☀ 900 cookies & a lost cat's return

Good morning Cape Cod, hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy first two nights of Hanukkah. 🕎

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

• Postpartum care on the Outer Cape

• Choppy seas for the SSA

• Events and live music

  
  Let’s get to it.

CAPE DIGEST

🍪 Family's cookie tradition keeps daughter's spirit alive

Every Christmas, Anne Liberty and her family bake 900 holiday cookies for Cape Cod Synagogue's free community dinner, a tradition that honors her daughter Caroline, who died in a car crash in 2016 at age 22. During their annual "Cookie Palooza," family members gather on Christmas Eve to decorate sugar cookies, gingerbread, and peanut butter blossoms that are packaged in bags of six for dinner guests.

The tradition extends Caroline's legacy of sharing and caring - the family also runs a nonprofit that helps Cape Tech students pay for professional license exams, addressing an inequality that bothered Caroline during her time as a dental hygiene student. Read the full story.

🐈 Maine cat's Cape adventure ends in holiday reunion

A Maine family's indoor cat that went missing during their Brewster vacation has been found after surviving several months in the vast Cape wilderness. Thanks to a microchip, Rosebud was identified and reunited with her family after a Dennis resident reported the cat had been on the prowl for food near their property.

The 10-year-old kitty managed to travel miles from Brewster to Dennis, surprising everyone with her survival skills, and is now back home for the holidays after her family made the three-hour drive to retrieve her. Read the full story.

🍼 Outer Cape new parents navigate web of support services

The Outer Cape offers a patchwork of postpartum support for new parents, from Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) nurses making house calls to doulas providing hands-on help. While Cape Cod Hospital births qualify parents for VNA visits, and a recent state law requires MassHealth to cover doula services, many families still struggle to access affordable care.

Local groups like Cape Cod Children's Place help fill the gaps with support groups and programs, though grant funding for free doula services recently ran out after helping 276 Cape families. Read the full story.

@THECAPECODDAH

📸 @seenickphotography | 📍 Craigville Beach

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💨 Feds to face Nantucket's wind farm questions

Nantucket officials have arranged a virtual Q&A session with federal safety suits about the Vineyard Wind blade failure for January 14th. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement will answer pre-submitted questions about the July incident that hurled debris into the ocean.

While blade installation recently resumed, officials say Nantucket deserves answers as the community most impacted by offshore wind development. Read the full story.

⛴️ Year of choppy seas for Steamship Authority

The Steamship Authority faced major challenges in 2024, from staffing shortages that led to dozens of canceled summer trips to concerns about crew safety and grueling schedules. Crew members report working 18-hour shifts that turn them into "walking zombies," while contract negotiations remain unresolved.

Adding to the upheaval, General Manager Robert Davis announced he'll step down next fall, though he insists current criticism didn't drive his decision. While the year ended positively with the commissioning of the new M/V Barnstable, the boat line faces long-term staffing concerns with nearly half its captains and pilots over age 60. Read the full story.

LOCAL BUSINESS

🚜 Massive Sandwich farm sold, new bogs planned

One of Cape Cod's largest farms has new owners with big plans. The 238-acre former Windstar Farm in Sandwich was purchased by Joseph and Brandon Arruda, who plan to convert about 50 acres into cranberry bogs while growing hay and corn.

The property, which sits near Joint Base Cape Cod and has been mostly inactive for years, remains protected by an agricultural preservation restriction. The Arrudas, who have 30 years of cranberry chops, will need local and Cape Cod Commission approval for their plans. Read the full story.

🫙 THE TIP JAR

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CIVIL NEWS

⚖️ Hyannis man pleads guilty in Fed gun, drug case

A Hyannis man faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to federal gun and drug charges. Timothy Lee Galvin, 32, was caught with six grams of fentanyl, a homemade .45 caliber pistol, and dozens of rounds of ammunition during his June 2023 arrest.

The case, part of Project Safe Neighborhoods' effort to reduce gun violence, will see Galvin sentenced in April 2025, with mandatory minimum sentences of five years for the gun charge and potential fines up to $1.25M. Read the full story.

PET OF THE WEEK

👋 Meet: Sol
🐾 Chihuahua - Long Haired
🎂 9 years old
♀︎ Female
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

FRIDAY

• It's All LOVE! The Art of Garrett Dutton @ CC MOA | Dennis | 10 AM

• Mariniana: The Interrupted Wave @ CC MOA | Dennis | 10 AM

• Holiday Lichen Walk @ Shank Painter Pond | P-town | 11:30 AM

• Movie Fridays: Elf @ Snow Library | Orleans | 3 PM

• Ugly Sweater Party @ Tugboats | Hyannis | 6 PM

• A Christmas Carol @ CC Theatre Co. | Harwich | 7 PM

SATURDAY

• Winter Wonderland @ S. Dennis Free Public Library | 10 AM

• A Christmas Carol @ CC Theatre Co. | Harwich | 2 PM

• Holiday Candle Crafting @ Osterville Village Library | 12 PM

• Escape Room (Ages 8-12) @ Eastham Library | 12 PM

• Hanukkah Party @ Chatham Bars Inn | Chatham | 5 PM

SUNDAY

• Sunday Knitting Circle @ Wellfleet Library | 11 AM

• "Woodland Whimsey" @ The Gallery at FCTV | Falmouth | 12 PM

• Winter Book Sale @ Brewster Ladies Library | 1 PM

• A Christmas Carol @ CC Theatre Co. | Harwich | 7 PM

LIVE MUSIC  🎸

FRIDAY

• Bob Bandera @ CC Coffee | Mashpee | 6 PM

• Rick Lockwood Trio @ Hog Island Beer | Orleans | 6 PM

• Bryce Thomas @ Ryans Ten Pin Eatery | Hyannis | 7 PM

• Leah & Colleen @ Red Nun | Dennis Port | 7 PM

• Mr. Gotcha @ Jake Rooney’s | Harwich | 8 PM

• Karaoke @ Ryan Family Amusements | S. Yarmouth | 8 PM

• Runaway Band @ Lanes Bowl & Bistro | Mashpee | 8 PM

• Kerosene Heater Band @ Sea Dog Brew Pub | S. Yarmouth | 8:30 PM

• Josh Ayala @ The Barley Neck | Orleans | 9 PM

SATURDAY

• Liam & Jonny @ CC Winery | E. Falmouth | 1 PM

• Bart Weisman Jazz Group @ The Vine | Falmouth | 5:30 PM

• Silver Beach Duo @ CC Coffee | Mashpee | 6 PM

• Bounce @ Hog Island Beer | Orleans | 6 PM

• Cape CODA Band @ VFW Post 5988 | Bourne | 7:30 PM

• Times the Enemy @ Tomatillos | Sandwich | 7:30 PM

• Route 6A w/ Jody Moore @ Dino’s Sports Bar | Mashpee | 8 PM

• Riptide @ Oliver’s & Planck’s Tavern | Yarmouth | 8 PM

• Bees Deluxe @ Grumpy’s Pub | Falmouth | 9 PM

• Brian Sances @ The Barley Neck | Orleans | 9 PM

SUNDAY

• Lori Colombo @ The West End | Hyannis | 11 AM

_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. We'll always let you know when something's sponsored.}

WEATHER

Friday

41 🌡️ 30 | 🌤️ | 💧0% | 💨 W 5 mph

Saturday

46 🌡️ 43 | ⛅️ | 💧 58% | 💨 S 6 mph

Sunday

54 🌡️ 47 | 🌧️ | 💧 80% | 💨 S 14 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 44ºF

HOME OF THE WEEK

6 Nantucket Trail, Sandwich
Asking $589,000
3 🛌 
2 🛀 
1,344 square feet

0.45 acre lot

_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. We'll always let you know when something's sponsored.}

THANKS!

Thanks for reading The Cape Coddah today. If you found something useful or entertaining, please share it with someone who binges egg nog this time of year.