What's Up this Weekend in Wellfleet?

Greetings from Boston, where I’m attending courses at Grub Street. Sven is manning the fort, so to speak, back home. We are lucky, in Wellfleet, not to hear rumblings about a possible end to our post office. That's what happening in Cambridge. Under serious discussion, the closing of the post offices in both Inmann and Kendall Squares. Yikes! I have received a number of announcements to pass on to you, so here goes:

There will be two concerts featuring the Higher Praise Gospel Choir on Sunday. Check the Prez. Hall Web site for details.

Cape Cool is holding is annual Martin Luther King Day walk and potluck on Monday. The 2012 walk will be especially, well, cool because it’s a tenth anniversary celebration. Come join your neighbors at noon and stay for lunch. Looks like the meeting point this year is Prez. Hall. While we’re on the subject of Cape Cool, please hop over to Harriet's blog and think on her words.

And, mark your calendar for two worthwhile upcoming events:

1.) Mac’s Seafood will be celebrating Groundhog Day with a seven-course dinner at Prez. Hall. “A Taste of Local Food: Wellfleet in Winter” promises more than just good eats. Come learn about the local food movement. Tickets cost $65 and will support WCAI and Prez. Hall. The fun starts at 6 pm.

2.) Wellfleet's 250th Anniversary Committee is holding a brainstorming session, open to the public, on February 4th at 10 AM, Council on Aging. I know you all have lots of ideas, so do share them at this meeting.

What do you think of the post offices closings across the nation? Is your post office in danger of ceasing to exist?

Prez. Hall Carolers Tour Downtown Wellfleet

Two dozen Wellfleetians gathered yesterday evening at Prez. Hall for Wellfleet’s first foray into caroling in quite a while, organized by Tracy and Swede Plaut. Everyone was dressed warmly although the temperature had not yet dropped. Jingle bells were tested, songbooks handed out, lanterns lit. All that was missing were the snowflakes to make the holiday picture complete. The mood was joyous as folks arrived with offerings for the Pond Hill School potluck supper later on. Sally Hay, the youngest member of the caroling party, couldn’t wait for the gaiety to begin, nestled close to her mom’s bosom in a Baby Bjorn. Outside, the group practiced, at my request, starting with a rousing Deck the Halls, the appropriate choice without a doubt. Then it was off, down Main Street, two by two.

“Where will we sing?” someone asked.

“Any house that has a human being,” replied Swede, above left.

The first stop was the liquor store. At certain destinations, the carolers were greeted with cookies and hot cider, as well as holiday cheer. Not everyone was fortunate enough to receive a serenade, but town historian Helen Purcell was on the list. She was thrilled.

Do you enjoy caroling? Will you join the carolers next year?

Kevin Rice's Occupy Prez. Hall Rocks Prez. Hall

A talented group of Wellfleetians performed last night at Preservation Hall, during an evening of protest and satire, imagined by Kevin Rice and entitled Occupy Prez. Hall or “Tales of Woe from the Wealthy.” The room was packed, which is not surprising because word of this type of event spreads fast. The premise? Seven individuals, representing the 1%, were to compete for two tents set up outside. Each had a tale of woe to explain why he or she deserved a tent. Which rich person was the worst off? Contestants were to be judged on how far they had fallen. Each had a reversal-of-fortune sob story to tell. This may sound loony, and it was, but also hilarious, with puns and wit galore.

After the “Mayor of Wellfleetia” had welcomed the audience, Facilities Manager Fred Fiddle (Dick Morrill) Googled Heaven on his iPhone and actually got a number. The menu had changed, of course. Fiddle pressed 6 to speak to Jesus but reached the Wellfleet Transfer Station instead. “Oh, but I can transfer you,” announced a voice. “Hello, Jesus?” Fiddle said. “You might know me from the Wellfleet Harbor Actor’s Theater …” “WHAT?!” replied Jesus. Yes, the sketches were pure Wellfleet. (On the left, Stephen Russell, as tipsy financial assistant/butler Manfred, manages to make even Kevin laugh.) These antics were interrupted from time to time by P-blasts and the occasional “I say tax the rich!” from Bob Costa in the audience. (Bob advocated for the 99% and eventually claimed a seat among the seven one-percenters.)

At the beginning of the second act, I read a short excerpt from Occupy My Heart, Seth Rolbrain (Rolbein) appeared as legal counsel, explaining his function in unintelligible legal- speak, and Irene Paine led a rousing version of Charlie and the Wall Street Riot, to the tune of Charlie on the MTA. Then it was back to the 1% and a talent contest to see who would win the coveted tents. My vote went to Nicholas Goldrush (Gulde) who performed a number from The Snowman in the Dunes, that is until Eden Applebottom (Paula Erickson) sang a very original “Santa Baby,” asking for Botox and stocks, among other gifts.

Still with me? As if this were not crazy enough, Bruce Bentley (Bierhans) took the stage to moderate a spelling bee, challenging the 1% with words such as "chinchilla," "portfolio" and "escargots." When Nicholas was eliminated because he had omitted the "s," Ed Miller protested, “This whole thing is rigged,” and occupied the rostrum, making the wealthy spell words like “oligarchy” and “uninsurable”.

Only in Wellfleet, known for its “bleeding-heart liberalism,” as the Mayor pointed out at the beginning of the show. David Money (Wright) ended the night with an amazing song. It was fun, such fun! Bravo to all the performers and especially to Kevin Rice whose final words were, “Power to the people!”

Ho-ho-hoing It Up at the Prez. Hall Wreath Pageant

Mark Gabrielle did not organize the Wreath Pageant this year, but he could not help himself yesterday morning, joining in with final touches around Preservation Hall. Above, he clips a name tag off “Wrack Line Occupied,” by Melody Thibideau, my personal favorite. The wreath featured sea glass, lures and seaweed from a Wellfleet beach. I was able to admire “Never Bagless” on the opposite wall. The selection was displayed with love and dedication. Here’s the main organizer for 2011, Tracy Plaut, in hat, with Christmas elves Victoria Pecoraro, Kathleen Baker, and Kim Shkapich, who helped prepare bean soup and hot chocolate in the Prez. Hall kitchen.

For 2012, crafters used imagination, creativity, and lots of ornaments. Everything from garlic to seashells and candy canes decorated the 60 wreaths on display, both upstairs and down. There were even two small wreaths, fashioned by Janet Ferro from “Fabrics Recycled from Prez. Hall Clothing Swap.” I missed contributions from regulars Marike Hall and Sharyn Lindsay, but it was fun to see work by first-timers Katie Reed and Josaiah Mayo, for instance, local raw-food power couple. They offered up “Growing Peace,” a large wreath featuring ornament seed cards. (Wreaths can be purchased today, too, and next week, starting Wednesday.)

I love the way crafters name their creations. This touch makes our pageant all the more special. “Christmas Fruit Salad” by Carol Ubriaco charmed Marla Rice. Tracy Plaut’s marshmallow masterpiece was entitled simply, “Mello.” Yup, a wreath made of marshmallows. How clever!

Nearby, one of the more unusual items for sale, a circular “Happy Holidays” wreath by artist Robert Rindler, drew a number of onlookers. “Isn’t it fabulous?” Gigi Ledkovsky asked Jim Lotti.

I stopped in front of
“Climpt, Adele Block Baur in her Tutu" by Pietra Bono to ponder its meaning. This was one wreath Sven would have to explain to me later. Pietra is a local jeweler. I got the reference to Gustav Klimt but did not remember Adele Bloch-Bauer, whose famous portrait sold in 2006 for $135 million dollars. Pietra's wreath went beyond Christmas, I decided. Here was a piece of modern art that could be displayed all year long.

New for 2011, no auction. Prices ranged from $20 to $75. A few of the wreaths had already been sold and removed by 11 o’clock, which seemed a shame, but more arrived all afternoon. I bet a number of Wellfleetians planned their visit to coincide with the traditional end-of-the-day rush to bid on a favorite. I did miss the auction, which added an element of excitement to the event, but could easily appreciate the work involved, the reason it was discontinued. As I resumed my tour, I met up again with Mark, who was clipping the tag off “Seashore” by Joe Fiorello. “Joe makes the most gorgeous stuff,” Mark said. Also gorgeous, "Black and White," by Sky Freyss-Cole, bathed here in the glow of morning.

Meanwhile, behind us, the gingerbread house contest had begun. There were five houses and two categories. One entry had intricate almond slivers as a shingled roof.

“I like the small one. And, the detail on this piece is impeccable,” said Kathleen Baker, one of the judges. Check out the complexity of the winning entry in Adults, Barb Taylor’s Early 1800s Lower Cape, Cape Cod House “Did you see?” Tracy asked me later. “There’s even poop by the doghouse.”

In the children’s category, Lili Hay’s “Ice Village," below, took first prize. Here's Lili with her mom, Tracey Harmon Hay. Tracey shrieked with delight when the organizers called to say Lili's entry had won.

The gingerbread house contest was new this year. I trust more bakers will be inspired in 2012 to submit entries. The more, the merrier, don't you think?

An older gentleman rounded the display with a walker, looking to buy gingerbread. He was told to take the elevator downstairs, where tables were laden with Christmas treats. Before joining him, I checked out Joan Platt’s “Holly Wreath” wall quilt, which was to be auctioned off. Joan also contributed her traditional pine cone wreath. (If any of you have tried to make one, you know it's not easy to get all the pieces to fit together flawlessly.) In the basement bean soup and hot chocolate awaited us. It was also possible to take home Christmas cookies.

A colorful sign welcomed revelers. “Thank you for supporting Wellfleet Preservation Hall,” I read out loud. “Our first Christmas in this beautiful building.”

In my opinion, it’s going to be a merry one.

Wellfleet Kids Swap Halloween Costumes at Prez. Hall

Yesterday the Recycling Committee and Preservation Hall held Wellfleet’s First Annual Costume Exchange in the basement of Prez. Hall. I was warmly greeted by RC Chair Lydia Vivante and RC member Tracey Hunt, mother of two young children who paced nervously, not sure what the turn-out might be. She need not have worried. At 2:30 sharp, Wellfleet moms materialized, with eager kids in tow.

I immediately spotted a small accessory table that would have pleased my granddaughter. Sure enough, no sooner had kids approached than two little girls and one boy began to play with the beaded necklaces, below right. Their moms were more interested in the disguises laid out on the stage, “clean and gently worn,” as specified by the RC swap flyer. In June, Prez. Hall held a very successful summer clothing swap, which provided the spark for this fun new event, conceived to make Halloween more affordable and to recycle used costumes.

When I turned to go, a four-year-old girl swooped up to the stage to claim a witch’s hat. “Am I bewitched, Mommy?” she asked. That’s the magic of masquerade as far as kids are concerned. Don a few scarfs and a mask and feel transformed.

My mom wasn’t very imaginative when it came to Halloween. I usually wore a sheet, with two cut-out eyes, becoming Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Does your town organize a Halloween costume exchange yet? Do you plan to attend the fall clothing swap at Prez. Hall, which will take place next Thursday, from 5:30 to 7:30? What was your favorite Halloween costume when you were a child?

Jerusha to Play Preservation Hall

Combine Wellfleet, concern for the environment, and good music, and what have you got? Jerusha and the Beat Greens, who will perform at Preservation Hall this evening at 7 pm to benefit the Homeless Prevention Council. Jerusha’s new album was recently praised in the Cape Cod Times: “Sublime mix … lyrical style … beautiful storytelling.”

Many of you may know Jerusha as the founder of Cape Cool. I was less familiar with the Beat Greens. This local group evolved from the marching band led by Lisa Brown in the annual Independence Day parade, shown here in 2008 or 2009. Members play bucket drums made out of usable recyclables: “Doing the right thing and having fun doing it” could be their motto.

Yesterday I asked the singer/songwriter to explain the title track of her CD ...

“Atmosphere is mostly invisible to us but we couldn’t live without it,” Jerusha said. “What we call the atmosphere of our homes and our towns can also be invisible, but crucial. It’s not just about protecting our air and water and open space. It’s about how we treat each other.”

In other words, community, which makes Prez. Hall the perfect venue for this concert. How important community has become in the second decade of the new millennium!

I salute Jerusha for having taken up the defense of Cape Cod water with a new song, “Powerlines for the People,” a reggae ditty you will not soon forget.

“That’s what it’s all about,” she added. “Creating alliances, supporting each other.”

It’s hard to believe there are Wellfleetians without homes, but this unfortunate situation does exist. Affordable summer rentals are almost impossible to find these days. The Homeless Prevention Council, formerly the Outer Cape Outreach Interfaith Council for the Homeless, works to help those in need.

Jerusha had just returned from the Clearwater Festival, the country’s largest annual environmental celebration, inspired by Pete Seeger. “We got Pete’s autograph on a guitar we will play tomorrow,” she said proudly.

Jerusha won raves Earth Day weekend at the First Encounter Coffee House in Eastham. To reach the gig chosen for release of the new CD, Jerusha and her band of talented musicians took the Flex bus as she suggests on the track, “Turn Toward Peace,” audible on Cape Cool's home page.

Great music, a worthy cause. $10/person. Don’t miss this unique event tonight.

Prez. Hall Holds First Clothing Swap

Monday evening the Preservation Hall Programming Committee organized a clothing swap and was it ever fun. Sky Freyss-Cole was manning the door when I arrived. The entry fee of $10 entitled you to food and drink, as well as swapped clothing. “The idea came from Emily Frawley,” Sky told me. “I had one at my house last year. Emily joined the programming committee and we decided, as a committee, to do it as a fundraiser.”

“Sky, I’m going to leave,” a woman interrupted. “That was so much fun!”

“I’m going to look prettier tomorrow because of you,” Nancy O’Connell said, exiting at the same time with a full bag of clothing.

By 7:30, 25 people had participated and the party was only half over. It was a young crowd, although Sky admitted some of her mom’s friends had already come and gone. The idea was simple: bring something, take something. Women milled around the tables, holding up a shirt or a pair of jeans. Small children danced around the table in the middle, which was laden with fresh fruit. A husband waited outside. Rosie Hatch held a friend’s one-month old baby while the mother of four tried on clothes. There were shoes and jewelry, hats and bags, aprons. I checked out some of the t-shirts and noticed a quantity of small and extra-small sizes, not perfect for the more mature woman I have become. But that was okay.

“It’s even fun to watch people try things on,” Sky declared. “It’s great because if they don’t like it, you can scoop it up after having had it modeled for you. We even had people join from off the street.”

People, as in tourists, I suppose she meant. Still, the event focused on helping community members improve their wardrobe without spending a cent.

Just then Tracy Harmon Hay arrived with a niece and a bag full of clothing. I heard someone tell her in an excited voice, “I’m going to follow you around.”

A guy came in, spoke to Sky, and turned away,
disappointed that this swap was only for gals. The Preservation Hall Programming Committee plans another swap in the fall. Who knows? Perhaps guys’ clothes will also be accepted?

“I know it will grow from here,” added Ariana Bradford, another committee member, who was eying the collection of shoes, divided up by size, when I introduced myself. “I’ve gotten some really good stuff tonight.”

For me, this event again proved community is alive and well in Wellfleet. And, I took home a cool shirt, too!

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Johnathan Kendall

Anyone who has driven down Main Street over the past
thirty plus years has had the opportunity to admire the doors on Wellfleet’s former Catholic Church, now re-purposed as Preservation Hall, our new community center. Ever since 1976, when the colorful woodcarvings first attracted my eye, I have wondered about the artist who created the soulful images. Who was Johnathan Kendall? What happened to him? Was he a native of Cape Cod? These questions and more were answered Friday evening at a talk by Mark Gabrielle, curator of an unusual show, which will showcase 30 woodcarvings from June 30 to September 5, Prez. Hall’s first.

At the beginning of the talk, Mark warned the audience that the story he was about to relate was not a happy one. Kendall had a difficult early life, although he did travel to Europe where he was exposed to religious art. His mother disowned him on his 18th birthday, an event that made the son leave New England and move west where he lived in a cabin and made icons. The “woodcarving nomad” visited Cape Cod in 1976. He created our doors in exchange for a small food stipend, and the right to pitch a tent in the churchyard. Barter became a way of life. Kendall often visited monasteries and discovered a certain kinship with the monks. It was in the late 1970s, Gabrielle reported, that Kendall started a workshop on icon-making at an “experimental monastery” in Arizona. (Read more here.) It was there that he fell in love with John Kreyche, a “strong silent type.” The two married and were inseparable until 1991 when Kreyche disappeared without a trace. Kendall was heartbroken. “He wanted to make a living from his art, but it never worked out that way,” Gabrielle said sadly. Kendall died in 2004 in a New Mexico nursing home.

As part of the renovation project, workers removed the doors, which were stored away once Brailsford Nixon and Jean Nelson had painstakingly brought the art work back to its original glory. I saw the doors once during a Preservation Hall garden tour. They served as inspiration for this gingerbread house, on sale three years ago during Deck This Hall, as well as marvelous ginger cookies that looked too good to eat. That same year I bought a transfer of the image, now on my window.

While Wellfleetians have grown to love these doors, they also hold meaning for visitors. I discovered this fact when one of our regular cottage guests asked why the doors had been removed from the shuttered building. Fortunately, I was able to organize a special visit that year, thanks to Simone Reagor. It turns out our guests used the doors every summer as a yardstick for their son. The photo to the left was taken in 2008. “When I first started taking this shot, Cory was in this same pose, but reaching up to grab the end of the door handles, about at the lower black bar,” my friend Robert reports by email. It’s a marvelous tradition, don’t you think?

Johnathan Kendall’s doors are one of Wellfleet’s special treasures. I’m grateful to Mark Gabrielle for the painstaking research he did on the artist, answering all my questions, as well as for putting together a show of Kendall’s work. Visitors to Wellfleet can look forward to seeing some of Kendall’s other woodcarvings this summer. Since the artist was prolific, picking up a piece of his art at the flea market also remains an intriguing option ….

Prez. Hall Opens Doors: Let Community Shine!

Preservation Hall opened its doors on Saturday, and what an exciting event it was! A few Wellfleetians started approaching the former Catholic Church on Main Street in late afternoon. By 5 o’clock hundreds stood outside and listened intently as lawyer Bruce Bierhans described the first email he had received about the project. That email suggested he might want to join a dynamic group of Wellfleetians with a novel idea: the creation of a community center in downtown Wellfleet, using the shell of a building formerly occupied by the Catholic Church. Weddings would be held in "Preservation Hall" as a source of revenue. Such a venue could become an asset to the town and the community.

Four years later, the dream of three Wellfleet women has become reality. We have our community center and it is amazing. Bruce joked that Marla Rice, Ellen LeBow, and Anne Suggs had “spent half their life in this building.” He mentioned how much he had enjoyed working with the Prez. Hall board, who all eventually joined him on the steps. (Read his description of the day at Cape Cod Barrister.)

“Through the dynamic leadership of the few, others were attracted to this project,” said Mary Fox, next up at the podium. Behind her glowed the renovated doors, created by an itinerant artist named Johnathan Kendall, whose work will hang in the hall this summer, an exhibit curated by Mark Gabrielle.

Managing director Janet Lezniak spoke of her admiration that “the heart-center of a town could be revitalized through the restoration of a building.” She then added, “We are all stewards of this beautiful place.”

Assistant Town Manager Rex Peterson called Prez. Hall “the crown jewel of Main Street.”

Fundraiser-in-chief Nicholas Gulde informed the crowd that 2000 Wellfleetians had made donations. He went on to specify 200 people had given $1000 or more. “One generous and creative donor gave $200,000 as a challenge grant,” he said. In five months, that grant had been matched. Fundraising was conducted in unusual ways, birdhouse auctions, dinner parties, garden tours, wreath pageants, the now annual Christmas event dubbed “Deck This Hall,” which was associated one year with a craft fair.

Next at the podium came Dan Wolf, our new MA State Senator, whom I met in February. “This commitment to community is truly overwhelming,” Dan told the crowd. He added that the Main Street building was like a time machine that bridged the past and would “speak to future generations of who we are and what we believe in.” (Dan did not speak and run, either. He was present all evening.)

Finally, Marla Rice mounted the steps to cheers from town residents, who have all had ample opportunity, over the past few years to grasp, with what dedication she approached the project, always willing to engage with members of the community and share her enthusiasm for what was then merely a blueprint in her mind. Marla told the crowd, “This is a love story, and love is all about relationships, and this relationship is between this community and this building.” She compared Prez. Hall to a blank canvas and urged Wellfleetians to fill it in. “Please keep daring to imagine,” she concluded. (In the photo above, Marla, right, celebrates later in the evening with two other Prez. Hall muses, Anne Suggs and Gigi Ledkovsky.)

Marla cut the ribbon, the doors were opened, and then the real fun began. The crowd descended the brand new cobblestone driveway for a potluck dinner. A rousing dance party followed, with a live band, a wicked-good live band. “Wellfleet has gone wild,” someone remarked.

Seven hundred people crossed the threshold on this first day of community gathering. What I appreciated most was the reverence and respect the building inspired.

Fortunate enough to have a private tour with another muse, Dale Rheault, I got to see the office, the boiler, even the kitchen. I also admired striking use of unexpected color in the painting job by Tom Reinhardt, the custom tiles, created by Ellen LeBow, and the mosaic floor on the landing.

There will be free events held in Prez. Hall all week, so don’t miss out if you are in town. (I just shared the schedule with our guests.)

My younger daughter attended the ceremony with me and remarked that the shellfishermen seemed to be absent from the gaiety. Perhaps it was simply low tide and they were out on the flats? Also absent, Todd Barry, a member of the board but busy tending to diners at Moby’s Dick. At least three Selectmen were present, two current and one past. I saw Laura Capello, the dental hygienist at Outer Cape Dental, with her fireman husband, running after their children. That’s what struck me the most at the party: amidst the middle-aged revelers danced the town's young people, with their kids, eyes full of wonder at what Marla, Anne and Ellen had dared imagine could happen: true community spirit. How wonderful!

Preservation Hall Opens Today

The farmers' market in Orleans starts up this morning, but soon we will not need to journey down Route 6 to buy fruit and veggies from local farmers. Why? Preservation Hall will feature a farmers' market, open Wednesday mornings.