Cape Cod Volunteers Bring Education, Art and Healing to Haitian Community

by Ellen LeBow

Walking down the dusty road in Matènwa this April, we passed the guys who play dominoes every afternoon, rain or shine.

A new caution kept them from crowding onto the concrete porch where they traditionally played. Now they pounded their dominoes down on a rocky rise beneath a blue tarp between two skinny trees.

The wind was high. As we passed, it lifted the tarp, snapping it with the sound of a sharp gunshot. The players flew from their chairs, one crashing down the slope with a terrified shriek.

In an instant, they were all laughing the embarrassed laugh of people whose trauma is still alive and well just below the surface of "life-goes-on."

As everyone knows, Haiti was changed forever on January 12 by an earthquake heard 'round the world. Images of apocalyptic devastation burned into our collective memories.

Haitians now mark time by before and after the "Trembleman De Tè a" – Trembling of the Earth.

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A "Furry Affair" puts the Fun in Fundraising

by Stephanie Boosahda

Yes, they raised the roof at the Wianno Club a few weeks ago, but it wasn't the type of roof raised in the Award-winning 1985 movie, Witness.

This roof raising was much more impressive: in less the 30 seconds, people from all ends of the Cape, all walks of life, and as diverse as the animals they love, bid and raised $10,000 to re-do the roof at the Centerville MSPCA adoption facility. Mary Littleford's bid of $5,000 started the bidding and it literally did not take a minute to raise another $5,000. This was just one of the many unexpected highlights of this year's "Furry Affair"…

There was also a silent auction, with items spanning a vast array of categories, including something for everyone from original artwork to handmade accessories.

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Nature Discovery Flourishes at Heritage Museums & Gardens

by Tobey Eugenio

Since 1969, Heritage Museums & Gardens has been delighting visitors with a wide variety of unique experiences. One aspect of Heritage Museums & Gardens' mission focuses on the stewardship of our horticultural collection by connecting people and our living collections.

The Heritage staff has been working hard to uphold and infuse these values in one of our newest projects – Hidden Hollow: A Nature Discovery Center.

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