WELLFLEET — England may have Banksy, but Wellfleet has its own mystery graffiti artist whose works have been popping up at the town’s beaches, painted on the plywood boards where […]
News
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DEMOGRAPHICS
As State Shrinks, Cape Cod Has Its Own Odd Crisis
The Cape’s outmigration is feet first, casting a pall on the economy
PROVINCETOWN — The Outer Cape’s sparse population has long been part of its appeal. But during the early months of the pandemic, that characteristic of our towns suddenly became especially […]
TRURO ELECTION
Wider Children’s Programs Pass by Just One Vote
Override votes that sailed through town meeting struggled at the ballot box
TRURO — Late on election night, the “unofficial results” for Truro’s May 9 town balloting showed a perfectly tied vote on the Community Sustainability Package — a bundle of three […]
HOUSING
Cape Cod Commission Is Developing a Housing Strategy
A menu of policies should be released in fall; in the meantime, there’s a survey online
PROVINCETOWN — If you’re subscribed to emails from your town’s government, you’ve probably received a message recently asking you to respond to the Cape Cod Commission’s Regional Housing Preference Survey. […]
SMALL-TOWN NOISE
Battle Over Music at Fox & Crow Goes to Court
Zoning board hopes the two sides can find a compromise
WELLFLEET — Trudy Vermehren has been in an argument with neighbors about noise ever since she moved her popular year-round gathering spot, the Fox & Crow Café, from its previous […]
SPEECH
Civility Pledge Is off the Agenda in Truro
A code of conduct for town officials could happen, however
TRURO — The select board is no longer working on one of its goals and objectives for fiscal 2023, according to member Sue Areson: the implementation of a “civility pledge” […]
ENVIRONMENT
Wellfleet Expands Single-Serving Plastic Bottle Ban
Saying no to plastic soft drink and seltzer bottles, ‘the quicker the better’
WELLFLEET — You will no longer find your favorite soft drinks or seltzer waters in single-serving plastic bottles on the shelves of Wellfleet’s markets and take-out windows. That’s because a plastic […]
BUSINESS
Truro Orders Martin to Cease Business on Route 6
Commercial use of the former Jack’s Gas site is prohibited, say Seashore officials
TRURO — Robert Martin has been selling firewood from a roadside lot at 100 Route 6 since he began renting it on Jan. 15. This spring, the business’s footprint seemed […]
TOWN ELECTIONS
Montoya-Quintero and Raymond Win School Committee Seats
Three Prop 2½ overrides pass easily
EASTHAM — According to preliminary results released on the evening of May 16, town voters have elected Monica Montoya-Quintero and Debra Raymond to fill the two open seats on the […]
THE COMMUNICATOR
Smoochie Takes a Bullet
If the cat knows who pulled the trigger, he’s not saying
PROVINCETOWN — Not long after Smoochie Chute set out on his morning walk April 13 around his East End neighborhood with his brother, Love Bug, he returned, screaming in pain. […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Venus, the Great Star
The story of a bright planet where the greenhouse effect got out of hand
Have you noticed the very bright star in the west these past few months? That’s the planet Venus. Among the denizens of the night sky, its brilliant blue-white light is […]
M.I.B.
On the Unknowable Path of a Message in a Bottle
A beachcomber’s find in Truro provides a lesson in how ocean currents work
TRURO — Fred Marshall was out hunting for sea glass on Cobb Hill Beach on April 16 when he thought he spotted treasure: a glint of cobalt blue — the […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Stripers Are Here, and the Bay Is Hot
Right whales have moved on; mackerel are many; flounder fishing picks up
The 2023 striped bass season has officially begun on the Outer Cape. It may seem like we’ve been waiting a long time, but the truth is they are way ahead […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, May 16 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
10,000 BATTERIES
The BESS Is Up and Running on Race Point Road
But Eversource’s Battery Energy Storage System never saw duty this winter
PROVINCETOWN — For the first time in years, the Outer Cape managed to avoid major power outages last winter. There were storms — including on Dec. 23, when several East […]
