Rebecca Gmucs has a virtual exhibit for the month of August, “Here and There,” on the Eastham Public Library website, easthamlibrary.org. It consists of fall scenes, skyscapes, and paintings of people on the beach.
Eastham Public Library
our picks for the week of July 30 through August 5
Indie’s Choice
Outer Cape Calendar
An Artist’s Lot
The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod is hosting an online silent auction starting on Thursday, July 23, at noon through Sunday, Aug. 9, at 9:30 p.m., featuring art by Traci Harmon-Hay, Sarah Lutz, Pete Hocking, and others. There will also be a live auction, streaming from the Chatham Bars Inn on Thursday, Aug. 6, at 6 p.m., with works by Donald Beal, Cynthia Packard, and more. Visit artsfoundation.org to register and bid.
Into the Woods
The Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is offering a few socially distanced activities. Among them is a kayak trip through Nauset Marsh in Eastham on Friday, July 31, at 8:30 a.m., tickets $70-$85 (call 508-349-2615 to register); and a full moon hike on Monday, Aug. 3, at 7:30 p.m., tickets $14, children free (register at massaudubon.org).
Advice Versa
The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown is hosting a virtual one-hour poetry workshop led by Nick Flynn that is designed to inspire unexpected and surprising new poems on Thursday, July 30, at 6 p.m. Registration is $10 at fawc.org.
Ukulele Lady
The Eastham Public Library is holding a virtual ukulele workshop with Julie Stepanek on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 1 p.m. Ages six and up are welcome. There is also a live-streaming animal show via Zoom on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 5 p.m. Go to easthamlibrary.org to register; both events are free.
Feed Your Ears
The Wellfleet Pearl restaurant continues with live music daily (except Monday) from 3 to 5 p.m., no cover. Featured this week: Catie Flynn Band (Thursday, July 30), Boston Naturals (Friday, July 31), Pitchfork (Saturday, Aug. 1), Bruce Maclean (Sunday, Aug. 2), Brandon Manter (Tuesday, Aug. 4), and Jordan Renzi (Wednesday, Aug. 5).
World Tour
Great Music on Sundays @5 presents “Marimba and Piano Global Rhythms” on Sunday, Aug. 2 at 5 p.m. This free live-streaming concert, with Brian Calhoon on marimba, John Thomas on piano, and Chanthoeun Varon Collins on cello, includes music from Argentina, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, and the U.S. For details, go to ptownmusic.com.
For a Song
Steeple Street Music Academy in Mashpee is running a songwriting competition called Mash-ville. The entry deadline is Saturday, Aug. 1, and you must be at least 13 to enter. The fees: $25 for your first song, $10 for each additional song. The grand prize: two round-trip tickets to Nashville, Tenn. Winners will participate in a songwriting showcase on Aug. 15. Visit steeplestreetmusic.com for details.
Drag Picnic
Marti Gould Cummings in “Picnic in the Park” is coming to Pilgrim House’s outdoor stage from Tuesday, Aug. 4 to Saturday, Aug. 8. Tickets are $35 at pilgrimhouse.com.
Bracelets for BFFs
The Truro Public Library is hosting a virtual friendship bracelet-making class with Sophia and Maggie Prickitt on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. Call 508-487-1125 or email [email protected] to receive the link. Materials will be provided through curbside pickup.
Backyard Boogie
Wellfleet Preservation Hall is presenting a backyard concert series. First up is Zoë Lewis on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m. (rain date Aug. 6). Tickets are $15 for adults, $7.50 for children 13 and under. Groups are limited to six people; bring a blanket or lawn chair. Reserve in advance at wellfleetpreservationhall.org.
Puppet Party
The Provincetown, Truro, and Wellfleet libraries are holding a virtual puppet show, “A Celebration of Imagination,” performed by Caravan Puppets, on Thursday, Aug. 6, at 10:30 a.m. For a Zoom link, email [email protected] with the names and ages of your viewing party.
Painting With Pete
One highlight of the online and on-campus classes offered at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill is “Making Pictures,” with Pete Hocking, which will be held live, from 9 a.m. to noon on Monday, Aug. 3, through Thursday, Aug. 6. The four sessions cost $455. Register at castlehill.org.
Young at Art
The Provincetown Art Association and Museum is offering several live outdoor classes for kids. Hannah Capra teaches “Little Artists Outdoors” on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. for children 4 to 7, and “Young Artists Outdoors” on Thursdays at 10 a.m. for children 8 to 10; both are $40 per session. Grace Emmet teaches “Plein Air Painting” on Fridays at 8:30 a.m. for children 10 to 15, $50 per session. Go to paam.org to register.
Hold the Mayo
The Wellfleet Recreation Dept. is hosting “Virtual Music at Mayo,” an online concert series. The Grab Brothers Band performs on Friday, July 31, at 6:30 p.m., and the Rip It Ups get in the groove on Thursday, Aug. 6, at 6:30 p.m. Visit the Wellfleet Rec’s Facebook page for details.
Virtual Ukulele Workshop with Julie Stepanek
The Eastham Public Library is holding a virtual ukulele workshop with Julie Stepanek on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 1 p.m. Ages six and up are welcome. There is also a live-streaming animal show via Zoom on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 5 p.m. Go to easthamlibrary.org to register; both events are free.
our picks for the week of July 23 through July 29
Indie’s Choice
Outer Cape Calendar
The Pearl Can’t Help It
Music at the Wellfleet Pearl is back! The Aaron Norcross Trio performs Sunday, July 26, at 3 p.m. at 250 Commercial St. No cover. Visit wellfleetpearl.com for the full schedule.
Early Birders
Join Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary at 291 Route 6 for Early Bird Walks on Tuesdays at 7 a.m. and Thursdays at 8 a.m. Bird watchers will explore the sanctuary’s scenic trails. Group size is limited to eight, and masks are required. The walk costs $22 a person (members $18); purchase tickets at massaudubon.org.
Road Runners
The Wellfleet Recreation Dept. is holding its 46th annual road race virtually this year. Register by 6 p.m. on Friday, July 24, and run the five-mile race anywhere you’d like, as long as it’s before 6 p.m. on Friday, July 31. Registration costs $20 if you can pick up your T-shirt locally, $25 if you want it mailed. Visit the recreation dept.’s Facebook page for details.
A Capella Fellas
Great Music on Sundays @5, normally a staple at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in Provincetown, has gone virtual this year, with eight online concerts available on Great Music on Sundays @5’s YouTube channel. The first engagement, featuring the all-male a capella group Hyannis Sound, will take place on Sunday, July 26, at 5 p.m. Find future events at ptownmusic.com.
Call of the Wild
Payomet Early Stages presents a free Zoom conversation on coastal birding with wildlife biologist Danielle Belleny and Jeffrey Ward. They will discuss issues of conservation and climate change, as well as birding tips. You must register at payomet.org to participate before the event on Sunday, July 26, at 11:30 a.m.
Plastic Bagged
The Center for Coastal Studies is streaming the film The Story of Plastic for free from Monday, July 27, through Friday, July 31. It will be followed by a live-stream discussion on Monday, Aug. 3, at 6 p.m. with Madhavi Venkatesan, executive director of Sustainable Practices, and Laura Ludwig, coordinator of the center’s marine debris and plastics program. Register at coastalstudies.org.
Loud and Proud
Drag “screlter” (a portmanteau of “screamer” and “belter”) Cacophony Daniels graces Pilgrim House’s outdoor stage to perform “So Close and Yet So Far” at 7 p.m. nightly from Tuesday, July 28, through Saturday, Aug. 1. Tickets are $35 at pilgrimhouseptown.com.
Hold a Kandall
Amy Kandall, the ceramics and painting teacher at Nauset Regional High School and founder of Green Thumb Ceramics, is having a show of “Quarantine Paintings” at Spiritus Pizza at 190 Commercial St. in Provincetown. Have a slice and scan the walls.
Jungle Fever
The Eastham Public Library is launching a virtual children’s show featuring Jungle Jim on Tuesday, July 28, at 5 p.m. The show, which is free, will be available to screen the entire week following. Register at easthamlibrary.org.
Making the Zine
The Wellfleet Public Library is looking for submissions of poetry, fiction, or prose written during the pandemic for its Quaranzine. Submissions of 1,000 words or less are due by Friday, July 31. Email them to [email protected] or [email protected].
Painters Paired
Through Wednesday, July 29, the Stewart Clifford Gallery at 338 Commercial St. in Provincetown is hosting the show “Colorful Explorations,” featuring work by Nick Peterson-Davis and Bill Chisholm. Get a virtual glimpse at stewartcliffordgallery.com.
Gorey Details
The Edward Gorey House, at 8 Strawberry Lane in Yarmouth Port, is reopening on Wednesday, July 29, with the exhibition “He Wrote It All Down Zealously: Edward Gorey’s Interesting Lists,” including writings, drawings, and musings by Gorey that (mysteriously) never made it to publication. This summer, Gorey House visits are by appointment only: reserve at edwardgoreyhouse.org.
Mazur League
The Fine Arts Work Center is hosting a Zoom discussion on Tuesday, July 28, from 6 to 7 p.m. with poet Gail Mazur and artist Bert Yarborough on the subject of the late Michael Mazur’s New Provincetown Printmaking Project, which brought renowned artists together from 1990 to 1994 to create limited print portfolios as a fund-raiser. Register for $10 at fawc.org.
“Dragons: Return of the Ice Sorceress” Virtual Storytelling
The Eastham Public Library will host “Dragons: Return of the Ice Sorceress,” a virtual storytelling and science event for children held via Zoom on Tuesday, July 14, at 5 p.m. Registration is free here.
our picks for the week of July 9 through July 15
Indie’s Choice
Outer Cape Calendar
Mixed Media Maleness
Catch the “Modern Male II” show at Steve Bowersock Gallery at 373 Commercial St. in Provincetown, featuring artworks of all media submitted from across the country. The curators were gallerist Steve Bowersock and journalist Jeanne McCartin.
Guild Goes Outdoors
The Eastham Painters Guild outdoor shows will resume on Thursday, July 9, on the lawn of the 1869 Schoolhouse Museum at 2375 Route 6 in Eastham. For the next few weeks, the hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Masks are required. Find a full summer schedule and catch the virtual exhibit at easthampaintersguild.com.
Reading de la Cité
East End Books Ptown is hosting a free virtual reading with Alex George, author of The Paris Hours, on Friday, July 10, at 5 p.m. The book tells the story of a single day in Paris in 1927. Pre-registration is required; visit eastendbooksptown.com.
Wherefore Wampanoag
Nauset Fellowship Unitarian Universalist of Eastham is offering a Zoom screening of We Are Still Here, about Jessie Little Doe Baird and the revival of the Wampanoag language, on Sunday, July 12, at 10 a.m. The film will be introduced by its director, Anne Makepeace. Email [email protected] to register. Informal socializing will begin at 9:30 a.m.
In Lucy’s Honor
Tales of Cape Cod and History at Play is presenting I Now Pronounce You Lucy Stone, a one-woman performance by Judith Kalaora via Zoom, honoring the abolitionist and women’s rights activist, who was the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree. It can be viewed virtually on Monday, July 13, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at talesofcapecod.org.
Fire and Ice
The Eastham Public Library will host “Dragons: Return of the Ice Sorceress,” a virtual storytelling and science event for children held via Zoom on Tuesday, July 14, at 5 p.m. Registration is free at easthamlibrary.org.
Uncaged Spirits
The Fine Arts Works Center in Provincetown is rounding up a gaggle of poets — Marie Howe, Nick Flynn, Robert Pinsky, and Kelle Groom — who will participate in a virtual reading of works inspired by Patty Larkin’s latest CD, Bird in a Cage, on Tuesday, July 14, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 and available at fawc.org.
Liz Goes Local
The Provincetown Public Library is offering a free virtual cooking program with Chef Liz Barbour, owner of the Creative Feast, featuring a slide show and two recipes using locally grown ingredients. It will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, July 15, at 3 p.m. Pre-registration is required at provincetownlibrary.org, under “Events.”
Corn on the Cobb
The Truro Historical Society has planted its Three Sisters Garden on the lawn of the Cobb Archive at 13 Truro Center Road in tribute to the Wampanoag peoples. The three sisters — corn, beans, and squash — represent crops that were essential to many Native American communities. Visit the Cobb Archive on Wednesday, July 15, at 4 p.m. for a live history talk with Marcus Hendricks of the Wampanoags. Email [email protected] to register. The fee is $10. Bring a lawn chair.
Unforgettable
The Wellfleet Public Library is hosting “I Remember Wellfleet” online via Zoom on Wednesday, July 15, at 7 p.m. It’s a Wellfleet Historical Society event in which participants share their stories and memories of Wellfleet, including the Strawberry Festival, Fourth of July Parade, and the life of Richmond Bell. To register, email [email protected].
currents
This Week in Eastham
Meetings Ahead
Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely.
Thursday, June 18
- Affordable Housing Trust, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, June 23
- Town Election, noon to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24
- Low-lying Roads Presentation, 6 p.m.
Thursday, June 25
- Board of Health, 3 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Election Day Almost Here
If you haven’t already voted in the town election, you’re welcome to drop by town hall between noon and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23 and do so. Social distancing will be observed and face coverings required (for staff) and highly encouraged (for voters). Voters will be greeted outside town hall and given a complimentary voting pen and gloves and offered a mask if they’re not wearing one. Only six voters will be allowed in the polling place at one time.
There’s not much to decide as all incumbents — Aimée Eckman (select board), Cynthia Nicholson (town clerk), Judy Lindahl (elementary school committee), and Mary Shaw and Al Alfano (library trustees) — are unopposed. Scott Kerry is running unopposed to succeed Steve Cole as moderator, and Art Autorino has no challengers for the select board seat being vacated by Martin McDonald. There’s one wild card: a write-in vote for the second elementary school committee post.
The ballot includes an invitation to instruct town officials to ask the governor and legislature to ensure that storage and security for spent fuel at the decommissioned Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant is improved.
No Hiccups Expected
As of our press time, the select board was planning to hold an unusual Wednesday meeting on June 17 to approve expansion of alcohol licenses for outdoor seating as allowed under Gov. Baker’s pandemic guidelines. Those applying included Red Barn Pizza, Local Break, BrickHouse Restaurant, Mac’s Seafood, and the Orleans-Eastham Elks Lodge. —Ed Maroney
And Now for Something Completely Different
A family-friendly music and comedy show featuring parody songs and jokes by Dave Maloof can be enjoyed virtually from June 20 through 26. Maloof sings and plays the piano and ukulele in “Funny Words, Funny Music,” which will be shown multiple times on Lower Cape TV (go to lowercapetv.org or MusicPlusComedy.com/eastham-show-2020 for times).
This production of the Eastham Public Library, the Eastham Senior Center, and Lower Cape TV is supported in part by the Eastham Cultural Council, a local agency funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. —Ryan Fitzgerald
our picks for the week of June 18 through June 24
Indie’s Choice
Outer Cape Calendar
Island Treasure
The Friends of Herring River invite you to take a free virtual tour of Wellfleet’s Bound Brook Island on their website, herringriver.org/Videos. Originally created for a live audience presentation, the video offers a history of the area, its importance to early settlers, and some background on the Herring River restoration.
Musical Preludes
Joe Marchio, music director at the First Congregational Church in Chatham, is hosting a series of pre-concert talks ($10 each) on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. through Aug. 18. On June 23, he’ll discuss Richard Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. To register and get a Zoom link, go to artfuljourneysllc.com/pre-concert.
Square Deal
The Provincetown Art Association and Museum’s annual “12×12” auction is going virtual. Members may submit a work that is 12-by-12 inches, either by shipping it to PAAM by June 27, or dropping it off at the museum at 460 Commercial St. between noon and 2 p.m. on Monday, June 22; Wednesday, June 24; Friday, June 26; or Saturday, June 27. The online exhibition and silent auction will go live from July 10 through Aug. 23. Visit paam.org for details.
One Act Only
Wellfleet playwright Candace Perry is offering a two-hour online class for $25 on how to write a short play through the Eventide Arts Master Class series on Saturday, June 20, from 2 to 4 p.m. Sign up at eventidearts.org.
Just a Shot Away
The Youth Film Festival will come to its culmination this weekend (Friday, June 19, through Sunday, June 21) with the streaming of 25 shorts by young filmmakers from the Cape and across the state, presented by Wellfleet Preservation Hall. There will also be an awards presentation Sunday at 5 p.m. Catch an eyeful at wellfleetpreservationhall.org.
Private Beach
Make a note on your July 4 weekend calendar: Mussel Beach Health Club is hosting a virtual “Freedom Beach Party 2020” with DJ George Spiliopoulos on Thursday, July 2, from noon to 6 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Provincetown Business Guild — details to be announced.
Join the Club
The Provincetown Public Library is offering a virtual Provincetown 400 Book Club, hosted by mystery writer Jeannette de Beauvoir. The first meeting is on Thursday, June 18, at 6 p.m.; the topic will be Geraldine Brooks’s Caleb’s Crossing. Visit the provincetownlibrary.org and click on “Events” — you’ll find the club on the calendar.
Green Gardens
The Wellfleet Public Library will host a virtual Climate Resilience Workshop, “No-Till Backyard Farming,” with Ben Fairbank on Saturday, June 20, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will learn how to create a sustainable ecosystem in their gardens. Email [email protected] to sign up.
Hit the Books
The Eastham Public Library’s summer reading program launches on Friday, June 19. Children who sign up should read as many books as they can by Aug. 13 to win prizes. For adults, there is a virtual book talk on “New England at 400,” by Eric D. Lehman, on Thursday, June 25, at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Find the listing on the library calendar at easthamlibrary.org to register.
Performing Pairs
Payomet Performing Arts Center’s Tiny Tent offers a free live-stream concert, “Jazz and More,” with Eleanor Dubinsky (cello, vocals) and Dario Acosta Teich (guitar) on Wednesday, June 24, at 7 p.m. They will play original songs, Latin American music, and, of course, jazz. Also at the virtual tent: a family acrobatics class with Cirque by the Sea stars Teddy Ment and Eleanor Getz on Tuesday, June 23, at 6 p.m. Set up mats and padding at home and be safe! For pay-what-you-can tickets, go to payomet.org.
GALLERY
Outer Cape Households Make It Work
Carving out space for the new work/life balance
Working from home. Like it or not, it’s a new reality for many of us. And while some may be lucky enough to have a dedicated space with an actual desk, others are getting creative with what they have. We asked readers to send pictures of their workspaces. We’re adding other examples on the Independent’s website to show how more of our Outer Cape neighbors are making their homes into offices and classrooms.
So far, every conversation about workspaces turns up a helpful tip or two on how to preserve professional and personal sanity: look for an underused corner, think small, keep clutter under control, add a few creature comforts, and situate near natural light. And when all else fails, go for the right kind of distraction by getting outside.
Want to add your working-from-home picture and advice to our online gallery? Email [email protected].
If your image is going to be beamed out there, it’s a good idea to think about the background people will see. Liesel Wilbers is a school social worker in West Yarmouth. To work from her Wellfleet home, she repurposed her personal vision board to create a cheerful background for videos she sends to students and families.
When Anne Stout, who works for the Chatham Bars Inn, realized she’d be working for weeks from her home in Eastham, she bought what she calls her Murphy desk: a fold-up desk with nooks for storage that can be neatly stowed out of sight at the end of the day.
The Rev. Kate Wilkinson, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House of Provincetown, delivers her sermons from a home altar, here adorned for Easter, that she composed in her basement.
Eastham Library Director Debra DeJonker-Berry likes the unstructured feeling of working from the sofa. The beautiful view through a big window helps. The downside of a cozy spot? Dogs do have a tendency to move in on your creature comforts.
Myya Beck’s multitasking space meets the demands of teaching kindergarten to her son, Beckett, while operating her Wellfleet business, Heart Core Studio remotely.
Amy Raff, director of the Provincetown Library, sets up a spot in her kitchen to work. What draws her there is the natural light. This room offers bright windows that lift her spirits on these days spent in isolation.
Co-owner of Truro Vineyards Kristen Roberts does it all at the kitchen island.
David Simpson and Kathy Fletcher, who run the nonprofit AOK out of their Wellfleet home, find inspiration from facing desks.
Rob Doane, Community Development Partnership CFO, keeps his hand-built desk scrupulously neat, and has headphones within reach.
Anna Nielsen, youth services librarian at the Wellfleet Library, keeps the essentials nearby in her home office.
currents
This Week in Eastham
Meetings Ahead
Town Hall is closed to the public. The meetings listed below are still posted but may change.
Eastham is holding virtual regulatory town board public hearings through online live stream. Follow the instructions below to watch and participate in the meetings.
Go to the Eastham website homepage, www.eastham-ma.gov. Scroll down to the “Popular Link” menu on the left-hand side and click “CH 18 Schedule and Live Streaming.” There, you will be able to access the upcoming meeting schedule and view meeting live streams by clicking the video box. When a live meeting is in progress, a phone number will be posted on the screen that viewers can use to call or text any input or questions. The chair of the meeting will read aloud any questions or comments you send.
Thursday, March 26
- Board of Health, 3 p.m., Earle Mountain Meeting Room, Town Hall
Monday, March 30
- Eastham 400 Commemoration Committee, 10:30 a.m., Eastham Public Library
Tuesday, March 31
- Search Committee, 4 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Town Hall
Wednesday, April 1
- Community Preservation Act Committee, 5:30 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Town Hall
Thursday, April 2
- Zoning board, 5 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Stay in Touch
The town has issued guidelines for public participation in meetings while town hall is closed to the public, and they seem to be working. Monday’s select board session found members Aimee Eckman and Jared Collins sitting with Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe around a square of tables in front of a big-screen TV filled with images of select board members Al Cestaro, Martin McDonald, and Jamie Rivers, who were calling in. As Video Services Coordinator Mike Caliri tweaked the equipment, the voices of shellfishermen, Shellfish Constable Nicole Paine, and the new owner of The Landing joined the conversation. There were only occasional blips in the live stream.
The phone number for the public to call to participate is 508-922-5983. Information about sending texts will also be displayed on the screen.
“Thank you all for your patience,” Caliri wrote in a March 18 posting, “as we continue to explore better ways to conduct non-meeting meetings!”
No Rush on Town Meeting Warrant
A review of town meeting articles was on the select board’s agenda Monday, but “we’re not going to do that,” Chair Aimee Eckman said. “We have bigger fish to fry. Everybody have fun reading the warrant, and I’m sure we’ll be talking next meeting about what our plans are for town meeting and the town election.”
Town meeting “won’t be May 4,” the date now on the schedule, Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe told the board later. “It may be sometime in June, and we’d have a second date available. I’m consulting with the moderator and town clerk and coming up with some options for you.”
Plans for the meeting, and the May 19 town election, have been thrown into a cocked hat by the pandemic. Legislation to allow delays of both events, perhaps even past the end of the fiscal year on June 30, is in the works on Beacon Hill.
Town Departments ‘Open’ for Business
“We have valiantly been trying to keep up with everything we would normally do,” Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe reported to the select board Monday. “As we go into this new phase of staying in place, we will have some things that may take a longer time or that we may not be able to do until after April 7. I hope people will be patient with us but let us know what’s critical versus noncritical.”
Staggered shifts of employees are working at town hall while it’s closed to the public, but “we are all on duty and available,” Beebe said. “I have a lot of staff working from home…. We are still doing building inspections, electrical inspections, plumbing and fire inspections.” She said water testing for rental certificates may have to wait until next week.
Beebe said the state is extending some deadlines, such as allowing residents to go conduct real estate closings without a fire inspection for up to 90 days, if the realtor and owner agree.
“It’s amazing to see our town come together,” Board Bember Jared Collins said as the meeting began. “I think we’re doing things a lot faster than the state and federal [governments]. It’s our ability to adapt.”
“Try to be patient with people, and us,” Eckman said just before adjournment. “Everybody’s sort of stressed about this. Be patient and we’ll get through this. Keep as safe as possible, and see you in a couple of weeks.”
Health Board and COVID-19
The board of health is scheduled to discuss the pandemic and the town’s response today (March 26) at 3 p.m. Also on the agenda is a review of two proposed housing developments on Route 6, one for townhouse units and the other a mixed-use commercial building with apartments on the second floor. (See separate story on page 5.) Those developments will also be reviewed by the zoning board at its April 2 meeting.
On the Run?
The last day to obtain nomination papers to run in the town election — whenever it will be held — is March 30. Contact the town clerk’s office for more information. —Ed Maroney
Arts Briefs and Listings
Arts Briefs for March 26 through April 1
Doors Are Closed, but Libraries Still Offer Services
The library is a lifeline for people who need internet access, public information, books, movies, or social contact. So, with all four Outer Cape libraries closed, what resources are available to library patrons?
Amy Raff, director of the Provincetown Public Library, emphasized that people should check the library website for updates, as information changes frequently. She can be reached by phone at 508-487-7094 during regular business hours, or email her at [email protected].
The Eastham Public Library will be staffed to answer phone calls from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, and the Wellfleet Public Library will answer phone calls from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Library staff can answer questions and provide help setting up library cards, accessing online services, and providing tech help. Those wishing to reach the Truro Public Library can send an email to [email protected].
Patrons cannot check out books at this time. The Mass. Library Association cited curbside checkout services as creating an “undue risk for whole communities,” because materials cannot be sanitized.
CLAMS cardholders can check out e-books using the Libby app. If you do not have a library card, you can register online for free and access all library services at clamsnet.org.
The free wi-fi at the libraries continues to be available 24 hours a day without a password. All are welcome to use the wi-fi from the parking lot or by sitting outside the library while maintaining social distance.
All late fees will be waived during this period of closure.
Debra DeJonker Berry, director of the Eastham Public Library, said that she hopes to have some staff-led interactive programming on social media soon. She encourages people to use the many streaming services and resources for entertainment and education available through CLAMS. —Molly Newman
Ilona Royce Smithkin to Celebrate Her 100th
Artist, cabaret chanteuse, bohemian fashion icon, and Provincetown landlord Ilona Royce Smithkin will turn 100 years old on Friday, March 27.
Ilona, who lives year-round in the top-floor apartment at Karilon house on Commercial Street, has asked friends and well-wishers to call by phone and not visit, due to the current COVID-19 health crisis.
She was born in Poland and studied art in Berlin and Antwerp, and, after emigrating to the United States in the late 1930s, at the Art Students League of New York. She has painted countless portraits of the denizens of Provincetown and Greenwich Village, where she had a rent-controlled apartment that she gave up a few years ago.
Famous for her neon red hair and red eyelashes, which she made herself, and her exuberant personality, Ilona was one of the subjects of Advanced Style, a 2014 fashion documentary about older women. She was also known for her “Eyelash Cabaret,” performed with Zoë Lewis on piano. Her artwork has been on sale for years at the Karilon Gallery/Angela Russo Fine Art.
The name of the seven-bedroom Karilon house where Ilona lives is a portmanteau of her name and her friend Karen Katzel’s. They own the cottages and apartments at Poor Richard’s Landing next door.
Curtis Speer, who took the photograph of Ilona above, said he got to know her by taking her figure drawing class at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. When he asked Ilona one Tuesday if he could photograph her, she told him, “If you wait until Friday, I will wear my eyelashes for you.”
“I wish her the very best, a happy birthday,” Angela Russo told the Independent. “I hope she lives another 100 years.”
Paul Lisicky to Give Live-Stream Reading
Paul Lisicky will read from his new book, Later: My Life at the Edge of the World, at East End Books Ptown on Friday, March 27, at 5 p.m.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the town’s shelter-in-place mandate, the store itself is closed but the reading will be streamed live on East End Books Ptown’s Facebook page.
Later is about Lisicky’s time in Provincetown in the early 1990s. It was published by Graywolf Press on March 17.
Children’s Art Goes Drive-by in Truro Center
TRURO — An exhibit of art by the Sustainable CAPE Children’s Community Garden Group, “Fabulous Fungi,” couldn’t be squelched by the coronavirus pandemic. Since all exhibition spaces have been closed, Sustainable CAPE set up the exhibit outdoors, at the corner of Depot and Truro Center roads, in front of Conservation Framing.
The artwork, depicting various species of mushrooms, was created by local children in the Community Garden Group, which met weekly at the Truro Public Library until it was closed due to the health crisis. A sign on the road said it all: “Social distance with a smile.”
WOMR Will Not Be Silenced
PROVINCETOWN — The threat of coronavirus may have stopped the volunteer DJs on WOMR, Outermost Community Radio, from coming in to the studio. But the show must go on, so many are learning how to prerecord shows from home.
John Braden, the station’s executive director, said he and the operations manager have put together lots of shows recently, but the technology exists to combine music and then drop in public service announcements and comments by the host from the comfort (and isolation) of home. Co-hosts are using the online platform Zoom to prerecord together from their homes, he added.
Operations Manager Matthew Dunn, a.k.a. Matty Dread, who hosts the show Soul Funky Train, also has the technology to do live shows from his house and he will try it soon, Braden said on Friday.
The importance of radio stations has been elevated now that so many people are stuck inside and there is the need to stay current in a constantly changing environment.
“We’re getting a lot of positive feedback,” Braden said. —K.C. Myers
Seventh Season of Twenty Summers Postponed
PROVINCETOWN — The five-week 2020 Season of Twenty Summers, originally scheduled from mid-May to mid-June, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis and tentatively rescheduled from Sept. 25 through Oct. 17.
The announcement was made over the weekend in an email to supporters from Kristina Kearns, the event’s executive director.
Most of the events of Twenty Summers are held at the Hawthorne Barn on Miller Hill Road in Provincetown. There are talks with writers, artists, architects, reporters, and designers, as well as musical performances and artist residencies. This spring would have been the seventh season of Twenty Summers.
In the announcement, Kearns suggested that enthusiasts of Twenty Summers programming can view past performances and talks on video at 20summers.org.
our picks for the week of March 26 through April 1
Indie’s Choice
Outer Cape Bulletin
The Metropolitan Live in HD series that was showing at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater has been canceled for the remainder of the season (along with all live performances at the Met), but in its stead, the company is streaming full operas from the past for free on its website. The selection offered changes daily; this week, it’s all-Wagner: You can watch Siegfried from Thursday, March 26, 7:30 p.m. to Friday, March 27, 6:30 p.m.; Götterdämmerung from Friday to Saturday; Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg from Saturday to Sunday; and Tannhäuser from Sunday to Monday. Google “Nightly Met Opera Streams,” scroll down all the way to a schedule, find your date, and click on that.
Tin Pan Alley in Provincetown, like many Outer Cape restaurants, is serving takeout ordered ahead to be picked up at the door. Its “Quarts to Go” menu is posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page. On top of that, in a recent post, owner Jack Kelly offered customers who can’t afford a cash or credit card payment to set up a house charge account, with proof of I.D., to get a running tab that’s pay-as-you-can.
On Monday, the Provincetown International Film Festival officially postponed its 22nd annual extravaganza, scheduled for June 17-21. This comes as no surprise, considering the number of festivals that have already been canceled. Provincetown Film Society’s new CEO, Rachael C. Brister, said over the weekend that one of the toughest decisions she has ever made was to let go the Waters Edge Cinema staff after the theater was closed. A GoFundMe page has been set up for their benefit but can be linked online only by going to the Provincetown Film Society & Festival Facebook page, scrolling down to a March 20 post entitled “Waters Edge Cinema Furloughed Employees Fund,” and clicking on it.
More cancellations: The Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary has closed its trails and the sanctuary to all visitors until further notice. … The Provincetown Community Compact’s V.F.W. art installation project, sparked by Jay Critchley, has been canceled. Critchley urged artists to “Create!” and reminded eager participants that “there will be other opportunities, so stay tuned.” … David Drake, the Provincetown Theater’s artistic director, told the Independent that the Mosquito Story Slam for April 11 has been canceled, and the theater’s first production, The Drag, by Mae West, scheduled to begin May 14, will be postponed. Drake is hoping to put on some virtual stage readings while we’re all sheltering in place. No details at press time.
A couple of high-quality shorts have been posted free by the New York International Children’s Film Festival. A brief one, called “The Perfect Houseguest,” is especially apt for these socially isolated days. It can be accessed on Vimeo at bit.ly/3b8u9WO, with the last letter a capital “O,” not a zero.
And finally, two up notes from the local art scene: Bakker Auctions is still accepting consignments for its scheduled May 30 auction, which will be online. Go to bakkerprojects.com. And Schoolhouse Gallery in Provincetown has the best virtual tour we could find. It’s of the show “Pentimento: Bring Back to Mind” at galleryschoolhouse.com.
our picks for the week of March 12 through March 18
Indie’s Choice
Outer Cape Calendar
Thursday, March 12, 6 p.m.
Fiction fellow Nora Corrigan and poetry fellow Francisco Márquez will read from their work at Fine Arts Work Center, 24 Pearl St. in Provincetown. Free.
Thursday, March 12, 6-7 p.m.
“Experience Ireland” is a presentation by Irish historian, musician, and dancer Sean Murphy at Eastham Public Library, 190 Samoset Road. Free.
Thursday, March 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
W.H.I.M Craft Night debuts at Wellfleet Preservation Hall, 335 Main St. Come for a night of crafting. Registration $12 at wellfleetpreservationhall.org or 508-349-1800; materials fee $8.
Friday, March 13, 9-11 a.m.
Participants in the Foods to Encourage program will receive an extra bag of fruits and vegetables, free recipes, samples, and ideas for healthy eating, every two weeks at Provincetown Council on Aging, 2 Mayflower St. Free.
Friday, March 13, 2 p.m.
Get Tech Help With Mia, hands-on assistance with computers, library resources, apps, phones, and more. Wellfleet Public Library, 55 W. Main St. Free.
Friday, March 13, 7-8:30 p.m.
Follow the dazzling Flight of the Woodcock at Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, 261 Route 6. Pre-registration required: $12 at massaudubon.org/wellfleetbay or 508-349-2615.
Sunday, March 15, 4-7 p.m.
Enjoy a Green Tea Dance with the sounds of DJ Lizzy Pitch at Pilgrim House, 336 Commercial St., Provincetown. No cover.
Sunday, March 15, 4 p.m.
Test your recall for the less-than-essential at Sunday Trivia at Truro Vineyards, 11 Shore Road. Winning teams earn a gift card. No cover.
Monday, March 16, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Take a seminar on “The Charm of Alertness: Focusing on the Image and Concrete Detail in Your Writing,” with Fine Arts Work Center fellow Kevin Fitchett, Mondays through March 30 at the Provincetown Council on Aging, 2 Mayflower St. Free.
Tuesday, March 17, 1:30 p.m.
Rick Cochran will give a reading from his newest murder mystery, Bound Brook Pond, set in Wellfleet in 1952, at Wellfleet Council on Aging, 715 Old King’s Highway. Free.
Tuesday, March 17, 6-7 p.m.
The library book group will discuss O Pioneers! by Willa Cather at Eastham Public Library, 190 Samoset Road. Free.
Wednesday, March 18, 10 a.m. (refreshments at 9:30)
Lorraine Ballato will give a talk on “Shrubs, the New Perennial,” as part of the Wellfleet Gardeners Meeting at Wellfleet Public Library, 55 West Main St. Free.
Wednesday, March 18, 3-4:15 p,m.
“Unlearn the Self,” a talk by C. Sumner Phillips, on reflecting on our passions and moving forward with less weight, is at Provincetown Council on Aging, 2 Mayflower St. Free.
Wednesday, March 18, 4 p.m.
“Are You Ready for Medicare?” is a talk given by Deb Ford of New York Life at Wellfleet Council on Aging, 715 Old King’s Highway. Free.
Wednesday, March 18, 4-5 p.m.
The HOW Book Club, presented by Helping Our Women in honor of Women’s History Month, will discuss Fun Home,by Alison Bechdel, at Provincetown Public Library, 356 Commercial St. Free, with copies available at the circulation desk.
Wednesday, March 18, 6-8 p.m.
Winter Wednesdays features the drop-in classes Storytelling Through Media: Lighting Basics; Graphic Design: Basic & Beyond; The Art of Calligraphy: Final Project, Part I; Ayurveda: Eating & Nutrition — Herbs & Home Remedies; Bookbinding & Zine-making: Making an Addition, Round 2; The Art of Dying — Celebration of Life; Talk (Wood)Shop; Future-proofing Cape Cod: Visions of a Sustainable Future; and Improv 101: Game; at the Provincetown Schools, 12 Winslow St. Free, with free parking, cab service, and childcare. Go to winterwednesdays.org.
Wednesday, March 18, 6:30 p.m.
Katie Ledoux hosts team trivia night at the Squealing Pig, 335 Commercial St., Provincetown. No cover.
our picks for the week of March 5 through March 11
Indie’s Choice
Outer Cape Calendar
Thursday, March 5, 5-6:30 p.m.
An artist’s reception for the exhibit “Richard Perry: Scapes (land, sea, tree, and sky),” will take place at Eastham Public Library, 190 Samoset Road. Free.
Friday, March 6, 2 p.m.
Get Tech Help With Mia, hands-on assistance with computers, library resources, apps, phones, and more at Wellfleet Public Library, 55 W. Main St. Free.
Friday, March 6, 2-4 p.m.
Join a Spirituality Retreat for Artists, with Kathleen Henry, at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House of Provincetown at 236 Commercial St. Free.
Friday, March 6, 5-6:30 p.m. & Saturday, March 7, 5-6:30 p.m.
You’ll need to pre-register to take part in Mass. Audubon’s Owl Prowls (Friday: adults; Saturday: children and families). Learn about local owl species, then head outside to listen for them, at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, 291 Route 6. Friday: $12; Saturday: $10 at massaudubon.org/wellfleetbay or (508) 349-2615.
Saturday, March 7, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
The opening reception of the art exhibit “Carrot Cake: We All Make It Differently,” curated by the students of Art on the Edge, Art Reach 101, and Reaching Forward programs of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, is at 460 Commercial St. Free.
Saturday, March 7, 2-4 p.m.
Sarah Naciri gives a lecture and tea-tasting, “Aromatic Kitchen Medicines: Deepening Our Relationship With Common Culinary Herbs,” at the Truro Public Library at 7 Standish Way. Free.
Saturday, March 7, 2-5 p.m.
Join Center for Coastal Studies biologist Lisa Sette and benthic ecologist Agnes Mittermayr for a Guided Walk through the dunes and marsh of Hatches Harbor. The walk is free, but registration is a must at coastalstudies.org: click “Connect and Learn” and “Event Calendar.”
Saturday, March 7, 2-5 p.m.
The Provincetown Playwright’s Lab meets on the first and third Saturdays of every month. Bring in your scripts (to be read and given feedback) to the lobby of the Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford St. Free.
Sunday, March 8, 3-5 p.m.
There will be an opening reception for “Susan Anthony: Collages,” at Wellfleet Council on Aging, 715 Old King’s Highway. Free.
Sunday, March 8, 4 p.m.
Test your recall for the less-than-essential at Sunday Trivia at Truro Vineyards, 11 Shore Road. Winning teams earn a gift card. No cover.
Sunday, March 8, 5-7 p.m.
Have an activist evening at Do Something Sundays, with Indivisible Outer Cape, at Provincetown Brewing Co., 141 Bradford St. No cover.
Monday, March 9, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Take a seminar on “The Charm of Alertness: Focusing on the Image and Concrete Detail in Your Writing,” with Fine Arts Work Center writing fellow Kevin Fitchett, Mondays through March 30 at the Provincetown Council on Aging, 2 Mayflower St. Free.
Tuesday, March 10, 10 a.m.
“Elder Services 101” is a presentation by Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands on the services that it offers, at Provincetown Council on Aging, 2 Mayflower St. Free.
Wednesday, March 11, 6-8 p.m.
Winter Wednesdays features the drop-in classes Bookbinding & Zine-making: Making an Addition, Round 1; Improv 101: Vulnerability; Future-proofing Cape Cod: Millennium Camera; The Art of Dying — Natural Burials; Storytelling Through Media: Video; Talk (Wood)Shop; Graphic Design: Basic & Beyond; Ayurveda: Eating & Nutrition — Cooking & Community; and The Art of Calligraphy: Creating a Greeting Card; at the Provincetown Schools, 12 Winslow St. Free, with free parking, cab service, and childcare. Go to winterwednesdays.org.
our picks for the week of February 20 through February 26
Indie’s Choice
Outer Cape Calendar
Friday, Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m.
The Seashore Point Book Club, in conjunction with the Provincetown Public Library, will discuss Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know, by Malcolm Gladwell, at 100 Alden St., Provincetown. Free.
Friday, Feb. 21, 2 p.m.
At Tech Help With Mia, get hands-on assistance with everything from apps to ebooks, at Wellfleet Public Library, 55 W. Main St. Free.
Friday, Feb. 21, 5:45 p.m.
The Nauset Fellowship is hosting a Sustainable Potluck Dinner — bring a dish to share —at Chapel in the Pines, 220 Samoset Road, Eastham, where Andy Morris of the Barnstable County Beekeepers will discuss his 30 years as a beekeeper.
Friday, Feb. 21, 6-8 p.m.
Visual arts fellow Johannes Barfield’s exhibit has an opening reception at the Fine Arts Work Center, 24 Pearl St. in Provincetown. Free.
Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. & Sunday, Feb. 23, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
In celebration of Love Your Library Month, catch a find at the Free Book Give-away for children and young adults at Eastham Public Library, 190 Samoset Road.
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2 p.m.
“Spirit Bathing: Song and Spoken Word for Women,” with Lynne Wilkinson, is at Unitarian Universalist Meeting House, 236 Commercial St., Provincetown. $15 at door.
Saturday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m.
Visiting artist Cori Redstone, whose paintings oscillate between forms of protest, narrative, and acts of redemption through rebellion, will give a talk, “Why Make Art When the World Is F#@cked?” at the Fine Arts Work Center, 24 Pearl St., Provincetown. Free.
Sunday, Feb 23, 3 p.m.
“Making a Murder Mystery,” an improvisational event with author Jeannette de Beauvoir, will be at Wellfleet Public Library, 55 West Main St. Free.
Sunday, Feb. 23, 5-7 p.m.
Sunday Night Trivia at Truro Vineyards, 11 Shore Road, Truro. No cover.
Monday, Feb. 24, 9 a.m.
Men and women are welcome at the Fiber Arts Circle, anything goes with needles and hooks, at Wellfleet Public Library, 55 W. Main St. Free.
Monday, Feb. 24, 1 p.m.
End-of-life doula Dawn Walsh leads a Death Café: drink tea, eat cake, and discuss death, at Wellfleet Council on Aging, 715 Old King’s Highway. Free.
Monday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.
Compete trivially and imbibe craft beers at Brew’s Clues: Trivia With Bob, at Provincetown Brewing Co., 141 Bradford St. No cover.
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 10-11:30 a.m.
Nauset Regional High School senior Natalie Sweeney continues painting her Eastham 400 commemorative mural depicting the Wampanoag three sisters companion planting method, at Eastham Public Library, 190 Samoset Road.
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Share coffee and treats with Provincetown’s new superintendent of schools, Suzanne Scallion, who wants to hear your ideas, at Provincetown Council on Aging, 2 Mayflower St. Free.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6 p.m.
The Truro Library Book Club will discuss The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, at the library at 7 Standish Way. Free.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6-8 p.m.
Winter Wednesdays features the drop-in classes Bookbinding & Zine-making; Ayurveda: Discovery of the Inner Healer; Talk (Wood)Shop; The Art of Dying — Remembering Our Dead; Graphic Design: Improv 101; Intro to Illumination; Future-proofing Cape Cod; The Art of Calligraphy; and Basic & Beyond; at the Provincetown Schools, 12 Winslow St. Free, with free parking, cab service, and childcare. Go to winterwednesdays.org.
