PROVINCETOWN — Memorial Day weekend is two weeks away, but there is no official guidance yet on whether anyone will be allowed to come here. Since March 31, a standing […]
ARS INTERRUPTUS
FAWC Cancels Entire Summer Program
PAAM and Castle Hill wait to see how crisis evolves
PROVINCETOWN — The Fine Arts Work Center notified participants in its summer workshops by email on April 29 that the entire program had been postponed until 2021 due to the […]
RELIEF
The Cape’s Undocumented Workers on the Margins
Most pay into the social safety net, but can’t benefit
PROVINCETOWN — The coronavirus-induced collapse of the economy has people everywhere reaching for lifelines, from unemployment to SBA loans to MassHealth. At the edge of this scene is a group […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Short Fishing Season Grows Shorter
Small boat captains say ‘no way’ to distancing rule
PROVINCETOWN — The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is no closer to opening up nonessential businesses and relaxing social distancing rules than it was a week ago. Last week, I wrote about how […]
WHAT Cancels Season
WELLFLEET — The Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater announced on May 5 the cancellation of its 2020 summer season, in recognition of “the need to take a proactive stance to slow […]
UNEASY BEING GREEN
Wellfleet Farmers Market to Open
The Wellfleet Farmers Market will be the first to open on the Outer Cape this season, on Wednesday, May 13, from 8 a.m. to noon. Like other local greenmarkets across […]
ECONOMY
Local Banks Rush to Get Funds for Small Businesses
Second round of SBA payroll loans could be gone in days
Editor’s note: This story has been updated as of Saturday, May 2. PROVINCETOWN — The $310 billion that was added to the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) by Congress last week […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Can Commercial Boats Survive Social Distancing?
Charters, ferries, and whale watch boats will need to reduce capacity
Another week has gone by, and we are still living in a world where social distancing is very much a part of our day-to-day lives. At this point, it’s time […]
PROVINCETOWN 401
Funicular Going Up
Doubled cost of project to be covered by $4.5 million loan
PROVINCETOWN — Construction on the long-planned inclined elevator that will link the Bas Relief Park to the base of the Pilgrim Monument is set to begin on May 18. The […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
With Fishing on Hold, a Bivalve Bonus Appears
In a spring like no other, sea clams are a welcome sight
Spring has been a very confused season so far. As I write this, snow is falling in the western hills of Massachusetts as well as my winter home in the […]
ECONOMY
Creative Business Ideas for Summer Survival
Dining tables on Commercial Street, a lottery for rooms, beer trailers
PROVINCETOWN — Business owners are getting creative with plans for surviving what has been a devastating spring and will be a slow summer.
ECONOMY
Relief Is Slow for the Self-employed
Three programs could help; none is quick
Update: On Thursday, April 16, the Small Business Administration stopped accepting PPP loan applications because the $349 billion appropriation was exhausted. Congress is currently negotiating over an extra $250 billion […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Early Start to a Season in Doubt
The view from the water of a changed world for fishermen
As we begin another season on the waterfront, it would be an understatement to say its start, if it ever happens, won’t look like any other previous season’s start. Our […]
ECONOMY
Provincetown’s Theme Weeks Mostly Canceled
Months of uncertainty spell doom for tourist draws
PROVINCETOWN — The calendar of events that structures summertime in Provincetown has been nearly wiped clean. Bear Week, Family Week, and the Provincetown International Film Festival have all been suspended […]
ECONOMY
Businesses Encouraged to Apply for Crisis Relief Now
SBA loan programs are complex; advice from experts is simple
PROVINCETOWN — The Small Business Administration (SBA) has given birth to twins. Two huge, messy loan programs with complex instructions and chaotic rollouts have been dropped on its doorstep — and […]