The authors of two new mysteries with backgrounds set in Cape Cod’s fascinating history will present their books this week. Paul Kemprecos will speak on “Killing Icarus” (Suspense Publishing, 2021) and Barbara Eppich Struna will sign copies of “The Old Cape Blood Ruby.” Kemprecos has written his first mystery with a female protagonist — Abi Vickers, an art historian and gallery owner who moves into a borrow...

Like many others, I often seek solace in familiar places where I’ve enjoyed solitude and refreshment of my spirit, if not enlightenment. Recently I was checking out possible locations for my outdoor painting class in Brewster. It was quite early and the sun, which would bring miserable heat later in the day, was still low behind the trees. Landscaping crews were out in force, and I wasn’t able to access the ar...

The summertime is filled with song as the third season of CranFest in the Courtyard continues. A concert will be performed in the Harwich Cultural Center courtyard every Thursday evening through Aug. 26, with award-winning singer-songwriter Diana Jones taking the stage on July 15. Jones has performed at events such as Cambridge Folk Festival, Galway Arts Festival and has received awards from Kerrville Folk Fes...

CHATHAM – Ever wondered what it's like to be behind the scenes at the PBS long running hit program Antiques Roadshow? Ken Gloss, owner of Boston's renowned Brattle Book Shop, one of America's oldest and largest antiquarian bookstores, regaled 45 attendees with stories of rare book appraisals, sales and the Roadshow at a lively virtual program on rare books sponsored recently by the Eldredge Public Library. ...

The long pandemic silence has finally broken, and members of two local a capella groups are so excited about it they're raising their voices in song. Hy annis Sound, an all-male professional a cappella group comprised of 10 college-aged men from around the country, and Cape Harmony, an all-female a cappella group of 10 talented young women from across the nation, have both announced their return to a week...

Steve Cass’ trust in Sony dates back to his high school days, when he was involved with his school’s television program. When it came time for Monomoy Regional High School’s TV and digital media department to upgrade its equipment, Cass, who serves as a digital media/TV production teacher and oversees MRHS-TV, knew what brand to rely on. “I was lucky enough to have a TV program similar to what the students hav...

T he Artist Cottages at Orleans Market Square are now open and ready for visitors at 15 Old Colony Way, and soon there will be music to enjoy along with the visuals. With a wide variety of art to enjoy, artists to meet and a lovely space in which to relax and have a snack from Little Beach Baker, The Food Truck or a treat from the Hot Chocolate Sparrow, the cottages are a perfect family-friendly destina...

With a nod to the old 1966 movie and theme song that were ubiquitous in a time long ago and far away, this phrase has popped into my head more than a few times this past week. Nature is tough, man. It sure has its good, but there’s plenty of what we may think of as bad and ugly, too, like the dead baby bunny left on my sidewalk yesterday by one of the neighborhood feral cats. Wild animals, birds, and plants...

The Crafty Chics celebrated their 15th anniversary during a luncheon on Harding’s Beach last week. About 25 of the roughly 75 members basked in the sun on a windy 68-degree morning to make plaster-of-Paris sandcastles, share their latest projects, swap craft supplies, enjoy a catered lunch and just, well, be together in person after over a year of meeting mainly via Zoom during the pandemic. “I have to dres...

Just in time for the opening of the Cape Cod Baseball League on June 20, Orleans summer resident Kristin Waring has published her first novel, “On the Mound.” “I am and always have been a Red Sox fan,” Waring recalled in an email interview from her home in Houston last week. “I would always ask to attend a game at Fenway for my birthday in late June with my father, who taught me so much about baseball and foot...

As the summer season begins to bloom, the Academy of Performing Arts in Orleans has some summer shows and classes scheduled that have been over a year in the making. In spring 2020, Academy Board of Trustees President Judy Hamer explained, the plan was to stage an in-person performance of “The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet.” COVID-19 soon put those plans into storage. “A year later, we're bringing it a...

HARWICH — For football players, it's the Super Bowl. For dog lovers, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has been the ultimate stage to showcase all breeds of dogs. This weekend, Harwich resident Karen Smith will be fulfilling a lifelong dream as she leads her 2-year-old red Australian cattle dog Bizzie Bea into the ring for a chance to be named 2021 Best of Breed or Best in Show at the prestigious show. S...