Parents and children alike can struggle with conforming to society’s demands while still maintaining their individuality. In his latest musical “Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience,” popular children’s book author Mo Willems explores this idea of fitting in while still being true to oneself. The entertainingly silly story is set underground in Grandpah’s tunnel, where every naked mole rat is proud...

CHATHAM — If you were in Chatham in the summertime in the ‘90s, you might remember the antics of Otis Russell and Tim Wood in the annual Art of Charity pro-am charity art auction. Backed by a team of volunteers, they raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for children’s charities, producing an evening filled with surprises, fine art, community spirit and frequently off-color humor. “We used to be funny,” Ru...

Band Concerts, Weekly Music Festivals Begin Once again this summer, music lovers can take in a different show just about every night of the week, many of them free. While national acts are on display at venues such as the Melody Tent and the Payomet Performing Arts Center, many of the local shows provide an opportunity to hear Cape musicians that play in a variety of genres and styles. Along with the tradit...

While on average four people each year are killed by sharks, over 100,000 sharks are killed by humans. In fact, 32 percent of open ocean sharks, including the scalloped hammerhead and the whale shark, have been hunted in such high numbers that they are now in danger of going extinct. These are some of the facts behind ocean conservationist William McKeever’s new book “Emperors of the Deep: Sharks—the Ocean’...

Steve Smith began playing drums at a young age while growing up in Whitman. He spent many summers practicing in the basement of his family's vacation home. While his main interest was jazz, he incorporated rock techniques and eventually became the drummer for the band Journey. Along with playing with Journey and such noted musicians as Jean-Luc Ponty, Smith has pursued a number of side projects, one of which h...

CHATHAM - As a part of its two-year “Celebration of the Arts” program, St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Chatham will sponsor a benefit concert called “For the Love of Music: Emotions Galore!” followed by a garden reception on June 30. “I refer to it as an emotional roller coaster ride,” says Barbara Reed, a lyric coloratura singer with undergraduate and graduate degrees in music who will direct the concer...

CHATHAM — For Monomoy Regional Middle School science teacher Nancy Gifford, learning isn’t just something she inspires. It’s a way of life. “I apply for every program for science teachers that sounds interesting and fun, and jump in with both feet. I am hoping my students will learn from this and not be afraid to take risks and try new things,” she said. “I attend interesting programs every summer. Last summ...

Elementary School Students Bolster Lessons With Real-world Experience Nancy Goward stood in a room dwarfed by clear tanks filled with water of varying earth-tone colors at the A.R.C. Hatchery in Dennis. “This whole entire room is just food,” said Goward, an algae supervisor at the shellfish facility. About half a dozen children, clipboards pressed against their chests, watched as she lifted a heavy tire ...

CHATHAM – Alana Lojko wasn't sure about the snacks on the plate in front of her, an assortment that seemed to be something out of a horror film: Mexican-spiced mealworms, taco seasoned crickets, and sour cream and onion crickets. But rather than a freaky moment in a B-movie, the bugs were actual edibles, and could soon become a food staple, one with myriad benefits, according to scientists. Bringing the edible...

David Mamet’s 2009 play “Race” doesn’t waste time sidestepping difficult topics—almost immediately posing the question, “What would you say to a black man about the subject of race?” Even though the legal drama is 10 years old, its subject matter is highly relevant today. The fast-paced, 90-minute story focuses on Charles Strickland (Bill Mootos), a wealthy, middle-aged white man who has been accused ...

Creative Arts Center Celebrates 50 th Anniversary The unassuming building at 154 Crowell Rd. in Chatham hides what is perhaps the most vibrant, active arts center on the Lower Cape. If it weren't for the brightly colored sign out front—recently given a new, brilliant color scheme—The Creative Arts Center could easily be mistaken for a real estate or doctor's office. Which, over the past half century, have ...

Even before it became a protected sanctuary for migratory birds, Monomoy Island was known among avian enthusiasts. For decades duck hunters had come to Monomoy from far and wide, and by the 1930s it was recognized as one of the most important shorebird habitats on the east coast. “They saw Monomoy as a place where hundreds, thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl congregated,” said Matt Hillman, current manager ...