PROVINCETOWN — When eight longtime employees of Marine Specialties owner Patrick Patrick arrived back on Cape Cod from Jamaica in 2019, their housing had fallen through. After a fruitless search, […]
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SEASHORE POINT
Reviewers Suspect Fraud in Nursing Home Filings
Experts find evidence of hidden profits in the millions
PROVINCETOWN — Since taking over the nursing home at Seashore Point in 2019, the current owners have used a complex network of companies to pay themselves hidden profits — possibly […]
A SAFE DISTANCE
Seashore Offers Up a House on the Edge
Threatened by erosion, the Bartlett House will be demolished if it’s not spoken for soon
EASTHAM — The Cape Cod National Seashore announced last week that the Bartlett House, a gray shingled ranch overlooking Coast Guard Beach, is no longer safe for habitation, as it […]
FORECLOSURE
Orleans Motel Is Set to Be Auctioned
Owner has defaulted on $5.2-million mortgage
Editor’s note: The auction of the Seashore Park Inn that was scheduled for Aug. 8, as reported below, has been postponed to Friday, Aug. 23 at 11 a.m. ORLEANS — […]
MASTER PLAN
In Eastham, Housing Plan Must Wait Until 2035
As the number of affordable units shrinks, the town has no near-term strategy
EASTHAM — It has been five years since the town bought the 11-acre T-Time property for housing and commercial development. During that time, a nine-person committee spent four years gathering […]
HOUSING
Provincetown Aims to Lure Landlords to Year-Round Rental Market
‘Lease to Locals’ has helped secure 15 properties for 27 tenants so far
PROVINCETOWN — When Steven Rayl and Scott Presley purchased a gallery space at 352 Commercial St. with an attached apartment in 2017, they planned to rent out the one-bedroom unit […]
REST AND REASSESS
Covid-19 Pauses Outer Cape Entertainment
Two venues canceled a week of performances in July
PROVINCETOWN — Four years after Covid-19 brought live performances worldwide to a halt, the virus is still working its will on Outer Cape arts venues. The Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater […]
TURTLE WATCH
Midway Into Their Season Here, More Sea Turtles Are Dying
Boat strikes and entanglements affect both leatherbacks and loggerheads
The leatherback turtles are here for their annual visit, feeding in Cape Cod Bay. The loggerheads are here too — though they’re more recent arrivals as climate change has made […]
DUMPS
Peak Trash Season Strains Outer Cape Transfer Stations
Staffing shortages, equipment delays, and one experiment greet the season
August is peak trash season here, and the staff who run the Outer Cape’s transfer stations say there will be challenges in coping with volumes more than four times what […]
CHANGE OF USE
Former Kennel and Long-Planned Dispensary Could Become a House
After Provincetown Pet Resort closed, Green Harbor dispensary never opened
PROVINCETOWN — The owners of the former Provincetown Pet Resort at 79 Shank Painter Road, which for years was slated to become the Green Harbor cannabis dispensary, have petitioned the planning […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Windless Week Makes for Good Fishing
What’s to worry about? Depredation and invasive species.
It’s been another good week for catching striped bass and some bluefish. Provincetown charter and party boats all reported excellent catches, and we’re very grateful we’ve had a windless week […]
TRANSITIONS
In Fancy Frocks of Red
The native Lobelia cardinalis was named for its intense cardinal color, which in turn was derived from those certain Catholic clerics (who for centuries have fancied frocks of the brightest […]
MORNING FLIGHT
Birdbaths and Other Ways Birds Stay Cool in Hot Weather
As heat waves worsen, some species might not stick around here for summer
The beginning of August is just about the hottest point of the year on Cape Cod. This year has already proved to be a warm one: a mid-June heat dome […]
ENVIRONMENT
Cape Cod’s Coral Gardens (Yes, We Have Corals Here) Are in Trouble
NOAA expands its research into deeper waters from Maine to North Carolina
If you were to picture coral right now, your mind’s eye would surely see tropical reefs with crystal-clear turquoise water. But that image is incomplete: the temperate seas around the […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, July 30 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
