We finally got a week with somewhat normal summer weather, and fishing has been what it should be in midsummer. The bay seems very quiet right now; the cottages at […]
Visual Stories
NAVIGATING BY THE STARS
A New Moon in Leo Provides Courage
But its angle to Uranus means chaos looms; lean toward facts
If you thought July was dramatic, hold on to your tinfoil hats! This week’s new Moon in Leo delivers an oversized portion of lionly courage — a useful quality, and […]
GOING TO THE SHOW
Bobby Dalbec Remembers His Firebirds Baseball Summers Fondly
The big Red Sox infielder credits the Orleans coaches
ORLEANS — If you saw a college kid driving around town in a yellow Jeep during the summers of 2014 or 2015, it might have been Bobby Dalbec, now a […]
FESTLESS
OysterFest Cancellation Hurts, but How Much?
Losing biggest weekend could damage Wellfleet oyster ‘brand’
WELLFLEET — The board of the nonprofit Shellfish Promotion and Tasting (SPAT) announced on June 25 that the annual Wellfleet OysterFest, scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 16 and 17, […]
PANDEMIC MATH
On Outer Cape, Data Show Whites Have Lowest Vaccination Rate
The Jamaican pastor of Truro's Chapel on the Pond leads by example
PROVINCETOWN — The official statistics from the state Dept. of Public Health say that 114 percent of the residents of Provincetown have been vaccinated against Covid-19. Obviously, that is impossible. […]
OLD RELIABLE
Hotel Project Back in Court and Likely Headed to Trial
Legal action could keep it stalled for years
PROVINCETOWN — Christine Barker’s proposal for a mixed-use waterfront development on the former site of the Old Reliable Fish House is once again mired in Land Court, with two of […]
RESTOCKING
Swap Shop Finds
Minimalists can now unload, and that means offbeat decorations for the rest of us
The Outer Cape’s swap shops are re-opening, and that’s welcome news for those whose anti-materialist leanings went unsatisfied during these long months of isolation. De-acquisitioning that odd lamp (still working), […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Finding Beauty in a Globular Cluster
M4 is a bright gem at the heart of our home galaxy
Since writing last month about the Milky Way, our home galaxy, I’ve wanted to take you deeper into its heart. That’s where you’ll find M4 — a beautiful and interesting […]
LOCAL CATCH
A Summer-Only Cape Cod Secret, With Thanks to Dr. Bluefish
The blues go well with bold flavors of tomatoes, olives, and capers
Bluefish are misunderstood on the mainland. Detractors there moan about them being “too oily” or “fishy.” But Cape Codders wait hungrily for this season. What we know is that, handled […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
An Anxious Week on the Wharf
The effects of the Covid cluster are felt on the waterfront
It certainly has been a strange week on the waterfront. First, we are getting some weird sunsets over the water, as the atmosphere is filled with smoke from the Western […]
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 27 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
CAPE LEAGUE
Four Firebirds Make All-Star Lineup
Orleans defeats first-place Bourne, 10-5
ORLEANS — The Orleans Firebirds had four players named to the 2021 Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Team. Outfielder Chase DeLauter (James Madison U.) and utility player Peyton Chatagnier (Ole […]
NAVIGATING BY THE STARS
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
The Sun and planets provide a swift kick and new resolve
Well, summer was fun while it lasted! These are the lessons we have to learn to live with, I suppose, even with the Sun in frisky fire sign Leo, urging […]
CROSSWORD #23 SOLUTION
Stroke of Genius
GOOD TIMES
Jasper’s Surf Shop Lingers in Memory
Fourteen years after closing, the business remains part of local surfing lore
EASTHAM — The origin story behind the Outer Cape’s most storied surf shop is a simple one. One summer day in 1967, after Kevin “Foggy” Foley ran out of gas […]
