The Cape Coddah
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☀️ Free Bus Rides? Don't Mind if We Do

☀️ Free Bus Rides? Don't Mind if We Do

Plus: Remember that one time with the tornados?

Cape Coddah
July 25, 2025

Sponsored by

Good morning Cape Cod. Here's something for trivia night: Cape residents have the highest rate of library card ownership in the nation, proving we're as bookish as we are beachy. 📚

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

Cape Verdean month declared
Snowy Owl on the move
Events and live music

Let’s get to it.

🚎 Cape Buses: Same Routes, Zero Dollars

Cape Cod finally joined the rest of Massachusetts in offering free bus rides, thanks to the state's "millionaires tax" that funds transportation improvements. The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority's fixed routes, which used to cost $2 each way, went free last month after the agency initially opted out of the program.

Early results look promising – ridership is up and buses load faster without passengers fumbling for quarters. The free rides could also help recruit more bus drivers, since they won't have to deal with fare disputes anymore. The door-to-door DART and SmartDART services still cost money, but SmartDART is expanding its Outer Cape hours this fall. Read more»

📆 Falmouth Declares Cape Verdean Month

Falmouth's Select Board officially declared July 2025 as Cape Verdean Month, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cape Verde's independence from Portugal. The proclamation honors the strong ties between Cape Verdean immigrants and Southeast Massachusetts, where thousands settled after working on whaling ships and in maritime trades.

The Cape Cod Cape Verdean Museum and Cultural Center, located in Falmouth's historic Emerald House, is the state's only museum dedicated exclusively to Cape Verdean history and culture. Founded by Barbara Burgo after her life-changing 1997 trip to Cape Verde, the museum offers free admission and has hosted over 800 students on field trips. Burgo spent over 20 years collecting artifacts and documenting Cape Verdean stories to inspire pride in the community's rich heritage. Read more»

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🦈 Shark Tours Replace Shark Fears

Fifty years after "Jaws" made great whites terrifying, Cape Cod has flipped the script with booming shark eco-tourism. Several local charter companies now offer tours to see these apex predators up close, focusing on education and conservation rather than fear. Captains like Mike Bosley and Matt Maher work with scientists and spotter planes to locate sharks without using illegal chum baiting.

The tours run from July through the end of summer when shark activity peaks, with operators only going out when sightings are likely. Passengers' reactions range from stunned silence to excited screams. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy has even added open boat tours this year, letting people experience these "beautiful animals in their native environment" while contributing to citizen science efforts. Read more»

📸 @color_me_by_sea | 📍South Cape Beach

Tag @thecapecoddah to get your photos in the Coddah!

🌪️ Cape Cod's Historic Triple Tornado Day

Six years ago this week, Cape Cod experienced something almost unheard of – three tornadoes in one day. On July 23, 2019, an unstable weather system spawned three EF-1 tornadoes within minutes, hitting communities from Sandwich to Chatham with winds up to 110 mph. The first tornado touched down in Barnstable at 11:57 AM, followed by another in Harwich and a third in West Yarmouth.

Amazingly, there were no deaths or injuries, though over 50,000 people lost power for days and many vacations were ruined. Before 2019, Cape Cod had only seen three tornadoes since 1968, but rising sea temperatures may be making severe storms more common. Read more»

Cape Cod National Seashore beaches are free on August 4th saving you the usual $25 vehicle fee.

A Yarmouth cafe's latte went viral on TikTok, creating daily lines and selling 400 drinks that burn through 40 pounds of Marshmallow Fluff.

Habitat for Humanity is now accepting applications for two affordable homes in Brewster priced between $233,400-$320,250.

A 1944 Coast Guard lifesaving surf boat was restored over seven years by Cape Cod Maritime Museum volunteers.

☕️ Snowy Owl Flies to New Nest

After 10 years at their Main Street spot in Brewster, Snowy Owl Coffee is moving to the old TD Bank building at the corner of Underpass Road and Route 6A by year's end. The popular coffeehouse had to relocate after their landlord sold the "Great Cape, Tiny Village" property, but owners made staying in Brewster their top priority.

The move hit some delays waiting for site plans, but things are looking good now. The new spot gives them more space, paved parking, and better visibility. Good news for regulars – it's less than half a mile down the road, so your morning (or afternoon) coffee routine stays intact. Read more»

Nantucket's berry season is peaking right now – lowbush blueberries, black huckleberries, and dewberries are all ripe for the picking if you know where to look.

MV just broke ground on its largest affordable housing project ever – 60 units at Tackenash Knoll in Oak Bluffs that will house 150+ residents by spring 2027.

A Nantucket man faces felony charges and a $1.4M lawsuit after allegedly cutting down 16 of his neighbor's decades-old trees.

Nine swimmers completed the first-ever relay swim from Nantucket to Martha's Vineyard.

🏋️‍♀️ BECOME A SUPPORTER

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🚨 W. Yarmouth Nurse Charged with Stealing Oxy

A West Yarmouth nurse is facing drug charges after allegedly stealing more than 50 oxycodone pills from a Boston rehab facility where she worked. Kaitlin Tipton, 34, worked at Advocate Health Care in East Boston and allegedly diverted the addictive pain medication between November 2023 and February 2024 by falsifying medical records, not documenting doses, and removing more medication than doctors ordered.

Tipton told police she stole the pills to help a friend with back problems, though she wasn't sure how many times she'd done it. She's due back in court September 10th. Read more»

👋 Meet: Pansy
🐾 Australian Cattle Dog Mix
🎂 2 months old
♀︎ Female
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

SUNDAY - JULY 27

Arts & Crafts Festival @ Drummer Boy Park | 10
Love Local Fest @ Aselton Park | 11 AM
Ratatouille in Concert @ Barnstable PAC | 3 PM

SUNDAY - JULY 27

Jazz Jam @ Cult. Cent. of CC | 12 PM
Andrew DiMarzo @ Flying Bridge | 1 PM
Brady Wells @ Neptune’s CC | 1 PM
Jim Devlin @ Shipwrecked (Falmouth) | 2 PM
Sarah Burrill @ CC Beer | 3 PM
Randy Davis @ CC Coffee | 3 PM
Ted Wyman @ The Lanyard | 3 PM
Part One Tribe @ Naukabout | 3 PM
Heyday @ CC MOA | 3:30 PM
Mick & The Kid @ Falmouth Raw Bar | 4 PM
Bode Corona @ Bad Martha’s (E. Falmouth) | 4
Straight Jacket Slumber @ The Woodshed | 4 PM
Sandy Ridge Boys @ Highfield Hall | 4 PM
Kalliope Reed Quintet @ Thacher Hall | 4 PM
Rose Clancy @ Chatham Squire | 5 PM
Tray Wellington Band @ Payomet PAC | 6 PM
Drive-By Truckers @ Cape Melody Tent | 8 PM

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

Friday

87 🌡️ 68 | 🌤️ | 💧25% | 💨 SW 15 mph

Saturday

79 🌡️ 60 | ☀️ | 💧 1% | 💨 NNE 8 mph

Sunday

77🌡️ 64 | 🌩️ | 💧 55% | 💨 SSW 8 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 68ºF

33 Pasture Road, Bourne
Asking $4.5M
3 🛌
4.5 🛀
3,326 sqft
1.13 acre lot

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

Thanks for reading The Cape Coddah today. If you found something useful or entertaining, please share it with someone of Cape Verdean heritage.