PROVINCETOWN — A fledgling nonprofit put on a one-day celebration back in 1978 and called it Carnival. The idea was to drum up gay and lesbian tourism during August’s sleepy […]
Top Stories
UNSUNG HEROES
The Barbacks of Provincetown
Cleaning the dance floors, fetching the ice, and stocking the bars behind the August vibe
PROVINCETOWN — There are no “off weeks” in August. Parking lots are full. Beaches swell with visitors chasing a waning summer sun. Squads of tourists putter down Commercial Street, in […]
BEE KILLERS
Uptick in Spraying Is Harming Local Pollinators
Insecticide rules are lax, and mosquito treatments don’t work anyway, scientists say
WELLFLEET — For years, ecologist and beekeeper John Portnoy has sold up to three varieties of honey at the Wellfleet Farmers Market — each made from the nectar of seasonal […]
ENTANGLEMENT
Monofilament’s Grip Threatens Humpback Calf
CCS and IFAW are ‘regrouping’ after sedation efforts fail
PROVINCETOWN — Cape Codders have become acutely aware that whales in the Gulf of Maine face perilous struggles with ocean debris, especially discarded rope that obstructs their paths and entangles […]
JILL BIDEN VISITS
Provincetown’s Political Donor Class Gears Up for 2024
National candidates flock to the Outer Cape to tap its LGBTQ network
PROVINCETOWN — An air of excitement hovered over the West End last Friday afternoon. Herring Cove beachgoers cycled past black SUVs and suited men with earpieces and sunglasses. Further down […]
WILDLIFE
Herpetologist Meets Bears on the Old Colony Nature Trail
Fowler’s toads, garter snakes, and fireflies on a Bear Week expedition
PROVINCETOWN — A cloud of bug spray filled the air as 11 men and two women (including this reporter) followed Scott Smyers down the Old Colony Trail on the evening […]
PICKUP GAME
Friday Evening in the East End
Happenstance and the love of a game unite locals and visitors on the court
A three-on-three full-court pickup game is underway at the East End basketball court on a balmy Friday night in July. The air is dense, salty. The players sweaty, smiling, but […]
WE LOVE A PARADE
The Outer Cape Celebrates the Fourth With 3 Parades
Pedalers, drummers, protesters, jugglers, drag queens, flag wavers, and pirates celebrated their freedoms at three different Outer Cape parades this week. In Eastham, Sheila and Ralph Holcomb, in collaboration with […]
PROVINCETOWN POLICING
A False Report of a Gun Sparks Calls for Change
Five teens of color were frisked by police at the East End basketball court
PROVINCETOWN — Chief Jim Golden and Sgt. Jennifer Nolette on Monday morning defended a controversial police encounter with local young men of color, just over a week after a false […]
SHACK ATTACK
Amid Protests, Dune Shacks Eyed by Bidders
Carlstrom defends leasing rules; a second eviction notice is served
PROVINCETOWN — At least 45 people were given tours last week by National Park Service officials who are running the current bidding contest for eight of the 18 dune shacks […]
CAPS OFF
Celebrating the Outer Cape’s Class of 2023
Graduates look to the future
The Independent invited the members of the Class of 2023 at Nauset Regional High School and Cape Cod Regional Technical High School from the four Outer Cape towns to tell […]
HOME MAKING
Raising a Wetu in Truro
An indigenous dwelling proves weather-hardy on opening day at the Highland House Museum
TRURO — The wind blew ferociously on June 3, providing a fitting backdrop for the celebration held at the Highland House Museum that day. Annawon Weeden had just put the […]
THE DREDGE REPORT
Select Board Votes to Support Mitigation Plan
Final approval awaits clarification of possible penalties from the Army Corps of Engineers
WELLFLEET — The select board unanimously agreed on May 30 to support a mitigation plan required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that will enable the town to receive […]
RETROSPECTIVE
Truro’s Beach Back Then, Unveiled
Brush Hollow beachgoers remember the days of ‘raucous nudity’
TRURO — Fifty years ago, on a stretch of shore known as Brush Hollow, nestled between the ocean and a high dune just south of Ballston Beach, multigenerational throngs gathered […]
OCEAN VIEW DRIVE
Wellfleet Has Its Own Beach Banksy
WELLFLEET — England may have Banksy, but Wellfleet has its own mystery graffiti artist whose works have been popping up at the town’s beaches, painted on the plywood boards where […]
