The idea behind Eastham’s rather grandly named 1651 Arboretum was to cultivate the sort of mature forest that the first European settlers might have encountered and, theoretically, enjoyed before subsequent […]
News
Fresh local news that brings you closer to your neighbors and the community.
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THE SCUTTLEBUTT
President Opens Seamounts Marine Monument to Commercial Fishing
Flounder fishing continues while we wait for the whales to leave and the stripers to arrive
As the striped bass continue their sluggish trek north, the canal remains quiet, as does the south shore of the Cape. So, we wait and wait some more. But not […]
BIRDWATCHING
Allowing a Chipping Sparrow to Stop Time
The wonder of communion on watching a conspicuous and social bird
I am always startled by its appearance. Streaked and mottled brown like sandy soil or like the dried blades of last year’s grasses, it rises up: a leaf? A bird. […]
NATURAL SELECTION
Fringe Festival
The trail that leads down to Wellfleet’s cedar swamp, where majestic Atlantic white cedars grow from a bed of standing water, begins up on the heathland. There, the path winds […]
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 13 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
PROVINCETOWN: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS
Election Results
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a […]
TRURO: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS
When Nature Calls You
Meetings Ahead Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join. […]
WELLFLEET: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS
Watershed Plan Submitted; Maurice’s Plan Approved
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Wellfleet are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting that interests you on the calendar at wellfleet-ma.gov for details. All meetings […]
EASTHAM: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS
About Those Kiosks…
Meetings Ahead Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All […]
SEA LEVEL RISE
Provincetown Unveils Its Coastal Resilience Plan
Stormwater and sewer upgrades, then a townwide effort to raise bulkheads
PROVINCETOWN — A near-final draft of the coastal resiliency plan that the town has been working on since last spring was unveiled at the select board meeting on April 28, […]
TRURO TOWN MEETING
Walsh Zoning and Solar Plan Pass in Truro
Under the town’s white tent, a tug-of-war takes place over housing
This article was updated on May 15, 2025. TRURO — Beneath the spring sunshine and the vaguely Cirque du Soleil white tent under which Truro now holds its town meetings, […]
EASTHAM TOWN MEETING
New Zoning and Seasonal Community Label OKed
A petition asking the select board to get a tax strategy consult fails
EASTHAM — At a relatively brisk annual town meeting on May 5 — this one lasted less than three hours — voters approved 22 of 23 warrant articles. Article 9A […]
TRURO TOWN MEETING
Bright Skies and Mild Language at Truro’s Big Tent
The town’s divisions were evident, but the air felt lighter this year
TRURO — Staff don’t say much at town meetings here — even the town manager speaks only to answer questions. Instead, Moderator Paul Wisotzky cheerfully asks if anyone wants to […]
TRURO ELECTION: SELECT BOARD
Areson, Dundas, and Weinstein State Their Cases
Three seasoned select board members compete for two seats
TRURO — Candidates night at the Community Center on May 6 felt more like political speed dating, with familiar faces returning for another round and a few newcomers trying to […]
ENVIRONMENT
New Analysis Suggests Prioritizing Septic Upgrades at Sites Nearest the Shore
Wellfleet board opts not to vote on watershed plan, asking consultants for a rewrite
WELLFLEET — After a recent round of amendments, a strategy for removing nitrogen from the town’s wastewater over next 20 years — part of the Targeted Watershed Management Plan — […]
