PROVINCETOWN — The Fourth of July parade unfolded with the usual pomp and circumstance last Thursday. The town crier and a drum corps led the procession down Commercial Street. Weary-looking kids, perched on flatbed trailers, tossed candy to cheery crowds. The wafting smell of grilled meat mixed with July’s thick, damp air. It was a quintessential Independence Day scene, an ideal backdrop for questions and reflection about this moment in American history.
parade
FOURTH OF JULY
A Sweet Glimpse of Wellfleet’s Parade
QUIET SUMMER
No July 4 Fireworks; Parade Permits Are Rescinded
Business survey finds strong support for precautions
PROVINCETOWN — With a flat tone and zero arguments, the select board on Monday rescinded parade permits and banned the use of town property through Dec. 31, in effect canceling the Fourth of July fireworks and parade and the Carnival parade.
All that the town’s elected leaders debated Monday night was whether to cancel events only through Aug. 31, which was the initial suggestion by town staff, or to extend the ban through the end of the year.
The end of the year made sense, they decided, because various organizations can re-apply to hold events with new rules when more is known about Gov. Charlie Baker’s four-phase re-opening plans. The select board briefly mentioned the Provincetown 400 events, which have been scheduled for the fall, as fitting into the category of wait-and-see.
As for the summer, however, Provincetown’s most celebrated events won’t happen, will be greatly constrained, or will be relegated to the virtual.
The Provincetown Portuguese Festival, scheduled for late June, will exist this year only as the Blessing of the Fleet. That is, the boats will still be blessed on MacMillan Pier, as usual; but it will be a much quieter day, similar to the first blessing in 1948, according to an announcement from the festival organizers. The exact timing is still to be determined. The organizers will, however, decorate the streets with Portuguese flags and paint the pavement with Portuguese roosters. A booklet and a T-shirt featuring a painting by Truro artist Thomas A.D. Watson will be for sale online.
Businesses and visitors were already mourning the cancellation of Bear Week, Pride Week, Family Week, and the Provincetown International Film Festival, all major draws of the annual summer tourist season.
Radu Luca, executive director of the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce, was as quiet as the select board when he described the state of Provincetown’s business community.
He referred to a survey of local businesses by the Provincetown Recovery Coalition, which found that 62 percent say they will need additional disaster relief funding to survive.
Luca said the Monkey Bar and one other restaurant, which he would not name, have already decided not to open at all this year.
Reservations in guest houses and hotels are currently down by 20 to 60 percent from last year, Luca said.
Bob Sanborn, executive director of the Provincetown Business Guild, said once Gov. Baker announces new rules on May 18, the recovery coalition will try to make decisions in the following two weeks on how Provincetown can adapt.
The business community survey found broad support (90 percent) for continued social distancing, enhanced sanitation, and contactless payments. Close to 80 percent of the respondents said they plan to open this summer, with 20 percent not sure. About 72 percent said they would remain open later in the year to compensate for lost business.
Business owners were slightly more divided (67 percent in favor) about turning a section of Commercial Street into a pedestrian mall for a portion of the day.
And a majority of businesses would like relaxed restrictions in public spaces to allow outside display for retail, pop-up tents and gallery stroll nights, public picnic areas on town property, and expanded restaurant service to adjacent outside areas including the sidewalks and beach areas, according to Leslie Sandberg, the spokesperson for the recovery coalition.
“Basically our objective is to manage the people who come to Provincetown in a safe way,” Sanborn said.
currents
This Week in Wellfleet
Meetings Ahead
All meetings are held online. Go to Wellfleet’s town website and click on the individual meetings for instructions.
Thursday, April 30
- Town Administrator Screening Committee, 2 p.m.
- Cape Cod Commission, Herring River Restoration Project Phase 1, 4:30 p.m. (for public access: org/ccc and click on “Join Virtual Hearing”; or call in to 929-205-6099 and enter meeting ID: 426 522 224.)
Friday, May 1
- Wellfleet Covid-19 Needs Response Task Force community call, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, May 5
- Select Board with Emergency Management Team: Covid-19 updates, 10 a.m.
Wednesday, May 6
- Conservation Commission, 4 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Coronavirus Update
As of April 27, Wellfleet has one active case of Covid-19, four cleared cases, and one death as a result of the coronavirus.
Cape Cod Commission Meeting
The Cape Cod Commission will hold a hearing on Thursday, April 30, to discuss the first phase of the Herring River Restoration Project. This phase includes plans to re-introduce tidal flow to about 570 acres of coastal wetlands in Wellfleet. “The current dam is deteriorating and will eventually fail and cause the water to flow in an unplanned manner and cause much damage,” said Herring River Stakeholders Group member Moe Barocas in an email. “Doing nothing is not an option.”
Town Meeting and Election Postponed
Wellfleet’s annual town meeting will be postponed until Oct. 5. The select board agreed not to hold the meeting online or take votes by mail but, instead, to hope that large gatherings will be permitted by the fall. The annual town election will be postponed until June 15; citizens will be able to vote by mail.
Fourth of July Parade Canceled
Wellfleet’s Fourth of July parade has been canceled by the select board. The motion passed unanimously at the April 28 meeting.
Tax Deadline Delays
The select board voted unanimously to move the deadline for applications for Wellfleet’s residential tax exemption to May 1, and the deadline for property tax payments to June 1.
Social Distancing at the Beach
You may not have to worry about overcrowded beaches this summer. Wellfleet staff are considering keeping public beaches at 25 to 40 percent capacity, though there have been no decisions yet on how to enforce such a limit, or how long it would be enforced, said Suzanne Grout Thomas, director of community services, Tuesday during a conference call.
“At this point there are no final decisions on anything; we are looking for guidance from the Commonwealth,” she later told the Independent.
Avoid Covid-19 Scams
Wellfleet Police Chief Mike Hurley asks residents to be extra vigilant for Covid-19-related scams. Do not respond to suspicious texts or emails that appear to come from the government, ignore online offers for vaccinations or test kits, and hang up on virus-related robocalls, Hurley said. If you come across what you think might be a scam, file a police report.
Amnesty Postponed
The Wellfleet transfer station’s annual Amnesty Day, when residents can dispose of mattresses and other household goods for free, is postponed until the fall. An official date will be announced later, said Town Administrator Dan Hoort.
Wifi Hotspots Coming Soon
Wellfleet Library Director Jennifer Wertkin is in the process of purchasing Verizon wi-fi hotspots to give to residents with poor internet connection. She will announce when they are available. —Devin Sean Martin
Provincetown
Enchanted Forest 2019
"Everybody needed some joy"
Photos by Marcia Geier taken at this year’s Carnival parade, with words collected online and in conversations afterwards by Susannah Elisabeth Fulcher.
PROVINCETOWN — “Joy in the street!” The words of longtime Provincetown visitor and now year-round renter Barbara Dyett perfectly captured the mood of this year’s Enchanted Forest Carnival Parade. The costumes were magical and the sense of freedom to become another fantastical creature for a day was palpable throughout town. “Everybody needed some joy,” Dyett added.
Lea DeLaria was the Grand Marshall this year, shepherding along a parade of magical creatures, exuberantly living out this year’s Enchanted Forest theme.
“It was amazing,” agreed Eddy Lupien Jr., who manages the Carpe Diem Guesthouse and is a fixture on the Provincetown Business Guild’s first float as Drag Queen Drunkerella. “The energy was great even though the weather was hot!”
Even Provincetown resident Lee Reis, who was not always a lover of the event, was convinced this year: “During the second half of summer patience starts to wear thin, traffic is awful, there’s a crowd everywhere. I’ve learned to embrace the love and fun and shared amazement of our fabulous little town.”
Elves like this one contributed to the mood for people like Reis, who added that the parade offered a great excuse to be a tourist for a day.
There were moments of irony. And of fine art.
People flocked into town from throughout the Cape and beyond, lining Commercial Street from early in the morning to watch the many floats and costumed participants parade by. One after another, they charmed onlookers. Sometimes with the happy simplicity of bubbles and tutus and fairy wings and flowers. Other times with deep woods special effects.
“To celebrate diversity and embrace acceptance was clearly the theme, as evidenced by the smiles and laughter throughout the afternoon,” said Eastham resident Jan Dowsett Potter. She was not alone in offering “kudos to the police and DPW for keeping us all safe and for the cleanup afterward. “That not a single negative incident occurred speaks volumes about this wonderful Cape Cod community.”
Photographer Marcia Geier lives in Wellfleet but makes her photographs in many places, including cities and zoos. Susannah Elisabeth Fulcher lives with her family in Wellfleet, where she is working on a novel and a memoir about her experience with cancer treatment. Both contribute regularly to the Independent.
