When Cape League baseball does indeed return this summer, it won’t just be the players and coaches who are excited. The league is an important part of the culture of the Cape, and it was one of many things sacrificed to the pandemic. Resuming games on Cape Cod is a careful balancing act, as the population skews older and therefore more vulnerable to serious complications from the virus. For me, it’s personal, as my parents and 97 year-old grandfather live on the Cape. The return of the Cape League, as our country tries to come back from the devastation of COVID-19, represents what is best about Cape Cod, and maybe also what’s best about baseball. The simplicity of the league and the stripped-down passion for the game is truer to the heart of the sport than any other league I know of, even the major leagues.

Of course, on talent alone there’s no comparison. Major league teams are miles better than the scrappy Cape Cod league outfits. Only the best from the Cape League make it to the professional level, and even fewer make it to the majors. That said, many current MLB players, including Aaron Judge, Josh Donaldson, and Buster Posey, spent a summer riding old school buses to games played at high school fields from Bourne to Orleans, and mentored young kids at the camps run by the teams. It’s here where you can watch future stars of the league, people who will win home run derbies, MVP awards, and World Series, before they become celebrities. 

Back in high school I lived with my grandparents and interned for a couple of these teams. I ran a radar-gun stand where fans got to see how fast they could pitch, and worked at the camps alongside players. It was there that I sold 50-50 raffle tickets, watched middle-aged men pay dollar after dollar to see if they could still throw 60-miles-per-hour, and sat on a bucket next to Buster Posey, who had been drafted by the Angels in the 50th round, listening as he thought aloud about whether to sign or go back to school. Back then he was a shortstop, and neither of us knew that two years later he’d be drafted by the San Francisco Giants fifth overall as a catcher and receive what was at the time the biggest bonus in MLB draft history. I got to work alongside players I now watch on TV, and developed the type of nostalgia for the Cape League that is at the core of why baseball is America’s pastime.

This is not to say that there’s anything particularly wrong with Major League Baseball. I grew up near Boston, a Sox fan with parents who got married during the 1986 World Series, one rooting for the Sox and one cheering for the Mets. I remember the 2003 ALCS, when in Game Seven, Manager Grady Little left starting pitcher Pedro Martinez, our ace, out there on the mound too long, and the Yankees broke our hearts once again. I remember the joke people told in school for weeks: “Why can’t Grady Little mow his lawn? Because he can’t pull a starter.” Then, the next year, down three games to none to the Yankees in the ALCS, the Sox stormed back, and swept the Cardinals in the World Series to break an 86-year-curse, the best sports season I’ll ever experience. 

When I was a kid staying with my grandfather in the summer, I used to walk to the end of his driveway and collect The Boston Globe, excited to see who won last night’s game, only to find, most mornings, that the results were incomplete, since The Globe’s print deadline often occurred around the seventh inning. In college I would watch the playoffs in the dorm common room with my buddy, tell him what pitch was coming and where it would go. Backdoor slider, high fastball, cutter inside, fastball away. Major League Baseball is intricate, and exciting, and fun. 

It’s also expensive. Fernando Tatis Jr., shortstop for the San Diego Padres, recently signed a 340 million dollar contract extension. It was a reminder that Major League Baseball has become, by necessity, a flashy, high octane product as it has carved out a space among more action-packed sports like football and basketball. It wasn’t always like this. My dad tells a story about how, when he was a kid, the New York Mets became a team, and they were terrible. Laughably bad, they needed to do something to drum up fan support. They started sending players to little league banquets. During one of those attempts to expand their base, Ed Kranepool and Al Jackson ended up taking the train to Westport, Connecticut, and ate dinner in my dad’s house alongside his entire little league team. Players worked winter jobs, and there used to be more guys with a funky delivery and an eighty-three mile per hour fastball. Today MLB pitchers average over six-feet-two-inches-tall and throw 93-mile-per-hour fastballs. It used to be a little easier to imagine yourself out there at second base, choking up on the bat and slapping a single to the opposite field. Now the players seem larger than life, driving their Bentleys and Ferraris, signing contracts for hundreds of millions of dollars, showing up in commercials for Subway and dating popstars. If you want to go to a game at Fenway Park in Boston you’re lucky to pay $30 to sit way out in the bleachers, and that’s after paying $40 for parking and $13 for a hot dog and a beer.

In that way, the Cape League is a throwback. Admission is free, and when I worked there the suggested donation was two dollars. The league attracts all kinds of fans. In Hyannis, where I spent two of my three seasons with the Harbor Hawks (they were the Mets at the time), we’d get local folks who’d been attending games for 40 years. They’d sit on high school bleachers next to tourists who showed up as a family to see what it was all about, and kids who would smuggle alcohol up to the top row to sip with their friends. The farthest seat in the bleachers couldn’t have been more than 30 feet from third base. After the seventh inning, or whenever the PA guy (who announced like he had big league dreams of his own) got hungry, he’d announce dollar hot dogs for the rest of the game. 

The Cape Cod League reminds you that baseball, at its core, is a bunch of people getting together. When I worked for Hyannis, a grade school teacher named Laurie Pfeifer was in charge of the interns. She and her husband Brad were always around, the kind of amiable people who remind you of the character of Cape Cod, that underneath the vacationland veneer is a fishing town full of folks who will drag the infield by hand, put sponsor signs up on the outfield fence, attach a hand-pump to a hose after a big rain and get enough of the water out of right field so that the ball doesn’t float when it lands. Next to the baseball diamond was another large field and sometimes during the games there would be pickup soccer happening simultaneously, families picnicking in the grass and kids laughing as they watched their not-as-fast-as-they-used-to-be dads run up and down the field.

This is where I spent my high school summers, living with my grandfather and riding a bike with no brakes, using my heels to slow down until I’d worn straight through my shoes. One summer, I worked at a country club in the morning, shoveled seaweed off the beach with a pitchfork, ran the flag up the pole and then stepped out onto the roof itself, sat there to watch the sunrise over the water in Osterville. I’d wait until I heard the sound of my boss’ Jeep, hustle down and be sweeping the floor by the time he got inside. I used to wander onto the fancy golf course between jobs, nap under a tree at the edge of the green, wake up to the wealthy members in their fancy golf attire staring down at me. 

Of course, nostalgia is a funny thing. It can make you forget about the hard parts, like watching my grandma’s Alzheimer’s progress until she didn’t know who I was, who my grandfather was, until the only thing she remembered were songs from 50 years ago that she would hum while she sat in her green chair in the living room. Or how I got so tired working the two jobs that I fell asleep behind the wheel, only to be startled awake by the rumble strips. It’s easier to remember the funny stories, like the next day at work when I poured scalding coffee into a little plastic cup that melted in my hands, a lesson that was etched in my psyche as I accepted the styrofoam one handed to me by my incredulous coworker. 

At its best maybe nostalgia doesn’t have to be simply an escape from the real world, doesn’t have to be denial. 2020 was a terrible year. It started with unprecedented fires in Australia, and ended with almost two million people dead from COVID-19. In between, we had unrest sparked by the ugly truth of systemic racism, more terrible fires, (this time here in the US), and an election that has strained our ability as a nation to share common facts, to live in the same reality. Even the baseball season was a shell of its normal self. Sixty games in the Major Leagues, the Cape League completely canceled.

IT’S OUTTA HERE!

I’ve photographed guys on the Chatham and Orleans teams before. On this night I went to Chatham first for photos. By the time I got to Orleans to catch Steve Selsky, from Long Beach State if I remember correctly—he was a center-fielder with a great arm and powerful hit—I had to park in a small lot over the left field fence. I was given a head’s up about balls, but I didn’t care because I was hurrying to get a picture of Steve at bat. I ended up behind the backstop with a pro scout for Atlanta. No surprise that Steve hit a homerun, as I watched the ball fly over the left field fence, I said to the scout, “My car is one of about twenty parked there.” I continued to take photos walking counter clockwise down the right field line, and then headed home past center field to the left parking lot. People who were watching the game were waiting to see WHOSE CAR! The next night I delivered a card for Steve to the locker room with the photo of his homerun swing and included a photo of my Tahoe window with a note, “Its already been replaced.” Steve later made it to the Red Sox, but after a season or so was released. ~ Norm Kenneally Contributing Photographer

It’s true that my first summer on Cape Cod, when I went to the park, my grandma was back at home with my grandpa, dying a slow death from Alzheimer’s, and there was nothing we could do about it. I spent hundreds of hours at the field, running the radar gun stand and handing out tickets. When a little kid would come up with their mom, head into the batting cage, throw five tosses so slowly against the pad hanging from the net that the gun wouldn’t register it, I would smile with encouragement as I made up a speed: 10 miles per hour, 12, 13, always ending on the fastest one. During the later innings I would stand down the first base line, hear the crack of the wooden bat, a far better sound than metal, watch a ball fly out to right field and disappear into the trees. Inevitably a group of little kids would go sprinting out there and come back 10 minutes later, one of them holding the slightly lopsided baseball over their head. When I came home at night the three of us would eat dinner, and my grandfather would ask me all about my day as my grandma sat at the head of the table, humming. 

Nostalgia can make us complacent, can lead to disappointment, to detachment from the suffering around us. But nostalgia is also a type of hope, and as we come out of the darkest winter in recent memory, begin to look forward, we shouldn’t push it away. Just the other day I noticed the first bright green blades of grass peeking up through the dirt. The vaccine rollout is progressing, the Major League season is in full swing, and I’m starting to think there might be a time this summer when my girlfriend and I get to drive across the country, from our home in Colorado, see my folks for the first time in far too long, and head over to Hyannis to catch a game. I imagine we’ll be wearing masks, and social distancing, but the hot dogs will be a dollar and the tickets free, and we’ll watch some college kid, who might never play professionally but who for now is living the dream, walk up to home plate with his wooden bat, tap it against his cleats, and step into the box. 

Evan Senie is a freelance journalist and creative nonfiction writer with an MFA from Colorado State University. Find him online at evansenie.com

The post Nostalgia, Hope and The Return of Cape Cod Baseball appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

“My wife, Stacee, calls the players who stay with us our ‘summer sons,’” says Chris Rogers, a local fireman/EMT and Cotuit native who has housed players for the past several years. “The players become like your own kids for the summer. You get excited and stressed for them during games.

“Stacee often tears up when the players go home at the end of the season,” adds Rogers, a righty who pitched for Stetson University and struck out future Red Sox star Kevin Youkilis on three straight pitches while throwing for the Cotuit Kettleers during the 2000 season. “Even though it’s tough to see the kids leave, we thoroughly enjoy being a host family. It’s become a nice lifestyle for us.” 

For generations, baseball has been woven into the fabric of Cape Cod summer life, and the CCBL has been a major part of this tapestry since 1923, when the league was formally founded. Even though the CCBL’s reputation extends well beyond the peninsula, the history of the “Cape League”—as it’s more commonly known to fans and participants—is a little less well known.

A Chowder-Like Mix

The Cape League’s history, honestly, is a chowder-like mix of newspaper box scores, facts and lore, which only adds to its aura. Some answers are easier to come by than others. For example: 

Q: Did legendary Detroit Tigers catcher Mickey Cochrane really play in the Cape League? 

A: According to Cape Cod historian James. H. Ellis, the Cochrane –Cape League connection is virtually non-existent. A Bridgewater native, Cochrane may have played under an assumed name for a Middleboro club that played teams on the Cape. Ellis felt that this may be the missing Cochrane-Cape League link. 

Q: Even though Pirates’ Hall of Fame third baseman Harold “Pie” Traynor did play for teams in Falmouth and Oak Bluffs, did he play in the Cape League? 

A: Technically, this should be a “no” because Traynor played in 1919, before the league organized four years later. But let’s not split hairs. Traynor played amateur baseball on Cape Cod—in Falmouth for one of the league’s founding towns—and went on to become one of the greatest third basemen in big-league history.  

Q: Did Chatham Harbor’s infamous fog actually ruin a no-hit bid for current Cardinals’ relief pitcher Andrew Miller?  

A: Yes. In 2004, the six-foot, seven-inch lefty, who pitched for the University of North Carolina, was working on a no-hitter for the Chatham A’s, with all 12 outs coming via the K (strikeout). The fog rolled in over Veterans Field that night and never left. Because the game was called after four innings, short of the required five to be considered an official outing, the game officially never happened.  

Although searching for Cape League truth can be as frustrating as fielding a fly in the fickle fog at Veterans Field, one fact about the league is inescapable. The CCBL experience isn’t just about the baseball.

“There’s something magical about summer baseball on the Cape,” says Boston Globe journalist Christopher Price, author of “Baseball by the Beach: A History of America’s National Pastime on Cape Cod”. “But what makes it so magical are the relationships that develop in and around the Cape League, between players, host families, volunteers and fans. 

“The league has enabled people to come together under the auspices of baseball, and build deep and abiding relationships,” adds Price, whose grandparents met at a Barnstable game in the 1930s. “The game connects generations over time. That’s a legacy that any sport would be proud of.”

1923-39: ‘Recognized and Organized League’ Born on Cape Cod

The Cape League officially dates its origins back to 1885, primarily due to a poster from the National Baseball Hall of Fame that promotes a “base ball match” between host Sandwich and Barnstable on July 4, 1885. However, there is strong historical evidence that an early version of base ball—the Massachusetts Game—actually pre-dates the Civil War, and that the first nine-man team, the Nichols Club of Sandwich, was organized in the 1865-66 timeframe. 

Then there are those who date the origins of the Cape League to 1923, when Falmouth, Chatham and the Barnstable villages of Hyannis and Osterville formed the first organized Cape Cod Baseball League. “Cape Cod is fortunate in having a national pastime played in a recognized and organized league,” noted a 1936 Hyannis Patriot article. “It’s a great game.”

Regardless of which side of the argument one takes, baseball has a very rich, deep and colorful history on the Cape. 

In addition to high-quality baseball, one of the hallmarks of the Cape League’s early years was instability, with teams dropping in and out of the league on a regular basis. Osterville dominated the 1920s, winning four of the first six league titles before disbanding. “The village was a baseball hotbed throughout the ’20s and ’30s,” Price wrote in “Baseball by the Beach”. 

Falmouth, which owns the second-most championships in league history (14), won this era’s marathon, though, winning two titles in the ’20s and adding five more in the ’30s.  

1946-1963: The Post-War Baseball Boom

By the late ’30s, the financial damage wrought by the Great Depression eventually caught up with—and impacted—municipal finances on the Cape. This factor, combined with the distant drumbeat of war in Europe, diminished the public’s appetite for financing baseball and the Cape League shut down from 1940 through 1945.

When the league was born anew in 1946, fans did flock back to the Cape for a summer of sun, fun and baseball, as did a growing number of college players. The league was divided into Upper Cape and Lower Cape divisions, with the top teams in each division meeting in the postseason to decide the league’s championship.

One of the most transformative moves made during this era was by the Sagamore Clouters, who decided to surreptitiously recruit the best college baseball players in the nation. Because of this decision, the Clouters were amongst the league’s elite during the 1950s. Eclipsed only by Orleans, which captured five championships, Sagamore earned four titles during the rock-and-roll decade.

Price, in “Baseball by the Beach”, reports legendary Cotuit General Manager Arnold Mycock as saying, “The other teams began to see that if they wanted to compete, they would have to sign college players.”

NCAA Sanctioning + Wooden Bats = Grand Slam for League

Prior to being sanctioned as an official collegiate summer baseball league by the National Collegiate Baseball Federation—the forerunner of the NCAA—the Cape League had traditionally relied on a mix of locals, college players, military veterans and semi-pro players to fill its rosters. 

As the league’s teams began to recruit more collegiate stars to the shores of Cape Cod, league leadership understood that courting NCAA approval was the key to the summer circuit’s survival. When the Cape League was officially sanctioned by the NCAA on March 9, 1965, it was recognized as an elite college league and received grant money to help finance league operations. 

In addition to the “blessing” of the NCAA, another key turning point during this era was the decision to embrace wooden bats in the mid-1980s. In a cost-cutting move in 1974, the league switched to the more affordable aluminum bats used in the college game. 

This “heavy metal” experiment lasted only a decade. In 1985, the Cape League made the decision to revert to wooden bats, a decision championed by former Harwich Mariners Manager and then-Cape League Commissioner Fred Ebbett.

“This move greatly enhanced the value of the league to the professional baseball scouting community, and from this point the Cape League really took off and became a much more prominent league,” says Matt Hyde, Northeast Area Scouting Supervisor for the New York Yankees. “From the mid-1980s through now, the league’s history is unrivaled in terms of the number of top prospects and future professionals who have played in it.  . . .  [The Cape League] is by far the top collegiate summer league in the country.”  

The numbers don’t lie. According to the latest, pre-pandemic statistics, the Cape League has produced more than 1,400 Major League Baseball players during its existence, and in recent years approximately one in six big leaguers boast Cape League experience. On average, more than 300 current major leaguers are Cape League alumni. 

Including Pie Traynor, Cape League alumni in the National Baseball Hall of Fame include catcher Carlton Fisk (Orleans), first baseman Frank Thomas (Orleans), second baseman Craig Biggio (Yarmouth-Dennis) and first baseman Jeff Bagwell (Chatham). 

In addition, Judy Walden Scarafile, the former Cape League president, is prominently featured in the hall’s “Diamond Dreams: Women in Baseball” exhibit, which traces women’s roles in baseball from the 1800s to the present. 

Scarafile oversaw an unprecedented period of growth and financial stability during her tenure, which lasted from 1991 through 2015. “The Cape League is not just a great breeding ground for players, but also executives and coaches,” says Bruce Murphy, who has served as Cotuit’s general manager since 1999. 

“If you play college baseball and you want to have a shot at the major leagues, then the Cape is the place to play summer ball,” says current Cape League President Chuck Sturtevant. “The college coaches we work with tell their players that the Cape League is their stage, and it’s up to them what they make of the opportunity.”

Joe O’Shea is a contributing writer for Cape Cod Life Publications.

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Imagine a world where the waters are always calm, the boats are freshly painted and the world around you is at peace. While this might seem like a fantasy for some, one look at Christie Velesig’s peaceful paintings will instantly transport any viewer to a quieter place. The Mashpee based artist has been providing art lovers with moments of calm for years through her charming series of wooden boats on peaceful waters, with whimsical names and eye-catching colors. 

After admiring artists for years, Velesig began painting in 1980, but exploring art hadn’t always been an option. Attending parochial elementary school and a high school that didn’t foster the arts, it wasn’t until Velesig started at the University of Louisville that she met a woman on her dorm floor who was an artist. Fascinated, Velesig would watch the artist work and it became the catalyst for a lifelong passion. After graduating, Velesig got married and moved to the Cape, attending Cape Cod Community College, where she attended every single art course available to students. And 10 years later, she began teaching there. Velesig has been able to share her passion for painting by teaching at not only Cape Cod Community College, but also at the Cahoon Museum of American Art, the Falmouth Artist Guild, the Cape Cod Guild of Fine Art, Chatham Creative Arts Center, and Woodruff Gallery, as well as hosting plein air and still life workshops across New England. 

Velesig describes her work as “painterly realistic.” “Sometimes people tell me ‘Oh your paintings almost look like a photograph,’ because they’re realistic, but when you look closely, they really are painterly,” she says. But it’s been a journey to her current style and subjects. She began painting in a pointillist watercolor style which transitioned into traditional watercolor. She now works mainly in oils. “When I first started painting, I was painting everything; landscapes, portraits, I did pretty much anything and everything, I just loved it,” she recalls. “I believe it was in 2002 that I discovered some boats down by Ropes Beach that were just gorgeous and I would go very early in the morning. I loved the calm reflections in the water and started painting those, only in oil, and just took off.” But Velesig quickly realized there are challenges that arise when an artist’s subjects can float away. “One time I went to paint at West Falmouth Harbor, I had my painting half-finished, and the people got into the boat and drove away,” she laughs. “After that, I decided I would go out and take a lot of photos and at least have those as a back-up and paint from that.” 

Velesig’s subjects of choice are the boats she finds floating in the water, though other motifs spring up occasionally. Without fail, whatever the subject, Velesig’s work imparts a classic Cape aura that brings peace to all who view them. But she’ll always come back to her boats. “I just love the wooden boats. I do commissions of fiberglass ones when people want it but for my own personal enjoyment, I love wooden boats. I name the boats myself; I do a lot of commissions and some of the names people come up with are interesting. I often will paint two boats with matching names, so maybe one is named ‘Making Waves’ and the other is ‘Don’t Rock the Boat.’”

Like many of us, Velesig knows the waters will not always be calm. Though she tries to bring peace and quiet to viewers with her work, sometimes there are feelings that can ony be expressed and understood through painting. When asked which of her hundreds of paintings has been her favorite, one would automatically assume it would be one of her classic pieces, one that makes viewers immediately say, “Oh that’s Christie Velesig!” But her favorite is one that holds more emotional weight than anything else. “I do have a favorite painting. Right now, it’s at the Cape Cod Museum of Art. There is an exhibit on 21 in Truro and it’s a very special painting to me,” Velesig explains. “I painted it when my mother got sick. My mother had a brain tumor, and it was very difficult for me to paint at that time. She lived in Rhode Island and I was there a lot, helping my father. When I would come home every few days, I worked on a very large watercolor. It’s called ‘Troubled Waters.’ It’s a very emotional painting for me. With the very turbulent, crushing waves, people look at it and say ‘That doesn’t look like your work’ because I’m generally a very calm person and I love calm waters. So, when they see that with the crashing waves and the woman alone on the rocks with her back facing you, it’s a very emotional painting compared the usual paintings I do.” In a statement written to accompany the painting, Velesig says, “Although my mother had friends and family who loved her dearly, ultimately, she was standing alone on a rocky coast facing turbulent waters as sickness took her from us. Tears are literally embedded in this painting as I cried with every brushstroke.” Though the theme and context of the painting is mournful, the brighter than expected hues of grey and blue project a sense of hope.

But Velesig generally prefers to keep things light for most of her paintings, thanks in part to the beautiful light that permeates the Cape. “I love when I see the sun come up and see the sunshine, I love the morning and the start of a new day,” she says. “I’ll go out and just explore and whatever looks beautiful to me, that’s what I paint. Right now I’m focused on boats but, I might be walking by a doorway, and just the way the sun hits the doorway can inspire me or the way the sun hits flowers.   I mostly focus on the landscape with things that make me happy, things that make me feel alive and I just can’t wait to get a brush and colors in my hand.” Velesig ponders what makes the Cape such a special place for artists, as every one of her pieces is infused with its magic. “The Cape is one of the most beautiful places in the world. The colors and the sky and the water; the whole landscape is just so unique. It’s very inspiring,” she muses. “I can’t imagine being an artist and coming here, and not wanting to pick up a brush and paint. When I go out exploring and find an area I love, I can’t take enough photographs. There’s a painting every few feet. And then you turn around and you see it from the other side and there’s a painting every few feet.” As for her favorite spot to capture in her paintings, a dock by West Falmouth Harbor embodies the peace and calm that Velesig hopes to share through her work.

For Velesig, an important part of being an artist is the community that’s fostered amongst artists on the Cape. What started as a girls’ art week for Velesig and fellow artist Anne Boucher has since turned into an annual—going on 22 years—getaway for Cape based female artists. The group, known as 21 in Truro, gather every year in Truro to spend a week together, creating, sharing and supporting each other for whatever they may need at the time. “Anne and I always wanted to get together, and we loved the Corn Hill area in Truro. One day she said to me ‘Why don’t you and I rent a cottage out there for a week and just paint, no housework and no cooking, we’ll just get pizza every night and paint and photograph all week.’ I said sure that sounds great,” recalls Velesig. “We planned it out, and I was at Hyannis art supply later the next day and I ran into a fellow artist and told her about it and she said, ‘Oh I would love to do that.’ So, I said let me ask Anne, you can probably come too, and I went home and called Anne, and she said ‘I ran into someone else and they said they wanted to come too.’” Boucher and Velesig sat down and worked out the logistics of how to house as many artists as they could, figuring the Corn Hill cabins would comfortably fit 21 women. “We got on the phone and started calling; we just wanted women, and we wanted professional artists. We made some phone calls and had a meeting at my house. We decided we would go up and just do it. We named ourselves 21 in Truro and it was history from there. We love it!”

Poet Nayyirah Waheed said, “If the ocean can calm itself, so can you. We are both saltwater mixed with air.” An easy way to calm oneself would be to take a look at a painting by Christie Velesig. Her body of work certainly imparts the calm, peace and serenity felt by time spent by the Cape’s water. “I hope people take away a sense of joy. If you look at most of my work it’s very clam and serene and I try to use colors that are pleasant, at least to me,” she laughs. “I would hope that other people get that feeling; of beautiful color and serene calm, peaceful, and I would hope it would make their day more enjoyable. I also like to put a little humor in my work. I try to put things in there that would make people smile.”

You can find Velesig online at christievelesig.com, and view her work at Chapman Gallery in Cotuit, at the Christina Gallery in Edgartown and on display at the Woman and Infants Hospital in Rhode Island and Cape Cod Hospital in Falmouth. She also has pieces in the permenant collections at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum and Cahoon Museum of American Art.  

Elizabeth Shaw is the senior editor at Cape Cod Life Publications.

The post All Calm on West Falmouth Harbor appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

As with any coastal settlements, boating is a central aspect of the culture along the Massachusetts and Cape Cod shoreline. Parading along the ocean and breathing in the salt air with loved ones is the essence of lighthearted summer joy, as beachgoers observe from the sand with envy. It’s no secret that owning a boat is a pretty penny, from fuel cost, to storage, maintenance and insurance. Freedom Boat Club, established in Sarasota, Florida, pioneered a solution: a full-service boating club membership. For members, it’s as simple as strolling up to a pristine boat completely prepped for a day at sea. The hassle of everything accompanying boat ownership vanishes, and you’re left simply with the joy of boating in its purest form. 

When the company began in 1989, the revolutionary business model focused on a vision to make recreational boating more accessible. It is now the largest boat club in the nation, with locations throughout the United States as well as Canada, France and soon England. A membership grants boaters access to any port across their 275 locations. Whether you’re at your local marina or across the country, the luxury is the always the same.

In 2008, Matt Carrick, a Dennis native, opened the Mid-Cape’s first Freedom Boat Club at Bass River Marina in West Dennis. With four boats, he immediately sold 30 memberships and was off and running. That first summer, members mentioned how convenient it would be to have a location on the bay side as well. For the 2009 season, Carrick was able to secure slips at the Northside Marina in East Dennis. From there, it took off, as Carrick was offering a highly valuable opportunity to boat on both sides of the Cape. Previously, this was only possible for boaters who transported their boat on a trailer. For five years, they successfully operated in East and West Dennis, prompting Carrick to acquire the Falmouth location, as well as six more including Beverly, downtown Boston, Quincy, Hingham, and Scituate. From there, they slowly added ports in Chatham at Outermost Harbor, at Skippy’s in Yarmouth, Kingman Marina in Cataumet, and in Marshfield. Their newest club on the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts is set to open this year. 

In 2019, the Freedom Boat Club of Greater Boston and Cape Cod won Franchise of the Year, evidence of their level of commitment and growth through the years. With 200 boats and 1,600 members across their current 14 locations, it is between an eight to nine member to boat ratio. “We’re always looking at usage and availability. We want to make sure that boats are available. We also strive to have new or one to two-year-old boats at most in the fleet at all times,” Carrick says. 

Acquiring a membership is as simple as the boating process, whether you’re a new or experienced boater. New members pay a one-time joining fee, following up with monthly fees ranging from a weekday-only plan versus the full seven-day plan. Friends and family plans are also offered, allowing two families to join together, as well as corporate plans that allow multiple people to be placed on one plan. Each new member goes through Freedom Boat Club’s training program, receiving an online Boat US certificate and subsequently going out on the water with one of their captains to ensure comfortability with anchoring and docking. From there, they are added to the club’s insurance policy.

When planning excursions, members have access to a specific reservation system that allows up to four reservations on the books at a time. After one is used, it rolls off, and a new one can be scheduled. Members are also afforded unlimited same day access. “You might have four reservations next week, but say you get out of work early and want to call the dock, if there’s a boat there, you’re welcome to it, and it doesn’t count against your four on the system,” Carrick adds. Knowledgeable and friendly staff are located at each port daily from 7:30am to sunset, fueling and cleaning boats and assisting members. With fuel tracking meters on each vessel, members are billed for their fuel used upon returning to the dock. “It’s a total valet service. You don’t have to worry about cleaning or gassing the boat. Your time is truly net boating time. You show up, use the boat, and then you’re off to Sesuit Harbor Café or the Shanty for lunch or dinner. You’re not wasting an hour parking the boat, cleaning it, and all of the rest of it,” Carrick says.

Across each location, boats range from 19 to 26 feet, and are all brand new or up to two-year-old outboard powered boats. In recent years, they’ve started sprinkling in twin engine boats for a daily upgrade fee. “The members have really taken to that. They like the ability to get out in a bigger, luxurious boat or get offshore further to fish,” Carrick notes.

For Carrick, there are three central reasons the Freedom Boat Club is sought after and valued. “There’s three main reasons that people join the club. One is the training. A good chunk of people that do join Freedom Boat Club are novices, so what better way to get unlimited training included with your membership. You go through an online course and get out on the water as many times as you’d like with one of our captains until you truly feel comfortable out there. Second is cost savings. It’s over 50% cheaper than the cost of owning just one boat. You have access to a whole fleet of boats in Massachusetts, but you also have what we call reciprocity. For free, you can use all 275 locations across the US, Canada, France, and soon to be England. The third reason is the variety. Whether you’re a new boater or an avid boater, you can be out in a pontoon boat one day, a fishing boat the next day, and in different locations,” he shares.

Additionally, the advent of the shared asset model has taken off and added to its popularity. “People are getting much more comfortable with net jets and Uber. It seems like the younger generation is much more about experiences than ownership,” Carrick says. 

Whether you’re a seasoned boater or new to the waters, Freedom Boat Club is the perfect option for a stress-free experience. With a club membership, the world is your oyster. Here in Massachusetts, the waters become your harbor to explore, in the quiet of the Cape Cod Bay, out on the Atlantic, or in downtown Boston surrounded by the city skyline. 

Brenna Collins is the story editor at Cape Cod Life Publicaitons. 

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Thirty, flirty, and thriving isn’t just a famous movie line—it’s an important definition of spirit for a dynamic and picturesque region looking to capture the attention of young residents. It’s no big secret that the vibrant culture of Cape Cod in the summer gives way to unique challenges when the months turn cold and the vacation population begins to dwindle. Year-rounders know that the natural splendor of the region and the effervescent energy of the Cape’s small business environment doesn’t fade when the snowbirds fly home for the winter, but still, the ability to build a stable life along with a thriving career in a summer-driven economy should be considered a superpower. Particularly for Cape Cod’s younger residents (as well as those who choose to call Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket home), making connections is a challenging feat—including those all-important professional connections—in a community where population, influence, and opportunity is very often seasonal. For those younger residents looking to build and maintain strong relationships and careers without having to cross the bridge, Cape Cod Young Professionals (CCYP) is the place to turn.

“Being a part of the Shape Your Cape Summit team was incredibly fulfilling both as a local business professional as well as a long-time Cape Cod resident. Networking events like this, whether virtual or in person, are crucial in helping to build a diverse young workforce here on the Cape. Being involved in the planning and implementation of these CCYP networking events makes me feel that I am personally doing my part to make Cape Cod a great place to work, live, and prosper.” ~ Chris Widegren CCYP Board Member and Senior Specialist – Digital Marketing & Analytics, Cape Cod Healthcare

With a mission to “connect, engage, and advance” the Cape’s young workforce, CCYP understands that the viability for anyone to be able to live and work on the Cape year-round is essential to the future of the region—and it starts with young people. “CCYP has been around for 16 years now, and the problem hasn’t changed,” explains Board President Sara Kohls when asked why the organization is specifically important to Cape Cod. “We work to identify the biggest barriers to advancement for the young workforce here—like affordable housing and childcare—and provide resources to combat those issues.”

CCYP was founded in 2005 by a group of (you guessed it) young professionals passionate about career development, civic engagement, and connecting with the younger population of Cape Cod. Today, as a nonprofit organization, CCYP has a 16-member Board of Directors, 11 unique volunteer committees, and nearly 1,500 members ranging from individuals to nonprofits and businesses of all sizes and fields. The organization provides regular networking events, from smaller, more frequent affairs like morning Coffee Connects to larger events like their annual Back to Business Bash held each fall; offers innovative and successful career development opportunities, like the Career Connect Scholarship, founded in partnership with the Cape Cod Foundation; and contributes to local public policy and resource advocacy. “CCYP helps shape the Cape’s future through innovative programs, partnerships, and initiatives that connect, engage, and advance a community of emerging leaders making a significant positive impact in our region,” says Kristen Vose Clothier, CEO of CCYP. 

Launched in 2015 in partnership with The Cape Cod Foundation, CCYP’s Giving Circle is a unique collective giving program that pools charitable donations from a number of annual donors to make a tangible difference in the lives of young professionals on Cape Cod through an annual grant program to Cape-based nonprofits, support for CCYP initiatives, and funds directed towards building CCYP’s endowment.

CCYP works with a number of local businesses who host networking events or provide services. As Cape Cod Children’s Place Executive Director Cindy Horgan puts it, “CCYP provides a platform for advocacy and connection for the business community and especially for young families.”

“People of all ages should support CCYP. Our young generations are the future of the Cape and our older generations have a wealth of knowledge; when we combine the two, we’re exponentially more beneficial in driving the entire Cape population’s success.” ~ Charlotte Green CCYP Board Member and Assistant Vice President, Residential Mortgage Sales Manager, The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod

“It’s a very symbiotic relationship,” explains Kohls. “The businesses on the Cape are invested in making sure that our young workforce is able to thrive here, and we’re so happy to have their support.” After all, being able to maintain a young, talented population of driven individuals is something that affects residents and businesses of all ages, from providing services to their community to filling job openings and taking over the responsibilities of retirees. To that end, the term “young professional” for CCYP refers more to a state of mind than an actual age. “There’s no age restriction,” confirms Kohls about CCYP membership. 

In 2014, Northeastern University conducted what is referred to as the ‘Shape the Cape’ report, which showed that young professionals on the Cape are leaving at high rates: “Cape Cod’s economy is commonly perceived to be driven by tourism and services for the elderly, thus contributing to the belief that there are few career paths beyond retail, hospitality, and healthcare and no emerging industries. Without clear career paths, young people are tempted to pursue education and employment opportunities off Cape and once off Cape, they tend not to move back,” the report stated. In addition, the study found that 90% of year-round employees on the Cape and Islands come from within the region. Sarah Nitsch, CCYP board member and Marketing and Events Coordinator, Cape Cod Children’s Place confirms, “This is something that affects the community and local businesses in ways that you wouldn’t even expect. What we want is for our base to be able to fill essential roles and do so here on the Cape. To achieve that, we need everyone on board—not just the younger population.”

“If you’re looking to expand your professional network and meet great people from various parts of the Cape, from a variety of industries, and at different stages in their respective careers, then CCYP is a great organization for you.” ~ Patrick Ehart CCYP Board Member and Chief Operating Officer & Owner, Cape Cod Commercial Linen Service, Inc.

“CCYP is a way for young professionals—all professionals—to connect, share ideas and be able to make friends, collaborate and grow individual networks as well as engage in the community,” Nitsch continues.  “As someone in my forties, I’m still growing professionally, and the work we are doing as an organization is in support of positive growth and change for Cape Cod’s workforce of all ages.”

For CCYP, those findings mean providing resources to help members further everything from their education to their social life right here on Cape Cod. “Those who support CCYP recognize that the future vibrancy and sustainability of our region depends on connecting, engaging, and advancing the next generations of Cape leaders,” emphasizes Clothier.

Kohls says, “We take the flavor of what the community wants and needs and use that to shape our offerings accordingly. For instance, we started providing childcare resources based on direct feedback from what our membership tells us they’re facing.” 

CCYP also has an annual scholarship program that awards scholarships to adult students to return to school, train in a new profession, or take courses to develop their professional lives on Cape Cod.

Due to COVID-19, CCYP turned to offering virtual events, including their annual Shape Your Cape Summit. Nitsch, who chaired the event, explained that the Summit, now in its fifth year, “provides the Cape’s young workforce community with educational and networking opportunities to thrive, personally and professionally, on Cape Cod by convening local employers, community leaders, and concerned citizens who are passionate about advancing local understanding and action around issues that impact opportunity for young, working-age adults on Cape Cod. With COVID affecting so many of us in different ways our theme this year was Resilience.” 

Later in 2021, CCYP hopes to begin offering more in-person events, while, of course, following all the necessary safety regulations. Plans are in the works for late-summer outdoor Connect Events and a modified version of the annual Back to Business Bash in September. “The Back to Business Bash is one of the most essential events in the business community on Cape Cod, in my opinion,” said Craig Orsi, CCYP Vice President and Owner, Orsi & Company, LLC. “With almost 1,000 people in one place, socializing and networking, it truly does help to create a sense of community among those of us who live and work here year-round.” This year, they are offering a creatively modified version of the Bash: instead of one huge event, CCYP is teaming up with breweries and wineries to offer 8-10 mini-Bashes – all on the same evening at outdoor venues across the Cape.  The multiple smaller events will add up to one big Cape-wide Bash, connected through social media posts at each of the venues throughout the evening. They will be complimenting the mini-Bashes with the second year of CCYP’s Bash Pass—Passport to the Cape program.

“CCYP’s Summit was incredibly empowering and displayed the resilience of Cape Codders from all different sectors over the last year. It was wonderful to not only connect with folks I had never met but also to share this feeling of community that is unique to living and working on Cape Cod. This is surely one of the most important events of the year and I would encourage everyone and anyone to participate in the future.” ~ Matt Scinto CCYP Volunteer and Music Director, Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra

In the year ahead, Clothier says that CCYP will be expanding their mentoring, professional development, and leadership skill-building initiatives. “We will also be strengthening and expanding partnerships with businesses and nonprofits throughout the region to amplify our collective positive impact and ensure that there are community systems, resources, networks, and programs in place that allow the Cape’s future leaders to live, work, advance, and thrive,” she says. 

“This network and community that CCYP has built is really special here on the Cape. That’s what keeps me going because I know what it did for me and it’s exciting seeing what it can do for other people,” says Kohls, who recently opened her own law office with the help of connections she made through CCYP. “Anything I needed when I was opening my practice—from leads to advice—all I had to do was consult my network that I built through CCYP. It’s so amazing to me to see the community that I’ve worked towards building all these years come together and assist me. I want everybody to experience that.” 

“CCYP has been an irreplaceable asset to me in my career – connecting me to other local professionals who have helped me launch and grow my own business – and made a positive impact on the community where I live and work.” ~ Sara Kohls CCYP President and Attorney, Law Offices of Sara J. Kohls

CCYP supports all kinds of industries, from lawyers like Kohls to bankers, small business owners, and everything in between. “This community and this place is something that everyone should get to enjoy. We want to be able to help when someone needs it, in whatever shape or form that is,” continues Kohls. “If you call, there’s always someone here for you.”

Keeping the Cape and Islands the vivacious place that it is so famously known to be is a goal that everyone who’s ever walked along the National Seashore or enjoyed a lobster roll at a seaside tavern can commit to; and it’s one that is clearly reliant on the vitality, quality of life, and career and leadership opportunities available to the young population. It is these individuals who take up essential jobs beyond just the busy summer months and who build families and creative businesses that keep the community flourishing. As with anywhere, attracting and retaining residents that are passionate about the area in which they live is key. After all, as Horgan states, “Where would we be without young professionals to care for our grandchildren, teach our children, provide services to maintain and keep our homes, support us with financial advice, and offer all the services we utilize every day.”

“We live in an amazing, naturally beautiful place,” concludes Nitsch, “and we need to keep it a place for young professionals to want to stay and work, for families to raise their kids, and for people to be a part of why I moved back here with my own family…the community.” 

For more information and to join and support CCYP, check out capecodyoungprofessionals.org. You can also follow @capecodyoungprofessionals on social media and sign up to receive e-newsletter updates from CCYP. 

Allyson Plessner is a contributing writer for Cape Cod Life Publications.

The post Connecting the Community appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

Adorn of East Orleans is a mother-daughter owned shop, featuring a curated collection of handcrafted jewelry, fine art, home décor, accessories, gifts and so much more. 

Jenny and Molly Avellar, the dynamic mother-daughter duo of Adorn, were both raised in Orleans, right down the road from their shop, which they opened in May of 2015. Jenny and Molly have combined their creative energies and ideas, creating a unique environment for shoppers to enjoy. 

At Adorn, you will find a distinctive collection of handcrafted jewelry including Molly’s own line, Molly Avellar Jewelry. Molly has been creating jewelry for over a decade and her studio resides within the shop. Customers can watch her creating new pieces in her studio and take a minute to chat. Molly’s work ranges from large statement rings crafted in sterling silver with carefully picked stones such as dendritic agate or ocean jasper, to delicate fine jewelry featuring rose cut diamonds and 14k gold. Her Tidal Flats Collection has also become well known and draws inspiration from the compelling patterns and textures of the tidal flats across the Cape and Islands. 

Alongside Molly’s jewelry line, Adorn features the work of around eight-10 other independent jewelry designers. Some of the designers currently featured include Kimberley Deane, Sarah Swell, Jess Guerrieri, Porcelain & Stone, Crooked Pond, and Shepherds Run Jewelry. Each designer has their own unique style and their pieces meet the highest standard of craftsmanship. Whether you are looking for a bold statement piece, everyday earrings, or fine jewelry, there is something for everyone. 

Adorn’s jewelry collection is just one facet of the shop’s ever-changing selection of goods, including local fine art, block print textiles, house plants, home accents, accessories, and more. Find Adorn on the way to Nauset Beach in East Orleans.

adorncapecod.com

774-316-4245

211 Main Street, East Orleans

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Some people struggle to find their career path, but that was never the case for Moonshine Leather Company owner Mike Kline. While walking to school in Nashville, Ind., he stumbled upon his professional passion. 

“I used to walk by a leather craftsman’s shop every day,” recalls Kline. “One day I convinced him to take me on as an apprentice, and I’ve been making and selling leather goods ever since.”

Although Moonshine Leather is new to the Hyannis retail scene, the company’s roots extend back to 1992, when Kline founded the original Moonshine Leather in Indiana. He then launched Altai Leather Designs in Jerome, Ariz., in 2005, prior to opening Moonshine’s Main Street shop in 2019. 

All three retail locations have working leather studios in the back, where visitors will find Kline—or one of his four children—artfully hand-crafting new handbags, messenger bags, wallets, belts, hats and countless other leather accessories.

“Because our products are hand-made, each one is unique,” says Kline, who also handles custom orders. “I’ve found that our customers appreciate buying quality leather goods that are made in the U.S., and getting to meet the people who make them.” 

While the Klines are adept at crafting all goods sold in their shops, they’ve each developed areas of expertise. Sons Zach and Elias, who operate the Arizona business, specialize in belts. Mike, daughter Anya and son Jacob are the bag-makers who focus on the Hyannis shop’s growing business. 

“I bought my first hand-made bag, made of bison leather, at Moonshine,” says customer Anna Pancoast, owner of three Moonshine handbags. “Moonshine’s bags are very well made, and are more personal than designer bags. I find that there’s something different, a better energy, when you hold a hand-made bag. I also love the attention to detail at Moonshine, down to making sure that the metals used in the buckles and buttons match the leather.” 

moonshineleather.com

1-508-534-9714

578 Main Street, Hyannis

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Marilyn Chambers, owner of SeaBreezes Clothing on Main Street in Hyannis, is proudly commemorating her 20th year of business. The bright and spacious boutique has long been a favorite destination for women who love to shop “Cape Cod Casual.” Women of all ages are certain to find a large selection of casual and chic clothing to suit any taste, occasion and budget.

Displays of high quality tops, dresses, jackets, and pants, sourced from markets all over the USA and abroad fill the store with energetic colors and soothing monochromatic hues. In addition to the thoughtfully curated selection, Marilyn’s staff is accomplished at recommending pieces or full ensembles for every body type as well as a myriad of occasions and events. Marilyn explains, “The Cape is such a unique place, it actually calls for a unique wardrobe. It is relaxed and casual, but presents a smart pulled together look.”

That personalized service is what each person receives as soon as they walk through the door at SeaBreezes. From a friendly greeting, to suggestions for accessorizing, and helpful consultation on sizing options all contributes to why clients have shopped at SeaBreezes for years. “We are blessed with a strong year round following,” Marilyn states. “And we always know when the seasonal residents have arrived because they stop in to catch up and see what’s new in the store. After 20 years, we are now dressing the next generation of our customers.” 

Ms. Chambers opened the store in 2001 after a successful career in retail off-Cape. “I knew I wanted to own my own business, and in the beginning the store was smaller, more seasonal and focused primarily on resort wear,” Marilyn explains. The success of the business warranted expanding to a larger space down the street and extending hours to a year round schedule.

“The last 20 years have not only been about growing this business, but about growing relationships,” Chambers reflects. “I love what I do and I love that the store has a place in people’s lives.” SeaBreezes is not just a clothing store, but a community of women helping other women look and feel their very best.  

seabreezescapecod.com

508-775-3775

556 Main Street, Hyannis

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Power Yoga of Cape Cod’s founder Jill Abraham, co-owner Leigh Alberti, staff and students all use the word “connection” repeatedly, whether it’s discussing the mind-body connection, connecting with others, or spiritually connecting while serving the Cape Cod community.

“Yoga means union, it means connection,” says Alberti, a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) who teaches Power Vinyasa and Restorative Yoga at both studios. “Yoga is about connecting with your inner self, but it also makes you aware of our interconnectedness with others and our communities.”

When Abraham, now a Tier 3, 1,200-hour Certified Baptiste Influencer and a 500-hour Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, opened the flagship Harwich studio in 2009, most yoga on the Cape was taught in gyms, civic centers and dance studios.

“I moved back to the Cape and trusted it was time to open a studio,” says Abraham, who began teaching yoga in 2001. “At the time, there was a need for dedicated yoga studios on the Cape. I knew how powerful yoga was, and I wanted to share it.”

After a successful grand opening, word spread quickly and the students rolled out their mats in increasing numbers. By 2011, “We were mat to mat, hitting our capacity every day in the summer,” recalls Abraham. 

Two years later, as demand grew, Abraham and Alberti opened the Dennisport studio, and it’s been onward and upward for the pair ever since. In the past decade, Power Yoga of Cape Cod has earned five-straight regional “best of” awards.

One of Abraham’s greatest success stories is that of Bill White, a former guidance counselor and multi-sport coach at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School. When he hung up his whistle, his lifelong dietary habits and sedentary lifestyle led to heart trouble. 

So White, at age 63, arrived at the doorstep of Abraham’s studio. He eased into the practice with gentle yoga, graduated from the Power Yoga of Cape Cod Teacher Training in 2012 and started teaching at both studios.

“I switched to a vegan diet,” says the 74-year-old White, who taught yoga for eight years before retiring last spring. “I lost more than 50 pounds and my cholesterol dropped 50 points. I felt so much better. Yoga transformed my life.”

Yoga, as Abraham will tell you, does change lives … on a regular basis. Whether people come to the studio to improve their health or calm their minds, yoga can truly be life changing and transformational.

“All yoga is therapeutic and healing,” says Abraham, who pivoted to offering livestream classes and video instruction when the pandemic struck. “In addition to reducing stress and anxiety, yoga also helps regulate all systems of the body.” 

Although Abraham specializes in Power Vinyasa Yoga, an athletic form of yoga conducted in heated rooms, Power Yoga of Cape Cod offers all manner of hatha—or physical—yoga, including Restorative Yoga, Gentle Yoga and other power-yoga styles for all experience levels.

The studios current offerings are: 

• Livestream classes
• Semi-private, in-studio classes
• Online and in-person workshops of varying topics and lengths
• On-demand videos (more than 100 classes in the archive)
• Powerful immersion programs
• In-person private and semi-private instruction
• Teacher training and certification

All in-person classes adhere to CDC safety guidelines.

At the Harwich studio’s boutique, one can find yoga mats, props, clothing, jewelry, essential oils, books, CDs and other accessories.

“The Cape Cod community is a huge part of our studio’s success,” says Abraham. “We’ve been fortunate to develop rich, lasting relationships with our students, co-workers and the communities that we serve.”

Poweryogaofcapecod.com  •  poweryogaofcapecod@gmail.com

Harwich Studio, 1 Auston Road / 774.237.2773    •    Dennisport Studio, 675 Rte 28 / 508.619.3922

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New Cape Cod cannabis connection opens in Provincetown.

It’s a brand new world. Gone are the sleepy-eyed stoners and taking their place is a fresh, legal face for cannabis culture—one that is approachable for those seeking the relief and release  the medicinal plant has been proven to offer. Are you craving something sweet and heady, or minty and mild? A topical balm or a cream? Do you just need a good night’s sleep or do you just want to try a blissful escape from the stresses of life? b\well, the modern new dispensary on Commercial Street in Provincetown, like a great sommelier, has your cannabis needs covered.   

“We’re more like, ‘How do you want to feel –chill? Do you want to feel frisky? Do you want to feel sleepy? How do you want to feel?’ And then we’ll direct you to products that way,” says b\well owner Karen Nash. “It can be fun, it can be medicinal, it can be relaxing. It can be all different things.” 

A quick browse of b\well’s online catalog showcases an impressively curated selection of products. Traditional pre-rolled joints and almost a dozen flower varieties are sold alongside resin vaporizers, topicals, as well as edible gummies, chocolates and mints. Each item listing includes in-depth descriptions and a list of ingredients to ensure each customer has the information they need for each product. b\well also provides educational opportunities in a socially-distanced environment as they conduct their information dissemination from the new porch off the main shop. 

The regulation of these quality products ensures a replicable and consistent experience for the consumer with each use. For those seeking a gentle and accessible way to test the waters, Nash recommends the fast-acting  THC and CBD “drops” from 1906 brand, which comes in six experiences: Genius, Go, Chill, Midnight, Bliss, and Love.

Federal regulations of cannabis products automatically makes the products sold by b\well grown, produced or processed in Massachusetts. Most of the team at b\well is local, in fact, many of the company’s investors personally have stakes in Provincetown, which underlines Nash’s personal emphasis on bolstering the local economy. The small shop opened this past September at 220 Commercial Street, in the heart of Provincetown’s Historic District, and a new local production facility for
b\well is already in the works so that the b\well team will start whipping up their own edible delectables.  

The storefront is open during the off season, but it is always best to check the website for hours and days. Must be 21 or older, with a valid id to enter store. Online ordering is available, as is curbside pickup for those more comfortable with a socially-distanced shopping experience.

For more information, visit the b\well website at bwell.life or call 508-413-9427. 

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