The Point

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the top local and regional news of the week, including: the non-profit Cape Cod Child Development is closing - a surprise announcement that’s left parents and employees asking a lot of questions; Tisbury School scrambles after chipping lead paint shuts down the 1929 building; and officials urge vigilance in the wake of the triple-E death of a Fairhaven woman. This week's guests are Kristen Young of the Cape Cod Times; Noah Asimow and

Twice a year, students from around the country descend on Woods Hole for an nine-week intensive training in radio storytelling and production. It’s the Transom Story Workshop, and it has helped shaped the next generation of public radio producers. On The Point, we talk with Transom's lead instructor Rob Rosenthal, and hear some of the pieces produced by students in the latest class, this past spring.

For this month's BOOKS program, we talk about detective stories. We hear from listeners with suggestions for detective books and series, favorite characters and settings. Our guests in The Point studio are Jill Erikson, librarian at Falmouth Public Library , and Nelson Ritschel, Author and Proffesor of Humanities at Massachusetts Maritime Academy . Kathryn Eident hosts. Here's the list of books we talk about in today's show.

Until recently if you wanted to attend the opera you had to make the journey to Boston or New York. That changed last year with the debut of Opera Theater of Cape Cod . Joining us to discuss this new chamber opera company are two of its founding directors: Eileen Christiansen and Ethan DePuy.

WCAI's Kathryn Eident talks with journalists from around the Cape and Islands about the week's top stories. This week, they discuss: a proposal to build a so-called "racino," a slots parlor and race track in Wareham; an investigation into allegations of animal cruelty at a horse farm in Falmouth; and how thousands of immature oysters were stolen from town aquaculture beds in Sandwich.

Yousef Bashir is a Palestinian, born and raised in Gaza on his family’s farm. He’s devoted his life to building respect, dignity and humanity between Israelis and Palestinians, which may not sound all that remarkable, until you hear his story. We talk with him about his book “ The Words of My Father .”

On The Point, we discuss childhood trauma and how it impacts a person's mental and physical health throughout their lives. A research study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and the American health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente demonstrated an association of adverse childhood experiences (childhood trauma or ACEs) with health and social problems across the lifespan.

The fruits of our garden work abound in August (as well as pests and diseases)! Roberta Clark, horticulturist and entomologist, joins our host Mindy Todd on The Point to discuss the highlights of the season, and lots of gardening tips. We hear from callers from around the region with questions and comments.

On The Point, we talk with Poet and Naturalist Elizabeth Bradfield about her experiences in one of the world’s most iconic wild places: Antarctica. Her latest book Toward Antarctica challenges traditional tropes of the continent.

From Grand Banks fishing schooners to whaling ships and coastwise packets, New Englanders have been going to sea for hundreds of years. Seafaring wasn’t just a means to earn a living, it was a way of life. Mariners honed technical skills to sail and maintain their vessels, and artistic skills to keep them entertained and busy during the long months at sea. Fancy ropework, scrimshaw and music were some of the artistic outlets for sailors. Seafaring music is very much alive today in New England: