Saima Tuominen arrived on Ellis Island in 1904, when she was six, accompanied by her mother and her younger brother. They had left Finland in the twilight of the Russian […]
BREAKING NEWS
Waldo Resigns After 18 Months as Wellfleet Administrator
Citing stress and lack of support, he takes job as Orleans DPW director
WELLFLEET — Less than 19 months after taking the job of town administrator, Richard Waldo submitted his resignation to select board chair Barbara Carboni on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Waldo’s contract […]
WELLFLEET POLICING
LaRocco Sworn In as Police Chief as Hurley Retires
A new leader hopes to live up to his predecessor’s legacy
WELLFLEET — Kevin LaRocco was sworn in as Wellfleet’s new police chief during the Dec. 19 select board meeting. He is taking the place of Michael Hurley, who has retired […]
UNCIVIL WELLFLEET
Staff Decry the State of Select Board Meetings
As many as 15 staffers are behind a letter of complaint
WELLFLEET — A contingent of town staff has written a letter to the select board demanding better control over what they see as the lack of civility during recent board […]
BOOKS
In Day, Michael Cunningham Tells a Family Drama in Three Parts
The novel, set in part during the pandemic, never names the pandemic
The rule of thirds is a compositional principle in photography: an image is divided into three equal parts to achieve maximum aesthetic tension. For the writer Michael Cunningham, the rule […]
PENALTY
Wellfleet Select Board Chooses $4.5M Penalty Over Mitigation Plan
After 2 years of work, dredging task force members quit, citing verbal attacks
WELLFLEET — The select board has directed the dredging task force to pay $4.5 million for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers instead of moving forward with […]
SOUP’S ON
246 Community Kitchen Dishes Out Dignity
Cooks and guests gather for good company, and ‘the best meatloaf in the world’
WELLFLEET — In the kitchen of the United Methodist Church’s banquet hall, under a hand-painted sign that reads “safe harbor,” a group of six chefs zigzag around each other, chopping […]
HEALTH CARE
Dr. Jorgensen Is Gone From OCHS
Health Services CEO won’t comment on medical chief’s abrupt departure
PROVINCETOWN — Dr. Andrew Jorgensen was removed from his job as chief medical officer of Outer Cape Health Services (OCHS) last month and, as of last week, was no longer […]
MENTAL HEALTH
Bridges Granted Pretrial Probation After 4 Months of Incarceration
A case evolves from prosecution to treatment and recovery
PROVINCETOWN — Jonathan Bridges, the man detained in last winter’s West End barricade incident, has been granted pretrial probation for two years, after which all charges will be dropped if […]
THE LOCAL JOURNALISM PROJECT
The Independent Welcomes Winter Fellow Aden Choate
Backpacking, fact-checking, and journalism inspired by Mary Heaton Vorse
PROVINCETOWN — Aden Choate began a five-month Mary Heaton Vorse journalism fellowship at the Independent on Nov. 1., inaugurating the third season of a winter program that brings young reporters […]
REDACTIONS
Executive Session Minutes Leave Public in the Dark
Discussion of personnel matters can be exempted from open meeting rules
WELLFLEET — The select board has released minutes from its June 27 executive session, at which the beginning of a board meltdown apparently occurred. The session came before the board’s […]
IN THE WOODS
Poets From Mexico Build New Worlds in Wellfleet
A Modern House Trust residency on development and design
WELLFLEET — When five Mexican and Mexican-American poets, artists, and architects arrived at the modernist houses that dot the seashores and backwoods here in early October, they had “the best […]
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Innkeeper Paul Schofield Is Charged With Assaulting J-1 Worker
Police treated J-1 students’ reports of abuse as civil matters, not crimes
PROVINCETOWN — A Sept. 7 health inspection of housing violations at 5 Center St. precipitated the arrest of property owner Paul Schofield after Health Director Lezli Rowell found Schofield assaulting […]
SHUCKS
OysterFest Wins Big This Year
Eastham native Ben Morgan takes first prize in shucking competition
WELLFLEET — Last weekend was all beer, brine, and bright smiles as crowds of locals and out-of-towners gathered on Main Street to celebrate this town’s small but mighty delicacy.
RENOVATION
Nauset Project Dips Deeper Into Contingency Fund
A $7.2M cushion from state is expected to help offset rising construction costs
EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional School District is tapping funds from the high school renovation project’s contingency budget after construction on one building revealed structural issues that will cost more […]
