Spring is such a busy time. Everywhere I go, I am reminded that much of our local nature is on the move. Some are leaving, some are arriving, and some are just moving about cleaning up, clearing out and settling in.  Most notable are the migrating birds and fish, but we, being part of nature, are also on the move. Snowbirds have been returning in droves, filling our roads and shops once again. The quiet days o...

Bestselling author Anne D. LeClaire’s new novel “The Orchid Sister” (Lake Union Publishing, 2019) explores, in part, how things go wrong when people defy nature and seek the fountain of youth. “What kind of a culture have we become that we pursue anti-aging in such a fear-filled way?” LeClaire asked during a recent interview in her South Chatham home. Yet “the desire for eternal youth is eternal.” The germ ...

Some musicals endure the test of time better than others, and Eventide Theatre Company’s “She Loves Me” is one of them. This delightfully charming romantic comedy is sure to warm the heart and leave you singing all the way home. Although lesser known than some classic musicals, “She Loves Me” is a 1963 adaptation of the 1937 play “Parfumerie,” which also inspired the popular 1998 film “You’ve Got Mail.” Bot...

Nearly 100 people participated in the Mystery Painting Puzzle painting party sponsored by the Guild of Harwich Artists at the cultural center on Saturday as part of ArtWeek 2019. People were provided one of 96 small panels which contained an image for them to paint. Put together, the panels would create a Harwich image. The four-foot by six-foot puzzle turned out to a painting of the Red River Marsh in Sout...

How is it possible that an intelligent, educated, worldly woman can be brainwashed and inducted into a cult in the 21 st century? Author Renee Linnell, 45, tells her frightening story in “The Burn Zone: A Memoir” (She Writes Press, 2018). “When we’re young we hide what makes us different, to fit in,” Linnell said during a telephone interview last week. Linnell, who lives in Colorado, is on a book tour that...

When Jenny Pagliaro took the stage with her band Roses and Cigarettes at the 2018 Cape Cod Women's Music Festival, what began as a set evolved into a powerful experience for all in attendance, moved not only by the music but also by the woman at the mic who was, at the time, living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Sadly, Pagliaro, a longtime Chatham summer person, passed away in March, but organizers hope ...

Just in time for the fifth Independent Bookstore Day on April 27, three bookstores in Chatham, one in Harwich Port and two in Orleans have joined the new Cape and Islands Bookstore Trail, a brainchild of Caitlin Doggart-Bernal who, along with her mother Joanne Doggart, owns Where the Sidewalk Ends Bookstore and Children’s Annex in Chatham. “It should be a lot of fun for readers who love to seek out indie books...

The Cape’s rich heritage of public libraries and independent bookstores has not escaped the notice of one bestselling author who frequently visits friends on the Cape and will soon give a talk here. “I’m particularly struck by how many thoughtful readers of books seem to live in the towns of Cape Cod,” Andrew Dubus III said in an email interview last week. “I’m also struck by its volume of public libraries and...

First impressions of Rob Sennott, the retired publisher of The Barnstable Patriot who died last week at 74, were lasting. He looked as tall and solid as a New York skyscraper, and his deep voice echoed the rumble of the city's subway. When wife Toni and he arrived to take charge of one of New England's oldest weeklies, it was as if the Chrysler Building had settled its Art Deco eminence in a much flatter lands...

Everyone probably has a list of people they wish they could thank over and over again; people who made a difference in their lives, helped them through troubled times and eased their way. I am fortunate that my list is long, filled with mentors and advisors, family and friends that helped me find the right paths to walk when all seemed dark and foggy. As a young child missing my dad after my parents split up, ...

How does an author write nearly 90 books? That’s an average of almost two each year, if you consider that Martin W. Sandler of Cotuit did not publish his first book until he was in his 30s. The answer is that, in addition to having loads of talent, Sandler writes for nine hours a day, seven days a week, in his office, which is on the second floor of his home. During an interview in his sunny living room las...

Chatham Elementary School Each month, students and staff at Chatham Elementary School come together to celebrate their collective successes, efforts, and community spirit, as part of the school’s PBIS program (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports). These celebrations are called Proud To Be A Shark events, and the activities range from student performances to special guests. To honor National Poetr...