Irving Puffer at work on his grant in Wellfleet Harbor on a perfectly calm Monday morning after OysterFest weekend. Working with him, but not in this photo was Jake, his […]
IGLOO WARMTH
Restaurant Owners Re-imagine Winter Dining
Warm outdoor spaces, take-out, and the long view on losses
PROVINCETOWN — Anticipating a higher-than-normal off-season population in residence coupled with the need to restrict indoor occupancy, local restaurants are looking for creative solutions to staying open this winter. Many […]
ECONOMY
While Cape Air Struggles, Local Airport Reaps a Bonanza
Provincetown collects $2.74 million in federal aid in just 6 months
PROVINCETOWN — In February 2019, the Provincetown Municipal Airport Commission stated that the airport’s revolving account would be empty by the fiscal year 2021-2022. The commission wrote, “We are working […]
VIRTUAL OYSTERFEST
Chefs and Shuckers Take to the Stage for the 20th Annual Wellfleet OysterFest
For the first time, staying home for the ’Fest means not missing the shuck off
WELLFLEET — Like almost everything else in 2020, the Wellfleet OysterFest will look very different this year. The town’s signature celebration, which in 2019 hosted about 23,000 visitors and routinely […]
CONTENDERS
Behind the Scenes at OysterFest 2020
Lights, cameras, masks: ‘The shuck must go on!’
There will be a shuck off at the 20th annual OysterFest. But there will be no competitive parking, no pressing through crowds on Main Street, and no lines under the […]
REVOLVING DOOR
Wellfleet: Minus One Town Accountant
Ferrari is dismissed as town faces a cash shortfall
WELLFLEET — One of the first tasks of new Town Administrator Maria Broadbent was to fire the town accountant. Gene Ferrari Jr. said he was dismissed on Sept. 22, the […]
SAFETY NET
Outer Cape Workers Could Be Denied Unemployment This Winter
Lots of unknowns in future of expanded system
PROVINCETOWN — Unemployment insurance dates back to 1935 and the same New Deal law that created Social Security. This year, however, unemployment benefits were radically expanded and repurposed as coronavirus […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
North Winds Portend Cooling Waters
Wrapping up the season with hopes for the next one
There is no mistaking it: the fall season is upon us. Unrelenting winds from northerly quadrants have been buffeting us for days on end, and, as of this writing, the remnants […]
DEMOGRAPHICS
Real Estate Booms, but Not School Rolls
Just Provincetown and Wellfleet show modest enrollment bump
WELLFLEET — Every Cape Cod real estate agent seems to have a story of this summer’s pandemic home-buying bonanza: homes going under contract the day they are listed, often with […]
CANNABIZ
The Pot Profit Puzzle, Part One
Why local ownership is rare, growers may still get in the game, and the tax promise is enticing
PROVINCETOWN — When b\well opened here on Friday, Sept. 4, it became the second recreational (or “adult-use”) marijuana dispensary on Cape Cod. Nine more dispensaries are on a path to […]
THE 2020 CENSUS
Looming Deadlines and Low Response Rates Raise Concerns
Council on Aging warns of losing ‘millions in federal funding’
As the current deadline of Sept. 30 for completing the 2020 census draws near, low self-response rates and misconceptions about filling out the census questionnaire are lowering hopes for a […]
TOWN MEETING PREVIEW
Truro Pulls Firefighter Override off Warrant
Provincetown fire chief says he’ll stick with Lower Cape Ambulance
TRURO — Town meeting may feel more like recess this year, as voters gather outdoors at the Truro Central School ballfield at noon on Saturday, Sept. 26. Even the warrant […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Stripers Add That Crucial Extra Inch
A summer of feeding has made many short bass legal
I have always said the summer season goes by in three blinks of the eye. The first time you blink, Memorial Day is gone; the second time, the Fourth of July […]
letter from the publisher
One Year and Counting
This week marks a year since we sent our very first edition to press. It was a “preview” edition, full of hope that we’d find the support to develop into […]
WORKFORCE HOUSING
Dormitory-style Housing Faces ZBA Review
Neighbors object to scale of building that could house up to 144
PROVINCETOWN — Both supporters and opponents of the dormitory-style housing project scheduled for review by the zoning board of appeals at its Sept. 17 meeting agree on one thing: it’s […]