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 […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Helping and Hurting
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 […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Making Sense of the RTE
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 […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
The Research Is Done
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 […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
A Truth Flow Problem
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 […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Time for Corrections
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 […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Staying Curious
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 […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Christmas Yet to Come
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 […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Too Big to Be Small
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 […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Monetizing the Dead
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 […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Thanksgiving Song
Everyone must be thinking about the things they will miss this year on Thanksgiving. At our house, it’s a weekend-long gathering of old friends who come here from the city […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Get the Story Right
One thing last week’s election revealed is how fond we are of the stories we want to believe. How else to explain the fact that so many voters believe that […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Where the Power Lies
One of our correspondents this week, Michael Spielman, was provoked by my last column to unleash his own set of language beefs, which have him screaming at his TV, he […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Concerning That Word
I’m concerned about the word concerning. Not worried, really; just concerned. People keep using that word, and, as Mandy Patinkin said in The Princess Bride, I do not think it […]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Newspapers and Democracy
On Monday the New York Times published a front-page article about “a fast-growing network of nearly 1,300 websites that aim to fill a void left by vanishing local newspapers across […]