The Point

One hour of lush string and vocal versions of Christmas favorites. Featuring holiday songs by Mantovani & his Orchestra, Hollyridge Strings, Percy Faith, Andy Williams and the Williams Brothers, Ray Conniff, Johnny Mathis, Hollywood Bowl Symphony and more. Merry Christmas!

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the top local and regional news of the week, including: an independent review of the Steamship authority finds a need for significant changes; a federal report describes chaotic scenes at a Hyannis head start program; and a recount is coming to Dennis and Yarmouth over a vote for a new regional middle school.

Cartoons can touch on religion, knowledge, morality, and the meaning of life, often offering insight into many of the philosophical debates that have been brewing for years. On The Point, we talk with Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein about their new book I Think, Therefore I Draw , and dissect the philosophical underpinnings and humor of cartoons.

On The Point, we discuss the psychology of family conflicts. During the holidays as families gather together, chances are we will encounter differing views around the table. Psychiatrist Dr. Marc Whaley, psychologist Dr. Michael Abruzzese, and psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Schwartz offer suggestions on how to navigate the challenges of dischord, for greater family harmony. Mindy Todd hosts.

The population on Cape Cod, both year round and seasonal, has soared in the past four decades. As towns upgrade roadways they must accommodate the increased number of vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. Balancing these improvements while retaining the look and feel of Cape Cod can be challenging. On The Point, we discuss some of the options for designing streets that are safe for all users and fit the needs and look of the community.

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the top local and regional news of the week, including: hackers target Cape Cod Community College and nab $800,000; two local hospice organizations are merging; and a little island off Martha’s Vineyard gets a start-up population of New England’s only native cottontail rabbit.

On the Cape and Islands we are fortunate to have a number of opportunities to hear live chorale music, including the vocal ensemble Skylark. Joining us on The Point to talk about innovative and engaging programming performed by Skylark is artist and director Matthew Guard.

If you visit Nantucket today, it’s hard to imagine the Island ever suffered economic hardship. Real estate prices are some of the most expensive in the country, and the tourism industry caters to the affluent. But that hasn’t always been the case: the Island has undergone multiple transformations since humans first settled there, periods of prosperity followed by economic hardship. Much has been written about Nantucket’s Whaling History and the period of decline that followed, but a new book

In 1943 the Wiesel family, along with fifteen year old Elie Wiesel, were deported from their home in Transylvania to Auschwitz by the Nazis. His mother, father and a sister died in the prison camps. Elie Wiesel wrote about his experience in the death camps in his memoir Night .

We talk with writer Amy Whorf McGuiggan about her 2006 book Christmas in New England, from the Yule Log and the Christmas Tree to Flying Santa and the Enchanted Village .