All Stories

WHEELS

HARWICH — They arrived rusty, dirty, and tired, but thanks to the efforts of a group of students, a fleet of buffed-up bicycles will soon roll off the campus at […]

TOXIC SUBSTANCES

Communities across the state — and on the Outer Cape — are beginning mandatory testing of their public water supplies for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of compounds […]

DEMAND & DEMAND

PROVINCETOWN — Cape Cod’s business and political leaders say the stars are aligning for a record-breaking “biggest season ever” for summer tourism. A third of Americans have already received one […]

AFTERMATH

TRURO — When the drawn-out legal battle over a modern mansion on Stephens Way ended in 2016 with a settlement giving the town $3 million, it was called “dirty money” […]

CLEAR-CUT CASE

WELLFLEET — Not since the Dunkin’ Donuts brouhaha of 2012, said zoning board of appeals chair Sharon Inger, had she seen a ZBA audience so large or so passionate as […]

TOWN MEETING

PROVINCETOWN — Two citizen-petitioned articles were added to the annual town meeting warrant before it closed on April 1. One is aimed at closing “equity gaps,” and the other proposes […]

WATER FIGHT

EASTHAM — What began as an effort to improve safety in tidal creek areas by revising boating bylaws has churned up discord among residents over water skiing and motorboat use […]

SPRING BALL

EASTHAM — On a windy Wednesday afternoon, the last day of March, the Nauset football team practiced on its home turf. Head Coach Bruce Strunk was firm when he said […]

PLOTTING

The earth is coming alive. Beneath the oak leaves that I pile on my garden plot every fall, I am beginning to see the first sprouts of green. Garlic is […]

AIRWAVES

TRURO — Dunes 102.3 FM is under new ownership, now that restaurateur and radio personality Ron Robin has sold the 5,000-watt classic rock radio station to Gary Hanna, owner of […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

Excitement rippled through Eastham with the recent rediscovery in the archives of the historical society of a document signed by Samuel Adams. Adams, born in 1722, was one of the […]

RARA AVIS

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

KITCHEN TABLE

“We’re bringing the sbrisolona,” our friend Brian told me. “Yes, the very same one. And it doesn’t look half bad, actually.” Spring cleaning is so important. Especially if your microwave […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The new Moon in the first sign of the zodiac sets the tone for the year ahead. It is an invitation to begin again by refreshing your routine and cultivating […]

UP A CREEK

@heyfromptown asks: Sooo, I’m in my 20s, and it’s going to be forever until I’m, like, fully vaccinated. I heard young people are getting trounced by side effects because we […]

PHOTOGRAPHY

The witch hazel is in bloom. (Photo Edwin Butter) Front row seats are now ready for sunset worshippers at Great Hollow Beach in Truro. Left to right: Lee Russell, Jeff […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, April 8 Bicycle Committee, 2 p.m. Public Pier Corp., 2 p.m. Finance Committee, […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to truro-ma.gov, click on the meeting you want to watch, and open its agenda for instructions on how to watch or take part online. Thursday, April 8 School […]

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

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

SKIN DEEP

At the end of Bob Gasoi Memorial Art Alley, at 290 Commercial St. in Provincetown, as you descend the stairs to Coastline Tattoo’s small, underground shop, you enter an otherworld […]

ARTISTS

“Enough is enough, and it’s time for us to take action,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse after the March 22 shooting at the King Soopers grocery in Boulder, Colo. At […]

INDIE PLAYLIST

For this spring edition of the Indie Playlist, contributors chose songs traversing the genres of country, rap, disco, funk, blues, and rock. Many of them, though undeniably feel-good, express something […]

VIGNETTE

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

A tourist here in early April is like a Christmas tree in July: nice looking, but oddly out of place. I am writing this during a spring school vacation week, […]

COUNTY LINE

Four years ago, the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission appeared to be down for the count. Its proposed operating budget was simply missing from the budget book that the Assembly […]

STEAMERS

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

After we sent the paper off to the printer last week, I picked up the April issue of The Atlantic that somebody left on the kitchen counter. It was folded […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Failed Oversight at Pilgrim To the editor: Christine Legere’s article on dangerous waste stored at Pilgrim provided citizens with important information [“United on Shutting Pilgrim, Advocates Differ on Nuclear Waste,” […]

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 29 to April 2, 2021 PROVINCETOWN March 29. Matthew L. Marcotte and Mario D. Pinho to Roswell C. Bottum. 8 […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS Weekly cleaning. We are looking for an experienced housekeeper to clean two small weekly rental cottages in Provincetown. Cleanings are mostly on Saturdays. Call Maryanne, 860-739-8227. [4-8] Dishwashers needed. […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Services for Bertha L. Adams, a lifelong Provincetown resident who died on Jan. 31, have been scheduled for next week. Calling hours will be Wednesday, April 14 from 4 to […]

Crystal Lee Russell, 40, of Provincetown died on March 23, 2021 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. No cause of death was reported. Born in Hyannis, Crystal was the daughter […]

Vida Ritchie DeMale, who for 28 years managed the Eastham Friendly Flower Islands with her husband, Dan, died on March 30, 2021. She was 94. Vida was born in Hartford, […]

GOBBLEDYGOOK

They came from New York — 37 of them, trapped with a cannon-net set by Massachusetts wildlife biologists — to the Berkshires, at first. Then new generations spread statewide. Some […]

ENVIRONMENT

PLYMOUTH — The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station has been shut down, but the arguments over what to do with its highly radioactive spent fuel are heating up. A Navajo activist […]

ELECTION

EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School building project will move forward after winning approval from more than two-thirds of the voters in Tuesday’s district-wide election. Based on figures reported […]

WELLFLEET ELECTION

WELLFLEET — For the first time in recent memory, the ballot for this year’s town election lists fewer candidates for the town’s most important board than there are seats to […]

DISTURBANCE

WELLFLEET — Richard Blakeley said he’s ashamed of his behavior, which led to him being arrested for disturbing the peace and malicious destruction of property on Friday, March 26. “I […]

INFRASTRUCTURE

EASTHAM — The Water Dept. has reached a milestone of sorts, with 1,500 completed or pending connections to the town water system — enough hookups to cover the department’s annual […]

CANNABUSINESS

TRURO — The owners of two planned cannabis retail shops, the Piping Plover in Wellfleet and the Salty Farmers in Eastham, are negotiating a community host agreement to grow and […]

RISING WATERS

PROVINCETOWN — Floodwaters are a primal force, invading the landscape, insisting that things must change. In the January 2018 flood, for example, seawater coursed down Gosnold Street and filled a […]

PEEPS

Though our “Cogsie,” a.k.a. Rooster Cogburn, has been proudly prancing and mounting, he and our hens have not yet succeeded in producing any new chicks. I know they’ll get there, […]

FAKE NEWS

Price of Turnips Skyrockets EASTHAM — The celebrated Eastham turnip has always been a lucrative crop. Weighing about eight pounds each — the same as a golden retriever puppy — […]

DIAMOND TIME

BREWSTER — Little League baseball is back on the Lower and Outer Cape, as the Nauset Little League will be operating for the first time under its new name this […]

RECREATION

WELLFLEET — Gov. Charlie Baker announced last month that day camps and overnight camps will be allowed to reopen this summer, but with significantly reduced capacity and in compliance with […]

RAMBLING MAN

WELLFLEET — One of the few people you’ll see on Wellfleet’s Main Street in the early morning hours, pandemic included, is Kevin Carroll. Chances are he’ll have a backpack strapped […]

THRIFT

I recently bought my first-ever brand-new piece of furniture. It is a chartreuse sectional couch and I love it an unreasonable amount. I sit on it, I lie on it, […]

KITCHEN TABLE

I am not sure which is easier, to be a fool or make one. I’ll admit to my share of being one. The other kind of fool is a cloud-like […]

VIGNETTE

Every Saturday afternoon, my mother used to make the dessert for Sunday — a ritual I enjoyed helping with. I grew up in the south west of France, in Bordeaux. […]

BEHIND THE WHEEL

When was the last time you checked under the hood? More and more of my customers don’t even know how to open theirs. That’s not just because they’re not mechanically […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, March 30 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

MOVEMENT

Rotator cuff troubles. We hear about them all the time — everyone from famous pitchers, to house painters, to Aunt Myrtle seems to have them. What is the rotator cuff, […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The history of Aries, which begins the zodiacal year, as a symbol of creation and sacrifice extends thousands of years into the past. The constellation of Aries (not to be […]

photography

Three male common dolphins that stranded at Chipman’s Cove in Wellfleet on March 30 were transported and released at Herring Cove in Provincetown by the IFAW Stranding Team. IFAW volunteer […]

FOOTBALL

EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School football team took the field last Saturday, March 27, to play its first game in more than a year against the Falmouth Clippers […]

STIMULUS

PROVINCETOWN — The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which President Biden signed into law on March 11, will siphon a lot of money to Cape Cod’s local governments in the […]

DEATHCARE

PROVINCETOWN — Funeral home directors are the last responders on the frontline of the pandemic. And the national news has brought troubling images of overburdened funeral homes in the hardest-hit […]

AQUACULTURE

WELLFLEET — The select board voted 4-0 on March 23 to approve Chair Michael DeVasto’s request that his two-acre aquaculture grant be enlarged by 1.3 acres, on two conditions: that […]

reopening

Beach fires will be returning to the Cape Cod National Seashore this summer, according to park Supt. Brian Carlstrom. “We anticipate standing up our fire permits program again this year […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, April 1 Select Board, 3:30 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. Wednesday, April […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to truro-ma.gov, click on the meeting you want to watch, and open its agenda for instructions on how to watch or take part online. Monday, April 5 Conservation […]

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

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

ART EDUCATION

On an early spring day, Neal Nichols Jr. stands on Hamblen Island in Wellfleet, overlooking Duck Creek and Wellfleet Harbor. “I have a photographic memory,” he says, tracing the view […]

BOOK REVIEW

I don’t know what I was expecting when I requested a reviewer’s copy of Oliver Linton’s Fractals: On the Edge of Chaos. The pocket-sized book, published in February, appeared to […]

INDIE SCREEN

The testimony of Christine Blasey Ford during Congressional hearings for the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 was devastating. She was as believable as a victim of […]

APPRECIATION

On March 13, 2021, the irreverent Mad magazine artist , a part-time Provincetown resident, turned 100 years old. Jaffee is best known for his “fold-in” comic illustrations, which transformed one […]

VIGNETTE

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TEACAKE'S TAKE

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EPISTOLARY HISTORY

Hi Ellen, You probably don’t remember me. We attended Camp Amik together back in the summer of 1968 or 1969. I was working as an au pair and you were […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Elected Vs. Appointed Boards To the editor: I was troubled by your March 18 front-page article on petitions that seek to empower Truro voters to elect the town’s health board […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Our once-a-month crossword, by the talented Sophia Maymudes, is very popular. And so, I have begun looking into the possibility of finding some new types of puzzles or word games […]

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 22 to March 26, 2021. PROVINCETOWN March 22. J&T Belle Realty Inc. [James Turner, agent] to Kris E. McMurray. 4 […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS Weekly cleaning. We are looking for an experienced housekeeper to clean two small weekly rental cottages in Provincetown. Cleanings are mostly on Saturdays. Call Maryanne, 860-739-8227. [4-8] Dishwashers needed. […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Davina Parmet died on March 25, 2021 at her home in Williamsburg, Va. after a courageous 10-year battle with lung cancer. She was 62. Davina was born on July 28, […]

Charles W. Zimmer of Truro died on March 3, 2021 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. Known as Chuck, he was the husband of Janice (Cosker) Zimmer. He was 76. […]

WHALE WATCH

PROVINCETOWN — The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) March 3 sighting of Millipede, a 16-year-old North Atlantic right whale, and her newborn calf — the season’s first — in Cape Cod […]

ENVIRONMENT

Wellfleet and Eastham are among a dozen towns on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard scheduled for herbicide application this year by Eversource along the company’s rights-of-way. Workers will be out […]

PROVINCETOWN ELECTION

PROVINCETOWN — Select board member Lise King, 56, will have two challengers in the May 11 annual town election. Leslie Sandberg, 58, a partner in the communications firm Rose, Sandberg […]

EARLY LEARNING

TRURO — Before the pandemic, housing and child-care access and affordability were concurrent crises for young families on the Outer Cape. The Truro Central School’s free preschool has been oversubscribed […]

ON THE WATERFRONT

PROVINCETOWN — The select board has appointed the owner of a fishing business and a former town administrator now living in Provincetown to the board of the Public Pier Corp., […]

TRURO ELECTION

TRURO — There are no contested races for the 11 town board seats up for election this spring, and no candidates on the ballot at all for two of those […]

COVID UPDATE

Everyone age 60 to 64 and many who work in public are now eligible for Covid vaccinations, including restaurant, retail, grocery, public works, transportation, and sanitation workers. There are several […]

SPACES

PROVINCETOWN — A sleeper project since 2016, the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center burst into the limelight on March 8 when the select board recommended a 9,500-square-foot building […]

ENVIRONMENT

EASTHAM — A scout was spotted by a natural resources dept. officer at the Bridge Pond run on March 12. A herring scout, that is — one of the individual […]

THE NEW MANAGER

PROVINCETOWN — Alex Morse will have been mayor of Holyoke for just over nine years when he resigns at the end of March to take up his new job as […]

SHOP-SHIFTING

PROVINCETOWN — An early and persistent fear about the pandemic was that small businesses in town would tumble, and Commercial Street would end up lined with shuttered storefronts. Another worry […]

FROM THE LARDER

She had me with oyster banh mi. If that’s what chef Bethany Gregory was making for lunch at the Soup Kitchen in Provincetown (SKIP), I wanted to meet her. From […]

RINGSIDE

PROVINCETOWN — Marvelous Marvin Hagler, the legendary middleweight champion boxer, died unexpectedly on March 13 at age 66 at his home in New Hampshire. Hagler was originally from Newark, N.J., […]

MEET THE MAKER

We all have at least one piece of clothing that we can’t bear to let go of, even though its state of repair limits its public appearances. Mine is a […]

CROSSWORD #19

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MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

Last month, I encouraged you to venture outside just before sunrise to see the planet Mercury. By way of apology for such an outrageous suggestion about how to spend your […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

I heard someone say once that people on the West Coast are nice but not kind, while people on the East Coast are kind but not nice. Having lived on […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, March 23 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

WARRIORS WATCH

Thursday, March 25 Girls volleyball: The Nauset Warriors host the Barnstable Raiders at 5:15 p.m. Friday, March 26 Girls volleyball: Sturgis East Charter School takes on the Warriors at the […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, March 25 Water & Sewer Board, 1 p.m. Pier Corp., 2 p.m. Select Board, 5 […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to truro-ma.gov, click on the meeting you want to watch, and open its agenda for instructions on how to watch or take part online.  Thursday, March 25 Climate […]

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

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

PHOTOGRAPHY

If you were to walk down Tremont Street in Boston, you’d come upon a digital show of photographs of women musicians on the marquee of the Boch Center. They’re by […]

AUTHORS

“Intimacy is about the experience of saying to another person — not necessarily in words — ‘This is who truly I am and what I want. Who are you? What […]

OUTER CAPE PORTRAIT

TONY KAHN / STORYTELLER / TRURO Tony Kahn worked in public TV and radio for more than 40 years. He hosted a news program, pioneered podcasts, and told stories of […]

BOOK REVIEW

Michelle Alexander changed conversations about race-based discrimination in 2010 when she published The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. Alexander explained that four in five Black […]

SKETCHBOOK

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OP-ED

“Shouldn’t the wreath come down now?” asks one voice inside my head each time I pull in the drive. “No, it still looks pretty,” says the other voice. The berries […]

VIGNETTE

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STEAMERS

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

My cousin David is a professional gambler. He fervently believes that every human problem can be expressed in mathematical terms, and thus solved with mathematical logic. He has been wildly […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Volunteers Got Expert Help To the editor: I appreciate Tessera Knowles-Thompson’s article on the 95 Lawrence Road project to create affordable homes in Wellfleet as it makes its way through […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 15 to March 19, 2021. PROVINCETOWN March 15. James D. Russo Revocable Living Trust (James D. Russo, trustee) to Douglas […]

Kathleen Bernice White, a lifelong Provincetown resident, died on March 17, 2021 at the Windsor Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Yarmouth. She was 86. She was the wife of […]

Philip Clay Wolf of Truro died on March 16, 2021 surrounded by family at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston after a brief illness. He was 64. Born on July […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS Dishwashers needed. Jimmy’s Hideaway at 179 Commercial St. in Provincetown. Nights, Thursdays through Sundays. Call Jimmy at 508-237-6362. Farmhand needed for spring “kidding” season, April-May (starting ASAP — 20 […]

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

WELLFLEET — The largest affordable housing initiative in the town’s history reached a milestone last week with the select board’s unanimous approval on March 9 of a request for proposals […]

IMMIGRATION

Barnstable County Sheriff James Cummings continues to defend his partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as political and legal moves to overturn the controversial agreements, which deputize local […]

THE DRAWING BOARD

TRURO — The signers of two petitioned articles that will be on the June 26 annual town meeting warrant want the zoning board of appeals and the board of health […]

ON THE WATERFRONT

EASTHAM — The plan for a new harbormaster’s office and site improvements at Rock Harbor is scheduled to begin the permitting process next month, with hearings set for April 13 […]

CLOVERLEAF

TRURO — The attorney for property owners suing the developer of the 39-unit Cloverleaf project and the Truro Zoning Board of Appeals has added 13 plaintiffs to the suit filed […]

COVID-19 UPDATE

People who are currently eligible for a vaccine, or who will be eligible later in phase two, can now put their names and contact information into a statewide pre-registration system […]

TOWN FINANCE

WELLFLEET — Auditors have discovered “several major deficiencies in the town’s financial and accounting activities which will require immediate mitigation measures to correct,” Town Administrator Maria Broadbent reported to the […]

HOMESTEADING

The days are getting longer and lighter at last, heralding the season of birds and bees. When it comes to those of us with yard birds, it is time to […]

COST OF BOATING

WELLFLEET — Marina mooring and slip fees will increase by 15 percent over the next three years, but commercial slip holders will get an additional year to prepare for the […]

LEARNING

TRURO — Truro Central School (TCS) head second-grade teacher Amelia Rose feels, she announces, as she hurries from teaching remote addition class in the library to delivering an in-person version […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, March 16 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

GALLERY

“Meet me at 517 Commercial St.,” we say, or “I work at 186,” without a second thought about the complexity behind the system of numbers that guides us though our […]

FROM THE SNACKBOOK

The first official day of spring arrives this weekend. It took me many years of living in New England to realize that this is nature’s favorite joke. Here it’s picnic […]

BODY/MIND

Spring is on the way. Covid is on the way out. And many people I know are in the grip of a tense kind of anticipation that is equal parts […]

DELAY OF GAME

EASTHAM — The arrival of the long-awaited high school football season, now one of the state’s “Fall II” sports, has been delayed a week as the Nauset Regional High team […]

BURNING BRIGHT

There is a certain tier of athletes I like to classify as “one-namers.” That means they’re recognizable by their first or last name only. LeBron, Brady, Jordan, Serena, Babe, and […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, March 18 Board of Health, 4 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. Monday, March […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to truro-ma.gov, click on the meeting you want to watch, and open its agenda for instructions on how to watch or take part online. Thursday, March 18 Climate […]

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

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

ARTISTS

“I paint like a child,” says John Choly with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. “And I own that.” In his Provincetown studio, he is surrounded by shelves […]

TV OR NOT TV

It’s a Sin Streaming on HBO Max (miniseries; 5 episodes) The British television import It’s a Sin follows a group of friends — four gay boys and a girl, Jill, […]

BOOK REVIEW

In most biographies, the subject begins as a larger-than-life figure. Then, after we learn about imperfect relationships and personal quirks, he or she becomes more human. That’s not the case […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Happy astrological new year! The Sun enters Aries this week on the day of the Spring Equinox. Light will overcome shadow, at last, and summer herself is no longer just […]

SKETCHBOOK

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

I hereby make a shameful confession: I don’t know which end of a hammer to pick up in order to use one. This leaves me in a predicament any time […]

VIGNETTE

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Steamers

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Two months ago, I wrote about a flap we had with the new Wellfleet town administrator, Maria Broadbent. She had given one of our reporters a hard time about releasing […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘L.A. Would Be Amazed’ To the editor: The tone of last week’s Letter From the Arts Editor about the recent American Horror Story filming in Provincetown was unnecessarily dismissive. I’ll […]

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 8 to March 12, 2021. PROVINCETOWN March 9. Paul Cronin Swalboski and Jon Swalboski to Mehri Badizadegan and Mohammad Moallem. […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

REMEMBRANCE

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There […]

Carmela “Millie” Slattery died on Feb. 28, 2021 at Seashore Point Wellness and Rehabilitation Center in Provincetown. She was 90. One of five sisters, she was born in Ozone Park, […]

“A life is not captured by a list of a person’s activities and accomplishments,” wrote Dennis Minsky of his old friend Paul Endich, who died at home in Eastham on […]

Sally Hamilton Jennings of Londonderry, Vt. died unexpectedly of apparent heart failure on March 7, 2021. She was 77. Fiercely independent, Sally led a rich, varied life by following her […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS Weekly cleaning. We are looking for an experienced housekeeper to clean two small weekly rental cottages in Provincetown. Cleanings are mostly on Saturdays. Call Maryanne, 860-739-8227. [4-8] Assistant manager […]

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from March 1 to March 5, 2021. PROVINCETOWN March 1. 3 Harbor Hill Land Trust (James M. McClure, trustee) to John A. […]

STEEPLE CHASE

EASTHAM — The Chapel in the Pines renovation was completed last Saturday as George Koeber and Paul Collins installed the final piece of the project — a copper steeple cap. […]

ON THE WATERFRONT

PROVINCETOWN — In the wake of unpopular fee hikes by the board of the Provincetown Public Pier Corp., which manages MacMillan Pier, two members of that board have been forced […]

CONNECTIVITY

Two years after they began, cable license renewal negotiations between five Lower Cape towns and Comcast have come to a close. On Feb. 23, the Truro and Wellfleet select boards […]

COVID UPDATE

Scoring an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccination has become a little easier due to tweaks to the state registration sites, but it remains a time-consuming and frustrating task. And for […]

ECONOMY

PROVINCETOWN — Unemployment insurance dates back to the New Deal, but it played a starring role in keeping Americans solvent during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Century Foundation, more […]

INVESTIGATION

WELLFLEET — A three-month investigation into a Wellfleet narcotics operation came to a head late last week with the coordinated arrests of three Outer Cape residents. Wellfleet Police Sgt. Paul […]

ROAD TO NORMAL

PROVINCETOWN — Pilgrim House events manager David Burbank would usually be booking talent for the summer season by now. But he can’t do that, because he still has no idea […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

EASTHAM — The grave marker in the Cove Burying Ground is plain: “Rev. Samuel Treat died Mar. 18, 1716, aged 69 years,” it reads. But the story of Eastham’s first […]

OLD AND NEW

PROVINCETOWN — The Provincetown Portuguese Bakery has changed hands, but the same name and traditional Old World fare will remain as baked into Commercial Street as it has been for […]

LEARNING

EASTHAM — During her four years as a varsity lacrosse player, Nauset Regional High School senior Paige Flanagan, 18, has had plenty of experience with the infamous brown shower water […]

SKIN DEEP

PROVINCETOWN — Cape Cod and, for that matter, New England are perhaps not the first places one thinks of when one hears the words “plastic surgery.” We value our old […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, March 9 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

HOLY GRAIL

People have collected sports cards for 135 years. The first set of baseball cards was released in 1886 by the Goodwin Tobacco Company. A Honus Wagner card from that set […]

AWARDS

EASTHAM — Nine Nauset Regional High School winter athletes were named Cape & Islands League All-Stars this season. Nauset boys basketball was represented by juniors Seth Asiimwe and Keleb Daniels. […]

PLANTCRAFT

Though wood craftspeople often finish their handmade work with oils made from plants or seeds — linseed or tung — mineral oil is often recommended for ordinary people to use […]

KITCHEN AS PASSPORT

I have learned not to take anything for granted. Not even simple things, like seeing a stranger’s smile, having a relaxed drink with a friend at a bar, or sitting […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Flip the switch on your self-expression, star gazers. A planetary mashup of Sun, Moon, Venus, and Neptune in imaginative Pisces illuminates your sectors of creativity and compassion. Such an orgiastic […]

UP A CREEK

“The annual Mass. Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests, required of all students in public schools, will be administered this year, despite concerns from school administrators about what exactly the data […]

PHOTOGRAPHY

MacMillan Pier, Provincetown. (Photo Nancy Bloom) Crowds gathered in hopes of a glimpse of the cast, or maybe a chance to walk on, while the film crew for the television […]

BROADBAND

EASTHAM — The OpenCape Corporation’s high-speed internet service has been tantalizingly close and yet out of reach for most Outer Cape residents since 2013, when the nonprofit technology company used […]

WINDOW TO A WINDFALL

PROVINCETOWN — After more than a year of telling town officials that it could not be done, the Mass. Dept. of Revenue has released data on the new tax on […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, March 11 Finance Committee, 10 a.m. Public Pier Corp., 3 p.m. Open Space […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to truro-ma.gov, click on the meeting you want to watch, and open its agenda for instructions on how to watch or take part online. Thursday, March 11 […]

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

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

EXHIBITS

By Susannah Elisabeth Fulcher “When will this end? When will we go back to normal? When will we see each other again? These are questions we’ve been asking ourselves since […]

PROVINCETOWN CLASSICS

If you want to see Dorothy Loeb’s paintings, the best place to go is not a museum but the Residences at Seashore Point, at 100 Alden St. in Provincetown. Specifically, […]

INDIE SCREEN

Although it has much to recommend it, the film Nomadland, which is playing in theaters (not locally) and streaming on Hulu (free to subscribers), can attribute its extraordinary success, including […]

BOOK REVIEW

In the book of Joshua, the ancient Israelites settle upon the land that God had promised them, a land called Canaan, and they do so without slaughtering any of the […]

VIGNETTE

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THE PLAGUE YEAR

We’re coming up on a year, now — a year of confusion, isolation, sadness, and readjustment. Anniversaries are a time of reflection. What does this one mean? There has been […]

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COUNTY LINE

With strident voices and violent clashes in the news at the highest levels of government, recent weeks brought a welcome dose of collaborative and functional governance on Cape Cod. The […]

LETTER FROM THE ARTS EDITOR

Perhaps the biggest illusion perpetuated by the movie business is that film shoots — the nuts and bolts of producing movies and television — are glamorous and fascinating. In fact, […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Obstructed View of Harbor Hill To the editor: Thank you for Paul Benson’s piece on “The View From Harbor Hill” [March 4, front page]. It was wonderful to read the […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

William Arthur von der Heydt, a painter who came to Provincetown over 40 years ago, died on Feb. 22, 2021 at home. He was 78. Born in Belleville, N.J., in […]

Richard McCann, a beloved writer long associated with the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, died on Jan. 25, 2021 in Washington, D.C. He was 71. Richard was born on […]

Vivian Bower, a long-time resident of New York City and Cape Cod, died peacefully at age 79 on Feb. 21, 2021 at her home in Truro. The cause of death […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS Assistant manager for art gallery. 40K to 50K. Year-round position with 3 weeks time off. Flexible hours during off season. Sales and supervisor experience preferred. Experience with picture framing a […]

CLASSIFIEDS

JOBS Assistant manager for art gallery. 40K to 50K. Year-round position with 3 weeks time off. Flexible hours during off season. Sales and supervisor experience preferred. Experience with picture framing a […]

LEADING EDGE

PROVINCETOWN — If negotiations are successful, Alex B. Morse, 32, a native son of Holyoke, the working-class city where he has been the mayor for 10 years, will become the […]

STIMULI

PROVINCETOWN — When much of the American economy was forced to shut down last March due to Covid, Congress passed trillions of dollars of relief spending in just weeks. There […]

DELAYS

TRURO — Two residents are appealing the town’s approval of the Cloverleaf, a 39-unit affordable housing development at 22 Highland Road. The legal challenge was filed in Barnstable Superior Court […]

RESIDENCY

PROVINCETOWN — Last year’s Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) resident fellows accused the nonprofit that hosted them of racism. Then the pandemic hit, and several of those fellows had nowhere […]

ENERGY

EASTHAM — Eastham could have a surplus of energy should four new solar projects move forward. “The town of Eastham, with the completion of these projects — if they were […]

ENVIRONMENT

WELLFLEET — With a minus-0.6-foot low tide at 5:11 p.m. and the sun setting at 5:26, Bob Wallace and Mattias Christensen have no time to lose. Their oysters have been […]

RELIGION

PROVINCETOWN — Mike Dubour was in the process of converting to Judaism. He was tired of the lousy version of Catholicism he kept receiving — what he described as “hatred […]

HOUSING

PROVINCETOWN — Harbor Hill was built as a time-share complex, to host people enjoying a week or two of vacation. After sitting vacant for years, then being bought by Provincetown’s […]

GENTLE INTO THE NIGHT

A home speaks to its visitors before they even cross the threshold. Coming around the corner or reaching for the front gate, we take in a multitude of details, the […]

FROM THE LARDER

I have a pile of dog-eared seed catalogs marked with checks and circles — a paper hope chest filled with my garden aspirations. They sit in a growing pile on […]

ISLAND NEWS

WELLFLEET — A 9th Street property was advertised as an “ideal building lot at the outermost area of majestic Lieutenant Island,” offering prospective buyers a vision of glorious sunsets with […]

RARA AVIS

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

THE TIP-UP

Ice fishing? That was everyone’s first question. And then, in varied order: Won’t you fall through? But what if you do? Won’t you be cold? Will you catch anything? Or, […]

LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School girls basketball season didn’t end the way the team wanted it to, but senior leader Avery Burns feels good knowing that she and […]

MOVEMENT

Truly, our shoulders are overworked. They bear burdens, carry chips, and provide places upon which others may cry. If you have, at any point this winter, looked in the mirror […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Have you been having vivid dreams? Some so intense you could call them visions? The Sun’s approach toward Neptune climaxes this week with their conjunction — meaning they cross paths […]

A film crew for the television series with the as-yet-unconfirmed-but-it’s-gotta-be American Horror Story, for which part-time Provincetown resident Ryan Murphy is executive producer, deals with drizzle in front of town […]

TAXES

Residents of Provincetown, Truro, and Wellfleet who wish to claim the residential tax exemption (RTE) on their fiscal 2021 property tax bills must submit applications with supporting documents to their […]

TRUE CRIME

PROVINCETOWN — In his 20 weeks of state-standardized training at the Plymouth Police Academy, Sgt. Kevan Spoor, now a 14-year veteran of the Provincetown P.D., broke down doors. He shot […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, March 4 Select Board, 4 p.m. Monday, March 8 Select Board, 7 p.m. Tuesday, March […]

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

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

Meetings are held remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda and find out how to view and take part remotely. Thursday, March 4 […]

PAINTING

“I think of painting as capturing time,” says artist Erna Partoll. In the sunny kitchen of her Provincetown home, where she has been holed up during the pandemic, Partoll points […]

RADIO

WOMR’s International Women’s Day celebration began in 1988, says Denya LeVine, one of its “founding mothers.” But only in the last 10 years has the station been doing it consistently, […]

BOOK REVIEW

It is easy to pan Anna Malaika Tubbs’s The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation, released last month […]

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METAPHYSICS: PERSONAL HISTORY

…I am waiting to get some intimations of immortality by recollecting my early childhood and I am waiting for the green mornings to come again youth’s dumb green fields come […]

PUBLISHING

Provincetown was where you went to die. That was what everyone kept saying when Rob Phelps told them he was moving here in the mid ’90s. And, in fact, gay […]

VIGNETTE

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SKETCHBOOK

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STEAMERS

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

The saddest story to appear in these pages in many weeks was Jan. 28th’s “A ‘Sextortion’ Case Reveals Silent Crisis for Teens.” If you missed it, here is a brief […]

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Independent’s mission is to produce truth-seeking reporting on the Outer Cape. But we have another purpose that extends beyond the Orleans rotary: to help change what is happening to […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Spending the Pot Tax Bounty To the editor: The pot shop owners have been granted a license to coin money from the town, which they have clearly done very handsomely. […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 22 to Feb. 26, 2021. PROVINCETOWN Feb. 22. Sebastian and Kelly E. Grasso to Francisco Adrian and Julie Ann Gavigan. […]

OBITUARY

Diane Alexis Brown Rose died peacefully at her home on Atwood Road in Truro on Feb. 26, 2021 following a battle with cancer, in the company of her loving family […]

James Arlin Hildreth of Eastham died peacefully on Feb. 23, 2021 at the McCarthy Care Center in East Sandwich after a battle with cancer and related complications that he fought […]

OBITUARY

Mary A. Rose of Wellfleet died on Feb. 15, 2021 at Cape Cod Hospital, 12 hours after her 95th birthday, with the grace and dignity with which she lived her […]

EROSION REPORT

TRURO — When Anne Peretz walked into her newly built home near Ballston Beach on North Pamet Road in 1991, there was 175 feet between the back porch and the […]

THE SEARCH

PROVINCETOWN — None of the three finalists named this week for the job of town manager lives here, but all three say they love Provincetown. They are the 32-year-old mayor […]

NAUSET REGIONAL

EASTHAM — The Nauset High School renovation gained the unanimous support of Eastham’s finance committee and select board when they voted on Feb. 17 and Feb. 22, respectively, to recommend […]

ELDER CARE

PROVINCETOWN — When it comes to Covid, Massachusetts is pro-data. The Dept. of Public Health (DPH) publishes a weekly Covid report, daily Covid updates, and a weekly report on vaccinations. […]

ENVIRONMENT

WELLFLEET — The conservation commission has again denied permission for the construction of a 241-foot rock revetment in front of the Blasch house on Chequessett Neck Road. The 5,817-square-foot house, […]

ZONING

WELLFLEET — Citing what board member Beth Singer called “insurmountable” obstacles, the planning board officially ended its three-month effort to draft a joint bylaw regulating accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and […]

AT THE STATE HOUSE

PROVINCETOWN — As the deadline for filing legislation came into view last Friday, state Rep. Sarah Peake had turned in a number of bills to be considered by the Mass. […]

THE ROAD TO NORMAL

PROVINCETOWN — When it comes to allocating Covid resources, Cape Cod has been treated like a distant afterthought. The state hasn’t opened a free Stop the Spread testing site here, […]

DEVELOPMENT

PROVINCETOWN — The historic district commission and the zoning board of appeals have approved the demolition of a 140-year-old cottage in the historic district and its replacement with a new […]

SNOWSCAPE

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ON THE LANDSCAPE

There’s a bend in the road on the way to the dump in Wellfleet. The road winds through a low, wet area, a tributary of the Herring River. As far […]

FROM THE LARDER

It is mid-February of the pandemic winter, but even this one won’t last forever. It’s time for us to face a cold, hard fact: most of those dried beans we […]

IN MINIATURE

While summer vegetable gardens lie in wait under mulch and snow, some people are busy planting and harvesting miniature crops indoors. It doesn’t take much effort, say the devotees, to […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Feb. 23 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

Right now is a good time for seeing the planet Mercury, especially if you’re on the Outer Cape, with its wonderful unobstructed views to east on the ocean side. Astronomy […]

OVERBOARD

EASTHAM — Most high-school sports have struggled to maintain a playable season this year, due to strict safety regulations and rescheduled games in a shortened season. But one club sport […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Ever get the feeling that things might actually go your way if you could just let go and trust in the process of life? Well, now would be a good […]

PHOTOGRAPHY

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TOURNAMENT TIME

EASTHAM — The Nauset Warriors boys basketball team came away with a win at the buzzer against Barnstable on Monday in the first round of the Cape and Islands League […]

MEALS NEED WHEELS

As food insecurity has continued to grow across Cape Cod during the pandemic, a hidden issue has come into view alongside it. Sometimes, people go hungry not because there is […]

PRESERVATION

PROVINCETOWN — The community preservation committee (CPC) voted down the Schooner Hindu’s application for $100,000 in Community Preservation Act funds at its meeting on Feb. 22. Had it been approved, […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Feb. 25 Select Board town manager interviews, 5 p.m. Joint meeting, Harbor and […]

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

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

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

ARTISTS

“Water touches us in so many ways,” says painter Marianne A. Kinzer. “It travels around the globe in the form of oceans, clouds, and rain. It moves through the stems […]

MUSICIANS

It starts with long drawn-out notes forming a simple melody. The sound of the alto saxophone is warm and reedy. At first, you might wonder, where is this going? But […]

AUTHORS

Sixteen years ago, a nightmare Liza Rodman had been having for months suddenly got real. She finally recognized the face of the man who approached her in the dream — […]

OUTER CAPE PORTRAIT

Dana Franchitto loves going to work as a substitute teacher at the Nauset Regional Middle School in Orleans. Even if he won $10 million in the lottery, he’d still want […]

SKETCHBOOK

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BLACK AND BROWN HISTORY

A riot of culture spills forth from that hook at the end of the Cape. Provincetown is like no other place, and it seems incapable of containing itself. It expands, like […]

OP-ED

The opposition to the proposed Nauset Regional High School renovation is relying on a confusing series of calculations based on questionable assumptions. Their main argument is that we can save […]

VIGNETTE

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STEAMERS

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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

Our world is built on streams of data, beaming into headsets and printers and our ever-present phones. Twitter can predict what I will read; TikTok knows how to make me […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Vaccine Lottery To the editor: Here are some points that Cape Cod residents may wish to convey to Gov. Charlie Baker and his Covid-19 advisers: 1. Cape Cod residents […]

Joann Merrell Coats of Harwich died peacefully on Feb. 13, 2021 at the Wingate at Harwich Nursing Home. She was 88. Joann was born on April 28, 1932 in Provincetown, […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 16 to Feb. 19, 2021. PROVINCETOWN Feb. 16. Kevin R. Kennedy and Edward H. Walsh to Bret A. Austhof. 4 […]

CLASSIFIEDS

HELP WANTED Woodcutter. Woman or man with a chainsaw and skills wanted to cut up downed trees and logs into firewood at my property in Truro. Work the hours that […]

PRESERVATIVES

PROVINCETOWN — A $100,000 grant request to help pay for the ambitious restoration of the Schooner Hindu is one of a handful of applications that will be up for discussion […]

TESTING THE LIMITS

The annual Mass. Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests, required of all students in public schools, will be administered this year, despite concerns from school administrators about what exactly the data […]

JUST A SHOT AWAY

PROVINCETOWN — Gov. Charlie Baker’s decision to prioritize six mass Covid-19 vaccination sites around the state, while sending hardly any vaccine at all to Cape Cod, has people here feeling […]

CHASING THE NUMBERS

PROVINCETOWN — The Covid testing program at Outer Cape Health Services (OCHS), which relies on rapid BinaxNOW tests provided by the state, has been a local success story. The tests […]

RENOVATION DEBATE

EASTHAM — Members of the Nauset Regional School Committee have taken issue with a report on the high school building project that asserts that eliminating — or substantially reducing — […]

INJUSTICE

PROVINCETOWN — Vernon Porter, the irrepressible “Lady Di” of WOMR-FM’s most popular show, Friday night’s Leggs Up and Dancing, has been forced to give up his home in Provincetown. It’s […]

WHAT’S OPEN

EATS Deep Winter Dining A surprising number of restaurants (and markets that offer prepared meals) have kept on cooking this winter, some with well-spaced or outdoor-heated dining (B.Y.O. Blanket), others […]

THE YEAR-ROUNDER

PROVINCETOWN — Within the silence of the snowstorm, I walk the frozen beach, boot-crunch the only sound accompanying me. The muffled white air swirls and eddies. And then I hear […]

VIEW FROM THE TOP

PROVINCETOWN — After years of planning and delays, the “inclined elevator” (which is close to, but not the same as, a funicular), arrived on Feb. 12 from Switzerland, following a […]

CABIN FEVER CURE #1

I took a luxurious vacation last week into a world filled with lapis lazuli, burnt sienna, and yellow ochre paints; hake, dagger striper, and mop brushes; flat, graded, and variegated […]

CABIN FEVER CURE #2

It’s a Sunday morning and we’ve logged onto Zoom for “Using Color With the Figure,” taught by Laura Shabott and Alana Barrett, via the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. Introducing […]

CABIN FEVER CURE #3

Over the course of just two hours last Friday night, I used more pots and pans than I knew my kitchen had — more pots and pans than I think […]

ON THE WATERFRONT

PROVINCETOWN — The Public Pier Corp. has decided to raise the dockage rates at MacMillan Pier by 50 percent for commercial vessels over the next two years. At the second […]

FREE EXPRESSION

PROVINCETOWN — A federal judge ruled on Jan. 22 that the collection of fees by the National Park Service (NPS) for commercial filming is a violation of free speech. This […]

DOWNHILL SHIFT

Snow sports are not my forte. I don’t ice skate, and I went snowboarding a couple of times on some golf course hills, but that’s about it. I’d never been […]

SCHOOLS

TRURO — Over four decades ago, Michael Gradone III accepted a job as the Wellfleet Elementary School principal. In June, Gradone, 73, will retire as superintendent of Truro’s one-school district. […]

STAY-CATION

February is a gray month — there’s no doubt about it. As the thrill of the first truly cold snap, complete with snow flurries, begins to fade, it can be […]

SCORING

EASTHAM — Nauset High School’s basketball players kept their success rolling on Saturday, Feb. 13, as both the boys and girls teams defeated the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins. The boys team made […]

WARRIORS WATCH

Thursday, Feb. 18 Girls basketball: The undefeated Warriors (9-0) travel to play the Falmouth Clippers (7-4) at 2:30 p.m. Girls ice hockey: The Cape Cod Furies (2-2-4) will play the […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The Sun enters the watery sign of Pisces, the final sign of the zodiac before the cycle begins again with Aries, herald of spring. Pisces is the culmination of all […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Feb. 16 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

THE KIDS COOK

There’s a funny thing about kids and food combinations. At our house, olives are good, and bread is good. But olive bread might as well be poison. Why? I have […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Feb. 18 Board of Health, 4 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. […]

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

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

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

MIXED MEDIA

On a sunny winter’s day, SunMi Scheinler leans against a weathered wood fence at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. Behind her, a calm ocean stretches to the horizon. She takes […]

SELF-CONSTRUCTION

Sophie — self-styled in all capital letters — a trans DJ and producer who died on Jan. 30, 2021 at age 34 from an accidental fall in Greece, sculpted and […]

BOOK REVIEW

If you are in need of a particularly good escape that requires no travel this pandemic February, look no further than Australian crime writer Jane Harper’s latest whodunit, The Survivors, […]

VIGNETTE

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SKETCHBOOK

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Clear-Cutting in Wellfleet To the editor: The unpermitted clear-cutting at 1065 State Highway in Wellfleet is a shocking story of entitlement run amok [“Town Orders DiGiovannis to Cease and Desist,” […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Twenty-three years ago, I spent a memorable long weekend at the J. Erik Jonsson Center in Woods Hole, a classic old Cape Cod mansion with commanding views of Quissett Harbor […]

Catherine Ann Spiegel died peacefully on Jan. 29, 2021 at St. John Paul II nursing home in Danbury, Conn. She was 85. She was born on June 7, 1935 in […]

Christina Nestor Pappas Davidson, former Time Life reporter and leading figure in Provincetown in the 1970s and 1980s, died at her home in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, 2021. She […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 8 to Feb. 12, 2021 PROVINCETOWN Feb. 8. 100 Bayberry LLC [Lester J. Murphy Jr., agent] to April Callahan. 417 […]

CLASSIFIEDS

ONE LOVE RG— … to hear the quiet breathing that says/ I am alive, that means also/ you are alive, because you hear me… —HG [2-18] CLASSES Online: Painting Techniques […]

ON THE WATERFRONT

PROVINCETOWN — The Public Pier Corp., which operates MacMillan Pier, is proposing fee hikes for this year of around 50 percent to commercial fishermen and recreational businesses like whale watch […]

ALTERNATIVES

WELLFLEET — On the same day almost a year ago that Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency, March 10, the select board, state officials, and more than 50 […]

CANNABIS CASH

PROVINCETOWN — A long-anticipated source of new tax revenue was confirmed last week when Provincetown reported fourth-quarter payments from Curaleaf and b/well, the two cannabis dispensaries that opened here in […]

WELL-BEING

PROVINCETOWN — Health Director Morgan Clark presented a five-year plan to the select board last month that aims to dramatically increase access to mental health and substance abuse treatment. The […]

THE ROAD TO NORMAL

School administrators and teachers’ unions are often at odds with each other, but on Cape Cod, both sides agree on the need for educators to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as […]

CORNER OFFICE

EASTHAM — Nauset Regional School District Supt. Thomas Conrad announced on Feb. 3 that he will retire at the end of June after 29 years. “I have been truly blessed […]

HOCKEY, BASKETBALL

EASTHAM — Drew Locke secured his first victory as head coach of Nauset Regional High School boys hockey when the team beat Barnstable 4-3 at the Charles Moore Arena on […]

HOMESTEADING

How do you measure your love for a chicken? Or describe that warm-fuzzy you feel when your goat greets you with a headbutt? I’m not sure. But I want to […]

LONELY HEARTS CLUB

Reader, I swiped. Call it scholarship, sacrifice, pure self-indulgence. What matters is this: for nine days and eight nights, I swiped. Of the Outer Cape’s 12,370 residents, just over a […]

IDEALISTS IN LOVE

In 2002, Jennifer Smith had four children to raise, a full-time job as an Eastham firefighter, and a slew of volunteer responsibilities. There were Fresh Air Fund children to host […]

PLANTCRAFT

The 1840s saw the introduction of the mass-produced valentine in the U.S. We can thank Esther A. Howland, known as the “mother of the valentine,” for that. But even with […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Feb. 9 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

PATRIOTISM

I am a New York Jets fan. I don’t know why it happened. My family is from New York and my dad is a huge Giants fan. Even though I […]

CROSSWORD #18

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A VALENTINE FOR EDWINA

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COCKTAIL HOUR

I am the first to admit to having mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day. This year, they may be more mixed than ever. The last time we raised a glass to […]

SELF-LOVE

PROVINCETOWN — Buying flowers this Valentine’s Day? They’ll wilt. Chocolates melt; jewelry dulls; teddy bears de-plush. Here’s another idea. Each February, salespeople at certain specialty stores see a run on […]

BODY/MIND

There is much that we can’t control. This has always been true, of course, but it’s never been more apparent than now, in both our personal sphere and in the […]

UP A CREEK

The Quarrel: Maggie and Nora are currently single-ish former college roommates. In May 2019, the roommates had a Category Five argument over the Game of Thrones finale. They haven’t texted […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Feb. 11 Other Post-Employment Benefits meeting, 2:30 p.m. Planning Board, 6 p.m. Public Pier Corp., […]

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

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

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

ARTISTS

“Flowers and love are both timeless and fleeting,” says Jesse Ceraldi. “A flower is an emblem of nature’s continuity, yet a beautiful bouquet dies in front of your eyes. In […]

THEATER

The thing that reassures Sallie Tighe the most about “The 24 Hour Plays” — the annual Presidents Day tradition at the Provincetown Theater — is that she doesn’t have to […]

TALKING POINTS

Beginning next week, writer Karen Dukess is hosting a series of virtual talks with authors of new fiction and nonfiction via Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. On […]

VIGNETTE

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TRUTH AND BEAUTY

After the riot at the Capitol, we were told on the one hand that now is the time for peace and unity, and, on the other, that the violence carried […]

OP-ED

The Independent’s Feb. 4 article on the proposed Nauset Regional High School reconstruction [“Supt. Claims School Choice Doesn’t Raise Costs,” page A6] contains inaccurate statements by Supt. Thomas Conrad and […]

STEAMERS

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NAVIGATING FROM THE SICK BAY

Venus, the planet of pleasure and beauty, floats freely through humanitarian Aquarius this month. What that means is that, while romance is certainly afoot, the overall feeling of love will […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Every year, each of our select boards is required to conduct a tax classification hearing and decide how to allocate the town’s property tax burden. And every year, these hearings […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘Ashamed and Angry’ To the editor: I have spent the past two days assisting older Eastham residents with the upcoming vaccine clinic here in conjunction with our local council on […]

Bertha Louise Adams died peacefully in her sleep on Jan. 31, 2021 at Seashore Point Wellness Center in Provincetown, where she had been residing for the past year. She was […]

Susan Brown Goldsmith, a fighter for women’s rights and equal opportunity, died in San Francisco on Jan. 23, 2021. She succumbed to Parkinson’s disease and dementia at age 89. Susan […]

William Clarke Brewer Jr. died peacefully at Cape Cod Hospital on Feb. 4, 2021 at age 88. Billy — that’s what everyone called him — lived a good, fun-filled life. […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Feb. 1 to Feb. 5, 2021. PROVINCETOWN Feb. 1. Building Block Realty Trust (Silvestro S. and Margaret E. Schiavone, trustees) to […]

CLASSIFIEDS

DEAR VALENTINE Who loves you baby? I do! Now and always, Mr. Guy. To my darling Adam — I love you a bushel and a peck! Happy Valentine’s Day! Xo, M […]

COLD WAVE

Being a surfer on Cape Cod in the winter invites a lot of questions. Willingly jumping into the ocean when the temperature dips below freezing and the waves are big […]

THE ROAD TO NORMAL

PROVINCETOWN — Massachusetts had a plan for rolling out the Covid vaccine. First up would be the entire health-care industry, police and fire depts., and congregate living facilities where large […]

LEARNING

EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School building project committee has scheduled a series of Zoom meetings leading up to the March 30 district-wide vote on the renovation project. The […]

TAXES

EASTHAM — The controversial residential tax exemption (RTE) is off the table for fiscal year 2022. Eastham’s select board voted at its Jan. 25 meeting not to adopt the exemption […]

DEVELOPMENT

PROVINCETOWN — Developer Christine Barker will return to the town’s permitting boards with a reconfigured plan for the Old Reliable Fish House property. It will have to proceed anew through […]

PRESERVATION

PROVINCETOWN — A 140-year-old cottage on Commercial Street overlooking the harbor won’t make it to its 141st birthday if the new owner is given the go-ahead to knock it down […]

DATA DREAMS

PROVINCETOWN — The Cape Cod Commission plays an unusual role in the life of the Cape.  It’s a kind of hybrid — part technical adviser, part regulator, part community planning […]

HOOPS

TRURO — Nick Minnerath was almost two years beyond high school when he and his dad, Michael Minnerath, drove from Truro to Nebraska to help his sister move in late […]

BEHIND THE WHEEL

For those of us who are pretty much swamped during the summer season, but not the kind to close up shop in the winter, this is no time to kick […]

PIZZAZZ

PROVINCETOWN — Long story short: Dougie Freeman, who since 1982 has cut, colored, and charmed the Outer Cape, who was, he says, once young and gorgeous and 127 pounds and […]

NAUSET ROUND-UP

EASTHAM — High school football will be played in Massachusetts this year. The Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) voted on Jan. 29 to adopt sport-specific modifications to the “Fall II” […]

GREAT OUTDOORS

The drifts of snow last week confirmed the reality that is winter. And if there ever were a winter to dive under the covers and not come out until mid-May, […]

FROM THE SNACKBOOK

Since nearly a year ago, I’ve been cultivating a small, dedicated, cautious band of creative weirdos. We are, as they say, a “pod.” Keeping each other safe, (reasonably) calm, fed, […]

CAITLIN AND MOBY

Caitlin Townsend of Truro, a senior in the Marine Science, Safety, and Environmental Protection Program at Mass Maritime Academy, has been walking the back shore as part of her research […]

RARA AVIS

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

MOVEMENT

We tend to think of the skeleton as an inert frame, but it is actually dynamic, living tissue. Bone cells are constantly breaking down the old and building up the […]

COVID AND SCHOOLS

PROVINCETOWN — Students in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade are on track to return to school on Monday, after a staff member’s positive Covid test prompted a 14-day switch to remote […]

currents

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Thursday, Feb. 4 Public Pier Corp, 3:30 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. […]

currents

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

currents

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

currents

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

MUSICIANS

“I moved here in the summer of 2019,” says Eric Maul, a Provincetown-based, classically trained flutist. “I’d been living in Boston for five years, and I just wasn’t getting what […]

ARTIST RESIDENCY

A storm rolls toward the Outer Cape, stirring the ocean’s waves and sending shivers through the pine forest. Unperturbed, a lone figure dances on the deck of the Kugel/Gips House, […]

INDIE SCREEN

How odd in an era of “fake news” accusations — usually a case of childish denial, or a con artist’s switcheroo — to see a movie called News of the […]

BOOK REVIEW

Perhaps you are turned off by standard American histories, from expensive textbooks to doorstop-sized biographies of Important Men. You might find descriptions of the conflict between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander […]

VIGNETTE

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

Only one of Donald Trump’s many actions in the four years of his presidency got my approval: his pardon for the Thanksgiving turkey. A local turkey was pardoned last year, […]

COUNTY LINE

PROVINCETOWN — Recent events have made clear the deep well of discontent in our society, and what appears to be a yawning, unbridgeable division among us. The new president has […]

STEAMERS

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NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

This week’s column is brought to you by Mercury retrograde in Aquarius. While we usually associate this event with interrupted travel plans, issues with technology, and communication breakdowns (Mercury rules […]

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Truro’s new town manager, Darrin Tangeman, started work last month, having arrived here from his previous home in Woodland Park, Colo., where he was the city manager. We’re looking forward […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A View From the Right To the editor: Those on the far left speak endlessly about diversity. Ironically, those are often the same people shutting down or censoring those with […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Jan. 25 to Jan. 29, 2021. PROVINCETOWN Jan. 25. Francis X. and Margaret T. Neylon to Cavalier Donkey LLC [Karen A. […]

Ernest Newton Dickinson, a journalist, saxophone player, and fisherman who hit the Cape Cod beaches at 4 a.m., died on Jan. 16, 2021 at Seashore Point in Provincetown, his home […]

Guillermo Chang of North Truro died on Jan. 27, 2021 at age 60. He was born in Havana, Cuba on July 16, 1960. His parents, the late Guillermo and Muy […]

Janis T. Johnson, 91, died peacefully at her home in Eastham of natural causes on Jan. 25, 2021, her 91st birthday. She had just enjoyed a morning nap. Born in […]

Joann D. Eldridge, 81, of Wellfleet died on Jan. 26, 2021 of Merkel cell carcinoma. She was born on Aug. 31, 1939 in Milford to Joe and Ethel Eldridge, and […]

Robert J. Silva, a lifelong Provincetown resident, died on Jan. 3, 2021 at the Briarwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Needham. He was 88. Born in Provincetown, he was the […]

Anthony Jackman of Provincetown died at Cape Cod Hospital on Jan. 22, 2021. He was 70. The cause of death was pneumonia, said Phoebe Otis, his best friend. Tony arrived […]

Catherine R. Myers, 87, a professor of English literature who retired to Wellfleet for a second act as a volunteer and grandmother, died at home on Jan. 27, 2021 of […]

CLASSIFIEDS

HELP WANTED Woodcutter. Woman or man with a chainsaw and skills wanted to cut up downed trees and logs into firewood at my property in Truro. Work the hours that […]

ORGANIC ART

Drew Carnelli sets off down the beach, a stick to ward off coyotes in one hand, a bait bag for collecting trash in the other. He wanders the Outer Cape […]

COURT REPORT

EASTHAM — On Nov. 6, 2020, a girl walked into Eastham’s police station, alone. Like a growing share of her generation, she was facing a new digital form of sexual […]

STATE HOUSE

PROVINCETOWN — State Rep. Sarah Peake won’t support rule changes being urged by a statewide activist movement as a way to bring more transparency to Beacon Hill. The measures would […]

PERMISSION SLIPS

WELLFLEET — The Great White Realty Group LLC closed on the purchase of the 1.38-acre lot at the corner of Route 6 and Old Wharf Road on Friday, Jan. 8. […]

CONNECTION

WELLFLEET — The global pandemic has rained down calamities at every street corner, but residents of three rural roads in Wellfleet may see a nugget of gold from it. The […]

LIVELIHOODS

Along the American coastline, historic fishing communities — from the tip of Cape Cod to Alaska’s Bristol Bay — are plagued with a problem. This time, it’s not overfishing, complex […]

ENVIRONMENT

WELLFLEET — The array of 2,400 solar panels on Wellfleet’s capped landfill, which was installed by the renewable energy company Ameresco more than a year ago in December 2019, is […]

DEMOGRAPHICS

The editor of the Independent noted in his Jan. 14 editorial page column “that 2,144 citizens of Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown voted for Trump on Nov. 3.” He didn’t […]

HOMESTEADING

Every backyard chicken farmer must face the fact that some animals around us see those friendly hens as prey. On the Outer Cape, our flocks are up against a long […]

PODWORLD

Sports radio has gotten boring. But sports podcasts have taken its place, offering refreshing, serious, and educational listening. Here are some favorites: The Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz Dan […]

TOOLS

Those who work in professional kitchens have a multitude of tools to get them through the daily grind. Some are workhorses — a heavy-duty mixer or a deep stack of […]

RARA AVIS

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 26 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]

NAUSET ROUND-UP

EASTHAM — The Nauset boys ice hockey team was on the verge of losing its third game to start the season against the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins on Jan. 23. The Warriors […]

KITCHEN TABLE

Last year may have been the-year-that-cannot-be-named, but for Robert and me it was not entirely bad. It was the year we got our oyster mojo going. We became rookie recreational […]

Gov. Charlie Baker announced that Phase Two Covid-19 vaccinations would begin next week.  Starting Wednesday, Jan. 27, those 75 years old and older could book vaccination appointments online at maimmunizations.org. […]

Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch.  Thursday, Jan. 28 Public Pier Corp., 3 p.m. Planning Board, 6 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals, […]

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

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

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

MUSEUM TOUR

An exhibition of artworks from the collection of Napi and Helen Van Dereck opened last Friday at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. The first installment of this show took […]

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

WELLFLEET — Deep in the woods of Wellfleet’s Bound Brook Island, a path padded with pine needles and slashed with filtered sunlight rises and dips, showing the way to a […]

MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

The tide comes in and out twice a day, sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower. It’s so much a part of our daily lives that it’s easy to […]

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

The last time the Moon was full in Leo was in February of last year. Remember those days? How blissfully ignorant we were back then to the imminent and significant […]

VIGNETTE

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OP-ED

Over the past two decades, year-round rental apartments have all but vanished on the Outer Cape as their owners have discovered how much more lucrative it is to rent their […]

STEAMERS

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PRIVILEGE

EASTHAM — Before the pandemic, I often led classes for the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The students had been cited for speeding and other infractions. The curriculum was supposed to […]

TEACAKE'S TAKE

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Please Vaccinate To the editor: I implore my neighbors to get a Covid-19 vaccination as soon as one becomes available. The reasons given to abstain range from “The pandemic is […]

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

The pages of this newspaper are, as I write this, being assembled from various locations, including an Eastham basement, various Provincetown and Truro bedrooms, and our dining room table in […]

Abby Mary Orton, 74, of Truro died on Jan. 17, 2021 at Pleasant Bay Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in Brewster. No cause of death has been reported. Abby was […]

Bonnie Gae Steele McGhee, a lifelong resident of Provincetown, died on Christmas Eve morning, Dec. 24, 2020, at Cape Cod Hospital following a lengthy battle with diabetes. She was 75 […]

Hilary H. Bamford of Provincetown died at home on Jan. 19, 2021 at age 83 after a lengthy illness. She was the widow of Sidney W. Bamford, who died in […]

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

CLASSIFIEDS

HELP WANTED Carpenters needed, skilled or semi-skilled. Own transportation and basic hand tools a must. If interested, call Winard Construction, 508-487-2538 or 508-789-8089. [2-18] Experienced editorial assistant needed. This newspaper needs […]

Recorded at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds from Jan. 18 to Jan. 22, 2021. PROVINCETOWN Jan. 19. Property of Laurence De Freitas (Alissa Allen, conservator) to Betty Krier. 14 […]

ENVIRONMENT

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

DEMOCRACY

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

POLICING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

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

HOUSING

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

SCHOOL RENOVATION

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

LET'S GET FISCAL

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

EFFLUENT

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

BASKETBALL

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

WRITER’S LIFE

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

THE CLOTH

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

WARRIORS WATCH

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

A CUPPA

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

METAPHYSICS: THE LONG VIEW

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

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

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

RARA AVIS

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

FROM THE SNACKBOOK

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

ROCK HARBOR

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

COURT REPORT

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTOGRAPHY

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

MIXING MEDIA

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

BOOK REVIEW

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

VIGNETTE

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OP-ED

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

SKETCHBOOK

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

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

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

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

CLASSIFIEDS

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

HERSTORIES

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

WATERSHED

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

SCHOOLS

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

BEING THERE

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

TESTING, PART 7

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

HOUSING

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

National Seashore

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

NATIONAL SEASHORE

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

TRACK AND FIELD

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

BABYCAKES

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

STRANDINGS

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

CLEANING HOUSE

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

WINTER INTEREST

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

FROM THE LARDER

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

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

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

RARA AVIS

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

CROSSWORD #17

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TOWN HALL

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

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

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

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

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

MEDIA

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

MUSIC

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

INDIE SCREEN

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

DISPATCHES

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

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CAPITOL HAVOC

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

ECHOES OF DR. KING

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

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

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

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

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

CLASSIFIEDS

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

RECYCLING, PART 2: GLASS

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

CLINICAL CARE

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

THE DREDGE REPORT

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

BUSINESS NEWS

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

IMMUNITY

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

THE DREDGE REPORT

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

TOWN FINANCE

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

PUBLIC SAFETY

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

SOCIAL JUSTICE

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

HOPE IN A VIAL

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

POST-HOLIDAY HOW TO

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

THE KIDS COOK

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

PLAYING IN A PANDEMIC

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

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

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

RARA AVIS

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

HOMESTEADING

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

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

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

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

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

LOCAL COLOR

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

POETRY

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

BOOK REVIEW

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

SKETCHBOOK

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STEAMERS

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

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

UP A CREEK

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

FROSTBITE

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

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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

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

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

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

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

COVID TESTS, PART 6

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

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

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

POINT OF ORDER

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

WATERFRONT

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

LEARNING

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

SWING TIME

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

ENVIRONMENT

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

GALLERY

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

SQUID’S EYE VIEW

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

WORKOUT WOES

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

RARA AVIS

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

KITCHEN TABLE

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

MOVEMENT

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

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

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

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

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

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

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

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

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

INDIE SCREEN

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

PERFORMANCE

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

EYE FOR AN EAR

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

VIGNETTE

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CELEBRATION

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

DOCTORS’ ORDERS

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

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

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

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

CLASSIFIEDS

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

ECONOMY

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

HEALTH

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

CANNABUSINESS

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

HOUSING

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

SIZE MATTERS

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

TIPPING POINT

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

PANDEMIC RELIEF

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

DAY 286

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

BOUGHS

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

THE CLAUS COVID CHRONICLES

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

HARDER THEY FALL

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

FROM THE LARDER

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

COCKTAIL HOUR

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

RARA AVIS

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

D.I.Y.

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

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

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

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

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

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

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

ARTISTS

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

LOCAL ICONS

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

BOOK REVIEW

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

SKETCHBOOK

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VIGNETTE

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STEAMERS

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

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

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

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

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

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

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

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

FARMING

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

VISITING THE SICK

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

SCHOOLS

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

ZONING

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

SCIENCE

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

GOOD GRIEF

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

MILLION-YEAR PICNIC

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

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

MEET THE MAKER

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

BEHIND THE WHEEL

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

AGONY AND ECSTASY

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

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

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

RARA AVIS

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

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

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

PERSPECTIVE

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

OBITUARY

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

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

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

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

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

MIXED MEDIA

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

VIRTUAL ENTERTAINMENT

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

BOOK REVIEW

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

INDIE SCREEN

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

VIGNETTE

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OP-ED

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

UP A CREEK

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

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REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

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

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

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

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

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

CLASSIFIEDS

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

ROUND FOOD FOR EVERY MOOD

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

BREWING: COFFEE AND PLANS

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

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

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

ECONOMY

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

TOWN HALL

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

HAPPENED UPON

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

THE GAP

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

PHOTO SHOP

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

OBITUARY

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

COVID TESTING, PART 4

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

FAIR PLAY

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

RARA AVIS

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

GALLERY

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

THE CURE

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

ANIMAL CLINIC

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

HOMESTEADING

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

BODY/MIND

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

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

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

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

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

ARTISTS

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

WHOSE LIFE IS IT, ANYWAY?

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

BOOK REVIEW

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

STEAMERS

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

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

Vignette

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NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

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

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

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

CLASSIFIEDS

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

CLIMATE CRISIS

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

PANDEMIC

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

LEARNING AND RESILIENCE

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

EDUCATION

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

ENVIRONMENT

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

TRUE CRIME

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

HONORED

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

POD PEOPLE

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

MAYFLOWER HISTORY, PART III

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

DISPATCHES

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

GALLERY

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

VIRUS RULES

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

KITCHEN TABLE

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

CROSSWORD #15

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RARA AVIS

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

TURTLE WATCH

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

NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

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

PIE TOWN

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

THE SCUTTLEBUTT

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

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

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

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

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

SEASCAPES

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

TALKS

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

MUSIC

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

BOOK REVIEW

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

SKETCHBOOK

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THE YEAR-ROUNDER

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

VIGNETTE

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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

TIDE CHART

Know when to hit the flats

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

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