John Taylor Williams, known to all as Ike, died on Dec. 26, 2024 at his home in Cambridge, surrounded by family. He was 86. Ike lived much of every year […]
Community
Stories that need telling, about the people—past and present—of this place.
Browse all Community stories below or dive into a topic:
ROCK ON
Curling Glides Into a New Season
Beginners are welcome when the Lower Cape Curling Club takes the ice
ORLEANS — The third part of the answer to the Sphinx’s riddle for Oedipus was on view, with a twist, at Charles Moore Arena in Orleans on Jan. 5, where […]
TAKING THE WHEEL
The Arctic Voyages of Miriam Look MacMillan
Provincetown’s ‘Lady Mac’ was crew and documentarian on nine expeditions
A thick mist crawled like hot condensed breath across the surface of the water, blotting out the horizon and merging with soft hills that could have been sand or snow […]
WASHASHORES
The Last of Sam Bellamy’s Pirate Crew
Nine pirates survived the wrecks of the Whydah and Mary Anne; six were executed
It was “The End of Piracy,” wrote Cotton Mather, the Puritan minister, owner of enslaved people, revolutionary, and witch-hunter who is often called the “grandfather of Evangelicalism,” in a 1717 […]
QUIRKS AND CRACKS
That’ll Be ‘Mrs. Jazz Garters’ to You
A collection of nicknames is its own kind of history
Lisa King, a local Provincetown historian who describes herself as a “West-End girl,” grew up hearing stories full of townspeople remembered by their nicknames. Some were straightforward references to people’s […]
1927
The Magic of the Attic
In my genealogical pursuits, countless hours have been spent trying to break down a few “brick walls” — those questions one cannot find definitive answers to — in my great-grandmother […]
CENTENARIANS
A Man of Habit and Adventure
He’s 100, but Frank Koebel has always been on the young side
WELLFLEET — It seemed to Frank Koebel that he was always the youngest in everything. When he started school in Columbus, Ohio at five, he was young for his class. […]
TRACK
A New Runner Sets Her Sights on an Old Record
For Amina Iliusinova, America is an invitation to take sports seriously
EASTHAM — Amina Iliusinova had never run track before she joined the team at Nauset Regional High School as a junior last spring. She had been a high jumper at […]
GRAVEYARD SHIFT
A Tree Grows in Truro. But Who Planted It?
The legend of the Chinese mulberry might have to be enough
TRURO — Planting a tree is an act of hope, a belief in tomorrow, a promise to future generations one will never have the chance to meet. It makes sense, […]
TIMELESS TOYS
Tiny Trains Traverse Miniature Worlds in Orleans
Imaginations chug along at the Nauset Model Railroad Club’s open house
ORLEANS — The grand plans of home-based hobbyists who tinker with model trains and the tiny landscapes they chug through are sometimes hindered by space limitations. But that’s not a […]
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Two Renovations Promise to Keep History in View
Wellfleet commission approves proposals for updates on 1900s cottages
WELLFLEET — Two historic cottages will soon look more like they did when they were built at the turn of the 20th century. Both houses have interesting history associated with […]
GRAVEYARD SHIFT
A Tree Grows in Truro. But Who Planted It?
The legend of the Chinese mulberry might have to be enough
TRURO — Planting a tree is an act of hope, a belief in tomorrow, a promise to future generations one will never have the chance to meet. It makes sense, […]
WARRIORS WATCH
Nauset Wrestling Welcomes Five Tech Students
This year’s team is up to 21 members but is still missing some weight classes
SANDWICH — Chaz Thomas walked onto the wrestling mat at the open meet at Sandwich Middle High School on Saturday, Dec. 14 and greeted his opponent. “He’s probably the strongest […]
UNBANKED
$15-Million U.S. Grant for Stellwagen Visitor Center Is Canceled
Funds would have covered only some costs of the Provincetown facility
PROVINCETOWN — A yearslong effort to build a visitor center for the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary ended in October when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration […]
MEET THE MAKERS
A Community for Craftspeople, Customers, and Friends
Holiday markets bring out artisans by the dozens and shoppers by the hundreds
The holiday markets here celebrate a long history of handicrafts made on the Outer Cape. Where there were once bayberry candle makers, rug hookers, net weavers, beach plum canners, and […]
