We asked our contributing photographers to show us what they were seeing on the streets on July 4th. They answered with candy scramblers, stilt-walkers, beachgoers, protesters, and flag-wavers (and wearers), all relishing the idea of independence. —The editors … ▶
Main Content
TOP STORIES
PUBLIC SAFETY
Town Responds to Two Anti-Gay Bias Crimes
An attack on Howland Street is being investigated; slurs heard on Bradford result in charges
PROVINCETOWN — Over two days last week, two different bias crimes are alleged to have happened on Bradford Street: a physical attack on a gay man near the … ▶
HEALTH CARE
State Makes Moves to Protect Transgender Care
A new trust fund would try to replace threatened federal dollars
PROVINCETOWN — This spring, the U.S. House of Representatives took a cue from the 27 Republican-controlled states that have restricted gender-affirming health care … ▶
ENTITLEMENT
Sextons Fail Again in Wellfleet Land Grab Attempt
Appeals Court upholds Land Court ruling that Fred Bell Way is on town property
WELLFLEET — Chellise Sexton and her son Kevin Sexton have failed again in their effort to wrest the land at Fred Bell Way from the town. The Sextons have … ▶
LAND USE
In Truro’s Seashore, a Two-Year-Old Dispute Continues
Martin now says he’ll build a house at former site of Jack’s Gas
TRURO — A state Land Court judge has set a pretrial conference for Aug. 14 to discuss three appeals related to whether the bulk sale of landscaping material on the … ▶
HOUSING
On One Parcel, a Land Trust Becomes a Reality in Wellfleet
Finding a nonprofit to own the land could make the process easier for others
WELLFLEET — As house prices become increasingly unaffordable on the Outer Cape, interest is growing in ways that individual property owners could help create … ▶
BLUE ECONOMY
Scallop Landings at Outer Cape Ports Are in Steep Decline
Last year’s catch was only one-third of the 2021 haul
PROVINCETOWN — State data finalized in April show that 2024 saw the smallest sea scallop haul from the Outer and Lower Cape’s ports since at least 2019. The in-shell … ▶
PUBLIC WORKS
Provincetown Plans to Renovate Its Restrooms in Spring
Design work is proceeding, but town meeting will need to approve construction funds
PROVINCETOWN — The town is moving forward with plans to renovate its public restrooms to the gender-inclusive standards in the state’s newest building code — a shift … ▶
CIVICS
Three Are Reappointed to Ad Hoc Group Over Areson’s Objection
‘Sideshows’ have detracted from building committee’s work, says board chair
TRURO — With the terms of all the members of the ad hoc building committee set to expire at the end of June, the select board on June 24 appointed five members to a … ▶
THIS WEEK ON THE OUTER CAPE

BIRDWATCHING
A Secret Planter of Oaks
Giving blue jays the credit they deserve for reforesting the Outer Cape’s woodlands

THE WHOLE KITCHEN
Crêpes for Bastille Day — or Any Day
An artist imagines a meal in Monet’s kitchen

GARDEN TOUR
Roses to Redbuds, and a Few Hydrangeas, Too
Five Eastham gardeners show off their artful outdoor spaces

GRAVEYARD SHIFT
Forts Useless and Ridiculous
Life was tedious at the Civil War fortifications on Long Point

THE COCKTAIL
Raising a Glass to Revolution and Resistance
A blackberry-thyme version of the French 75 to stave off relocation

FOOD
The Edible Abundance of the Forest
In Feed Us With Trees, Elspeth Hay tells the story of food before farming

GOOD FENCES
A Dead Hedge Brings Life to an Orleans Garden
Hard work turns yard debris into an intriguing organic border

THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Perfect Fourth, Except for the Boaters
Striped bass are in an old spot that’s new again; blues are nowhere to be found

CAPE COD BASEBALL
Firebirds Impressive in 5-2 Win Over Bourne
College teammates Murdock and Potestio lead the way

NATURAL SELECTION
Love Is Like a Butterfly Weed

RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings

ICE DREAMS
Two Outer Cape Figure Skaters Head to National Excel Festival
After a full season on the ice, they’re still training (and smiling)

WEATHER
Long-Term Data Confirm: It’s Getting Muggier

FOUND AT THE FARMERS MARKET
Early Heat Can Be Sweet

DATE AND TIME
Fresh Studies of This Quaint Old Town

VIEWFINDER
Summer Sights

I SCREAM
The Annual Outer Cape Ice Cream Report
Independent writers dare to share on dairy

ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
A Universe Full of Potential
Be ready to roll with the punches
CURRENTS
PROVINCETOWN: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS
Seasonal Communities Outreach
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 link to […]
TRURO: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS
Walsh Advisers
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. Thursday, July […]
WELLFLEET: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS
Board and Committee Reappointments
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 are at […]
EASTHAM: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS
More Water Issues
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 meetings are […]
BEACH/HOUSE Spring 2025

A Cottage Garden in the Dunes
Spring blossoms brave a windy perch above the bay
Hidden behind a rustic wooden fence tiny spring treasures abound: Nodding bluebells, arching ferns, dainty forget-me-nots, and self-sown alexanders in a glowing … ▶

In the Mood for Wallpaper
Letting layers, textures, and scale deliver design that feels just right
Few things make me happier than adding color to walls. As a decorator, I know that nothing else creates the same effect so quickly. But recently, I’ve had a lot of … ▶

A Lofty Lineage in North Truro
How a space once used for storing sails came to house an artistic legacy
Sometimes you just know when a place is the one. It was 1978 when Anne Webb Johnson and her husband, David, found themselves looking at an unusual house on Hughes … ▶

One Strong Table
Peter McMahon’s design can be as fancy or plain as its materials make it
Peter McMahon is not going to brag about his tables. They are what he calls “a Flintstones solution” to a practical problem. After McMahon founded the Cape Cod … ▶

Bathtime Under the Stars
Old clawfoot tubs find new purpose nestled in open-air oases of ferns and succulents
Kai Potter discovered outdoor bathing at 13, when he visited friends who lived in Harwich. “They had this bathtub out in the woods,” Potter says. A fire under the … ▶

Mini Makeovers
Deep colors and a warm glow bring calm to children’s bathrooms
Kids’ bathrooms are surely not at the top of most people’s home-improvement wish lists. As long as it’s a room that’s functional and ready to withstand some wear and … ▶

The Tire Swing Grows Up
Jeff Soderbergh’s ring chair is made of history
The wood floors of Jeff Soderbergh’s furniture workshop in Portsmouth, R.I. were salvaged from the box cars of old freight trains. The beams that support the … ▶
Stories from Beach/House 2024