EASTHAM — When Ernie Waterman retired in 2020 after a 30-year career as a construction engineer working on Defense Dept. contracts in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq, he found life in […]
Visual Stories
CAPE BASEBALL
Firebirds Stand at .500 Through 14 Games
ORLEANS — The Orleans Firebirds dropped a game for the first time in five outings, falling to the Bourne Braves last Friday, but they remained at .500 (6-6-2) through 14 […]
SENIOR OF THE YEAR
Mary Abt Calls the Community to Song
A teacher who shows students ‘a beauty you can’t see or touch’
PROVINCETOWN — Every Thursday afternoon, the hallways of the Council on Aging are filled with song. Follow the sound to its source and you’ll find Mary Abt and a handful […]
SENIOR OF THE YEAR
Loretta Butehorn Is Ever Ready…
…with a lamp, a lifeboat, a ladder, and a scone
PROVINCETOWN — Loretta Butehorn is a lot of things to a lot of people. “The life of any party.” “Someone who just gives and gives.” “Scone queen.” “If I were […]
SENIOR OF THE YEAR
An Anti-Ageist Gets Radical
Mary DeRocco finds her voice in new ways
PROVINCETOWN — “What could be more radical than aging?” asks Mary DeRocco. Better yet, she adds, “What could be more radical than aging in Provincetown?” By radical, what this Senior […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Trip to the Bank
Finding mackerel for striped bass fishing in the company of humpback whales
Last week was a good one for fishermen. Striped bass are here in numbers we haven’t seen in quite some time. They are seemingly everywhere, with acres and acres of […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, June 28 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
A Needle Poke Gone Wrong
Sometimes all you can do is laugh at yourself
About this time every year my goats face their existential question: is the grass greener on the other side of the fence? This year’s annual Goat Freedom Rally While Everyone […]
BACK TO THE GARDEN
Deadheading (or Not) Reveals a Gardener’s Aesthetic Leanings
Blooms are beautiful, but so are the seed pods and structures that follow them
The flowers of the irises are mostly passed. Almost all the peonies have bloomed, the petals breaking away and collecting on the ground. The baptisia is still going, in white […]
FOR THE BIRDS
Rethinking Gardens as Havens for Birds
Native plants in settings that mimic nature invite birds and pollinators
If you’ve spent any time on the Outer Cape, you know that birds are a thing. They make the news here, with people calling in their sightings for a weekly […]
LOCAL HISTORY
Behind the Scenes at the Portuguese Festival
Beverley Ferreira has always been one to help Provincetown ‘share the heritage’
PROVINCETOWN — Beverley Ferreira is known as “Grandma” by her coworkers at the Lobster Pot, where she has been working as a hostess since 2013. Ferreira, who turned 81 last […]
SOCCER
Lovati, Leone, and Norman Are the Breakers’ Core
The Wellfleet soccer club is distinguished by its diversity
EASTHAM — For the Wellfleet Breakers Soccer Club, the playing field is reshaped every summer. Each year, the team welcomes local players new and old, be they college athletes or […]
THE ESSENTIALS
The Modest Fish Cake Rewards a Second Look
Crispy outside, creamy inside, and served with a bite of local history
I first spotted fish cakes on an inn’s menu on Martha’s Vineyard. After daring to order them for breakfast, I’ve made them at home ever since — though more often […]
CAPE BASEBALL
Firebirds Sweep Doubleheader Against Falmouth
ORLEANS — The Orleans Firebirds swept the Falmouth Commodores in a doubleheader on Sunday, June 19 at Guv Fuller Field. Orleans picked up a 3-2 win in the first game […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Fish, Wind, and Fire
In a rough week, the reward was a brand-new clam
The weather this past week took a radical turn for the worse that kept boats tied at the docks for way too long. We had two days of unrelenting northwest […]
