Somewhere in this old house where I live, full of many generations of treasures and trash, I still have the CNVA pin that I wore in high school (that’s Nauset […]
Op-Eds
INCLUSIONARY ZONING
A Disconnect at the Provincetown Planning Board
The board should help advance the town’s housing goals
The Provincetown Planning Board is considering a proposed housing project at 22 Nelson Ave. This project represents an inflection point for the Inclusionary Bylaw and for the ability of the […]
ACCOMMODATION
Shouldn’t We Be More Alarmed?
Overall, Americans do not seem to be shocked by recent shifts in politics and society
I lie awake at night more often than I’d like to admit wondering if this is how it felt in 1933 at the end of Germany’s Weimar Republic. Did people […]
BEARING ARMS
The Supreme Court’s Flawed Reasoning on Guns
The current majority are either hypocrites or bare-faced political operatives
I am not against gun ownership (I have a license to carry), but because I have actually read the U.S. Constitution, I understand the right to own a gun is […]
ABORTION RIGHTS
The Contradictions of Cape Cod Hospital Policy
Limits on abortion access are part of a disturbing national story
Cape Cod Healthcare’s policy of restricting abortion access, as reported in the Independent, is part of a much bigger national story. In the 37 states that still allow women reproductive […]
OP-ED
Things to Be Afraid of Last Year
When the hype misses the real fears and thrills of the Outer Cape
The Outer Cape, we like to think, isn’t quite as scary this year as last year. At least our slowly reforesting landscape can’t be confused with the dark forest in […]
REASONABLE RAGE
On Staying Angry
Because we need to find a way to keep fighting
PROVINCETOWN — I was making sandwiches at my market when I heard the news that the Supreme Court had overturned Roe v. Wade. I wanted to break down and cry, […]
ALL IN
Bob Costa’s Classic Oysters
A famous Wellfleet recipe from The Joy of Shucking returns
I was delighted to read in last week’s Independent that Bob Costa’s poker game is now up and running again after a two-year Covid pause (“Who’s Got the Cards?” page […]
THE HEAVENLY GAME
Who’s Got the Cards?
After two years of Covid, it was time for poker again
We waited more than two years to get through Covid so we could get together and play cards again. Covid took a lot from us, our game included. You can […]
THE PANDEMIC
When Covid Hits Home
As the number of cases surges, so do the unanswered public health questions
The U.S. reached a staggering milestone in early May — more than one million people have died from Covid. And around the same time, I tested positive for the virus. […]
PRIDE
Know Your Queer History
And ‘fly the flag that speaks to your soul’
The LGBTQ community continues to grow, continues to change. This progress happens even though we are living in an era backpedaling into conservatism and sanctioned homophobia. Sadly, states like Florida […]
GRAMMAR WATCH
Shrink, Shrank, Shrunk
The value of learning and agreeing to the rules
Browsing a New York Times newsletter, I have to stop and re-read several times before confirming, via Google, my sense that the writer has gotten it wrong. The line in […]
MOTHER’S DAY
Learning to Be the Parent My Child Needs
A mother’s call to stand up and stop the haters
It was four days before my son, who is transgender, was to have gender affirming surgery, and my insurance company, Aetna, informed me that it would not be covered. This […]
TRURO TOWN MEETING
For an Appointed Planning Board
The current elected board continues to advance an anti-housing agenda
As a lifelong Cape Codder striving to make a life in this community, I believe Truro must take bold steps to stem the housing crisis. That starts with fostering a […]
FLAG-WAVING
Stars, Stripes, and Sneetches
The ‘People’s Convoy’ calls to mind a Dr. Seuss classic
Barreling northeast on I-35 from Austin to Dallas in early March, my sister, husband, and I tried to ignore the flag-festooned caravan in the right lane. But we couldn’t avert […]
