Falmouth Living by the Sea | Spring 2022 Issue

PERFECT IS CLOSE ENOUGH

and pediatric

and

with

wait times available at

for

across

C AP E C OD H EAL TH CARE

contents

GENERATION NEXT

Falmouth

for

with

IN THE KITCHEN: STRAWBERRIES

from the

STEP INTO SUMMER

When it comes to understated, elegant looks, Falmouth and fashion go hand in hand.

FLIGHT OF FANCY

design turns a deck in North Falmouth into a multi-use modern

A CURATED COLLECTION

Sometimes, giving a house a new look means using what you have in a fresh way

DEPARTMENTS

Our Town

Freshwater ponds, Share Your Bounty, Coonamessett River restoration project, Lighthouse Station residences, the Cape Cod Theatre Project

History Strawberries & Emeralds

Photo Essay

art photography from Michael Petrizzo

Shopping Spree

98 INSPIRED BY THE SEA

Artist Ryan Young’s

are a tribute to the town that raised him.

FALMOUTH ROAD RACE AT 50

The heralded event celebrates its golden anniversary.

An interview with Frank Shorter

DOWN TO EARTH

Husband-and-wife horticulturists have transformed their small yard into a garden oasis.

CULTIVATING THE COMMUNITY

The Falmouth Garden Club wields tools and talent to keep Falmouth green and gorgeous.

LIVING THE DREAM

team of

the cover: A quintessential summer scene in Quissett.

by Michael Petrizzo

Sotheby’s

Reserved.

Main Street @Botello’s showcases the newest in cabinetry designs for every room in your home. Highlighted with details of our innovative moldings, mill work & hardware. Our Benjamin Moore paint department complements with trending colors in every corner.

invite you to explore Main Street @Botello’s showroom. Where inspiration comes alive. Visit MainStreetBotellos.com to view our showroom experience.

publisher’s letter

Seaside in Fabulous Falmouth

The transition to spring and summer adds new life and beauty to Falmouth’s stunning landscapes and gorgeous sunsets. Summer gives us endless beach days on the pristine and charming Falmouth coast.

Spring and summer are my favorite times of the year. I love hearing the birds sing, seeing the flowers bloom and enjoying the long summer days on the incomparable beaches. We all need those quiet moments to sit back, unwind and tune into the season’s rhythms. By soaking up nature’s sublime beauty and restoring our well-being, we are reminded of what life is all about and energized for the days ahead.

Thank you to my outstanding team, our contributors, advertisers and the Falmouth community.

Make sure to follow us on Instagram @falmouthliving.mag and Facebook @flivingmag.

We hope you enjoy reading Falmouth Living as much as we loved creating the magazine for you. Please drop us a note by email or online. We look forward to hearing from you.

Join us and celebrate as we explore and discover the best of everything Falmouth offers throughout the year. You will see why Falmouth is one of the Best Summer Vacation Spots in the USA!

Suzanne Ryan Publisher Falmouth Living suzanne@falmouthlivingmag.com

PHOTO BY MICHAEL PETRIZZO

A Sensational Season

With this issue, we give you “local color” at its best, literally! From vividly hued fashion and recipes for ruby-red strawberries to pastel-splashed gardens and paintings in rich tones, spring and summer in Falmouth come to life. A big thank you goes out to our talented contributing writers and photographers for their work and, in particular, the late fine art photographer Michael Petrizzo, whose eye for capturing land- and seascapes around town was second to none.

If one event epitomizes the energy and joie de vivre the season promises, it’s the 50th running of the Falmouth Road Race, where community spirit reaches a high for contestants and spectators alike. Former Cape Cod Times sports editor Bill Higgins gives us a historical perspective on the famed race, and in a similar vein, he has pulled together a Falmouth Commodores dream team comprised of star players from the past who went on to careers in Major League Baseball.

Various organizations in town—Falmouth Garden Club, Farming Falmouth, Falmouth Historical Society and others—are very busy behind the scenes shoring up the community infrastructure in ways large and small. They are well represented in these pages.

And, finally, a favorite feature in our Spring/Summer issues is “Faces of Falmouth,” where we introduce key townspeople and why they stand out. This time around, we elaborate on the theme and zero in on multigenerational local family businesses. It’s no surprise that at the root of their success and longevity is simply a love for the place they call home.

Warmly,

Janice

Randall Rohlf

will home take you?

As leaders in the sale of distinctive properties across the South Coast, South Shore, Cape Cod & Greater Boston, we can help you wherever the tide should take you on your next move.

contributors

MEG COSTELLO is the research manager at the Falmouth Historical Society’s Museums on the Green. She edits the Museums’ monthly blog, “Untold Tales of Falmouth.”

DAN CUTRONA’s work has appeared in Chatham Living by the Sea, South Shore Home, Life & Style and Gulfshore Life. Cutrona divides his time between Miami and Cape Cod with his wife and three young children.

BILL HIGGINS is an award-winning former newspaper sports editor and writer who has covered everything from World Series, Super Bowls, Stanley Cups and NBA championships to the Masters golf tournament, Boston Marathons, America’s Cup yacht races and World Cup soccer matches. Beyond fun and games, Bill’s most memorable and proudest moments have been with his family and 40-year marriage to Marsha. They have a son and daughter and four grandchildren.

CHRIS KAZARIAN is a freelance writer who enjoys telling stories about people who are making an impact nationally, regionally and here on Cape Cod. His writing has appeared in Hemispheres inflight magazine, espnW, The Hockey News, Boston Herald, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Providence Journal and the Cape Cod Travel Guide.

Freelance writer NIKKI WALSH graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with a minor in communications. Writing has always been important to her, having enjoyed free writing and journaling as a form of self-expression throughout her life. Born and raised on Cape Cod, she enjoys summers and loves to be outdoors, especially at the beach.

KYLE J. CALDWELL is a New Yorkbased photographer who specializes in architectural photography. His work can be found in many regional and national publications.

SARAH E. MURPHY grew up in Falmouth Heights. After a 12-year career as a local reporter, she is a freelance journalist working with survivors of clergy sex abuse to tell their stories. She studied English and writing at Bridgewater State University and currently teaches creative writing for women at The Cosmic Cod in Mashpee Commons. Sarah and her husband, Chris Bennett, live in Falmouth with their rescue cat, Stallone.

BETTY WILEY is a well-known freelance photographer and instructor on Cape Cod who specializes in landscape and nature photography. Her work has appeared in numerous local magazines and guidebooks.

DERRICK ZELLMANN is a commercial and editorial photographer based between Boston and Cape Cod. His passion for portraiture has brought him diverse opportunities to photograph a wide range of subjects including celebrities, artists, professional athletes, heroic firefighters, Academy and Emmy Award winners, and models.

PHOTOS BY SALTY BROAD STUDIOS

Falmouth

VOLUME 3 ~ ISSUE 1 SPRING/SUMMER 2022

PUBLISHER

Suzanne Ryan suzanne@falmouthlivingmag.com

EDITOR

Janice Randall Rohlf janice@falmouthlivingmag.com

ART DIRECTOR

Alison Caron Alison Caron Design alison@falmouthlivingmag.com

COPY EDITOR Nan Fornal

ADVERTISING

Suzanne Ryan

WRITERS

Meg Costello, Bill Higgins, Chris Kazarian, Sarah E. Murphy, Nikki Walsh

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kyle Caldwell, Dan Cutrona, Michael Petrizzo, Betty Wiley, Derrick Zellmann

Order magazine online at falmouthlivingmag.com

@flivingmag @falmouthliving.mag P.O. Box 183, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562

Spring/Summer magazine price $7.95 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Publisher disclaims all responsibility for omissions, errors and unsolicited materials. Printed in the USA.

Unique

Find at the

Places TO Paddle

BY CHRIS KAZARIAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE TUCKER

Listen to birder, photographer and naturalist Mike Tucker wax poetic about Coonamessett Pond, and you’ll start to understand why Falmouth’s freshwater ponds are its hidden gems.

“I love that place. It’s probably the one I paddle more than others,” he says. “I’ve been on that pond fishing in the afternoon, and while I’ve been on the west end I’ve heard a barred owl calling and paddled past pied-billed grebes and lots of waterfowl. It is beautiful.”

Here, there is access to several coves. A narrow channel connects to a larger pond covered in lily pads and filled with an assortment of wildlife that includes birds, snapping turtles, and smallmouth and largemouth bass. “It feels like you’re on an adventure,” Tucker says.

While Falmouth’s nine beaches may draw crowds, the freshwater ponds offer a sense of calm and serenity. There are roughly three dozen in town, though most don’t have public access. Some that do, such as Cedar Lake, aren’t easily accessible, and people like 82-year-old Susan Baur don’t recommend them unless, she quips, you like “the glory of putting your feet into this mucky place with bladderwort and other invasive species.”

A swimmer by trade, Baur has long been fascinated with

the Cape’s freshwater ponds for one reason— a love of turtles. She also kayaks as a mechanism to do good; she’s the founder and a member of Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, or OLAUG for short. In that role, she traverses Cape ponds, helping remove everything from discarded charcoal grills and beer cans to tires and a garden gnome.

When it comes to recreation—whether it’s swimming, kayaking or canoeing—Baur recommends only a handful of ponds, with Coonamessett and Ashumet at the top of the list. Pond 14, which is off John Parker Road, is another worth kayaking, especially when you go under the foot bridge “and come up into really shallow water where all the waterfowl spend the night,” Baur says.

Miles Pond, also known as Ice House Pond, Deep Pond, Flax Pond and Shivericks Pond, which will eventually have better access thanks to a fishing platform, are others that can be enjoyed by the public.

Tucker, who also kayaks in salt water, believes that any day spent outdoors is a lucky one, just to have a connection with the natural world. “Sometimes when you are in a kayak, it’s amazing how much more approachable wildlife can be,” he says. “You tend to see more, and you seem to blend in more. It’s almost like you are somewhat accepted by nature.”

One of roughly three dozen freshwater ponds in Falmouth, Coonamessett Pond, a favorite of outdoor adventurers, has a narrow channel and access to several coves.

Share Your Bounty

A program created by nonprofit Farming Falmouth allows backyard gardeners to donate extra produce to those in need.

BY JANICE RANDALL ROHLF

IN A NEW TWIST ON TURNING LEMONS INTO LEMONADE, Share Your Bounty got its start during the pandemic. “I was hearing that a lot of people were growing larger gardens or starting new gardens to grow food,” says Patricia Gadsby, who volunteers for both Farming Falmouth and the Falmouth Farmers’ Market. “I thought, come August we’re going to see a lot of zucchini.” Instead of watching surplus produce go to waste, Gadsby had an idea: Why not channel it toward the Falmouth Service Center, the town’s local food pantry?

In just two years’ time, Share Your Bounty has seen enormous success. Aimed at backyard and community gardeners with food to spare, the initiative contributed to the 6,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables that were collected and donated by Farming Falmouth to the Falmouth Service Center last year. The rest of the produce came from Farming Falmouth’s Gleaning initiative.

Gadsby attributes the robust growth of Share Your Bounty to good timing—and to the generosity of growers and fellow volunteers at both Farming Falmouth and the Farmers’ Market.

Duncan Kimball, Ilene Karnow, Pamela Rothstein and Jeny Christian (Falmouth Farming board chair) glean vegetables at Pariah Dog Farm in Teaticket.

The Thursday farmers’ market already had a longstanding practice of collecting extra produce from market vendors at the end of the day for delivery to the Service Center. With this mechanism in place, it made sense to consolidate donations from private gardens.

“The idea behind Share Your Bounty is catching on,” says Ellie Costa, vice president of Farming Falmouth. “We believe strongly in making connections within the community, spreading the word that we need to share our food locally and getting more people to do it.”

Like a healthy crop, a good idea just keeps growing. “Knowing that some of our local farms sometimes have extra yield that gets plowed back into the field, we decided to organize people to come and pick it before that happens,” says Gadsby, explaining the idea behind Gleaning, a complementary initiative to Share Your Bounty.

Two summers ago, Farming Falmouth board member Katrina Nevin collaborated with Matt Churchill of Pariah Dog Farm in Teaticket to have volunteers gather produce that otherwise would have been lost when turning over soil to plant the next crop. The food was taken directly to the Falmouth Service Center. Volunteer Dick Pooley, who stepped in for Nevin last summer, coordinated and expanded the gleaning program in 2021. Pooley, president of the Marina F. Andrews Community Garden, also drives the effort to find places in Falmouth for community gardens.

“Right now, in Falmouth, agriculture tends to be spoken of as part of our historic past, our heritage,” says Costa. “Farming Falmouth believes it’s got to be front and center in our future.” The nonprofit, buoyed by growing membership and generous grants, has big plans for the years ahead, including conducting a town-wide food needs assessment, starting an incubator farm and creating live and videotaped workshops and FCTV programming that raises awareness of local agriculture.

“For now, with food insecurity becoming more of an issue, it’s nice to know how to be part of the solution,” says Costa.

For more information about these programs, and to learn about more volunteer opportunities, visit farmingfalmouth.org

Above: Donated vegetables at the Share Your Bounty collection point at the Falmouth Farmers’ Market. Below: Farming Falmouth board member Katrina Nevin and her sister, Aria Nevin, with Aria’s son, Oren.

Off the Beaten Path

BY SARAH E. MURPHY | PHOTOGRAPHY

The Coonamessett River Greenway Heritage Trail has quickly become one of the most popular spots for appreciating the tranquil beauty of Falmouth. Set amid more than 500 acres, the 3.5-mile loop, spanning Coonamessett Pond and the Coonamessett River Conservation Lands, offers a bucolic escape from the highway din of Route 28 in East Falmouth.

Owned by the Town of Falmouth and The 300 Committee, the “Gateway to the Greenway” officially opened in October 2021 with a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the completion of the Scenic River Overlook, a 180-degree viewing platform, marking the third phase of the Coonamessett River Restoration Project. While groundbreaking for the first phase began in

BY SUZANNE RYAN

October 2017, restoring the river and surrounding wetlands had been a shared goal of local, state and federal biologists for decades. Land use changes for industrial purposes all played a detrimental role, beginning in the late 1600s, with dams and culverts for grist and woolen mills, and later, the removal of native vegetation and addition of sand to convert the land for cranberry farming.

The Wampanoag people named Coonamesset, meaning “Place of the Long Fish,” for the once-plentiful eel they relied on for sustenance. The eel population became depleted, as did that of herring, which previously relied on the river as an access route to freshwater in order to spawn.

The brand-new “Gateway to the Greenway” is the latest stage in the Coonamessett River restoration.

The Town of Falmouth launched its efforts to protect the river in 1964, and The Coonamessett River Trust and The 300 Committee, Falmouth’s land trust, began working together in 2009 to lay the groundwork. The two nonprofit organizations played a pivotal role in launching the project.

The Coonamessett River Trust began systematic monitoring of the river, while The 300 Committee expanded its vision, purchasing new conservation lands on the river, and working with the Town of Falmouth to help facilitate the purchase of open space along the river corridor to establish a vegetated buffer or “greenway.”

Project Coordinator Dr. Betsy Gladfelter, who also serves on the Falmouth Conservation Commission, underscored the collaborative nature of the restoration, boasting more than 40 partner organizations, including the state and federal governments. The project serves as a model throughout Massachusetts of a nature-based solution to climate change.

However, the driving force was local. “This is truly a town project, in every sense of the word,” Gladfelter says. “From the support of Town Counsel, to the Board of Selectmen, to the voters at Town Meeting, to the volunteers who donated thousands of hours to count herring. Everyone made this happen.”

As anticipated, the Greenway also offers a tangible way to learn about the cultural history of Falmouth, and how societal changes are not always beneficial.

The Coonamessett now ambles freely, for all to see. For the

first time in centuries, a river runs through it. Birdwatchers, dog walkers and shutterbugs flock to see soaring osprey, stunning sunsets and the return of the herring.

Christopher Bennett, construction inspector for Falmouth’s engineering department, a division of the Department of Public Works, has overseen the construction of the river restoration since it began in 2017. “It’s rewarding to watch people of all ages appreciate the transformation, and all the planning and work that went into this project,” he says. “It’s been especially popular during the pandemic, which is another reason these open spaces are so important to our town.”

IF YOU GO

Coonamessett River Greenway Heritage Trail

Free parking is available at the lower bogs, 58 John Parker Road; at the Scenic River Overlook, 100 John Parker Road; and at other access points along John Parker. Trail maps and interpretive signs are situated along the river, with two handicap-accessible boardwalks.

A Beacon of Change

BY JANICE RANDALL ROHLF

A LOT OF VIEWS ARE DESCRIBED AS BREATHTAKING , but not many literally take your breath away. One that does, no matter how many times I encounter it driving into Woods Hole Village, comes at a bend in the road where Vineyard Sound suddenly appears, a vast expanse of water crisscrossed by ferries churning through the waves toward Martha’s Vineyard and disappearing as dots on the horizon. Especially when the sun sparkles on the water, it is truly mesmerizing.

Imagine waking up to this view every day. That was the impetus for Mark Bogosian, owner of Longfellow Design Build, when he began the process of developing land for residential use on a natural bluff overlooking Vineyard Sound, Martha’s Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands.

“I’ve always enjoyed spending time in Woods Hole,” says Bogosian. “When we purchased the property in 2016, the abandoned Nautilus Hotel building had fully collapsed after sitting vacant for more than a decade. It was a dangerous eyesore,

just as you approached Woods Hole Village. Our vision was to transform the property to fit with the surrounding neighborhood, while providing much-needed housing to the area.”

Called Lighthouse Station at Woods Hole, the 5-plus-acre ocean-view development broke ground in January 2022, and occupancy of its 39 market-rate residences and four affordable rentals is expected to begin in 2023. Respectful to local architectural vernacular, the exterior design is based on traditional shingle-style seaside cottages on the New England coast and has a residential scale and feeling. Pitched roofs give the homes an informal appearance, as do Nantucket-grade Eastern white cedar siding and gable roof-ends designed with horizontal shiplap.

Lighthouse Station residences vary in layout and size, but all have a contemporary style with open floor plans and premium wide-plank white-oak hardwood flooring accentuated by 9-foothigh ceilings. The kitchens feature frameless cabinetry, with maple soft-close doors and dovetail drawers, quartz countertops

Lighthouse Station residences transform a long-abandoned property in Woods Hole.

Renderings of Lighthouse Station show a design based on traditional shingle-style seaside cottages with contemporary interiors.

gorgeous view from the site of Lighthouse Station.

and high-end Wolf appliances. Many units have spacious, private exterior patios and porches, and the living spaces feature an array of new amenities and high-end finishes.

If you are interested in learning more about Lighthouse Station, visit the sales office, 159 Main Street, Falmouth. lighthousestation.com

As comfortable and aesthetically pleasing as the homes are inside, what goes on outside the front doors is hard to beat. In addition to the views from the property, in direct line of sight at the far end of Little Harbor is the Woods Hole Coast Guard station, established in 1857 as Lighthouse Service Station, a maintenance facility to support its buoys, lights, and lightships, and the inspiration for the

Medical Group

development’s name.

A quick stroll from the residences brings you into Woods Hole for shopping, dining, a public library, a local theater company, and annual events like the Woods Hole Film Festival. The vibrant science community anchored by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Marine Biological Laboratory sponsors lectures, seminars and special events throughout the year.

Of historical interest, located on the grounds of Lighthouse Station is a geodesic dome designed by R. Buckminster Fuller and MIT students early in 1953. Architect Gunnar Peterson commissioned the dome to provide the main dining space for the Nautilus Motor Inn Restaurant. Abandoned since 2002, when the restaurant closed, the dome is protected and its use restricted by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. As a part of this development project, Longfellow Design Build will restore the dome structure to the specifications defined by the historical commission.

Touch

MIKE

The Cape Cod Theatre Project is the greatest champion in Massachusetts of new American plays. Every July for nearly 30 years, the nonprofit summer theater company has gathered in Falmouth to present four live shows, all new American plays. Unlike those of a typical producing theater, where a company presents a finished product complete with costumes, sets and a final draft of a script, CCTP’s plays are always works in progress. The plays are in the early stages of development, and the playwrights spend a week at CCTP editing and testing changes to the new play they are developing over the course of its performance run.

In the scripted performances, production values are minimal, so the actors, directors and playwright can focus exclusively on the text of the new work. After each performance, there is a talkback: The audience is invited to provide its impressions of the show and give feedback to the playwright and director, which can lead to changes in the show based on these reactions. This means the audience itself becomes a part of the development of a show that may one day join the great American theater canon.

A STAR IS BORN

Over the years, CCTP has had tremendous success contributing to the arts in the United States. More than 67 of the 101 plays developed at CCTP have had future lives: on Broadway, Off-Broadway and at regional theaters around the country and even internationally. CCTP alumna Heidi Schreck recently performed on Broadway her Pulitzer Prize–nominated play What the Constitution Means to Me, which she worked on while she was an artist-in-residence in Falmouth. Alumnus Lucas Hnath workshopped his play Hillary and Clinton at the Cape Cod Theatre Project, which then went on to have a successful Broadway run starring John Lithgow and Laurie Metcalf. And some of the brightest stars of Hollywood and Broadway have performed live at CCTP, such as Oscar winners Anna Paquin and Rip Torn; Oscar nominees Amy Ryan, Paul Giamatti and Sam Waterston; and actors Maura Tierney and Pedro Pascal, as well as many others. With its stellar track record, community outreach and commitment to telling great stories, CCTP makes Falmouth an exciting place to be in July.

For more information about this season’s plays and playwrights visit capecodtheatreproject.org

BY MARK NIMAR

Actors (L-R) Charles Socarides, Zoe Winters and Sam Waterston in P.K. Simonds’ Bearded Ladies, in 2018. Left: The Lobbyist perform their musical, Seawife, directed by Liz Carlson, in 2014.

The Cape Cod Theatre Project brings new plays to life for Falmouth audiences.

Strawberries

Emeralds and

Until WW II, Falmouth was the strawberry capital of the country, spearheaded by the Emerald family of Davisville.

BY MEG COSTELLO

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE FALMOUTH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Emerald House, on Davisville Road, is well named, for it is a jewel in the history of Falmouth. This 1906 farmhouse was once the home of Manuel Emerald and his wife, Mary Estrella Farias, immigrants from the Azores. But the story really starts with Manuel’s older brother.

John Amaral was the first Azorean to settle in Falmouth, arriving sometime around 1886. One day, while working for Swift’s Market on Depot Avenue, John found some discarded strawberries on a trash heap. The berries were beginning to sprout. Seeing an opportunity where others might see only garbage, John took the strawberries home to his farm, on Clark Street in East Falmouth, and planted them.

By the time Manuel came to America in 1900, John was raising strawberries as a cash crop and shipping them by rail

to off-Cape markets. Manuel took his brother’s example to heart. He also adopted John’s new American name of Emerald. As soon as Manuel was settled in the Davisville farmhouse, he began to clear land for a strawberry field. Sometimes he worked by lantern light after returning home from his day jobs as a laborer and landscaper.

The Emerald farm always had a horse and a cow, pigs and chickens, grapevines, turnips and other crops, but the strawberry was its mainstay. Family life revolved around the strawberries’ 15-month cycle of cultivation.

In April, Manuel set out the plants in rows five-and-a-half feet apart. For weeks he pinched, hoed and weeded them. From July until September, the plants sent out “runners.” Manuel got down on his hands and knees, separated the runners and planted them

Manuel Emerald inspecting his strawberry field, c. 1935, with daughter Bea standing at left.

at carefully spaced intervals. Ultimately, every “mother plant” had three “daughters” on each side to increase the yield.

In November and December Manuel collected pine needles to put down as mulch. At every stage, Mary and the children helped him in any way they could. Harvest time in June brought a frantic three weeks of picking. In later years, as Manuel’s fields expanded, he would hire pickers from New Bedford and Providence to help with the harvest.

Manuel soon had neighbors with familiar-sounding names like Rapoza, Benevides, Medeiros and Demello. Portuguesespeaking immigrants flocked to East Falmouth and copied the Emerald brothers’ recipe for success. Scrubby, wooded land was cheap, and almost anyone could afford an acre or two. By the late 1930s, strawberries were being grown on about 400 small farms that added up to about 600 acres.

On the eve of World War II, Falmouth had a population of 5,000. Two thousand residents (40 percent) were of Portuguese origin, a category that included both Azoreans and Cape Verdeans. Many of the Cape Verdeans got their first glimpse

Right: Manuel Emerald in the summer of 1942. World War II brought labor shortages that dealt a blow to the strawberry industry. Below: Workers show off berries grown on Albert Marks’s farm, c. 1952. Pickers’ tickets could be exchanged for cash after the crop was sold.

of Falmouth as seasonal pickers, and then returned to buy farms of their own. Among these were Manuel Roderick, a former whaleman, and Tony Andrews, who would become an icon of local farming.

Although Manuel Emerald remained independent, most of the other farmers increased their negotiating power by joining either the Cape Cod Strawberry Growers Association or the Falmouth Farmers’ Cooperative Association. The growers also took advice from Bertram Tomlinson, the agricultural agent for Barnstable County.

These savvy moves, combined with hard physical labor, paid off. The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared that Falmouth had the highest yield of strawberries per acre of anywhere in the United States in the 1920s. According to

Above: Strawberry festival brochure, 1951. Civic leaders tried to revive the industry by tying it to tourism. Left: St. Barnabas strawberry fair, 2000. Local appreciation for the strawberry continues into the 21st century.

Below: In June 1953, Strawberry Queen Nancy Schroeder rode with her handmaiden in a parade down Main Street.

the New Bedford Standard Times, in June 1930 Falmouth produced half a million quarts of strawberries, valued at $400,000.

Farmers had no cash until the crop was sold, so the helpers were given tickets showing how many boxes they had picked. These tickets could be redeemed for cash later. Around town, a phrase often heard was “I’ll pay you por tempo do morango” (in strawberry season).

The profit from a good crop would carry a large family through the winter. If the crop hadn’t been so good, farmers might seek out short-term bank loans to tide them over. When Joseph Souza applied for a loan at Falmouth National Bank, loan officer George Dean asked him, “What collateral do you have?”

“My children are my collateral,” he replied, “and my jewelry is the calluses on my hands.” Souza got the loan.

World War II changed everything. Labor shortages and competition from farms in Florida and California made Falmouth’s acres less profitable. In the 1950s, promoters tried to revive the slumping industry by turning the harvest into a tourist spectacle, complete with the crowning of a strawberry queen, and contests for strawberry picking and eating.

Growers were unimpressed. Milton Soares called the festival “a market ploy for visitors” that didn’t do much for farmers. The strawberry queen, he said, “was not a Portuguese tradition.”

Adding to the decline of the industry, the farmers’ children were branching out into other occupations. Many went into construction. They built homes for summer residents, and

Above: In June 1952, elite pickers competed for a $100 prize. Winner Elvira Barros is in the front row, second from left. Left: Cooperative groups allowed farmers to maximize their profits and set their families on the road to success.

landmarks such as the Silver Lounge and the Capewind Motel. Manuel Roderick’s grandson, Paulino Rodriques, served as Falmouth’s police chief from 1984 to 1993. Others became doctors, lawyers and professors.

The strawberry fields gradually disappeared, most being sold to developers for house lots. Some aspects of the old way of life were sorely missed. Farmer’s daughter Arlene Benevides Soares recalls the closeness of the community, how neighbors had been like family.

“We don’t know our neighbors anymore,” she lamented. Her husband, Milton, agreed, saying that people nowadays will “never know the life we had. Everyone helped each other.”

Manuel Emerald lived in his farmhouse until he died in 1956. His heirs sold the house and surrounding acres to the town in 1995, at a discounted price. Used as a thrift shop for several years, the house now hosts the Cape Cod Cape Verdean Museum and Cultural Center, while the land has been turned into a community garden.

Through these institutions, the Emerald family spirit lives on, with a message for us today. Plant seeds, work hard, honor those who have gone before, and your harvest just may include faith, hope and love, in addition to bushels of strawberries.

GENERATION

Seven Falmouth family businesses positioned for the future with legacy in mind

BY CHRIS KAZARIAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DERRICK ZELLMANN

Jim Estes, Katie Stuhlfire and Donald Estes at the Landfall restaurant in Woods Hole. Their story is on page 58.

Todd, Mike, Christy and Tim Duffany

M. DUFFANY BUILDERS

Most people recommend not taking your work home with you, but for 39 years Mike Duffany has ignored that advice. With nearly a decade’s worth of construction experience, he started his company, M. Duffany Builders in 1983, operating out of his home near Falmouth High School. His only other employee at the time was his wife, Christy, who served as the office manager.

In the company’s early days, Mike admits, “I was in my comfort zone just doing small jobs. I had two goals in mind— provide for my family and provide retirement benefits down the road.” He focused on remodeling work, and limited new construction to just one house a year. “I wanted to stay in remodeling. People will always need roofs and sidewalls and baths and kitchens.”

One year shy of its 40th anniversary, the company has held firm to that business model. The approach has not only kept the company busy, but it also has allowed it to grow steadily over the decades. Today, M. Duffany Builders has 45 employees, with offices in Falmouth and Orleans servicing the Upper and MidCape areas. As for its main office? It went from Mike’s current home to the one he grew up in on Palmer Avenue, which his parents bought in 1963. It was big enough to house him, his mother and father, and his eight siblings.

By the time the company had moved, in 2008, Mike’s oldest son, Todd, had come on board. A 2000 graduate of Falmouth High School, he had spent summers during college working as a laborer. After earning his bachelor’s degree in aviation from Daniel Webster College four years later, he opted to join his dad in helping the company grow.

Initially, Todd says, he did a lot of exterior work, a lot of trim repairs and figuring out why issues were appearing. He moved on to interior work before going into property management, where he helped make repairs on the houses they maintained.

Expanding into property management was a natural evolution for a company that built houses and oversaw major renovations for customers, many of whom are owners of second homes. “They needed somebody to keep an eye on their house,” Mike says. “Through word of mouth we started to do more and more of those to the point where we have 75 [property management clients]. It’s like a business within a business.”

In 2017, Todd, now the company’s vice president, was joined by his younger brother, Tim, who is the company’s director of operations. “Their involvement has kept me around instead of divesting of things and retiring,” their father says. “It caught me by surprise. I never pushed them to be a part of the business. Like a lot of parents of our generation, my wife

and I urged our kids to get a good education and find a good job, probably off-Cape, not realizing that a lot of people in my position were doing the same thing and creating a workforce shortage because we were all sending our kids away to do something different.

“When they came back, it was a pretty special moment and I had to regroup and think about the future,” he continues. “It was easy to do knowing they were going to carry on this tradition.”

These days, Todd’s focus is both on the day-to-day operations of the company and also looking toward what lies ahead—where M. Duffany Builders will be five to 10 years down the road. Tim, who received a bachelor’s in finance from Bryant University, has helped streamline the technology, billing and administrative processes of the business.

Both sons are married. Todd and his wife, Stacey, live in Falmouth, where they are raising two girls, Noelle, 4, and Haley, 2. Tim and his wife, Meghan, live in Duxbury, with their daughters Clara, 9, and Colette, 6, and son Theo, 3.

The brothers agree that one of the biggest lessons their father has taught them is that building strong relationships is the most important aspect of running a successful company. “It’s always been a relationship business for my dad,” Tim says. “For him, it’s about building trust and a relationship with somebody as you go through the process of a renovation or a home build.”

And while Mike, his wife, and their two sons are driven to succeed, it has not come at the expense of giving back, something the couple have instilled in Todd and Timothy. A Town Meeting member, Mike has sat on the board of directors for The 300 Committee Land Trust for more than 25 years. He has lent his expertise to several town building committees, including ones dedicated to siting a new fire station on Sandwich Road and an advisory board to identify what to do with the town’s historic Poor House. When he recently stepped down from the board at Falmouth Community Television, he quickly jumped onto the board for Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod. He’s also a cofounder of Falmouth Youth Football and has been heavily involved in the Boy Scouts (both Todd and Tim are Eagle Scouts).

“To me, Falmouth means a tremendous amount. My family means everything and right behind that probably comes community,” Mike says of the opportunity he has been afforded to grow up here, raise a family here, and build a successful company with his two sons here. “The important part is to try and maintain what we all come to know and love about this town. If you live in a community like this where people honestly care about one another, you don’t want to ever lose that.”

MISKOVSKY LANDSCAPING

Driving down Brick Kiln Road, as you approach the Gifford Street intersection near Falmouth High School, you can’t help but smile. A trio of whimsical largerthan-life pots, painted by Falmouth artist Mindy Reasonover, stand out among an array of eye-catching natural and manmade items that include oversized rocks, evergreens, gazebos, birdhouses and a bathtub (or two).

Here, amid the decorative display at the headquarters of Miskovsky Landscaping lies a message about life—it should be fun, colorful, entertaining, and unique. “This is our shop, and it’s a reflection of our abilities,” says owner Paul Miskovsky of the nearly 4-acre lot. “We work for so many different types of people that I would rather be eclectic than cookie-cutter; being ordinary has no future in it for us.” Since Miskovsky started the firm 38 years ago, this philosophy has been behind the hundreds of stunning outdoor landscapes he’s created for both residential and commercial customers.

Connecting with nature was an ideal outlet for Miskovsky, who lost his father when he was only 10. “I was the oldest of four,” he says. “We had no dough, and I had to figure out something to do. I always liked to landscape.”

His first job, at the age of 14, was landscaping Fitch’s Tavern in Bedford, Massachusetts, where there was a learning curve, even for the simplest of tasks. For Paul, when you work outside, every day is an adventure, something that his two sons, Roman, 26, and Zarek, 21, learned at a young age. “They’d ride on my lap in the Bobcat and as soon as they were big enough, we strapped them in,” says Paul.

Today, Paul and Roman are partners at the firm that began in 1984; Zarek, who is still in college, will work as a laborer once again this summer. Paul embarked on his career after graduating from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass, where he studied commercial floriculture. Admittedly, he wasn’t the best of students, allowing him to bounce back and forth between college and the Cape—he graduated from Sandwich High School in 1975—where he was helping to manage the Town of Sandwich’s flower gardens while maintaining the late TV newsman Tom Ellis’s estate.

Paul launched his business in Sandwich. Eventually, in the late ’90s, he settled in Falmouth. His first serious piece of machinery was given to him by Boston philanthropist David Mugar— Ellis’s boss at Channel 7—who died last year. “I didn’t have the right machinery, so Mr. Mugar sent me a check to buy an OMC Mustang,” says Paul. “He gave it to me, no questions asked.”

While the machine proved instrumental to his growing business, the late horticulturist Allen Haskell of New Bedford played an even bigger role in boosting Paul’s status in the

gardening world. In 1980, Paul started volunteering for the legendary nurseryman who crafted magical landscapes at the New England Flower Show and often garnered top awards.

“He was my mentor,” says Paul, who has created similarly awe-inspiring flower show displays, with his own flair, since 1989, occasionally with the help of Allen and his son, David Haskell. In the early ’90s, Paul and David won Best in Show for one they constructed in Providence. “It was a watershed moment in my world,” Paul says, explaining that Allen jumped in to plant some thousand perennials.

The lesson? “Allen taught me to make decisions quickly,” Paul says, something he applies in his daily routine.

The time, patience, and technique that Paul has demonstrated at these flower shows has not only carried over to the business, but to his sons as well. “I love working with

plants,” Zarek says, attributing that to his father’s guidance.

“I’ve learned to expand my creative outlook on landscaping and other aspects of life being around him,” Roman says.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Roman graduated in 2014 from Sandwich High School and the Stockbridge School of Agriculture in 2016. “It gave me a good knowledge base for a lot of the plants, soils and botany I work with every day,” he says of his schooling. The rest? Hands-on experience from working alongside his father and a talented team. From mastering a Bobcat to becoming the company’s vice president, he has carved his own path.

“Roman has a solid disposition and is very even-tempered,” Paul says. “He’s a good foil for people having a bad day or if things aren’t quite right on the site, which is huge for a small company.”

For Roman, the joy is similar to what his father learned at an

early age—every day is different. “You’re always touching new properties and meeting new clients and building relationships,” he says. “Even though I’ve been around it my whole life, I truly enjoy what we do.”

The satisfaction also rests in the joy they give people through something as simple as plants, rock walls, waterscapes, fire pits, and vegetable gardens set in just the right location in their customers’ yards. “I just really enjoy it,” Paul says. “I love people, and I love building the lifestyles we’re able to create for them.

“Every year we do something memorable,” he continues. “I don’t have any regrets about where I am and what I’m doing. Time flies when you’re having fun. And having Roman, Zarek and a great crew is a big part of it. It’s enabled to me to be more creative.”

And so, for the Miskovsky trio, the adventure continues.

Roman, Paul and Zarek Miskovsky

FALMOUTH GLASS & MIRROR

When a new home is being built or an existing one remodeled, carpenters, plumbers and electricians may be on site for several months. Glass installers? They’re some of the last ones in and don’t need much time. “We can get into and out of a house in a day or two,” says Brian Sundquist, owner of Falmouth Glass & Mirror.

It’s relatively quick work for a company that prides itself on the patience, skill and expertise it takes to cut, shape, polish and install glass in residential and commercial applications. “It is a unique trade,” Brian’s wife, Irene, says. “There are not many schools for glaziers like there are for electricians and plumbers.”

“You learn from your elders,” Brian adds. And that is exactly who he learned from—Bernard Sundquist, his father, who started the company in 1978. “Everyone knew him as Bernie,” his son says. “It

didn’t matter who you were, he treated everyone equally and with respect. He had a great way about him. Everyone knew Bernie.”

At a time when the American workforce is mired in the great reset as employees leave their jobs in droves, there’s no sense of that at Falmouth Glass & Mirror. “A few of the guys have been here longer than me,” Brian says. “We’re lucky not to have a lot of turnover.”

A small company that embodies small-town values: This is what Brian inherited when he started working for his father after he graduated from Southeastern Massachusetts University (now the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1986. Irene graduated a

year earlier from the same school, with an accounting degree.

The couple, who have three children—Eric, 28, Kevin, 25, and Jenna, 23—went to Bourne High School together. Two years after Brian landed his first and only job, at Falmouth Glass & Mirror, they were married.

Brian started as a glazier, learning the trade his father had pursued as a career. Bernie, who grew up in Norwood, started working in the glass industry in Boston, eventually moving to Pocasset in 1971. After commuting to Boston for two years, he decided to take a job locally on the Cape. Then, in 1978, Bernie created his own business.

Its initial focus was to be a full-service glass shop, which included commercial work, residential and auto glass. “When my dad started, it was just him and a small crew,” Brian says. “My dad preferred to work locally, but would travel off-Cape for projects.”

When Brian joined Falmouth Glass & Mirror in the mid ’80s, he worked in the shop and in the field, learning the trade. “I learned from scratch,” he says. “How it works is you learn part of the trade in the shop and then learn the installation process in the field with a coworker who has experience.”

Gradually, Brian’s responsibilities grew. He started measuring, estimating and scheduling work, but there was no one moment when he was handed the reins. His wife, who previously worked as an accountant for the Town of Bourne, and for the business manager of Bourne Public Schools, came on board 18 years ago. She’s the company’s accountant and bookkeeper.

With 14 employees, Falmouth Glass & Mirror is small as far as companies go. But they are busy, managing many jobs at any point in time. Before highlighting the qualities that make Brian a successful heir to the company his father started, Irene chimes in, “He is the most dedicated and hardworking person ever.”

These days, the company’s work is primarily residential, representing one shift since the company’s fledging days. They install shower doors, indoor and outdoor glass railings, mirrors, commercial storefronts and more. While the company maintains a footprint all over the Cape, a portion of its work is a ferry ride away on Martha’s Vineyard, where Brian and his crew often perform custom installations. As the last ones in, they put the final touches on projects that help turn a house into a home.

Brian is very fortunate to have talented and dedicated employees. “Their work ethic is why we have customers and contractors choose us repeatedly,” Brian says. “I am appreciative of the work my dad put into this company.” His father, Bernie, died a little more than a year ago at the age of 89. “He started this from zero, and he liked that I came into it and was so proud that I stayed here and kept it going,” he says. “He was always proud of what the company evolved into. He was proud of everybody here, really, and mostly proud to see the company keep going.”

Brian and Irene Sundquist

SEAFOOD SAM’S

What’s the secret to life?

Mike Lewis says it’s having gratitude for what you are given. These days, the co-owner of Seafood Sam’s is grateful for living and working in Falmouth—“This town is in my bones,” he says—and the opportunity to give back to the community he loves. And he’s grateful that he gets to work with his son, Shaun Lewis, who will one day assume full responsibility for owning Seafood Sam’s. “It’s a very fortunate thing to have this pass from Sam to my father and now to me and maybe one day to my own son,” says Shaun.

Sam Vecchione—hence the name Seafood Sam’s—wasn’t the easiest person to work for, but he was exactly what Mike needed at a time when he had no direction in life. “He was a hard guy to work for, but he took my brother [Jeff] and me in. We were basically homeless.”

One of five kids who grew up under difficult circumstances, Mike admits, “We all had substance abuse issues through the years.” His own struggles have shaped how he treats people, especially those facing similar challenges. “I’ve had thousands of employees come through here, and I’ve often become their counselor,” he observes. “I make people feel comfortable to talk to me about their problems.”

Gregarious, upbeat and altruistic, Mike has been the friendly, welcoming face of Seafood Sam’s since he purchased the Falmouth restaurant from its namesake in 1991. If it hadn’t been for Sam, Mike shares, he wouldn’t be where he is today. “He was tough, but he helped me get my first car, my first car loan, he helped me pay for my first wedding, helped me buy my first house.”

Sam Vecchione is where it all began. At the height of his success, he owned 12 restaurants, including five Seafood Sam’s. Mike became owner of the Falmouth location while his older brother, Jeff, became owner of the one in Sandwich.

“This place has been my life since I was 12 years old,” Mike says proudly. “I started washing dishes and worked my way up.” But the restaurant’s success didn’t come without sacrifice. “My son played Falmouth Youth Hockey and Falmouth High School hockey and I missed 80 percent of the games because I was here working. He gets that now. I think the reward is the success of this place.”

That success is now shared with Shaun, who followed a similar path into the industry as his dad, beginning with busing tables at about 12 years old. “By the time I was 14, I was in the kitchen, he says. “As I got older, I learned how to manage

people, how to write a schedule. In my 20s, each season my dad would give me one big challenge to conquer.”

Two years ago, shortly before the pandemic hit, Shaun’s involvement in the company grew when he was given partial ownership of Seafood Sam’s. It’s a responsibility he relishes. “I was put in such a great situation,” he says. “We’re just blessed to have a job that we love and blessed to have work to come to and to thrive and do the things we want to do.”

From March 1 to the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Seafood Sam’s serves up traditional Cape fare—fried and baked scallops, clam strips, haddock, clam chowder and lobster rolls—with a few outliers, like its popular fried chicken, mixed in.

During the season, both Shaun and his dad can be found in the kitchen, responsible for the food that has kept patrons coming back year after year. “I like to bread—it’s the messy one on the line,” Shaun says, and it’s a trait he shares with his dad. “In the kitchen, the breader is the one who sets the pace. It’s either me at the helm or my father. He is still a kid at heart, and he loves messing around.”

Last year, the third generation of Lewises was introduced to the family business when Shaun’s son Jaelon, 14, a freshman at Falmouth High School, started busing tables. Jaelon’s involvement at Seafood Sam’s is symbolic of what truly makes the restaurant special—its welcoming, family atmosphere.

It can be witnessed in the time, energy and food Mike has donated to help cook Thanksgiving meals at the Navigator Club in East Falmouth for those who are less fortunate or alone during the holidays. Or when Seafood Sam’s offered health care workers and first-responders 50 percent off their meals shortly after the pandemic hit. Housing Assistance Corporation, Recovery Without Walls, Bands for Badges and Calmer Choice are some of the nonprofits that Mike, Shaun and their restaurant have helped support over the years.

“Things have been good for me,” Mike says, explaining that these are some of the ways he can return the favor.

None of this would be possible without the toil involved that comes with owning a business. It’s just one of the many lessons that Mike has imparted to his son. For that, Shaun is grateful. “He is a great dad, a great business owner and a great boss. He’s been a very influential figure in my life,” Shaun says of his father. “I don’t think I will ever be done learning from him.”

Shaun, Jaelon and Mike Lewis

THE VALLE GROUP

When Joan and Joe Valle started The Valle Group in 1997, it was headquartered in Waltham, Mass. How the company ended up on Cape Cod is a love story about the town where the couple met, and which holds a special place in their hearts.

Flashback to 1966: Joe was teaching sailing at the Falmouth Yacht Club, and Joan was working at the Driftwood Club, now The Inn on the Square. They dated, married, and for 18 years called Falmouth home. Joan owned an interior design business while Joe worked for The Green Company in the same building that now houses The Valle Group. In 1989, the couple moved to Dedham with their children, Emily, Lauren, Molly and Christian, so Joe could work out of The Green Company’s Newton office.

All the while, the family maintained their second home in Falmouth with the goal of returning full time. In 2000, when The

Valle Group was still headquartered outside of Boston, it purchased the building on East Falmouth Highway that now serves as its office. “We bought it as an investment, but also knowing, in the back of our minds, we were going to get back to the Cape,” Joe says.

Around the time Joe and Joan finally returned to Falmouth for good, two watershed moments occurred for The Valle Group. Their son, Christian, who moved to Falmouth with his wife, Jeannine, roughly 19 years ago, started working for the company. And the firm began partnering with Housing Assistance Corporation, constructing several affordable developments as well as private residences. They started with 11 single-family units at River Hill in Mashpee, and over a roughly six-year period Kimber Woods in West Barnstable, Osprey Lane in Sandwich and Great Cove Community in Mashpee were among the projects The Valle Group worked on with the regional housing nonprofit. “By

Joan, Joe and Christian Valle

working with Housing Assistance, we began to employ other people because our volume increased,” explains Joe.

Though still involved in affordable housing construction, today, The Valle Group is primarily known as a custom builder serving Cape Cod, the Islands and the South Coast. The company currently employs 31 people to support the operation, substantial growth for a company whose only employees were Joan and Joe in its infancy. The firm is celebrating its 25th year in business and has an impressive portfolio of award-winning custom homes to its credit. In 2014, The Valle Group began building at the Redbrook community in Plymouth, a relationship that continues today. The Valle Group is one of five builders who have helped build more than 600 homes on 1,200 acres at Redbrook.

Now the company’s president, Christian arrived at The Valle Group following stints as a commercial tuna fisherman

and working with a custom home builder in Andover after he had graduated from Holy Cross with a degree in English. “It’s a good place—collegial and there’s a lot of camaraderie,” Christian says of the company he has helped strengthen since he came on board. They’re building new homes, renovating old ones and undertaking sizable commercial projects that have included an 8,000-square-foot building for the College Light Opera Company, the historic renovation of WCAI/NPR in Woods Hole, and a major restoration of the Falmouth Service Center.

The Valle Group has added to its reputation as a “green” builder with the recent construction of several certified passive homes in Falmouth, Sandwich and Westport, Mass. “We’ve had to diversify to be able to stay in business on the Cape,” Christian says. “We do a lot of different things, from a $20,000 bathroom renovation to a $4 million commercial project.”

What is the trio most proud of? “The culture, the people and seeing the business grow,” Joe says. “And most importantly, seeing the people in our company grow as individuals. That’s what really drives us.”

Yes, it has grown, but The Valle Group has not lost the familial atmosphere that distinguished the company in its early years. While Joan has lessened her involvement—she started as a jack-of-all trades, overseeing bookkeeping, paying bills and answering phones before morphing into interior and architectural design—Joe still maintains his influence as the CEO. His expertise meshes perfectly with his son’s talents. “Christian is of the generation that is much more technologically savvy, which is so critical to what is going on in the world,” Joe says. “At the same time, Christian has a similar approach to the culture and people that we have.”

The family also shares a passion for giving back, and the trio, along with Christian’s wife, were honored by the Falmouth Education Foundation in 2020 for their contributions to the community. Joe is chair of the board for Falmouth Academy and was the chair of the board for Highfield Hall & Gardens and treasurer for Hospice & Palliative Care of Cape Cod.

Christian is currently on the Cape Symphony board of directors, the Falmouth Historical Commission and the Sandwich Road Fire Station Building Committee. He also coaches his son’s hockey team. “Being involved helps you feel rooted,” says Christian of his volunteerism. “I like to be out in the community, whether it’s at the hockey rink, baseball field or at a historical commission meeting. It gives you a pulse on what is going on in town.”

As the Valles reflect on all they have accomplished over the past quarter-century, there is a sense of looking toward the future. Joe acknowledges they’ve placed an emphasis on establishing a long-term vision “around creating a culture and a business that has a very long life to it because Christian has two boys and a daughter, and we have a lot of grandchildren. Maybe there is a third generation to this company.”

Jerry and Chris Lynch, with Chris’s wife, Raquel Rodriguez

LAWRENCE-LYNCH CORPORATION

For many, it is easy to overlook roads, sidewalks, utilities, culverts and bridges, but at the Lawrence-Lynch Corp. the region’s infrastructure is the lifeblood of a family-owned company celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

“It’s a business that requires a lot of hard work by different types of people,” says its founder, Jerry Lynch, who purchased one of the town’s oldest companies, Frederick V. Lawrence, Inc., in 1972. The company’s history dates back to 1914 when Frederick’s father, Sidney W. Lawrence, launched the sand and gravel business that played a key role in the construction of a number of Cape roads, highways and bridges.

“I think they really grew post–World War II, when there was a big building boom,” says Jerry’s son Chris, who started working at Lawrence-Lynch in 1995 as a laborer. A 1984 graduate of Falmouth High School, Chris went on to get a degree in political science from Merrimack College before he had a short stint as a commercial fisherman out of Gloucester. “I fished all through high school and worked down on the harbor in high school and college,” says Chris, whose passion for the sport continues to this day.

Chris successfully made the leap from the water to “the dirt business, where he’s flourished,” his father says, working his way up to superintendent, project manager, vice president and, eventually, the company’s owner. Jerry, who turned 85 in April, stays involved as owner of Lawrence-Lynch Materials Corp., a three-person business that sells sand and gravel products. “The fact is, I’ve loved what I’ve done all my life. I’ve enjoyed it, and the business has been good to me,” says Jerry, who still comes into the office every day.

How we safely get from point A to point B on the Cape— whether by car, by bike or by foot—most likely, LawrenceLynch has had a hand in it. The majority of its 140 full- and part-time staff work out of its 27-acre headquarters off Gifford Street, where it maintains an office building and a garage—it operates 100 pieces of light and heavy equipment as well as an asphalt plant and sand and gravel pits. It also has an asphalt plant in Oak Bluffs.

Its customers include every municipality on Cape Cod, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Steamship Authority, as well as private firms, including A&A Paving and Clover Paving, that offer commercial and residential paving services.

The company’s current projects include reconstructing a taxiway at Nantucket Memorial Airport; completing a major expansion at Massachusetts National Cemetery; a three-year project to reconstruct and widen Route 151 in Mashpee; and construction of the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project, Vineyard Wind 1.

That last one is a first for Lawrence-Lynch, offering a sense of excitement for Jerry, Chris and their colleagues, including Chris’s wife, Raquel Rodriguez, and their daughter, Elena, 25, both of whom work in the company’s marketing department. Chris and Raquel’s son, Nico, is a project engineer at Callahan Construction in Bridgewater.

The first of several phases for Vineyard Wind will consist of 62 wind turbines erected 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. When complete—estimated in 2024—the turbines will generate 800 megawatts of electricity on an annual basis, powering 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts. Lawrence-Lynch’s role in the project, which broke ground last November, will be to accept the underground cable, which connects to the turbines at Covell’s Beach in Centerville, and construct a 5.3-mile duct bank that will go to an onshore substation in Hyannis Industrial Park.

“It is really exciting,” Chris says. “It’s a big job and a challenging one for all of us in the company.” It’s the latest accomplishment at a company with a long and storied history.

“What [Lawrence-Lynch] means to me is a livelihood based on the performance of a number of people,” says Jerry. “It is less about what I’ve accomplished and more about what has been accomplished by the people we’ve been surrounded by.”

For Chris, the rewards of leading the company are many, especially when living in a region like this. “The landscape of the Cape is beautiful, and so many of our paving and construction projects end up being along beach roads,” he says. “It is pretty cool to see.”

It goes beyond the work, extending to the people who help make it possible, especially those closest to him. “In general, to have a multigenerational business requires a lot of effort,” Chris says. “The odds are not in your favor, and it’s not particularly common. After a couple of generations, often someone sells the company or it no longer exists. We attribute this success to the strength and commitment of the employees, as well as the support we have received as a business in the town of Falmouth.

That success is not lost on Elena, who started as a road flagger in 2019 after graduating from Temple University, where she earned a bachelor’s in strategic communications. “It is really special to be able to look around and see what my grandpa and dad have done with all the people and what it’s turned into and all the lives that have benefitted from their hard work,” she says. “I always knew this was what I was going to be passionate about on a professional level. On a personal level, I love my family and I love seeing what they’ve done. I think it’s important, and I hope I can fill their shoes. They’re big shoes to fill.”

LANDFALL RESTAURANT

In April, Katie Estes and Jake Stuhlfire got married at the place where they met, the Landfall Restaurant. With that, another special memory was added to a building that has held so many for Katie and her family.

Katie’s grandfather, David Estes, opened the waterfront Woods Hole landmark in the summer of 1946. Today, Katie and her uncle, Jim Estes, are the proud owners of an establishment that has maintained its legacy while finding ways to grow and change with the times.

“The food is the same today as it was back then—lobsters, swordfish, cod, fried clams,” says Donald Estes, who was coowner of the Landfall and the adjacent Candy Go Nuts, an ice cream and candy store, until he passed the baton to his daughter, Katie, in January 2021.

While time moves fast, change is gradual, measured in increments. Katie’s growth into her current position included stints as a hostess, waitress, dishwasher, busser and bartender. Her start was scooping ice cream at Candy Go Nuts which opened in 1992, one year after Hurricane Bob hit the Cape. At the time, Katie was six months old.

“There’s a lot to remember with that storm,” Don says. “We basically emptied the restaurant of everything we could and took the doors and windows off. We let the storm come through. You couldn’t walk on the floor; it was all matchsticks from the water coming up and through it.”

In a location unlike any other, the Landfall is the epitome of a Cape restaurant that locals and tourists seek out on an idyllic summer day. That also makes it susceptible to hurricanes like the one that rocked the Cape 31 years ago. “How am I going to support my family? Is this restaurant ever going to be open again? Am I going to have to find a new career and work for somebody else?” Don ticks off the questions that ran through his mind after that historic storm. “But then you basically lift yourself up by the bootstraps and realize you’ve got to go to work. So, we got a big dumpster, started cutting up all the broken wood and worked with an architect and builder to rebuild the place.”

Moments like this have fortunately been few and far between for the Landfall. This is where people come to catch awe-inspiring sunsets, to dance the night away, and to enjoy a quintessential Cape Cod meal in a quintessential Cape Cod setting.

“The people who come here are generally very, very nice and appreciative of the way we’ve kept the original Cape Cod feel of the Landfall,” Don says. “At the end of the day, after you’ve served hundreds of people, it’s very gratifying to know you did a good job.”

Don and his brothers Jim and Bill assumed ownership of the restaurant from their dad in 1988; at the time, it had 75

employees, the majority of whom worked from mid-June to Labor Day. Today, the Landfall has roughly 95 employees, opening in the beginning of April and closing around Thanksgiving.

A graduate of Cornell University, David Estes enlisted in the Army shortly after the start of World War II. Following the war, he opened the Landfall at a time when Woods Hole served as the departure point not only for Martha’s Vineyard, but also for Nantucket.

“The Leeside and Captain Kidd were both local bars for fishermen, so the tourists would come down, get off the train, and walk to the Landfall,” recalls Don. “Back in the day, it might be five or six hours before a boat would leave, so they would come here and eat and drink until the boat left for the Vineyard or

Nantucket. This would be the start to their vacation.”

His father created the perfect vibe to fit that mood, bringing in a piano and hiring jazz musicians from New York City to entertain patrons. “The bar was nuts. If you think people have a good time now, then they had just won a World War and they partied,” Don says.

Over the next 42 years, David operated the Landfall while raising four children with his wife, Virginia. “It was his life,” Don says of what the restaurant meant to his dad, who died in 2008. “It was his baby. He was very proud [of what he’d achieved]. And he was very, very proud that we took over the restaurant from him.”

In 1999, Bill stepped away from the business, leaving only Jim and Don. In recent years, Don, who turned 67 in April,

contemplated doing the same, a decision made easier by his daughter’s involvement. “She’s proved herself and she’s wanted to be in the restaurant business,” he says. “For the last three years, we’ve been hooked at the hip to set up a smooth process for her to take over.”

While not fully retired—Don recently started a water taxi service out of Woods Hole—he is excited for what the future holds for his daughter and the restaurant that means so much to his family and to the town.

“I never felt pressure that this is what I have to do. I was never expected to take over the Landfall,” Katie says. “This has always been such a special place for me. I truly love being here every single day. I hope to be here as long as my dad was.”

Jim Estes, Donald Estes and Katie Stuhlfire

IN THE KITCHEN :

Strawberries

Packed with fiber, vitamin C and other antioxidants, strawberries are as healthy to eat as they are beautiful to behold.

Strawberry rhubarb muffins from Peck O’Dirt Bakery at Coonamesset Farm

Pick-Your-Own-Strawberries season at Tony Andrews Farm

June 10 and continues daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

BY NIKKI WALSH

Early June to early July is peak strawberry season on Cape Cod, and you’ll want to make the most of this all-too-brief bounty of deliciousness to try out some new recipes. Here are a few to get you started, each one with a tie to the local community.

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

At Peck O’Dirt Bakery, located at Coonamesset Farm, Annie Konner-Higgins is the proud owner and mastermind behind all the savory and sweet treats, including this crowd-pleasing muffin.

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter at room temperature

• 1¼ cups sugar

• 2 eggs

• ¾ teaspoon vanilla

• ½ cup milk

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup chopped strawberries

• ¾ cup diced rhubarb

Directions

1 Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper muffin cups in a 12-muffin pan or spray it with baking spray. Toss strawberries and rhubarb with 1 to 2 tablespoons flour and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour and salt.

2 In a large mixing bowl, beat room-temperature butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.

3 Add dry mix to wet mix, alternating with milk until just combined (the secret to a good muffin is not to overmix). Fold strawberries and rhubarb into the batter. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

LAURA HIGGINS BALTZLEY, (ABOVE) SUZANNE RYAN

Spinach Strawberry Salad

An avid home cook, Jeannie Dombrowski, along with her daughter Hadley, owns Green Eyed Daisy, a clothing store on Main Street, Falmouth.

Salad ingredients

• ¾ cup raw pecans

• ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced

• 10 ounces fresh baby spinach

• 1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered

• ¾ cup crumbled block-style feta cheese

Dressing ingredients

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds

• 1½ tablespoons honey

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

1 Toast the pecans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pecans smell fragrant. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop.

2 Place the sliced onions in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad (this keeps their flavor but removes the harsh onion bite).

3 Prepare the dressing. In a small mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients—vinegar, oil, poppy seeds, honey, mustard, salt and pepper—until well combined.

4 Assemble the salad. Place the spinach in a large serving bowl. Add the strawberries. Drain the red onion and add it as well. Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the leaves. Add the feta and the pecans. Toss lightly to combine. Serve immediately.

Mile-High Strawberry Pie

Pick-Your-Own-Strawberries season at Tony Andrews Farm starts June 10 and continues daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is one of several strawberry recipes available on the farm’s website, tonyandrews-farm.com.

Ingredients

• 1 pint strawberries (cut in quarters), with juice

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup sugar

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 2 egg whites

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 baked 9- or 10-inch pie shell

Directions

1 Place berries, sugar, egg whites, lemon juice and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for 15 minutes or until stiff and mixture holds shape.

2 In a separate bowl, whip cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add to strawberry mixture. Pile lightly in shell. Freeze overnight.

DIY Strawberry Popsicles

From noon to 5 p.m. every Thursday through October 6, the Falmouth Farmers’ Market is the place to go for fresh, locally grown produce and a host of other goodies. Check out the market’s website, falmouthfarmersmarket.com, for this and other tasty recipes.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup sugar

• 2 cups washed, sliced and hulled strawberries

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1 Put sugar in a small pan with a scant ¼ cup of water and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves and you have a simple syrup.

2 Place strawberries in a blender with lemon juice. Pulse to make a purée. Add simple syrup. Pulse again, just to mix.

3 Pour mixture into 4 small paper cups. Freeze until slushy enough to insert a popsicle stick upright in the middle of each cup. Cover with plastic wrap slit in the middle so the stick can poke through. Secure wrap around each cup with a rubber band.

4 Freeze for several more hours until rock solid. Best made in the morning for supper, or frozen overnight. The easiest way to unmold is to slit the cup with scissors and peel away from the popsicle.

Strawberry and Avocado Caprese Salad

Michelle Itzkowitz, a local yoga instructor and cooking teacher, calls this favorite recipe “a modern twist on a classic.”

Ingredients

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (about 2 dry pints)

2 cups quartered strawberries (about 1 pint)

4 ounces (1 cup) small fresh mozzarella balls or sliced buffalo mozzarella

• 1 avocado

• ⅓ cup sliced or torn fresh basil

¼ cup good olive oil, plus a little more, if desired

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, plus a little more, if

• Kosher salt to taste

• Black pepper to taste

Directions

1 On a large plate, arrange first 5 ingredients in a circular pattern, showing off all the colors of the season.

2 In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle over the salad. (Alternatively, place first 5 ingredients in a large salad bowl, top with the dressing and mix.)

3 Season with the desired amount of kosher salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Sandwich

Truro

Wareham

Wellfleet

Woods Hole

Step into ummer

When it comes to understated, elegant looks, Falmouth and fashion go hand in hand. Whether it’s the perfect dress for an alfresco cocktail party or a comfy, casual outfit for the beach, these clothing boutiques and jewelry stores have just what you are looking for. Happy shopping!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DERRICK ZELLMANN

MODELS: AMANDA DUMAIS AND HADLEY DOMBROWSKI

HAIR STYLED BY RYAN LANGMAN-KIRTLEY OF THE KEEP MAKEUP BY LACEY STRONG

STYLED BY LISA SUE SMEDBERG, STORY.

NICOLE PALMER, UNDERGROUND FASHION

JEANNIE DOMBROWSKI, GREEN EYED DAISY GABY JARAMILLO AND EMMA NOYES, MAXWELL & CO.

NEDA SULLIVAN, FALMOUTH JEWELRY SHOP

DENISE & MEAGHAN QUINN, THE GILDED OYSTER

LOCATION COURTESY OF KATIE COLLETTE & KIM STOCKWELL, ERMINE LOVELL REAL ESTATE

Cotton jacket with pockets featuring hand-woven motif and fringe detail at hemline by Pearl & Caviar. White straight jeans by DL 1961. Both available at story. Pearl hoops over sterling silver, available at Falmouth Jewelry Shop

Plunge cotton sateen colorblock asymmetrical dress by Hutch. Vintage gold tone fringe statement necklace. Tiana Designs satin-lined handbeaded clutch. Lola Cruz metallic rose gold leather block heels. All available at Green Eyed Daisy. 14K gold handcrafted Mariners collection earrings by Steven Edward at The Touch, and 14K yellow gold round tapered bangle by Artistry. Both available at Falmouth Jewelry Shop

Floral print viscose blend maxi dress in coral with braided straps and hidden back zipper. By Kleid. Available at story. Sterling silver bloom cluster neck lace accented with 18K rose gold vermeil, with matching earrings, available at Falmouth Jewelry Shop

Tilly sleveless dress with belt in rainbow. 100 percent silk. By Saloni. Sporty Spice Tote in strawberry from Annabel Ingall. Both available at Underground Fashion “Into the Blue” necklace encrusted with diamonds, and “Spindrift” ring, both by Coast GoldWorks, exclusively available at The Gilded Oyster

Valencia lightweight sweater in 100 percent fine cotton. Jeans by Moussy. Sporty Spice Tote in cobalt from Anabel Ingall. All available at Underground Fashion. Nautical Flag bracelet spells “Cape Cod.” Hand-carved sterling silver inlaid with semi-precious stones, with matching earrings. Made by Falmouth artist Cesar Palma. Available at Falmouth Jewelry Shop

Back to Peace rainbow whipstitched, lux cotton, drop shoulder oversized cardigan. By Lisa Todd. Italian silk maxi dress made in Italy. Handcrafted graphite and 24K gold clad Lourdes chain with Canard medallion and euro crystal. By French Kande. Bora one-of-a-kind rutilated quartz sterling rings with rose gold finish. All available at Green Eyed Daisy

FALMOUTH

SPRING/SUMMER

Cotton floral print shirt dress by Marni; straw hat with handcrafted brass and nickel artwork by Calleen Cordero; pearl and link chain necklace with charms by Bittersweet Designs. All available at Maxwell & Co

Khaki sleeveless shirt by LVIR. Cheetah green scarf by Inoui Editions Paris. Both available at Underground Fashion

Hand-knit cotton cardigan with multicolor pearl embroidery. By veroalfie. White bootcut jeans by DL 1961. Weekend getaway bag in art deco linen with zipper closure, crossbody adjustable strap and double metal handles. By lara b. designs. All available at story. Elliptical earrings hand-forged by all-women silversmiths, EL Designs for Ed Levin Studio. Small sterling silver lighthouse necklace is a custom design exclusive to The Gilded Oyster

The alluring Alice dress showcases delicate gathers, ruffle details and chic puff sleeves. Crafted from 100 percent cotton with a hand-designed floral print pattern. By Monsoon and Beyond. Available at story. Elliptical earrings hand-forged by all-women silversmiths, EL Designs for Ed Levin Studio. Available at The Gilded Oyster.

• SPRING/SUMMER

Top left: Navy and silver metallic thread cotton oversized cardigan by Avant Toi; sterling hoops and sterling silver and white diamond neclace with E.C. Cross Pendant by Soffer Ari Herno; reversible puffer vest with cap sleeves; Gold Hawk ivory lace camisole. Above left: Floral cotton side band detail jean by Maurizio Massimino. Olive suede perforated sneaker by Premiata. Above right: Open weave long-sleeve sweater and pinstripe classic buttondown shirt, both by Nili Lotan. Moussy distressed denim jean. Classic crossbody binocular leather bag from ll Bisonte. All available at Maxwell & Co

Marchesa Notte ethereal 3D floral applique tea-length dress. Vintage Chanel bag with classic Chanel chain and crosshatch stitching. Lola Cruz crystalized leather block heels. All available at Green Eyed Daisy. 14K yellow gold cable bracelet by The Touch, available at Falmouth Jewelry Shop

Allison New York structured cotton poplin bold floral tea-length dress. Green Eyed Daisy Collection layered gold-clad necklaces. All available at Green Eyed Daisy

Black dress by Ba&Sh Paris. Available at Underground Fashion. Sterling silver and pearl paper clip chain station necklace, available at Falmouth Jewelry Shop

Black and white long-sleeve floral dress and cotton long-sleeve white sweater, both by Transit. Black straw hat with white painted detail by Isabel Benenato. Black perforated leather handbag by Henry Beguelin. All available at Maxwell & Co.

Fresh

Stop by &Meet

AT THE FALMOUTH ROAD RACE, HEALTH & FITNESS EXPO

Friday, August 19, 12 7 pm & Saturday, August 20, 10 3 pm Falmouth High School, 874 Gifford St. falmouthroadrace.com

SPECIAL EVENTS

LYDIA LECLAIR

PHOTOGRAPHY

FLIGHT OF FANCY

Imaginative design turns a little-used deck into a beloved modern addition whose small size belies its functionality.

BY JANICE RANDALL ROHLF PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN CUTRONA

IT ALL STARTED WITH A DECK —one that probably hadn’t been used more than five times in 20 years, inconveniently perched as it was off a second-floor studio. “We thought we should incorporate that space into the house, so we would get some use out of it,” explains the homeowner. “That was the impetus for doing this renovation.”

On 13 semi-secluded acres not far from the water in North Falmouth, the postmodern shingle-style house built in 1995 is not, architecturally speaking, “typically Cape Cod.” For that reason, it was important to the homeowners that they collaborate with a local architect that was also not “typically Cape Cod.” Zeroing in on Dennis-based A3 Architects proved to be fortuitous beyond their expectations. A synergy developed between the design-savvy clients and the forward-thinking architects that made the challenging project an exercise in creativity for both parties.

The new metal-clad box addition on the postmodern shingle-style house has dramatically large windows that bring the outside in.

As a result, the cramped second-floor studio has been transformed into a dynamic and flexible 385-square-foot multi-use area comprising a library, a guest bedroom and a full bath. It is open and airy except for one door—an oversized sliding barn door separating the guest sleeping quarters and the bathroom from the core public studio. The wife also uses the space as an office, since the finely crafted custom cabinetry of a Murphy bed has the look of furniture when it’s not in use and flush with the wall.

Looking at it from the outside, the new metal-clad box addition is strikingly original. The architects, who experimented with different angles to set it off from the rest of the house, canted it to break the long linear form of the existing structure. Given its appearance of floating off the side of the house, the architects describe it as “part treehouse and part modern jewel box, with slices of glazing to frame the trees.” The full exterior update of the house included installing all new windows, painting the exterior black and constructing two new exterior stairways.

Left: A finely crafted Murphy bed is a practical solution for this dual-purpose room. Below: A pair of Eero Saarinen–designed Knoll Womb Chairs was a splurge. Opposite: A library wall that pulls you from the studio into the guest space features a cantilevered concrete bench.

using natural materials in their living spaces. “It is important for us that the materials feel authentic and they are what they are: metal is metal; wood is wood,” says the husband. “Alison and Meghan are open to what’s current in materials.”

Concrete, for example, was used for a custom cantilevered bench and a wallmounted bathroom vanity. Made of dark basalt, these sharp, clean pieces “were an aesthetic choice that fit with what we like,” says the husband. Both durable and pretty, copper had been used on the original front door, and the architects chose to accentuate its effect by cladding the entry stair wall with copper as well. Cantilevered stair treads were also added. “The whole entry got reimagined, and it makes more sense now,” observes Alessi.

What also made sense, given the lush, woodsy site, was not only installing expansive windows in the addition but also replacing existing windows with ones that honored the unspoiled beauty outside. “The clients wanted to emphasize the inside-outside

The whole entry to the house was reimagined to make more sense as an arrival point. Copper, used on the original front door, was reprised for the entry stair wall.

A3’s founder and principal, Alison Alessi, and her team specialize in low-energy projects such as net-energy zero design, passive house design and environmentally sensitive construction, a sensibility that appealed to the homeowners. “If I were building a house from scratch, it would certainly be net zero,” says the husband, who adds that, short of that, they added solar panels on the south-facing roof of the existing house, and use wood from trees on their land to heat the house.

In practice, A3 balances its sustainable design approach with “clean, modern aesthetics and careful contextual design,” explains Alessi, who worked with project architect Meghan O’Reilly on the addition. The architects’ concern for the environment dovetailed with that of the homeowners, who favor

Continued on

Formerly a cramped second-floor studio, the space is now a dynamic and flexible multi-use area comprising a library, a guest bedroom and a full bath.

FALMOUTH

The architects describe the the addition as “part treehouse and part modern jewel box, with slices of glazing to frame the trees.”

A wall-mounted concrete sink is an innovative feature in the full bath, whose oversized sliding barn door is the only door in the project.

connection, so our idea was to keep as many of these existing openings as possible but use larger panes of glass,” says O’Reilly. “We tried to simplify and make it more about an unfragmented view.”

Seated in the new addition, surrounded by books, is the perfect way to enjoy the house’s symbiotic relationship with nature. The modern, clean aesthetic of the interior spaces invites abandoning oneself to peaceful reading or contemplation. So do the Eero Saarinen–designed Knoll Womb Chairs, the homeowners’ primary furniture purchase and a splurge they have no regrets about making. Says the husband: “They’re the most comfortable chairs I’ve ever sat in, and I was determined to have two of them.”

Views

Vineyard Sound, Martha's Vineyard & Elizabeth Islands

Brokers Welcome

Artist Rendering

Sometimes, giving a house a new look means using what you have in a fresh way.

A CURATED COLLECTION

BY JANICE RANDALL ROHLF PHOTOGRAPHY BY KYLE CALDWELL

BY JANICE RANDALL ROHLF

Friends of California-based interior designer Brooke Abcarian’s parents asked her to help refresh their home on a pond in Falmouth. When they bought the house in 2015, the clients had initially wanted a Cape Cod–style house, but once they saw this property, they jumped on it. Built in 1977, the modern home with its clean, open spaces offers a perfect backdrop for the numerous artifacts collected by the clients, both doctors who have traveled extensively all over the world, usually for altruistic reasons.

Clockwise from opposite page: The vaulted ceiling draws the eye upward, while the low profile of the original midcentury furniture guides the eye to the lake outside the wraparound windows. Removing a wall opened up the kitchen—painted in Benjamin Moore Sea Foam—to the great room. Floating shelves show off a collection of ceramics. The warm-toned wood of the midcentury Paul Jensen side table complements the colors in the Turkish cushions.

HOW TO STYLE A SHELF

“WHEN I STYLE A SHELF for myself or for a client, I like to start by gathering favorite pieces that are essential to include. Then, I place the large items first, making sure to balance the visual weight on each side. The shelf or shelves should have an overall sense of being balanced without being totally symmetrical.

“Next, I place the smaller artwork, accessories or books, and save fussing over flowers or branch arrangements for last. In my opinion, you can never have too many books. They provide a great way to fill in any spatial gaps while at the same time showing the personality and interests of the homeowner.

“Most of the time, it’s best to stay within a specific range of colors, but this will depend on what else is going on in the home. If there are a lot of colors and patterns, then that will continue onto the shelves.

“Most important is that the end result brings the client joy. It should reflect who they are, and bring a sense of peace and balance to the home. Shelving provides the opportunity for a significant design change without spending a ton or doing any significant remodeling. It’s good to keep it fresh because our eyes and minds need to reset once in a while.”

—Brooke Abcarian, interior designer

•

Doors added to conceal the TV and new Fireclay tiles in a herringbone pattern on the hearth refresh a large shelving unit.

Each piece the couple collected comes with its own interesting backstory. Some of the inherited midcentury furniture is not only in great condition but also sentimental, as the father of one client was a midcentury furniture dealer.

“My challenge and my goal were to combine elements, including architecture and furniture, from many different time periods in a way that made visual sense,” shares Abcarian, who remodeled the kitchen, the two downstairs bathrooms, the office, the fireplace and the surrounding shelves.

The clients weren’t afraid of color, so there are a few unifying colors that contrast and work together beautifully with the backdrop of the soaring, warm wood ceilings, which were refinished along with the floors. The living room, especially, possesses the natural, tranquil energy from the surrounding pond and woods.

Clockwise from right: A cozy office overlooking the lake has a mix of new and vintage furniture. Beautiful and accessible, books on office shelves make a nice arrangement when paired with curated finds and decorative objects. Chair cushions pick up the colors in an antique rug that’s been in the family for generations, while a hammock just outside the dining table suggests an afternoon nap.

INSPIRED by the Sea

Artist Ryan Young’s paintings are a tribute to the town that raised him.

“A Day at the Beach,” watercolor, 14" x 15"

BY SARAH E. MURPHY | PAINTINGS BY RYAN YOUNG

FALMOUTH ARTIST RYAN YOUNG has been seeking inspiration from his surroundings since childhood. A 1977 graduate of Falmouth High School, he recalls his proclivity for creative expression beginning when he was in kindergarten at Mullen-Hall School. Intricate pencil drawings and doodles of hot rod cars hinted at an innate talent, which would later be fostered by several teachers throughout his education in Falmouth Public Schools.

Art is also in his blood. His paternal grandfather, who died when Young was three, was a designer for General Electric in New Haven by day, and a skilled pastel and portrait artist in his spare time.

Some of Young’s earliest creative validation came in middle school, from his teacher Ann Downs, a local sign carver and painter. She recognized the spark. “She saw that I was into watercolor, so she really encouraged me in that direction,” Young says.

At Falmouth High School, he learned fundamentals of

drawing from Vasco Pires, refining and augmenting the skills he had been exhibiting since childhood, techniques still essential to his process. He also gained invaluable experience working behind the scenes, literally and figuratively, with FHS theater director Michael Helfen, creating backdrops for period pieces and elaborate musicals.

“Mr. Helfen had a vision for all of his productions, and he wouldn’t accept anything below that standard. His expectations were high in order to push kids along,” says Young. “Although I played only a bit part, he always inspired me to do better. Those are the people you always remember. Those are the ones you look back on and think, I’m glad they did that.” Michael Helfen, a resident of Sandwich, would go on to pursue a prolific painting career following his retirement.

FHS art teacher Joe Downs, who died in 2020, also made a profound impact on Young, as a student and an artist, then and now. “He was a heck of a watercolor painter,” Young recalls.

“Nobska Light,” watercolor, 16" x 31"

“Launch,” watercolor, 10" x 30"

“I learned a lot about the specifics from Joe. He taught us many advanced techniques that you probably normally wouldn’t get at the high school level.”

Young credits his four years at FHS for providing an impressive and well-rounded foundation for his art education and career, evidenced by his vast portfolio. “For a high school kid to have experience doing large-scale pieces like the stuff I did for Mr. Helfen was almost unheard of,” he says.

After applying to three colleges, he chose Southeastern Massachusetts University (SMU), now the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he was selected to pursue a concentrated curriculum for students of a certain caliber. His classes were facilitated by skilled artists, several of whom were Italian. “They sent me out of FHS with a really good head on my shoulders, and SMU ended up being the perfect fit for me,” Young says.

After college, he briefly showed his work at a gallery on Martha’s Vineyard, until he reconnected one day with Falmouth artist Jan Collins Selman. The two had originally met when Young was a teenager, and she worked at an art supply store across from his home. Not only did the store offer easy access to the coveted tools of the trade for the fledgling artist, but it also

introduced him to another important mentor. “I learned a lot from Jan. She was a big influence on me,” he said. “That’s when I started doing my own framing.”

She also gave him a permanent home for his work, at the Jan Collins Selman Gallery on Main Street, where it remains today, under new ownership, with a new name. Operated by Falmouth musician Donnie Cross and painter Karen Rinaldo, The Gallery on Main features Young’s signature dramatic landscapes, depicting slices of life as a dock supervisor for the Steamship Authority in Woods Hole, a job he’s held since he was 17.

For Young, his artistic motivation is twofold: to continually challenge himself by sharing the world through his eyes, and to convey to the viewer what resonated with him in the first place. In essence, every painting must tell a story.

Although Young considers himself image-driven, he also requires a personal connection to his subjects. Therefore, his portraiture is primarily limited to family; he recently completed a painting of his three grandchildren.

Young also credits his wife, Frances Young, for her encouragement and validation over the past four decades. The parents of three grown children, they will welcome their fourth grandchild this summer “We’ve known each other since we

were about 14,” he says. “I couldn’t have done this all these years without her support.”

Of all his subjects, he is perhaps most drawn to water, due to the constant evolution, which could also be a life metaphor. “It’s constantly changing,” he says. “No matter how many times you look at it, it’s always different.”

Ryan Young’s work is on view exclusively at The Gallery on Main, 317 Main Street, Falmouth Village, across from Falmouth Public Library. His paintings and prints are available for purchase. thegalleryonmainfalmouth.com

“Indian Summer,” watercolor, 11" x 23"

“Dilly Dally,” watercolor, 13" x 9"

FALMOUTH AT 50:

The road race is golden

BY BY BILL HIGGINS PHOTOS COURTESY OF FALMOUTH ROAD RACE, INC.

IT WAS A LATE-SUMMER SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN FALMOUTH HEIGHTS, September 10, 1972. Things were quiet at The Brothers 4, the old Victorian hotel and nightclub overlooking Vineyard Sound. The college kids and tourists were gone for the season. Schools were back in session. Day bartender Tommy Leonard was at his post. Only a few regulars were on the stools. A corner jukebox might have been playing the No. 1 hit, “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl).”

The Red Sox were contending in the American League East, but Leonard had a small television over the bar tuned to Wide World of Sports. The Summer Olympics were winding down in Munich, West Germany, and the marathon was one of the final events.

Against this backdrop, a seed was planted. What sprouted was an event still standing sturdy, sharing a place with fireworks and festivals as signatures of summer on Cape Cod.

The 50th Falmouth Road Race will be celebrated in August.

* * *

The stories, now stretching over six decades, all begin with Leonard. He died at 85 in January 2019, but T.L.’s legacy endures, and his spirit is ever present whenever tales are told.

“I ran the kitchen at the Brothers,” remembers Bill Dougherty, who was there with Leonard in the bar that September Sunday. “The place cleared out after Labor Day, and there were only a few of us left.”

Distance running was not part of the sporting consciousness in the early 1970s. The Patriots Day Boston Marathon was only a curiosity, but not to Leonard. He had run many marathons and was eagerly awaiting the start of the Olympic coverage.

Yale graduate Frank Shorter, who attended prep school in Massachusetts, was a contender. When he took the lead about 10 miles into the race, an animated Leonard began providing commentary to his small group of customers. He was bursting with excitement as Shorter neared the stadium and victory.

“I can still see him now, Tommy sweating and his face red,” said Dougherty. “What a sight!”

Shorter won, and while no one knew it then, this seminal moment ignited a running boom in the United States. Soon, people began jogging, taking to the streets for fitness and fun.

Later that evening, still emotionally soaring, Leonard gazed out from the Brothers at the ocean with a tangerine sunset and had a vision.

“Wouldn’t it be fantastic,” he said wistfully, “if we could get Frank Shorter to run a road race on Cape Cod?”

And then it happened.

* * *

In June of 1973, Leonard saw John Carroll, a teacher at the high school, coaching girls on the fledgling Falmouth Track Club at Fuller Field. Leonard shared his idea of a bar-to-bar race from the Captain Kidd in Woods Hole to the Brothers 4 in Falmouth Heights. He asked if Carroll could help.

Rich Sherman, a former track athlete at Fordham University, was the town’s new director of recreation. He helped with planning, putting up posters and listing it on the schedule of activities.

The wives, Lucia Carroll and Kathy Sherman, added their assistance. Dougherty said he could provide post-race refreshments of beer, bologna sandwiches and chowder at the Brothers.

The entry fee was $2. T-shirts were sold, and a collection was taken to raise funds for Carroll’s new track team.

The first “Woods Hole–Falmouth Marathon” took place on a rainy Wednesday afternoon: August 15, 1973, Leonard’s 40th birthday. It wasn’t a 26.2-mile marathon, but a quirky seven miles, the distance between bars.

There were fewer than 100 runners, and the miserable weather kept them huddled inside the Captain Kidd with a lunchtime crowd until the start. David Duba, a vacationing student from Central Michigan University who heard about the race from a hitchhiker, was the first champion. Jenny Taylor of Cambridge was the women’s winner.

Leonard and Sherman were among the 92 who finished, along with Johnny Kelley, the 65-year-old Boston Marathon legend, who danced into the night at the Brothers.

“We were a band of brothers,” Leonard often said. “It was a race born out of friendship—those who were already friends and those who would become friends.”

Who knew where those roads would lead?

The second Falmouth in 1974 had 445 entries, thanks to Leonard’s spreading the word around a burgeoning Boston running community and promising there would be girls in bikinis on the beach passing out water.

Sparse media coverage reported—incorrectly—that “Will Rogers” beat U.S. Olympic track star Marty Liquori. It was actually Bill Rodgers, and eight months later everyone would forever know him as “Boston Billy” after he won his first of four Boston Marathons.

By 1975, fueled by Leonard’s passion, the organizational expertise of the Shermans and the Carrolls, and with

A blast from the past: the late Tommy Leonard, founder of the Falmouth Road Race, and the crowd at the finish line, both c. late 1990s.

A conversation with Frank Shorter

BY BY BILL HIGGINS

FRANK SHORTER is recognized as one of the best—and most influential—distance runners ever. He won the marathon gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics and silver in the 1976 Games. He won the Fukuoka Marathon, the de facto world championship, four consecutive years (1971–74). He also won the Falmouth Road Race twice (1975–76), helping establish the seven-mile run as one of the top non-marathon events in the country.

Now 74 and still remarkably fit, Shorter endures as does his impact. His Olympic triumph 50 years ago sparked the running boom in the U.S. and gave rise to a fitness revolution. Shorter and his wife, Michelle, moved to Falmouth from Boulder, Colo., last fall. We visited with him at his home overlooking Sippewissett Marsh.

After being in Boulder for nearly 50 years, why did you decide to leave?

I was familiar with Falmouth long before I came here to race. I visited Martha’s Vineyard when I was young with a friend on their family vacations and remember sailing over to the Flying Bridge [restaurant]. My son did postdoctoral research work at Woods Hole so I was here in the winter sometimes, too. My wife had been coming since the mid-1980s and had friends in the Heights long before we met. We both feel a real comfort level here.

With all you’ve accomplished, what’s your greatest achievement?

It would have to be the Olympic marathon in ’72 in Munich. It was one of those times when I knew I was going to have a good day. After you’ve trained long enough, sometimes you can just feel it. I always understood that no matter how good you think you are, there’s always someone better. Where do you go next, and when do you level off? I was willing to go into bigger ponds and find out how much better I could be. When I was up on the victory stand, that was as high as I could go.

Does winning Falmouth make your top highlights list?

Of course. It was reflective of the times and my first real road race. I was invited by Tommy [Leonard], through Bill [Rodgers], who had just won Boston that year [1975]. We wanted to run against the best. And I had those personal memories and had a connection here.

What makes this race special?

It’s the Falmouth community and the way it’s always been organized. There’s a spirit. Michelle says—and I agree—the people are just friendlier than anywhere else. They’re open and warm. It’s a neighborhood, and you feel it at the race.

Do you still have goals?

Absolutely! I’m trying to slow down as slowly as possible and as long as someone watching me run doesn’t think I’m walking, I’m OK. It’s not about competition anymore, but continuous effort and that feeling you’re still getting the most out of yourself.

It’s been 50 years since the Olympics, but you’re still a fan favorite at Falmouth and many other races.

I think I’ve always been approachable. I remember when I was a kid growing up [in Middletown, N.Y.]. Mickey Mantle was in town one day. My friends and I waited for him for an autograph. He blew us off, walked right by us. I never forgot that. I’m flattered when someone wants to interact with me or ask a question. It’s easy to be nice to people.

Olympic medalist Frank Shorter, at home in Sippewisset, above, and running in Falmouth in 1998, below, says the people at the Falmouth Road Race “are just friendlier than anywhere else.”

SUZANNE RYAN

considerable support from hundreds of volunteers, Falmouth was off and running. T.L.’s dream came true.

Lured by a $600 appearance fee and a television, Shorter came to town from Colorado on his way to track races in Europe. The showdown between the Olympic gold medalist and the Boston champion helped swell the field to 900. Shorter won and in 1976 beat Rodgers again as 2,000 ran while thousands more filled the streets in a seven-mile block party.

Road racing was now part of the athletic landscape, and Falmouth was at the forefront of a growing national circuit. The irresistible combination of intense competition mixed with a class reunion atmosphere on a seaside summer stage made this the place to be.

“Falmouth was really my first road race—I was mainly a track runner—and I knew right away it was going to be fun,” said Shorter.

The sport went global in the 1980s, and soon Hall of Famers and Olympic medalists from around the world found their way to Woods Hole every August. Falmouth’s roll call of champions is a Who’s Who in the sport.

Rod Dixon of New Zealand and Grete Waitz of Norway were the first foreign champions in 1980. Since then, winners have come from Great Britain, Mexico, Ecuador, Italy, Portugal, Morocco, South Africa, Russia, The Netherlands, Burundi, Canada, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Falmouth has also been a leader in the inclusion of disabled athletes, dating to 1975, when Bob Hall was the first wheelchair winner. In 1979 Paralympian Natalie Bacon blazed the trail for women wheelchair racers.

“It’s amazing to see the endurance of this event,” said Shorter, now 74 and living in Falmouth. “People watch it and say, ‘This looks like fun,’ and the next year they jump in. There is a unique spirit at Falmouth.”

Shorter and Rodgers, also 74, along with Joan Benoit Samuelson, 65, are woven into the fabric of the race’s rich history. They return almost every year as popular “golden oldies.”

“I have many fond memories,” said Rodgers. “Boston is the classic marathon, and Falmouth is the classic American road race. It will always be special to me.”

“It’s a celebration of the sport,” said Samuelson, the First Lady of Falmouth, a six-time champion and Olympic marathon gold medalist. “Coming back every year is like a homecoming for me. I think it’s that way for a lot of the runners. It just feels right.”

* * *

Today the Asics Falmouth Road Race remains a must-run stop on the calendar and has been honored by Runner’s World magazine with the Paavo Nurmi Award as the best road race in the nation.

On the eve of the golden anniversary 50th—race weekend is August 21—Falmouth is aging gracefully. A lot has changed (the Brothers 4 is gone, replaced by condominiums), but so much is still the same, especially the fun-run flavor fostered from the foundation built in the 1970s.

Runners will again convene in front of the Captain Kidd, where there is a plaque noting the Tommy Leonard Start Line. The course will wind past Nobska Light, Surf Drive Beach and the harbor, and continue to the Heights and to the finish by the Tommy Leonard bench.

Press coverage of that first race in 1973 included a telling tagline to an article in the Cape Cod Standard-Times: “This affair is scheduled to be held on an annual basis.”

Indeed. Happy 50th birthday, Falmouth Road Race, still a gem, good as gold.

Runners sprint to the Falmouth Heights finish line in 2021.

Down to

Climbing hydrangeas drape the archway entrance to the shade garden.

FALMOUTH LIVING • SPRING/SUMMER 2022

BY JANICE RANDALL ROHLF | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETTY WILEY

When they moved into their home in East Falmouth 38 years ago, George and Marcia Chapman, both longtime horticulture professionals, had very little to admire outside their windows. “It was all scrub oak, pitch pine and poison ivy,” recalls George, who worried that the relatively small lot would restrict his green thumb. “Back then, I was 35 years old and concerned that a half-acre wasn’t enough property,” he says. “Our overriding plan for the garden was to use every square foot. And we did.”

Every square inch would be more like it. Today, 55 varieties of daylilies and 46 of hydrangeas combine with a sea of other ornamental plants and trees that edge curving paths, cast shade

on patchworked stone walkways, climb over trellises and spread out in lovely espaliered patterns on the weathered shingles of a shed. Once most of the hundred or so original trees were cleared, George started planting new ones, such as hollies and arborvitae, that when mature would serve as the bones of a garden whose most enduring trait is its continual revision. “The garden has gone through quite a few incarnations,” says Marcia. “Some people don’t like change, but we love it.”

For the past four years George has been landscape director at Highfield Hall & Gardens, and Marcia is the manager at Soares Gardens. The couple’s constant exposure to horticulture trends, while mostly a boon to selecting plants for their own garden,

In East Falmouth, husband-and-wife horticulturists have transformed their small yard into a garden oasis using a lifetime of plant knowledge and a heavy dose of TLC.

Agapanthus

Daylily

Native Canada Lily

The back porch with a pergola and grapevine for shade is the perfect spot on a hot summer day.

can also lead to information overload. “Our favorites change all the time, and with the seasons,” says Marcia, adding that she tends to be a binger. “I love primroses, and for a while I went through a begonia phase. Recently, I decided that instead of changing colors frequently, I’d just keep consistent with chartreuse.”

“Ours is a collector’s garden,” shares George, who ran the R.F. Morse Greenhouse and Nursery in Wareham with Marcia for 20 years. “We were the buyers, so we were always on top of what was new coming down the pike, and very often we’d buy some for the nursery and some for ourselves. We had to test the plants so we could talk about them and sell them.” Prior to R.F. Morse, George worked with the Mahoney family for 10 years, establishing, constructing and managing garden centers in both Tewksbury and Falmouth.

For passionate gardeners like George and Marcia, residing in the same place for a long time has distinct advantages, namely watching your garden mature over time. George’s favorite shrub is a Degroot’s spire, a very slow- and narrow-growing arborvitae. There are 11 on the property, each of them cultivated from four inches tall to its current 12-foot height. Likewise, the wellestablished beech and pear trees “came as seedlings in the mail on Arbor Day, about 25 years ago,” says George. The 200-foot-long hedge at the back of the yard started as small shrubs planted against a stockade fence. Now tall and filled out, the shrubs are the fence—a stunning background for the rest of the garden.

Statuary, planters and topiaries add interest and an element of surprise to the garden. Below: A collection of dwarf conifers.

The Chapmans are particularly fond of and knowledgeable about hydrangeas. Hydrangea macrophylla (lacecaps and mopheads) are vulnerable to cold weather, whereas hydrangea paniculata, such as Limelight, Quickfire and Bobo, are foolproof, explains George, who cultivates plenty of each. Every year, he and Marcia participate in the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival (see sidebar), when the public is invited into their garden and others for a look around. “Because we have garden tours every year, each time we try to create something different to look at,” says George.

Among the variety of intimate spaces that comprise the half-acre, there’s the Swing Set Garden and the Trampoline Garden, planted in areas where the couple’s two children once played, and the Wood Neck Garden, composed of rocks they lugged back from its namesake beach. George’s latest botanical experiment, a tranquil space called a stumpery, was inspired by the Victorian tradition of growing ferns among upturned tree stumps. The most famous example is Prince Charles’s Highgrove.

A magnolia tree underplanted with coleus “Big Blonde” and Japanese forest grass “All Gold.” Below left: A mixed planting of hydrangea “Firelight,” phlox “Blue Paradise” and crocosmia “Lucifer.” Below right: Canna lily, one of the many container-grown accent plants placed throughout the garden.

Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival

JULY 8–17, 2022 ~ A SUMMER GARDEN CELEBRATION

The Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival is an annual Cape-wide celebration of the region’s blue, pink and white signature flowers and everything gardens on Cape Cod! This 10-day festival’s main attractions are the daily tours of private gardens, each designed and maintained by the individual homeowners and carrying a unique charm.

Gardens are only one part of the festival. Enjoy workshops and lectures presented by leading international horticulturalists, discover promotions at participating nurseries and home centers, take a class to learn proper hydrangea pruning techniques, or even watch a painting demonstration by renowned local artists.

Below is a preliminary schedule for events in Falmouth only. The final schedule will be posted in June at capecodchamber.org/events/featured-events/cape-cod-hydrangea-fest

FRIDAY, JULY 8

Garden Tours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5 collected at each gate.

Falmouth Garden Club Tours

3 gardens falmouthgardenclub.org/event-details/ hydrangea-festival

West Falmouth Library Garden Tours, 5 gardens westfalmouthlibrary.org

Highfield Hall & Gardens Hydrangea Talk & Garden Tour highfieldhallandgardens.org

4 to 5:30 p.m.: Lorraine Ballato, Success with Hydrangeas; Highfield Garden Tour with Landscape Director George Chapman following the talk. $10 members, $20 non-members

SATURDAY, JULY 9

Garden Tours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5 collected at each gate.

Cape Cod Hydrangea Society

1 garden

Garden of George & Marcia Chapman, East Falmouth

Falmouth Garden Club Tours

3 gardens

falmouthgardenclub.org/event-details/ hydrangea-festival

People for Cats Tour, 1 garden Garden of David Bird, North Falmouth, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Artisans Faire with Garden Theme

Soares Flower Garden Nursery East Falmouth

To benefit American Parkinson Disease Association, MA Chapter soaresflowergardennursery.com

SUNDAY, JULY 10

Hydrangeas with Super Powers Talk at Soares, 1 p.m., $5 fee

Benefits American Parkinson Disease Association, MA Chapter Natalie Carmolli from Proven Winners® ColorChoice® at Soares Flower Garden Nursery, East Falmouth soaresflowergardennursery.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13

Garden Tours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5 collected at each gate.

Cape Cod Hydrangea Society  Garden of George & Marcia Chapman, East Falmouth

People for Cats Garden of David Bird, North Falmouth

All garden tours are rain or shine and nonrefundable.

Most of the Chapmans’ inspiration, however, is less regal and more homespun. “There’s absolutely no master plan,” says Marcia, the keeper of the ever-growing spreadsheet that documents every thing they plant and how it fares. “We’re not organic, but we use next to nothing as far as pesticides.” As for fertilizing, George asserts that plants can’t read what a label says. “Just feed me,” is all they ask.

As much as the Chapmans love plants, they understand that a garden is about much more than pretty flowers. “Part of what makes a garden interesting is the element of surprise,” George says. “Often, we put a curve in a path because it makes you want to go see what’s down there. Paths create a sense of mystery and

also give you a feeling of spaciousness because you can’t see the end.” Turn a corner at one spot, for example, and, instead of a blank wall, there’s a big staghorn fern hanging from an old mantelpiece Marcia found on the side of a road. A cupola that once perched atop the garage became a garden ornament the third time George had to take it down for repair.

“We’re crazy plant people who have done this our whole lives,” says Marcia, adding that when they’re not in their own garden, they’re traveling to see others. George, at whose age many people retire, has this to say: “I tell people, I don’t boat, I don’t golf ... I garden.”

Clockwise from above left: Winding paths beckon visitors to explore deeper into the garden. At the garden entrance, hints to the surprises that lie be yond. An old wooden garden basket and tool. A bubbling fountain in a peaceful spot.

Photos by Murphy Foto Imagery

Photo by Jon Caron Art

THE COMMUNITY Cultivating

The Falmouth Garden Club wields tools and talent to keep Falmouth green and gorgeous.

BY JANICE RANDALL ROHLF | PHOTOGRAPHY

LIKE CLOCKWORK EVERY APRIL, dozens of Falmouth Garden Club members dust off their spades and clippers, haul out soaker hoses and convene at the Museums on the Green in downtown Falmouth. Their mission? Bring the four gardens on the grounds of the Falmouth Historical Society into tiptop shape for public viewing in the months to come. This means, at the very least, planting, pruning, weeding, mulching and watering. Committees for each garden on the one-acre property—Colonial Garden, Herb Garden, Butterfly and Pollinator Garden and the Memorial Park—maintain the plants throughout their growing season.

In addition to the gardens at the Falmouth Museums on the Green, members of the FGC maintain the Cupola Garden on Katherine Lee Bates Road, the window boxes at the Falmouth Bus Depot, and the planters at the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce. They also provide floral arrangements each week for the Falmouth Public Library.

BY BETTY WILEY

The Falmouth Garden Club has been celebrating its 90th anniversary throughout the past year. Shortly after their founding, in 1931, the Falmouth Historical Society and the FGC joined forces to beautify the grounds that surround the 1790 Dr. Francis Wicks House, the oldest house on the town green, now a museum. Over the years, several changes have been made to the gardens—the Herb Garden was repositioned next to the kitchen door, the Colonial Garden was enlarged and filled with authentic colonial roses, the Memorial Park took on a colorful new look and a Butterfly Garden was added. What has remained constant is the dedication of the garden club volunteers, numbering 40 at any given time.

The next time you’re downtown at the post office, browsing boutiques or grabbing a bite to eat, set aside a bit of time to stroll through and admire the gardens, gifts from Mother Nature and the Falmouth Garden Club. You won’t regret it.

Top left to right: Falmouth Garden Club team leader Sue Rau works in the Colonial Garden. Erika Messmann is one of the many FGC members who faithfully tend gardens each week throughout Falmouth, including the commemorative Cupola Garden, opposite.

Colonial Garden

In 2005, the Falmouth Garden Club received the prestigious Historical Gardens Award from National Garden Clubs, Inc., for its longstanding commitment to this project. Decades ago, in 1944, the garden club undertook designing a colonial garden for the Historical Society property. The plans were sent to prominent Cambridge, Massachusetts, landscape architect Paul Frost, who designed it. Garden club members propagated a number of boxwood plants from cuttings taken from a very large “grandmother” boxwood thought to be from the 1700s. They completed the planting in 1947.

The Colonial Garden combines perennials and annuals to offer a show of color throughout the growing season. Its centerpiece is the armillary sundial, pictured above.

A year later, a gazebo was added to the garden to provide a place for reflecting on the beauty of nature. A more recent addition is a spectacular border of huge, white Annabelle hydrangeas and a historically correct white picket fence.

Today, miniature arborvitaes have replaced boxwoods, and the center of the bed is filled with single-blossom roses next to an armillary sundial—an astronomical device representing the positions of important circles of the celestial sphere, or visible heavens. It is positioned facing true north and elevated to an angle of 41 degrees, Falmouth’s latitude. No longer filled only with Colonial-era plants, which can be hard to obtain or don’t grow well here, the garden includes coleus, phlox, dark-stemmed dahlias, false sunflower, lavender, spiderwort and turtlehead.

Herb Garden

Created in 1970 by garden club members, the well-organized and labeled spot today contains both culinary and medicinal herbs. Redolent of onion, rosemary, chives, chamomile and basil, to name just a few, the garden presents an intoxicating scent. Lady’s mantle, wormwood, yarrow, agrimony and santolina thrive here, too. Some of the plants date back to the original garden, which was situated near the barn. The present location outside the kitchen door is historically appropriate and substantially larger than its predecessor. Completing the site are a memorial granite vessel, a West Falmouth pink granite trough for watering horses, and a large semicircular threshold stone. Once a year, the garden is used as a learning tool when the Museums on the Green hosts Falmouth grade-school students studying local history. Museum docents introduce the children to the herbs and explain what each is used for.

Today’s

Butterfly andPollinator Garden

The newest addition to the gardens, the Butterfly Garden was planted in 2015. This full-sun garden helps to protect, feed and propagate the declining numbers of butterfly, moth and bee populations. Donations of flowers, shrubs, trees, a tall metal arched trellis, a butterfly statue and a hand-wrought butterfly bench complete this lovely space. To commemorate its 90th anniversary, the Falmouth Garden Club gave a donation to Farming Falmouth to establish a pollinator garden at the newly preserved Tony Andrews Farm.

Sharon McKinney works with her team in the Herb and Butterfly Gardens. The Butterfly Garden, added in 2015, is designed to attract and support pollinators.

Memorial Park

In 1976, Garden Club members, Boy Scouts, Falmouth DPW, and many Falmouth residents cleared the once-neglected woodland, creating Memorial Park. Over time, new buildings were added, and the woodland plants were replaced with sun-loving flowers. Benches, flowering trees and a beautiful geode bird bath have been donated in memoriam to create a tranquil place of refuge that is open to all visitors seeking relaxation. In 2013, Memorial Park was redesigned, and a large four-season garden was planted. New benches and a split-rail fence followed. Over the years, several honors have been given to Memorial Park—the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts Virginia Thurston Landscape Design award, a Certificate of Merit for the design and planting in front of the Cultural Center, and the National Garden Club Award for a Landscape Design Project. The garden is seen from Katherine Lee Bates Road, a Blue Star Memorial Byway, which is a continuing nationwide designation promoted by National Garden Clubs, Inc., as a tribute to the United States Armed Forces for defending our country.

For more information on the Falmouth Garden Club, including how to become a member, visit falmouthgardenclub.org.

Designed as a woodland sanctuary, Memorial Park was restored by the Falmouth Garden Club after the 1991 devastation of Hurricane Bob. Above, FGC member David March works in the park.

Living The Dream:

An All-Time Of Falmouth

BY BILL HIGGINS

ARCHIVE PHOTOS COURTESY FALMOUTH COMMODORES

The Cape Cod Baseball League is a staple of the summer season, and the Falmouth Commodores have been part of the scene since the early 1900s.

These days, the ’Dores play at Fuller Field adjacent to the Canty Community Center, but for more than 60 years games were played at the Central Park diamond in Falmouth Heights.

In the Commodores’ proud history, dozens of graduates have made it to the Major Leagues, which got us thinking: What would an all-star lineup of Falmouth franchise alumni look like?

It’s the ultimate in barstool debates and subjective to be sure. That’s the fun of assembling fantasy teams.

The Cape League attracts college baseball’s top talent. Many are humbled by the competition, but better for it, learning and improving on the stairway to stardom. In making our picks of infielders, outfielders and pitchers, we weighted our selections on the players’ credentials after they left Falmouth and made it to “The Show.”

So, let’s play ball with this all-time Dream Team of Commodores.

All-Star Team Commodores

FIRST BASE:

CATCHER:

Kevin Cash (Falmouth 1999) is the choice not so much for his playing career, but for now as the outstanding manager of the Tampa Bay Rays. He was a useful backup over eight seasons and earned World Series rings in 2007 (Red Sox) and 2009 (Yankees)

DESIGNATED HITTER:

Sid Bream (1980) hit .344 for the Commodores and was a career .264 hitter in 12 MLB seasons. He played in two World Series with Atlanta.

Tino Martinez (1986) was an all-star for the Commodores and a two-time all-star in a 16-year career highlighted by winning four World Series with the New York Yankees. He had 339 career home runs and six times drove in 100 or more runs.

WILL VRAGOVIC/TAMPA

BAY RAYS

NEW YORK YANKEES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

INFIELD:

Bill Almon (1972–73) was an all-star with the Commodores in 1973, and the San Diego Padres made the Ivy Leaguer from Brown the No. 1 overall pick in the 1974 draft. He played 15 seasons and earned MVP votes in 1981 after hitting .301 for the Chicago White Sox.

INFIELD:

Mark Loretta (1991–92) played 15 seasons in the majors and made two all-star teams, including in 2006 with the Boston Red Sox. A .295 career hitter, his best year was in 2004 with the San Diego Padres when he hit .335 with 16 homers and won the Silver Slugger Award as the game’s top offensive second baseman.

PITCHER:

John Tudor (1975) was a crafty left-hander who began his career with the Boston Red Sox, but had his best years with the St. Louis Cardinals.

He was 117–72 in 12 seasons with a 3.08 ERA. In 1995 with the Cards, he went 21–8, 1.93 ERA and 10 shutouts.

He won a World Series ring with the Dodgers in 1988.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS ARCHIVE

COURTESY OAKLAND ATHLETICS

COURTESY BOSTON RED SOX

OUTFIELD:

A.J. Pollock (2008) did it all in his all-star summer with the Commodores, winning the league’s MVP award by hitting .377. In 10 seasons with Arizona and the Los Angeles Dodgers (before being traded to the Chicago White Sox in spring training), he’s averaged .281 with power and speed. He’s been an all-star and a Gold Glove fielder.

PITCHER:

Mike Flanagan (1972) was a twoway star for the Commodores, on the mound and in the field. He went on to become an ace left-hander for the Baltimore Orioles. His 18-year career was highlighted by a 23-win season in 1979 when he won the Cy Young Award. He also helped the Os win the 1983 World Series.

UTILITY:

Rhys Hoskins

(2013) was an all-star outfielder with the Commodores and now is a slugging first baseman with the Philadelphia Phillies. In five seasons he’s hit 118 homers, including 27 in 2021 before an injury cut his season short.

BALTIMORE



PITCHER: Jeff Weaver (1997) was a dependable workhorse starter who won 104 games over 11 seasons and five times had 11 or more victories. He was a key cog in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2006 World Series championship by winning three games in the postseason.

OUTFIELD: Jacoby Ellsbury (2004) helped the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2007 and 2013. His best season was 2011 when he had 32 home runs, 39 stolen bases, hit .321 with 105 RBIs and won a Gold Glove for his center-field defense. Three times he led the American League in stolen bases.

COURTESY BOSTON RED SOX

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS ARCHIVE

COURTESY HOUSTON ASTROS

INFIELD:

Bill Doran (1977) had a 12-year career, mostly with Houston, and earned National League MVP votes three times. A slick fielder, he had a .266 career batting average and six times stole 20 or more bases. He won a World Series ring with Cincinnati in 1990.

 OUTFIELD:

Darin Erstad (1993–94) was a twotime Cape League all-star and MVP in ’04. The No. 1 draft pick of the California Angels, he was also a two-time MLB allstar who won two Gold Gloves and had a lifetime batting average of .282. In 2000 he led the league with 240 hits and batted .355 with 25 home runs and 100 RBIs.

PITCHER:

Eric Milton (1995–96) set the Cape League record for earned run average with a microscopic 0.21 in 1996. He had an 11-year career, mostly for the Minnesota Twins, and won 89 games. He hurled a no-hitter in 1999 and was an all-star in 2001 when he went 15–7.

COURTESY LOS ANGELES ANGELS

Into the

Remembering fine art photographer Michael Petrizzo

Light

and his ability to capture the beauty of Falmouth

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL PETRIZZO

AT THE ROOT OF EVERYTHING MY FATHER DID here on the Cape—from boating to going to the beach, and even down to more mundane tasks like yardwork— was joy. He leaves no question that he loved living in Falmouth, his summer escape for years before he finally moved here full time with my mom just over a decade ago.

To know and remember our dad was to know and remember he felt at peace by the sea. And now, in thousands of stunning images he captured here and farther afield on the Cape, we have both a cache of evidence and the threads of his vantage points to carry with us in our hearts.

“The light here is special,” he would say. “Wait a little longer after the sun sets, and you’ll really see the sky explode.” He was never wrong. He never tired of the scenic vistas he saw every day—the sailboats, the lighthouses. His enthusiasm never waned; in fact, I think it compounded.

For more than 30 years, my dad remained committed to the mastery of photography. And with his proficiency in ever-evolving digital tools and software, he exuded the peace and joy he felt here through his art. From one idyllic scene to the next, he summoned viewers to cast aside the tensions of life and step into the stillness of this special place. For us, his photos are a continual invitation to bask in both his wonder and his calm. And we accept that invitation heartily.

While my family and I find comfort in and hold tightly to a myriad of wonderful memories made here in Falmouth, we also find solace in his perspective of the Cape captured through his breadth of work. We plan to share his art and continue his legacy through petrizzofineart.com and at local galleries.

By Jeanne Petrizzo, daughter of Michael Petrizzo, on behalf of his family.

Nobska Lighthouse

Woods Hole Golf Club

Dock at Spohr Gardens

Waquoit Woods Hole

Quissett Harbor

Nobska Lighthouse Chapoquoit Beach

The Knob

Bournes Pond

Mashpee commons is home to over 100 shops set in a charming New England-style village. Find unique dining, one-of-a-kind shops, wellness studios and entertainment for the whole family. mashpeecommons.com @MashpeeCommons

of

SHOPPINGSPREE

In need of some retail therapy? The numerous boutiques in Downtown Falmouth and Mashpee Commons offer a delightful variety of options for even the most discerning customer. Shop till you drop, then refuel at one of many neighboring restaurants and bars. A perfect day!

GALLERY

THE GALLERY ON MAIN 317 Main Street 508-444-6073

MAIN STREET ART GALLERY 189 Main Street 774-763-5441 mainstreetrealestatefalmouth.com

OSBORN & RUGH GALLERY 114 Palmer Avenue 508-548-2100 osbornandrughgallery.com

BOOK STORE

EIGHT COUSINS 189 Main Street 508-548-5548 eightcousins.com

CASUAL APPAREL

THE BLACK DOG General Store 214 Main Street 508-495-6000 theblackdog.com

FATFACE 245 Main Street 508-388-7288 fatface.com

LIVIN’ EZ CASUAL WEAR 266 Main Street 508-540-0115 livinezclothing.com

ON THE WATER OUTFITTERS 261 Main Street 508-388-7458 onthewateroutfitters.com

REEL ISLAND CO. 153 Main Street 617-780-4884 Facebook

PalmerAve.

CHILDREN’S CLOTHING

TRENDY TOTS 426 Main St. 508-388-7891 trendytotscapecod.com

A children’s boutique offering a vast selection of children’s apparel, toys and more, for all ages. We are best known for our adorable “Lobster Pajamas” and Cape Cod nautical-inspired clothing. Follow us on Instagram @trendytots_capecod and like us on Facebook @trendytotsapparel. Visit us online at trendytotscapecod.com

11 THE GILDED OYSTER

155 Main Street, 774-763-5742, thegildedoyster.com

In the historical seaside village of Falmouth, this award-winning coastal fine jewelry boutique and online store brings together local heritage, timeless elegance and unique treasures. Every visit to The Gilded Oyster—featuring many Cape Cod and New England designers, family goldsmiths and one-of-a-kind pieces—is an exploration of coastal craftsmanship and exclusive artistry. The Gilded Oyster also showcases beautiful diamond pieces made right here on Cape Cod, as well as pieces from across the sea, crafted in Ireland and Scotland and inspired by centuries-old folklore. Voted Best Jewelry Store on the Upper Cape! Visit us online, TheGildedOyster.com, Follow us on Instagram @gildedoyster, and like us on Facebook @facebook.com/thegildedoysterfalmouth.

KatharineLeeBatesRd

FASHION

12 STORY.

352 Main Street, 774-763-5451, storyfalmouth.com story. is a chic specialty clothing store offering a tightly curated collection of women’s sought-after contemporary styles inspired and designed by tastemakers from around the globe. Each piece is carefully selected for its contemporary styling and expert craftsmanship. Shop in our plush living room setting during store hours or by appointment. Call or visit our website at storyfalmouth.com for hours and inspiration.

13 SOFT AS A GRAPE 251 Main Street 508-457-7480 softasagrape.com

14 TOUCHÉ

234 Main Street 508-495-0598

CHILDREN’S CLOTHING

15 CALINE FOR KIDS

149 Main Street 508-548-2533 calineforkids.com

CONSIGNMENT SHOP

16 BUYWAY BOUTIQUE

Queens Buyway, 47 North Main Street 508-540-4884 buywayboutiques.com

FASHION

LILLY PULTIZER 199 Main Street 508-540-0697 lillypulitzer.com

JEWELRY

19

FALMOUTH JEWELRY

225 Main Street, 508-548-0487, falmouthjewelryshop.com

The Falmouth Jewelry Shop is an independent family-owned jewelry store located in the heart of Falmouth Village on beautiful Cape Cod. Established in 1944 and built on trust, we are one of the longest running businesses in Falmouth. Visit us online, follow us on Instagram @the_falmouth_jewerly_shop and like us on Facebook @falmouthjewelryshop

20 PORT CARGO 156 Main Street 508-540-4466 Facebook

21 PURITAN CAPE COD 199 Main Street 508-548-0116 puritancapecod.com

22

UNDERGROUND FASHION BOUTIQUE

316 Gifford Street, Unit 6 508-524-1782 undergroundfashion.co

FLORIST

23 THE SALTY FLORIST 362 Main Street 774-255-1793 thesaltyflorist.com

FASHION

18 GREEN EYED DAISY

199 Main St., 508-495-0403, greeneyeddaisy.com

At Green Eyed Daisy we revel in the unique; a mother/daughterowned women’s lifestyle boutique featuring flattering clothing and accessories to enhance any wardrobe from day to night. We encourage you to embrace your individual style by offering an assortment of carefully curated options. Shop for an event dress, casual attire, and the shoes to match, as well as gifting options featuring Cape Cod and other domestic artisans. Find a statement piece at Green Eyed Daisy that transports you to the past—we have vintage jewelry and bags. Shop with us at 199 Main Street, Falmouth; 4 Federal Street, Nantucket; or online at Greeneyeddaisy.com. Follow us on Instagram @instagram.com/greeneyeddaisy and like us on Facebook @Facebook.com/greeneyeddaisy

FOR THE HOME 24 LEROUX KITCHEN

208 Main Street 774-763-2081

lerouxkitchen.com 25 SETTING THE SPACE

233 Main Street 508-444-9500 settingthespace.com

GIFT SHOP

26 CELEBRATIONS OF CAPE COD

210 Main Street 508-457-0530

Facebook

27 HOMESPUN GARDEN

174 Main Street 508-457-4441

Facebook

29 GLASS ART STUDIO 2

360 Main Street

774-289-9222

glassartstudio2.com

Glass Art Studio

creates custom stained glass, and offers restoration service with extensive knowledge and years of collaboration in architectural art glass, vintage and antique. Visit us online, follow us on Instagram @glassart_jeannie and like us on Facebook @facebook.com/ glassartstudio2/

30 INLET

28 Water St., Woods Hole 508-388-1848 inletwoodshole.com

SHOPPING, DINING, ENTERTAINMENT

MASHPEE COMMONS

22 Steeple St., Mashpee Commons, 508-477-5400, mashpeecommons.com

Mashpee Commons is home to more than 100 shops set in a charming New England-style village. Find unique dining, one-of-a-kind shops, wellness studios and entertainment for the whole family. Visit mashpeecommons.com, follow us on Instagram @mashpeecommons and like us on Facebook @mashpeecommonslocal.

FASHION

LITTLE ANCHOR BOUTIQUE

424 E. Falmouth Hwy., E. Falmouth littleanchorboutique.com

MAXWELL & CO.

200 Main St., 508-540-8752, maxwellandco.com

Maxwell & Co. for men and women is a nationally and internationally recognized destination for men and women on Cape Cod since 1984. The store is renowned for its opinion of style, personal approach, relentless customer service, exceptional tailoring, innovative displays and curated merchandising. Maxwell & Co. offers the highest standards of tailored clothing, sportswear, denim, footwear, accessories, and luxurious lifestyle items from around the world. Maxwell & Co. related websites: maxwellandco.com / OFFmaxwell.com / TRANSITmaxwell.com. You can also find Maxwell & Co on Instagram @MaxwellAndCo or on Facebook as Maxwell & Co.

GIFTS & HOME DECOR

33 OCTOBER GULLS

634 N. Falmouth Hwy. N. Falmouth 508-783-4046 octobergulls.com

34 OLD MAIN MERCANTILE

75 County Rd., N. Falmouth 508-566-8249 oldmainmercantile.com

35 SEA BAGS

176 Main Street 774-255-1252 seabags.com

36 TWIGS FALMOUTH

178 Main Street 508-540-0767

twigsfalmouth.com

37 UNDER THE SUN

22 Water St., Woods Hole 508–540-3603 underthesunwoodshole.com

JEWELRY

38 HANNOUSH JEWELERS

352 Main Street 508-548-9107 hannoush.com

JEWELRY

39

ROBERTO COIN

40 VILLAGE TRADING COMPANY

1379 28A, Cataumet, 508-356-3093, villagetradingcompany.com

The Village Trading Company offers a vast selection of gifts and home decor, including items from Simon Pearce, Mariposa, Nora Fleming and Thymes Bath and Body, plus a large selection of fashion jewelry, greeting cards and toys! Find that perfect gift at the Village Trading Company. Visit villagetradingcompany.com, follow us on Instagram @villagetradingcompanycataumet and like us on Facebook.

OUTDOOR APPAREL & GEAR

41 BOARD STIFF

193 Main Street 508-540-9555 boardstifffalmouth.com

42 CORNER CYCLE

115 Palmer Ave 508-540-4195 cornercycle.com

SCREEN PRINTING SHOP

43 HOWLINGBIRD STUDIO

91 Palmer Avenue 508-540-3787 howlingbird.com

STATIONERY

44 THE PINK POLKA DOT

45 N. Main Street 508-540-3015 thepinkpolkadot.net

16 Steeple St., Mashpee Commons, 508-477-7772, robertocoin.com

Since 1977, Venetian jewelry designer Roberto Coin has devoted his life to his passion for innovative design. Finding inspiration in the most unlikely of places, he is truly an artisan at work. His diverse collection designed to fit every woman is defined by a common thread—a thoughtful balance of elegance and creativity. Inspired by ancient legends, each original piece is marked with a signature hidden ruby—allowing the distinguished gem to kiss the skin. This has become an exclusive signature of every jewel by Roberto Coin and is his blessing for long life, health and happiness for every woman lucky enough to wear one of his exclusive creations. Roberto Coin has become a pillar of unique and luxurious fine Italian jewelry. During your stay on Cape Cod, visit our boutique to immerse yourself in the luxury that is Roberto Coin.

Calendar

Celebrate spring and summer in Falmouth with dozens of things to do and see. We recommend that you check with the organization that created an event for guidance, reservations, restrictions and cancellations.

May – October, Tuesday & Wednesday, Friday & Saturday HISTORIC WALKING TOURS

Meet in Hallett Barn Visitors Center at the Museums on the Green for a revealing guided stroll back through time. Explore Falmouth’s historic landmarks. This leisurely stroll takes 60 to 90 minutes. Weather permitting. Reservations are not required but are requested. museumsonthegreen.org

May – October, Thursdays FALMOUTH FARMERS’ MARKET

Every Thursday, local farmers, bakers and culinary artisans sell fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, cheese, wine, bread and pastries, plants and flowers at Marine Park on Falmouth Harbor in Falmouth center. Noon to 5 p.m. falmouthfarmersmarket.org

June – August COLLEGE LIGHT OPERA COMPANY

The College Light Opera Company (CLOC) is among the very best of American summer theater companies! CLOC is an independent nonprofit educational theater founded in 1969. CLOC produces nine fully staged musical productions with full orchestra to Cape Cod summer guests while giving young talent a chance to begin a career. collegelightoperacompany.com

Painting by Julia O’Malley-Keyes, “Old Siver Beach babies,” oil on linen, 32"x 40"

JUNE 12 – AUGUST 2: FALMOUTH COMMODORES

June 12 – August 2 (playoffs begin August 4)

FALMOUTH COMMODORES

BASEBALL SEASON

The Cape Cod Baseball League celebrates its 136th season providing fans with competitive baseball entertainment. The Cape League is recognized as one of the best amateur summer leagues in the country by college coaches and professional baseball scouts. The country’s top college players are recruited to play in the ten-team loop. A record total 257 former Cape Leaguers populate major league rosters. falmouthcommodores.com

June 18

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

Indulge in fabulous strawberry shortcake, lobster rolls, hot dogs or BBQ chicken under the tent on the Saint Barnabas lawn, across the street from the Village Green. Arts and crafts vendors, home baked goods sale, plant sale, face painting, games for small children. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. stbfalmouth.org

June 25 HOUNDS OF HIGHFIELD

Visit Highfield Hall & Gardens on Saturday, June 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. as we celebrate the loving and enduring bond Cape Cod & the Islands

have with our canine friends. Enjoy a cheerful, tail-waggin’ time as you meet four-legged friends, fellow doggie enthusiasts and local animal organizations. highfieldhallandgardens.org

June 30 – September 1, Thursdays

FALMOUTH TOWN BAND CONCERTS

Every Thursday evening at the Music and Arts Pavilion, Marine Park, next to Falmouth Harbor. All concerts are free and open to the public. Bring your chair or blanket for your comfort and enjoyment. 7:30 to 9 p.m. falmouthmass.us

June 30 – July 1, July 7 – 9, July 14 – 16 & July 21 – 23 BE A PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS AT THE CAPE COD THEATRE PROJECT

The CCTP brings together playwrights of new American plays with professional directors and actors—often straight from Broadway—for staged readings at Falmouth Academy. Each week attendees get a close-up view into the development of a new play and the unique opportunity to have their feedback incorporated into the final piece before it moves on to major stages across the country. capecodtheatreproject.org

July, Wednesdays

FALMOUTH VILLAGE MOVIES UNDER THE STARS

Grab some dinner at one of Falmouth Village’s amazing restaurants, BYO blankets or chairs, and enjoy some outdoor family time at Peg Noonan Park. Starts at dusk, weather permitting. Check FV’s Facebook for the movie schedule! falmouthvillageassociation.com

July 1 – 6

CAPE COD’S LARGEST BOOK SALE

The Friends of the Falmouth Public Library will host its annual Summer Book Sale on the front lawn of the Falmouth Public Library. One of the largest book sales in New England, featuring hardcover, paperback and large-print fiction, nonfiction and children’s books for readers of all ages. Also, games, puzzles, CDs and DVDs. This sale of donated materials supports the library’s programs. falmouthpubliclibrary.org

July 4

FALMOUTH FIREWORKS

Voted one of the 10 best fireworks displays in the country by Travel & Leisure magazine, the show is scheduled for dusk at Falmouth Heights Beach. falmouthfireworks.org

July 8

ARTS AHOY! ARTRAGEOUS GALA 2022

Falmouth Art Center’s biggest fundraiser of the year is back as an in-person event (the gala will take place outside on the grounds of the Art Center). Join us for some nautical-inspired fun, with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, music, exhibits and an auction. falmouthart.org

MEGHAN MURPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY

Cape Cod Theatre Company 2022 Season

Heading back in-person for its 28th year, the Cape Cod Theatre Project invites four playwrights each July to develop a new unproduced piece of work. Utilizing a full week of rehearsals with a professional director and actors, the season culminates with a series of live scripted-performances and talkbacks. For more information and tickets, visit capecodtheatreproject.org.

The Violet Sisters by Gina Femia

June 30, July 1 & July 2

All performances at 7:30 p.m.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Pam comes home to rough-andtumble Red Hook, Brooklyn. When she arrives, having abandoned her attempts to “make it” in L.A., she is greeted by an angry sister, a dilapidated house and a past that she can’t escape. The conversation quickly alternates between unexpected humor and dark secrets, as the two oddball sisters are forced to deal with all that they have let slip away. A two-person play set in real time, The Violet Sisters is about forgiving when you cannot bring yourself to forget.

The Janeiad by Anna Ziegler

July 7, July 8 & July 9

All performances at 7:30 p.m.

In The Odyssey, Penelope’s long wait is eventually rewarded when Ulysses returns 20 years after leaving to fight the Trojan War. Will the same be true for Jane in Brooklyn, after her husband leaves one September day 20 years ago? The Janeiad is a play about longing and hope as well as the myths we tell ourselves in order to get through the day. It’s a wry contemplation of the power, and slipperiness, of storytelling. Ziegler is a CCTP alum who previously developed Photograph 51, which went on to be performed in London’s West End.

Ball Change by Brittany K. Allen

July 14, July 15 & July 16

All performances at 7:30 p.m.

In the fast-paced Swinging Sixties, the Chimes is New York’s most elite, celebrity answering service. Through 50 years of economic, social and technological upheaval, we meet a dozen spunky operators full of dreams and aspirations. Only one employee, Beatrice, surprisingly stays constant—sticking with the company from switchboards to pagers to iPhones and to its inevitable obsolescence. A Sloan Commission, Ball Change examines the human side of technological transformation and the dreams that change along the way.

Good Day to Me Not to You by Lameece Issaq

July 21, July 22 & July 23

All performances at 7:30 p.m.

In this one-woman play from writer/performer Lameece Issaq, a 40-something dental lab technician’s assistant gets fired and moves into St. Agnes Residence, a women’s rooming house run by nuns. There, she must finally come to terms with the loss of her younger sister and decide on an unconventional path to motherhood—all while coexisting with her unpredictable and sometimes deranged cohabitants. In the spirit of Fleabag, this fictional piece is based on many things in real life.

July 8 – 17

8 TH ANNUAL CAPE COD HYDRANGEA FESTIVAL

The Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival is an annual celebration of the region’s signature flowers and everything gardens on Cape Cod! The main attractions across the 10-day festival are tours of local gardens, usually kept off limits and maintained by individual homeowners. You are sure to enjoy the good feeling of supporting a variety of local nonprofits. For detailed information, see page 113. capecodhydrangeafest.com

July 9

ARTISTS FAIRE

Soares Flower Garden Nursery is hosting an Artists Faire, featuring local artists specializing in garden art. Join us under the tent at Soares Nursery. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. rain or shine. soaresflowergardennursery.com

July 9

PAUL WHITE ROAD RACE

This 4.81-mile race begins and ends at 6 Chester Street, between North Falmouth Library and Megansett Park, on the site of the former Paul White’s Market. The

course has three moderate hills, the last one being the longest and right before the finish line. falmouthrunningclub.org

July 10

HYDRANGEA INTRODUCTIONS

Soares Flower Garden Nursery is hosting a fun and info-filled session with Natalie Carmolli of Proven Winners, who will unveil the latest eye-popping hydrangea introductions, along with growing tips for our favorite summer flowering shrub. 1 p.m. soaresflowergardennursery.com

July 13

FALMOUTH VILLAGE STREET FAIR

Don’t miss the best shopping event of the summer! Falmouth Village shuts down Main Street to vehicle traffic and welcomes you to peruse outdoor popup shops that will pepper the length of Main Street. Get all your holiday shopping done in July! Starts at 9 a.m. falmouthvillageassociation.com

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

FALMOUTH CHORALE

The Falmouth Chorale’s mission is to inspire and educate singers and audiences through the presentation and celebration of fine choral music. As our 58th season begins, the Falmouth Chorale looks forward to singing together, and we are eager to resume our concert schedule of four performances throughout the year. This season will feature concerts led by artistic director Dr. Krishan Oberoi as well as special guest conductors. falmouthchorale.org

FALMOUTH THEATRE GUILD

Local musical theater at its best! The Falmouth Theatre Guild is a first-rate community theater that produces a broad range of theatrical presentations of the highest quality. The 2022–2023 season will include: A Day in the Life, The Bridges of Madison County, A Christmas Carol, Harvey and Something Rotten falmouththeatreguild.org

HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS

Highfield Hall & Gardens is a beautifully restored 19thcentury estate nestled in a tranquil wooded setting overlooking magnificent gardens. We offer year-round programming for music, culinary classes, lectures, contemporary art exhibitions and special events. Highfield has also become known as one of the loveliest wedding venues on Cape Cod. highfieldhall.org

WOODS HOLE THEATER COMPANY

We are a mighty little theater company inspiring audiences through the magic of the arts. Our purpose is to engage in and promote the cultural growth of the community of Woods Hole and vicinity.

WHTC operates yearround, producing a wide variety of plays at affordable prices. Its traditional home is the historic Woods Hole Community Hall of 1878. Check schedule for specific dates and performances. woodsholetheater.org

JULY 8 – 17: 8TH ANNUAL CAPE COD HYDRANGEA FESTIVAL

photography by Kyle Caldwell

July 17 – 19

ARTS ALIVE FESTIVAL 2022

A free celebration of the arts and creativity in Falmouth and the Upper Cape, located on the Falmouth Public Library Lawn at 300 Main Street and Peg Noonan Park. Arts Alive features music, theater, dance, spoken word performances, art demonstrations, children’s activities, fitness classes and more. Rain or shine. artsfalmouth.org

July 18 & 25 and August 1 & 8

LOBSTERS ON THE LAWN AT ST. BARNABAS

This popular event is held on Monday nights starting at 4:30 p.m. at Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church in Falmouth. Lobster rolls, chips and pie on the big lawn across from the Falmouth Village Green. stbfalmouth.org

July 18 – 24

BARNSTABLE COUNTY FAIR

The Barnstable County Fair has been an annual summer tradition on Cape Cod for more than 170 years. The fair features affordable, old-fashioned family fun for all ages. Make your memories this year with animal shows, 4-H demonstrations, petting zoos, horticulture displays, rides, games, live music, food and commercial

vendors selling a variety of arts and crafts. Cape Cod Fairgrounds, East Falmouth. capecodfairgrounds.com

July 22 & August 19

FALMOUTH CAPE COD DINNER TRAIN

A true culinary journey, this train travels through quaint Cape villages accompanied by romantic music and soft candlelight. As guests soak in the ambiance and relax to the rhythms of the rails, a fresh fivecourse gourmet meal is prepared and served on white table linens in traditional rail style. The Falmouth train departs from the North Falmouth Flag Stop near the tracks at the junction of County Road and Route 28A. Please park in the Shining Sea Bikeway County Road lot. capetrain.com

July 30 – August 6

31st ANNUAL WOODS HOLE FILM FESTIVAL

The 31st Woods Hole Film Festival is an eight-day showcase of independent film featuring daily screenings, workshops, panel discussions, staged readings, special events, an awards ceremony and more. Voted one of the 25 coolest film festivals in the world by Movie Maker magazine. woodsholefilmfestival.org

August, Wednesdays

FALMOUTH VILLAGE MOVIES UNDER THE STARS

Grab some dinner at one of Falmouth Village’s amazing restaurants, BYO blankets or chairs, and enjoy some outdoor family time! Every Wednesday, Falmouth Village will show a movie at Peg Noonan Park starting at dusk, weather permitting. Check FV’s Facebook for the movie schedule! falmouthvillageassociation.com

August 12

KATHARINE LEE BATES POETRY FEST

This year, we will celebrate everyone— six-year-olds to seniors—who submitted original, unpublished poems. Many of the poets will read their own works; family members and friends will read others. This annual event is free and open to all. It was established more than two decades ago to celebrate literacy, originality and creativity, and to remember the Falmouthborn poet who wrote, among many other works, “America the Beautiful.” museumsonthegreen.org

August 13

12TH ANNUAL DAVID’S OLD SILVER SWIM

Open-ocean fun swim in front of the Sea Crest Beach Hotel along the beautiful shoreline of Old Silver Beach, in North Falmouth. A fun and festive family event for swimmers of all ages and levels to raise money for Compassionate Care ALS in honor of David Garber and others living with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Everyone is welcome for this fun spectator event. Fun prizes awarded and official timing provided by Racewire. $35 advance registration. $45 day of event. davidsoldsilverswim.com

August 13

BANDS FOR BADGES

Bands for Badges, Inc., sponsors concerts to raise money for our local heroes in need. Our third annual concert is a familyfriendly event featuring bands, food, face painting, a bouncy house and more at

JULY 22 & AUG. 19: FALMOUTH CAPE COD DINNER TRAIN

AUGUST 21:ASICS FALMOUTH ROAD RACE

October 1 – 2

HARVEST FESTIVAL

Each year the fairgrounds is transformed into an autumn garden of festivities and family fun. Cape Cod Fairgrounds, East Falmouth. capecodfairgrounds.com

October 1 – 2

MAYFLOWER WIND CAPE COD MARATHON WEEKEND

the Cape Cod Fairgrounds. All profits go directly to first responders and military families. We do all we can to ease the tragedy for fallen first responders and their families. bandsforbadges.com

August 20

31ST ANNUAL FALMOUTH WALK

For more than 30 years the Falmouth Walk has supported local Falmouth charities. This annual event has brought thousands of people together for a day of exercise, camaraderie and giving to those in need. Join the excitement in person or virtually. falmouthwalk.org

August 21

ASICS FALMOUTH ROAD RACE

2022 marks the 50th running of the ASICS Falmouth Road Race, which will include a Health & Fitness Expo, SBLI Family Fun Run, and the Falmouth Track Festival mile races. We are also hosting a virtual At-Home Edition of the ASICS Falmouth Road Race. Complete your 7-mile run your way, on the course of your choice, from August 7 – August 14 to earn your finisher medal. Join the conversation on FB and Instagram @falmouthroadrace. falmouthroadrace.com

September 3 – 4

ROTARY CLUB OF FALMOUTH

21ST ANNUAL CRAFT FAIR

Don’t miss this great event that occurs alongside Falmouth Harbor and features crafts from all over! There will also be activities for the kids, and food grilled to order by the Rotary’s finest. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Falmouth Marine Park, Scranton Avenue. falmouthrotary.com

September 24 ON THE WATER’S STRIPERFEST

To celebrate the close of the Striper Cup and the end of another striped bass fishing season, StriperFest brings together anglers from throughout the Northeast to toast their favorite gamefish. Held at Marine Park, Falmouth Harbor, StriperFest features live music, delicious food and exhibits galore. onthewater.com/striperfest

October 1 – 31

FALMOUTH VILLAGE OF SCARECROWS

Come to Falmouth Village and see the creativity and spirit of Main Street merchants as they display imaginative homemade scarecrows in front of their stores and restaurants. Join the fun and support your local merchants! falmouthvillageassociation.com

The Cape Cod Marathon team, along with its title sponsor, Mayflower Wind, is preparing to make this year’s event the best ever. On Saturday, October 1, at 8 a.m., the Falmouth Running Club will host the Half Marathon and first leg of the Chowdah Challenge on a mostly flat and fast out-and-back course. We’ll follow the start of the Half Marathon with our new 5K race at 8:15 a.m. On Sunday, October 2, at 8 a.m., we’ll host the Marathon and Marathon Relay along what might be the most scenic coastline marathon course around. Sunday will also be the second leg of the Chowdah Challenge and the free Kids’ Fun Run, which will start at 9 a.m. The Mayflower Wind Cape Cod Marathon and Half Marathon have been voted “The Best Marathon and Best Half Marathon in Massachusetts” by the RaceRaves website. capecodmarathon.com.

OCTOBER 1 – 31:FALMOUTH VILLAGE OF SCARECROWS

GRILLED OCTOPUS

ENTRÉES

PASTITSIO

SAGANAKI OPOA

MOUSSAKA

LAMB LOLLIPOPS

DOLMADES

Falmouth Eats

When hunger strikes, Falmouth’s restaurants come to the rescue! Whatever you’re craving—from fast casual to fine dining—you’ll find it here. Check out our listings to discover your perfect meal.

EAST FALMOUTH

BAD MARTHA FARMER’S BREWERY 876 E. Falmouth Highway 508-939-0540

Craft beer, sandwiches and brick oven pizza BREWERY badmarthabeer.com/ falmouth-brewery

CAPE COD WINERY

4 Oxbox Rd., 508-457-5592

Offering nine different varieties of wine. Come sit by the fire and enjoy live music and pizza from Wolf Pizza. BREWERY capecodwinery.com

GOLDEN SAILS CHINESE RESTAURANT

143 E. Falmouth Highway 508-548-3521

Family-owned, serves authen tic dishes from family recipes CHINESE goldensailschinese restaurant.com

GREEN POND FISH MARKET

767 E. Falmouth Highway 508-548-2573

Offering fresh catches, fried clams, seafood specials and platters SEAFOOD greenpondfish.com

JOSH’S AT DAVISVILLE 339 E. Falmouth Highway 774-255-1178

See expanded listing page 164 AMERICAN joshsatdavisville.com

LE BON JOUR 420 E. Falmouth Highway 774-612-3967

Freshly prepared made-to-order salads, soups, burritos and inter national bowls INTERNATIONAL lebonjourfalmouth. business.site

PAPA JAKE’S PIZZA 146 Sandwich Road 508-457-7272

Casual sports bar and restaurant with pizza, wings and sandwiches PIZZA

PIZZA 1 & SUB 2 735 E. Falmouth Highway 508-457-1212

A large menu of pizza and subs, known for its standout Steak Bomb PIZZA pizza1subs2.com

PRIME TIME HOUSE OF PIZZA 338 E. Falmouth Highway 508-540-3595

Two Falmouth locations serving quality pizza, subs, calzones and more PIZZA

SMITTY’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM 326 E. Falmouth Highway 508-457-1060

Homemade ice cream, waffle cones, banana splits, root beer floats and ice cream cakes to order ICE CREAM smittysic.com

THAI KITCHEN 258 Teaticket Highway 508-444-6660

Casual eatery with authentic Thai cuisine THAI falmouththaikitchen.com

THE CAPE GRILLE AT THE CAPE CLUB RESORT 125 Falmouth Woods Road 508-540-4005

An upscale, fine-dining experi ence for dinner, featuring steaks, seafood and pasta AMERICAN capeclubresort.com/dining

FALMOUTH

ANCHOR HOUSE 100 Davis Straits 508-299-8200

Classic fried seafood, steaks, burgers and more AMERICAN anchorale.com

ANEJO MEXICAN BISTRO & TEQUILA BAR 188 Main Street 508-388-7631

Contempary Mexician cuisine and select tequilas with an outdoor patio MEXICIAN anejomexicanbistro.com

BANGKOK CUISINE 291 Main Street 508-548-1728

Traditional Thai food made with fresh ingredients THAI bangkokcapecod.com

BEAN & COD 145 Main Street 508-548-8840

A specialty grocery store featur ing quality sandwiches and deli favorites MARKET

BEN & BILL’S CHOCOLATE EMPORIUM 209 Main Street 508-548-7878

Handmade chocolates and ice cream available at this sweets shop ICE CREAM benandbills.net

BETSY’S DINER 457 Main Street 508-540-0060

A Falmouth icon, retro-style diner serving breakfast and lunch DINER betsys-diner.business.site

BLUEFINS SUSHI AND SAKE BAR 291 Main Street 774-763-6421

See expanded listing page 162 SEAFOOD bluefinsfalmouth.com

C SALT WINE BAR & GRILLE 75 Davis Straits 774-763-2954

Modern American cuisine with continental influences, open for dinner and Sunday brunch AMERICAN csaltfalmouth.com

CAPE COD BAGEL CAFÉ 419 Palmer Avenue 508-548-8485

Serving fresh bagels, plus a full menu of signature sandwiches and salads CAFÉ

CASA VALLARTA MEXICAN RESTAURANT & TEQUILA BAR

70 Davis Straits 508-299-8177

Traditional Mexican cuisine in a casual dining atmosphere with top-notch margaritas MEXICIAN casavallarta.us

COFFEE OBSESSION

110 Palmer Avenue 508-540-2233

Known for excellent coffee, lattes and baked goods COFFEE coffeeobsession.com

CONFERENCE TABLE

205 Worcester Court 508-540-7136

Offering great meals for lunch and dinner AMERICAN theconferencetable falmouth.com

FOOD! GREAT VIBES! SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.

COUNTRY FARE

RESTAURANT 319 Main Street 508-548-9020

A cozy spot for breakfast; customers rave about the French toast and sausages BREAKFAST

CRABAPPLES

553 Palmer Avenue 508-548-3355

Casual dining offering breakfast, lunch and dinner AMERICAN crabapplesrestaurant.com

DANA’S KITCHEN

881 Palmer Avenue 508-540-7900

A casual spot serving wraps, sandwiches and salads CAFÉ danas-kitchen.com

DEVOUR EATERY

352 Main Street 508-540-5900

An artisan eatery serving breakfast, creative sandwiches, rice bowls, salads and more. Always fresh CAFÉ devoureatery.com

DILLY’S TAQUERIA

281 Main Street 774-763-2066

Build-it-yourself Mexican fare. Homemade meat marinades, freshly roasted veggies, countless toppings and hot sauces MEXICIAN dillystaqueria.com

Bluefins Sushi and Sake Bar

291 Main St., Falmouth 774-763-6421 513 Main St., Chatham 508-348-1573

bluefinsfalmouth.com

Authentic sushi with a focus on fresh, locally sourced seafood coupled with inspiration from local Cape Cod farm ingredients. We aim to craft sushi and fine cuisine that celebrate and showcase seafood using classically inspired Japanese methods in a modern Asian style. Featuring an upscale atmosphere with a fantastic martini bar vibe. Like us on Facebook @facebook.com/bluefinssushi and follow us on Instagram @bluefinsfalmouth SEAFOOD

HOMEPORT SUSHI & KITCHEN 316 Gifford Street 508-540-0886

Fresh, authentic Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner

JAPANESE homeportsushi.com

ITALIAN GOURMET FOODS – SLICE OF ITALY INC. 797 Main Street 508-495-1106

Serving specialty gluten-free, 100-percent beef hot dogs, pulled pork and St. Louis-style ribs and barbecue options

AMERICAN

JACK IN THE BEANSTALK 800 Gifford Street 508-548-1300

DJ’S FAMOUS WINGS

872 Main Street

508-457-9464

Original-style Buffalo wings and much more AMERICAN djsfamouswings.com

DOGGZ & HOGGZ

781 Main Street 508-548-3663

A casual spot for classic burgers as well as meatloaf, turkey and veggie burgers BURGERS doggzhoggz.com

DYNASTY BUFFET

28 Davis Straits 508-548-6689

Cantonese restaurant with favor ites like coconut shrimp, General Tso’s chicken and crab ragoons CHINESE

ELI’S AT THE COONAMESSETT INN 311 Gifford Street 508-548-2300

Offers Sunday brunch, daily lunch and dinner with an excep tional wine list AMERICAN elistavernfalmouth.com

ESTIA 117 Main Street 508-548-3300

See expanded listing page 163 GREEK estiacapecod.com

EUGENE HENRY’S GASTRONOMICAL DELIGHTS 141 Main Street 508-388-7764

A curated collection of curious confections, concoctions and comestibles to tantalize your taste buds. DELIGHTS

FALMOUTH RAW BAR 56 Scranton Avenue 508-548-7729

Fresh seafood, raw bar classics and homemade clam chowder with waterfront views SEAFOOD falmouthrawbar.com

GHELFI’S CANDIES OF CAPE COD 228 Main Street 508-457-1085

A variety of delectable chocolates including fudge and truffles, with gift baskets and wedding favors available SWEETS/CANDY shipchocolates.net

GOLDEN SWAN INDIAN CUISINE 323 Main Street 508-540-6580

Traditional Indian food from channa masala and fish currry to homemade garlic naan INDIAN

GRUMPY’S PUB 29 Locust Street 508-540-3930

Offering traditional pub fare and live music AMERICAN PUB

Delicious deli sandwiches and homemade soups, produce from local farms, wine, beer and gourmet goods MARKET jackinthebeanstalk.com

JACKS RESTAURANT & BAR 327 Gifford Street 508-540-5225

American-style dinners from burgers to seafood, and live music AMERICAN jacksrestaurantfalmouth.com

JIM’S CLAM SHACK 227 Clinton Avenue 508-540-7758

Classic fried seafood with outdoor dining overlooking Falmouth Harbor SEAFOOD

LA CUCINA SUL MARE 237 Main St., Falmouth 508-548-5600

Authentic Italian cuisine serving fresh pasta, seafood and a vast wine selection ITALIAN lacucinasulmare.com

LIAM MAGUIRE’S IRISH PUB 273 Main Street 508-548-0285

A favorite pub serving traditional Irish fare with a full bar IRISH PUB liammaguire.com

LIMANI 824 Main St. 508-444-6740

Serving greek cuisine in a casual atmosphere GREEK limanifalmouth.com

MAISON VILLATTE 267 Main Street 774-255-1855

Authentic French bakery offering fresh croissants, baguettes, tarts, pastries and cakes

BAKERY

MARY ELLEN’S PORTUGESE BAKERY 829 Main Street 508-540-9696

A favorite breakfast and brunch spot featuring Portuguese bread and pastries BAKERY

NEW PEKING PALACE 452 Main Street 508-540-8204

Serving Chinese, Thai and Japanese cuisine FUSION newpekingpalace.com

OSTERIA LA CIVETTA 133 Main Street 508-540-1616

Authentic Italian cuisine with homemade fresh pasta, seafood and wine ITALIAN osterialacivetta.com

PAUL’S PIZZA AND SEAFOOD 14 Benham Road 508-548-5838

A hometown favorite that has 32 toppings for your pizza PIZZA paulspizzacapecod.com

PEEL PIZZA COMPANY 31 Teaticket Highway 774-763-6603

Thin-crust pizza, calzones, wings and salads PIZZA peelpizzaco.com

PERSY’S PLACE 40 N. Main Street 508-540-3500

Best known for their large breakfast menu BREAKFAST persysplace.com

PICKLE JAR KITCHEN 170 Main Street 508-540-6760

Known for homemade pickles, specialty sandwiches and bever ages served in Mason jars CAFÉ picklejarkitchen.com

PIER 37 BOATHOUSE 88 Scranton Avenue 508-388-7573

Popular spot on Falmouth Harbor for lunch, dinner, full bar and live music AMERICAN falmouthpier37.com

QUAHOG REPUBLIC 97 Spring Bars Road 508-540-4111

A self-proclaimed dive bar, known for homemade stuffed quahogs, lobster rolls and clam chowder SEAFOOD quahogrepublic.com

QUARTERDECK RESTAURANT 164 Main Street 508-548-9900

Serving delicious steak and seafood in a casual setting AMERICAN qdfalmouth.com

SEAFOOD SAM’S 356 Palmer Avenue 508-540-7877

See expanded listing page 166. SEAFOOD seafoodsams.com/falmouth

SIMPLY DIVINE PIZZA CO. 272 Main Street 508-548-1222

Enjoy a crative selection of hand-tossed, Neapolitanstyle pizza made with fresh ingredients PIZZA divinepizza.com

STEVE’S PIZZERIA & MORE 374 Main Street 508-457-9636

Pizza, dinner plates, grinders and more for dining in, picking up or delivery PIZZA stevespizzeriaandmore.com

THE CLAM MAN 15 Boxwood Circle 508-548-6044

A retail fish market that offers fresh fish, shellfish and chowder MARKET theclamman.com

THE FLYING BRIDGE RESTAURANT 220 Scranton Avenue 508-548-2700

Waterfront dining on Falmouth Harbor serving fresh seafood and full bar SEAFOOD flyingbridgerestaurant.com

THE GLASS ONION 37 N. Main Street 508-540-3730

Contempary American cuisine featuring Washburn Island oysters with an extensive wine list AMERICAN theglassoniondining.com

RESTAURANT

Estia

117 Main St., Falmouth, 508-548-3300

26 Steeple St., Mashpee, 508-539-4700 estiacapecod.com

A Greek taverna located in downtown Falmouth that serves authentic and traditional Greek cuisine with a modern twist. Serving popular favorite dishes like coal-fired pizza, spanakopita, pastitsio and moussaka. This sophisticated and lively atmosphere captures the essence of Cape. Live Greek music every Saturday night! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @estiacapecod GREEK

TIGER RAMEN 587 Main St.

Serving Ramen noodles with fresh ingredients. JAPANESE tigerramen.com

WINDFALL MARKET 77 Scranton Avenue 508-548-0099

Fresh bread made from scratch, assortment of cheese, pastries, pizza and deli platters available at the bakery MARKET windfallmarket.com

FALMOUTH HEIGHTS

BRITISH BEER COMPANY 263 Grand Avenue 508-540-9600

Right across from the beach and Vineyard Sound, this pub offers craft beer, burgers and seafood AMERICAN PUB britishbeer.com/falmouth

THE BLACK DOG HEIGHTS CAFÉ 465 Grand Avenue 508-540-4409

Freshly prepared breakfast, sandwiches, salads, burgers, soups and much more CAFÉ theblackdog.com

NORTH FALMOUTH

BUCATINO RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR

7 Nathan Ellis Highway 508-566-8960

Authentic Italian cuisine, includ ing pizza and pasta dishes with an extensive wine list ITALIAN bucawinebar.com

EPIC OYSTER 70 County Road 508-563-3742

Housed in an old railcar offering fresh seafood and a variety of oysters shucked to order SEAFOOD eatepicoyster.com

Josh’s at Davisville

339 E. Falmouth Highway, 774-255-1178

Freshly prepared seafood, steaks, pasta, salads and chowder with a full bar in a relaxed atmosphere with a diverse menu. In addition to customer favorites, come try a new dish: pan-seared sesame encrusted tuna with pickled ginger and wasabi. Reservations and takeout are available through our website at joshsatdavisville.com. Follow and like us on Facebook. AMERICAN

NORTH FALMOUTH CHEESE SHOP 402 N. Falmouth Highway 508-356-3666

See expanded listing below CHEESE SHOP northfalmouthcheese.com

PRIME TIME HOUSE OF PIZZA 286 Old Main Road 508-563-1900

Two Falmouth locations serving quality pizza, subs, calzones and more PIZZA

RED’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE AT THE SEA CREST BEACH HOTEL 350 Quaker Road 508-356-2136

Waterfront dining serving fresh local seafood, steaks and much more AMERICAN seacrestbeachhotel.com/ dine/reds

SILVER BEACH PIZZA & SEAFOOD 557 N. Falmouth Highway 508-563-5000

Casual dining with just about everything from pizza to pasta PIZZA silverbeachpizzacapecod.com

SILVER LOUNGE RESTAURANT 412 N. Falmouth Highway 508-563-2410

Serving seafood, steaks, sand wiches and cocktails AMERICAN silverloungerestaurant.com

TALK OF THE TOWN DINER 362 N. Falmouth Highway 508-563-3041

Hearty comfort food, breakfast omelettes and Belgian waffles; for lunch, wraps and sandwiches DINER

WILD HARBOR GENERAL STORE 200 Old Main Road 508-563-2011

This general store has a bakery, deli, beer, wine, and more MARKET

TEATICKET

EAST END TAP 734 Teaticket Highway 508-444-8677

A local pub serving lunch and dinner with live entertainment AMERICAN PUB eastendtap.com

FALMOUTH FISH MARKET 157 Teaticket Highway 508-540-0045

A retail fish market that offers fresh fish, chowder, lobster rolls and fried platters to go MARKET freshfishcapecod.com

PIES A LA MODE 200 Teaticket Highway 508-540-8777

Pies, quiches and pasties, all made from scratch with fresh local ingredients PIES

SUPREME PIZZA & SUBS 147 Teaticket Highway 508-548-4200

Friendly service and quality pizzas, subs and salads PIZZA falmouthsupreme.com

SWEET RICE

167 Teaticket Highway 508-444-6616

Southeast Asian cuisine FUSION sweetricecapecod.com

WAQUOIT

MOONAKIS CAFÉ

460 Waquoit Highway 508-457-9630

Favorites for breakfast and lunch, try the burgers, wraps or paninis CAFÉ moonakiscafe.com

North Falmouth Cheese Shop

402 N. Falmouth Highway, 508-356-3666 northfalmouthcheese.com

North Falmouth Cheese Shop offers domestic and imported cheeses, charcuterie meats, pâté, crackers, olives, oils, jams, sauces and sweet treats. Locally made items include Maison Villatte French breads, Bee Well raw honey, Chequessett craft chocolate bars, Beanstock coffees, Robin’s Toffee & Wicked Walnuts. Gourmet frozens items for easy entertaining include appetizers, stuffed pastas and desserts. Follow and like us on Facebook @facebook.com/NorthFalmouthCheeseShop: Open Tuesdays Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.– 6 p.m., Closed Sundays & Mondays. CHEESE SHOP

Seafood Sam’s

356 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth, 508-540-7877

6 Coast Guard Rd., Sandwich, 508-888-4629

Since 1974 we’ve been serving families the freshest seafood, quality lobster rolls, fried seafood cooked to order and homemade chowder, making Seafood Sam’s a classic on the Cape. Come and enjoy our award-winning Cape Cod fare with indoor and outdoor patio dining. Visit us online seafoodsams.com/falmouth

Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook @seafoodsamsfalmouth SEAFOOD

MOTO PIZZA 500 Waquoit Highway 508-388-6888

Pizza, subs, salads and more PIZZA moto-pizza.com

WEST FALMOUTH

CHAPOQUOIT GRILL 410 W. Falmouth Highway 508-540-7794

From Mediterranean-inspired cuisine to wood-fired, brick-oven pizza MEDITERRANEAN chapoquoitgrillwest falmouth.com

EULINDA’S ICE CREAM 634 W. Falmouth Highway 508-548-2486

Located right by the Shining Sea Bike Path, this is a great stop for a frozen treat ICE CREAM

WEST FALMOUTH MARKET 623 W. Falmouth Highway 508-548-1139

See expanded listing below MARKET westfalmouthmarket.com

WOODS HOLE

CAPTAIN KIDD RESTAURANT 77 Water Street 508-548-8563

Waterfront dining with stellar ocean views, local seafood, steaks and full bar AMERICAN thecaptainkidd.com

COFFEE OBSESSION 38 Water Street 508-540-8130

Known for exellent coffee, lattes and baked goods COFFEE coffeeobsession.com

JIMMY’S OF WOODS HOLE 22 Luscombe Avenue 508-540-6823

Directly across from the Martha’s Vineyard ferry, a full menu of burgers and sandwiches along with delectable ice cream CAFÉ jimmysclassiceats.com

LANDFALL RESTAURANT 9 Luscombe Avenue 508-548-1758

Rustic waterfront dining serving fresh local seafood, full bar and much more AMERICAN landfallwoodshole.com

PIE IN THE SKY

10 Water Street 508-540-5475

Handmade baked goods, cof fee, fresh sandwiches and more CAFÉ piecoffee.com

QUICKS HOLE TAQUERIA 6 Luscombe Avenue 508-495-0792

Enjoy Baja California-inspired cuisine with outdoor seating while listening to live music MEXICAN quicksholewickedfresh.com

QUICKS HOLE TAVERN 29 Railroad Avenue 508-495-0048

A nautically inspired spot, known for “wicked fresh,” creative farm-to-table dishes AMERICAN quicksholewickedfresh.com/ tavern

SHUCKERS WORLD FAMOUS RAW BAR & CAFÉ

91 Water Street 508-540-3850

Causal waterfront eatery offering seafood, known for its many ways of preparing and serving lobster SEAFOOD shuckerscapecod.com

WATER STREET KITCHEN 56 Water Street 508-540-5656

Waterfront dining serving in spired home cooking with fresh, local ingredients AMERICAN waterstreetkitchen.com

WOODS HOLE MARKET & PROVISIONS

87 Water Street 508-540-4792

A full-service deli and gourmet bakery, as well as everyday groceries MARKET woodsholemarket.com

West Falmouth Market

623 W. Falmouth Highway, 508-548-1139

A beloved community institution since 1902, West Falmouth is a full service country mar ket, event caterer and so much more. This friendly neighborhood spot offers everything from fresh produce, coffee and scrumptious deli sandwiches or wraps to an old-time butcher shop, pizza, homemade soups, bakery and wine and beer as well as prepared gourmet meals and catering services. Visit us online, westfalmouthmarket.com Follow us on Instagram @westfalmouthmarket and like us on Facebook, facebook.com/thewest falmouthmarket MARKET

According to travel site Trips to Discover, Falmouth ranks among the top 15 best destinations in the U.S. for a couple’s vacation. Biking the Shining Sea Bikeway, patronizing romantic accommodations and restaurants, and spending time at Nobska Lighthouse were singled out by Trips to Discover as particularly enjoyable for couples. “A picnic at Nobska Lighthouse is really a must, with some of the very best views on the Cape,” writes the travel site. tripstodiscover.com

SUZANNE RYAN