Michael. Thank you for delivering deliciousness to our door. And the lemon tart. We think you’ve finally found a dessert that’s up there with your pastas […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from May 4 to May 8, 2020. PROVINCETOWN May 4. Marion Serelis to Robert B. Sieban Jr. Trust (Robert B. Sieban Jr., […]

Know when to hit the flats

our picks for the week of May 14 through May 20

Outer Cape Calendar Four Memorial Trees Last week, Margaret Murphy and Trees Provincetown, with the help of Ken MacPhee of Bartlett Tree Experts, planted a paperbark maple at the Provincetown […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

When Sheltering Is Not So Safe Playwright Candace Perry writes that “a portion of the Clothesline Project has been hanging in our yard in Wellfleet. We take in the shirts […]

SCIENCE AT RISK: PART 1

This is the first in a series of articles on the Cape Cod National Seashore’s science program. It explores why science matters at the Seashore and why it’s at risk. […]

ECONOMY

PROVINCETOWN — Memorial Day weekend is two weeks away, but there is no official guidance yet on whether anyone will be allowed to come here. Since March 31, a standing […]

ARS INTERRUPTUS

PROVINCETOWN — The Fine Arts Work Center notified participants in its summer workshops by email on April 29 that the entire program had been postponed until 2021 due to the […]

SUMMER 2020

WELLFLEET — Summertime is coming but the living is far from easy. The expansive Outer Cape beaches may seem the perfect social distancing paradise, but the Wellfleet Select Board is […]

RELIEF

PROVINCETOWN — The coronavirus-induced collapse of the economy has people everywhere reaching for lifelines, from unemployment to SBA loans to MassHealth. At the edge of this scene is a group […]

MILES APART

A mask gets pushed aside, though six feet of separation were kept, for a taste of summer on a sunny Saturday. (Photo Nancy Bloom) This page is available to subscribers. […]

EASTHAM 400

EASTHAM — As a gallery of works by the Eastham Painters Guild rolls by on the screen, your eyes are held by those of Aspinet, the Nauset sachem who befriended […]

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

PROVINCETOWN — The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is no closer to opening up nonessential businesses and relaxing social distancing rules than it was a week ago. Last week, I wrote about how […]

LOST & FOUND

I discovered one of my favorite floor lamps in a barn, coated in dust and dirt. I took it home and cleaned it up. All it needed was a coat […]

GALLERY

While new gardeners are just now considering what to plant for the season ahead, their more experienced neighbors are already tending tomato seedlings in the greenhouse. Fluctuating temperatures and blustery […]

RARA AVIS

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

COCKTAIL HOUR

The possibility of facing a virtual Mother’s Day celebration certainly adds a layer of complexity to a day that, for many of us, already carries heightened emotions, from poignancy to […]

KITCHEN TABLE

Dinner at Prune was supposed to be a big deal. The kind of thing certain types of freelancers in New York saved for. So it was a bit disappointing to […]

SUMMER OF NO BALL

The boys of summer will not be coming to the Cape this year. The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) canceled its 2020 season on April 24. The news, though expected, […]

THIS THING CALLED LOVE

EASTHAM — Most young couples start their journey together in excellent physical health. Making a promise to support each other “in sickness” comes at a time when serious illness feels […]

CREATIVE ISOLATION

Sisters Violet and Hazel Yingling of Truro were going to go all the way to Paris, France, on an extra-special vacation this spring. They had to put their trip on […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The energy of the Full Moon in Scorpio this week will linger for days to come. You may feel like a pressure cooker of emotions. Instead of blowing your lid, […]

WELLFLEET — The Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater announced on May 5 the cancellation of its 2020 summer season, in recognition of “the need to take a proactive stance to slow […]

EXTRA CREDIT

The Provincetown Public Schools and the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School in Harwich both have middle school programs, but they have taken different approaches to grading since the schools were […]

CURRENTS

Three Dems and Two Felons on County Ballot Three Democrats are expected to be on the ballot for county commission in the Sept. 1 primary. Provincetown resident Cheryl Andrews, 60; […]

UNEASY BEING GREEN

The Wellfleet Farmers Market will be the first to open on the Outer Cape this season, on Wednesday, May 13, from 8 a.m. to noon. Like other local greenmarkets across […]

CURRENTS

Covid-19 Update As of May 4, 2020, Provincetown had one confirmed active case of coronavirus and one death from complications related to Covid-19; 26 additional cases were considered recovered and […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held remotely. To watch live: go to the town website, truro-ma.gov and find meetings on the lower right of the home page. Click on the agenda […]

currents

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held online. Go to Wellfleet’s town website wellfleet-ma.gov and click on the individual meetings for instructions. Thursday, May 7 Housing Authority, 10 a.m. Dredging Task Force, 11 […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Town Hall is closed to the public. Meetings are being conducted remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda. That document will […]

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

The howling wind against my window reminds me of the coronavirus. Ruthless and breathtaking, neither storm nor plague has a master. Mindless and amoral, they go about their business with […]

FROM THE HELM

It was the 2 a.m. deck watch change. I looked up to see a 40-foot wall of water just before it came crashing over us. In that instant, I knew […]

DUNE TOWN

Dune Town by JAK

UNMASKED

The Real You by Ellen LeBow

On the Outer Cape, Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday of May, is typically the time when stores and restaurants reopen and the spring thaw starts in earnest. Snowbirds, both […]

In the course of an artist’s lifetime, a recurrent theme may emerge almost of its own accord, with an urgency that cannot be ignored. That has certainly been the case […]

AUTHORS

Provincetown takes center stage in Jamie Brenner’s latest novel, Summer Longing, a follow-up to The Forever Summer, which is also set here. Brenner writes novels about families and relationships, page-turners […]

DOING GOOD

Among the institutions stepping up in the Covid-19 crisis, like hospitals, police and rescue squads, schools, and grocery stores, you might not think of a music conservatory. But the Cape […]

INDIE SCREEN

The circus of ironies, secrets, revelations, redemptions, and moral victories in the documentary Circus of Books is dizzying, especially since it’s the story of a gay porn emporium that opened […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The response of the federal government and of our local institutions to the greatest health and economic crisis of our lives has revealed many fascinating stories. One is the government’s […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Alone No Longer To the editor: When I read K.C. Myers’s story about domestic violence [April 30, page 4], I thought to send mine to you. I was sexually and […]

CLASSIFIEDS

TAKING CARE Free Love for Your Hair. Rising Organics Hair is offering free FaceTime and phone consultations with advice on caring for your hair. Learn which color kits to buy, […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from April 27 to May 1, 2020. PROVINCETOWN April 27. 446 Commercial Street LLC to Robert J. Harms and Bradley L. Horner. […]

Know when to hit the flats

our picks for the week of May 7 through May 13

Outer Cape Calendar Power Pointe Along with the Metropolitan Opera, another major Lincoln Center institution, the New York City Ballet, has gone virtual as well. Now through May 29, the […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Virtual Drag Race With Mackenzie It’s become something of a Provincetown tradition: RuPaul’s Drag Race screened live on a big TV at Pilgrim House or the Crown & Anchor Cabaret, […]

John Brewster Hopkins, 71, of Truro died on April 23, 2020, in San José, Costa Rica, after holding on for weeks following a bodysurfing injury on Valentine’s Day at one […]

Claudia Jean Martin of Provincetown died on May 1, 2020, after a brief illness, following a stay at Bourne Manor for rehabilitation. She was 74. She was born in Provincetown, […]

RESILIENCE

Even with the new emphasis on handwashing, some people can’t wait to get their hands dirty again. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get […]

ECONOMY

Editor’s note: This story has been updated as of Saturday, May 2. PROVINCETOWN — The $310 billion that was added to the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) by Congress last week […]

WATERFRONT

EASTHAM — The project to repave the parking lot and replace the boat ramp at Rock Harbor is not going to be done until June 30, according to Doug Cameron, […]

PLAYBOOK

PROVINCETOWN — The select board has ordered the wearing of face masks starting Friday, May 1, in all Provincetown businesses and by everyone outdoors on Commercial Street between Bangs and […]

TRANSFERENCE

WELLFLEET — When it comes to recycling, each Outer Cape town does it a bit differently. This has made the need to adapt systems in response to the coronavirus vary […]

BODY/MIND

“I’m exhausted. I’ve done absolutely nothing.” This is what I hear from friends, students, and family. I say it, too. We’re exhausted, but worried we’ve somehow missed the mark. Why […]

VIGNETTE

Hairdresser by Daniel Dejean

MISSING LINKS

Golf has always been a game of patience. During the coronavirus crisis, it still is, but in a different sense: local golf courses have been closed since Gov. Charlie Baker’s […]

SOIL BUILDERS

Outer Cape gardeners can get restless counting the days until they can safely set out their tomato seedlings. But seasoned local growers have some advice on what to do right […]

DOVETAIL JOINT

The Question: Now that we’re inside these four walls all day, I’m noticing so many things we ought to fix up. Our list is long and we can’t decide where […]

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

Another week has gone by, and we are still living in a world where social distancing is very much a part of our day-to-day lives. At this point, it’s time […]

MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

I no longer know what day of the week it is. I have friends and family across the street, or right upstairs, that I haven’t seen in weeks. My wife […]

PLANTCRAFT

EASTHAM — My garden is popping with bright green life as perennials wake: lemon balm, mint, oregano, chamomile, echinacea. The sight is soothing, and it brings to mind the ways […]

KITCHEN TABLE

If soup is comfort food, cream of tomato must be the comfiest. Grilled cheese with tomato soup has been the number one requested meal at our house for the last […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

If town records offer little detail about the “fearful and fatal sickness” on Cape Cod during the late winter and early spring of 1816, the cemeteries are a melancholy testament […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, April 28, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

DISPATCHES

Several weeks after U.S. states have gone into lockdown, the Independent continues to follow friends and family across the globe as they cope with the challenges of living through the […]

SIGNS OF LOVE

Preschool teacher Nancy O’Connell joined a crowd of Eastham Elementary School teachers, students, and parents, who gathered at drive-by distance to wave and cheer one another at First Encounter Beach […]

MOVING MILESTONES

Teachers from Cape Cod Regional Technical High School honored all nine seniors from the Outer Cape with a surprise house-to-house parade on April 28. (Photo Nancy Bloom)   This page […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

As we languish in lockdown, tempers and temperatures rise alike. Meanwhile, certain planetary motions stoke our emotional fires. Will internal friction lead to combustion? As our frustration builds, it is […]

RECOVERY

PROVINCETOWN — The Provincetown Recovery Coalition created by Town Manager Robin Craver had its first meeting on April 22. Its goal is to move from creative thinking on distancing-while-open to […]

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

After Gabbe Rowland escaped a violent, abusive boyfriend, the police and courts got involved. The man who terrorized her is serving a six-year sentence in state prison. But the only […]

PROVINCETOWN 401

PROVINCETOWN — Construction on the long-planned inclined elevator that will link the Bas Relief Park to the base of the Pilgrim Monument is set to begin on May 18. The […]

RESILIENCE REPORT

EASTHAM — Dorothy Burritt, director of the Eastham Council on Aging, is looking on the bright side. “I think the best thing I’ve seen is how our entire community is […]

ENVIRONMENT

Celebrating the 50th Earth Day last week required environmental organizations across the Outer Cape to get creative. Both the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown and the Eastham Conservation Foundation […]

TRURO — Vietnam veteran, peace activist, construction worker, and farmer John Hopkins died on April 23, 2020, at Hospital CIMA in San Jose, Costa Rica. He was 72. Hopkins, who […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held remotely. To watch a meeting go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Follow the link to the agenda for […]

CURRENTS

Meetings Ahead All meetings are being held remotely. Go to the town’s website, select “remote meeting information,” then follow an additional link for instructions on watching and participating. Monday, May […]

currents

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held online. Go to Wellfleet’s town website and click on the individual meetings for instructions. Thursday, April 30 Town Administrator Screening Committee, 2 p.m. Cape […]

currents

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

REFLECTIONS

WELLFLEET — We built her in a garage in Syracuse, N.Y., a 23-foot cat ketch dory, small for a cruising boat. Ignoring Capt. Nat Herreshoff’s dictum that the only suitable […]

HEY DAHLIN’

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OUTER CAPE PORTRAIT

Molly Shafnacker has been making lemonade stands with friends since she was 11 years old. Here’s Molly in her own words, recorded last fall. Listen to the recorded interview here. […]

BOOK REVIEW

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Eric Eyre braids together two riveting stories in Death in Mud Lick: A Coal Country Fight Against the Drug Companies That Delivered the Opioid Epidemic. Numbers are […]

CHILDREN’S LIT

Picture yourself taking an unhurried walk through a wildflower garden with a small child. You slow down as the child examines the curve of a leaf, the shape of a […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

A few months ago, I wrote in this space about why we put “Provincetown” in the title of our new publication rather than call it the “Outer Cape” Independent. That […]

CLASSIFIEDS

TAKING CARE Free Love for Your Hair. Rising Organics Hair is offering free FaceTime and phone consultations with advice on caring for your hair. Learn which color kits to buy, […]

OBITUARY

PROVINCETOWN — Bernard N. “Barshie” Santos of Provincetown died on April 22, 2020, at Wingate of Harwich. He was 91. Born in Provincetown, the son of the late Antone and […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from April 20 to April 24, 2020. PROVINCETOWN April 21. Friedrich Pangratz and Albert Martinez to Fadi G. Hanna. 82 Commercial St. […]

Know when to hit the flats

our picks for the week of April 30 through May 6

Outer Cape Bulletin Home Plates The Truro Historical Society, with the help of Jobi Pottery, is hoping to auction off hand-painted plates made by local artists during its gala this […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Three Days of Virtual Love A three-day-long virtual arts festival, “Home Is Where the Art Is,” is a benefit for the Cape Cod Arts Relief Fund, hosted by the Arts […]

ENVIRONMENT

With the ongoing pandemic, scientific research has been interrupted across Cape Cod. Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary has placed five staff members on partial furlough due to funding freezes, […]

HEALTH

PROVINCETOWN — The novel coronavirus threatens us all — but not equally. Since the earliest days of the outbreak, scientists and ordinary people alike have hunted for information about who […]

CIVICS

WELLFLEET — Town Moderator Dan Silverman was supposed to be calling the annual town meeting to order this coming Monday evening, April 27. Instead, Wellfleet’s town government is trying to […]

HEALTH

Dentistry is one of the most high-risk professions when it comes to disease exposure, but Outer Cape dentists are still finding emergency work to sink their teeth into. Dr. Scott […]

LEARNING

EASTHAM — “School’s out forever,” Alice Cooper declared. Not exactly, but the new normal for learning in Massachusetts — virtual lessons via the internet — will now continue through the […]

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

Spring has been a very confused season so far. As I write this, snow is falling in the western hills of Massachusetts as well as my winter home in the […]

AT THE VET

People with pets that need veterinary care will find limited services and new protocols in place at Outer Cape clinics during the Covid-19 crisis. Most of what’s new will feel […]

ECONOMY

PROVINCETOWN — Business owners are getting creative with plans for surviving what has been a devastating spring and will be a slow summer. This page is available to subscribers. Click […]

CIVIL WAR

Newspaperman Roger Hawthorne presented a letter to the Provincetown Board of Selectmen in November 1961, urging the board to recognize the 100th anniversary of the “Trent Affair” with a proclamation […]

GALLERY

We wonder about the season ahead and what we’ll find at the other side. There are surely lessons to be learned from the historic houses around us and the people […]

THE VETERAN

It’s Monday, Oct. 8, 1956, and New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen is throwing a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series. A 26-year-old […]

VIEW FROM THE HIVE

Connecting with nature is one benign, widely practiced, and evidently very effective way of coping with anxiety. In Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, Ishmael, instead of “stepping into the street, and methodically […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, April 21, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

ON THE LANDSCAPE

The lawn. A tightly cropped, cleanly edged area of neat green. An outdoor carpet for lying on and looking at. A lawn is deeply ingrained in our culture as an […]

DOING GOOD

Wild Care, the wildlife rescue center in Eastham, is open, but due to the Covid-19 crisis, staff are working remotely and the organization’s capacity is limited, according to a press […]

DIY

There’s something magical about watching the slow-motion world inside a snow globe. Ready to put winter behind us, we decided on glitter as a good ingredient for a springtime version. […]

STEAMERS

Illiberated by A. Crock

RESILIENCE REPORT

Chris Czekaj slept next to a 3D printer for the first two weeks of April. It wasn’t because he was lonely in isolation, but rather because he had volunteered with […]

ENDURANCE

TRURO — On World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 1990, Stephen Kovacev’s partner, Kevin McLean, a ballet dancer, died of AIDS. “I met him in ’82,” Kovacev told the Independent. “He […]

Staying safe at the post office can be stressful these days. As an alternative, you can sign up for Informed Delivery, free from the U.S. Postal Service (informeddelivery.usps.com). You’ll get […]

currents

Meetings Ahead From provincetown-ma.gov, click on the calendar or the list on the meeting you’re interested in. When event details are in view, click on the link provided. From there […]

currents

Meetings Ahead From truro-ma.gov, click on “remote meeting information” on the lower left. The next page will prompt you to click again for a pdf document with instructions for viewing […]

currents

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

currents

Eastham Meetings Ahead From eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16, click on the meeting you’re interested in to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely. Thursday, […]

NOISEMAKERS

WELLFLEET — When I first heard about the howling in Wellfleet, I was skeptical. I had seen a post on Facebook’s Wellfleet Community Space asking people to “share the love” […]

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

Exactly 400 years ago this coming November, the good ship Mayflower sailed into Provincetown Harbor and anchored (a fact infuriatingly underreported in our national media). There were 102 souls on […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The Sun enters Taurus this week in the 8th House of Sex, Death, and Other People’s Money. Whether you are mourning the death of loved ones or the demise of […]

SKETCHBOOK

This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

BOOK REVIEW

Drag queens are a familiar part of street life in Provincetown, and thanks to stars such as RuPaul and his Drag Race reality show, they’ve become a familiar part of […]

ARTISANS

Cape artisans who work in jewelry and stained glass rely heavily on craft shows and stores to sell their work. With things shut down during the coronavirus crisis, and the […]

HEAVENLY CUTS

On April 7, America lost singer-songwriter John Prine to Covid-19. He was a giant in the world of country and folk music — genres that, it may surprise some to […]

SOCIAL STUDIES

In a matter of weeks, reality has lost its familiar form. Invisible threats fill the air, smearing door handles and packaging, reshaping even the most minor intimacies — the touch […]

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

Before there was Zoom and FaceTime, there was real life. A place where we talked. And as we did, we communicated so much more than our words alone. In conversation […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Trump and the Coming Election To the editor: I am a retired lawyer who spent 49 years with two large firms. Real estate lawyers in both firms used to regale […]

CLASSIFIEDS

POETRY It calls to me this Provincetown / when hearts and souls are weary / It calls to me this Provincetown / thru winters bleak and dreary / Come walk […]

Know when to hit the flats

HOME

Real Estate Transactions Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from April 13 to April 17, 2020. PROVINCETOWN April 13. Michael A. Valenti Jr. and Robert Peter Tosner to […]

film

All movie theaters are closed in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

our picks for the week of April 23 through April 29

Outer Cape Bulletin Timeless Traviata The Metropolitan Opera continues to stream live performances from the past for free, with a new selection each day at 7:30 p.m., such as the […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Its Concerts Canceled, Outer Cape Chorale Keeps Zooming On March 9, the board of the Outer Cape Chorale decided to cancel the group’s upcoming rehearsals and concerts, even though the […]

CIVICS

TRURO — The Truro Select Board had one topic on the agenda for its April 9 meeting: to discuss and respond to two articles in the April 2 edition of […]

ESSENTIAL KINDNESS

PROVINCETOWN — Many studies have shown that acts of kindness cause the brain to release calming and happiness-boosting hormones. Psychologists say the result can feel like a runner’s high. This […]

ECONOMY

Update: On Thursday, April 16, the Small Business Administration stopped accepting PPP loan applications because the $349 billion appropriation was exhausted. Congress is currently negotiating over an extra $250 billion […]

CIVICS

WELLFLEET — Town Administrator Dan Hoort has asked the Outer Cape’s state legislators to try to get Beacon Hill to consider a radical remedy for the possibility that the traditional […]

PANDEMIC

Health care facilities around the country are scrambling to deal with the influx of Covid-19 patients, but hospitals on Cape Cod are better off than most. A recent study by […]

CLEAN WATER

EASTHAM — Those weren’t frackers drilling for oil last week along Nauset Road at the Salt Pond Visitor Center. Instead, workers were injecting emulsified vegetable oil as a permeable reactive […]

GALLERY

Working from home. Like it or not, it’s a new reality for many of us. And while some may be lucky enough to have a dedicated space with an actual […]

STEAMERS

Off the Wall by A. Crock

BABYCAKES

Greyson Ethan Estey was born on Feb. 19, 2020, to Ethan Estey and Keri Stebenne of Wellfleet. His maternal grandparents are Roger and Shirley Stebenne of North Attleboro and his […]

Hey Dahlin'

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MEET THE MAKER

When I was eight years old, my mother taught me my first basic crochet stitches, thereby connecting me to a long line of crochet blanket makers in my family. When […]

MOVEMENT

Running has great appeal in the age of coronavirus. Here on the Outer Cape, you can probably set out on a run right outside your front door. It doesn’t require […]

Obituaries

WELLFLEET — Bruce Drucker, who died at Cape Cod Hospital on April 7 at age 75, was at the pinnacle of his career as a lawyer 20 years ago. The […]

KITCHEN TABLE

The vegetable garden is in a spring shambles. But some parts of it are waking up all on their own. I can see from inside the house that the parsley […]

CREATIVE ISOLATION

Do you have the capacity to look around your own home and back yard and find exquisite beauty in it? Seven-year-old Anwyn Davis of Wellfleet has invented a way to […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, April 14, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

DOWN THE ROAD

On April 19, 1897, the first-ever Boston Marathon was run, with John J. McDermott winning the race in a time of 2:55:10. This year, runners are facing another first-ever event: […]

VIGNETTE

Daniel Dejean Vignette

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

As we begin another season on the waterfront, it would be an understatement to say its start, if it ever happens, won’t look like any other previous season’s start. Our […]

ECONOMY

PROVINCETOWN — The calendar of events that structures summertime in Provincetown has been nearly wiped clean. Bear Week, Family Week, and the Provincetown International Film Festival have all been suspended […]

IMMIGRATION & COVID

The Mass. Dept. of Public Health reports that people of color are disproportionately affected by coronavirus, with Latinos and blacks accounting for 23 and 18 percent of Covid-19 cases despite […]

PRESERVATION

WELLFLEET — The house at 20 Briar Lane is architecturally significant, with both Greek Revival and Gothic Revival elements. It is also the hoped-for location for two year-round businesses and […]

RENOVATION

EASTHAM — The Nauset Building Committee has requested an extension from the state of the deadline for getting four towns’ approval for the proposed renovation of Nauset Regional High School. […]

CANDIDATES

PROVINCETOWN — Austin Knight is not exactly saying “I told you so,” but he did try to warn the town about the legal ramifications of firing former Police Chief Jeff […]

currents

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held using videoconferencing. To join a meeting live, click on the link to the meeting on the town’s home page calendar at provincetown-ma.gov. To watch […]

currents

Meetings Ahead All meetings are being held remotely. For viewing information go to the town’s website, truro-ma.gov, and look on the left for “Remote meeting information.” Tuesday, April 21 Truro […]

currents

Meetings Ahead All meetings are held remotely. To watch or participate in meetings live, go to the town website, wellfleet-ma.gov, and click on the link to the meeting in the […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Town Hall is closed to the public. Meetings are being conducted remotely. Check the town’s website, www.eastham-ma.gov, for information on meeting schedule changes and how to view and […]

SKETCHBOOK

This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

OP-ED

EASTHAM — My grandfather was a Congregational minister. I never met him. He died of pneumonia in the 1920s. Two stories I heard growing up about Robert Hillis Goldsmith: in […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

With the Moon coming into relation with multiple planets this week, our emotional lives may feel more strained than they already are. Dear Reader: Channel that frustration. It is OK […]

MUSICAL VIRTUALITY

“Begin staggered, play as written, see what happens.” These are the instructions at the beginning of Elena Ruehr’s most recent composition for string quartet. Titled Zoom, it’s intended to be […]

MEMOIRS

Paul Lisicky could not have known that his newest book would be released in the midst of a global pandemic. And yet it’s apropos that the publication of Later: My […]

INK

In 2009, Kris Smith launched two brave new ventures in Provincetown. One was Coastline Tattoo, his tattoo studio, at 290A Commercial St., at the end of the Bob Gasoi Memorial […]

INDIE SCREEN

There’s no question that Greta Gerwig’s adaptation (as screenwriter and director) of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, Little Women, is a coup. A story known for its warmth and memorable […]

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

One of the best reasons to be a journalist is to be forced to remain calm in the midst of crisis in order to do your job. It doesn’t always […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Retelling the Story To the editor: Celebrating Passover is indeed a challenge this year [“Year of the Plague,” April 9]. But such challenges are in fact central to the story […]

CLASSIFIEDS

TAKING CARE Dental Emergencies. Dr. Scott Allegretti would like the community to know that, although the office is closed, we are here for you, providing information and consultation by phone. […]

Obituaries

Serge Jean Luc Le Gendre of Provincetown died on Feb. 27, 2020. He was 55. Born in New York City, Serge lived most of his life in New York, but […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from April 6 to April 10, 2020. PROVINCETOWN April 9. Kenneth Grandberg, Marcy Dagostine, and Rebecca Dagostine to Nicholas J. Riley. 953 […]

Know when to hit the flats

film

All movie theaters are closed in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

our picks for the week of April 16 through April 22

Outer Cape Bulletin A Free Lunch in Truro The Truro Community Kitchen is serving hands-free takeout meals to those in the community most in need, Sundays from noon to 2 […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Miss Richfield 1981 Goes Bingo Bonanza In case you were wondering, Miss Richfield 1981 is doing just fine during the pandemic, thank you very much. To keep herself busy, she’s […]

RESILIENCE

TRURO — For the people who grow vegetables and manicure lawns, it’s definitely not a garden variety spring, as the coronavirus closes retail garden centers and seed catalogs are selling […]

COVID & HEALTH

Covid-19 is a brand-new disease with many unknowns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites a lack of data on special risks for pregnant women and infants, but with […]

HOME SCHOOLING

School’s out for at least a month and half. That news would normally be heralded by kids as manna from heaven. But distance learning is presenting plenty of frustrations for […]

PUBLIC SAFETY

Local police officers and first responders are doing what they can to maintain their own health while they continue working to keep the public safe during the coronavirus pandemic. The […]

ECONOMY

PROVINCETOWN — The Small Business Administration (SBA) has given birth to twins. Two huge, messy loan programs with complex instructions and chaotic rollouts have been dropped on its doorstep — and […]

VIGNETTE

Daniel Dejean Vignette

COME SUNDAY

How we worship is so personal to each of us. Some worship quietly alone. Many people connect through others in their churches. However or wherever we do it, on a […]

SKETCHBOOK

Spring Peepers by Mark Adams

CHILD CARE

EASTHAM — With their facilities closed in the wake of the pandemic, some child care providers are still working to support their clients. Case in point: Cindy Horgan, executive director […]

MENTAL HEALTH

Four weeks into school closures, parents and kids are struggling with disrupted routines, financial stress, and health concerns, and there are no easy answers. “We are all in uncharted territory,” […]

FEEDING THOSE IN NEED

Starting last Sunday, the Truro Community Kitchen began serving hands-free takeout meals curbside to those in the community most in need, weekly from noon to 2 p.m. at the Box […]

DOVETAIL JOINT

The Question: We’ve been saving to make some home improvements and want to go forward. But we’re concerned about the economy and want to make sure we do this intelligently. […]

THE WAITING SEASON

EASTHAM — Nauset Regional High School junior Kurt Thomas has kept himself busy these last few weeks preparing for the spring baseball season. “I’m actually very lucky — I have […]

Crossword

The March puzzle from Sophia Maymudes should be done on dry land. Need some answers? We send out the solution in our Friday newsletter. You’ll find the signup for our […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

In the wake of a Libra Full Moon, our inner resources for creating order from chaos are supercharged. How do we render nourishment from what seems harsh on the outside? […]

D.I.Y.

Who knows what the next few months will bring? Planting a garden is one way to cope with so much uncertainty. You’ll put your mind to taking care of plants […]

KITCHEN TABLE

The nettles are up! I’ve never been so grateful to see a wild green. Nettles sting, yes. But they’re free and prolific. And right now, they’re tall enough to harvest. […]

PANDEMIC

PROVINCETOWN — John Perrone, 70, whose passion for and knowledge of Motown attracted fans from all over world, died of the novel coronavirus on April 5, 2020, the same day […]

LONG ARM OF THE LAW

TRURO — A new exhibition is being created at the Highland House Museum. Its purpose is to reframe the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of European settlers […]

CORONAVIRUS

PROVINCETOWN — The Ptown Covid-19 Task Force came together a month ago as a channel for volunteer energy to help deal with the coronavirus. The pandemic creates challenges across many […]

POLITICS

The race is on for two Barnstable County Commission seats, and two experienced Outer Cape politicians are among the contestants. Former Select Board Member Cheryl Andrews, 60, of Provincetown, announced […]

ZONING

EASTHAM — The zoning board of appeals has decided that no more storage units will be coming to North Eastham. At its April 2 meeting, the board unanimously voted to […]

currents

Meetings Ahead All meetings will be held using video conferencing. For details: provincetown-ma.gov/27/Town-Boards and from there click on Upcoming Meetings. Thursday, April 9 Planning Board, 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 13 […]

currents

Meetings Ahead From the town’s website, www.truro-ma.gov/, click on Remote Meeting Information for updated details on how to view public meetings. Thursday, April 9 Select Board, 10 a.m. Tuesday, April […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Meetings are held by videoconference. On the town’s website, wellfleet-ma.gov, look on the right side under the calendar and click on All Upcoming Events for a calendar of […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Town Hall is closed to the public. Meetings are being conducted remotely. Check the town’s website, www.eastham-ma.gov, for information on meeting schedule changes and how to view and […]

SURFING

We knew the waves were good. The surf reports showed it. There was a big south swell sweeping in from the Indian Ocean onto the reefs to the west. The […]

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

“A man who carries a cat by the tail,” wrote Mark Twain, “learns something he can learn in no other way.” I have shelves and piles of books in our […]

OP-ED

WASHINGTON, D.C. — If I had to pick the one thing that has changed most in the 28 years I’ve been coming to Truro, it would be the fear factor. […]

DISPATCHES

This week, the Independent offers dispatches from readers with a strong Cape connection who are living in other areas of the U.S. that are currently the hardest hit — places […]

APPRECIATION

My father, the painter Wolf Kahn, died at home in New York City on March 15, 2020, on the eve of my birthday, and just days before the city was […]

SCULPTURE

Akiko Jackson is a second-year visual arts fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. Her first fellowship year was 2013-14; the day she returned, this past October, Jackson […]

TV SERIES

Tiger King Streaming on Netflix; one season, seven episodes The documentary series Tiger King tells the stories of several exotic animal zoo owners, mainly focusing on one, Joe Exotic (real […]

PUBLISHING

Of the billion-dollar romance novel publishing business, gay male romance books make up a small fraction — $20 million. But for a one-man imprint like Robert Winter Books, it’s a […]

APPRECIATION

Renée Simon, who died on March 17, 2020, was my best friend. We met about 50 years ago and had many things in common. We were both born in 1937. […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

I’m writing this on the eve of the one holiday that has inspired us to sustain a kind of religious ritual at our house: Passover. The seder, which was a […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Where Are the Tests? To the editor: On Jan. 20 a 35-year-old man in Washington state returned from visiting family in Wuhan, China. He became the […]

CLASSIFIEDS

MUSIC Music Lessons. Learn guitar, voice, piano, or ukulele while you isolate. All ages and levels welcome. Individual instruction, via internet. First lesson is free. Call, email, or text Walter […]

Obituaries

Antoinette “Toni” Marsh of North Truro died on March 29, 2020, at Seashore Point in Provincetown after a long illness. The wife of Raymond Marsh, she was 80 years old. […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 30 to April 3, 2020. TRURO March 31. Garran Realty Trust (John W. Garran Sr. and Tamson A. Garran, trustees) […]

Know when to hit the flats

film

All movie theaters are closed in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

our picks for the week of April 9 through April 15

Wagner and Mozart The Metropolitan Opera continues its daily streaming of live performances from the past through April 19. Each day, from 7:30 p.m. till 6:30 p.m. the next day, […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

The Porkchop Express Does the Cooking at Home WOMR has asked its DJs to write to the Independent and describe the experience of recording at home, since Outermost Community Radio […]

RESILIENCE

WELLFLEET — With restaurants closed, fishermen have lost their usual income. But the people who grow, harvest, and market Outer Cape crops from land and sea are experimenting with strategies […]

CASES

As the number of new COVID-19 cases grows daily and the Outer Cape braces for the coming wave of severe illness, now expected to peak in mid-April, two local residents […]

DISASTER HELP

PROVINCETOWN — More than $600 billion of the $2 trillion federal financial rescue package that became law last week will go to beefing up unemployment benefits and small business loans […]

LEARNING

EASTHAM — Students in the Nauset Regional Schools began working from home last week as the district rolled out its alternative learning online program. All schools remain closed until at […]

CIVICS

TRURO — In the race to get Outer Cape towns’ regulatory board meetings online, Truro is in last place. Gov. Charlie Baker issued an executive order on March 13 suspending […]

Mercy Cruise Brings TP to Provincetown By Edward Miller PROVINCETOWN — A desperate shortage of toilet paper in Outer Cape stores is about to be alleviated. Details of a secret […]

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Cartoons by Daniel Dejean, JAK, MDA., and Ellen LeBow

HEALTH

While we are all practicing social distancing, Gov. Baker has declared it’s okay for us to be outdoors for “necessary activities.” For many of us, what’s needed is a walk […]

MEMORIES

One of the great, unforgettable doyennes of Wellfleet social life in the 1970s to 1990s was Joanna Fabris, the owner of West Main Books. Her house near the Wellfleet library […]

D.I.Y.

WELLFLEET — Deirdre Oringer hadn’t sewn in ages. But when her daughter, Alita Pedley, who is an emergency room nurse in Bellingham, Wash., posted a pattern for face masks created […]

THEATER

Last week brought the stunning news that Terrence McNally had become a victim of COVID-19 at age 81. This was a man who had survived decades of AIDS, as well […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, March 31, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

CORE CURRICULUM

Proper exercise can be elusive in a time of physical isolation. But yoga, which can be practiced alone and effectively reduces stress, is right for the times. Local teachers are […]

Cocktail Hour

To my mind, displays of humor during a crisis evince a certain resilience and creativity. I found the idea of the “quarantini” — a martini variation to drink under quarantine […]

KITCHEN TABLE

My friend Sophie’s mother, Lillian, was famous for her deceptively slow-paced, Southern-accented way of talking, and for her oyster patties. I never understood why these beautiful appetizers were called “patties.” […]

CREATIVE ISOLATION

WELLFLEET — Lisa Palladino is an artist and an expressive art therapist who lives in Wellfleet with her husband and two children. Ten-year-old Sterling is in fourth grade and Poppy, […]

PANDEMIC

PROVINCETOWN — No clinical services to patients have been canceled since Outer Cape Health Services last week furloughed or laid off nearly half its staff because of lost revenue caused […]

DEVELOPMENT

EASTHAM — Some say Shurtleff Road between Thumpertown and Campground beaches is losing its community character of bayside cottages because of a steady stream of new, larger homes being built […]

LODGING

PROVINCETOWN — The board of health is directing short-term rental property owners in Provincetown to refrain from renting their properties, at least through the end of April. Hotels and guest […]

currents

Meetings Ahead All meetings will be aired through video conferencing. For details: provincetown-ma.gov/27/Town-Boards. Thursday, April 2 Public Pier Corp., 2 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. Thursday, April 9 […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Truro meetings are generally held via telephone or video conferencing and are aired for the public after they are over. See: www.truro ma.gov/home/news/viewing-the-33120-select-board-meeting-and-general-remote-meeting-information Thursday, April 2 Zoning Board […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Wellfleet meetings are held with video conferencing technology. Go to the agenda of each meeting on the town website for the links. Thursday, April 2 Lawrence Road Task […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Town Hall is closed to the public. The meetings listed below are still posted but may change. Check the town’s website, eastham-ma.gov, for information on meeting schedule changes […]

CURRENTS

For an in-depth update on the schools, see story on page 6. Popular Meals to Go Grab and go meals are available at the district schools for families to pick […]

REFLECTIONS

Sorry, Farmer’s Almanac. Your prediction of colder than normal temperatures this winter from Washington to Boston proved to be very wrong. Indeed, this is being called “the year without a […]

WATERCOLOR

Queen Hen by Traci Harmon Hay

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The Full Moon in Libra offers a harmonious reprieve from the gravity of the present. Despite our mandated disconnection, we live in a connected world. Let the love of your […]

For devoted movie buffs, the home screen has always been a bit of a compromise — films made for the big screen, shared in the dark with strangers, seem less […]

MUSIC

Ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to begin. Please leave your cell phones on full volume and unwrap the noisiest candies you have. Throw on some pajamas and pour […]

BOOK REVIEW

It is generally accepted that what news reporters write is consigned to obscurity. Journalism from long ago may be useful for documenting a certain time or place, but, otherwise, the […]

FICTION

Hanna Pylväinen’s research has taken her around the world, from the suburbs of Detroit to the wildest reaches of the Arctic Circle. A second-year fiction fellow at the Fine Arts […]

AT THE LIBRARY

Which is better, the book or the movie? In this case, the jury is out about the movie Motherless Brooklyn, but the book, by Jonathan Lethem, is stunningly good. That’s […]

PROVINCETOWN — Mable Annette Chosse of Provincetown died on March 24, 2020, at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. She was 90. Born in Boston, she was the daughter of the late […]

TRURO — Richard A. “Dickie” Silva of North Truro died peacefully on March 25, 2020, at Harbor Point at Centerville, the assisted living facility where he had been for the […]

our picks for the week of April 2 through April 8

Virtual Painting Classes When looking for virtual distractions on art, there are myriad pages to surf — galleries and museums from here to Timbuktu — but not much that is […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

On March 19, the Truro Select Board signed a formal proclamation declaring a state of emergency. The 10 “whereas” clauses of this proclamation noted, among other things, that the governor […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Seeing the Elephant To the editor: “Seeing the elephant” is an expression that means “gaining experience at a significant cost.” Its origins in the U.S. are often attributed to early […]

CLASSIFIEDS

MUSIC Music Lessons. Learn guitar, voice, piano, or ukulele while you isolate. All ages and levels welcome. Individual instruction, via internet. First lesson is free. Call, email, or text Walter […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 23 to March 27, 2020. PROVINCETOWN  March 24. Kathleen M. Spigner and Mary Kate Murphy to Julie P. Britton and […]

Know when to hit the flats

film

All movie theaters are closed in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

RESILIENCE

TRURO — Townspeople were lined up outside the gift shop at Truro Vineyards and South Hollow Spirits on Shore Road on Saturday, respecting the social distance and patiently waiting their […]

CLOSING DOWN

Editor’s note: This article has been updated as of Sunday, March 29. PROVINCETOWN — Town officials were notified of the first two positive tests for coronavirus on Sunday, March 22. […]

PANDEMIC

WELLFLEET — Outer Cape Health Services must reduce its hours and possibly close one of its three clinics at least temporarily because of the financial pressure imposed on the organization […]

CORONAVIRUS

PROVINCETOWN — Last Friday, March 20, Seashore Point condominium owner Bruce Mason had just returned from a meditation class with other residents. At the same time in Yarmouth Port, Fran […]

HEALTH

As cases of COVID-19 begin to be diagnosed in our towns, Cape residents are taking social distancing seriously. “We’ve been really rigorous about it. No play dates. No socializing with […]

The Pilgrim Monument shelters in place. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

DISPATCHES

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have truly become, despite all the fear and barriers, a global family. Near or far, we are facing the same risks and many of the […]

Sketchbook by Mark Adams

LOST AND FOUND

I am going to miss the chaos of a good estate sale during this time of distancing. My strategy at such gatherings is to stand in one place, ignoring the […]

GALLERY

Now is the time to find ways to take comfort in being at home. Here we can surround ourselves with what’s most familiar. And look at these things anew: a […]

CAREGIVING

I turned to old cookbooks for comfort last week, wondering what my American foremothers had done in times of crisis and scarcity. Given that our best strategy at slowing the […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, March 24, included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

CREATIVE ISOLATION

Making a memory book is something like writing a memoir, but much more free-form. To make one, you gather stories and images that don’t have to fit together to recreate […]

BODY/MIND

Amid news reports of climbing infection rates, hospital bed shortages, and people ignoring guidelines during this unprecedented time, I can feel myself contracting. Lack of control has never been my […]

GAME OFF

Sports fans across the country are itching to watch, play, place bets, and argue. Just when it seems the world of sports has gone totally dark, along come some good […]

MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

I have never met a pessimistic astronomer.” A New York Times reader recently posted this comment, inspired by another reader’s delighted account of looking through a telescope. I haven’t either. […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

  Time to rewrite the social contract for modern times. The Sun in Aries in the 7th House of Relationship places scrutiny upon our interpersonal connections. Meanwhile, a massive conjunction […]

HOUSING

EASTHAM — Two projects have been proposed for the Transition Commercial District, designed for small-scale commercial and residential development on Route 6 outside the Core Commercial Area. But neighbors have […]

SOCIAL SERVICES

PROVINCETOWN — Both the lives and finances of many on the Outer Cape have been rapidly undone by the coronavirus. With movement restricted and the economy at a halt, new […]

CORONAVIRUS

TRURO — Thomas Garran has left his apartment complex in Beijing only three times in the last two months. Those times he did leave, he had his temperature taken upon […]

ESSENTIAL SERVICES

Editor’s note: This list will be updated online regularly. Send additions and corrections to [email protected] Updated as of Thursday, April 2 at noon. Provincetown Community Kitchen Soup Kitchen in Provincetown […]

currents

Provincetown is conducting virtual regulatory town board public hearings through an online live stream. Follow the instructions below to watch and participate in the meetings. Go to the Provincetown website […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Truro, as of the Independent’s deadline, was in the testing phase for a platform that can broadcast regulatory meetings and incorporate viewer input remotely. The town does not […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Wellfleet is holding virtual regulatory town board public hearings through Zoom conference calls. To access the meetings and participate, follow the instructions below. Go to the Wellfleet website […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Town Hall is closed to the public. The meetings listed below are still posted but may change. Eastham is holding virtual regulatory town board public hearings through online […]

STEAMERS

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OP-ED

IRVINGTON, N.Y. — New York is well stocked with uncertainty this week. I am sheltering in place and wish I were somewhere else. I covered wars in the Middle East […]

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

I drove to the Evergreen Cemetery in Eastham the other day to try to see the rare clay-colored sparrow that has been reported there. I didn’t find it, but it […]

The new mantra Find a shelter How easily demanded by those in power Stay there Open yourself to alone Become someone else now Someone who can live Without order Or […]

ARTISTS AT WORK

Hiroyuki Hamada arrived in Provincetown on March 1 to spend the month as a mid-career artist-in-residence at the Fine Arts Work Center. Now, though FAWC is closed to the public […]

BOOKS

Christopher Bollen has written a seductive and cold-blooded tale of deception with his latest book, A Beautiful Crime, published by Harper Books in late January. As he did in The […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Amy Whorf McGuiggan’s marvelous story in last week’s Independent about the young man from Provincetown for whom V.F.W. Post No. 3152 was named — Lewis Armstrong Young — noted that […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Advice for Second-Home Owners To the editor: The Wellfleet Seasonal Residents Assoc. (formerly Wellfleet Nonresident Taxpayers Assoc.) has been keeping members apprised of the effect of the coronavirus on the […]

CLASSIFIEDS

HELLO OUT THERE Mom & Dad: We miss our visits, dinners, games, outings, and laughs. We will see you on your birthday, Dad, even if it’s got to be through […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 16 to March 20, 2020.  PROVINCETOWN March 16. Richard B. Smith Trust of August 25 2003 (David J. Smith, trustee) […]

Know when to hit the flats

film

All movie theaters are closed in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

Arts Briefs and Listings

Doors Are Closed, but Libraries Still Offer Services The library is a lifeline for people who need internet access, public information, books, movies, or social contact. So, with all four […]

our picks for the week of March 26 through April 1

Outer Cape Bulletin The Metropolitan Live in HD series that was showing at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater has been canceled for the remainder of the season (along with all […]

PUBLIC HEARING Wellfleet Historical Commission Hearing Date:  Wednesday, April 8 – 6:15 p.m. In accordance with Wellfleet General Bylaws, Article 13 Section 3.4., the Wellfleet Historical Commission will hold a […]

THE PANDEMIC

Updated at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 24. PROVINCETOWN — Outer Cape Health Services will test patients for the coronavirus, but they must first call one of the OCHS health clinics […]

COVID-19 Q & A

The Independent asked some commonly heard questions of medical authorities this week. Here are their answers. Is the severity of the situation being overblown? “No. This is an incredibly serious […]

CIVICS

PROVINCETOWN — The annual town meeting is unlikely to take place on its scheduled date, Monday, April 6. Gov. Charlie Baker issued an emergency order on Sunday limiting gatherings to […]

CORONAVIRUS

You want to help, but aren’t sure how

AFFORDABLE LIVING

EASTHAM — It takes more than affordable housing to keep a young working family in town. Child care for preschoolers takes a big bite out of paychecks, and school lunch […]

NATURA VIVA

"Helleborus" by Natalie Van Staden

PLANTCRAFT

Outer Cape winds can be unruly, knocking trees down in a tantrum. On the days following a storm, the sound of chainsaws rings through the neighborhood. But when the trees […]

VIGNETTE

"Ark" by Daniel Dejean

KITCHEN TABLE

We’re hunkered down, working through one big shopping binge and the supplies in our pantry. We’re eating simple meals, but we’re still trying to keep them interesting. This red lentil, […]

GALLERY

Basketball fans won’t be filling out brackets this year. Instead, March Madness is taking on a whole new meaning. Meanwhile, Provincetown’s antique facades remind us of the town’s endurance. Intricate […]

View from the Hive

Probably the most common image that comes to mind when someone mentions honey bees are those tidy (classically white) wooden hive boxes set out in a field, orchard, or country […]

MOVEMENT

Some things we do mainly because we’ve always done them. For me, stretching is one. When I was a 12-year-old aspiring gymnast, I stretched before class because the coach told […]

RARA AVIS

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

MARCH MADNESS

Editor’s note: This article has been updated since the publication of the March 19 edition of the Independent. EASTHAM — The local sports schedule has been put on hold due to […]

HISTORY

PROVINCETOWN — In the 60 years since the Lewis A. Young V.F.W. Post 3152 was constructed on Jerome Smith Road, how many visitors to Provincetown have turned off Route 6 […]

PROJECTS

PROVINCETOWN —Jay Critchley invited members of the community — artists, writers, veterans — to join him on Wednesday, March 11 for a walk-through of the Veterans of Foreign Wars building […]

CREATIVE ISOLATION

Many of us — parents, grandparents, and others — are finding ourselves in isolation with children home from school, probably for an extended period. Play dates are out, and no […]

FOOD SECURITY

As the coronavirus pandemic increasingly disrupted everyday life here in the past week, Outer Cape schools, community organizations, and businesses began looking for ways to make sure children and neighbors […]

ECONOMY

WELLFLEET — The “Coming Attractions” marquee at the Wellfleet Cinemas is empty, an indication that nobody knows what’s coming next. Spring is a time for preparation and planning for the […]

CIVICS

EASTHAM — There’s nothing casual about the way this community seeks volunteers to serve on its boards and committees. In 1982, the home rule charter created a standing search committee […]

REGIONAL SCHOOLS

BREWSTER — The Nauset Regional School Committee was considering the possibility of a district-wide shutdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic when it met on March 12. Since then, the […]

PUBLIC SAFETY

WELLFLEET — The state Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and Dept. of Transportation (MassDOT) presented updated plans on March 12 for a two-mile bike path extension ending at Route […]

HOUSING

TRURO — An independent review of the Cloverleaf, the largest single affordable housing development in Truro’s history, found it needs a more powerful septic treatment system than was originally proposed. […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Town officials are working on providing conference phone-in capability for board and committee meetings. When available, a phone number will be listed on the meeting agenda. During the […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Truro is working on remote capacity to enable people to participate in public meetings. “We don’t have that in place yet,” said Town Manager Rae Ann Palmer. “So […]

currents

Meetings Ahead The coronavirus has taken a toll on civic involvement, but you can still watch and call in to the meetings that have not been canceled. Town offices and […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Town Hall is closed. The meetings listed below are still posted but may change. Check the town’s website, www.eastham-ma.gov, for information on meeting schedule changes and how to […]

"Suggestion Box" by MDA.

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

I have been invited to participate in a (virtual) panel discussion at Ian Edwards’s Art-Science-Climate Broto conference scheduled for May 16-17 in Provincetown. The topic is “Deep Time and Climate […]

OP-ED

Looking for inspiration as we approach the end of Lent? Try L.B.J. for a change: “Sometimes you just have to hunker down and take it like a jackass in a […]

TEACAKE’S TAKE

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NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

  The Sun leaves behind the dreamworld of Pisces for an awakening in Aries, herald of the spring and ruler of new beginnings. A New Moon in Aries in the […]

CERAMICS

Editor’s note: As we went to press with this issue we learned that the opening of the sculpture show by the artists profiled in this article, which was scheduled for […]

BOOK REVIEW

Forty-seven years ago this month, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell concluded that the state of Texas did not have to remedy inequalities in school funding across deeply segregated school […]

INDIE SCREEN

The great Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar is often celebrated for his outlandishly passionate heroines, in everything from Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown to Volver. But in films […]

ARTS LISTINGS

As the week progressed, it became clear that all venues for art and other kinds of creative engagement on the Outer Cape were closing. Here’s a round-up of the state […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

At the beginning of this surreal week, as the chilling news reports piled one upon another, I read an unusually comforting email from Brian and Monila Junkins, the owners of […]

CLASSIFIEDS

GROWTH INDUSTRY Provincetown gardener needs horse manure. Call Rose, 508-487-2347. [4-23] FREE Two upholstered swivel and rocking chairs (blue & white), available for pick up in Eastham. Free! Picture available. […]

Obituaries

Poet, linguist, and teacher Nell Husted, a longtime resident of the Outer Cape, died at Cape Cod Hospital on March 12, 2020, at age 87 after complications of an injury. […]

Obituaries

Lawrence Lee “Larry” Smith died on March 12, 2020, at Cape Cod Hospital after a lengthy illness with his loving family at his side. He was 58. Born in Hyannis […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 9 to March 13, 2020. PROVINCETOWN March 11. Bank of New York Mellon to Andrew Armstrong Beardsley and John Herbert […]

Know when to hit the flats

film

All movie theaters are closed in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

BUSINESS

EASTHAM — It appears that Willy’s World Wellness & Conference Center, closed since Dec. 12 because of serious health and safety code violations, could reopen in a matter of weeks, […]

NATIONAL SEASHORE

EASTHAM — It will cost you more to park at a Cape Cod National Seashore beach this summer, and less — in fact, nothing — to participate in ranger-led programs. […]

CIVICS

WELLFLEET — The select board voted 3-2 on Feb. 28 not to adopt a policy requiring the videotaping of all regulatory town board meetings. The vote perpetuated Wellfleet’s status as […]

ENVIRONMENT

PROVINCETOWN — Dragon, a female right whale who gave birth to a calf as recently as 2016, was spotted two weeks ago entangled in rope 50 miles south of Nantucket. […]

RESTORATION

WELLFLEET — Speakers lined up at microphones at the Council on Aging Monday to support the Herring River Project, which over 20 years could repair 570 acres of a salt […]

STEAMERS

"Clamelot" by A. Crock

SHELLFISHING

EASTHAM — Mussels are a wild fishery on Cape Cod. That is, if you’re eating a locally harvested mussel, nature did the planting and cultivation. Some are wondering if shellfish […]

AQUACULTURE

Some of us, tired of winter, are starting to daydream about lazy afternoons, cold beers, and oysters. But for the oyster farmers of Wellfleet, now begins the spring cycle of […]

PAIRINGS

A lively white wine with crisp acidity fits the bill with these mussels. Sauvignon blanc is always a good bet and it is widely available across the price spectrum. Sauvignon […]

CHEF AT HOME

We serve local mussels whenever we can get them. I like how substantial and flavorful they are compared to some of the farmed ones. When they come in really large, […]

IN AND OUT

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BAKEOFF

We’re adopting Pi Day (March 14 = 3.14) as our own here at the P.I. with a pie recipe roundup. Everybody loves pie, we’re pretty sure. Here, local bakers offer […]

ON THE LANDSCAPE

Hacking. Butchering. Murdering. These are all terms we hear when the subject of pruning comes up. These words betray a widely held belief that pruning is an act of brutality. […]

GALLERY

A few principles guided the planning for the Independent’s new office on the first floor of Provincetown’s Whaler’s Wharf: simplicity, versatility, and cost. The challenge was to create quiet work […]

BLADE RUNNERS

EASTHAM — In just its first year of competition, the Nauset Figure Skating Club came in first overall in the New England series of U.S. Figure Skating high school competitions. […]

RARA AVIS

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

CHEER PEERS

Nauset Cheerleading finished fifth of 13 teams that competed at the Game Day State Championship on March 8 at Shephard Hill Regional High School in Dudley and received a plaque […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, March 12 Bicycle Committee, 2 p.m., Maushope Community Room Planning Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall Tuesday, March 17 Conservation Commission, 6 p.m., Town Hall Wednesday, March 18 […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, March 12 Housing Authority, 4:15 p.m., Town Hall Zoning Board of Appeals, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall Tuesday, March 17 Cemetery Commission, 10 a.m., Town Hall Board of […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, March 12 Local Comprehensive Planning, 8:30 a.m., Council on Aging Dredging Task Force, 1 p.m., Town Hall Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m., Brewster Town Hall Zoning […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, March 12 Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m., Brewster Town Hall Saturday, March 14 Board of Library Trustees, 9 a.m., Greg Turner Room, Eastham Public Library Monday, […]

CIVICS

CANDIDATES DEMOCRAT Provincetown Truro Wellfleet Eastham Deval Patrick 4 2 4 6 Amy Klobuchar 26 18 25 56 Elizabeth Warren 365 230 311 347 Michael Bennet 6 1 1 0 […]

WELLFLEET — Jack Stetson died peacefully at home on Feb. 28, 2020, after a long illness. He was 80 years old. He was born and raised in Newton and spent […]

ESSAY

Norman Mailer’s new suit was hanging up in the Provincetown home of my employer, Molly Malone Cook, and her partner, the poet Mary Oliver. Molly and Mary were at that […]

DUNE TOWN

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NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

In the wake of the Full Moon’s passage through Virgo in the 12th House of Undoing, the spirit of release permeates our lives this week. The motivation to clean house, […]

PAINTING

It’s unusual for an accomplished artist to want to share with the public not only completed, polished work but also works-in-progress and even notes, sketches, and inspirations, offering an intimate […]

BOOK REVIEW

Perched on stilts, the Weidlinger house on Wellfleet’s Higgins Pond peers out from the surrounding green like a wide pinhole camera. This camera-like impression echoes the Marcel Breuer house nearby, […]

THEATER

With coronavirus jitters everywhere, as well as talk of cancellations, from the Olympics to South by Southwest, it’s hard to be optimistic about the months to come. But Christopher Ostrom, […]

READINGS

In her new book, In the Dream House: A Memoir, Carmen Maria Machado flips the discussion of domestic abuse on its ear. She writes of her own traumatic experience in […]

CLASSIFIEDS

GROWTH INDUSTRY Provincetown gardener needs horse manure. Call 508-487-2347. [4-23] FREE Two upholstered swivel and rocking chairs (blue & white), available for pick up in Eastham. Free! Picture available. Call […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

This is not the easiest time to be in the newspaper business, as most people know by now. The consolidation of ownership of local papers into giant groups like Digital […]

Know when to hit the flats

film

PLAYING NOW: MARCH 12-18 The Call of the Wild (PG13). Wellfleet Cinemas: daily: 4:10 & 7:10 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 1:10 p.m.  Emma (R). Waters Edge Cinemas: Friday-Saturday & Wednesday: 1, 4 […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Pot Profits Should Stay Here To the editor: After reading about Provincetown’s financial woes it dawned on me: why couldn’t this town and others run the marijuana distribution business instead […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 2 to March 6, 2020. PROVINCETOWN March 2. John B. Livingstone Living Trust dated February 25 2015 (John B. Livingstone, […]

our picks for the week of March 12 through March 18

Outer Cape Calendar Thursday, March 12, 6 p.m. Fiction fellow Nora Corrigan and poetry fellow Francisco Márquez will read from their work at Fine Arts Work Center, 24 Pearl St. […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Cape Cod Natural History Conference at 4Cs Organized by the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, the 25th annual Cape Cod Natural History Conference will take place on Saturday, March […]

Public Hearing Year Round Market Rate Rental Housing Trust Annual Update March 31, 2020 The Provincetown Year Round Market Rate Rental Housing Trust will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, […]

ENERGY

WELLFLEET — The array of 2,400 solar panels atop the transfer station’s landfill is ready to start making electricity. But the town is awaiting clearance from the Mass. Land Court […]

HEALTH

Last year, 600 to 700 calls to the Wellfleet Police Dept. resulted in police reports. Of those, half involved mental health or substance abuse issues. Providing crisis intervention is now […]

TECHNOLOGY

The Eastham, Wellfleet, and Truro town websites were unreachable for much of last Monday and Tuesday, forcing the last-minute cancellation and rescheduling of at least four local board meetings. The […]

RENOVATION

BREWSTER — There are two contrasting views of the $131,825,665 Nauset Regional High School renovation and addition project. One supports the multiyear effort to design a 905-student school with significant […]

CIVICS

WELLFLEET — The conservation commission has struggled in recent months to do its work with fewer than a full complement of seven members. According to interviews with several current commissioners, […]

EASTHAM 400

EASTHAM — History will be docking at Rock Harbor this summer. Tying up next to the Coast Guard boat that rescued 32 sailors from the Pendleton shipwreck in 1952 will […]

HEALTH

With recent cases in Rhode Island and Washington state, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will eventually reach us. “It’s not a matter of if this comes to Cape Cod, it’s a matter […]

SURFING

Often, when I am sitting out in the ocean, snug in my thick wetsuit, warm against the ripping wind and salt spray, I think about all the souls that have […]

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RARA AVIS

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

Crossword

The March puzzle from Sophia Maymudes should be done on dry land. Need some answers? We send out the solution in our Friday newsletter. You’ll find the signup for our […]

DIY

Some people think of these indoorsy months as a time for cocooning. That sounds lovely. But if you’re surrounded by clutter and your closets are overflowing, you may have noticed […]

MEET THE MAKER

My work as an upholsterer weaves together many threads of my past: an education in art history, fine art, and printmaking; a passion for patterns in wallpaper and fabric; and […]

DOVETAIL JOINT

The Question: I’m renovating my cottage and considering going from clapboard to shingles on the exterior. I know it will mean we won’t have to paint anymore. But is there […]

WARRIORS WATCH

The winter sports season at Nauset Regional High has come to an end. Here are some end-of-season highlights. Boys basketball: After finishing the regular season with a record of 11 […]

PUBLIC ART

PROVINCETOWN — It’s a project Jay Critchley had been contemplating for a while: he knew that the town had bought the Veterans of Foreign Wars building at 3 Jerome Smith […]

STEAMERS

"Clam-splaining" by A. Crock

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, March 5 Recycling & Renewable Energy Committee, 9 a.m., Caucus Hall, Town Hall Economic Development Committee, 11 a.m., Room 93, Veterans Memorial Harbor Committee & Provincetown Public […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Friday, March 6 Dialogue with the Director, 10 to 11 a.m., Truro Council on Aging Tuesday, March 10 Select Board, 5 p.m., Truro Town Hall Thursday, March 12 Truro Housing […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, March 5 Housing Authority, 10 a.m., upstairs meeting room, Town Hall Recycling Committee, 2 p.m., Wellfleet Public Library Monday, March 9 Cape Cod Commission Development of Regional […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, March 5 Affordable Housing Trust, 8:30 a.m., Small Meeting Room, Town Hall Board of Health, 3 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Town Hall Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 […]

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

You are three years old. You’ve just had a good dinner and some milk and cookies, brushed your teeth, been tucked into bed, and now Mom or Dad pulls up […]

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK

Ken Fulk speaks of his loving restoration of the Vorse House in Provincetown — a house, he says, that “we couldn’t afford to lose.” I write of one that was […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The hard-boiled ego softens this week under the Sun’s conjunction with empathic Neptune in Pisces. A Virgo Full Moon in the 12th House of Endings and Intuition, ruled itself by […]

MUSIC

With a new single on the market and an album on the way, Tianna Esperanza is moving forward along the path that she started on two years ago. Born and […]

BOOK REVIEW

There are but 29 words to the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was formally adopted on Aug. 26, 1920: “The right of the citizens of the United States […]

PAINTING

When encountering Autumn Wallace, one is reminded of a young Frida Kahlo, with her elegant poise, fiercely intelligent eyes, gender-fluid beauty, and determination not to let herself or her art […]

It’s not surprising that Fine Arts Work Center poetry fellow Francisco Márquez has a background in film. There’s something of the filmmaker’s eye in his work, especially in his experiments […]

FICTION

The year 2020 promises to be an exciting one for Nora Corrigan. She completed her first novel, about a female oil worker on a rig in a North Dakota boomtown, […]

Know when to hit the flats

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

The “story” broke on capecodtoday.com: a man rolled into Provincetown in a military truck adorned with Trump campaign signs, thin blue line flags, and the driver’s own campaign banners. The […]

OBITUARIES

Suzanne Mary O’Loughlin died peacefully on Feb. 4, 2020 at her home in Slingerlands, N.Y. after a short illness. She was 67. Born in Methuen on August 27, 1952, she […]

Anne Brinton, 83, died on Dec. 28, 2019, at Thompson House in Brattleboro, Vt., her home, following a severe stroke. She was 83. She was born May 21, 1936, to […]

CLASSIFIEDS

GROWTH INDUSTRY Provincetown gardener needs horse manure. Call 508-487-2347. [4-23] LOST & FOUND Searching for circa 1961 James Wingate Parr painting Nonnie’s Trap Boat. Once hung behind the bar at […]

film

PLAYING NOW: MARCH 5-11 The Call of the Wild (PG13). Wellfleet Cinemas: Thursday-Sunday: 1:10, 4:10 & 7:10 p.m.; Monday-Wednesday: 4:10 & 7:10 p.m. Jojo Rabbit (PG13). Wellfleet Cinemas: Thursday: 7 […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

An Experiment on the River To the editor: Your front-page article “How Restored River Will Alter Wellfleet Views” (Feb. 27) leaves unanswered many questions about the Herring River Restoration Project. […]

HOME

Real Estate Transactions Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Feb. 27. Dieter Groll to Bank of New York Mellon, New […]

our picks for the week of March 5 through March 11

Outer Cape Calendar Thursday, March 5, 5-6:30 p.m. An artist’s reception for the exhibit “Richard Perry: Scapes (land, sea, tree, and sky),” will take place at Eastham Public Library, 190 […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Susan Anthony Collages A show of collages by Wellfleet artist Susan Anthony will have an opening on Sunday, March 8, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Great Pond Gallery […]

WELLFLEET — After two decades of planning, the official review of the massive Herring River Restoration Project will begin on March 9 when the Cape Cod Commission considers the first […]

URGENT CARE

TRURO — John Hopkins went to Costa Rica to do yoga, meditate, and otherwise boost his immune system. He has ended up fighting for his life in a private hospital […]

DEVELOPMENT

EASTHAM — As sunset approached Monday, a figure emerged from the trees and began to cross Eastham’s field of dreams. It seemed to glide through the knee-high brush. On closer […]

CIVICS

PROVINCETOWN — When it comes to making appointments to the finance committee, the town moderator is clear that she won’t appoint a nonresident taxpayer. “I don’t have anything against nonresidents, […]

MILITARY HONORS

EASTHAM — Harold Hall Jr., a 95-year-old World War II veteran and Eastham resident, feels he should receive a Purple Heart for the severe concussion he suffered in a reconnaissance […]

VIGNETTE

Sun Globes by Daniel Dejean

OBITUARIES

WELLFLEET — Helen G. Purcell, an energetic Wellfleet Historical Society and Museum volunteer for decades, died on Feb. 20, 2020 at the Manor on the Hill, an assisted-living facility in […]

GALLERY

Winter on the Outer Cape is a time to reset. While most people focus that effort on their inner lives, some of us go for an easier kind of reorganization, […]

TRACK

EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School girls indoor track team ran right through its regular season this winter, going 4-0 in league meets and then taking home the Cape […]

WARRIORS WATCH

Thursday, Feb. 27 Co-ed cheerleading: The Warriors will compete in the Blackhawk Invitational at Bellingham High School at 5:30 p.m. The team placed second at the Game Day Cheer at […]

HEALTH

Tooth decay is preventable but it’s still the most common chronic disease of children and adolescents, according to the Centers for Disease Control. With February being Children’s Dental Health Month, […]

DOVETAIL JOINT

The Question: I want to bring more light into my house without losing wall space. I’m thinking of installing skylights, but I have heard they can create more problems than they […]

RECIPE BOX

For a time in the 1990s I lived in San Diego — in the Windansea neighborhood in La Jolla, to be precise. I had known nothing about San Diego, but […]

PAIRINGS

This midnight pasta recipe is basically a version of spaghetti aglio e olio — spaghetti with garlic and olive oil.  The dish is said to have originated in Naples, though […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Friday, Feb. 28 Public Landscape Committee, 12 p.m., Lopes Square Tuesday, March 3 Conservation Commission, 6 p.m., Town Hall Wednesday, March 4 Historic District Commission, 4 p.m., Town […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Monday, March 2 Conservation Commission, 5:30 p.m., Town Hall Tuesday, March 3 Board of Health, 4:30 p.m., Town Hall Wednesday, March 4 Planning Board, 5 p.m., Town Hall […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Tuesday, March 3 Board of Water Commissioners, 6 p.m., Town Hall Wednesday, March 4 Conservation Commission, 4 p.m., Town Hall Board of Health, 5:30 p.m., Council on Aging […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Monday, March 2 Select Board, 5:30 p.m., Earle Mountain Room, Town Hall Tuesday, March 3 Charter Review Committee, 5:30 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Public Library Wednesday, March 4 […]

SKETCHBOOK

In the deep January nights, when the light of the Wolf Moon falls like ringing iron through the trees, from Tom’s Hill and Cathedral Hill on either side of the […]

Suggestion Box by Mary DeAngelis

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The Sun illuminates psychic Neptune’s depths in intuitive Pisces while the Moon waxes poetic across sensual Taurus into expressive Gemini in the 9th House of Wisdom, ruled itself by Neptune. […]

PAINTING

Large, brightly colored canvases, some spanning an entire wall, layered with images of figures, birds in flight, a fox, or flowers, greet the viewer entering Hannah E. Morris’s studio at […]

METAFICTION

“I have a preoccupation with locations and the landscape,” says Susan Choi, “almost to a fault.” She recalls her time as a writing fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center […]

BOOK REVIEW

Garth Greenwell’s 2016 debut novel, What Belongs to You, which was on the long list for the National Book Award, is a story of love, lust, and loss, centered on […]

AT THE LIBRARY

According to Jenn Shapland, the problem with biographies of authors is that they fix the author in time and place. Layering on the biographer’s understanding of the author’s body of […]

Know when to hit the flats

EDITORIAL

An aura of futility surrounds the presidential primary in Massachusetts this Tuesday, March 3. On the Democratic side, there’s a feeling that no matter who ultimately wins the primary, this […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS M.A. Frazier Disposal is seeking a full-time office person to help manage daily operations. Customer service, sales, answering phones, taking orders, social media, in a fast-paced environment. Our busy […]

film

PLAYING NOW: FEB. 27-MARCH 4 The Call of the Wild (PG13). Wellfleet Cinemas: daily: 1:10, 4:10 & 7:10 p.m.; Tuesday: 10 a.m. Downhill (R). Waters Edge Cinemas: Thursday: 2:30, 5 […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Voting Security To the editor: As the recently retired Beverly city clerk, subscriber to the Independent, and part-time resident of Provincetown, I was quite interested in your Feb. 13 letter […]

HOME

Real Estate Transactions Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 17 to Feb. 21, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Feb. 18. Provincetown Partners LLC to Nobelrose LLC. 178 Bradford St. […]

our picks for the week of February 27 through March 4

Outer Cape Calendar Friday, Feb. 28, 2-5 p.m. Join the community volunteers at Boomerang Bags Cape Cod in sewing bags for re-use and distributing them free at Wellfleet Public Library, […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

In and Around Town With Alex Brewer Alex Brewer is a local singer-songwriter and carpenter who recently released an album, Unquoted, featuring interpretations of Brewer’s songs by such local musicians […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS M.A. Frazier Disposal is seeking a full-time office person to help manage daily operations. Customer service, sales, answering phones, taking orders, social media, in a fast-paced environment. Our busy […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 10 to Feb. 14, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Feb. 10. Frank D. Yamrus and Lucas Delabos to Rebecca L. Sander and Mary […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Cori Redstone’s Art of Protest Artist Cori Redstone, who was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and got her M.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts, organized her first […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

An Antidote for Despair To the editor: Most of us know that America is deeply divided. We’ve seen it in our families and communities. It is not just the chasm […]

Know when to hit the flats

reporter's notebook

Getting insurance coverage for mental health services is difficult. So is talking about mental illness. That is why state Senator Julian Cyr, a Democrat from Truro, and other legislators are […]

RESTORATION

PROVINCETOWN — The Mary Heaton Vorse House, at 466 Commercial St., is the informal epicenter of town history. Vorse, a journalist and civil rights activist, spent most of her adult […]

film

PLAYING NOW: FEB. 20-26 Birds of Prey (R). Wellfleet Cinemas: Thursday: 1:20 & 4:20 p.m. The Call of the Wild (PG13). Wellfleet Cinemas: Thursday: 7:10 p.m.; Friday-Wednesday: 1:10, 4:10 & […]

our picks for the week of February 20 through February 26

Outer Cape Calendar Friday, Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m. The Seashore Point Book Club, in conjunction with the Provincetown Public Library, will discuss Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About […]

CIVICS

TRURO — “Farmer Stephanie” Rein is the newest select board member after a spirited race against planning board member Karen Tosh to succeed the late Maureen Burgess. Tuesday’s special election […]

RENOVATION

EASTHAM — The Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA) approved funding for the renovation of Nauset Regional High School (NRHS) on Feb. 13 to the tune of $35.6 million — representing […]

ENVIRONMENT

WELLFLEET — The huge pile of sand dumped over the edge of the bayside bluff next to the Blasch house in November has entirely washed away, adding sediment to the […]

65-AND-OVER TENNIS

EASTHAM — The Outer Cape Stripers, the men’s tennis team normally based at Willy’s Gym in Eastham, won the United States Tennis Association 65-and-over national invitational tournament over the Feb. […]

STEAMERS

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BARDS

EASTHAM — When to the sessions of sweet silent thought she summons up remembrance of things past, Molly Shafnacker may well be thinking about the last two summers that she […]

NATURA VIVA

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HISTORY

In Time and the Town, her 1942 chronicle about Provincetown, Mary Heaton Vorse lovingly recounts her experience with this changeable “end of land” surrounded by sea. Far from quaint, this […]

MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

Betelgeuse — the star with the funny name. Maybe you know it from the 1988 movie Beetlejuice, about the eponymous poltergeist-for-hire. Or maybe you’ve heard the name in the news […]

BODY/MIND

For as long as I can remember, there’s been a raucous dialogue in my head. Do this. Definitely don’t do that. Is that thing I said okay? Do they like […]

GALLERY

“We prefer to say that we’ve curated a collection rather than decorated a house,” Robert Rindler says about the Wellfleet home he shares with his husband, James Connors. To wander […]

DOVETAIL JOINT

The Question: I need additional storage in my home. I’m tired of the bins and baskets I’ve been piling things into. But the truth is I don’t have a lot […]

Rara Avis

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Feb. 18 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass. Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

Until summer returns, the art galleries in Provincetown are mostly quiet, though surely planning for next season’s traditional Friday evening strolls. That’s when everyone takes to the streets, zigging and […]

off the avenue

  PROVINCETOWN — Finding buried treasure, the pearl in the oyster, or spinning gold out of straw — this is what gets me out of bed in the morning. The […]

BABYCAKES

Harper Rose Richter was born on Nov. 25, 2019 to parents Vida and Raphael Richter and big brother Mica of Truro. She is the fourth generation of women in the […]

early learning

TRURO — The school committee, which agreed last spring to completely eliminate tuition for preschool at the Truro Central School, decided on Feb. 13 not to enlarge the program to […]

CIVIL RIGHTS

BOSTON — A bill that would allow Massachusetts residents without legal immigration status to apply for drivers’ licenses is up for debate in the state house. An Act Relative to […]

learning

EASTHAM — A few days a week, students in Crissy O’Hara’s seventh-grade science class at Nauset Regional Middle School (NRMS) start by sitting in a circle and answering a “question […]

RECIPE BOX

When I was in college in the 1990s, there was a restaurant in Harvard Square called Iruña — which is the Basque name for the city of Pamplona. A friend’s […]

warriors watch

Note: Team records are listed as of the Independent’s deadline Thursday, Feb. 20 Girls ice hockey: In its last game of the regular season the Cape Cod Furies will play […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 20 Animal Welfare Committee, 12 p.m., Veterans Memorial Community Center Harbor Committee, 5 p.m., Town Hall Board of Health, 4 p.m., Town Hall Historic District Commission, […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 20 Commission on Disabilities, 3:30 p.m., Town Hall Monday, Feb. 24 Zoning Board of Appeals. 5:30 p.m., Town Hall Tuesday, Feb. 25 Select Board, 5 p.m., […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 20 Local Housing Partnership, 4 p.m., Town Hall Saturday, Feb. 22 Nauset Regional School Negotiations Subcommittee, 9 a.m. Central Administration Building, 78 Eldredge Parkway, Orleans Conversation […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 20 Affordable Housing Trust, 8:30 a.m., Small Meeting Room, Town Hall Board of Assessors, 4:30 p.m., Earle Mountain Meeting Room, Town Hall Dog Owners Association, 6 […]

the year-rounder

Henry David Thoreau’s residency, starting in 1845, in a 10-by-15-foot shack next to Walden Pond for two years, two months, and two days is generally considered by scholars as a […]

Summer of '43

little joe gould has lost his teeth and doesn’t know where to find them(and found a secondhand set which click)little gould used to amputate his appetite with bad brittle candy […]

Metaphysics

Places that matter can help define us. For much of my life, the Outer Cape has molded a substantial piece of my inner being. My folks were renters, then residents […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

  A winter retreat to warmer climes may be in the cards as the Sun, idling on the cusp of fun-loving Aquarius and escapist Pisces, shines in the 5th and […]

MIXED MEDIA

The world is not necessarily a kind place, says multimedia artist Johannes Barfield, suggesting that there were obstacles to overcome between his childhood artistic ambitions and the studio space he […]

AT THE LIBRARY

If you’ve ever chosen a title for your book group, you know how hard it is to find one that everyone enjoys. But that did happen in our Eastham group […]

indie screen

When Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite won Best Picture (as well as Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best International Film) at the Academy Awards on Feb. 9, upsetting the odds-on favorite, […]

WHALEWATCH

WELLFLEET— A juvenile humpback whale that was stranded on Saturday, Feb. 8, inside the sandbar known as “the gut” by the Herring River was found dead on Monday afternoon. The […]

ENVIRONMENT

WELLFLEET — Jake McGrath of Eastham counts the number of days when the temperature stays below freezing. He’s not counting down to summer. He’s hoping it will stay cold enough […]

ENVIRONMENT

WELLFLEET — Back in 1970 the Wesley’s Swamp Drainage Committee installed a pump in a wetland to prevent flooding downtown. Fifty years later, the pump in Wesley Swamp (now called […]

DEVELOPMENT

EASTHAM — The three town-owned landings — Hemenway, Salt Pond, and Collins — along with Rock Harbor, Town Cove, and Nauset Marsh all need fixing, according to a draft harbor […]

CIRCUS

PROVINCETOWN — Select Board Member Lise King and the Provincetown Independent were blamed by some members at the board’s Monday, Feb. 10 meeting for the collapse of a promoter’s seven-month […]

TEACAKE’S TAKE

"Teacake's Take on Romance" by Ellen LeBow

THIS THING CALLED LOVE

On Dec. 10, 1960, Marla Perkel arrived at a party in Manhattan with a date named Charlie. There she met Bertram “Buddy” Perkel, a labor lawyer whose blind date had […]

VIGNETTE

Vignette by Daniel Dejean

THIS THING CALLED LOVE

The sun brightens the table at the front window of Liz’s Café in Provincetown as Anne Stott, an actor and musical performer, and her girlfriend, production designer Ellen Rousseau, chow […]

LOST & FOUND

Being an artist is a messy business. After a day of work, I end up with paint on me, the ceiling, the floor, the dog, and every doorknob in the […]

ON THE LANDSCAPE

The woods are a thousand tans, reds, and browns. Furrowed bark every shade of charcoal. Snowfall in the woods, in the low winter light, a cast of blue. The muted […]

DOVETAIL JOINT

The Question: I’d love to build a chicken coop in my yard so we can have fresh eggs, but I’m afraid of rats — not to mention foxes, coyotes, and […]

THIS THING CALLED LOVE

Casey Clark grew up in Provincetown, and Desirée Revoir is from the other end of the Cape: Sandwich. He left Cape Cod to pursue a career in acting and filmmaking […]

OUTER CAPE PORTRAIT

JODI BIRCHALL | MUSICIAN & TEACHER | WELLFLEET Text based on interviews with Jodi Birchall; listen to Jodi here:   This is a really special place to me because I […]

SCHOOL BREAK

In nature, seeds get dispersed by wind or rain or they get eaten and then pooped by animals. Seed balls are probably an ancient farming idea. But these seed balls […]

AT THE LIBRARY

We asked Outer Cape school librarians for some good reads for next week’s school vacation. Their recommendations span preschool to grade nine — and there are some grown-ups will like, […]

REC ROUNDUP

Provincetown Programs for children from Pre-K through Grade 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Community Center. Registration forms can be found at provincetown-ma.gov. Tuesday, Feb. […]

KITCHEN TABLE

Making pasta can teach you a lot about love. Like relationships, fresh pasta requires both enthusiasm and patience. It certainly can be frustrating. Primarily, though, pasta’s lessons concern the development […]

GALLERY

Saudade is a Portuguese word that roughly translates as “yearning for a lost time.” Marisa Felton uses the word as she describes gatherings at her childhood home in Provincetown, now […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Feb. 11 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass. Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

WARRIORS WATCH

Note: Team records are listed of the Independent’s deadline Thursday, Feb. 13 Boys basketball: The Warriors (9-7) host Senior Night against the Cape Cod Academy Seahawks at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, […]

FAST LANES

EASTHAM — The Nauset High swimming and diving team has been without its home pool at Willy’s Gym for most of the season, but that hasn’t stopped it from competing […]

MOVEMENT

One way I cope with February is to plan an annual trip up north for skiing. This time, I had a moment of doubt as I recalled day two of […]

BUSINESS

EASTHAM — At a contentious zoning board of appeals meeting on Feb. 6, several residents spoke out against a proposal by Barbara Niggel and her companies, Goeroe’s Goldens and Stow […]

PUBLIC SAFETY

EASTHAM — Fire Chief Kent Farrenkopf is looking to add a ladder truck to his department’s resources. Twenty-three years ago, one saved his life. In 1997, when he was a […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 13 Bicycle Committee, 2 p.m., Maushope Community Room, 44 Harry Kemp Way Planning Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall Visitor Service Board, 9:30 a.m., Town Hall Water […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 13 Select Board, 3 p.m., Truro Public Library Housing Authority, 4:15 p.m., Town Hall School Committee, 5:15 p.m., Truro Central School Friday, Feb. 14 Community Preservation […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 13 Local Comprehensive Planning Committee, 8:30 a.m., Council on Aging Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m., Brewster Town Hall Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Council […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 13 Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m., Brewster Town Hall Tuesday, Feb. 18 Charter Review Committee, 5:30 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Town Hall Wednesday, Feb. 19 […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Romantic shakeups — and even breakups — set the mood for Valentine’s week. The Sun shines in the 5th House of Love and Expression while lover Venus conjuncts healer Chiron […]

LOOKING BACKWARD

Edmund Burke, among others, warned that those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. So a bit of history is in order in these times when many people […]

METAPHYSICS

Squid appeared maybe 700 million years ago. They predate everything we think of as ancient — sharks, fish, and even trees. But they don’t predate sex. That invention happened about […]

EXPEDITIONS

Longtime Truro resident Elizabeth Bradfield travels in far-reaching yet compatible directions. She’s a published poet, photographer, environmentalist, and associate professor of English and co-director of the creative writing program at […]

MIXED MEDIA

As an artist and as a person, the Fine Arts Work Center fellow Antonius-Tín Bui (they/them) hopes to remain in motion, in flux, ever-changing, questioning, evolving, challenging expectations, and resisting […]

BOOK REVIEW

In her biography of Rachel Maddow (published last month by Thomas Dunne Books), Lisa Rogak writes that the top-rated MSNBC anchor, who has a home in Provincetown with her partner, […]

Know when to hit the flats

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

There’s a lot of irony in the news these days. On Jan. 28 the Truro Select Board voted to replace the town’s 56-year-old hand-crank ballot boxes with the ImageCast electronic […]

OBITUARIES

Paul James Ward, 69, of Provincetown, died on Jan. 21, 2020 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis due to heart failure. He was the spouse of Titus Ulrich of Provincetown. […]

Obituaries

Patricia Ann “Patty” Rocha, 86, died peacefully in her sleep at Windsor Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Yarmouth on Feb. 3, 2020. Patty was born in Provincetown on Dec. […]

Obituaries

John Steven Crowell, 70, of Provincetown, died peacefully at home on Feb. 5, 2020, surrounded by his devoted partner of 20 years, Marlene Sawyer, and her two daughters, Laura Parker […]

CLASSIFIEDS

VALENTINES From 48 to 19 to 45, love you JCF! xo —MCF  To my Valentines, my beautiful friends who grace my life with such beauty, and brilliance. Yes, this Valentine’s […]

film

Movie Clock PLAYING NOW: FEB. 13-19 Birds of Prey (R). Wellfleet Cinemas: daily: 1:20, 4:20 & 7:20 p.m.; Tuesday: 10 a.m. Bombshell (R). Waters Edge Cinemas: Thursday: 2, 4:30 & […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

What Kind of Nation? To the editor: With national politics dominating both print and electronic media these days, three important issues have generally escaped popular scrutiny: Guantanamo. The prison’s annual cost […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 3 to Feb. 7, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Feb. 4. Denise and Vincent Costabile to Joseph D. Hospodar. 501 Commercial St., Unit […]

our picks for the week of February 13 through February 19

Outer Cape Calendar Thursday, Feb. 13, 2:30 & 4 p.m. Winter Reading with Linda Ohlson Graham: She’ll discuss Henry David Thoreau’s Walden at 2:30 p.m. and pseudoscientist Erich von Däniken’s […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

‘Sea Change’ Film Series Returns  The “Sea Change” environmental film series is back for its eighth season at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater at 2357 Route 6, presented in collaboration […]

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

DES MOINES — Political involvement among Nauset High students is not a given. While some of us are in what you might call a political bubble, and a few might […]

CIRCUS

Editor’s note: This story has been updated from the version published on February 6 because of late-breaking developments. PROVINCETOWN — A proposal by Truro promoter Eric Martin to mount a […]

ENVIRONMENT

EASTHAM — The select board sent two proposed bylaws banning plastic bottles and bags back to the conservation commission for revisions on Monday instead of placing them as articles on […]

ENVIRONMENT

TRURO — Recent research at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown has documented the current state of East Harbor’s benthic communities — species that live in the sediments on […]

HEALTH

PROVINCETOWN — Recreational marijuana stores are coming to the Outer Cape in a big way, but it’s not clear that any of them will provide medical formulations of the drug […]

STEAMERS

Gumshoe Crab by A. Crock

RARA AVIS

Confirmed rare bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the seven days preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Feb. 4 included the following, recorded on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s […]

GALLERY

                        “I hang the wallpaper — I don’t take it down,” says John Golden, who has worked in Provincetown […]

DIY

If you have a T-shirt obsession like we do, the truth is you probably have too many of them. They stack up, they multiply, but it’s really hard to let […]

DOVETAIL JOINT

The question: It’s February, and I’m tired of seeing gray. I’d love to add some color to my house, and I love turquoise. I’m considering painting the trim in a […]

Crossword

The February puzzle from Sophia Maymudes should be done on dry land. Need some answers? We send out the solution in our Friday newsletter. You’ll find the signup for our […]

ART WORKS

PROVINCETOWN — The current crop of Fine Arts Work Center fellows expressed their displeasure at their $750 monthly stipend in a letter now on display at the annual FAWC exhibit […]

ART OF DYING

PROVINCETOWN — Thirty plots in the town cemetery may soon be available for “green burial,” in which a body is placed in the ground without a metal casket, cement vault, […]

LAND USE

EASTHAM — The documents that the T-Time Development Committee collected for its second meeting on Jan. 28 included the North Eastham Village Center plan created back in 2007. The 11 […]

TRURO SELECT BOARD

TRURO — A standing-room only crowd listened to the two select board candidates — Stephanie Rein, a farmer, and Karen Tosh, an attorney — during candidates’ night on Feb. 4. […]

REC ROUNDUP

Outer Cape recreation departments offer a slew of programs throughout the winter and spring. Here is a sampling. Provincetown Youth basketball is offered for boys and girls in grades K-6 […]

WARRIORS WATCH

Note: Team records are listed as of the Independent’s deadline. Friday, Feb. 7 Girls basketball: The Warriors (11-4) host the Nantucket Whalers at 3:30 p.m. The Warriors fell to the […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 6 Harbor Committee, 5 p.m., Town Hall Other Post-Employment Benefits, 10:30 a.m., Town Hall Recycling & Renewable Energy, 9 a.m., Town Hall Shellfish Committee, 5 p.m. […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 6 Planning Board/Select Board ADU Ad Hoc Subcommittee Work Session, 4 p.m., library Friday, Feb. 7 Finance Committee with Select Board Budget Task Force, 2 p.m., […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 6 Housing Authority, 9:15 a.m., Town Hall Parking Task Force II at Wellfleet Forum, 7 p.m. Council on Aging Saturday, Feb. 8 Nauset Regional School Committee […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Feb. 6 Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m., Earle Mountain Room, Town Hall Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m., Brewster Town Hall Saturday, Feb. 8 Board of […]

SKETCHBOOK

East Harbor, North Truro by Mark Adams

UNIMPEACHABLE

Photography by Jamie Demetriou

YES WE CANNABIS

After months of riveting social media debates about oligarchs and the forthcoming invasion of “dumb stoners,” legal weed has arrived on Cape Cod. Curaleaf, Provincetown’s first recreational marijuana dispensary, opened at […]

THEATER

BREWSTER — The room is abuzz as everyone waits to hear what their parts will be in the upcoming show. Young actors, ages 13 to 18, sit on folding chairs […]

INDIE SCREEN

This year, there are more than a few shoo-ins to win Academy Awards. The show itself, which is still the most glamorous spectacle of the year on good old broadcast […]

ART EXHIBITS

Provincetown in winter has been a different experience for Fine Arts Work Center visual arts fellow Anina Major. From Nassau in the Bahamas, Major is interested in the sense of […]

MUSIC

Where others only hear sounds, Tim Eriksen hears music. “I’ve always been interested in the most elemental sounds,” he says. “It could be train sounds, as well as crickets and […]

AT THE LIBRARY

As a child my love of reading sent me into a wide range of book-related obsessions that oscillated from the common to the esoteric. The first and most enduring of […]

BOOK REVIEW

Two tragedies have shaped the fortunes of the family of Sa’adi Besalel Ashkenazi a-Levi, an iconoclast and printer: the catastrophic fire in Salonica in 1917 and the Nazi Holocaust. Readers […]

Know when to hit the flats

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

In September 1973 Kathleen Cushman and I launched the Harvard Post, a weekly newspaper for the town of Harvard, Mass., population circa 3,000. I was 24. Kathleen was 23. We […]

CLASSIFIEDS

SERVICES Eco Effect does yard, home, basement, and job-site clean-ups with an eye to recycling and donating as much as possible. Call for help with your home maintenance and spring […]

film

PLAYING NOW: FEB. 6-12 Birds of Prey (R). Wellfleet Cinemas: Thursday: 7:20 p.m.; Friday-Wednesday: 1:20, 4:20 & 7:20 p.m.; Tuesday: 10 a.m. Bombshell (R). Waters Edge Cinemas: Friday-Sunday, Tuesday-Wednesday: 2, […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Harbor Hill: A ‘Failed Project’ To the editor: I read with interest Paul Benson’s article on Harbor Hill [Jan. 30, page 8], which was purchased with great fanfare in 2017. I’m […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Jan. 27 to Jan. 31, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Jan. 27. Jacob E. Taylor and Norman T. Ernst to Oliver Kendall and James […]

our picks for the week of February 6 through February 12

Outer Cape Calendar Thursday, Feb. 6, 2:30 & 4 p.m. Winter Reading With Linda Ohlson Graham: She’ll discuss Henry David Thoreau’s Walden at 2:30 p.m. and Erich von Däniken’s Chariots […]

Arts Briefs and Listings

Jennifer Moller at Higgins Gallery at 4Cs The Higgins Gallery at Cape Cod Community College and director Nathalie Ferrier are holding a reception for Jennifer Moller’s show, “pools, mighty plenitude […]

our picks for the week of January 30 through February 5

Outer Cape Calendar Thursday, Jan. 30, 4 p.m. Children’s Community Garden with Sustainable CAPE is having an opening for its art exhibition, “Seeding Our Future,” at Truro Public Library, 7 […]

RISING WATERS

PROVINCETOWN — The Old Reliable Fish House property at 227R Commercial St. may be getting rebuilt on piers, and in the applications there’s an eye-popping number for their height: 17 […]

THREE RINGS

PROVINCETOWN — The circus is coming to town, maybe. A company calling itself 66 Days LLC agreed on Jan. 23 to pay the town recreation commission $150,000 to rent Motta […]

THRIFT

WELLFLEET — Just nine days before the landlord’s deadline for vacating their longtime home, the volunteers at Mass Appeal got the good news that they can stay at the Cove […]

housing

EASTHAM — As the first tenants begin moving into the Village at Nauset Green off Brackett Road, officials have acknowledged that the demand for housing by people at the lowest […]

THE HOUSING PUZZLE

The housing crisis is so widely recognized on the Outer Cape that it feels elemental, like the sun, wind, or tide. It’s behind the second question most employers ask in […]

FLIGHT

WELLFLEET — The Outer Cape’s beaches are desolate this time of year. The only sign of human life may be the brave souls who trek the beaches on days that […]

VIGNETTE

"I'm Flying" by Daniel Dejean

GALLERY

Grace Hopkins and her daughter Gigi moved to Wellfleet from Portland, Maine in 2012 after the death of Grace’s father, the artist Budd Hopkins, one of the founders of the […]

PLANTCRAFT

Outside my window, the garden is asleep, the trees a tangle of brown against the gray sky. Yet signs of life appear in colors muted by winter’s breath. The lavender […]

Winter Wednesdays runs from Feb. 5 through March 25: eight Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 at the Provincetown Schools at 12 Winslow St. Classes are free, with no registration […]

DOVETAIL JOINT

The question: We’ve been looking for the right house for a long time and just can’t find something that satisfies everyone in the family. Now we are thinking of building. […]

WARRIORS WATCH

Note: Team records are listed as of the Independent’s deadline. Friday, Jan. 31 Boys and girls swimming: The Warriors will compete in the Cape & Islands Diving Championships at Sandwich […]

CIVICS

PROVINCETOWN — Since 2005 the board of health has required landlords who rent their property year-round, seasonally, or short-term (fewer than 30 days) to have a rental certificate. These certificates […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Jan. 30 School Committee, 5 p.m., High School Tuesday, Feb. 4 Conservation Commission, 6 p.m., Town Hall Airport Commission, 2 p.m., Airport Conference Room Wednesday, Feb. 5 […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Friday, Jan. 31 95 Lawrence Road Rental Housing Task Force, 8 a.m., Town Hall Board of Assessors, 9:30 a.m., Town Hall Wednesday, Feb. 5 Conservation Commission, 4 p.m., […]

currents

Meetings Ahead Thursday, Jan. 30 Recycling Committee, 5 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Eastham library  Monday, Feb. 3 Select Board, 5:30 p.m., Earle Mountain Meeting Room, Town Hall Tuesday, Feb. 4 […]

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

I have always loved Provincetown. From my very first day here, well over 50 years ago, I knew I belonged. I remember a long-ago conversation with the (late) cartoonist Howie […]

SUGGESTION BOX

"Things You Can do in February" by Mary DeAngelis

teacake's take

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EXHIBITIONS

In Raul De Lara’s studio at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, there’s a striking discrepancy between the maturity and polish of the sculpture on display and the youth […]

READINGS

Esther Lin’s poetry is full of places — Alexandria, Va.; Mozambique; Madagascar; Hong Kong; Cape Town — all locations from her family’s complex legacy of migration. “It’s like I have […]

READINGS

Callie Collins is that rare species of writer who exudes sheer enjoyment in her work. As she sits on the sunny porch of the Canteen in Provincetown, describing the projects […]

LIFE AND DEATH

“I’ve had many lives,” Dawn Walsh says, and she’s not exaggerating. She’s been a kindergarten teacher and a massage therapist, worked with nonprofits, studied creative writing. Having moved to the […]

Know when to hit the flats

EDITORIAL

Before a rare midwinter election, on Feb. 18, voters in Truro will get to hear from two select board candidates this Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. at town hall. […]

OBITUARY

Ronald A. Wichowski, 83, who served as Truro’s police chief from 1980 until he retired in 1993, died on Jan. 22, 2020 at Liberty Commons Nursing Home in Chatham after […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS Office Assistant wanted for year-round employment at local restaurant. Good hours/pay.  Must be computer proficient. References required. Please call 508-487-1145 for appointment. [2-20] Executive/Head Chef wanted for year-round employment […]

film

PLAYING NOW: JAN. 30-FEB. 5 Bombshell (R). Wellfleet Cinemas: Thursday: 1:05 & 7:05 p.m.; Friday-Wednesday: 4:05 p.m. Dolittle (PG). Wellfleet Cinemas: Thursday: 1 & 4 p.m. Ford v Ferrari (PG13). […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘Needlessly humiliated’ To the editor: I was disappointed to read your hastily written and poorly researched article “Does OCHS Have a Problem With M.D. Turnover?” (Nov. 28, page 1), in […]

HOME

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Jan. 21 to Jan. 24, 2020. PROVINCETOWN Jan. 21. Doris A. Nitti to Christopher E. Bartick. 177 Bradford St., Unit B. […]

Arts Briefs

Catfish Row Sings Out at WHAT The Metropolitan Opera’s new production (by James Robinson) of George and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, set on Catfish Row in Charleston, S.C., with […]

ENVIRONMENT

TRURO — Since the once-thriving salt-marsh ecosystem called East Harbor was partially reopened to tidal flow in 2002, ocean organisms have been rapidly recolonizing the estuary. Researchers now hope to […]

CANNABIS

PROVINCETOWN — When Curaleaf opens the first recreational marijuana store on Cape Cod at 170 Commercial St. — perhaps next Wednesday, Jan. 29 — it will be a cash-only business. […]

CIVICS

EASTHAM — At any beach cleanup, the haul of trash is fairly predictable: plastic, in the form of beverage bottles, shopping bags, straws, netting, and more. Because much of the […]

ECONOMY

PROVINCETOWN — After a year of commotion and confusion, the expansion of the rooms occupancy tax to cover short-term rentals is beginning to produce its intended dividends. In the first […]

CURRENTS

EASTHAM — The cost estimate for the Nauset Regional High School (NRHS) renovation project has dropped to about $131.8 million, according to Greg Levasseur, chair of the Nauset School Building […]

SKETCHBOOK

"Storm Wave" by Mark Adams

SURFING

You’ve heard a lot about the wholesome, soulful side of surfing. That’s what draws most of us in. It is the current that runs strongest through surfing. It is the […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the seven days preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 21 included the following, compiled at Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, […]

BABYCAKES

Wellfleet’s New Year’s baby is Charles Dylan Emmons, who was born on Jan. 10 at Cape Cod Hospital at 10:51 a.m. to parents Nina Picariello and Alexander Emmons. Nina teaches […]

THEATER

“It was deliberate,” David Drake, the artistic director of the Provincetown Theater, says of his schedule of new productions for 2020, his third year at the company. “Doing this season […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT