N Magazine – Stories

Photographer: Brian Sager

Editorial Stylist: Petra Hoffmann

Hair Stylist: Darya Afshari Gault, Leah Crowley and John Stanielon of Darya Salon + Spa

Makeup Stylist: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

Models: Jani Yuley of Maggie Inc.

Location: The Blue Peter

Architectural Anomaly

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:19:13 GMT

Mid-Century Modern on Nantucket

Written by Sally Laurencelle

Photography by Kit Noble

Anyone who’s taken a drive down any street on Nantucket is well accustomed to the cedar-shingled stately homes and cottages that define the island’s architectural style. Save for a few brick and Victorian homes downtown, island homes are known for uniformity more than anything else. But there was a moment when architects broke from uniformity on Nantucket, leaving behind a few mid-century modern homes scattered across the island.

The house at 84 Pocomo Road is one of them. Originally built as a kit house assembled on-site, the house—a rare example of mid-century modern architecture on Nantucket—had fallen into disrepair. When it first hit the market, it was considered a teardown, though its new owners saw the importance of keeping the house intact. Architect Chip Webster sat down with N Magazine to discuss the opportunity to restore not just the house, but a distinct moment in Nantucket’s architectural history.

Which elements of mid-century modern design felt naturally compatible with a Nantucket setting?

CHIP WEBSTER: It would be challenging to design a mid-century modern house in many places on Nantucket, given the Historic District Commission’s guidelines. What made this project unique is the opportunity to restore and preserve an important part of Nantucket’s architectural history. History is a moving target. What’s not that old now becomes very old down the road. To accurately preserve the history of a place, one needs to recognize that architectural designs and lifestyles change over time. The mid-century modern style occurs in this area of the island because it was during this time period when vacation homes were being built in Pocomo. One of the things that led to mid-century architecture was a desire to maximize light, views and connection to the outdoors.

How did you adapt the historical design of mid-century modern to the owner’s way of life?

WEBSTER: The [owners are] avid kiteboarders, and one of the reasons they chose Pocomo was because of the world-class kiteboarding only steps away from their property. The new basement incorporates a large room for kiteboarding equipment and additional sleeping space for the family. Additionally, the home had to meet the current standards of building code requirements such as egress, structural integrity and energy and insulation requirements.

How does your architectural style guide your decisions fromconcept to completion?

WEBSTER: There is a responsibility for anyone designing structures used by humans to make them into functional spaces while fostering a positive relationship with the people using the building. That means the light-air relationship of the rooms and the flow of circulation through the building must work in harmony.

Do you see this house as an outlier on the island or as part ofan evolving architectural trend?

WEBSTER: This property is certainly an outlier. Mid-century modern houses represent a minimal percentage of homes in Nantucket. It would be interesting to see how the Historic District Commission would react to a proposal for a new design based on mid-century modern.

What overarching architectural themes guided the design of this house?

WEBSTER: The overarching architectural theme was the restoration of the original design, which focused on light, views, open spaces and connection to the outside. In the original design, there was a large fireplace in the middle of the house, which separated the kitchen from the living space. To open and connect the spaces, we removed this fireplace. However, we wanted to keep the exterior architectural integrity of the original design, so we kept the chimney and made it into a skylight to bring light into the middle of the house. We carried this skylight theme to the exterior deck where we integrated flush glass to allow light down to the lower patio.

How do you feel that light and materials worktogether in this space?

WEBSTER: We worked closely with the interior designer, Melanie Gowen. [We] kept the architecture clean and simple. Melanie chose to use white as the primary wall color to act as a canvas for the artwork, furniture and fabrics to bring brighter colors into the space while reinforcing the mid-century modern aesthetic.

Are there details in this project that might go unnoticed by others but feel especially important to you?

WEBSTER: One of the themes is simplicity and minimalism. There are no moldings, no baseboards and no trim around the doors. Surfaces are smooth and clean; ceilings and beams create the detail instead of additional moldings.

Timeless Charm

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:05:15 GMT

The Kennedy charm at Julia Amory

Interview by Brian Bushard

Photography courtesy of Julia Amory

Thanks to the overnight sensation series “Love Story,” the entire world seems to be nostalgic for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and New York City in the ’90s. Julia Amory, the lifestyle influencer and founder of the clothing brand that bears her name, remembers that time for Carolyn’s timeless grace. Three years ago, she developed a white Oxford shirt and named it the Carolyn shirt. It’s been her top-selling item ever since. “Good taste never goes out of style,” she said. This spring, Amory is launching her fourth brick and mortar location, on Nantucket. N Magazine caught up with her to discuss her style and Nantucket aesthetic.

Why are you setting up a store on Nantucket?

Julia Amory: Nantucket represents a legacy of American style that is in keeping with the direction and fiber of our brand. We have used our customer base to help guide us to every store location we have, and Nantucket was just that.

Have you spent any time on the island?

Amory: I didn’t begin to spend time on Nantucket until I was in my college years. Having spent a summer living on the Vineyard, we would pop over to visit my roommate from Trinity who was a bartender at Cisco Brewers. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to visit the island many times in many chapters of my life and now look forward to being able to spend more time there with my children, and introducing them to the magic of the island.

How would you describe Nantucket fashion? Are there any hidden gems that stand out to you?

Amory: While there is an elegance to Nantucket style, there is also a truly authentic ease to the way people dress. In an era of fast fashion and ever-changing disposable garb, Nantucket represents a timeless elegance that I think now more than ever we are craving: Real people with real style wearing real clothes. We aim to create a product that will stand the test of time and trend.

Has Nantucket inspired your aesthetic?2

Amory: We are of course consistent in our branding and my own style, which is very much inspired and shaped by where and when I grew up. My father is European, but went to boarding school here in the states, as did my mother. There is an elevated casual sophistication that they both have that has very much shaped my approach to style. Old J. Press shirts and worn-in Levis. Peter Beaton hats and old boat totes are usually stained with ink and paint.

What is the story behind the Carolyn Shirt? Are there elements of the Kennedy style that you’ve brought to your brand?

Amory: I grew up in New York City in the ’90s. My father worked with [Jacqueline Kennedy] Onassis at Doubleday and my grandfather had overlapped at Yale with some of the Bouviers in East Hampton. He gave me a note she once wrote him, thanking him for some material he sent to her about her father’s time at Yale with his own father, which I still have on her 1040 [Fifth Avenue] stationery. When Carolyn came along, I, along with the rest of the world (Ralph Lauren included), was enamored by her timeless grace. Three years ago when we decided to develop a white Oxford shirt—always a staple of my own wardrobe—it felt fitting to pay tribute to someone who wore it a notch above the rest. And that is the genesis of the Carolyn shirt which remains our top selling item—proof that good taste never goes out of style.

What sets your brand apart?

Amory: I think an adherence to our core styles and customer versus a need to chase trends. We work in only natural fibers and aim to create clothes inspired by an American legacy of refined style that our customers will reach for in their closets for many seasons to come. We aim to balance timelessness but also maintain a playfulness with color and print in our collections.

No Mow May

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:55:42 GMT

The environmental benefits of skipping May mowing

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

S arah Johnson wasn’t looking for an excuse to skip mowing her lawn. Then she heard about No Mow May, a national program gaining traction on Nantucket as a simple and environmentally friendly first step to bolster the health of your yard, help bees and pollinators and reduce the need for harmful fertilizers and herbicides. The grassroots initiative is as simple as its name suggests. Ditch the lawn mower for the month of May.

“We don’t have to have perfectly manicured yards,” said Johnson, a biologist and a member of the Nantucket Garden Club. “That’s the problem with the chemicals we have in our environment. Everyone thinks they need perfect hedges and perfect lawns, but that’s not what we have in nature.”

Instead of a manicured green lawn, proponents of No Mow May encourage property owners to allow native grasses and plants to bloom, whether it’s across an entire lawn or just a portion of one. By protecting grasses from the mower’s blades—even for just a month—islanders allow native flowers like violets, clover and dandelions to bloom. Those spring flowers provide food for critical pollinating butterflies and bees, which have experienced a catastrophic population decline nationwide as a result of pesticides, herbicides, habitat loss and viruses.

“When you participate in No Mow May, it will look like your lawn hasn’t been mowed, which I know can be daunting on Nantucket,” said Willa Arsenault, environmental program coordinator at the Nantucket Land & Water8 Council. “There’s social pressure around aesthetics, and we’re proud of the way our island looks, which is important. But those aesthetics don’t have to be the be-all and end-all of what a lawn is. If you do No Mow May, your lawn may look a little wild, but that’s actually really good. It’s what our environment needs and what our local habitat will thrive off of."

This year, the Land & Water Council and Nantucket Garden Club are encouraging islanders to participate in No Mow May as an alternative to traditional, resource-intensive pristine green lawns. It comes as concerns over water and fertilizer use come to a head on the island. Nantucket currently sits in a level-two “significant drought.” State officials have placed the island in at least a “mild drought” for nearly a year, prompting the town last summer to implement mandatory water use restrictions for property owners and cancel last year’s annual Fourth of July water fight.

Ecologists estimate a conventional lawn requires 100 gallons of water for every 1,000 square feet on a hot summer day. Giving grasses time to grow stronger in the early months, on the other hand, allows grass roots to grow deeper, making a lawn more drought-resistant and reducing the need for watering later in the season. There’s also the time and money saved by not mowing your lawn every week or two, as well as the reduction in noise and carbon emissions, and a drop in fertilizers and herbicides, which are not needed for native plants. Cutting back on chemical applications to green lawns can reduce the flow of nutrients into the harbors, which has been associated with habitat8 decline for marine life, especially eelgrass needed by Nantucket bay scallops.

Reducing fertilizer and herbicide use also has positive effects on freshwater bodies, which have seen an increase in harmful algal blooms. Those blooms, which often appear as a blue-green scum at the surface of freshwater ponds, have been linked to skin rashes, headaches, stomach pain and coughing, and can be fatal to wildlife and pets that come in contact with the algae.

“With Nantucket, we know that our lawn care is a source of our present environmental concerns, like nutrient loading in the harbors and the ponds,” Arsenault said. “Every year we see harmful algal blooms. People have noticed our freshwater ponds are not doing as well as they could, and a big part of that is lawn fertilizer. By starting to have your lawn be a little more naturally resilient and more native, it will give people a more balanced lawn, so they can rely less on mitigation techniques like fertilizers and herbicides.”

When the month of May ends, the Nantucket Land & Water Council suggests using additional environmentally friendly measures on your lawn that can last throughout the season. That could mean mowing your lawn every other time you otherwise would or setting your lawnmower blade to a higher setting off the ground. It could also mean introducing more native plants, which require fewer chemicals and water.

“You start realizing that not only do you have butterflies and wildlife in your yard, that it’s the beauty of nature to allow [yards] to become wild again,” Johnson said. “Nature does everything. It suppresses weeds and requires less fertilizer. What’s supposed to be there doesn’t take nearly as much work or money.”

The Global Economy

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:21:08 GMT

GLOBAL STRATEGIST AND NANTUCKET SUMMER RESIDENT IAN BREMMER OPINES ON THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY AND BEYOND

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay

Photography by Kit Noble

With surging fuel prices and uncertainty impacting world economies, Ian Bremmer gives his outlook on the severity and duration of the Iran conflict. Bremmer is a Nantucket summer resident and is the founder of geopolitical risk consulting firm Eurasia Group, which provides research analysis on global affairs. According to Bremmer, the tumult of the international oil market resulting from the war in Iran is the biggest disruption of global energy in world history. Bremmer expresses his viewpoint that President Trump, after coming off a victory in Venezuela, has seriously miscalculated his incursions into Iran and that the resulting effects could be prolonged. N Magazine sat down with Bremmer to discuss the current world situation in the first of our new regular section called Financial NSights.

When was the last time the world has been as turbulent as it is now?

IAN BREMMER : The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The difference is this time it’s self-inflicted, but it’s similar in that we have a massive global shock to supply chains and long-term knock-on effects to the global economy. The pandemic in some ways was much worse because so many of us had no idea what it would mean for our personal well-being. We don’t have that issue with Iran. Iran does not pose an existential threat to humanity or to the United States.

As for the international oil market, how deep have the impacts gone already and how long does it take before the damage becomes severe?

BREMMER: I think the damage is already severe. This is the biggest disruption of global energy in world history. The fact is that the Iranians now have functional veto power over the Strait [of Hormuz], and it does not appear there is any way to stop that absent escalation. You could have a ceasefire tomorrow and stop the fighting, but the Iranians would still be able with the drones that they have to prevent tankers from going through [the Strait]unless those tankers have an agreement with the Islamic Republic, and that’s not seen as acceptable to the U.S. You’ve got a serious problem and you don’t have any near-term answer.

Was attacking Iran a miscalculation by Trump?

BREMMER : Absolutely. It was the biggest foreign policy mistake he’s made. It comes off the back of enormous success in Venezuela, which went as well as anyone could have imagined, militarily, economically and politically. Trump was enormously confident on the back of that success. He has also been constrained on tariffs, has affordability problems in the U.S., is underwater with the American people on inflation and the economy, is backing down on China after they hit him hard, and the Supreme Court overruled him on [tariffs]. When you put all of that together, suddenly he’s asking what’s his next win, so he goes for Iran. The decision wasn’t made by Israel orby his advisors; it was made by him. He was convinced that once the supreme leader was killed—someone who was making it impossible to have negotiations—and that their military leadership was killed and their capabilities were taken out, that we would have a Venezuela outcome. Trump wasn’t worried about [the Strait of Hormuz]because his thought was once we get rid of these leaders, there’s going to be a whole bunch of people begging to work with us.

The term “stagflation” is associated with the Carter administration. Are we going to see something similar for some time?

BREMMER: This is going to have long-term knock-on effects for the global economy and will hurt the poorest countries the most. When you don’t have fertilizer during the growing season, food prices go way up. You’re going to have diesel and oil shortages in the poorest countries. In the United States, we’re going to see inflation go up. I’m not sure that’s a recession, but it’s an extended very unhappy U.S. population with where gas prices are. You’re shutting down not just the transit of energy but the products of that energy—it’s helium coming out of Qatar, it’s plastics with petrochemicals, it’s cheap textiles made with polyester that we buy as inexpensive clothing, it’s consumer packaging and auto parts. It’s going to take months for this to affect prices, but once it happens, it’s going to be very tricky.

When prices go up as a result of oil shocks, can we expect them to comedown to previous levels?

BREMMER: Probably not completely. It depends on what kind of damage is done to infrastructure over course of the war, as we have already seen with [liquified natural gas] in Qatar, as well as the extent of continued disruption.

Is there any room for the FederalReserve to lower interest rates?

BREMMER: [Fed Chair Jerome Powell] said no. That’s one more constraint on Trump and something he’s not going to be able to move in his direction. The big thing and what is so surprising about all of this compared to the pandemic is that this is purely a war of choice. There was no urgency to this, no imminent threat to the United States. While Iran does represent a threat, the easy thing to do would have been to order a repeat of the 12-Day War [between Israel and Iran] last year, which would have, in turn, elicited none of the extraordinary destructive behavior we have seen from the Iranians.

Is China reveling in the situation that we now find ourselves in?

BREMMER: They don’t like the economic disruption and the major risks from escalation. But they certainly don’t mind the United States taking military capabilities out of Asia or the opportunity [for China] to be seen as less unreliable given the present perceptions of the United States and its leadership.

Equating this conflict to a baseball game, what inning are we in?

BREMMER: Maybe the third or fourth inning. The first inning was pretty big. When you assassinate the supreme leader, you’re coming out and putting some runs on the board. It’s a high scoring game. Then Israel hits [Iran’s] energy field, and the Iranians do $20 billion of damage to Qatari [liquified natural gas], which will take three yearsto get back online. They’re putting a lot of runs on the board. We’re not close to a situation where ships are going through the strait. Right now, the only ships that are passing through the strait without being contested are Iranian ships. So for day-to-day life in America, things are likely to get more costly.

If there is no quick resolution in sight to the Iran conflict, what are our exit options?

BREMMER: The United States can stop the fighting and leave a coalition of the willing to negotiate transit of the strait with the Iranians. That leaves Iran devastated from the war but in a stronger geopolitical position than they entered it—not President Trump’s intention. That is why escalation remains likely, even after Trump has so many times said this war will be over in a few more days or weeks.

The economy is generally the biggest concern in an election. How will this affect the midterms?

BREMMER: Goods will get more costly because the supply chain has already been disrupted. It takes time for these things. We know costs are going up; it’s not a question of maybe they will. The likelihood that Trump is going to get pasted during the midterms is very high. It’s a layup that he loses the House in a big way. The Senate is a heavier lift, but it’s now in play. [After the midterms] Trump will become more of a lame duck. Republicans will leave him because they understand they want a future. A president [who will be] 80 with historic unpopularity who has just lost the midterms is not going to do much for their future. The presidential Republican primary is going to be much more competitive as a consequence of that, and we’ll see that immediately after November.

The Allure of Bass

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:05:03 GMT

Photography by Kit Noble

A New Hook on a Local Favorite

As the waters around Nantucket warm up and the island seems to be swimming in striped bass, private chef John Richard Eboli has taken a different approach on an old classic. For Eboli, who cut his teeth at Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-star Manhattan restaurant Per Se preparing “Oysters and Pearls” and salmon tartare cones, experimenting with old-school dishes is often what it takes to breathe new life into something so tried-and-true. This recipe is one of those cases where the old maxim, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” has its limitations. Instead of a traditional sear in lemon and butter, Eboli places seared striped bass fillets on a bed of locally grown spring vegetables with a coconut-base broth, giving the dish a rich and balanced profile. Using local ingredients makes the difference with this one.

STRIPED BASS & SPRING VEGETABLE COCONUT BROTH

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

3 scallions, chopped (white parts only)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1½ teaspoons red curry paste (more if you like it spicy)

1 can (12 ounces) coconut milk

¼ cup water

1 lime, zested and juiced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

4 small heads bok choy

4 medium carrots

2 cups chopped mushrooms (shiitake or oyster work best)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt, to taste

Cilantro leaves

4 six-ounce pieces of striped bass (halibut also works well)

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the broth : In a saucepan on low-medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and let it heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic, ginger, scallion and a pinch of salt, stirring frequently for 2-5 minutes until slightly browned. Add the curry paste and stir, for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze with ¼ cup water and stir to remove anything that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer, before reducing the heat to a very low simmer, stirring occasionally for 1½ to2 hours. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it infuse for another hour.
Blanch the bok choy : Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Separately, prepare a small bowl of ice water. Slice the bok choy in half lengthwise and rinse with cold water to remove any dirt. Once the water reaches a boil, add a couple of generous pinches of salt and the bok choy. After 2 minutes, blanch the bok choy by placing it directly in the ice water. Remove the bok choy and place on a plate with a paper towel. Reserve the hot water and the ice bath for the carrot
Prepare the carrots : Shave medium carrots on a mandoline or slice thinly with a sharp knife into ¼-inch rounds. Place the carrots in the boiling water for about 90 seconds, then blanch in the ice water. After a few minutes, remove the carrots and dry.
Prepare the mushrooms : Heat a sauté pan on medium, with 1 tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until slightly browned, about 5 minutes, tossing frequently. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and place on a plate with a paper towel.
Sear the fish : Heat a sauté pan on high for 1-2 minutes and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Lay the fish down(if it has skin, sear with skin side up) and sear for a few minutes until golden brown. Flip the fillets over and finish with remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Remove from heat and let the fish rest in the pan for a couple of minutes.
Plate the dish : Strain the broth through a sieve into a saucepan and add the lime juice, brown sugar and salt, to taste. Reheat the carrots, bok choy and mushrooms in the broth, bringing it to a quick simmer and removing the saucepan from the heat. Plate the broth and vegetables in a bowl, placing the fillet on top and garnishing with cilantro leaves.

Giving it his Best Shot

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:48:51 GMT

Malik Moore’s rebound from professional basketball to Nantucket coach

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

I f it wasn’t for a torn ACL and a broken collarbone, Malik Moore could have become one of the greats in the NBA. “We used to play in the backyard. I would tell my cousin, ‘I’m going to make it. Once I get into college, I’m going to make it,’” said Moore, who now coaches the Cyrus Peirce Middle School boys basketball team on Nantucket.

Moore has always been surrounded by the game of basketball. Growing up in Philadelphia, he cut his teeth in the driveway with friends who later become NBA stars. By his junior year of high school, he started seeing college recruiters in the stands at his games. Before his senior year in the late ’90s, he received an invitation to the New Jersey-based All American Camp, where he played against Kobe Bryant, Tim Thomas, Richard Hamilton and Shaheen Holloway. “There were so many big-time dudes,” Moore said. “It was crazy. It was about 200 guys, and all of the [college] coaches would come. Coach [Mike Krzyzewski] from Duke was there. At the time, I wasn’t even thinking about playing with Kobe Bryant. I just wanted to play basketball."

Professional basketball was always the dream, and reaching the NBA seemed like a layup. Moore, a 6-foot-4-inch point guard, had the skills, but luck wasn’t on his side. After a stand-out high school career, Moore was recruited to play down the street at Division I Temple University. He got play time during his freshman year, until then-coach John Chaney decided to bench him. Moore sat out for the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Temple advanced to March Madness, but lost by 30 points to West Virginia in a first-round upset. In that one game, Moore didn’t see any time on the court.

It was part of the ups and downs that come with the game. Without seeing any playtime during March Madness, the game he loved had started to weigh on him. Moore decided to give it up entirely for a pharmaceutical job at SmithKline Beecham. “I was just going to geta job and start working, and then my grandmother told me, ‘You’re going back to school,’” he said. It was the push he needed.

Moore dropped down to Division II, where he would receive play time. In three years at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts, Moore was able to turn the program around to one of the top Division II schools in the country and was named first-team All-American. “I just wanted to play, and if I went to Division II, I didn’t have to sit out a year, I could just play,” Moore said.

AIC coach Art Luptowski brought Moore around to Division I schools across New England. “So of course I went there and dominated,” Moore said. “Coach and I got back in the car, and he was stunned. He said, ‘Those dudes couldn’t do nothing with you.’” Suddenly, Moore was getting attention again. He played summer ball with Allen Iverson and Paul Pierce in Philadelphia. Scouts from the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz came to watch him play during his senior year—something rare in Division II basketball.

When it came time for the 2002 NBA Draft, Moore watched two of his good friends, Ronald “Flip” Murray and John Salmons, get drafted into the league. Moore, on the other hand, didn’t receive a call that night. A few weeks later, he was driving up to Springfield when he did receive a call— from his AIC coach. “He said, ‘Seattle’s coach Nate McMillan is going to call you in a minute,’” Moore remembered. “He asked what’s the closest airport, and I said, ‘Hartford.’ He said, ‘Alright, are you good to fly out here tomorrow morning? I want to bring you down for the workout.’ He got me a ticket, and I drove to buy a pair of sneakers.”

But just as things were looking up, it all came crashing down. Moore was coming down the middle of the lane during a training camp exhibition game. The center came to block his shot and collided with him. Moore fell to the ground and bruised his knee. “I asked coach to give me a couple practices off and see how it goes,” Moore said. “Then it really started with the swelling so I got an MRI and that’s when I found out.”

The torn ACL was an 8-to-12-month recovery. He broke down crying. The Seattle SuperSonics invited him back to training camp the next year, but he didn’t make the team. Without a clear path to the NBA, he boarded a flight to China, playing a year for the Beijing Ducks. His sights were still set on the NBA. But it was a waiting game. Moore bounced around to the Continental Basketball Association for a season in Great Falls, Montana, and then to the NBA’s Development League in Roanoke, Virginia. He played for a few seasons in Germany with the Paderborn Baskets, traveling back for summers to visit his then-girlfriend who became his wife. He went to Finland, where he played with three different teams and even hit the winning layup in the championship game one year. He learned enough German and Finnish to communicate with his coaches. He bonded with other basketball expats. And he kept up his game, still hoping to make it to the NBA. “My Euro step became me,” he said.

On one of his trips home to visit family, he was riding his motorcycle when he got into an accident and broke his collarbone. As luck would have it, the very next day, the New Jersey Nets called him, asking him to try out for them. “I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’” he said. “I just broke down. I really had a chance to make that team.”

“I came home, was waiting and nothing ever came about,” he said. “I’m wondering if I should keep waiting or get a job. I can’t keep sitting around waiting. I decided to shut it down. My oldest son had just turned 11, so I decided to come home and start spending time with him.”

After over a decade of traveling around the world playing professional basketball, his dream of making the NBA had come to an end. But things have a way of working out. That’s when his wife landed a job on Nantucket. His youngest son was starting to play basketball, so Moore signed up to coach him through the Boys & Girls Club. After five years, he applied for the boys basketball coaching spot at Cyrus Peirce, where he now coaches with Sean Oberly.

This year, the team went 7-1, including a 70-point win over Mashpee. Part of Moore’s goal is to redevelop Nantucket’s once-powerhouse basketball program, starting at the Boys & Girls Club and the middle school, where Moore’s son Malikai is on the team. Meanwhile, his oldest son now plays Division I ball at Loyola University Chicago. “Coaching is a little different,” Moore said. “I see myself more as a trainer than anything. I love the game, I get the guys going and they like me. If you tell them todo something in practice and keep working on it, then you see it come together—that’s nice."

Casting a New Career

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:33:42 GMT

Jeff Allen's Fish Stix

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Jeff Allen knew something was wrong the morning he fell out of bed at 2 a.m. Allen, a veteran Nantucket photographer, was losing not only his balance but his vision. The thing he needed more than anything else as a photographer was fading. The problem, it turned out, was an advanced case of Lyme disease that had damaged his cognitive functioning and would require months of physical therapy and vision retraining. But he wasn’t going to let that prognosis defeat him.

Allen—an artist, sculptor, photographer and craftsman—needed something to do before he went stir crazy during his months-long recovery. If he wasn’t able to take photographs, he thought he could still work with his hands in some way. He called up his friend, longtime fishing rod maker Barry Thurston, with an idea to make custom fishing rods himself. Thurston, who had retired from making rods, showed him the ropes. Allen was hooked.

“Some people say I’m making art, but I’m making toys; it’s just very well thought out,” said Allen, who builds rods under the name Fish Stix. “These things will last.” In the 15 years since his initial conversation with Thurston, Allen has turned his house on Somerset Road into a studio and a workshop where he cranks out 50 custom fishing rods of all sizes every year. “I didn’t want to be on my computer—I wanted to be outside,” Allen said. “I like to fish and I have fished all my life.”

Not only has Allen produced hundreds of rods, he’s also amassed a household of equipment, from lathes to sanders. It takes a special breed of craftsman to fully commit to the craft the way Allen has. Handy? He built his house, though he claims it’s still a work in progress after three decades, and likely will be until he decides he’s had enough projects for one lifetime. Resilient? He once lost three fingers in a machinery accident while making furniture. He carried his fingers in a helicopter to Boston to have them surgically reattached.

Currently, Allen is the only custom rod maker on Nantucket. “It’s night and day, the difference in how the rods perform compared to a commercial rod. It’s like if you bought a Ford Fiesta instead of a Hummer or a full-blown Mercedes,” Allen said. “A lot of the time I’ll go out fishing on a friend’s boat and they’ll have commercial rods that aren’t custom, which drives me crazy. I’m rarely surprised at how good they are.”

Earlier this year, Allen introduced students at the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club to the art of custom rod making, donating materials and labor to give kids the opportunity to create something all their own, and potentially inspire a younger generation to take up the craft. Later this season, the Boys & Girls Club will take the students on a charter fishing trip where they will be able to use the new rods they made with Allen’s assistance.

“Living in a fishing community like Nantucket, there’s something powerful about getting kids out on the water, learning how to cast a line and understanding the importance of our local fisheries,” said Boys &Girls Club CEO Jamie Foster, crediting staff members Joe Headen and Ian Graiff for making the partnership with Fish Stix possible. “It’s more than just fishing—it’s about connection to place, to tradition and to new skills. This is exactly the kind of unique, hands-on programming that sets our Club apart and creates lasting memories for our kids."

At his studio, Allen has a stockpile of blanks, grips, reels, reel seats, threads and titanium guides. He imports Portuguese cork and has a wide array of wood to work with, like Honduran rosewood, ambrosia maple, Patagonian rosewood, Bolivian rosewood, palm and mahogany. Each rod blank (the long pole) is painted a unique color and attached with a thread color of the customer’s choice. The rods can also be accessorized with personalized scrimshaw or abalone.

As for the types of rods, Allen has made them for surf casters, inshore fishermen, kayakers, fly fishermen and people who prefer the deep sea. The rods typically take two weeks to a month to produce from start to finish, starting at $895.

Allen also uses his rods, a family legacy he’s taken from his father, who taught him to fish in the lakes around Middleborough and Brockton with a custom-made rod. He still holds on to the first rod he made on his own, which he fondly calls “Number One.” Since launching Fish Stix 15years ago, Allen said the craft has changed his approach to fishing. The idea is that a custom rod, even if it’s more expensive, will suit your needs better than any other rod that’s out there.

After a tour of his basement workshop, it’s clear making rods has become more than just a hobby. “You can catch a fish on anything,” he said. “Commercial rods are fine, but if you come to me, you’re going to get something that’s a legacy rod. If you take care of it, you’ll be able to pass it down."

That's the Ticket

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:17:26 GMT

Five $1 million lottery winners at Old South Diner

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

W hat are the odds? The answer is approximately 1 in 2 million. The Old South Diner might be the luckiest place in the state, if not the country. In just two years, five people have won at least $1million on lottery tickets purchased at the diner. “It’s insane,” said Sean Durnin, the owner of Sushi Sean 11:11 Market & Bistro, who hit the $1 million jackpot on a ticket from the Old South Diner in August 2024. “I start to feel sorry for whoever wins next. They’re going to get blasted with messages.”

The hot streak on Old South Road started in March 2024, when Boston resident Jose Fontanez stopped by the shop while visiting his girlfriend on the island. He won $1 million on a $10 scratch ticket, beating odds of 1 in over 2 million. He said he would put the prize money down on a house. Less than three months later, Hyannis resident Garen Downie became the second winner at Old South, this time for $2 million on the Massachusetts State Lottery’s “Lifetime Millions” game, a $50scratch ticket. Then in August 2024—just two months after Downie won big—lightning struck a third time when Durnin won $1 million on a $20 ticket he bought from where else but the Old South Diner.

And then this March, it happened twice, with house cleaning business owner Yancy Contreras Menjivar claiming a $2 million jackpot on the state’s new “$2,000,000 Stacked” instant ticket game, and another $2 million Powerball ticket sold at the diner—claimed by island resident Mary Haley two days later. “It’s become a punchline at the Old South Diner,” Durnin said. “Before it was known as a place to get quick Chinese food, now it’s a cosigner for my house. Everybody’s thinking their chances are better to win there than anywhere else.”

That may well be true, though there has been a sixth million-dollar winner on Nantucket at a different location. Last December, Julio Hidalgo Perez won $1 million on a $50 lottery ticket he purchased at Mid Island Fuel on Sparks Avenue. According to Rachel Guerra, deputy director of communications for the Massachusetts State Lottery, the Old South Diner has consistently been among the top 10% of shops across the state in recent years. Only a few other locations in the state have had the luck the Old South Diner has had, including Silk’s Variety in Sheffield (three $1 million jackpots in2024), Pride Station in East Longmeadow (two in2024) and Ted’s Stateline Mobil in Methuen (three in 2022). For each million-dollar ticket sold, stores in the state receive a $10,000 bonus. That brings the Old South Diner’s windfall to $50,000.

Unsurprisingly, the Old South Diner leads all Nantucket shops in lottery tickets sold by dollar figure. In 2024, its net sales topped $2.7 million, and grew to $3.7 million last year. That means that last year, the Old South Diner sold $11,000 worth of lottery tickets per day. The odds of one establishment in the state selling five million-dollar tickets is still astronomical. The Nantucket Current estimates those odds come out to roughly .005%.

Durnin, who put his winnings in an account for his son’s education, said he didn’t typically play the lottery before his winning ticket in 2024. He only picked up a lottery ticket that day after scrambling to find the empty car seat that fell out of the back of his truck while he was delivering food. Durnin thought he struck gold when he found the car seat near the Old South Diner. Then came the $1 million in the scratch ticket. “It’s so weird looking back on it,” he said. “I’ll buy tickets now and know this will never happen again. One out of a million? I have better chances of getting struck by lightning or getting bit by a shark on the beach.”

Madam Moderator

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:04:48 GMT

Sarah Alger’s 30th year at the town meeting podium

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

When Sarah Alger hammered down the gavel to start her first town meeting in 1997, her annual salary as town moderator was a paltry $175. But to Alger, an island real estate attorney, the annual and sometimes biannual meetings were never about the compensation as much as they were an opportunity to preside over arguably the most impactful—and often controversial—nights in town politics.

Alger is running this May for her 30th term as town moderator. In her 30 years at the podium, she has overseen over 3,000 town meeting articles, including some of the most controversial proposals on the island, including beach driving permits, fertilizer bans, town sewer expansions and, of course, short-term rental regulations. While the title of town moderator might be far from the most coveted position on Nantucket, Alger has not only taken it in stride but become an integral part of annual town meetings.

“I’ve been doing it so long it would be hard to separate me out of it,” she said. Aside from her first election—when Alger won by a mere 200 votes over Tim Madden and Curtis Barnes—she has run unopposed every year. As the moderator of Nantucket’s open town meeting form of government, Alger has become one of a dying breed of town moderators across the country. While open town meetings—described as one of the last vestiges of true democracy—were once commonplace across New England and New York, they have been steadily phased out for alternative forms of government, like town councils, mayors and another format called a representative town meeting. Across the country, the annual tradition of open town meetings has mostly become a thing of the past. Despite numerous efforts to move on from open town meetings, Nantucket—for now—has held onto the tradition.

For Alger, it’s also a family tradition. Alger grew up in Osterville, Massachusetts, attending town meetings in Barnstable as a kid, volunteering as a timekeeper while her father, John Alger, served as town moderator. It inspired in Alger an appreciation for town government that has never subsided. In the mid-1990s,she cosponsored a domestic partnership bylaw, making an impassioned speech while eight months pregnant with her second child.

That article, then one of the most contentious proposals presented at an annual town meeting, took four years to pass and ultimately gave same-sex couples many of the same rights as married couples.

In 1997, she decided to run for moderator after meeting the town’s moderator at the time, Mark Arnold. “He said he wasn’t going to run for moderator and had a list of people he said would be good,” Alger remembered. “I said, ‘What if I ran?’ Well, he clearly had never contemplated that.” Arnold wasn’t alone. That same election cycle, Alger was standing outside Stop & Shop when a woman pointed to her and said, “Anyone but her for town moderator,” Alger remembered. That turned out to be the only time Alger faced opposition.

After her first meeting was in the books, then-Land Bank commissioner Phil Bartlett gave her a hug. “I didn’t think you could do it,” he told her. Thirty years in, Alger has found a way to keep the meetings not only fair and balanced but entertaining. In 2021, when the town first brought in electronic voting handsets, Alger quipped: “If you mistakenly take a handset home, you will be tracked down, and I cannot guarantee what will happen to you.” Perhaps her most iconic line came one year later, in a segue from a proposal to ban plastic “nip” bottles to another on topless beaches, she joked: “Zipping right along from nips to nipples.”

When asked about staying upbeat and humorous at town meetings, she remains modest. “I have no control over that,” she said.

Last year, Alger brought back another family tradition, bringing her daughter, Madeline Malenfant (who competed on Project Runway last year), to the meeting as timekeeper—the same position Alger held as a kid. “I was always interested in town meeting,” Alger said. “I was interested in community service, had been on different boards. I knew I would never run for anything else. I still enjoy it, but if there’s someone else who would like to take over and do it better or differently, I would be open to it 100%.”

Behind Closed Doors at the White House

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:37:25 GMT

INSIGHTS FROM CNN COMMENTATOR AND FORMER TRUMP ADVISOR DAVID URBAN

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay

Photography by Kit Noble

With a full year of President Donald Trump’s second term in the books, where does the Republican Party go after Trump? What is the process after a president decides to go into battle and how does any president sleep at night? A regular guest on CNN and a former senior Trump advisor, David Urban provides his behind-the-scenes insights for the first installment in our new section, NSide Politics.

When a president decides to go to war, how specifically is that decision implemented?

DAVID URBAN: In most instances, the U.S. Military has contingency plans on the shelf that say how many C-17 [aircrafts] we’re going to need, whether the 82nd Airborne Division will be sent, how many boats we need, how many aircraft, and how we can get them there. I am sure in each of these instances—with Venezuela and Iran—that the Department of Defense had packages saying what we need to do. The president says, ‘Give me options,’ and the National Security Council, the Joint Chiefs of8 Staff and Department of Defense would be involved in giving the president their best advice on what is needed. Ultimately it’s up to the president. He’s got great discretion under Article 2 [of the Constitution] in exercising his authority overseas and his power to use the military overseas. It’s almost unlimited.

Decades ago, Trump mentioned the Iranian threat. Is this something he’s had in his mind for years that Iran had to be dealt with?

URBAN: If you go back and watch Donald Trump being interviewed by Larry King or Oprah Winfrey, and you listen to President Trump today, it sounds almost like the same guy from the same speech, whether it’s trade, tariffs or Iran. Trump has had the same beliefs and views for quite some time. There are certain things that stick in his mind. He’s nota guy who takes a poll and sticks his finger in the wind; he believes in what he believes in.

There are people who suggest we’re fighting Israel’s war. Is it possible that Israel talked Trump into this?

URBAN: I don’t think Israel talked him into anything. The notion that anyone talks Donald Trump into anything is ludicrous. Netanyahu may have said, ‘We know that all of these individuals are going to be in this one place and this is a very rare opportunity.’ Our intelligence could have agreed that this is a rare opportunity and that if we want to do it, it’s best to do it now. Are those things possible? 100%. There’s a timing issue where we thought we could decapitate the regime. Whether you like Donald Trump or not, at some point, some president was going to have to act.

When things go south, what is theatmosphere at the White House like?

URBAN: The atmosphere is very somber anytime an American serviceman or woman comes home and there’s a dignified transfer of remains. Everybody involved is reminded of the incredibly realistic terms [of military casualties]. The toppling of the Iranian regime is a different kind of mood in the White House. That’s what they’re there for, to flex and bend. We have a lot of smart people who are dedicated and working in this building that you don’t see—those are professionals at work. There is an air of professionalism among a great deal of people working behind the scenes. The mood is always serious when we’re engaged overseas; the bad is when bodies come home.

How do you think the situation in Iran willimpact the Midterm Elections?

URBAN: If you look at polling, people don’t care about the war. What people care about is the economy. The question is how this conflict impacts the economy and what that means to voters. Gas prices are going up, fertilizer prices are going up, and at some point those prices are going to spike. Gas prices are high, but they were also high during the Biden Administration. There’s still a lot to be determined. Is this a one-month conflict or a six-month conflict? If we’re talking about this in September, it will have a huge impact on how things will play out.

I find it hard to believe we will still be engaged in this conflict with Iran past the date [of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in May]. I don’t think Trump would want to meet with Xi and have an outstanding issue. Everybody knows the Chinese government would love to stroll across the sea and take Taiwan. There will be a lot of questions around, ‘If we can attack Iran then why can’t Xi take Taiwan?’ There will be parallels and it will be awkward because I believe China is providing material support for Iran currently

Any president lives under constant pressure. How do they sleep at night?

URBAN: That’s why when Obama went into office he looked like he was 40, and by the time he left he looked like his own grandfather. That’s why you see Trump posting on Truth Social at 3 a.m. Presidents sleep very little. I don’t think you can be president if you’re somebody that sleeps a lot. It takes a great physical toll, because at the end of the day, [the president] is responsible for everything. Even things you’re not responsible for, you’re now responsible for. That’s why Trump plays golf, and why Obama played basketball. You’ve got to be able to blow off some steam every once in awhile, otherwise you lose your mind.

Trump watches the news quite a bit. How much is he influenced by the news?

URBAN: He is a guy who is influenced, incensed and informed by the news. He also understands television, he gets the media. I don’t think there’s been a more media accessible president. He’s informed when he sees something that doesn’t look good on television or reflect well on his administration. He understands the media and its impact on the American people.

We have never seen a president put his stamp on so many things, now with the $100 bill. What is the explanation?

URBAN: With the $100 bill, I’m sure a secretary came to him saying, ‘Let’s do this.’ Donald Trump is not shy, he’s a marketing guy. He made money not by building buildings but by marketing the Trump brand. I challenge even Trump’s haters to go to a Trump hotel, and they are world-class facilities. The branding is something he’s done his entire life. People think it’s unseemly, and to a certain extent you can argue that it is. Every president can decorate the Oval Office the way they want to do it. Do I think there are too many gold cherubs? Probably. But the next president gets to come in and decorate however they want.

Do you think Trump is satisfied with how things have gone in his second term?

URBAN: I think the first 100 days were incredibly satisfying. You take an issue like immigration where Trump was 80% popular, and most people were happy, and then we started deporting folks in perhaps an improper way that led to two American citizens to be killed. When that plays out on national TV, Trump’s support [on immigration] goes from 80% to 20%. I don’t think the president can be happy with that. I don’t think he’s happy with the state of the economy.

Marco Rubio or JD Vance?

URBAN: Maybe neither. The president may throw up his hands and say we’re having an open primary. President Trump likes both individuals, but maybe he says he’s not going to pick his successor. Maybe he wants an open primary to let the American people pick, and if that’s the case, then you’re going to see Nikki Haley, Glenn Youngkin, Ron DeSantis. You’re going to see a wide range of people

50 Years of the Daffodil Festival

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:19:04 GMT

The Daffodil Festival celebrates five decades.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble and courtesy of Mary Malavase, Beverly Hall and the Nantucket Historical Association

It started as one woman’s dream of planting 1 million daffodil bulbs around the island. Jean MacAusland, then president of the Nantucket Garden Club, knew daffodils would fare well in Nantucket’s sandy soil. She also knew the island’s growing deer and rabbit populations wouldn’t go anywhere near them (they contain toxic alkaloids that make them unappetizing to mammals). And to top it all off, they’re one of the easiest perennial flowers to grow. Once you plant the bulbs in the fall, you can forget about them until they bloom the next spring, and the spring after that. MacAusland handed out brown paper bags full of the bulbs at the first Daffodil Show at the former Boys Club in 1975. All she asked was that the bulbs be planted on Nantucket. Three years later, the Garden Club planted some 30,000 bulbs. In 1979, MacAusland, whose husband was then publisher of Gourmet magazine, purchased another eight tons of daffodil bulbs.

Now, fifty years after that first show, it is estimated Nantucket has more than 4 million daffodils in bloom. The festival MacAusland created has also blossomed into one of the biggest community events on the island. [MacAusland] also knew the island needed an economic boost in the spring,” said Mary Malavase, a longtime Garden Club member and a co-chair of the 50th annual Daffodil Show at the Nantucket Inn this year. “Back then, the summer season was extremely short. With the investment of planting them, they would be around for over a year, and look at us now.”

In 50 years, the Daffodil Festival has exploded in popularity, from its roots as a collection of daffodils in soda bottles on plastic-lined pool tables at the Boys Club (now the Boys & Girls Club), to hundreds of daffodil entries on display at the flower show this year. The Daffodil Show, which takes place April 24-26, is moving to the Nantucket Inn this year after years at Bartlett’s Farm. In other words, the show has outgrown the farm.

MacAusland’s passion for horticulture was matched by her taste in antique cars. Driving her 1966 Vanden Plas, she would toss wildflower seeds down Milestone and Polpis roads, waiting for them to bloom in the summer, her nieces Natasha Bergreen and Liza Cousins remember. She drove that same antique car down the dirt road to her house, where it would inevitably bottom out. In 1978, she introduced a classic car parade to the festival, with the help of Melva Chesrown and H. Flint and Corky Ranney.

The first parade, from downtown Nantucket to Main Street in ’Sconset included 19 cars, including MacAusland’s Vanden Plas, a 1920s Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, a 1927 Pontiac and five fire engines. Dozens of cars have stalled or failed to start after being staged for the parade over the years. Longtime festival volunteer and former Sconset Market owner Mark Donato now puts the number of cars in the festival each year at over 100. “Back then, there were a lot of Model T’s in people’s garages, and now those are rare [to see in the parade],” said Donato, who is in charge of the antique car voting process. “There used to be at least eight or 10 of those. Now, muscle cars have gotten old enough that they qualify as antique cars. They’re fan favorites; people love seeing those cars.”

“The tailgates have become very lavish from the days it was lemonade and a few shortbread cookies,” he added. “Now there’s hot food and desserts. I’ve seen a few people that have a private chef back there, so they can just host and talk about their cars.”

While the Daffodil Show and the antique car parade remain the main events of the festival, the weekend has come to encompass an array of activities. The Nantucket Chamber of Commerce now organizes a Daffodil Festival Bazaar (April 24 at the Dreamland) and family events at Children’s Beach. The festival has also provided an economic jolt for shops and restaurants that reopen for the weekend after staying closed for much of the winter. Organizations like the Nantucket Historical Association have also embraced the Daffodil Festival, with the NHA’s annual Flower Power party.

Last fall the Garden Club planted another 50,000 daffodil bulbs at the intersection of Milestone and Polpis roads, which are now coming into bloom in time for the 50th anniversary. “The longevity of it is something people look forward to after a long gray winter,” Malavase said. “It’s the awakening of the island. No matter who you ask, when you ask them what they think about spring, I guarantee you at least 90% of those people say they can’t wait to see the daffodils.”

The Tide Runneth Over

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:54:53 GMT

THE RACE TO PROTECT NANTUCKET’S BARRIER BEACH

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

In 1896, the narrow strip called the Haulover breached in a powerful winter storm, severing Coatue and Great Point from the rest of Nantucket with a formidable scar 15 feet deep. Sailors—looking for a faster and safer route to the open ocean—considered it a lucky break. Just over a year after the storm, a catboat called Inaz became the first boat to sail through the new opening, paving the way for larger and larger boats. That breach lasted for 13 years, measuring a quarter-mile long at its widest, according to The Inquirer and Mirror. “That the closing of the Haulover inlet was an unfortunate thing for Nantucket all will admit, and it has had a disastrous effect on8 the island’s codfishery,” William F. Jones reported in 1909 after the opening naturally sealed itself up.

Today, the Haulover is once again at risk of breaching, but this time, as sea-level rise and increasingly stronger storms threaten the island, researchers aren’t sure how long it would take for a new breach to close up. They also aren’t sure if a breach would remain open permanently, drastically changing not only the look of Coatue and Great Point, but leaving the harbor vulnerable to erosion and pounding waves without the protection of a fortified barrier beach. According to Katie Theoharides, president and CEO of The Trustees of Reservations, it’s not a matter of if Great Point will become an island, but when.

“[By 2100], under moderate sea-level rise projections, we’re looking at 89% of the beach [on Coatue] gone, underwater, and70% of the dunes underwater,” Theoharides said. The Trustees own the Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge extending out to Great Point, while the Nantucket Conservation Foundation owns the majority of Coatue. “This is a beach where thousands of visitors come every summer,” she added. “It’s a touchpoint for Nantucket residents and visitors, and its history is really meaningful. To protect it is our mission.”

Theoharides is one of a number of ecologists growing increasingly concerned about the fate of Coskata and Coatue. As a barrier beach, Coatue keeps the bay scallop population in place, provides refuge for boats in a storm and acts as a natural shield for a 10-mile stretch of the island from Brant Point to Wauwinet. Losing that protection could decimate the bay scallop population, leave harborfront property owners scrambling to protect their homes, and even cut town property tax revenue as harborfront home values drop.

“There is a huge risk,” said Karen Beattie, director of science and stewardship at the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. “If there’s a breach anywhere on Coatue, that is going to change the harbor as we know it today. It would make it a very different place.”

With each storm, Coskata and Coatue become weaker, losing long strips of beach and dunes to the sea. Just this winter, waves from the east swept over the dunes at the narrow isthmus called the Galls—just south of Great Point—effectively making Great Point a temporary island until the storm subsided. Then it happened again, just weeks later and once again at the Galls. While washovers like these have happened before, they’re becoming more common, according to the Trustees. That’s significant for places like Coskata or Coatue, where the highest point sits just six feet above sea level.

“The projections are really scary,” Beattie said. “It does look like Coatue is going to disappear and it may. We don’t know. The bottom line with sea-level rise is that we’re trying to model and predict what’s going to happen as best we can given the science that we have. But at the end of the day, this is uncharted territory.”

By 2050, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projects the waters around Nantucket to rise by another 2.68 feet and by over 6.6 feet by 2100. Since the installment of the Nantucket Harbor tidal gauge in 1965, the mean sea level in the harbor has already risen by nearly nine inches. That kind of damage could prove disastrous. An estimated 2,373 structures are at risk of coastal flooding and erosion through 2070, coming out to $3.4 billion in damages, according to data from the town’s Coastal Resilience Plan.

RJ Turcotte, ecologist and waterkeeper for the Nantucket Land & Water Council, has already seen the impacts of rising seas. Just this February, the Town Pier suffered substantial damage, three years after a round of repairs were proposed to protect the pier from stronger storm waves. “A breach somewhere like the Haulover could allow for a larger [area] for these waves to build and cause more damage than [the Town Pier] was built for,” Turcotte said.

Town officials and downtown business owners are already contemplating a gauntlet of initiatives to bolster the harborfront. The Steamship Authority is currently seeking grant funding for upgrades to its ferry terminal. Earlier this spring, the Select Board also heard proposals to elevate the harbor bulkhead and potentially raise Easy Street, where just last year, water rose to the height of the road 84 times, according to data from NOAA. That project would cost between $37.5 million and $104.9 million, depending on its scope. Nantucket Coastal Resilience Coordinator Leah Hill believes it’s money well spent. “The risk of doing nothing is way too great,” Hill said. The estimated risk of no action on Easy Street comes out to a whopping $1.2 billion by 2070, not to mention loss of access to the Steamboat Wharf. “We’re a small town with big city problems," Hill said.

In addition to raising Easy Street, town officials are also considering raising Washington Street, installing an artificial barrier from Brant Point to Monomoy, protecting salt marshes and creating rain gardens to absorb floodwater. Projects like these are not unique to Nantucket. Major cities are now competing for a short supply of state and federal funding for expensive erosion-control projects. In Boston, the proposed “Sapphire Necklace” sea-gate to connect the Boston Harbor Islands came with such a sticker shock when it was proposed in 2017, that the project—like the flooding Seaport—is now dead in the water.

Currently, the Conservation Foundation and the Trustees are looking into projects called living shorelines. They’re intended to work with nature to slow down the rate of erosion by accreting sand along the beach. At Coskata Pond and the Haulover, that looks like vegetation balls and artificial oyster reefs that simultaneously improve water quality and trap sand on the shoreline. The two organizations have also identified two primary risk areas for a breach: the Haulover and Coskata Pond, which sits precariously close to the ocean and empties to the harbor. The organizations have also contracted with GZA Geo Environmental Inc. for a LiDAR topographical survey of low-lying areas that will reveal other risk areas along Coatue. That study is funded by the Great Harbor Yacht Club.

When asked about hard-armoring Coskata or Coatue with options like sea walls, jetties or bulkheads, Theoharides said that kind of approach could do more harm than good in such an undisturbed natural environment like the barrier beach. “Not only do I feel like nature holds the key in allowing our systems to adapt, but without strengthening nature and building its resilience, people won’t be able to experience the natural world the way they do now,” she said. “Hard-armoring would take away all of the unique geomorphology and habitat [of Coskata and Coatue]. What is unique about that environment iscreated by the lack of human intervention.”

While researchers recognize that Coskata and Coatue will almost certainly look very different by the end of the century, there isa consensus that something needs to be done to protect the barrier beach. If nothing is done, the consequences are simply too great, not just for Coskata and Coatue, but for the entirety of the island. “This is not just a beach ecosystem, it really creates the island as we know it today,” Theoharides added. “The more time we can buy with these resiliency measures, the more likely we are to have even more solutions to work with.”

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the Trustees owns the Haulover, however that section of Coskata is owned by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation.

Turning the Corner

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:34:21 GMT

CAFÉ 22 OPENS ON FEDERAL STREET

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

O wning a coffee shop in downtown Nantucket was never going to be just about serving quick iced coffees for people on the go. In other words, the Dunkin’ Donuts model doesn’t apply, at least not for Michael Ferreri, the co-founder of ACK Roasters and the general manager of Nantucket’s newest coffee shop, called Café 22.

“We want to have a space where the community can hang out,” Ferreri said. “There’s been a trend recently in cafés, especially for hostile architecture, where you go in and they don’t want you to stay; they want you to drink your coffee and leave. We want you to come drink your coffee and hang out."

Café 22 opened this winter at the corner of Federal and Broad streets, in the property that formerly housed The Corner Table. Remain Nantucket, which owns the building, said the next chapter for the shop is “to compound Broad Street’s role as a culinary and cultural anchor downtown, offering high-quality food and drink, a central gathering place and year-round employment opportunities.” Jonas Baker, a veteran in the island restaurant scene and the owner and operator of Café 22, shares that goal. A partner at The Brotherhood of Thieves and former owner of Slip 14 and the former BlueFin restaurant, Baker brings three decades of experience to the new coffee shop.

With Café 22, he said he wants to8 provide a community space where the food is freshly made and the atmosphere is inviting. He not only wants to bring the community in, but open the upstairs kitchen and dining areas for local nonprofits to host events. “We want them to use the space,” he said. “That’s the goal, that it’s herein the middle of town and people should be using it.”

The menu reflects Baker’s guiding philosophy—accessible and fresh, with the grab-and-go refrigerator constantly restocked. “We don’t want people to come in when the case is full and by2 p.m. you’re asking when they made it,” he said. That menu includes café staples like salads, sandwiches and eggs, as well as house-made pickles and some new items like Thai curry meatballs.

“My goal is to have it as global in flavor profile and as local in ingredients as possible,” said chef Daisy Carnelia, the culinary director at Café 22.Upstairs, the café is also carrying on the tradition of culinary classes like the ones The Corner Table offered, with Carnelia teaching year-round lessons on dishes like coq au vin, dim sum, fresh pasta, tiramisu and tarte tatin. With several coffee shops going out of business in recent years—The Bean, Espresso to Go and Fast Forward to name a few—the new management group at Café 22 believes it’s become even more important to hold on to the year-round cafés Nantucket already has.

“The goal is to have a nice place that’s cool to come into,” Baker said. “There’s no pressure for you as a guest. The goal is we’ve created a space that’s friendly for everybody. How far do we want to ramp up? Well, eventually we’ll ramp up, but the goal is to have a nice steady growth. We want to do everything consistently, and we’ll grow as we go."

Returning to Their Roots

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:10:29 GMT

A taste of Iran at Lemon Press

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

W hen Darya Afshari Gault flips through her mother’s old photographs from her childhood in Iran, she can’t help but feel a profound sense of nostalgia for the country her family left behind. In one sepia-toned photo, her mom wears bell-bottomed jeans, a double-breasted blue coat and sunglasses, as her full head of hair flares up in the wind on the shores of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran. In another shot, she wears the same blue coat in a grove of persimmon trees. In another, she’s on a blanket, picnicking on the beach.

These were the bygone days of 1970s Iran, when young people embraced modern fashion, and women could let their hair down. Darya remembers these times fondly—the family vacations to the mountains, the dancing and the feasts of Persian food. By 1979, however, those customs would be all but erased by the Islamic Republic that took power, suppressing freedoms for its citizens, especially women, who have had educational and career opportunities taken away and been mandated to conceal their hair in hijabs since the Islamic Revolution. In 1986, Darya and her family left Iran for the United States. They never returned.

Now that Iran is at war again, its economy in shambles and its residents killed for protesting the government, the fond memories Darya has have become bittersweet. “For many Iranians, including myself and my family, there hasn’t been much freedom to proudly celebrate the food or celebrate the culture without the political shadow following us,” said Darya, who opened Lemon Press in 2015 with her cousin, Rachel Afshari. “Sharing Persian cuisine, something that should be happy and joyous, wasn’t comfortable. What’s changed now is that people in America are becoming aware of the differences between the regime and the Iranian people. They’re seeing the courage of the Iranian population and understanding the culture has been living under oppressive systems for decades. Awareness has created space for us to be proud and share our heritage."

Last summer, Darya and Rachel decided to fully embrace Persian cuisine on their dinner menu in a way they had not in their first decade in business. The menu now includes dishes like lamb shoulder, called Khoresht Gohmeh Sabzi, saffron rice, cucumber mint yogurt, Persian mussels, tomato-cucumber salad and skewers of Joojeh Chicken, Steak Bargand Lamb Koobideh.

“Food is one of the most powerful ways to reconnect with our identity,” Darya said. “Persian cuisine is deeply rooted in history, family and hospitality. For us, embracing it fully at Lemon Press is really about regaining that confidence and saying, ‘This is who we are, this is our culture, and we’re proud to share it.’ And honestly, Persian food is just insanely delicious, period.”

For months, Iran has been in headlines on the world stage, with widespread protests over the economy’s collapse, political executions, women’s rights and the repressive so-called moral police of the Islamic Republic. In February, the United States and Israel bombed Iran, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and prompting widespread Iranian retaliation. As tensions in the country escalated, the owners of Lemon Press have offered their support for the Iranian people from afar, spreading the message that Iran’s culture cannot be suppressed by people in power. It’s not lost on them that a woman-owned business like Lemon Press simply would not exist in Iran.

“If our family didn’t leave, I would not have the same freedoms,” said Rachel, whose father was born and raised in Iran. “[The Persian menu] is about sharing the story and drawing attention to the culture and heritage, and showing that Iranian culture is not the Iranian government. This regime does not reflect what we believe in. The culture and the heritage are so old and so beautiful and deserve to be celebrated. The way that we can do that and support our culture is by sharing this in our community and honoring our traditions.”

Food has always been central to Persian culture. Growing up, some of Darya’s core memories were formed around the dinner table at the family house in Khorramdarreh. Less than 100 miles from the Caspian Sea in northern Iran, Khorramdarreh was where she learned to ride a bike, where she picked from the almond and cherry trees in the yard and where her dog Goorgie would escape to the neighbors’ chicken coop. One time, she climbed to the rooftop with the neighbor kids to watch what looked like fireworks. She didn’t know it then, but they were watching bombs explode on the horizon—part of the Iran-Iraq War. From a distance, they were beautiful.

The bombings would come closer to home, where Darya and her sister would hide in the basement. The marble and glass in the house would shake violently as the explosions set off outside. Nothing would calm her sister, who wanted nothing else but her Raggedy Ann doll. “For me to look at it as an outsider, the only thing different between me and an Iranian girl there now is that I got to leave in 1986,” Darya said. “I would be a different woman if I didn’t get to leave. Iran would be a different country if [Ayatollah] Khomeini didn’t take over.”

Darya’s parents took her to Florida, where she attended middle and high school before moving to Nantucket. The daughter of an engineer and an entrepreneur, Darya always knew she wanted to start a business, and she has now established two on the island: Darya Salon + Spa and Lemon Press. But for years, she kept the Persian side of her on the back burner. Until the menu change last summer, Lemon Press had offered only hints of Persian spices like saffron and sumac, with the menu primarily a fusion of flavors from around the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

“We’ve always wanted to fully embrace Persian food,” she said. “It’s part of who I am and part of my culture, but for a long time there was a stigma attached to anything Iranian because of the misunderstanding between the Iranian people and the Islamic Republic. A lot of people outside of Iran unfortunately associate the government with the people, and that’s simply not the reality.”

Lemon Press is keeping Mediterranean staples on its breakfast and lunch menus, but by dinner time, the menu is firmly Persian. “We always would say we’re Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors, but every time we go to a dish that we love, it’s Persian,” Rachel said. “It’s herbs, it’s saffron, it’s yogurt. People are hungry for this.”

There’s a term in Farsi—the language of Iran—called taarof , which loosely translates to politeness, etiquette and hospitality. When Darya and Rachel think back to their childhood memories of food, it’s often their grandmother offering food and refusing to take no for an answer. Any time they met for a family meal, they would be sent home with Tupperware containers of leftovers. That kind of Persian hospitality is something they hold on to at Lemon Press, a way to share the cuisine they grew up with and reconnect with the cultural identity of their parents and grandparents.

They also hope the menu can serve as a message of hope for Iranians, that one day, after the war and political unrest, women will once again have the freedom to start careers, educate themselves, let their hair down and live the lives Iranians once did. “It would be great for an Iranian woman to read an article like this and say, ‘This could be us again,’” Darya said. In reconnecting with their roots through food, the move to a Persian menu has also inspired them both. “Once Iran is open,” she said, “we’re going.”

Need to Read: Spring 2026

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:42:02 GMT

Tim Ehrenberg of “Tim Talks Books” gives you his recommendations for spring reading.

Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash

The beginning of 2026 was one of the best reading seasons I’ve had in a decade. It started with the wittiest debut novel I have ever read by Madeline Cash, Lost Lambs . I’m not joking when I tell you I laughed out loud on almost every page in this zany family drama filled with characters and situations you won’t soon forget. It was so8 cleverly curated and felt fresh in a way you will understand when you read it. I read so many books and I am rarely surprised, but Lost Lambs knocked my socks off. It played out so visually that it felt like watching a movie in my mind and I still smile when I think of its quirkiness.

Kin by Tayari Jones

February may be the shortest month, but it packed a punch with stellar titles. The author of An American Marriage (one of my favorite novels of 2018) is back on our shelves in2026 with Kin . It’s the tale of two motherless girls who grow up together in 1950s Jim Crow Louisiana, but take different paths in life. Vernice and Annie, the book’s leading ladies, are so fully imagined that I am still thinking about them two months after I closed the book. Their voices and spirits linger in your heart. Kin is about found family and the search for belonging, and it’s told to us by one of the brightest voices in contemporary fiction.

More than Enough by Anna Quindlen

February also brought us More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen. I don’t know where I’ve been, but I had never read a novel by Quindlen, and I have been missing out. More Than Enough has a little bit of everything: ancestry tests, aging parents, the meaning of family, friendship and marriage, as well as book clubs and fertility issues. You come to care for these characters as you do for people in your own life, hoping everything works out for them in the end.

London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

One of my favorite nonfiction writers and past Nantucket Book Festival presenters, Patrick Radden Keefe, is back with London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth . It’s a true crime narrative investigating the mysterious death of19-year-old Zac Brettler, who jumped from a London tower in 2019, and his family’s subsequent investigation into his secret life, which led them into London’s criminal underworld. Keefe knows how to consume you with whatever subject he takes on, and you fall under his spell in London Falling.

Good People by Patmeena Sabit

Another title to note if you missed it is Good People by Patmeena Sabit. I read it in one sitting because of its short chapters, suspenseful plot and an obsession to know exactly what was going on. It examines Islamophobia, xenophobia and generational differences, with a plot that unfolds like a literary game of ping pong where the reader isled to believe one thing on one page, only to be confronted with the complete opposite on the next. I quite literally couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

The Calamity Club by Claire Hoffmann

April showers bring May flowers, as well as some incredible spring reads. The multi-million-copy bestselling author of The Help returns after 17 years with The Calamity Club, a big (600-plus pages) and big-hearted saga about friendship and resilience in1930s Mississippi. Stockett balances humor and heartbreak with an ease that makes the pages fly. One moment you’re laughing at a perfectly observed social disaster—the next you’re sitting with a character in a moment of raw vulnerability. If you’re looking for a character-driven novel with southern charm, biting social observation and a cast of women you’ll fall in love with, The Calamity Club absolutely delivers.

 A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper

For my mystery and thriller buffs, don’t let this Violent Masterpiece slip by. Jordan Harper turns the city of Los Angeles into an entire character in this powerfully written and gripping literary thriller of the highest order. You feel like you took a trip to LA with the best tour guides, stuck in traffic and spotting celebrities everywhere you look. Our official tour guides in this story are alive-streaming nightcrawler, a street lawyer and an underground concierge who come together to solve a crime and navigate a cityscape of drug-fueled celebrities, riots, a serial killer, a missing friend, secret vaults, orgies and violent circumstances. On a shelf full of thrillers, this one stands out.

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

What can I say about Elizabeth Strout? Her writing and characters are like a love letter to why I read and enjoy fiction. The Things We Never Say is new this month and introduces a new group of characters and a new town for Strout. In its pages we meet Artie Dam, a high school history teacher, husband and father who seems like he couldn’t ask for more out of life, even though inside, he struggles with isolation. He consistently asks himself: How is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us? This novel does what Elizabeth Strout does best. It explores the human condition, how we love and why we love, how we interact with one another, the emotions we feel and the emotions we share with others. I always feel a little more connected after finishing one of her novels.

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

As spring slowly showed its colors here on Nantucket, I took a cruise—a literary cruise that is—in Emma Straub’s American Fantasy . I haven’t had this much fun with a book in quite some time. I had a perma-grin on my face during the entire reading experience. It’s about a newly divorced woman who rediscovers herself on a cruise with a ’90s boy band (think New Kids on the Block or NSYNC) that she loved as a teen, exploring themes of nostalgia, aging, celebrity, fandom and second chances. It’s also pure Emma Straub, who has been coined as “sunny delight in human form” by my own personal book whisperer, Jenna Bush Hager. I will always be first in line at the bookstore for whatever Emma publishes.

John of John by Douglas Stuart

If I had to sum up John of John by Douglas Stuart in one word, I would choose lyrical. Stuart manages to write about the simplest of moments in the most artistically expressive way. By the author of the Booker Prize winning novel, Shuggie Bain and sophomore book Young Mungo , this is a tale of a father’s expectations and a son’s desires. This is more of a quiet story than some others on this list. Its beauty is in the writing and emotions of the characters that bleed off the page.

Squeaky Clean

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:15:06 GMT

AT THE MID ISLAND AUTO WASH

With a winter of heavy storms, over a dozen days of high-tide flooding and relentless salt spray ripping across the island, it’s no wonder one of the most popular spots on the island has become the Mid Island Auto Wash. As Nantucket’s only automatic car wash, the facility on Sparks Avenue is a necessity for islanders, whether they drive a vintage Bronco or Jeep, a Tesla, or anything in between.

“We love this beautiful island of Nantucket, but as we all know, living on the island presents unique challenges for vehicle owners,” said Volney Sinclair, manager of retail operations at Mid Island Auto Wash. “From tree sap in the spring and salt spray or sand during the summer months, to snow, sand and road salt in the winter, vehicles are constantly exposed to harsh elements that can affect both appearance and longevity.”

In addition to its automatic lane, Mid Island Auto Wash—owned and operated by Island Energy Services—also provides two fully equipped self-service bays with high-pressure and low-pressure soap and rinse options, specialized tire cleaner, a foaming brush, triple-foam conditioner and high-pressure wax. As a one-stop shop, Mid Island Auto Wash also provides an Air Shammee dryer and on-site vacuums, while next door atthe Shell gas station, customers can also find a wide range of vehicle care products, including drying cloths, glass and window cleaners, tire dressings, air fresheners and everything needed to complete the detailing process.

Now four years into its state-of-the-art facility, Mid Island Auto Wash also features a variety of daily specials designed to make maintaining a clean vehicle more affordable and accessible for everyone. On Mondays, customers can take advantage of a 50% discount on washes from opening at 9 a.m. (8 a.m. starting Memorial Day weekend) until 11 a.m., while senior customers receive a dedicated senior discount seven days a week. Year-round residents are also eligible for a Local Card for unlimited washes, bringing the price of the top-tier “Nantucketer” wash down to$29, a service that normally costs $40. For anyone out toward Nantucket Memorial Airport, Island Energy Services also offers three fully equipped self-service washing bays and vacuum stations at its Airport Gas location on Airport Road. “Look for the open flag flying, pull in with confidence and drive away knowing you’ve taken an important step in protecting one of your most valuable investments,” Sinclair said.

NECESSITIES: SPRING 2026

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:00:13 GMT

Add these items to your Spring wish list.

written by Nantucket Magazine

BOSTON GARDEN BASKETBALL FLOOR WATCH

Crafted from authentic Boston Garden parquet basketball floor from1947-1995, this watch was made for the New England sports fan. The wood features scuffs and scratches of the floor on which the Celtics won 16 of their 18 championships

TOKENS & ICONS | @tokensandicons | tokens-icons.com

LABRADORITE SARDINE CHARM

Thought to aid intuition, this hand-carved labradorite sardine charm is accented with a Tahitian pearl. The perfect standalone for a gold chain or addition to a stack of charms.

HEIDI WEDDENDORF @heidiweddendorf | heidiweddendorf.com

PAVIMENTO MODERN WEDGE ESPADRILLES

Made with authenticated Emilio Pucci silk scarf upper, these espadrilles from Respoke are as unique as they are stylish. Each pair is handcrafted and one-of-a-kind, exemplifying sustainable luxury.

RESPOKE @respokeofficial | respoke.com

DAFFODIL BUCKET HAT

A sweet spring and summer must-have for any island little one, this gingham seersucker baby bucket hat is inspired by Nantucket Daffodil Festival. The secure Velcro closure ensures a snug, comfy fit while providing sun protection and style.

PEACHTREE KIDS @peachtreekidsnantucket | peachtreekidsnantucket.com

THE PICNIC SET

A refined, all-in-one picnic set designed to make outdoor dining effortless. Finished with premium materials and thoughtful details, it includes melamine plates and cups, bistro-style cutlery, a hardwood board and coasters, all neatly organized within a structured case with vegan leather accents

BUSINESS & PLEASURE CO. | @businessandpleasure_co | businessandpleasureco.com

MATOUK PEZZO THROW BLANKET

Every lounge space needs a cozy throw! Made in Portugal from soft brushed cotton with a fun fringe trim, this blanket works in both modern and traditional spaces.

MARINE HOME CENTER | @marinehomecenter | marinehomecenter.com

ALI & BEN

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:21:33 GMT

Ali & Ben's
Nantucket wedding.

Bride and Groom: Ali Leventhal and Ben Smith

Venue: Private Home

Wedding Planner: Debi Lilly, A Perfect Event

Florist : Debi Lilly, A Perfect Event

Photographer: Emily Elisabeth Photography

Caterer : Nantucket Catering

Cake : Kennedy Confections

Officiant: Jonas Mikolich

DJ: DJ Billy Voss

Bride's Dress: Markarian

Bride's Shoes: Amina Muaddi

Groom's Suit : Brooks Brothers

Bridal Hair: Darya Afshari Gault, Darya Salon + Spa

Rehearsal Dinner : The Summer House Nantucket

The Meat of the Matter

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 21:01:47 GMT

Billie’s brings the classic steakhouse back to Nantucket

Written by Jen Laskey

Photography by Kit Noble

Take your pick. A 42-ounce porterhouse steak, 18-ounce bone-in cowboy ribeye or a 10-ounce Wagyu New York strip with a side of sauteed mushrooms, creamed corn or a jumbo baked potato. Launching a new steakhouse on Nantucket is a bold move, and the price for meals may hit a new highwater on Nantucket. But after the success of a summer steakhouse pop-up at the White Elephant in 2023, the owners of Billie’s now believe Nantucket is ready to once again sink its teeth into a premium steakhouse.

“Nantucket is an island of extremes,” said Anna Worgess-Smith, one of three partners on Billie’s, an old-school steakhouse with a Miami flair taking over the former Dune restaurant on Broad Street. “Either you go super fine-dining or really casual. We’re hoping to offer fine-dining cuisine, in terms of steaks and martinis, specifically, but with a comfortable family-style vibe.”

To launch Billie’s, Worgess-Smith, the restaurant’s general manager, teamed up with longtime friend Lee Lyon, a Miami restaurateur and Nantucket summer resident, and Steve Rhee, the former chef of Lyon’s Miami-based Greek restaurant, Kiki on the River. Lyon said he remembers being a little kid and running around Cioppino’s (the restaurant that preceded Dune) in the hours before it opened for service. They’ve named the new restaurant after Lyon’s oldest daughter.

Rhee draws flavor inspiration from Latin American, Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. He works with an array of spices and herbs—Aleppo pepper and smoked paprika being two of his favorites. He’s also a big fan of the Ethiopian spice blend called berbere, which makes an excellent dry rub for meat. “My job is to bring out more of what nature has already perfected,” he said. “It’s about accentuating, but you have to start with beautiful ingredients—your meats, seafood, produce, even your olive oil, salt and pepper.”

The menu at Billie’s also offers a bounty of classic “surf” and “turf.” Steakhouse surf staples like shrimp cocktail, oysters Rockefeller and a seafood tower stacked with local oysters, king crab and lobster are on the menu. But obviously, Billie’s is “steaking” its claim, and USDA prime beef is the star of the show.

“We’re bringing big flavors and big portions,” Rhee said. “One of our signature dishes is a 40-plus-ounceporterhouse that’s large enough fortwo to share—it’s topped off with a two-pound lobster and a red wine demi-glace and scampi sauce.”

If you are a martini lover, whether you like them wet, dry, dirty, stirred, shaken or jacked up with espresso, Billie’s might be your happy place. “It’s a pretty martini-heavy bar with classics and variations like Vespers and French 75s,” said Worgess-Smith, who manages the beverage program with her husband, Mark Smith. “We’re going to highlight draft cocktails as well.” Billie’s espresso martini is made to order, though the bar team is also canning cocktails in-house.

With its Miami influence, the look and feel of Billie’s is a radical departure from its predecessor, Dune. The plan was to go for a traditional steakhouse ambience, while also honoring Nantucket’s history, said Worgess-Smith. “It was really important to all of us that it felt sort of Old World and timeless, so we incorporated a Victorian style that’s reminiscent of some of the older, more stately houses on Main Street,” she said.“ We’re also using vintage maps in our menu designs and posters in cool ways.” Just like any traditional, high-end steakhouse, it was a must to give the space a comfortable atmosphere that’s warm and inviting. “They’re places for celebrating,” Rhee said.

When Federal Cuts Hit Nantucket

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 16:04:48 GMT

Island Nonprofits Face Federal Funding Cuts

Written by Stacey Marcus

Photography by Kit Noble

Noelle Trent learned the federal funding for the African Meeting House was drying up in a letter from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, stating the museum’s work was “no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States and the IMLS program.” The $500,000 grant the agency had awarded the Museum of African American History—which owns the African Meeting House—would not be coming through. Trent, the president and CEO of the Museum of African American History, had a simple message: “We refuse to be erased.”

Nantucket may be an island, but it is not insulated from the effects of federal funding freezes and cutbacks. A number of island nonprofits are now facing difficult decisions such as scaling back programming or laying off staff. “If cuts are deep, they can affect the history, arts, open spaces, the environment, dog rescue programs, and so much more,” said Sunny Daily, executive director of the Community Foundation for Nantucket. “In the big picture, we could lose what makes Nantucket special. What can we collectively do? We’re an island, and we need to do our best to be a strong community.”

Federal funding cuts—and the risk of additional cuts—under the Trump administration have hit several island nonprofits. Alicia Carney, executive director of the Dreamland, said the theater has had to scale back some of its programming this year. At the Maria Mitchell Association, funding for its astronomy internship program, which is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, has remained for 2025, but is uncertain for 2026, according to executive director Joanna Roche. Nantucket Public Schools are also facing funding cuts to its English Language Learner program, according to Superintendent Beth Hallett.

The Nantucket Historical Association, which does not currently rely on federal funding, had planned to apply for a federal grant this fall for work related to archival and historical photograph collections, though that grant is now off the table. “We’re in a fortunate position that we are not relying on government funding for operations and special projects,” NHA executive director Niles Parker said. “We are thinking creatively and are diversifying revenue streams to create the widest path possible to secure funds.” He noted that it is hard to know how much of an impact the funding cuts will have on charitable giving, “as there is so much we don’t know. We want to remain open, aware and a flexible partner with fellow organizations.”

Facing the potential of additional funding cuts, the Community Foundation for Nantucket is now working on a baseline study on island nonprofits to assess their reliance on federal funding. Daily noted that $1 million is being awarded through the Community Foundation’s Nantucket Fund, which includes $300,000 in grant funding, to island nonprofits. So far, those grants have been awarded to the Food Pantry, Fairwinds and to the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, the latter to help offset preschool tuition costs for income-eligible families who would have received assistance through the state voucher program had it not been frozen this year.

At the African Meeting House, the MAAH has since launched a $10 million capital campaign to develop new exhibits, enhanced engagement with schools and facility improvements. Private donors, as well as family and corporate foundations, have pledged $3.5 million to that fund. Still, the federal funding cuts have created a policy vertigo. “It’s a lot to keep track of,” Trent said. “We are successful when the community is behind us.”

By the Book

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:00:10 GMT

Tim Ehrenberg's Banner Year

by Brian Bushard

Tim Ehrenberg has been waiting all summer for a rainy November day—the kind of weather that makes you want to spend the day inside on a comfortable chair, sipping a coffee and flipping through one of the books that have been collecting dust on your shelf for months. For Ehrenberg, the voracious reader behind N Magazine ’s Need to Read column for the past 10 years, there’s a whole stack of books on that shelf he’s been meaning to read. There’s a quote for this type of reading: “It’s not hoarding if it’s books.”

Ehrenberg has not only been reading thousands of books over the years—he’s also amassed a loyal following of bookworms who have come to know him as the go-to guy when it comes to book recommendations. In addition to writing the Need to Read column, Ehrenberg co-hosts the Books, Beach, & Beyond podcast with Elin Hilderbrand, serves as the president of the Nantucket Book Foundation, and has interviewed dozens of bestselling authors at literary festivals, book talks and publishing events around the world. This year alone, he’s participated in an event with Oprah Winfrey for her Oprah’s Book Club segment; interviewed The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown in Prague on the release of his first thriller in eight years; moderated the inaugural Read with Jenna Book Festival with The Today Show ’s Jenna Bush Hager in Nashville; interviewed nine authors at the inaugural Aspen Literary Festival in Colorado; hosted authors John Grisham, Gayle King and Lily King on the Books, Beach, & Beyond podcast; and to top it all off, interviewed a host of authors at the Nantucket Book Festival, including Carl Hiaasen, Wally Lamb and Ocean Vuong.

After all of that, Ehrenberg is still taking it all in. The saying that if you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life—at least for Ehrenberg—is true. “Everyone knows I love books—it’s no surprise,” he said. “But books have become so much more about the people surrounding them than just objects on a bookshelf. It’s the characters I fall in love with and the authors. I read so differently now. I read like I’m having a conversation with the writer, and that’s because I might interview them at some point. When I’m reading, I’m immersing myself in their world in a really personal way as opposed to just reading their book.”

Ehrenberg has lost track of how many books he’s read. As for what he’s going to read next, he has a list of books he’s anticipating for 2026, a list he’s just starting to tackle after what turned out to be a wild ride of a summer. “The limit does not exist for how many books I read in a year,” he said. The limit also does not exist for his career. “If you asked me just months ago, I didn’t know about the Aspen Literary Festival and I didn’t know about the Dan Brown visit. This year, it’s like I’m not even making plans but just enjoying the ride, and I really appreciate it.”

“No matter what, I know I’m going into a year that will have a lot of great books,” he added about 2026. “Even if no experiences further than that happen, I still have the experience of the book, and I think that is always going to be enough for me.”

Left: Tim Ehrenberg at the inaugural Aspen Literary Festival. Right: Ehrenberg with bestselling author Dan Brown in Prague.

NEED TO READ: WINTER 2025

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:00:10 GMT

Tim Ehrenberg from “ Tim Talks Books ” dishes on the hottest reads for winter.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

written by Tim Ehrenberg

portrait by Kit Noble

TIM’S TOP TEN BOOKS OF 2025

WILD DARK SHORE

by Charlotte McConaghy

THE NAMES

by Florence Knapp

BUCKEYE

by Patrick Ryan

KING OF ASHES

by S.A. Cosby

THE SECRET OF SECRETS

by Dan Brown

HEART THE LOVER

by Lily King

THE ARTIST AND THE FEAST

by Lucy Steeds

THE RIVER IS WAITING

by Wally Lamb

THE ACADEMY

by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham

THE CORRESPONDENT

by Virginia Evans

TIM'S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2026

SKYLARK
by Paula McLain

LAST SEEN
by Christopher Castellani

KIN

by Tayari Jones

LONDON FALLING
by Patrick Radden Keefe

THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY
by Elizabeth Strout

WHISTLER

by Ann Patchett

THE SECRET OF SECRETS by Dan Brown

It’s no secret that I am a huge Dan Brown fan. I can vividly remember reading The Da Vinci Code in2003, skipping plans and staying up all night in my college apartment to finish it. Brown is back with his first novel in eight years, and it is a mind-blowing tour de force set in the mystical city of Prague. If you read one thriller this year, make it this one. It’s all about consciousness, and I for one was riveted by the extensive research, real-life experiments, places and mystery—plus the fast moving, can’t-put-it-down plot we have to come to expect and crave from Dan Brown

HEART THE LOVER by Lily King

I teased this book in the last issue, but I feel like it deserves its own separate review and recommendation. When I say fiction makes me a more empathetic and emotionally intelligent human, it’s because of novels like this one. Heart the Lover is like a warm hug and the perfect book to wrap up for a loved one this holiday. I felt so deeply for these characters as they levitated off the page and into my heart where they will now stay forever. Lily King is what I calla “writer’s writer.” She’s beloved by readers, but other writers famously appreciate her prose, stories and talents. This novel is ultimately about love in all its forms: first love, friendship and familial love. It’s best served on a cold day with a blanket and a cup of your favorite warm beverage.

WRITING CREATIVITY AND SOUL by Sue Monk Kid

The celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Book of Longings gives us an intimate look at the mysteries, struggles and triumphs of being a writer in Writing Creativity and Soul . I have always been a reader and obsessed with books since before I could even read, but the last few years I have been fascinated by a writer’s mind, their process and how they are able to craft these stories that mean so much to me. This is a memoir, a writing guide and a spiritual awakening for any writer out there, but also for the readers who adore and revere them

A SLOWLY DYING CAUSE by Elizabeth George

I have been an Elizabeth George fan for even longer than I have been a Dan Brown enthusiast, reading my first Lynley novel sometime in the ’90s. George returns with A Slowly Dying Cause , her 22nd book in the series. I love a long mystery with multiple red herrings, interesting backstory and settings, and intriguing suspects and motives—and George always delivers. After this many books, Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers feel like old friends, or at least staples in my reading life. This addition to the series is truly one for the books. What these novels do best is immerse you into a community and criminal case where you work alongside the detectives to solve the crime.

For even more book recommendations, follow @ timtalksbooks on Instagram. All books available at Mitchell’s Book Corner and Nantucket Bookworks or online at nantucketbookpartners.com .

Mangia!

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:00:10 GMT

Photography by Kit Noble

Via Mare's stone fruit salad with crispy pepperoni, whipped ricotta and hot truffle honey

I talian cuisine is not just chicken parmesan and spaghetti with meatballs. That sentiment couldn’t be more true at Via Mare, Ventuno’s sister restaurant on Broad Street, where Venetian classics are the focus with some new twists that are helping redefine Italian food in America. For our winter issue, head chef Scott Fiore provides a recipe for the restaurant’s stone fruit salad, a sweet and savory assortment of rich cherries, plums and peaches, with light ricotta, hot honey and crispy pepperoni

INGREDIENTS

2 ripe peaches, thinly sliced

2 ripe plums, thinly sliced

1 cup cherries, pitted (fresh or dehydrated 12 hours, then rehydrated in olive oil for a more mellow, olive-like flavor)

¼ small red onion, julienned

12–15 slices pepperoni

Fresh basil leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

FOR THE RICOTTA

1 cup whole-milk ricotta

1 tablespoon honey (about 5% of ricotta’s weight)

Sea salt, to taste

FOR THE HOT HONEY

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Calabrian chili purée (or to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the ricotta: In a bowl, mix ricotta with 1 tablespoon of honey and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Crisp the pepperoni: Arrange pepperoni slices on a sheet pan. Bake at 350º until curled and crisp, about 8–10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Make the hot honey: In a small bowl, stir 2 tablespoons of honey with Calabrian chili purée and a few drops of water until slightly thinned. (Store-bought hot honey works too.)
Assemble the salad: Spoon ricotta onto a serving platter as the base. Scatter peaches, plums and cherries evenly over the ricotta. Sprinkle with the red onions and basil leaves. Add plenty of crispy pepperoni, and drizzle with hot honey and a light stream of olive oil.

Toast of the Town

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:00:10 GMT

Four drinks to toast the holiday season

Written by Jen Laskey

Stroll weekend lights up Nantucket during its darkest days, kicking off the year’s final season of gathering, feasting, toasting and tippling before giving way to winter’s quieter pleasures. It’s a splendor of festivities where conviviality and glasses of cheer help keep spirits high. For this festive season, a veteran beverage shop owner recommends a rich California cab fit for a holiday meal—and a gift-worthy Japanese whisky—a wine director for three downtown restaurants shares her pick for a perfect Italian pizza-pairing wine, and the general manager of a restaurant and fish market reveals his recipe for a hot, spiced winter warm-up.

TREDIBERRI, DOGLIANI DOLCETTO, 2024

($48/bottle at Pizzeria Gemelle)

Recommended by Julia Korkosz, wine director, Pizzeria Gemelle, Ventuno and Via Mare

HALL, NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 2020

($74/bottle at Murray’s Beverage Store)

Recommended by Bruce Murray, co-owner, Murray's Beverage Store

SUNTORY WHISKY, THE YAMAKAZI, 12-YEAR SINGLE MALT JAPANESE WHISKY

($199/bottle at Murray's Beverage Store)

Recommended by Bruce Murray, co-owner, Murray's Beverage Store

NANTUCKET NECKERCHIEF

($18 AT STRAIGHT WHARF FISH)

Recommended by Collin Byrne, general manager, Straight Wharf Fish

“The best part of Nantucket Stroll is the vibrant, uplifting energy that fills the air when visitors flock from far and wide to experience the enchanting beauty of this little island that we call home,” said Collin Byrne, the general manager of Straight Wharf Fish, the recently opened harborside restaurant and fish market. To capture the spirit of Stroll in a glass, Byrne created the Nantucket Neckerchief, a hot mulled cider and bourbon cocktail for the restaurant’s guests to enjoy during the island's festive holiday weekend. Made with fresh apple cider, wintery baking spices, belly-warming bourbon and a bright pop of orange peel, the Neckerchief offers the cozy comfort of a hot drink on a chilly Nantucket day, while striking a perfect balance between tart, sweet and spice. “This cocktail is designed to warm your interior and boost your morale while you brave the hibernal activities of Christmas Stroll,” said Byrne. “It is best paired with a cold set of hands."

INGREDIENTS

•3 allspice berries

•1 teaspoon nutmeg

•1 cinnamon stick

•1 orange peel

•16 ounces apple cider

•3½ ounces bourbon

INSTRUCTIONS

• Bring the apple cider, allspice berries, nutmeg and cinnamon stick to a simmer over medium heat.

• Reduce heat and let simmer for at least 15 minutes.

• Strain out the solids and set the cider aside.

• Pour 1¾ ounces of bourbon into each heat-resistant glass.

• Top the bourbon with hot cider.

• Garnish with an orange peel. Enjoy!

Is it Time to Cull the Herd?

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:00:10 GMT

Could killing the deer population curb Lyme disease?

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

I t’s a staggering number—10,000 deer on Nantucket. If that number is true, as state officials estimate, that means the island has more than one deer for every two year-round residents and more than 200 deer per square mile. But it’s not that number alone that has ecologists scared. It’s the ticks they carry. “A female deer tick lays 2,000 eggs,” said Tufts University professor Sam Telford, who has been studying ticks on Nantucket since 1985. “I have personally picked off 99 engorged females from a single deer, and that represents only a week’s accumulation because it takes seven days for a tick to feed. If you extrapolate over the 16 weeks that adult ticks are usually around, you get 2,000—that’s the progeny from a single deer.”

Multiply that number by the 10,000 estimated deer on Nantucket and you end up with the most terrifying estimate of all: 31 billion ticks.

While it’s nearly impossible to know the real tick population, it’s safe to say Nantucket has a tick crisis. With the growing deer herd, cases of tick-borne illnesses, including Lyme disease, documented at Nantucket Cottage Hospital have risen, as have deer-on-vehicle collisions reported to the Nantucket Police Department. Not only that—ask any farmer, landscaper or ecologist and they’ll tell you about the scourge white-tail deer have been on island vegetation. For Todd Rainwater, a summer resident and a trustee of the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, the solution comes down to a simple transitive equation: No deer equals no ticks, and no ticks means no Lyme disease.

It might sound extreme, but Rainwater believes the only viable option when it comes to solving Nantucket’s tick problem is not just to hunt more deer, but to wipe out the entire deer population. “It feels to me like Bill Gates saying we should reduce polio a little bit in these other countries—no, we should wipe it all out. If we can remove [tick-borne illnesses] entirely, we should,” Rainwater said.

While it’s perhaps the most intensive option for solving the spike in Lyme disease, it’s far from the first proposal. Just this year, state regulators approved an extension to the deer hunting season on the island, allowing primitive firearm hunting (muzzleloaders or archery) through the end of January. The Nantucket Land Bank, meanwhile, is considering applying for a deer damage permit to take out deer eating up native island species on its properties. “When deer are actively seeking food, they’re probably changing the ecology of the island right under our noses without us knowing it because they’re preferentially eating species before moving on to other species in our fragile habitats,” Land Bank Executive Director Rachael Freeman said.

Researchers at MIT are also working on a project to release thousands of genetically modified mice that would be immune to Lyme disease. That project, which was the subject of a recent 60 Minutes segment, would not address the deer population, but rather the mice that serve as the primary host of the Lyme bacteria. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease, though they can contract it by biting an infected mouse. But if those mice are immunized to Lyme, as researchers propose, then uninfected ticks would remain uninfected, breaking the cycle of transmission.

All of these proposals are the result of a renewed sense of urgency to address tick-borne illnesses. Roughly 15% of island residents have contracted Lyme disease, which can cause fever, headache, fatigue and rash, and if untreated can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system. The incidence rate of Lyme disease is now more than 22 times higher on Nantucket than the state overall. Nantucket also leads the state in cases of babesiosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis, which are both spread by deer ticks. On top of that, the introduction of the lone star tick has sparked new concerns over tick-borne illnesses, including alpha-gal syndrome, an infection known to cause red meat allergies.

Look no further than Martha’s Vineyard for a sign of things to come—cases of alpha-gal on the Vineyard have climbed from two positive tests in 2020 to 523 positives from over 1,200 tests in 2024. Meanwhile, vehicle collisions with deer on Nantucket have soared over the past 15 years, from 29 in 2010 to 106 in 2021, according to the Nantucket Police Department. A record 110 reports of deer-on-vehicle collisions were made from July 2024 to June 2025—a number that Police Chief Jody Kasper believes is likely an undercount.

So is it time to cull the herd? It’s a strategy that has worked in other places. In the mid-1990s, Lyme disease had become so prevalent on Monhegan Island, in Maine, that contracting it was two-and-a-half times more likely on the island than it was across the rest of Midcoast Maine. Over a span of several years, researchers on Monhegan Island implemented multiple methods to address the issue, first by applying pesticides and then by spreading poison to wipe out the island’s rats—though that project ended abruptly after a dog became sick from attacking a poisoned rat. But just like Nantucket, the problem lay with the deer. In 1997, Monhegan residents voted to bring in a sharpshooter to kill off every last deer on the small island. Only two cases of Lyme disease have been reported there since.

Another project closer to home was conducted a decade earlier, with a herd of 52 deer on Great Island, a peninsula in Yarmouth, being wiped out—except for one doe that “evaded hunters and survived through 1986.” Without deer, the island vegetation “recovered strongly,” while the number of larval ticks “decreased precipitously” in the two years after the herd was killed, with larval tick numbers continuing to decrease gradually after that.

Telford, one of the researchers on the Great Island project, said that deer are the key to Lyme disease prevention. Without deer, there are no ticks. But killing the entire herd might not be necessary, he said, adding that even a reduction in deer density to the state-recommended 12 to 18 per square mile would go a long way to wiping out tick-borne illnesses on Nantucket. Telford’s target number is even smaller, at about six to eight deer per square mile.

“If you look, animals are not evenly distributed, so you have pockets of them here and there,” he said. “It’s the same problem with deer—they congregate in certain areas. With more and more animals, those areas get bigger and bigger until they coalesce and they’re all over the island. But if we have [deer] using half the space, then that space that used to be occupied by deer is no longer occupied by deer.”

It’s safe to say that thousands of years ago, when Nantucket was connected to the mainland, deer roamed the area freely, though when English settlers arrived on the island in 1659, there were no deer. It’s become an island legend that in 1922, fishermen spotted a buck floating in the Sound, rescued it from the water and brought it on the island, where it “seemed to have recovered from its exhaustion and was in good condition,” and was “taken on a truck out of town and set free in the pine-trees near the second milestone,” The Inquirer and Mirror reported at the time.

Fearing the deer, nicknamed Old Buck, was lonely, a number of does from Michigan were released over the next few years to provide the buck “companionship” and to “give the island, in due time, a small herd of the graceful creatures.” Fast-forward 100 years and Nantucket boasts the densest deer herd and one of the largest active deer hunts in the state. Last year, hunters on Nantucket killed 863 deer, just below the record 879 harvested the year before, but representing only a fraction of the island’s deer population.

“Controlling the herd is important, but if the herd is at 10,000, then shooting 800 isn’t going to make a big difference,” said Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s Dr. Tim Lepore, an expert in tick-borne disease. “We need to know what the real number is, because there’s a big difference with a population of 2,500, if you’re killing 800, versus a population of 10,000.”

If the state's deer population estimate is correct, then in order to reach the state’s recommendation of 12 to 18 deer per square mile, hunters would need to reduce the herd to roughly 900 deer. Martin Feehan, a deer and moose biologist at MassWildlife who made the estimate of 10,000 deer, said there are more steps that could be taken to increase the annual harvest. One idea is to open more properties to hunting. (All Land Bank and Nantucket Conservation Foundation properties are open to hunting, except for the Land Bank’s two golf courses, Burnt Swamp Trails, Cato Commons and Burchell Farm, and NCF’s Tupancy Links, Sanford Farm, Little Neck, Trot’s Hill, Squam Farm, Masquetuck and the UMass Field Station.)

“You really have to get the harvest to double or triple where it’s at currently to start seeing a decline in the population,” Feehan said. “That would have to persist for a long period of time to get the density down.”

Some hunters have proposed annual extensions to the hunting season, as well as the creation of a venison processing facility that could allow hunters to donate meat to island organizations like Nourish Nantucket. Seth Engelbourg, a naturalist educator at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation and a hunter himself, wants to see more hunting education and a general promotion of hunting with best practices for safety publicly available.

“As Nantucketers and as environmental stewards, we have a moral responsibility to be hunters, and unfortunately in our field, there has been a celebration of non-consumptive use, things like leave no trace, leave only footprints,” Engelbourg said. “Changing the narrative on that and saying, ‘We’re not going to force anyone to kill an animal but celebrate that this could be a good thing for the environment and not a bad thing’—that could make a huge difference on sustainability on Nantucket.”

Rainwater recognizes that killing every deer on Nantucket could be a hard pill to swallow. Wiping out the herd would effectively put an end to hunting, ending a hobby for year-rounders and a source of offseason tourism. There’s also the cuteness factor of deer, though Rainwater said that argument is “ridiculous.” “To the hunters, if we can get Tim Lepore on board, that’s a two-for-one,” Rainwater said. “We would have his buy-in as the doctor of all doctors on Nantucket, and he has connections to the hunting world.”

Lepore said he’s interested in the idea, though he admits buy-in would be a “radioactive issue” on the island. “Can you kill all the deer? No, you can’t,” he said. “It’s difficult to kill your way out of it because the deer are having twins and triplets. It is very difficult to affect them on that level, so the next level is controlling ticks. But each female tick is laying 2,000 eggs, so that is also difficult to control.”

There might not be a single solution to rid the island of tick-borne illness. The only thing everyone can agree on is that there is a critical problem, and if nothing changes, the number of deer and ticks will only increase. “In 500 years when the island sinks beneath the waves,” Lepore said, “the last thing will be a tick holding on to a piece of beach grass.”

Lights, Camera, Nantucket!

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:00:10 GMT

Behind the Scenes on Elin Hilderbrand's The Five Star Weekend

Written by Madeline Bilis

There’s something about the weathered shingles and puffy blue hydrangeas of Nantucket that viewers, all of a sudden, can’t get enough of. When Elin Hilderbrand’s The Perfect Couple landed on Netflix in September 2024, the murder mystery garnered 20.3 million views during its first four days on the platform—and leaped to Netflix’s number-one most-watched TV show. Sirens , another limited series loosely set on the island, debuted on Netflix in May, bringing in16.7 million views from its first four days available, while The Summer I Turned Pretty boasted 25 million global viewers on Prime Video in the first week of its third season in July.

The Five-Star Weekend , on Peacock, will be the second TV adaptation of Hilderbrand’s work, while five of her other novels are in various stages of development. This one hits even closer to home: Much of The Perfect Couple was filmed in Chatham, but with “FSW,” as it’s nicknamed, the cast and crew came straight to the source. “I’m very happy it will feel genuine for Nantucket people,” Hilderbrand said. “There were a few [Nantucket name references] in The Perfect Couple, and there will be a lot more businesses named in The Five-Star Weekend .

Hilderbrand is an executive producer on The Five-Star Weekend , where she views her main responsibility as ensuring Nantucket is portrayed correctly. She says the cast—including Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Timothy Olyphant and D’Arcy Carden—who worked on the island from September 20 to October 10, “fully engaged in the Nantucket way of life.”

“Jen [Garner] went and filmed herself weaving a blanket at Nantucket Looms and posted it on Instagram. That just made me grin ear to ear, because it’s so good for the authenticity of downtown Nantucket to be embraced by the cast and by the crew,” Hilderbrand said. “They’ve been going to the brewery and The Chicken Box, and they’ve really been immersing themselves in the ways of Nantucket people. Jennifer Garner loves it. She’s like, ‘Elin, I am in heaven.’ And that makes me feel great.”

The production also tapped year-round residents to stand in as extras, including Hilderbrand’s son. Laurie Richards was also a local extra who stood in the background of a scene at Nantucket Memorial Airport. “I was surprised I didn’t know everyone,” she said. “But I was astounded by the amount of trucks and equipment that’s needed for a five-minute scene. The airport was jam-packed with people."

Like Richards, extra Jasmine Alcantara was instructed to dress like a vacationer, so she opted to sport her mother’s Nantucket basket handbag. “A lot of the crew from LA had never been to Nantucket before. And the props people loved my mom’s basket. They were just like, ‘Oh my god, I have to get this bag. Tell me where I can buy one,’” Alcantara said. “They all really wanted to embrace the culture and embrace everything about Nantucket in their limited time there. So we were glad to be ambassadors.”

With an increase in TV series and movies set on Nantucket in recent years, it raises the question: Have they made an immediate impact on the island’s tourism? The answer isn’t so clear cut. Town policy doesn’t allow filming to take place during peak season, so film crews aren’t interrupting anyone’s summer beach walks or nights at The Chicken Box. Even so, these shows are bringing increased visibility to the island, and viewers may feel inspired to book a trip.

"While it’s difficult to measure the direct impact on tourism, this kind of publicity may encourage interest in visiting, particularly outside of the peak summer months,” said Shantaw Bloise-Murphy, director of culture and tourism for the town of Nantucket. Hilderbrand’s books are a perfect example of that. “We get visitors that call in, explain they’ve experienced the island through the books, and are looking for information to plan their first visit,” said Peter Burke, executive director of the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce.

Still, there’s a fear that Nantucket will be flooded with travelers after the release of yet another show. It’s a fear Hilderbrand has considered. “Nantucket is self-regulating, so there are only so many boats, there are only so many planes, and there are only so many places to stay,” Hilderbrand said. “It cannot be overrun.” Instead, she envisions a Nantucket where the season is expanded, allowing for more people to have a classic island experience. “My eventual dream is that Nantucket becomes as busy in November as itis in June,” Hilderbrand said. “The season lasts right up until Stroll and we are able to say we are fully a three-season resort.”

Striking a Chord

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:00:10 GMT

Sitting down with rising young musical talent on Nantucket

Written by Madeline Bilis and Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

As the lead singer of the band Local Notes, Natalie Mack has played at almost every venue on the island, singing covers of classic rock, country and blues songs to dancing crowds. But before Local Notes frequented The Gaslight, The Rose and Crown and Cisco Brewers, the band was content to play together in her family’s garage. Mack is one of a handful of young island musicians who got their start in middle school and high school, honing their skills at the Nantucket Community Music Center and performing shows across the island. What they all have in common is a desire to play music starting from a young age, the guts to put themselves out there in a relatively small community, and a great deal of talent.

“The funny thing is, we never really sat down and were like ‘All right, what do we need to do to start playing at these places, make money and get recognized?’” said Mack, who studies theater education and musical theater at the University of New Hampshire. “We just loved what we were doing and kept practicing for fun on the weekends. We would play in my garage for hours and hours.” Those garage sessions included Aidan Sullivan on electric guitar, Hunter Gross on keyboards, Jerry Mack—Natalie’s father—on drums, Jason Sullivan—Aidan’s father—playing bass and occasionally Gabe Zinser on rhythm guitar and mandolin.

“My dad played drums throughout high school. We needed a drummer, and he stepped in to help us out,” Natalie Mack said. “He’s ended up staying on as our drummer, because it’s just turned into something so special.” Soon, Local Notes started playing small gigs like dinner parties. At one event, Mack said, the manager of Cisco Brewers approached the band and asked them to perform there, which the band has done for the past three years.

During any given performance, you’re guaranteed to see Local Notes perform a 10-minute long Queen mash-up, which blends parts of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Radio Ga Ga” and “Don’t Stop Me Now.” “People want to dance and hear certain songs,” Mack said. “They want to have fun. We want to have fun.”

The moment came for drummer Colin Harrington in 2019, when he was still a student at Nantucket High School. Island reggae band Foggy Roots needed a drummer, and after hearing Harrington play, they called him up to the big leagues, playing drums in front of a crowd at Cisco Brewers and The Gaslight. “Having people come out and see me, it’s surreal,” he said. “It’s so fun to play music to people and with people who are excited to hear what I have to put out there.”

Six years after that first gig, Harrington has made a name for himself on Nantucket. His home on stage is behind the drumkit, where he’s playing most weeks for any number of bands. Now 24, he has earned his spot drumming for Foggy Roots, as well as country twang band Buckle & Shake—two groups that consistently keep him on his toes as a drummer, requiring him to flip-flop between genres as disparate as reggae and country. Harrington is quick to say he has an appreciation for all genres of music, though as a metalhead at heart, it’s not quite the music he was always expecting to play.

"When I first joined Foggy Roots, I spent a goodyear getting the style under my belt because it’s very unorthodox, especially ska drumming, which is so different from how you think about playing a drum set,” he said. “I like playing a lot of things now, and the more I practiced the harder the music got to be. It had to be more challenging for me to keep going.”

S ongwriter, lyricist and vocalist Joseph Costanzo can’t remember a time he didn’t want to express himself through music. “The itch of wanting to make stuff is always there,” he said. In addition to writing and recording songs, Costanzo plays guitar and films music videos. He shot his first video, “Pretty One,” with a drone, capturing iconic island scenes: the harbor at sunset, beach grasses in the breeze and Brant Point Lighthouse, to name a few.

“Nantucket overall is a big part of who I am because it’s such a unique place to grow up. It can change your whole perspective,” the 20-year-old said. “I have this lyric ‘Our whole world was in between these shores,’ because that was all I knew for my whole life.” He also points to Nantucket’s close-knit community as a source of inspiration, which has helped him perform at open mics, birthday parties and places like Lemon Press and The Corner Table.

As for what he performs? “I don’t know if it sounds cliche, but it really depends on what I’m feeling,” Costanzo said. His repertoire ranges from singing over acoustic guitar about riding to the ocean to rapping in boom bap songs—a subgenre of ’90s hip-hop—that skew more gritty. His influences, meanwhile, include Felly, Dominic Fike, Mac Miller, Jack Johnson, Bob Marley and Logic. Though he’s been living in Boston and taking online courses through Berklee School of Music, Costanzo spends the summer on the island, performing and continuing work on his forthcoming album, Bliss . “My dream is turning this into a career,” he said. “I want to come back home and be somewhat of an inspiration to people who might want to do the same thing.”

The House John Hancock Built

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:00:10 GMT

Nantucket's Dave Killen on selling Boston's iconic Hancock House

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble and courtesy of Landvest

The historic brick building in downtown Boston was once one of the most important homes not just in the city but throughout the American Colonies. Built and owned by Founding Father John Hancock, the house operated as the headquarters for the Continental Army’s paymaster-general. At the height of the Revolution, it was the site where both patriotic and disgruntled Colonial soldiers received IOUs for their service. Today, it’s one of the 35 oldest buildings in Boston—and it’s for sale, tying it to Nantucket in a completely new way.

“This is the most exciting property that I’ve been involved with from a historical perspective,” said island native Dave Killen, a commercial real estate broker who is selling the Hancock House. “The background in growing up on the island and living through the conversion and the adaptive reuse of a lot of the historic buildings that hadn’t really been touched was a wonderful and unique education. When we get into conversations with property owners, builders and with the potential new owners or stewards of historic sites like this, having that background knowledge is very much a product of growing up on Nantucket. Having an early career here is critical to help drive a successful outcome in these conversations.”

It’s no stretch to say that for Killen, woodworking and historic preservation are akin to a family tradition passed down from generation to generation. Killen, a broker for LandVest, is the son of former Nantucket Select Board member Pam Killen and late builder and woodworker Bruce Killen. He’s the grandson of Sidney Killen, the man responsible for the original Christmas tree on the wooden so-called Killen Dory that’s become a fixture in Nantucket Harbor every winter.

Growing up, Dave Killen’s classroom was his father’s mill shop on Cliff Road, called Rock and Roll Millworks/Coskata Woods. Building doors, windows and trim, and sourcing material from reclaimed heart pine flooring and beams were like a final exam. He even built a few flat-bottomed skiffs with his dad at the shop, including one that served for a few years holding the family’s Christmas tree in the Easy Street basin. He was also instrumental in the restoration of an 1887 Victorian cottage on Milk Street, a massive project featured on PBS’ This Old House .

"As multigenerational locals that grew upon an island before it began to evolve into what it is now, there was a tremendous amount of traditional knowledge about how buildings were constructed,” Killen said. “That led to an interesting mix of tradition and creativity that is so important to the idea of preservation and adaptive reuse, whether we’re talking about a specific detail or a whole building.”

That education came in handy when he was tasked with selling the Hancock House for LandVest. “When I walked into [the Hancock House] for the first time, I was stunned by how much original work there was,” Killen said. “Growing up out here and working for my father and with some of the other builders of that generation, there were times when we were doing a restoration or renovation project when you’re digging into walls, and history is literally falling out of the walls.”

Since its time as a headquarters for the Revolution, the Hancock House has seen a wide range of uses. In the late 1700s, it was operated as an inn where guests included George Washington and French politician Marquis de Lafayette. For 150 years, the property was home to the longest continuously running shoe store in the country. It was also run as a restaurant at one point, and since 1976—200 years after Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence—it has been owned by the law firm Swartz & Swartz, which preserved the interior of the structure, including its two iconic Later Georgian first-floor rooms. The property is listed for $4.995 million.

The L-shaped building sits on 100% of the lot and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been lauded as one of the best preserved examples of the Colonial era. The original beam work is still in place throughout much of the house, along with beveled window casings designed to allow more light into the home’s interior and which are still in place well after electricity made the style obsolete. One room on the first floor has an original hearth with a beehive oven and an antique mantel. On the third floor, a hipped roof reveals exposed post-and-beam work, with a cathedral ceiling and original eastern white pine flooring. "We want to preserve it,” Killen said. “The stewardship component in all the conversations we’ve had has been key.”

“I think understanding the authenticity of these things, and understanding the level of craftsmanship and architectural detail—starting with the authenticity of the materials through the craftsmanship and the millwork—really helps the conversation with owners and with potential buyers,” he added. “They’re in this world of historic preservation and adaptive reuse, and there’s always this stewardship component with owners and potential buyers. The credibility of these conversations starts in the details.”

Life of a Marathoner

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:27:17 GMT

Jim Congdon and Bridgette Hynes' tips for staying in shape.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Father time has nothing on Jim Congdon. To some, it might look like Congdon is defying the laws of aging. At 63, he’s one of the fastest long-distance runners on Nantucket, and he’s not slowing down any time soon. Decked out in layers of thin, sweat-wicking activewear and Hoka sneakers, he’s the first of the Brant Point Runners to make it to the homestretch on Easton Street, ahead of a pack of runners who run the 5K race around Brant Point and Cliff Road week in, week out. When Congdon hits his stride, it almost looks like he’s floating over the pavement, two feet above the ground as he breezes by.

Congdon is no novice to running. At the 2025 Boston Marathon—his 25th overall marathon—he placed 102nd out of 1,258 men in the 60-64 age bracket with an impressive time of 3:19:52. He’s competed in two world Ironman Championships, regularly competes in triathlons and spent the summer and fall training for the Chicago Marathon, his 26th. (He finished with an even faster time in Chicago, beating his Boston time by 12 minutes.) He’s become one of the leaders of Nantucket’s growing running community, a collection of contractors, real estate agents, business owners, summer interns and retirees who participate in a cycle of group runs every week. What they have in common is a drive to keep going. They meet up after work every Tuesday. Instead of a starting gun, they wait for the Steamship Authority’s 5:30 horn.

Bridgette Hynes is also at the starting line. An 11-time marathoner herself, Hynes is both a force to be reckoned with on the course and an in-demand running trainer who’s coached marathoners and new runners. So after decades of running, what keeps Congdon and Hynes going? We sat down with Congdon and Hynes for tips on running as well as staying active on Nantucket.

How do you build up the motivation to run?

CONGDON : If someone is completely against running, it’s hard to convince that person to get out of the door. But if someone has that interest, it could start with just a 100-foot run, just a gradual introduction into it. For newcomers, it doesn’t always have to be a marathon.

HYNES : As a coach, not all of my athletes are marathon runners. Some of them aren’t training for a race at all, they just want to incorporate running into their healthy routines. For someone like that who’s coming from zero miles a week, I’ll start conservatively with them where they’re at. Maybe you have a tangible goal in mind and maybe you don’t, but we’re going to look at where you’re at and start there. Usually that will be an incremental run-walk session for four weeks or longer. It’s a good way to start someone on a running routine because it’s safe—you’re not going guns blazing and you’re not going to injure yourself. Then you see progress.

What about that next step? How do you keep at it once you first get your foot out the door?

CONGDON : It’s the return [from running] that’s incredible. Once you get hooked and you feel that, then the door is open to get more. It’s a very special feeling. I can’t say that I take it for granted because I’m getting older, so I’m starting to think how lucky I am to be doing this at my age. But with the Brant Point running group, you’re certainly energized by seeing people running and seeing the youthfulness and enthusiasm.

Jim, you’ve been running competitively for over 35 years. Is it hard to maintain the motivation you had when you started?

CONGDON : When I started running, I ran the Boston Marathon in 1989, and then qualified and ran it in 1990, and then would run it every year. For me and a friend of mine who would do it, January 1 was our start date. The feeling of wellness is something you can accomplish [with running]. If I have a bad day, to go out fora run, not even a long one, I’ll come home and just be a different person. For me, I use Brant Point as a speed work session where you’re doing anaerobic intensity, and it’s really for the last four years improved my conditioning in racing.

What are the benefits to running with a group?

CONGDON : When I was younger, I took for granted the aspect of being with people and making new friends. When COVID hit, you were looking for a reason to get together. We were outside, and it dawned on me that the people I was meeting and the relationships I was forming, and it was so enjoyable. Here are people I wouldn’t meet otherwise, and you have something in common. It grows from there.

What running gear do you recommend for the winter?

HYNES : Layers, hat, gloves. For winter running, you need moisture-wicking apparel. A good hat and a nice thin pair of gloves—something with merino wool, a base layer. That’s great because it will wick sweat and it’s not too bulky. A lot of people will bundle up, but then you’re sweating and then you’re freezing because of all of the sweat on your body that’s freezing.

What foods and drinks do you use or avoid before or during a run?

HYNES : On-the-run fuel is very nuanced. Everybody has their favorite gel, flavor of gel, brand or gummy. Some people like drinking their carbs. I carry a small assortment of it. There’s so much out there it’s hard to keep up with. My rule of thumb is that any exercise you’re doing—whether it’s biking, swimming or running—if it’s 90 minutes or more that you’re out there, you need to be fueling yourself every 40 minutes at least.

What about biking and swimming? Is there a benefit to alternating forms of exercise?

CONGDON : Cycling and swimming are my curse. I’m a huge fan of cross-training. For me, it’s key to protecting my knees. I don’t run a ton of miles every week compared to what younger people do, and I intersperse it with a ton of biking all year long. In the winter, I’ll sit on the trainer for three or four hours.

Nantucket seems to have a tight-knit community of runners. What is it about that running community that’s helped it persevere for so long?

HYNES : There’s a good mix of ages, abilities and levels in the group. Some people might never run a race, but they like to come and run with a bigger mass of people. Some just come out and get some exercise and chat with other runners.

CONGDON : You also can’t find a more beautiful place [to run]. There are trails and miles and miles of roads.

Home at Last

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:22:39 GMT

Nourish Nantucket and the Land Bank to House the Food Pantry

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

It started as a Nantucket Elementary School class project in the spring of 1989. A group of children had heard stories of island families going to bed hungry, so they started a food drive, providing nonperishable goods to what was then a makeshift pantry in the basement of St. Paul’s Church. It was the first time the basement pantry accepted food outside of the holidays. It was also a wakeup call. Two years later, the Food Pantry had its own building.

In the three dozen years since that initial food drive, hunger on Nantucket has climbed dramatically. In 2023, an estimated 21% of year-round residents struggled to put food on the table, while 46% of Nantucket Public Schools students qualify for free and reduced school lunches. A new report from the Greater Boston Food Bank found 34% of households across the Cape and islands struggled with food insecurity in 2024, a 14% increase from just one year earlier.

The Food Pantry has become the most pivotal food provider but its lease with the town was set to expire and finding a new home became critical. Thanks to a collaboration between the Land Bank and Nourish Nantucket, the hunt for a new food pantry is now over, a critical step in solving the island’s food insecurity crisis. “Because of the space limitations of where [the pantry] is now, because the building is so small and their storage capacity is so small, they can only accept a certain amount of donations at a time before they have to get it out the door,” Nourish Nantucket Executive Director Meg Browers said.

In what became a highly charged story about the Food Pantry losing its lease, the search for a new home became a cause célèbres, given that the loss of services through the food pantry could have been catastrophic to the food security network. “The collaboration between the Land Bank and Nourish Nantucket in arriving at a joint solution to a pressing problem was an extraordinary example of the value of teamwork on Nantucket,” said Bruce A. Percelay, creator of Nourish Nantucket and chairman of its Advisory Council.

In a pivot from its conventional role as a conservation organization, the Land Bank entered into the food security arena as a result of its search for a facility to process deer meat that could be used as a high-quality protein for those lacking in balanced nutrition. The Land Bank was also looking for a place that could process other local meat products, to provide farmers with a sustainable butchery for locally raised livestock and poultry. As it happened, the Land Bank’s search coincided with Nourish Nantucket’s effort to find a home for both the Pantry and Nourish Nantucket itself. “This is the ideal collaboration we were looking for so we can work on agriculture, assisting with food insecurity and supporting local food systems,” Land Bank Executive Director Rachael Freeman said.

The new facility on Boynton Lane not only provides more storage space, it also gives participants more privacy compared to the downtown building and opens the door for a host of programs that advocates say can fill in the gaps when it comes to feeding islanders. According to Nourish Nantucket, filling those gaps—such as medically tailored food, deliveries and nutritious options—is crucial. “We describe the Food Pantry as the traditional backbone of the food security system, but the system needs to be a lot more than that, and that’s why we were looking for a space that could accommodate more programs than just a traditional food pantry,” said Brooke Mohr, Nourish Nantucket board president.

Among the new programs that will operate out of the Boynton Lane facility is a food rescue program to repurpose unused food from restaurants, hotels, inns and rentals. The venison processing facility, which will be staffed by the Land Bank, allows hunters to donate surplus deer to feed islanders in need while culling Nantucket’s overpopulation of deer—a state initiative currently not in existence on the island.

While food insecurity nationwide might be associated strictly with low-income earners, the problem on Nantucket has become so dire it now reaches a wide range of working people, including teachers, town employees and members of the Coast Guard. Even with decent pay, the combination of high rent, staggering home costs and a lack of affordable housing options has made food and basic supplies unaffordable to some islanders. "On Nantucket, you can make six figures and still be food insecure,” Browers said.

The Food Pantry is run under the Nantucket Food, Fuel and Rental Assistance program through the Nantucket Interfaith Council. Pantry Manager Ruth Pitts said a new space for the pantry is a game changer, though she admits the pantry can only go so far in addressing food security so long as islanders continue to struggle with high rent, language barriers and seasonal work. “[A new location] answers a whole lot of questions and it makes it more accessible,” she said. “If privacy affects just a few people who feel uncomfortable going to the Food Pantry, then we will be able to see more clients [at the new facility]. Really if we can see more clients, that's the goal.”

For the Land Bank, the property marks a significant expansion in its collaborative efforts with other island organizations to address issues that go well beyond the Land Bank’s three core tenets of conservation, recreation and agriculture—three areas it considers when purchasing land, according to its enabling act. “The Nantucket of today is different from the Nantucket when the Land Bank was born and we are now participating in broader solutions, including allocating some of our funding to address housing, coastal resilience and food insecurity,” Commission member Mark Donato said. Emily Goldstein Murphy, the Land Bank’s director of environmental and agricultural resources, added the deer processing facility combines all three arms of the Land Bank’s mission—agriculture through a livestock and poultry butchery, conservation by reducing the deer population, and recreation through hunting.

Bringing the new facility to fruition between multiple agencies and in a remarkably short period of time was not an easy task. According to Freeman, Percelay was instrumental in that process. “Between his skills in understanding real estate transactions and buildings plus commercial development and his negotiation capacity, he has been really influential.”

Throughout Nourish Nantucket’s first year, one point keeps coming up. Nantucket has no shortage of complex problems—a lack of affordable and workforce housing, sea-level rise and erosion. But hunger, unlike those issues, has a solution. "We’ll never fix the fact that people on this island struggle to make enough to afford the high cost of living here,” Browers said. “Our goal is to have food security programs that enable the people who are hungry to get the food they need."

Divine Intervention

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:22:34 GMT

Nantucket's Person of the Year: Father Max Wolf

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay

Photography by Kit Noble

Father Max Wolf’s journey to priesthood was anything but conventional. Before he became a priest in the Episcopal Church, Wolf held a variety of odd jobs, from a commercial fishing boat in Alaska to waiting tables in San Francisco and New York City, where his guests included Miles Davis, Jimmy Stewart, Elizabeth Taylor and Kurt Vonnegut. Before he administered the body and blood of Christ, he peddled high-end wine to gourmet restaurants. But ultimately, he felt a calling from a higher power.

For nearly a decade, Wolf has not only led St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Fair Street—he’s also become a leader in the community, supporting a number of charitable causes at a time when Nantucket’s housing and food insecurity crises have reached an all-time high. That work is not exclusive to his parishioners, either. Through the church, Wolf has orchestrated the delivery of more than 1,000 bags of groceries to the Food Pantry, donated over 200 bicycles to summer J1 employees, held weekly dinners at the church, provided laundry services for islanders struggling to pay rent, and launched a reading and toy-lending program for children. For his work for the community, N Magazine has named Wolf its person of the year.

Did you always feel called to the priesthood?

WOLF : No. I grew up in a different Christian denomination and felt called to the priesthood as a boy, but not to the celibate life. The priesthood looked lonely to me, so I ended up working in restaurants. I would see these men coming in, selling wine with the chef and the restaurant owners. I paid attention to wine and started walking the streets of Manhattan. My first sale was the largest sale the company ever had, which was to the Four Seasons Restaurant.

That company moved me to Nantucket, because Don DeMarco was my customer in the Upper East Side and he had a restaurant here. They said, ‘Max, go out to the island for us on Monday and set up appointments for us.’ When I went back to New York, they asked me to move here fora couple of years, and after two years living here year-round, my company moved me to Boston because it’s so seasonal here.

You grew up Catholic. What was your journey like into the Episcopal Church, and why did that church feel right to you?

WOLF : I went to see my priest at Trinity Church in Copley Square. [That church] had a beautiful message, welcoming everyone to the Sacraments, and women were priests too. A lot of things about the [Episcopal Church] resonated with me. After a couple of years there, I went to see the priest and said, ‘I’m doing really well in the wine business, but I feel that maybe I could do something more essential with my efforts.’ [The church] had me volunteer for 10 years at the Women's Lunch Place, where I sat on the board of directors. Then I went to see an executive coach who worked with successful lawyers and executives, which led me to visit my home diocese in Rhode Island. I brought my wife with me and I felt called.

It was something I had to do, to pursue the priesthood. I was compelled. The Bishop asked me a couple questions, and asked my wife what she thought about being married to a priest? She said she would be honored if her husband served God in that way. My Bishop said, ‘Max, be in the world just like you are a wine salesman, not trying to talk anybody into anything, not proselytizing, but representing the Church like you do your vineyards and your company, walking the streets, making connections.' I’m an extrovert, so it was easy for me to do that. I’m curious about people. When I meet someone, I want to know about them.

Your work clearly resonates beyond the walls of the church. What motivates your community outreach efforts?

WOLF : We had something called Laundry Love in place, where we hand out laundry cards for Holdgate’s Laundry. We worked with A Safe Place, The Warming Place and the Saltmarsh Senior Center—and then Covid hit. The Community Foundation approached all of the churches to say they had chefs and caterers that were going to [lose their jobs], and were looking for churches to deliver meals to people quarantining. We were the only church that responded to that call, and we first worked with chefs and caterers. We delivered 80 to 100 meals every Wednesday to people who were isolated. From Laundry Love, we met people from the Community School who would come in and translate for us. They said not all of our children can afford snacks, and we feel bad that they’re left out and that it’s obvious that they're in financial need. We thought if we supplied snacks for all the children, then there would be no differentiation. We’ve been doing that for several years now. The parish has made a significant commitment. We spend about 15% of our $900,000 budget in the wider community. [Many parishes] have so much trouble meeting their own budgets that they only spend a fraction of that on the wider community.

You have chosen to throw yourself into the community—is that something that’s unique to you or is that part of a priest’s role at an Episcopal Church?

WOLF : It's both. My Bishop in Rhode Island said that most clergy are hiding in their studies and they’re not out in the world. I think that’s true of a lot of Clergy. I know with one of my predecessors, they said they could never find him, but he preached brilliant sermons on Sunday, so during the week he was preparing his sermons. I prepare my sermons by being out in the world. When I interact in the community, that’s what I talk about on Sunday. We read from Hebrew scripture and the Gospel and the epistles, and I try to relate what’s happening in our community to that. There are others that do that, and my heroes as a child were people that were trying to meet those needs. I think that’s from my parents, and that was the model I had.

From your exposure to Nantucket and the needs of the island, have you noticed an increase in that need, and does it extend beyond people you would normally expect?

WOLF : Yes. I met someone a few years ago that worked for the town and she told me that she spent 70% of her income on rent. Most of us would spend 30% of our income on housing. That was a professional person on the island. I know other people at the hospital are in need. The cost of housing affects everything on the island when people have to make such a commitment just to house themselves.

On a higher level, are you able to attract young people to the Church today? Do young people still embrace religion?

WOLF : Our parish is growing, and incrementally in the offseason. We have a lot of young retirees in their late 50s and early 60s, and we have a lot more children in the summer than we do in the school year because we have so many parishioners from Texas and from the South where it’s natural for them to bring their children to church and to be churchgoers themselves. But I think it’s a challenge for most of our churches. People have said to me that if their children want to see their friends, it’s at the Boys & Girls Club on Sunday morning playing soccer, not at church. That’s what we’re up against. Churches all over the world say our children are the future of the church, but we need children in the present, because we need their perspective and their energy. I always tell our people that first we pray for our children and their families, and then we ask not how we can recruit them, but how we can serve them. Most religions across the board are struggling with [declining numbers]. I’ve had Rabbis tell me, 'We’re not able to pass on this ancient tradition to the next generations.’ That’s the challenge.

How has the Interfaith Council come together on the issue of food insecurity on Nantucket?

WOLF : Over 30 years ago, the town asked the Interfaith Council to take on the Food Pantry. Rather than having a town staff vetting what was happening, the Interfaith Council as a nonprofit had a staff that could feed people. It started at the basement of St. Paul’s on Fair Street, and when it outgrew that space, it moved to the Transportation Center. We’ve taken on the role of getting the word out that there are sources of food here. We’ve also been cooking meals at the commercial kitchen at St. Paul’s. We’re renovating our basement now to bring back the free community dinners we’ve had for years. The Interfaith Council quickly took on this role of feeding and caring, which is natural for us indifferent faiths.

Nationwide, we have not seen the kind of partisan division we have now since the Civil War. Do you think the Church as an institution can help cure the great divide? What is the prescription to keep the temperature down and help people find common ground?

WOLF : So much of the division is based on fear, and a lot of our fear is based on the fear of death. Sadly, some of our religious efforts can also add to division. In my church, we have people of diverse cultural and economic backgrounds, and I always cherish insights from people who think and vote differently. We don’t try to change each other’s minds. I’ve experienced in the Episcopal Church when a congregation is open-minded and not one-sided politically that we have so much more discourse and respect for each other. We vow in the Episcopal covenant to respect the dignity of every human being, not just people who vote like us, come from the same economic class as us or look like us. That’s how we strive to live our lives. An open-minded religious practice is a great cure for the division. After 9/11, that tragedy briefly at least brought us together. I was in Delaware then and had two services the week of 9/11, and the place was packed, standing room only. People were turning to a higher power in that kind of crisis. I don’t wish another crisis on us, but we have so many challenges in the world now and I trust that those challenges will unify us, not further divide us.

Nantucket has problems like the rest of the country, but it always seems to find a way. What lessons do you think Nantucket can impart on the rest of the country on how to deal with social and economic challenges?

WOLF : Those of us that live here experience Nantucket as a close-knit, compassionate community. We look around and care about the needs of others, and that can be translated on a larger scale to large cities even. When I moved here, people said Nantucket was going to be so uniform. It’s not. Our children come from 17 different countries, and our children get along with each other. With our Ready Set Read program, we see children from so many different languages and cultures being friends with each other. That is what’s going to break down these barriers. If cities and towns around the country can embrace that diversity—which is the cornerstone of our nation—that gives me great hope to overcome any political division.

Beneath the Surface

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:22:28 GMT

Shipwreck hunters find lost ship offshore—and lose one of their own.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

N early 150 miles east of Nantucket, the husband-and-wife team of Joe Mazraani and Jennifer Sellitti have found what they were looking for. Over 200 feet below the surface, a blip on the sonar shows something big. It first appears as a giant object—possibly a rock or a shipping container—on the seafloor. Fishermen know these blips as “hang logs,” or the exact coordinates where fishing nets have become stuck in the past. For fishermen, they’re areas to avoid. For Sellitti and Mazraani, they’re treasure maps.

Mazraani and crew member Eric Takakjian anchor their boat, the D/V Tenacious , to the object and dive down some 200 feet, where they become the first shipwreck hunters to identify the wreck of the Seiner , a Boothbay, Maine-built fishing vessel traveling out of New London, Connecticut, that sank in Georges Bank in 1929, a maritime disaster that killed all 21 crew members on board. By diving to the seafloor, Mazraani and Takakjian are the first people to lay eyes on the ship in nearly 100 years.

“Shipwreck hunting has been a lifelong passion,” Mazraani said aboard the Tenacious , moored in Nantucket Harbor, just one day before hitting the open ocean in July to find the lost wreck. “Diving is a tool; it’s a means to interact with a specific point in history. It tells the history of mankind, of commerce, immigration, cross-cultural ties.”

Diving hundreds of feet below the surface comes with inherent risks, something each member aboard the Tenacious is well aware of. This is where the story takes a tragic turn. Just three days after N Magazine sat down with Mazraani and his Atlantic Wreck Salvage crew, Mazraani died while exploring another shipwreck in Georges Bank, sending shock waves through the diving community. Mazraani had been renowned as one of the most skilled shipwreck hunters and technical divers in the world. There was no reason to suspect diver error or equipment failure, the company stated.

“We’re grieving and we will be forever,” said his wife, Sellitti, on a phone call one month after the trip. “We’re working together to figure out what’s next. Everybody who’s been apart of the crew is looking forward to continuing to move forward, continuing to work and continuing to explore the shipwrecks of the North Atlantic. What that looks like will be difficult because Joe was synonymous with the Tenacious , so stepping into that void is really difficult.”

Mazraani and Sellitti had made shipwreck hunting an annual endeavor for over a decade. For most of the year, they were attorneys, with Mazraani practicing criminal and civil law, and Sellitti serving as a public defender for the state of New Jersey. But for several weeks in the summer, the only place they wanted to be was on the open ocean, exploring shipwrecks—a lifelong passion that’s become a self-imposed mandate to bring closure to the families of the passengers lost at sea. “Some will say that the type of exploration Joe engaged in is not worth the risk. If viewed in isolation, perhaps it isn’t,” an online tribute stated. “But nothing Joe did happened in isolation. It was his way of life. Joe understood better than anyone that life offers no guarantees. He lived every moment fully, without compromise. He did not want to die doing what he loved—none of us do. He wanted to survive it, to grow old doing it. But Joe embraced a life of extraordinary risk, and he would be the first to say that doing so was far better than a long life half-lived.”

Last August, nearly 100 nautical miles east of Nantucket, Mazraani and Sellitti found another wreck they had been researching for years: the French passenger vessel Le Lyonnais . Once considered one of the finest ships in the world, the iron-hulled steamer had been resting silently for nearly 175 years, gradually collapsing in on itself in 250 feet of water. Le Lyonnais was the victim of one of the greatest hit-and-runs in human history when it was struck by the American ship Adriatic on November 2, 1856. Over 100 people died on board the ship.

“When you start to learn more about the passengers, then you start to care about these people and ultimately you feel like you have a duty to tell their stories and a duty to find their final resting place,” Sellitti said. “That’s the very definition of obsession. It snowballs to a point where I have to find this shipwreck because I’m not going to be able to rest until I do.”

The ship they laid eyes on was not a typical passenger vessel for its time. Le Lyonnais was built in perhaps one of the greatest transition periods in maritime history, when traditional sails gave way to steam engines. As a result, Le Lyonnais was built with both masts and smoke stacks. A New York Weekly Herald reporter at the time wrote that it was “built in the strongest manner” and “fitted and sound in every respect.” Its cabins were fitted with Venetian blinds. Its engine was thought of as premier. “People were grappling with the idea of burning fires in the underbellies of ships, which sounded weird at the time, so they wanted a backup of sails,” Sellitti said. Even with modern technology, finding a shipwreck can be an excruciatingly long endeavor, with no guarantee you’ll ever find what you’re looking for.

Most of that work actually happens on dry land, behind a computer and in research libraries. “Shipwreck hunting is 95% research, and only 5% of it happens on the water,” Sellitti said. “The ocean is enormous. It’s not a needle in a haystack; it’s more like a needle in a field full of haystacks.” That, and the danger factor. “ Le Lyonnais is really pushing the boundaries of citizen shipwreck exploration to the extreme,” Sellitti admitted before the trip. “These dives are the same thing as when you see [free solo climber] Alex Honnold climbing a 1,000-foot wall without a rope.”

In the case of Le Lyonnais , the initial search area started out as 100 square miles, more than twice the area of Nantucket in a stretch of ocean known for dangerous currents and where visibility on the seafloor can be as clouded as just 20-30 feet. Months before her crew hit the water, Sellitti found herself researching not only information about the sunken ship, but the accounts given to local newspapers by its survivors weeks after the crash. At one point, Sellitti made an Ancestry.com account for each survivor to learn more about their backgrounds and motivations, and why any of them might lie to the press. “From being a lawyer, I’m used to multiple witness statements and trying to stack them on top of each other to determine who’s telling the truth and who’s not,” she said.

Sellitti and Mazraani had been planning on returning to Le Lyonnais this summer, though the dive never happened. “Who doesn’t want to find a shipwreck?” Mazraani told N Magazine in July. “It’s the kind of stuff you think about when you’re a kid.”

In many ways, Mazraani was the face of the franchise for Atlantic Wreck Salvage. Originally from Lebanon, Mazraani grew up summering on the Mediterranean, before immigrating at age 15 to the United States. According to an online tribute, he received his scuba diving certificate in the mid-1990s, and quickly became obsessed with diving for shipwrecks on the Eastern Seaboard.

He founded Atlantic Wreck Salvage in 2010, buying the Tenacious specifically to explore shipwrecks in deeper water. In his 15 years with Atlantic Wreck Salvage, he dived to some of the most iconic shipwrecks in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, including the Andrea Doria , the HMHS Britannic —the Titanic ’s sister ship—and the Lusitania , the passenger ship whose sinking roped the United States into World War I. Finding shipwrecks was not only exhilarating; it was bittersweet knowing the shipwrecks his crew identified had for years served as graveyards for passengers lost at sea.

As for what comes next for Atlantic Wreck Salvage, Sellitti isn’t quite sure. In a sense, it’s fitting that their last discovery with Mazraani was the Seiner , a ship that Atlantic Wreck Salvage had deemed a high priority to identify because its entire crew had gone down with the ship. Sellitti hopes the identification of the wreck can provide some long-awaited closure for the descendants of the Seiner ’s crew. “We are never going to be Joe Mazraani, but together we can be something he would be proud of,” Sellitti said.

In his tribute, Atlantic Wreck Salvage announced the creation of the Captain Joe Mazraani Memorial Fund to promote shipwreck exploration and inspire the next generation of hunters. “Of utmost importance to Joe was educating the public about maritime history and inspiring the next generation of shipwreck divers,” the online tribute stated.

The tribute continued: “What is important to remember is that Joe died in the happiest place he had ever found, a place he spent so many years of his life trying to reach: aboard D/V Tenacious , miles and years from where he started, and with Jennifer and some of the people he loved the most right there with him. He would not want grief to stop us. He would want it to ignite in us the same spirit and passion that drove him—to relentlessly pursue the things we love, to share them with the people we love, and to live as if every day is a rare and extraordinary gift. That is his legacy."

A Moving Story

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:22:26 GMT

Eight Years After Paralysis, Warren Ard Is Moving Houses

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

O n the morning of March 3, 2017, Warren Ard decided to take one last run down the mountain in the Adirondacks where he was skiing with his family on a vacation from Nantucket. Ard, a carpenter working frame-to-finish on the island, had been a lifelong athlete but a self-described novice skier who knew when to be cautious, so he hit a moderate blue square to end his day, hoping to steer clear of a trail that might be too steep. He didn’t know it then, but it would be the last time he would stand on his own two feet.

It was late in the ski season, and after a few rainstorms and freezing nights, some of the trails had become blanketed with a sheet of ice—poor skiing conditions for anyone on the mountain that day. As it turns out, Ard had called nearly a dozen other ski resorts that morning to check if they were still open, and all but one of them had decided the conditions were too poor to ski—all but one mountain called Woods Valley, a relatively small resort with a 500-foot vertical drop from summit to base.

On what would have been his last run of the day, Ard found himself skiing a safe distance behind his wife, Lauren, when he slipped on ice. Unable to catch himself, he barreled 300 feet downhill directly into the pole of a chairlift. He knew the second it happened that he was paralyzed. In the blink of an eye, everything—his career, his family, his hobbies, his day-to-day life—were completely and irreversibly changed. He was only 36.

“When you fall down, the first thing you do is jump up and look around to see if anybody saw you fall, and I couldn’t get up,” said Ard, now 45. While he could lift his head off the ground, that was about all he could muster. As some time went by, he started looking around and saw his sister and wife heading back up on the lift directly above him. “I said, ‘Call 911, I’m paralyzed.’ I knew right then what happened, but I didn’t know everything that comes along with it,” he said.

Ard—a carpenter, golfer and former student athlete from Maine who once placed second in the statewide one-mile and 800-meter events as an eighth grader—had broken his back at his T-4 vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the chest-down. While he had full control over his head, neck, shoulders and arms, he would never walk again. “I had kids at 25 because I wanted to coach them, wanted to be active with them, run with them and do all that stuff, and that’s what got taken away from me,” he said.

Just like that, Ard’s life on Nantucket had stopped in its tracks. Ard, who had always stayed busy with projects at his own house and with the company he ran with 40 employees, was suddenly stuck in a situation he had never been in before. The next year and a half would be a series of operations and physical therapy sessions at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown. “Life changes in the blink of an eye—it’s a true saying,” Ard said. “Life gets flipped upside down. I was running a 40-man crew, and then I was off-island for a year and a half.”

But Ard didn’t let the life-changing accident stop him. Eight years later, he has reconstructed his business, his house and his life—quite literally. After the accident, he took up house moves, of all things, leading his crew from the seat of his wheelchair with a remote control and a tablet to steer and control the hydraulics on a moving house. Since then, he’s led over two dozen house moves on the island, including five this past fall. At his own house, he’s leading his crew on a series of projects, including a bluestone patio he finished this summer, as well as two brick ramps to the first floor of the house, an elevator, a pool and a new basement that required Ard to temporarily lift the house itself.

“I bought my first excavator to do this pool, and when people found out I had an excavator, I got asked to do another job and then another job,” he said. “Business actually picked up after I broke my back.” Even without the ability to move his legs, Ard still finds himself working a skid-steer for hours on end. He can still drive an automatic car, using hand controls to access the pedals.

The community also rallied behind him, helping with projects around the house and leading a fundraiser at Faregrounds Restaurant and a GoFundMe page that raised money for his physical therapy. “Without my crew and my job, I would be home sitting on the couch, because I wouldn’t be able to get into the machines,” he said. “I had to keep it going.”

“It took me two years to accept that I wouldn’t walk again,” he continued. “It was a lot of tears, a lot of long talks with my wife. I felt like I was a burden even though everyone kept telling me I wasn’t a burden. I could see it on their faces, but nobody would say it. Just asking for a cup of water. It’s always at the back of my mind that I’m a burden, and that’s why I’m trying to be independent.”

Ard still thinks about the accident. The day it happened, he had been torn between skiing and taking his daughters to Ben & Jerry’s, but wanted to give his daughters a taste of adventure so he hit the slopes. “I think about it a lot—I should have gone to Ben & Jerry’s,” he said. Living as a paraplegic has also raised a set of what-if questions he inevitably dwells on from time to time. What if he had lost the ability to move his arms? What if something else went wrong? But at the end of the day, things have their way of going on.

Ard made major adjustments to everything around him so he could keep living the life he wanted with his friends and family. Life, he said, isn’t defined solely by the life-changing moments you experience. He’s still raising his kids, working and saving money to send them to college. He’s now been married for 18 years to Lauren and is working on a lake house in his home town in Maine. And in the face of everything that’s happened, he’s remained modest. “A lot of people say I’m an inspiration but I don’t see how. Life goes on.”

Bringing Home the Bacon

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:22:20 GMT

Dylan and Caroline Wallace's Sustainably Raised Pigs

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

D ylan and Caroline Wallace might be the human embodiment of the farm-to-table movement, from growing vegetables and herbs at their farm to producing honey and even drying their own sea salt by the bin, from buckets of ocean water from West End beach—they live off the fat of the land.

Dylan and Caroline Wallace have now brought back another form of agriculture that hasn’t been seen on Nantucket in nearly 100 years: retail pasture-raised pork. “It's going back to sort of a simpler time, which I think is cool,” said Dylan Wallace, the owner of Eat Fire Farm on Land Bank property on Hummock Pond Road. “So many things are complicated now with technology that it’s nice to do something that’s a little slower and more intentional.”

A dozen bristly piglets can be seen running around a makeshift sty in Wallace’s backyard with their mother, a rare American Guinea Hog—considered a “threatened” breed by The Livestock Conservancy. They’re not the only pigs on Nantucket, but they’re the first to be commercially available for retail and wholesale, and island restaurants have already started to bring home the bacon.

T he pork chops on the Nautilus’ fall menu come from Wallace’s pigs. The pork belly in the Gaslight’s pork buns? It’s also from Wallace’s pigs. So is the bratwurst that had been available over the summer at 167 Raw, as well as the sausage Wallace tops on the pizza he makes at Eat Fire Pizza, the mobile pizza oven that makes regular stops at Cisco Brewers. This year, the meat has also been available through The Hive on Amelia Drive, after being processed at an off-island abattoir.

Dylan and Caroline have been eating some of the leftovers. “We’re having bone-in chops tonight, and we’re eating bacon all the time,” Dylan said. “Whenever we go visit somebody, webring some meat.” It’s not just pork chops, sausage and bacon, either. After two batches of pigs, Wallace turned in a supply of loin rib chops, hocks, spare ribs, uncured smoked jowl, ground pork, country-style ribs, chorizo, belly slab and bratwurst. There’s a benefit to eating locally grown meat.

As opposed to the commercially raised pork sold in bulk at grocery store chains around the country, Wallace’s pigs are given space to roam outside, where they can eat a variety of grasses, shrubs and roots, making their meat both tastier and more nutritious. Compare that to commercial slaughterhouses that source their pork from giant indoor pens, where cooped-up hogs pig out almost exclusively on grains.

“It’s like if you were fed broccoli every day. Not only would you be sick of broccoli, but the variety of vitamins would not be there,” Dylan said. “You can think of the pigs we’re raising as getting that whole rainbow of nutrients that they need. That makes them healthier and happier, and a lot more nutritious.”

Not only do they taste good; they also serve an agricultural purpose. By eating down to the root, these piglets work like a dozen rototillers, weeding out a plot of land and preparing it for seeding. In fact, Wallace’s endeavor into pig raising started as a land management operation, not as a means to sell meat.

Instead of bringing in heavy machinery, the idea was to just bring pigs, and let them eat away at the poison ivy, bayberry and wild bramble. “The byproduct is the meat,” Caroline said.

Dylan and Caroline Wallace hope to expand the operation to multiple breeds of heritage pigs, allowing them to dig up the roots on other properties where homeowners are looking for alternatives to gas-powered machinery to till the soil. They also hope to offer more meat products from their pigs, including whole pigs that islanders or restaurants could purchase. “We’re trying to create the community that we want to live in, and not feel like we have no control over it,” Dylan said. “Now I'm really excited having a partner like Caroline, being able to take on this big release and do more, and hopefully be able to afford to spend more time farming."

Meals on Media

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:08:17 GMT

Wishbone Kitchen's Meredith Hayden

Interview by Brian Bushard

Photography by Emma Fishman

In just five years, Meredith Hayden has gone from private chef to perhaps the most popular celebrity chef and lifestyle influencer today, her generation’s Martha Stewart. At just 29, Hayden—known for her social media brand Wishbone Kitchen—has released a New York Times bestselling cookbook, has cooked for a live audience on late night television and has amassed a following of over 4 million people on TikTok and Instagram, starting from the small account she created to document the daily grind of her life as a private chef for designer Joseph Altuzarra at his house in the Hamptons during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hayden, who grew up summering on Nantucket with her family, hosts the popular YouTube series “Dinner with Friends.” She released her first cookbook, The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook , over the summer, and continues to reach millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram with her recipes. She sat down with N Magazine to spill the beans on her new book, the role of social media for celebrity chefs, the food trends she’s looking forward to and her favorite restaurants on Nantucket.

What is your connection to Nantucket?

HAYDEN : My parents visited Nantucket for the first time before my brother and I were born. They went with friends and fell in love with the place. In 1997, I was a year and a half, and they rented their first Nantucket house for a few weeks with my cousins. We rented every summer from ’97 until 2004, so growing up, Nantucket was synonymous with summer for me. In 2005, my parents bought a house in the same neighborhood that we grew up renting, and we’ve been there ever since. I have spent many summers working there full time and lots of time during the offseason.

Where on Nantucket did you work?

HAYDEN : I worked at the Lilly Pulitzer store, and before that, I worked at The Pearl. I was a hostess there, and I was an intern at BlACKbook.

How would you describe Nantucket’s food scene?

HAYDEN : Just off the bat, Nantucket has the most amazing food community. The chefs out there are so talented, it’s insane. You’re getting such creative and delicious interpretations of so many different cuisines. Growing up, we didn’t go out to dinner at those amazing restaurants too much. We stuck to cooking at home a lot, so when I think of the Nantucket food scene in terms of my childhood, I think of grilling on the beach and picking up seafood from Sayle’s, but now I look forward to visiting The Nautilus every summer or The Pearl. All of those restaurants are just so incredible.

You’ve been a private chef and you’ve worked in restaurants, but you’ve made the jump to YouTube, TikTok and beyond to the point where your career has really exploded. What was the impetus to launch a lifestyle brand?

HAYDEN : As a chef, most career paths don’t offer a ton of flexibility when it comes to your personal life. You’re often working nights, weekends and holidays, and I just knew that down the line, when or if I wanted to start a family, I wanted to be able to be home more than a restaurant chef or a private chef would be. I was raised by a stay-at-home mom. She’s fantastic. So I always kept that in the back of my mind as I started navigating the food media space, because that was the only job that I could think of that would provide me the kind of flexibility that I wanted, while still allowing me to cook and express myself creatively. I started posting on TikTok because I wanted to promote my private chef services. But it blew up so quickly that I just skipped that step.

How have TikTok and Instagram changed the game for celebrity chefs?

HAYDEN : It gives the power to the creators, rather than large media conglomerates. You no longer have to be chosen by a food magazine or a television show to have a platform and to share what you’re passionate about. You can create that platform for yourself. I think that creative freedom has allowed so many amazing and talented people to come out of TikTok that we might not have gotten to meet if it weren’t for the app. That’s been my favorite thing—the democratization of the media.

What is your approach to cooking?

HAYDEN : I always like to say that it’s food that’s as much fun to make as it is to eat, which can mean different things to different people. I always say to people that if you’re not enjoying yourself while making a meal and serving a meal, the people you’re serving it to will know. Save everyone the trouble and make a menu that you’ll feel the most confident and the most at ease preparing, and not trying to whip out some super fancy recipe to impress people. Now, as somebody who’s a trained chef, I often enjoy making those super fancy recipes as a weekend challenge in the same way someone might enjoy a jigsaw puzzle. I have a ton of fun doing those really complicated recipes, but I don’t think by any means the average home chef should be forcing themselves to make those kinds of things.

How have you incorporated Nantucket into your recipes?

HAYDEN : The cover shot [of The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook ] was actually taken in my parents’ house on Nantucket. We had shot a bunch of the recipe photos in a studio in Brooklyn in the spring, and I remember thinking that the photos didn’t feel like me enough, because they were all taken inside with very specific lighting that didn’t necessarily give you that outside summer vibe. Then we did a second photo shoot over in the Hamptons and captured a lot of the more outdoor-forward shots there, and we still didn’t feel like we got the cover. So we did a third shoot at my parents house to save money. Those photos that we shot in the Hamptons and on Nantucket really make the book feel whole, because they really depict what I think of when I think of summer and what my experience has been.

What’s a good recommendation for a winter meal?

HAYDEN : I really love going to Via Mare during the offseason. It’s so cozy there. Whenever I’m in town during the offseason, I really load up on chowder. I don’t really do chowder during the summer. And scallop season is in the winter, so that is something to look forward to. Stroll is also my favorite weekend on Nantucket, so all the fun, festive beverages that everyone comes up with for Stroll is definitely something to be excited about.

Do you have a comfort food?

HAYDEN : Spaghetti and meatballs.

Are there any food trends you’re expecting?

HAYDEN : Soup has been really taking off, and I think soups and stews are going to continue. I feel like a pot roast could totally go viral or be a trend these days, which is so not sexy, but I stand by it.

Do you think there are any hidden gems on Nantucket or restaurants that fall under the radar?

HAYDEN : One of the most popular questions people ask me is when they’re going to Nantucket for a bachelorette party, where should they go for a big group dinner? While I love all the restaurants on Nantucket, I do think they are very expensive, and sometimes it can be stressful when you’re on a group trip. I always tell people my favorite place to bring friends for a big group dinner is the Lobster Trap, because it’s so low key, but you’re getting the quintessential New England meal, where you get the steamed lobster or the clambake. My family also loves picking up from Sayle’s Seafood or any sort of seafood takeout, where they prepare it for you.

Hope for the Homeless

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:08:10 GMT

For the homeless on Nantucket, The Warming Place provides shelter.

Written by Larry Lindner

Photography by Kit Noble

T he saying “No good deed goes unpunished” could have been coined for Efren Peralta. He was working for a business last year that provided employee housing when a coworker was fired. Knowing that his coworker relied on employee housing also, Peralta let him crash at his house for a few nights. When his boss found out, he too was fired, making Peralta homeless.

With all of his belongings stored in his car, Peralta spent his days looking for jobs, sometimes getting work as a day laborer, sometimes looking for volunteer work to keep busy, and sometimes sitting inside the bus station to keep warm in cold weather. He spent his nights bouncing from couch to couch at different friends’ places when he could or taking a boat to Hyannis for a relatively cheap hotel room, chipping away at his fund to put his daughter through college.

“Rent is very expensive,” Peralta, born in the Dominican Republic, said through a translator. “You can pay rent and not eat, or eat and not have enough money to pay rent.” Only after five months into his odyssey of homelessness did he find The Warming Place, Nantucket’s free shelter for those without a roof over their heads.

Hundreds of people on the island find themselves homeless. Most of them are among the so-called hidden homeless, perennially couch surfing or perhaps living in an unsanctioned, unplumbed dwelling like a cellar. As many as 100 others at any one time fall under the umbrella of what can be termed the literally homeless, spending their nights outdoors or maybe in a car or tent, said Matt Haffenreffer, founder and principal of Process First, a food and health tech firm that has been studying the issue.

While some homeless people on Nantucket grapple with substance abuse or mental health challenges that don’t allow them to maintain jobs, many of both the hidden and literally homeless on Nantucket contribute to the island’s economy and vital services, sometimes working steady, full-time jobs. Zahra Kasza, development director of The Warming Place, puts it this way: “The unhoused are not fringe members of the community. They’re just members of the community.”

The problem was laid out in a recently released Nantucket-based documentary “Room for Us?” In the film, a teenager explains that a school bus driver whose routes he was on for three years would ask every single time she boarded whether any of the kids’ moms knew of a place where he could stay the night. Some on Nantucket sleep in their cars, and in the morning drive to people’s homes to clean them, despite not having a place of their own.

People talk about the Nantucket Shuffle, where seasonality dictates where and how some people live, but in a certain way it’s more like musical chairs. There are more people needing a home than there are affordable spots available. Someone is going to be squeezed out of the game. The Warming Place works to fill in gaps primarily for Nantucket’s literally homeless population—the ones without someone’s couch to crash on—offering an overnight cot at either the Summer Street Church or the First Congregational Church, as well as a hot meal.

In recent years, B-ACK Yard BBQ has donated the majority of the meals, with significant meal contributions also coming from the Knights of Columbus, St. Paul’s Church and the Brotherhood of Thieves. Also provided: laundry cards, grocery assistance cards, toiletries and once-a-week showers at Health Imperatives, across the street from Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Additionally, the Warming Place helps unemployed homeless people land jobs, going over how to fill out an application and assisting with job references. And they help connect homeless people with social services such as Fairwinds and Mass Health. In other words, the end game is not just about addressing the immediate crisis; it’s about getting people back on their feet and housed.

Peralta found The Warming Place last February, when others were also seeking shelter. “The first year [2021] we had only five people,” said Warming Place board president Deb DuBois. “The second year, we moved up to serving around 10. Last year we had 40. We know there are many more people out there." Despite what The Warming Place can offer to those who find their way to it, the strain of homelessness remains staggering. “When we first opened up, we got newspapers donated,” said DuBois. “We got checkers and cards. But no one wanted to read or play. I didn’t understand it. Somebody said, ‘Deb, there’s so much stress in my life. Even to play checkers is too much.’ We had one guy—in one week of being on the street he was having memory problems that he hadn’t had before.”

Another complication: The Warming Place does not have its own facility and cannot offer overnight shelter 12 months a year. It relies on the two churches during the slow winter season—from November 1 through April 30—but has no place to accommodate people overnight from May through October. “The homeless shelter is homeless,” said Kasza.

Even during the winter, cots and linens and food have had to be moved between the two churches. “The goal is to have our own independent structure,” Kasza explained. “We are actively looking for a place we can use year-round.” Any option for a new facility would require donations, as do salaries for shelter staff who serve dinner, stay overnight and serve breakfast in the morning before cleaning up so the church can be used again. “Our payroll is significant,” DuBois said.

Peralta was grateful for everything The Warming Place provided, but more so for what happened when staff there found out that he had been in food service as a pastry chef in Spain, where he lived after he left the Dominican Republic but before coming to Nantucket to fast-track his savings for his children’s education. When they saw there was a job opening at Bartlett’s Farm, they assisted him with an application.

After nine months without a key to his own residence, he’s now employed in the Bartlett’s Farm kitchen, helping out with baked goods and other food preparation. He also has a place to live, in staff housing at the farm. “My story has a happy ending,” he said. “When I had nothing, The Warming Place gave me hope. Now I have work, housing, and I want to give back.” He plans on volunteering at the shelter this winter, as do dozens of others who want to help homeless people.

If you would like to volunteer, give a cash donation, send something from the organization’s Amazon wish list (items range from hand warmers to protein bars), or simply learn more about what it means to be homeless, visit TheWarmingPlace.org .

Lighting up the Season

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:08:06 GMT

Scott Bamber's Christmas Spectacular

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

For 10 months out of the year, it’s just another cedar-shingled house with a green lawn. But for the months of November and December, it’s not only the most recognizable house on the island, it’s one of Nantucket’s biggest attractions. For the past 29 years, Scott Bamber has been decorating his house with so many Christmas lights it puts even Clark Griswold to shame. He even puts a Grinch decoration on his neighbor’s yard, not out of spite but because his neighbor’s daughter likes it.

Make no mistake, this is no simple operation, costing thousands of dollars and requiring weeks of labor. While Bamber might sound like a Grinch himself lamenting about the work that goes into it, his heart grows three sizes when he sees the line of kids outside his house on Friendship Lane to catch the light show. “It’s another cost, it adds up and I’m out here every day in the freezing cold,” he said. “But I do it for the kids.”

Christmas comes early at Bamber’s house, where on November 1 of every year, he’s outside with a crew of family, friends and volunteers stringing over a mile of lights around his fence, the outline of his house, the two-bay garage, flagpole and every bush and tree in his yard. For the next four weeks, he's putting up roughly 50 blow-up lights, five Christmas trees, a functional mini train and Santa’s team of reindeer.

Bamber’s collection of Christmas decorations now includes a staggering 500 individual blow-ups. He stores most of the decorations in a container offsite, which when full, weighs over 12,000 pounds—the train engine alone weighs 600 pounds. Setting them up in the yard doesn’t only take a crew; Bamber brings in a 65-foot lift, three 250-foot extension cords, four underground wires, five three-way cords and two 200-amppower banks—everything but a partridge in a pear tree.

Every year is different. Most years, the decorations are tied to different Christmas themes, which in past years have included candy and snow. Sometimes, the display centers around a recent movie. The year Disney’s “Frozen” came out was a big year in the world of Christmas decorations, Bamber said. “We don’t just add one, we add dozens [of decorations] every year,” he said. “They started out at four-feet high, and then eight feet, and now we have a 12-foot Santa and an 18-foot Grinch. The deer are nine feet tall.”

In 29 years of decorating his house, Bamber has been shocked, has stumbled and one time he even fell off his roof while stringing lights around the frame of his house. All said, between the half pallet of string lights, some 10,000-12,000 candy canes and the spike in his electric bill, Bamber is looking at $10,000 per year.

With those costs rising, Bamber says this is his last year decorating his house, though he's been saying that for several years. “It’s a lot of work but it’s fun. I like doing it and I like doing it for the kids. I want to stop but I can’t. My son just had a baby and I’m a grandfather. Everybody says to me, ‘You can’t give up, we’ll help you.’” One person who has been helping Bamber for years is his friend Tammy King, who shows up with a crew of volunteers to install the lights and conceive a vision for each year’s display. “Even though he sounds like the Grinch, his heart is big,” King said.

Into the Arctic

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:08:01 GMT

N Magazine 's chief photographer travels to Greenland

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

It’s early August, roughly 2,000 miles due north of Nantucket. It might not be obvious from the sun just starting to set on the horizon, but it’s midnight on Greenland’s west coast. Kit Noble came to this place to chase the midnight sun, a bucket list item for any photographer searching for the fleeting golden hour sunlight. When you’re this far north at this time of year, the sun never sets. Golden hour becomes four-and-a-half hours of dream lighting, when the icebergs surrounding him glow in picturesque shades of orange and pink.

While Noble could have stayed on Nantucket this August, he instead chose the 40-degree tundra north of the Arctic Circle, where sled dogs outnumber people and there’s no road out of town. He might be the first Nantucketer to visit this part of the world. “As soon as you get off the plane, you can smell the ice,” said Noble, N Magazine ’s chief photographer who has called Nantucket home for the past 15 years. “It’s hard to explain. It’s almost like sticking your face in the freezer.”

This wasn’t an ordinary vacation, but one of a series of photography excursions that have brought Noble to the ends of the Earth. Several years ago, he traveled to Patagonia for a photo tour of the southern tip of South America. He’s also been to Machu Picchu in Peru, Costa Rica, Iceland, India, South Africa, Vietnam and the open ocean. The purpose of these trips is not to relax in the comfort of a luxury resort, but to explore a new part of the world and capture something he’s never seen before. He’s sightseeing through the lens of his Sony.

For the first four days of the trip, he’s solo, wandering down hiking trails that line the shoreline of Disko Bay in western Greenland. The walks take him to an alien landscape, a twisting ice fjord and a sea of icebergs floating and shifting throughout the day, at some points profoundly still and at others cracking as they collide and collapse. “They’re beautiful, peaceful and quiet, but they have these incredible explosions that sound like a thunder clap,” Noble said.

"It washes away the day-to-day anxiety,” he added. At some point during this four-plus-hour dusk, he sits down at a local restaurant for beef from southern Greenland, brought hundreds of miles north by boat. Greenland is not at the top of the list for travelers for good reason. It never gets hot, there’s no swimming, no beaches and limited options for nightlife. There’s also no true night for that matter when the sun never sets—though in the winter, there’s hardly any daylight.

It’s a world of extremes. Author Annie Dillard once dared “people who shoot endless time-lapse films of unfurling roses and tulips” to “film the glaciers of Greenland, some of which creak along at such a fast clip that even the dogs bark at them.”

The territory (a part of Denmark) has been on Noble’s bucket list for over five years. Several days into the trip, he hops on one of two nearly identical red sailboats with a group of photographers who have made the trip to Ilulissat—a coastal town on Disko Bay—from around the world. They come from France, the Netherlands, Vietnam and all over the U.S. in search of the midnight sun.

In an hour, they’re within spitting distance of the fjords, glaciers and icebergs, a backdrop in a part of the world Noble has not quite seen before. This is the grand finale. He looks into the viewfinder on his Sony. The photos are otherworldly—a sea of warehouse-sized icebergs, humpback whales and seagulls. This is the moment he’s been waiting for.

“I always tell people that I’m really fortunate having chosen photography as my career because it’s my work, as well as a passion,” he said. “Using my camera on a trip like this is very different from going to a job.”

SHORT FILM FEST

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:51:02 GMT

photography by Charity Grace Mofsen

With 11 short films made on and inspired by the island, the Nantucket Short Film Festival put on an event not to be missed on stage at the Dreamland Theater. The winner of this year’s audience choice award was Penny Dey’s “Two Nights for a Quarter,” while N Magazine and Nantucket Current photographer Charity Grace Mofsen took home the best new filmmaker prize for her film, “The Meeting Place.” Since 2013,the Shorts Festival has provided a spotlight on local filmmaking, with dozens of comedies, documentaries, dramas and everything in between on the big screen for a night in October. Films are also available at nantucketshorts.com

HANNAH & HENRY

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:44:44 GMT

Hannah and Henry's
Nantucket wedding.

Bride and Groom: Hannah Godvin and Henry Meiring

Wedding Planner: Debi Lilly,A Perfect Event

Venue : Nantucket Yacht Club

Photographer: Zofia & Co. Photography

Caterer : Nantucket Yacht Club

Cake : PPX

Florist: Debi Lilly, A Perfect Even

Bridal Party Hair: Salon Adel (Westchester, New York), and Daiva Salon

Bridal Party Makeup: Salon Adel (Westchester, New York), Jeannie Vincent, and Paolina Beauty

Bride's Dress: Mira Zwillinger

Groom's Tuxedo : The Black Tux

Band : The Sultans

Officiant : Greg Fondell

NECESSITIES: WINTER 2025

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:32:37 GMT

Add these items to your winter wish list.

written by Nantucket Magazine

CURIOUS NO. 1 NONALCOHOLIC

POMEGRANATE NEGRONI SBAGLIATO

Curious No. 1 is a beautifully bitter booze-free cocktail inspired by the Negroni Sbagliato and infused with rhodiola to lift you up. Best served over a large cube and garnished with an orange slice or a twist,it’s the ideal cold-weather sipper.

CURIOUS ELIXIRS @curiouselixirs | curiouselixirs.com

ANKARSRUM ASSISTENT ORIGINAL

STAND MIXER

Renowned for its outstanding performance, the Ankarsrum Assistent Original® stand mixer is crafted in Sweden to the highest standards of quality and durability. Unlike traditional mixers with a stationary bowl and rotating blades, Ankarsrum’s innovative design features a 7.3-liter rotating bowl that mimics hand-kneading, delivering superior results.

ANKARSRUM @ankarsrumusa | ankarsrum.com

THE ACK TILES

Inspired by Nantucket, the ACK Tile collection is every Mahjong lover’s dream. This small-batch, bespoke set will bring the island to life wherever you are, whatever the season.

CENTER & SPRING @centerandspring | centerandspring.com

GNARLY VINES EAU DE PARFUM

A classic scent with an unexpected twist, Gnarly Vines draws inspiration from the fertile terrain of the mother-daughter duo owners’ Sonoma vineyard. Bright green citrus and delicate white flowers intertwine with an earthy depth, capturing the warmth and creaminess of sunshine layered with subtle complexity.

DANCING @dancingsonoma | wearedancing.com

THE CASHMERE CREWNECK

Alice Walk’s best-selling, perfectly oversized sweater – crafted from ultra-soft, luxe 3-ply cashmere – is now available in a rich new Cranberry hue. It’s the perfect pop of color for your winter wardrobe!

ALICE WALK @alice_walk | alicewalk.com

NANTUCKET NELLY & THE CHRISTMAS STROLL

It’s Christmas Stroll on Nantucket, and Nelly will do anything to see Santa! With her loyal pup, Beau, by her side, her holiday adventure soon turns into a whirlwind of mischief, chaos, and sparkling Christmas cheer

LISON BARONE & ANNABELLE MESZYNSKI @nantucketnellybooks | nantucketnellybooks.com

STROLLING INTO STYLE

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:14:46 GMT

Photographer: Brian Sager

Editorial Stylist: Petra Hoffmann

Hair Stylist: Darya Afshari Gault and John Stanielon of Darya Salon + Spa

Makeup Stylist: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

Models: Leela Anzenberger and Brian Hanley of Maggie Inc.

Location: 21 Broad Hotel

ALEX & AUSTIN

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Alex and Austin's
Nantucket wedding.

Bride and Groom: Alex Bukovac and Austin Torres

Officiant: Tim Dolan

Church : First Congregational Church

Venue : The Wauwinet

Wedding Planner: Handy & Dallaire

Rentals and Bars : The Event Rental Co.

Caterer : Toppers at the Wauwinet

Photographer: Zofia & Co

Band: Wilson Stevens

Flowers: Flowers on Chestnut

Bride's Dress: Oscar de la Renta

Bridal Hair & Makeup: Darya Salon & Spa

Groom's Tuxedo : Daniel George

Tent : Nantucket Tents

Paper Suite : Wouldn’t it be Lovely

Dunes to Dusk

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Photographer: Brian Sager

Editorial Stylist: Petra Hoffmann

Hair Stylist: John Stanielon of Darya Salon + Spa

Makeup Stylist: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

Assistance from Abby Jones, Katherine Jones and Elle Wentworth

Maggie Inc. Models: Brynn Beaudoin and Emma Sullivan

Lap of Luxury

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

A look inside Olson Twombly Interior Design’s newest home outside town

Written by Katherine Jones

Images courtesy of Wendy Mills Photography

Nestled at the edge of town, this modern Nantucket home blends sleek design with warmth and livability, accommodating a family of five and up to 25 guests. Designed by Olson Twombly Interior Design—a husband-and-husband team of Joe Olson and Clay Twombly—the home features custom furniture, a glass staircase, wine closet, 25-seat outdoor dining table and a private spa-like suite. The design balances luxury and comfort, creating a serene escape that will evolve with the family for years to come.

N MAGAZINE : What was the initial vision for this Nantucket home, and how did Nantucket influence the project?

JOE OLSON : As with any project, we partnered with the client to develop something tailored to their needs and personal taste. One of the first things they told us was that they needed to accommodate 25 guests who visit every Memorial Day weekend. It’s an annual tradition for the families, and they wanted a space where everyone could gather, including a single dining table, which we customized for the outdoor patio. The family is from Connecticut and loves entertaining all summer and during holiday weekends. They wanted a modern, contemporary feel that was still warm and beachy. We responded by creating interiors that feel spacious yet intimate. Each space was designed to nurture specific activities while maintaining a sense of closeness despite the large size of the home.

N MAGAZINE : How did you balance creating a luxurious, elevated home that was still personal and livable for a large family and their guests?

CLAY TWOMBLY : The materials were key. We chose natural, durable options—limestone, leather, stainless steel, natural oak—and used performance fabrics where needed. These choices kept the home feeling warm but easy to maintain, which was important for a house meant to host so many people.

N MAGAZINE : Were there any design challenges, and how did you work through them?

OLSON : The first major challenge was the staircase. The client wanted glass, so we designed an open-tread glass staircase that feels light and airy without taking up too much visual space. We also integrated a wine closet into the staircase. At the base of the stairs, we made the left wall one large glass panel looking directly into the wine closet. You can see through from one side of the room to the other, even through the staircase and wine closet. The second challenge was locating the fireplace and TV wall. We created a limestone-flanked fireplace wall that separates the living room from the foyer. It gives a grand entry while still feeling intimate and welcoming.

N MAGAZINE : Aside from the 25-seat table, were there other standout spaces that best represent your design approach?

OLSON : We designed much of the furniture—sofas, beds, ottomans—which let us achieve the exact look we wanted while ensuring durability. Another standout is the private suite we created for the homeowners. Initially, there was a primary bedroom upstairs and two bedrooms downstairs. We converted the downstairs into a full primary suite with a bedroom, walk-in closet, office and spa-like bathroom. The bathroom has a standalone tub, separate shower and water closet, and a wood-accented, sand-durable porcelain tile that mimics Calacatta marble. It gave the couple a peaceful retreat even when the house is full of guests.

N MAGAZINE : What role did artwork or curated objects play in shaping the home’s visual narrative?

TWOMBLY : It was a mix of client input and our selections. The client loves photography that represents the area, so we included works by Susan Lee, a local photographer, with abstract Nantucket scenes. We also introduced her to artists T.S. Harris and Greg Haynes. Haynes’ large, photorealistic paintings—like the mason jars—became bold focal points. Because we kept colors and materials neutral, the art brings a strong visual impact to the home.

N MAGAZINE : Was this project typical of your work?

TWOMBLY : This project reflects many of our client relationships. People come to us wanting to create something special—personal, durable and ideal for entertaining. There’s a playfulness in beach homes that we don’t always see in primary residences. It lets us add depth and personality while tailoring everything to the client’s lifestyle.

N MAGAZINE : Looking back, what’s the main takeaway you hope visitors experience when stepping into this home?

OLSON : Our approach is warm and approachable. We want people to feel at peace and like they’ve truly escaped. We also aim to set ourselves apart from traditional Nantucket design, leaning toward a modern, light aesthetic. This house, in particular, was designed to grow with the family. As their children return with their own families, it will continue evolving to reflect who they are.

License to Print Money

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Nantucket License Plates Raise Over $1 Million

Written by Katherine Jones
Photography by Kit Noble

What began as a stalled idea to get an antique car its perfect plate has evolved into one of Nantucket’s most unexpected success stories. The Nantucket specialty license plate program, launched by the Nantucket Lighthouse School and driven by community collaboration, has now surpassed $1.1 million in distributed funds for local nonprofits, all of which support programs for island children.

“I have a 1951 antique Buick,” said Robert Sarkisian, founder and chairman of the Nantucket License Plate initiative. “Years ago, I saw an application at the Steamship Authority for a Nantucket plate sponsored by the Nantucket Charitable Police Association. I filled it out and wrote a check — but nothing happened.” That program, run by a different sponsor at the time, fizzled out before reaching the state’s minimum 1,500 preorders. “It was a Herculean task to get 1,500 people to buy something that didn’t exist yet,” Sarkisian recalled.

Eventually, Sarkisian brought the idea to the Nantucket Lighthouse School, where he was serving as board chair. While there was some initial hesitation, he recognized that the project’s potential could extend well beyond a single institution. “The only way this became a success was when we realized it had to be a community plate,” Sarkisian said. “Once the island got on board, the task became a lot easier.”

Tucker Holland, a member of the Nantucket License Plate board, agreed. “Robert and I both were convinced that whether you’re a year-round resident or a seasonal resident, you’re going to feel good having a Nantucket plate on your car and knowing that that’s benefiting the children on the island,” he said.

In February 2015, the group jump-started the effort by submitting 1,500 prepaid applications to the state. License plates numbered 1-100 were auctioned off, raising more than $250,000. Plate number 1 went for $100,000. Today, more than 6,600 Nantucket plates are on the road. A standard plate costs $60. The Nantucket Specialty plate costs $100 to order, the $40 difference—$12 to the state and $28 to supporting island nonprofits—is tax-deductible. The plate’s largest beneficiary, the Nantucket Lighthouse School, receives 49 percent of proceeds. The remainder is split among 17 partner organizations, including A Safe Place, Fairwinds, the Community Foundation for Nantucket and the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club. The impact from the plates continues to ripple. Sarkisian said he’s seen firsthand how the funds have helped a range of local nonprofits.

“For my own church, the money helped support our children’s education and Sunday school program by supplementing the salary of our children and family minister,” Sarkisian said. “We operate on a tight annual budget, and staying sustainable is always a challenge. But those extra funds can mean school books or a new program within the organization.”

Anyone with a Massachusetts-registered vehicle—resident or not—can order a Nantucket plate online or at any full-service RMV location. To order a plate, visit mass.gov/rmv or stop by the Nantucket RMV.nantucketlicenseplate.org

Mah-Jongg Mania

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

How the Chinese tile game swept Nantucket.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

How a 19th-century Chinese men’s league game became a sensation in Jewish women’s groups in New York City still baffles some of the women who play it. Mah-jongg—a “pick and throw” game of slides and tiles engraved with Chinese characters—has since gotten a foothold among a younger crowd, despite its reputation as an old women’s game. ( The Washington Post recently labeled it “grandma’s favorite game.”)

On Nantucket, they play around a square table every week, whether it’s in their own home, a friend’s house or an inn or hotel. The game has become so popular on the island, you might even find people playing on an inflatable table on the beach—one of a growing number of game accessories that have become collector’s items. While it might come as a surprise that mah-jongg became as popular as it has on the island, the women who play it every Monday afternoon over a bottle of wine saw it coming.

“At first, there was a stigma about it as just an old ladies’ game. How boring is that?” said Robin Slick, one of the leaders of the mah-jongg group on Nantucket. “But it’s taken over in a new way. It’s a social event where we play a game and drink wine.” Come Monday, they’ll be gathered around a square table with their own tile sets and probably a glass of rosé—just like they did the previous Monday and just like they will do the next Monday. Places like the Nantucket Hotel and The Summer House are also falling like dominoes to the mah-jongg craze. Sometimes, Slick will see impromptu games among people she’s never met, including one game on the sand at Galley Beach.

“A new generation took a dusty old game and made it cool,” said Tanya McQueen Forman, a TV producer who hosts summer mah-jongg games at her house in ’Sconset. While the game itself consists of a complicated set of rules about matching tiles and betting, these weekly mah-jongg gatherings aren’t so much about winning as they are an opportunity to simply meet up with friends.

W hile mah-jongg has been played on Nantucket for decades, the weekly gatherings took off during COVID, first as online get-togethers in the thick of the pandemic, and later as a regular activity at a rotating group of homes on the island. “It simmered during COVID, and it’s on fire now,” McQueen Forman said. “It’s finding a reason to put down your phone and play together, and sometimes the only commonality is mah-jongg. It doesn’t matter where you came from or how old you are. The game is the common thread.”

The game happens in a hurry, a series of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moves that keep players’ eyes glued to the table—though not too complicated that players can’t gossip while they’re playing. To play, a group of four assembles around a table, forming matching or consecutive sets of tiles to rack up points, a tile version of gin rummy.

In recent years, the game has taken on a life of its own. Meghan Markle talked about it on her lifestyle series, With Love , Meghan . The game also made an appearance in the 2018 romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians . Even fashion brands like Ralph Lauren and Hermès have designed luxury mah-jongg sets that sell for thousands of dollars. Two other companies now sell Nantucket-inspired sets.

McQueen Forman grew up watching her mother-in-law play the game but didn’t show any interest in those days. “I didn’t know what it was, couldn’t spell it and didn’t really care,” she said. Slick was introduced to the game in her mid-30s alongside a group of new moms in the Berkshires. When she moved to Nantucket in 2019, one of her first calls was to Congregation Shirat Hayam to see if they organized mah-jongg games. Heather Merrill, who plays every Monday, only heard about the game when she watched it played on the big screen in Crazy Rich Asians. It was a coincidence when Slick asked her to play two years ago. Now she’s at the table every Monday.

“I was curious what the game was, and when we moved to the island, I said I would just love to find community again,” Merrill said. “It gives you the excuse to get together. It's making something out of nothing in a way, but also an opportunity to have conversations over drinks while you’re playing this game.”

At the end of the day, camaraderie is the name of the game. Usually, nobody is keeping score, and while it is a betting game, the most a player can lose in any one game is $5. Instead, it’s about building a community around people you might not otherwise meet and developing lasting friendships. Slick compares it to the 1978 rom-com Same Time, Next Year , about an affair kept in the shadows, except for one weekend when Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn rekindle a secret love. Mah-jongg is not an affair and it’s not a secret, she clarified, but it is a means to come back to a group of friends, at the same time, every Monday.

"We've become the closest friends,” McQueen Forman said. “Sometimes the only commonality you have is you know how to play mah-jongg or want to learn, and from there friendship stems. I look forward to 3 p.m. on Monday every week. It teases your brain. It’s the communal nature of it—a gathering, a sense of time. Blocking out a time that you look forward to."

Tackling a Boys Sport

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Ashley Klatt on the Whalers Football Team.

Written by David Creed

Photography by Kit Noble

As Katie Klatt suits up for the Nantucket High School cheerleading team for another Friday night home football game, her twin sister, Ashley Klatt, is lacing her cleats and throwing on shoulder pads. The twins will be the first to say they’re inseparable. But on Friday night, they couldn’t be more opposite. While Katie cheers from the sidelines, Ashley is staring down her opponent on the gridiron.

Being the only female athlete in a male-dominated sport was not something that came lightly. Not only is she the only girl on the Whalers’ football team—she’s almost always the only girl on either side of the ball every time she steps on the field. That, in and of itself, initially made her nervous, though she said her teammates have been supportive of her every time she takes the field. “Some people were stunned initially that I was playing, and some people said, ‘OK, fine, we’ll just deal with it,’” Ashley Klatt said.

A shley Klatt has always loved the game of football, though until recently, it’s only been as a fan. She grew up watching Dallas Cowboys games on TV with her dad and developed a passion for the game. Then in eighth grade, she happened upon a group of classmates tossing a football by the baseball field. She joined in and caught the attention of Nantucket Whalers assistant football coach Fervon Phillips. He asked Klatt if she would ever play football.

“Without even thinking, I just said yes,” she said. “I always think, ‘What if I ever said no?’” Klatt immediately began conditioning with Phillips, then an assistant coach for the Cyrus Peirce Middle School football team. “I would work every day with him after school,” she said.

She got stronger, though she still felt “extremely nervous” ahead of her first practice. “I had no idea who anybody was,” she added. “I was so scared and nervous, but I knew people from my grade, which was very helpful. I had my godbrother, Griffin Fox, who was a senior at the time, so he and all of his friends took me in like a little sister, and they were always there for me and made sure no one was being mean tome, even though they really weren’t.”

Klatt started out as a linebacker and safety but has played any number of positions, even on the offensive line. She was also put in at quarterback during her sophomore year in the fall of 2023, and even tossed a touchdown in a junior varsity game that fall despite dealing with a shoulder issue. “I have played safety my whole three years, and I could play any position, not saying I’m good at any position, but I could play any position because I’ve been put in practice,” Klatt said.

The biggest highlights of Klatt’s football career have so far included winning the Island Cup against Martha’s Vineyard last fall at Fenway Park and receiving her letterman jacket. “I love everything about football,” she said, “but if I could pinpoint one [favorite] thing, it’s probably the night before and the practice before a game—just the preparation and team bonding, the camaraderie.”

One of her biggest supporters, of course, is her sister, cheering her on from the sidelines. “She’s one of my biggest supporters,” Ashley said of Katie. “Having her go to cheerleading practice and me going to football practice, it’s like we’re going on our own paths, but we are still together and we’re there to support each other mentally, physically and all of that. We do everything together. She’s my best friend. She’s my other half.”

Throwing Caution to the Wind

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Will Nantucket sue Vineyard Wind?

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Gaven Norton was one of the first people to see the little green pieces of Styrofoam as they started washing up at Nobadeer Beach. It was the early morning, before Norton typically opens his surf school. Out on the beach and in the water, he saw what looked at first like massive hunks of seaweed, like a red tide approaching the shoreline. “I was one of the first people to see it, just piles and piles of green debris,” Norton said. “I was walking down the beach, throwing the stuff up the beach and realized it was an uphill battle.”

Norton, the owner of ACK Surf School, directed his staff to avoid the shards in the water when he saw perhaps one of the biggest pieces, a 20-foot shard of fiberglass. It wasn’t long after that lifeguards shutdown the beach to swimming, which meant Norton would have to close up shop—on one of the busiest weeks of the summer. “I was shut down for three days, but there was a prolonged effect of people seeing the story and they didn’t show up to lessons because they’re hearing it’s extremely dangerous to swim on the south shore,” he said.

It’s been just over a year since Vineyard Wind’s blade failure littered Nantucket’s beaches with thousands of pieces of green Styrofoam and fiberglass shards. In some ways, the story has been resolved. Beaches from Madaket to Sconset have been cleaned for months, and Norton’s surf school is back to operating in full swing. The town has even agreed toa $10.5 million settlement with GE Vernova, a $150 billion company that manufactured the turbine blades, as compensation for the blade failure. (The settlement also absolved Vineyard Wind from responsibility for the blade break.)

But even as Nantucket’s South Shore returns to normal, some key questions remain unanswered, and islanders are pressing Vineyard Wind for answers—and asking the town to do more about it.

“Now what’s happened is we’ve settled with GE Vernova for a relative pittance, and the worst part is that it indemnifies Vineyard Wind, who gave us zero and didn’t even talk with us. They got away scot-free, so does anybody really think it was a good deal? It was a crime,” said Amy DiSibio, a board member of ACK for Whales, a Nantucket Group opposed to Vineyard Wind. “We’ve asked the Select Board a thousand times to join us in a lawsuit and they don’t have to pay, but they don’t listen,” she added. “When there is opposition and the squeaky wheels are squeaky enough, then stuff happens. Can you think of a squeakier wheel than Nantucket?"

While the Select Board has not sued Vineyard Wind directly, they have increasingly called out the company in public forums. When Vineyard Wind did not sign the $10.5 million settlement, town officials stated they found Vineyard Wind “wanting in terms of its leadership, accountability, transparency, and stewardship in the aftermath of the blade failure and determined that it would not accept Vineyard Wind as a signatory to the settlement.”

Just two weeks after that settlement, the Nantucket Select Board laid into Vineyard Wind even harder during a press conference, sending the company a list of demands, including communication of all emergencies to town officials, regular project updates, and a $10 million escrow fund to cover any potential future cleanup costs. “When confronted about these failures ,Vineyard Wind has pointed a finger at everyone but themselves,” Select Board member Brooke Mohr said. “They even blame Nantucket and the ocean. That is not leadership. Nantucket provided Vineyard Wind with half a dozen opportunities to adopt protocols for greater accountability, and they have failed to step up.”

Select Board member Dawn Hill did not rule out a potential suit against Vineyard Wind, though other members of the Select Board have not seemed as inclined to take up legal action. The town could also exit the $16 million so-called Good Neighbor Agreement it signed with Vineyard Wind in 2021, which provided mitigation funding for historic, cultural and economic impacts from the wind farm in exchange for public support of the project. One co-signor, the Maria Mitchell Association, dropped out of that agreement last year, while over 2,000 islanders have signed a petition calling on the town to withdraw from the deal, as well. But exiting that agreement seems unlikely. Select Board members argue it’s the town’s primary legal tool if it ultimately chooses to sue.

"The value of the [Good Neighbor Agreement] has been a hotly debated topic in our community,” Mohr said in a statement in July. “At this time, we believe that withdrawal from the [Good Neighbor Agreement] would actually weaken our town’s position in terms of making these assertions and demands to Vineyard Wind today, and keeping the [Good Neighbor Agreement] in place for the moment is the most effective legal tool we have, and we believe that walking away from this agreement would prove to be a symbolic gesture only.”

In July, Vineyard Wind, for its part, turned on its ADLS lighting system, which flashes red lights only when airplanes are in the vicinity, and said it would resume “traditional communications and coordination with the town in a manner that supports a productive dialogue.” But even with those assurances, ACK for Whales is not convinced the Select Board has done enough.

“We get no benefit from this, we’re bearing a heavy brunt, and yet the Select Board says we have to support an industry,” DiSibio said. “We don’t support industries that are owned by foreign energy companies. Our job is to take care of what is best for this island.”

Vineyard Wind did not return a request for comment. Hill—who has lambasted the project over its visual and environmental impacts—said she is still waiting to see if Vineyard Wind will hold up its end of the bargain on multiple other demands from the board, though she’s not optimistic. “If they meet the lists of demands and it’s satisfactory and they stay within the Good Neighbor Agreement, I believe that will satisfy the majority of the board,” Hill said. “But I’m not confident [in Vineyard Wind]. The visual impact of this project is still greater than what I anticipated, and if I could go back I would have pushed harder in the beginning to make sure that these were farther away. It’s difficult. Vineyard Wind has been permitted and we are trying to work within the parameters of where we’re at.”

The jury is still out on legal action against Vineyard Wind—or any of the other wind farms with federal lease sites down the Eastern Seaboard. ACK for Whales has taken its challenge of the project all the way to the Supreme Court, though the high court declined to hear the case. Other groups have sued over the federal approval of offshore wind farms, including in Maryland and New Jersey, with mixed success. A 200-turbine wind farm off Cape May, New Jersey, has been halted following legal action and the erasure of a massive investment into the project. Officials in Ocean City, Maryland, have sued the federal agency that approved another wind farm off the Maryland coast.

Many state and federal officials, meanwhile, have maintained strong support for offshore wind as an alternative energy source to greenhouse gases. According to Vineyard Wind, the 800-megawatt offshore project has the capacity to generate energy for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the state, reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 1.6 million tons per year—part of a Biden administration goal of creating 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. With the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant decommissioned, state officials on Beacon Hill are also exploring the possibility of purchasing natural gas or importing hydropower from Canada—though it’s become a potentially volatile option in the ongoing trade war. The status quo has also been expensive—as of April, Massachusetts consumers pay the fourth highest price for electricity in the country (30.65 cents per kilowatt hour), behind only Hawaii, Connecticut and California.

State Sen. Julian Cyr, who represents Nantucket, has called on Vineyard Wind for greater transparency and accountability after the blade failure, though he cautioned against abandoning offshore wind altogether. In a statement in July, he said he remains a “strong supporter of our transition to renewable energy, and offshore wind is a key part of the commonwealth’s broader strategy to lower energy costs and power our future responsibly. For the coastal communities where I live and represent, that transition is urgent and essential—rising seas are already flooding our downtowns and waterfronts. Yet that transition must occur in sustained partnership with the communities that host renewable energy projects. Nantucket deserves clear answers, better communication, and a seat at the table with this and every offshore project that impacts the island.”

Book Smart

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Exposing Nantucket’s youth to bestselling authors

Written by Mary Haft

Photography by Kit Noble

Wh en Meg Medina greets the crowd of seven- and eight-year-olds packed into the Nantucket High School auditorium, she gets a much louder response to “Buenos días,” than she does when she says, “Good morning.” Medina, an award-winning children’s book author of Cuban descent, writes in both English and Spanish—something that’s become increasingly appealing on the island, where nearly two in five students at Nantucket Public Schools identify as Hispanic or Latino.

"I think encouraging people to read widely, to read stories that feel very familiar to them, and also stories that feel really unfamiliar about places and people and ways of seeing the world that are very different, are important to just open their eyes to the world,” said Medina, a former Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Nantucket has a rich and deeply textured community of people from all over the globe—Eastern Europe, Latin America, Nepal, Jamaica—and all across the United States. Today, the island has one of the most socioeconomically and culturally diverse populations in Massachusetts, a fact most island visitors rarely see or understand. At the public schools, the student body is majority-minority, and it has become increasingly diverse over the last few decades.

It’s this complex world that teachers and librarians now grapple with, and are inspired by, to enlarge their students’ worlds beyond the borders of the island. One of the anchors of their work is the nearly 15-year partnership with the Nantucket Book Foundation in creating the Visiting Authors in Schools program, which drew inspiration from the PEN/Faulkner Foundation Writers in Schools program and reaches every child from kindergarten to 12th grade on Nantucket, including the island’s two independent schools.

There are lessons learned beyond the classroom. Bringing world-renowned authors who are writing the books that children want to read and who themselves represent a broad range of backgrounds, views and cultures, inspires and empowers children to understand that they have agency over their own lives. “The Visiting Authors program at NHS has been a game changer for our entire school community,” said NBF board member Jill Surprenant, a librarian and Spanish teacher herself. “I’ve witnessed a culture shift as we consistently host award-winning, intellectually stimulating professional writers to speak to our students. Their inspirational stories and tales of struggle and persistence not only resonate with our young people, but ultimately plant needed seeds of hope and resilience in their hearts and minds.”

Librarian and NBF board member Rebecca Hickman added: “Introducing these amazing and wildly popular authors to island students is a powerful way to ignite a lifelong love of reading, inspire creativity and foster a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives.” These author visits infuse the school community with fresh energy and a sense of renewed purpose, as well as the gift of stories that children carry home to their own families.

Recent visiting authors have included Medina, as well as K.A. Holt, Kwame Alexander, Jacqueline Woodson, Gordon Korman and many others. Two more will visit the island this fall: Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, the co-authors of The Bletchley Riddle , inspired by the real-life codebreakers during World War II.

Sepetys and Sheinkin have long understood the uniquely bonding experience that sharing stories allows. “We’re all in this together: teachers, librarians and students,” Sheinkin said. These threads connect in the exploration of history and story, sparking curiosity and interest. “When we share our stories and stories of the past, we allow others to better understand us,” Sepetys said.

Jason Reynolds, a New York Times bestselling author, has also spoken on the island through the Visiting Authors in Schools program. He said he likes to walk into those talks with an open heart and an open mind. In 2019, Reynolds—who grew up in Washington, D.C.—told N Magazine he found reading boring as a child and only turned to reading and writing through listening to rap music, which he said “saved [his] life."

"I just know that young people are craving something honest,” Reynolds said this summer. “They’re craving to be challenged, to step up to the plate or to rise to the level to have complex conversations. I’ll figure out a way to communicate very honestly about the world in which we live, and I would do so from a human space first, before I think about how many years you have been on this Earth.”

Empowering students to take hold of their own lives and futures matters. They don’t have to aspire to be a writer; learning to communicate can further their goals in whatever direction they’re headed. Helping each child build a better version of themselves helps to build a better world. “I say to kids that there were moments that I found growing up that were excruciating —there were also joyous moments, but there were very hard ones, and we get through those,” Medina said. “Because I write for young people, that feels like the urgent message to me now—that they can persevere and hang on.”

Even Keel

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Nantucket One Design at 100 Years

Written by Anne-Carter Riggs

Photography by Kit Noble

To sail competitively is to accept a certain level of discomfort. Damp clothes, cold wind and the strange positions sailors contort into—all of these factors are pillars of the sport. Even in a modern age of sailing, there might not be a more uncomfortable boat than the Nantucket One Design, a small skiff better known as an Indian that is celebrating 100 years on the water this year.

Almost exclusively sailed in Nantucket Harbor, the Indian holds more than just sailing in its design—it holds history. “I think the people who do join the Indian fleet are not doing it purely because they love racing or because they love sailing, but they love Nantucket and they want to be a part of something that is associated with the history of the island,” fleet captain Anthony Schweizer said.

The Indian’s hull, with the tall centerboard trunk and low boom, forces its sailors to squeeze through a small gap when tacking. The gunwale pokes out and is directly where the sailors sit, giving sailors dark bruises on their thighs. Despite the discomfort, the sailors of the Indian fleet have been competing weekly every summer since its creation in 1926. The boats bear Wampanoag names: Capaum, Dionis, Madequecham, Nippanoose, Polpis, Quaise and Sachem . Each 21-foot-long hull is a distinct color, manned by two to four people, and each boat’s wide mainsail is topped with two feathers.

As all old wooden things do, the boats began to fall apart, and by 1986, the fleet had dwindled to two boats, helmed by George Constable and Vladi Kagan. Even with just two boats, the fleet’s competitive nature was still alive and well. “It came down to the last day of the year, to see who got to win the season,” Constable’s son, Bobby, said. “Apparently it was such a big deal that a whole lot of spectators went out just to watch the race because they knew it was these two old legends battling it out.

The tenacity and uniqueness of the fleet, even with its aging boats, caught the eye of the late Alan Newhouse. He took it upon himself to revive the fleet and, with the help of Dan Avoures in Florida, took the wooden hull of one boat, Nippanoose , and made a fiberglass mold.

One by one, Alan and his wife, Virginia, would tow the newly built Indians from Tampa to Nantucket. He ensured these boats went to good homes, making people promise to race them and that they would never take them off the island. In the end, approximately 20 boats were personally delivered by him just in time to race in the summer of 1987. His daughter, Nancy Newhouse, has a photo of her father wearing a shirt that says: “There is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

The One Design subsequently made a comeback. On some nights, known fondly as Moonlight Madness, the fleet would sail to the Head of the Harbor at sunset, returning under the light of the moon. One summer, the fog shrouded the harbor, so they anchored in the fog, only able to hear one another. Nancy Newhouse’s son, also named Alan, came to rescue the crew, but “we said no,” Nancy recalled. “I don’t know why we said no. Those were the things that we just loved to do.” They only returned at six in the morning.

The fleet also participates in traditions like the Constable Cup, a three-day regatta that includes a skit as a mandatory aspect of the competition, as well as a yearly sail to the beach fora picnic, both of which get non-racers involved in the fleet. By drawing in the sailors’ families, the Indian fleet has become more than just competitors—they are friends. Whether the sailors grew up on these uncomfortable boats or were invited to race later on—the fleet has prospered because all its members have a fierce love for it.

West Riggs, chairman of the Race Committee at the Nantucket Yacht Club, became an Indian sailor at 20 years old because Vladi Kagan needed another crew member. Schweizer began sailing when he was 10 years old, invited by George Constable who was “appalled” that he had never been on one. Both now own their own Nantucket One Designs and have passed down their love for the fleet to their children. “Nothing endures for that long without bringing joy” Schweizer said.

The Last Drummer Standing

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Drummer Corky Laing plays the Dreamland.

Written by John Stanton

Photography by Janette Vohs

I t is both island lore and rock history that on one hot summer night in 1969, at the legendary Nantucket night club Thirty Acres, a power outage meant that the band on stage had only one instrument that could still make music because it was not electrified, the drums. The 21-year-old drummer, who had wandered down from Montreal with a band made up of his childhood pals and found a gig as the summertime house band, kept up the beat. Seeing one of his friends dancing with a beautiful woman to that solo beat on that hot summer evening, the young drummer could not stop himself from adding some impromptu lyrics.

he drummer was Corky Laing. The rock radio staple “Mississippi Queen” had just been born. “We were playing someplace in Massachusetts and we got a call from our agent,” he said. “He said, ‘There’s a place called Nantucket. You have to get there by boat. There is a club that’s firing the band that is there now, and they have to replace them by next week.’”

The gig lasted two summers. Thirty Acres fired him when he started playing original songs. The friend, artist Roy Bailey, and the woman who inspired Laing’s lyrics, Carole Webster, have both passed. Thirty Acres is now just the name on a street sign. But Laing, now77, still gets behind the drums every day. Laing returned to Nantucket for a show at the Dreamland Theater that he called “Corky Laing’s rock Review,” which he performed with several musicians from the Finnish bands he now plays in, as well as Nantucket musicians Floyd Kellogg, Jake Vohs and Jeff Ross.

“This is the third time I’ve been invited back to play Nantucket,” Laing said. “I grew up with my audience here. I don’t have Jersey like Springsteen does, but to me the soundtrack for my life is in Nantucket. And it’s the same for a lot of the people who come to my shows. It’s areal wonderful feeling."

If you turned on your car radio in the early 1970s, or spent time thumbing through albums in a record store, you knew Mountain. A hard blues power trio, the band released their first album, Mountain Climbing!, in March 1970, and it spent 39 weeks on the Billboard 200 charts, rising as high as number 17. The album earned a gold record that year.

Laing made it when he was young. He had his moment of fame when he received his first gold record at only 22. He has been a really good drummer for a really long time now. Laing went from Energy, the band playing on that long ago summer night, to Mountain, joining Leslie West on guitar and Felix Pappalardi on bass.

“It’s a great journey—brilliant,” Laing said. “I had my rough times; fell off the wagon, was miserable. But as soon as I sit behind the drum set everything is okay again,” he said. “I’m just trying to get better. One of these days I’m going to be a really good drummer.”

The 1970s and early 1980swere powered by heavy drummers like The Who’s Keith Moon, Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, and Ginger Baker, who played with a number of bands including Cream and Blind Faith. All three have died. Laing’s old bandmates West and Pappalardi are also gone. In many ways, Laing is the last great rock drummer from those days. Mountain never became a legendary rock band like Led Zeppelin or The Who. But music ran through his veins, and he kept playing and found a way to make it work, playing with Mountain as well as joining with West and bassist Jack Bruce to form another band that helped define the hard blues vibe of the early 1970s—West, Bruce and Laing. It was a sort of musical coincidence that Bruce also played bass and sang for the legendary band Cream, alongside Eric Clapton on guitar and Ginger Baker on drums. Cream’s first record, Disraeli Gears, was produced by Pappalardi.

“It was all just coincidental. I knew Leslie and Felix, and when Energy got fired from Nantucket, we went to New York with our tails between our legs,” Laing said. “Felix had this loft where bands practiced and he let us sleep there. It was the summer of ’69. To me it is luck. I was lucky to be able to play with the very top-of-the-line rockers,” he said. “All I ever did was try to keep up.” As soon as Mountain began making money Laing bought a house on the island and made it into his refuge from life on the road. He lived on the island until the early 1990s. “Nantucket always had a lotto do with my inspiration,” he said. “It still does. Now I travel around playing Nantucket Sleighride and explaining to people in Lithuania what it means.”

"I never thought I’d be close to 80 years old playing songs I wrote and played when I was 21 years old,” he added. “It’s great when you think of it. The sad part is, I seem to be the only one around from those days. I feel like the last man standing, but the music, the repertoire, is still there. It is what it is.”

Laing could make the drums rock as hard as any of them, playing so hard he often broke his sticks and simply tossed them into the audience and picked up anew pair to keep the beat going. Sixty years later he is still making his way through life by banging on those drums. “Performing hasn’t changed. When I’m on the stage in Nantucket, I am 18 years old again. The people in Scandinavia give me the same thrill. It’s not even really me; it’s the songs. Plenty of people in Finland, in those audiences, don’t even speak English, but they love the music.”

These days, Laing tours Europe with a band called Corky Laing’s Mountain. “They play about a dozen Mountain and West, Bruce and Laing songs,” Laing said. “They’re in Italy and I’m going over next month to tour Italy with them. Then maybe Germany and Austria while we are there. We just drive around in a van, like an old-school tour.”

Is it tough for him to be on the road at his age, well past the days of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll? “Was it Dizzy Gillespie who once said he didn’t get paid to play, he got paid to travel? I’ll play for free if I don’t have to go anywhere,” he said. Corky Laing seems to be having a great time doing what he has always done. “If you love playing music, you will keep playing music. You might not pay for the house or the car with it, but I’ve learned that really isn’t the point,” he said. “I’m lucky because I always made a living.

Calling the Shots

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Top-rated Boston sports radio host Mike Felger

Interview by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Mike Felger might be the most influential person in Boston, at least according to the Boston Globe . Felger, a former Boston Herald sports reporter, is the co-host of Felger & Mazz on 98.5 The Sports Hub, the highest-rated radio show in Boston. On the air, he’s become well known for his passionate and sometimes controversial opinions and criticisms, not only of Boston sports, but of seemingly everything around New England. Off the air, he’s an easy-going Boston sports guy who’s been vacationing to Nantucket since 1993, and who’s lived on the island with his wife—Boston 25 news anchor Sara Underwood—since 2008.

N Magazine : What brought you to Nantucket?

Felger : My roommate out of college had a place in Wauwinet where they had been for decades. In the early ’90s, he started taking me and our other roommate to Nantucket, and I fell in love with it like everybody else. I don’t know how you couldn’t. When I met my wife, the first place I took her to was Nantucket. It’s been a big part of our family for over 30 years.

N Magazine : You’ve seen your fair share of sports titles in Boston, including the Celtics’ win last year. How confidentare you in the Celtics’ new ownership group?

Felger : I’m not. That’s not to say they’re bad people or that they're going to drive a franchise into the ground. I'm not saying that, but I don't know. What assurances would any fan have based on their actions so far based on what [Bill Chisholm] does for a living? The whole model of private equity shouldn't fill you with confidence. It's healthy to approach everything with a natural bit of skepticism, and that applies here. I think anyone has to prove themself, and he has to prove himself. Until he does, I would be concerned about the direction of the team.

N Magazine : That ownership group paid $6.1 billion for the Celtics, and yet they’re the one of only a handful of teams in the NBA that doesn’t own its own arena. Was that too much money?

Felger : Absolutely. Fans don't realize it, but because of that situation, the Celtics are closer to a mid-market team thana big-market team. Their franchise valuations are high, even though they don't own the building, they still got a great number for their franchise, and it's valued high, but in terms of day-in, day-out revenue, they're closer to a mid market than a big market because of that stadium situation. I think that's a factor. When they started loading up and signing all these salaries, I remember saying three years ago they can't afford this. They're not Steve Ballmer and the Clippers. They're not the Warriors with all those amazing revenues. There's no way they're going to be able to afford that.

N Magazine : Turning to the Patriots, how do you rank Drake Maye among NFL quarterbacks? Is there a chance he’ll be a top 10 quarterback?

Felger : He better be. If not, I think there’s trouble. He has absolutely all the natural ability to be a top 10 quarterback in the league. I don't think anyone can dispute that. His level of greatness is going to come down to a lot of the intangibles—his head, his heart, his football intelligence, his leadership, his toughness, his ability in clutch situations. All of those things that don't show up in a scouting report. That's what it's going to come down to. Mac Jones did not have the arm talent. He didn't have the natural physical ability. But I think Mike Vrabel is a good guy for [Maye], because I think he’s a good motivator, and he gets it.

N Magazine : What’s your season prediction for the Patriots?

Felger : I have them at seven to nine wins. To me, if they are anything less than seven wins, they failed. If they have less than seven wins, something went wrong. I know the roster is still in the bottom third of the league, but they have an easy schedule, and if Maye is good, they have to be at least average. There are very few bad teams with good quarterbacks. It just doesn't work that way. If you have a good quarterback, you're at least middle of the pack, and that's what I expect.

N Magazine : Can you definitely say whether it was Brady or Belichick? Does Belichick’s legacy hinge on his success at UNC?

Felger : It’s not even close. It was Brady. I think Belichick’s legacy took a hit with what happened post-Brady. After Brady left, Brady won and Bill didn’t, and not only did he not win, he didn’t come close. Belichick is still going to be in the Hall of Fame. He's still going to be considered one of the greatest coaches of all time, and as we get further on in history, people will look back and he'll be considered one of the greats, so maybe this stuff here at the end won't even be considered. But here and now, he's taking a hit. But make no mistake, I am rooting for him. I would love to see Bill have success at UNC. I would love to see him come back to the NFL. I would love to see him win again at a high level. That would be a great story, and would flip the narrative one more time, so I hope he does it.

N Magazine : The Red Sox also have the number-one prospect in baseball (Roman Anthony) and a potential Cy Young winner (Garrett Crochet) in their rotation. What are their chances of winning this year?

Felger : Baseball has shown that unless you're really willing to spend at a high level, it can be fleeting. Baltimore was supposed to be in that spot too, and they've fallen right off. Something tells me it's because maybe they relied too much on what they had, and they're not spending enough and not bringing outside talent. If you have a good young roster, which Boston does, there’s a chance. But is John Henry willing to spend like he used to?

N Magazine : Will they spend like they used to, or have they become a small-market team?

Felger : About 20 years ago, they prioritized the Red Sox. They cared about winning championships and beating the Yankees. Somewhere around 2018 I think they became more like a business. Their sports portfolio grew. It's kind of easy to see. They bought [Liverpool FC], they bought the racing team, they bought the Pittsburgh Penguins. They really want to diversify that portfolio. Having an English Premier League champion is a pretty sexy deal. That's a pretty big deal internationally. If John Henry is more interested in Liverpool than the Red Sox, it’s hard to blame him from that standpoint. That’s what's happened, and I don't see how it changes. I don't see Henry looking at the Red Sox like he did when he first bought the team.

N Magazine : Are you optimistic at all about the Bruins?

Felger : No. I'm not sure what there is to be optimistic about. They’re starting from the bottom third of the league here. They're going to have some high draft picks here, but their system has been so depleted for so long. I do not think it's a strength of [Bruins general manager] Don Sweeney, and now this is how they're rebuilding. His draft picks have not been stellar, and now we're going to turn around and say he has to hit on all these picks.

N Magazine : With the millionaires tax in Massachusetts, has it become harder to attract athletes?

Felger : Maybe a small factor in a very few cases. I don't want to say it's a zero factor, but it's not nearly the factor that some people think. If that were the case, how do the Dodgers land free agent after free agent after free agent, because their taxes in California are worse than ours. If you want to bring in an athlete, you can pay him a little bit more to make up for what he was going to lose in taxes if he signed in Massachusetts versus Texas, so you could just pay a premium for the player.

N Magazine : From a consumer’s perspective, what do you make of the streaming wars that have forced fans to purchase more than a handful of streaming platforms?

Felger : It's getting to the point that I almost want the government to look at it. The consumer has been done such a disservice by what's going on with streaming in general, but specifically the sports fan for the cost of it, the complexity of it and the confusion of it. We have been screwed so badly by what's going on here by the streaming services, that it's consumer fraud. If this were another industry selling another product, and the consumer was put through the ringer the way sports have been put through the ringer, I think there would be a congressional hearing on it.

N Magazine : How do you balance being a fan and having a healthy skepticism in a sports team?

Felger : There isn't much of a balance. We're very rarely homers, so we’re not that balanced. I think sports radio is at its best when it's critical and people are complaining or critiquing. I think that's the DNA of the medium, it’s just how we're wired. Tony and I both worked at the Boston Herald 25 years ago, which was a scrappy, controversial, critical talking tabloid, and I think Tony and I bring that to the radio. That's really what it's about. For me, it's easy. I'm not from here, and while I do want the teams to win, they're not my teams. I'm not a traditional fan of them. I don't lose any sleep when they lose. So it's easy for me to find that place.

Cleared for Takeoff

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Julian Joffe builds his own airplane.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

J ulian Joffe’s hangar at Nantucket Memorial Airport is more of a workshop, if anything. For the past three summers, Joffe, a Nantucket summer resident and former CEO of a Vermont-based manufacturing company, has been meticulously assembling the thousands of pieces that came in a box the day he decided to build his own airplane. While he might just be one of dozens of amateur pilots on the island, he’s the only one who has gone the extra mile of building his own plane, a tedious project that completely transformed not only his hangar, but his approach to aviation. It’s the first experimental airplane built on Nantucket in decades.

"Some people do this because it’s a less expensive way to get into flying, but for me, I’m retired, I love building s**t, and so I did it,” he said. “When you choose a plane, you have to decide what your vision is. Do you take people on angel flights across the country, do you fly for business all over the place, do you buzz around or do you fly for the fun of it? I fly because I want to keep my hand in aviation until the day I die, which hopefully won’t be at the hands of an airplane.”

The project took Joffe one and a half years to complete, divided over three summers, almost exclusively inside his hangar. Every piece of the plane arrived in a wooden crate, from the wings to the propeller to the landing gear. Except for the fuselage, every part of the airplane was at some point sitting on the shelf, with checkpoints marked on an owner’s manual and parts listed in an internal numerical system Joffe devised specifically for the project. Being a manager at an engineering company and logging 3,000 hours as a pilot turned out to be enough practice to build an airplane. He wasn’t flying by the seat of his pants. “I’m very mechanical,” he said.

In some ways, flying has taken Joffe to new heights. It’s also nearly cost him his life. Just a few days before Easter in 2015, Joffe couldn’t help but notice the storm system making its way through upstate New York. Joffe had been planning on flying his Beechcraft Bonanza A36 aircraft with his wife to visit their children in Georgia for the holiday, but looking at the forecast, he thought better of flying the single-propeller plane into the oncoming storm, so he left one day early. It was a decision that saved his life.

Only 45 minutes into the flight, just as Joffe had passed over Albany airspace, he heard an unusual thumping sound that made his stomach drop. “Suddenly the engine sounded like a washer-dryer on tumble dry, just ‘thump, thump,’” Joffe said. “I had about six minutes to figure out what we were going to do.” Had the engine failure happened one day later—the day he had planned on flying—he would have been sent spiraling downward in a storm with near-zero visibility. But his was a sunny day, and in those six minutes, he searched desperately for a safe place to land.

“With no visibility, if you’re coming down without an engine and you don’t know where you’re going, you’re probably going to crash into something very hard and die,” he said. “But this way, I was able to find a valley. I looked down, saw narrow roads and trees. And then close by was a big open field tucked into a valley. I left the gear up so I could land without flipping over, and it was a perfect landing. I could have had my seatbelt off.”

Joffe’s Beechcraft Bonanza skidded for about a quarter mile in a field in the Catskills before coming to a stop in front of a group of three dozen grazing deer. Neither Joffe or his wife, Kerry Joffe, were injured in the crash. The couple walked away from the plane without so much as a scratch. The cause of the crash was later determined to be a loose lug nut. “The sun came out and the first thing I thought was, ‘Are we in heaven?’” Kerry Joffe said.

Julian Joffe purchased another plane after the Beechcraft crash—a six-seat Piper Meridian M500 turboprop that was too wide to fit in his hangar at Nantucket Memorial Airport. But he didn’t end up getting much use out of it—he assures me it wasn’t because of the plane crash just years earlier. At a certain point, Joffe—an engineer by practice and a lifetime aviation enthusiast—decided it was time to take flying into his own hands in a completely new way. So in 2022, he purchased the pieces to the brand-new 23-foot Carbon Cub that he would assemble himself in the hangar.

"I'm not into cars. Building a car is not something I ever entertained doing. Plus, the challenge of flying a [back-heavy] tail dragger was something I wanted to achieve. Flying this plane is much more intense than flying any other plane,” Joffe said. “Flying is not a physical thing. It’s not like surfing; there’s no muscle memory. It’s all about understanding what’s happening in the plane, and the more you read or the more videos you watch, the more you learn about the art of flying. It’s not a science at all."

Three summers later, Joffe estimates the project is 99.99% completed. After driving the plane on the taxiway, all he has left is a final registration and inspection through the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as a flight by a test pilot, before he can take it in the air. Once he’s airborne, he can hit a maximum cruising speed of 140 mph and a maximum altitude of 14,000 feet for a 700-mile trip on 35 gallons of fuel.

And if there was any fear of crashing, Joffe can rest assured he’s in control of every piece of the plane, down to the last lug nut. “If I get scared, I just get focused,” he said. “When you panic, your brain goes into a neutral mode and you don’t think, and instincts take over. But flying is a fun thing to do. Flying this plane is special, if you can achieve something as challenging as this. This plane is a different ballgame.”

Dress to Impress

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Nantucket's Madeline Malenfant competes on Project Runway

Interview by Brian Bushard

M adeline Malenfant did not start sewing until she had graduated from college, which might come as a surprise to anyone who’s seen her compete on the most recent season of Project Runway . But over the past few years, Malenfant—the daughter of retired Steamship Authority Captain Bruce Malenfant and Nantucket Town Moderator Sarah Alger—has made a fashion statement in a big way.

In 2021, she launched her own clothing brand, and is the head designer of the lifestyle brand Cult of Individuality. And as one of 12 contestants on Heidi Klum’s longtime fashion competition series Project Runway , she was competing this season for a grand prize of $200,000, a spread in Elle magazine and a six-month representation with Agentry PR.

N Magazine : You grew up surrounded by island clothing institutions and boutiques. Did they shape your fashion sense?

Malenfant : The thing that shaped me the most—more than the clothes I’m surrounded by—is the history of the place. It’s the preserved architecture and the beauty that we all try to maintain and work so tirelessly to do. Growing up with Sarah Alger as my mom, I spent lots of time that I probably shouldn’t have outside of school, very bored at [Historic District Commission] meetings. What I gathered from that was that this island really values history and beauty, and I think that those things are really integral to my design ethos.

N Magazine : Are there certain eras of Nantucket style that might be underappreciated or lost in time?

Malenfant : My brother and I do a lot of research on the fashion history of Nantucket, because we’ve often toyed with the idea of making our own brand here. There are a couple of things we’ve been trying to figure out via vintage photos—these pants that sailors used to wear, and I don’t know if they doctored the pants themselves but they have these red fabric as patches on their pants. They’re bright white deckhand pants with these red patches, probably to cover up holes from lots of work, and those seem to be forgotten. I would also say madras is definitely falling short these days. It’s such a crazy textile, it’s really hard to get right, and it’s really hard to get it to look good, but it’s a really cool idea.

N Magazine : Did you grow up watching Project Runway?

Malenfant : I indeed did. I had season two on DVD and probably watched it six times through.

N Magazine : Did you ever think you would compete on the show?

Malenfant : I definitely didn’t. I didn’t start sewing until I was 22 and I was in college. Until that point, resources felt limited on Nantucket—it felt like I couldn’t find a place to learn how to sew, and maybe I was limiting myself, and I think I carried that belief into my 20s. I would watch [the contestants] and be completely amazed at what they were doing on TV and think to myself, “How in the world are you capable of doing this in that short amount of time?”

N Magazine : What career did you initially pursue?

Malenfant : I studied visual arts with a focus in sculpture. The career was as an artist, always, not necessarily in the fashion industry. I felt that because fashion was a commodity, it was going to be a lot easier to go into that field. That’s what maybe initially made me pivot.

N Magazine : How do you define your approach to fashion? Is there a core philosophy you adhere to?

Malenfant : I think the core philosophy is quite simple. I try to work on it every day. I try to think about it every day. I truly believe that if you want to do something creative, you really, really have to work. You have to spend the time doing it. That’s not to say that I don’t spend a lot of time moping around. I take days off. It’s really hard to succeed as a creative. My goal is to just keep pushing and pushing, and if you end up putting enough time into it, something will work out. And thus far, at least, it’s worked out.

N Magazine : On Project Runway, you're always up against the clock. How does that compare to your usual work?

Malenfant : I talk a lot about trial and error, and I realized on the show that that’s a part of my process. Those are the things that you learn under a time crunch—your creative process doesn't necessarily work all the time.

N Magazine: What was your experience working with Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia and Law Roach, or celebrity guest judges like Tyra Banks, Sofia Vergara and Nikki Glaser?

Malenfant : Insane. I was definitely starstruck by Heidi Klum. But more than being starstruck, they were actually really valuable. I like to think that I really listened to them and took their feedback. There are moments when you feel like you’re on TV and you say, “Is this me and my real body?” Then you realize that they’re obviously real people giving you real advice and listening to you and taking the time to look at your work, critique it and give you a thoughtful response about it.

N Magazine : Tell us about your clothing brand you created.

Malenfant : My brand has a fascination with historical and vintage eras with a modern twist. There’s a big emphasis on the Renaissance era. I take a lot of inspiration from that era, mainly because I studied it a lot in costume design school [at the London College of Fashion], but I take inspiration from all eras. I worked on a collection that mainly focused on 1950s Dior silhouettes. Anything is fair game for me, but I definitely look toward the past in my brand.

N Magazine : Nantucket style is often thought of as preppy, but to you, what is Nantucket style?

Malenfant : Nantucket style, like anything Nantucket, lives in two worlds. There’s the year-round community, and there’s a summer community. They’re both doing very different things in tandem. It’s a two-part machine. I also appreciate the grunginess and the sort of outdoorsy nature of the year-round community. In general, all style is changing. At one point it was very Ralph Lauren, Murray’s and J. Crew. Now—I think because of Instagram—the island is changing quite a bit, but so is fashion. We’re almost homogenizing a little bit, and maybe not in a bad way. It seems like people have a lot of access to the same thing and similar things and dupes to things if you want to get them cheaper.

N Magazine : What is your take on Nantucket Reds?

Malenfant : I do love a Nantucket Red, and it must come from Murray’s if it comes from anywhere. To me, the idea is that you have something red that’s been sun-bleached, and I think that’s kind of a cool idea as an island textile. The things that you wear change over time, and the color may fade, but it impresses time and history into it.

N Magazine : Where do you see Nantucket fashion headed in the next five to 10 years?

Malenfant : I’ve always really loved the vintage, nautical side of things. I love sailor uniforms. I love uniforms in general. I would hope that things go toward heavy-duty canvas—things that you can wear for ages. As you wear them, age gives them a new life and a new meaning.

Seeing Stars

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Preserving Nantucket's Night Sky

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Charity Grace Mofsen

There was a time not that long ago Gail Walker remembers easily seeing the Milky Way Galaxy on a clear night from just about anywhere on Nantucket. But that clear view of the night sky is fading, to the point where four in five people in North America can’t see the Milky Way Galaxy in the night sky, according to a global atlas of light pollution. Even on Nantucket—isolated from the so-called light pollution that has illuminated cities, strip malls and manufacturing hubs with a non-stop glare—a clear night sky intown comes once in a blue moon.

In many ways, Nantucket is nothing without its night sky: Maria Mitchell identified a comet from her rooftop on Main Street, while the organization that bears her name now brings in astronomers from around the country. But that view has even faded on Nantucket. “Seeing the Milky Way is almost a human right,” said Walker, the founder of Nantucket Lights, an organization dedicated to preserving the night sky. “To me, it’s just so amazing to be able to see it and it would be a tragedy to lose it, like most of the developed world has.”

On Nantucket, the worst light pollution is centered in town and mid-island, down Old South Road to the airport, with better visibility farther from town and some of the best viewing in places like Madaket, Cisco, Tom Nevers and Wauwinet. While it’s not as bad as the mainland, Nantucket has lost the clear view of the Milky Way it once had. Nighttime light pollution observations by the Maria Mitchell Association from June 2022 to November 2024 at eight sites around the island show that as a whole, Nantucket can barely see the Milky Way, with the average nighttime visibility on the island only slightly above the threshold where the galaxy is no longer visible with the naked eye.

In 2023, Walker proposed a change to the town’s outdoor lighting bylaw at Annual Town Meeting, requiring lights of 600 lumens or more(slightly dimmer than a 60 watt incandescent bulb) to be shielded, with the exception of string lights, temporary holiday lights, lights on flags and lighting for sports activities. The proposal passed overwhelmingly, and since then, Nantucket Lights has observed the light pollution is not getting worse, though it’s not getting any better, either. “The more houses that are built, the more businesses, there’s potential for it to get worse, especially if they don’t comply with the bylaw. I was encouraged by the fact that they stayed stable, but I would love to see it get better.”

Nantucket’s outdoor lighting bylaw now requires the color temperature—or saturation of a light—not to exceed 2,700 Kelvin (the saturation of a slightly yellow hue similar to an incandescent bulb). It also requires that lights be turned off between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., or one hour after a business closes to one hour before it opens, with some exceptions for security and sports lighting. The town’s code carries a $100penalty for first violations, and up to $300 for subsequent violations.

Before the Industrial Revolution, the Milky Way was visible from nearly every place on Earth. For sailors, the night sky was an integral tool to navigate after sunset. For animals, it can be an essential for annual migration. On New Year’s Eve in 1879, Thomas Edison’s incandescent light bulb first illuminated a street in Menlo Park, New Jersey, an invention that would forever change humans’ view of the night sky. As technology advanced and the worldwide population skyrocketed, the galaxy became harder and harder to see. Satellite data shows that from 1992 to 2017, global light emissions increased by nearly 50%.

For humans, that can have direct health effects. Nighttime exposure to artificial light—particularly blue light emission from LED lighting—can disrupt humans’ circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep at night and stay asleep. Studies have also linked decreased melatonin levels to a higher risk of breast and prostate cancers.

Research also shows light pollution has wide-ranging effects on animals, including migratory patterns and breeding cycles—so much so that the National Park Service considers dark skies a natural resource. “When we look up at the night sky, there’s obviously the aesthetic value, but there’s much more to it,” said Sarah Bois, director of research and education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation.

Nantucket Lights’ latest endeavor is to certify Nantucket as an International Dark Sky Community, a designation by Dark Sky International intended to “foster increased tourism and local economic activity.” As it stands ,no community in New England has earned that recognition. The organization has also started to inventory all town-owned light fixtures on Nantucket, to determine whether the town needs to update its lighting. “For us, we never want to shame anybody because often it’s done without intention, so we’re just trying to get people to put more thought into it and be mindful,” Walker said.

The Ukrainian Chef

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Chef Ivan Bondar escapes Ukraine for Nantucket.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

For Ivan Bondar, the move to Nantucket could not have been more stark. Every morning, before he goes to work as a chef at Yummy, Bondar checks social media for news from his hometown in Ukraine, where his parents and two brothers still live. Just one day before he sat down with N Magazine , his hometown was pounded by over 300 drones, the result of a Russian aerial attack that left one person dead and a pile of rubble where a residential apartment once stood.

Even on Nantucket, the war in Ukraine still follows him—three years after he left the country for a shot at a better life in the U.S. “My brother is a doctor at the military hospital, and he will send videos from Ukraine that are absolutely horrible,” Bondar said. “They’re more horrifying than what you would see in a horror movie.”

Bondar made his way to Nantucket in the summer of 2022 on a work visa for the job at Yummy. He’s also made the rounds from restaurant to restaurant, a winding path that’s taken him places as close as the Great Harbor Yacht Club, and as far as Alaska, where he worked for a time at a seafood processing factory outside of Anchorage. At one point, he took a job in the kitchen of a restaurant in Jupiter, Florida, and then with two luxury cruise lines, which ended up taking him around the world. This summer, he is back for a fourth season at Yummy, where his coworker happens to be from Russia of all places—though the two are friends.

A big part of coming to Nantucket was to raise enough money to make regular donations to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Bondar likes to say he’s still able to fight from afar one plate at a time, even after moving to America. “It’s important to support my family and support the army,” he said. “I’m not joining the army, but at the same time, I want to do something for my country, because it’s crazy what’s going on over there.”

“Leaving my parents and brothers was a hard decision,” the 32-year-old added.“ I keep calling my mom every day to talk about what’s going on. She also wants to leave the country too, but she doesn't want to leave my brothers and father, even when our city is bombarded every day. Yesterday, there were two big buildings shot at and destroyed. The mall I grew up shopping at was destroyed."

The longer the war plods along, the more donations Bondar makes—though he’s also made an effort to push himself as a chef at the same time. Last fall, he wrote a cookbook. It was a modern take on the Ukrainian cuisine he learned from his family combined with a zero-waste philosophy, meaning he uses every part of the fruits and vegetables he cooks, roots to leaves. The idea is not only to practice sustainability in the kitchen, but to honor traditional Ukrainian cuisine. When the lunch line at Yummy cools off this fall, Bondar is thinking of adding some Ukrainian staples like borscht and dumplings to the menu’s local lunch staples like tuna sandwiches, cheeseburgers and spicy fried chicken sandwiches and wraps.“

Ukrainian cuisine has always been more than just food to me,” he writes in his book, called Sustainable Ukrainian Cuisine: Zero - Waste Recipes from the Heart of Ukraine . “It is a story, a culture, and the warmth of home, passed down through generations. In every spoonful of borscht, in every bite of varenyky, there is an entire world filled with memories of childhood, celebrations, and shared meals with loved ones."

September Sippers

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Six drinks to celebrate the end of summer.

Written by Jen Laskey

Summer’s end is often bittersweet, but the arrival of September (always quicker than we expect) is like a tonic for the spirit. As the beaches empty, the superyachts leave the harbor and the crowds thin downtown, islanders can reclaim their favorite spots—and even enjoy dinner and drinks without a waitlist. Whether your ideal September sipper is an autumn-inspired riff on a classic gin cocktail, a bottle of Burgundy’s other crisp and delicious white wine or a glass of something layered with flavor but without alcohol, Nantucket bartenders and sommeliers are ready with the perfect pour to help you settle into the slower rhythms of the shoulder season. Happy hour is calling.

DARVIOT-PERRIN BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ, 2020

($108/bottle at Ethos)

Recommended by Emily Dusseau, co-owner, Ethos

It may be considered the underdog to Burgundy’s Chardonnay, but the high-acid, terroir-driven Aligoté from France’s Bourgogne appellation can be a very alluring alternative to the region’s most prized white wine. “We love this wine from the lesser-known Aligoté grape,” said Emily Dusseau, who co-owns Ethos with Gracie Schadt and Zachary Hotter. “Chardonnay usually gets all the attention in Burgundy, but we find that the zesty mineral backbone of this wine is irresistible.” Like Chardonnay, Aligoté is food-friendly, so consider enjoying it with a late-summer meal.“ You could drink this wine on its own with friends,” said Dusseau, adding that it’s also “the perfect accompaniment to oysters and fresh seafood.”

MURI, PASSING CLOUDS, FADE TO BLACK,YAMILÉ AND KOJI RICE SERIES 1, Non-Alcoholic, NV

($30-45/bottle)

If you’re looking for a nonalcoholic tipple that offers some of the most compelling characteristics of wine—depth of flavor, complexity, lively acidity and structure—try a bottle of Muri. This Copenhagen, Denmark-based producer crafts adult beverages with an intriguing array of natural ingredients, such as fermented fruits, herbs, kefir, tea and Japanese koji—the fermented culture used to make miso and soy sauce. Produced through a series of carbonic maceration, lacto-fermentation, toasting and woodsmoking, these drinks boast a deliciously satisfying sipping experience.

Passing Clouds is a citrusy, floral, bright and spritzy white wine alternative made with fermented gooseberries and white currants, quince kefir, jasmine tea, geranium and woodruff kvass (a cloudy cereal-based fermented liquid). Fade to Black, meanwhile, is a sparkling cuvée of fermented red and black currants, chamomile kefir, and caramel malt kvass infused with fig leaves and pine needles. Yamilé is a sparkling chillable red produced with carbonic raspberry and gooseberry mead, smoked lacto-fermented rhubarb, goldenrod and pink peppercorn kefir. It’s like the fruity lovechild of sparkling dry Lambrusco and smoky black tea—but better. The Koji Rice Series 1 is a still, nonalcoholic koji rice wine infused with mahleb (a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern baking spice) and blended with lavender kefir smoked over beechwood. It’s unfiltered with a silky texture and umami-rich salty, savory and earthy flavors.

KõYõ FIZZ

($22 AT O BAR)

Recommended by Brian Patrick Cleary, bar manager, O Bar and Bar Yoshi

In Japanese, the word kōyō refers to the phenomenon of autumn leaves changing color. “It also refers to the act of enjoying this seasonal change,” said Brian Patrick Cleary, bar manager at O Bar and Bar Yoshi. As bright red as an autumn maple leaf, O Bar’s Kōyō Fizz cocktail is a tangy twist on the classic gin fizz, and it has a little kick. Hibiscus brings floral notes and tart brightness, while ginger adds zing. “It’s refreshing, yet grounding, floral and spicy, bright and soulful—the kind of drink you’d enjoy on a breezy late-afternoon patio or the first night you bring a sweater out,” Cleary said.

Cleary suggested sipping the Kōyō Fizz with yellowtail sashimi or tuna tataki. “The clean and delicate flavor of the yellowtail blends great with the botanical notes in the drink,” he said. “The smoky edge of the tuna goes great with the ginger and complexity of the Japanese gin.” Both are perfect pairings for September on Nantucket “when the weather is fresh and cool, there are fewer crowds, and the island feels more peaceful and quaint."

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces Roku gin

• ½ ounce hibiscus and ginger syrup*

• ½ ounce fresh lemon juice

• Club soda

• Candied hibiscus flower (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Combine gin, hibiscus syrup and lemon juice in a shaker with ice.

• Shake hard and double-strain into a coupe.

• Top with club soda.

• Garnish with a candied hibiscus flower. Enjoy!

FOR HIBISCUS AND GINGER SYRUP

Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar with ¼ cup sliced fresh ginger and ¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers. Simmer, cool and strain out the solids.

Need to Read: September 2025

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Tim Ehrenberg of “Tim Talks Books” gives you his top picks for the fall reading season.

The Widow by John Grisham

Twice by Mitch Albom

Heart the Lover by Lily King

October is turning into one of my favorite months on Nantucket and the same can be said for the publishing world. It’s a month for some of the most anticipated reads you don’t want to miss and the perfect time to get lost in a good book. Lily King is an auto-buy author for me and she gives us the gift of Heart the Lover this year. Lily is a writer’s writer, and this is a strikingly intimate novel about the lasting impact of first love. Fans of Writers & Lovers are in for a real treat. The Widow by John Grisham is coming October 21 and it’s his first whodunnit. Small-town lawyer Simon Latch is accused of murder and it’s up to him to find the real killer to clear his name. All rise for the honorable John Grisham, master of the legal thriller and now legal mystery. And don’t miss Twice by Mitch Albom, available October 25. The heart of Albom’s new novel asks: “What if you got to do everything in your life again?” I loved this short and sweet story so much that, you guessed it, I read it twice.

The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham

Let’s get back to school this month with my podcast co-host, friend and Queen of Nantucket beach reads, Elin Hilderbrand, who is back on shelves with The Academy , a novel co-written with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham. Welcome to Tiffin Academy, a New England boarding school with just as much juicy drama, memorable characters and dreamy details as any of Hilderbrand’s Nantucket novels. Everything you love about her books is packed into these pages. Campus novels are some of my favorites: The Secret History, Prep, I Am Charlotte Simmons, Skippy Dies, The Art of Fielding, I Have Some Questions for You. Hilderbrand and Cunningham move to “head of the class” in the genre with this new novel, and have built a whole world to get lost in from various perspectives, from the students to the teachers, the parents and the school’s chef. By page six, you’ll feel so attached to the Tiffin “Thoroughbreds,” it’s as if you’re reading about your own alma mater. Cliffhangers abound by the last page, but have no fear—a sequel is in the works. Available September 16.

Order an autographed copy with exclusive gift and bookmark from nantucketbookpartners.com. Listen to Elin, Shelby and I discuss the writing of the novel on our podcast Books, Beach & Beyond.

Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian

What Happened to Lucy Vale by Lauren Oliver

If you loved The Academy and you are looking for more campus novels for the back-to-school season this month, check out Seduction Theory and What Happened to Lucy Vale . Seduction Theory introduces two married professors who tiptoe around infidelity. It’s dark academia at its finest with enough campus satire, classroom intrigue and great writing to keep you turning the pages. What Happened to Lucy Vale is addictively fun. Lucy, the new girl in school, moves into the Faraday House, where 16 years ago, Nina Faraday vanished without a trace. Now, Lucy is nowhere to be found, setting in motion another mystery to be investigated and solved two decades later. These dual timelines, multiple suspicions and secrets—along with generations of mystery and small-town gossip—make for the perfect autumn page-turner. You’ll never guess what happened to Lucy Vale

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

Buckeye just might turn out to be my favorite book of the year. If you don’t trust me, my two favorite literary Ann’s (Ann Patchett and Ann Napolitano) loved it, too. It’s my favorite type of novel—a multi-generational epic from World War II to the late 20th century. Think of the very best of John Irving. We meet Cal Jenkins on the very first page: “Born in the spring of 1920 with one leg shorter than the other.” From this introduction come dozens of loveable characters who struggle against the backdrop of some of our most transformative decades in history. I read this 500-page saga in almost one sitting because I needed to know how everything turned out for all the residents of Bonhomie, Ohio. One or two times a year a book touches my heart in such a special way, almost unexplainable, and Buckeye did that in such a way that I’m almost at a loss for words. I hope it does the same for you. Look out for Patrick Ryan at the 2026 Nantucket Book Festival. Available September 2.

The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy

Some books you read and love for the characters, some for the fast-paced plot, and others for the setting. I recommend The Wilderness for the voice. Written in a memorable third-person, this is an era-defining novel about five Black women over the course of their 20-year friendship. There is something about a decades-long friend, someone who knows you better than you know yourself. That complexity of relationships is explored in these pages, and their friendship becomes a sixth character all on its own. The five friends must figure out what they mean to one another as they find their way through the wilderness, that period of life we all face when becoming an adult sinks in. Available September 16.

At the end of this month, I will co-host the first ever Aspen Literary Festival along with The New York Times Book Review editor Gilbert Cruz and broadcast journalist Alisyn Camerota from September 26-28, where I will interview Angela Flournoy, as well as authors Kevin Kwan, Jess Walter, Nathan Hill, Jane Hamilton, Adriana Trigiani and many more.

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai

Long-listed for the Booker Prize, and from the same author who won the Booker for The Inheritance of Loss in 2006, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is that book. The 700-page tome that will sit on your shelf beckoning you, making you ask the question, “Do I want to commit the time?” The answer is a resounding yes. It’s a colder season novel in that you want to have a cup of coffee and a blanket to curl up with to sink into the story for hours and hours. We meet Sonia and Sunny and follow their love story, as well as the interconnected stories of their two families. It might sound like a simple premise, one that has been done many times before, but this is more a novel of ideas, an epic of love and family, India and America, tradition and modernity .It’s a true reader’s novel, one that will have you daydreaming of the characters and the plot and reflecting on your own human connections, the life you are living, and the people you are loving. Available September 2.

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

What I know is this: Ian McEwan, the celebrated author of Atonement , has delivered yet another masterpiece. As a history aficionado, I am fascinated by digging into the past and weaving together threads to understand those who lived before us. This book, however, begins in the year 2119, as much of the Western World is underwater after a nuclear catastrophe. A lonely scholar is fascinated by the years 1990-2030, specifically a dinner party in 2014 where a famous poet reads a new composition aloud for his wife’s birthday to a group of friends. The poem goes missing and for a century, people will speculate about what exactly happened to the lost piece and the people who heard it read aloud. By using social media posts, emails, journals and digital information from the ’90s through the 2030s, the scholar hunts down and pieces together the words left behind to tell the full story. This is a literary mystery of the first order, one that is looking at the modern age from the future. We see how people living a century later will view our tastes, beliefs and stories. It also vividly explores the idea of what can ever be truly known across time and history. Available September 2.

The Elements by John Boyne

The first book I ever recommended in this magazine nine years ago was The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne, still one of my favorite novels of all time. Boyne is back with The Elements , a masterful quartet of four interconnected short stories: Water, Earth, Fire and Air. I was blown away by this gripping exploration of guilt, trauma and the human capacity for redemption. Each story represents a different perspective on crime: the enabler, the accomplice, the perpetrator and the victim. How each story is connected to the next and when and where characters from one of the narratives appear and intersect in the others was so expertly crafted. Trigger warnings of sexual assault are important to mention, but this book challenges readers to look at guilt and innocence on every page, what you would do when faced with the unimaginable, and how stories and characters, even the worst of humanity, can get under your skin and stay with you. Available September 9.

Overlooking Boston Harbor

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES AT BOSTON'S SOUTH STATION TOWER

Wrapped in glass and overlooking the city and Boston Harbor, these distinctive residences, ranging from junior one-bedrooms to duplex penthouses, deliver high-touch design and modern convenience. From the 36th to the 51st floor of the tower, every inch is devoted to a life well-lived. Renowned design firm Jeffrey Beers International has crafted sophisticated spaces for effortless living among the clouds.

Can't be Beet

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Written by Anne-Carter Riggs

Photography by Kit Noble

Òran Mór’s truffle beet salad

T he turning of seasons means a turning of flavors. At Òran Mór, that means truffle beet salad. The combination of truffle vinaigrette with black truffle honey creates a bold flavor accompanied by the earthy aroma of the beets. The signature dish came about when chef/owner Edwin Claflin and his crew made a dedicated effort to be more mindful in using all the available components of their ingredients. “We try to be utilitarian with our products and cross utilize things as much as possible.”

One ingredient Claflin realized was going to waste was the peelings from Australian black truffles, which he made into black truffle vinaigrette, a keystone to his popular truffle beet salad and a product for sale at Òran Mór's sister store, Mór Wine.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 beets

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3 ounces seasoned whipped ricotta

2 teaspoons black truffle honey (available at Mór Wine)

Beet chips, sliced thin and air-fried with olive oil (or grocery store parsnip or sweet potato chips)

TRUFFLE VINAIGRETTE (as an alternative to vinaigrette, drizzle extra truffle oil on beets)

4 ounces black truffle peelings in Champagne vinegar

4 ounces black truffle oil

4 ounces extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon mustard powder

¼ teaspoon sugar

Salt (fleur de sel if available) and freshly cracked black pepper

PISTOU

1 cup roasted pistachios

1 quart fresh arugula

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 ounces garlic confit or 1 small fresh clove if using raw garlic

1 teaspoon chili oil

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt (fleur de sel if available) and freshly cracked black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

A dd the beets and a pinch of salt to a pressure cooker, along with equal parts water and white vinegar (about one inch each). Cook on high for 22 minutes. Release the steam slowly, and let beets cool. (Alternatively, season beets, sprinkling with vinegar, wrap tightly in tin foil, and roast in oven at 320 degrees Fahrenheit until tender, about two hours.)
To make truffle vinaigrette, blend truffle peelings, truffle oil, mustard powder, sugar, salt and pepper together. While mixture is blending, slowly add in the olive oil.
To make the pistou, blend roasted pistachios, arugula, lemon juice, garlic, chili oil, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor or in mortar and pestle. Save some arugula and chopped pistachio for garnish.
Peel and cube the beets, and dress with 2 teaspoons of black truffle honey per cup of cooked beets. Season with salt and pepper.
Plate beets on top of seasoned whipped ricotta with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil per cup of ricotta. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Top with root chips, arugula, chopped pistachios and arugula pistou. Finish with truffle vinaigrette. Enjoy.

NECESSITIES: SEPTEMBER 2025

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:07 GMT

Add these items to your Fall wish list.

written by Nantucket Magazine

SHELL PENDANT

Where ocean meets opulence. This one-of-a-kind Conus janus shell pendant is accented with pearls and 18k yellow gold, making it the perfect wearable treasure from the sea.

SEAMAN SCHEPPS | @seamanschepps | seamanschepps.com .

CHARLIE CABIN SAUNA

Bring sauna therapy to your daily lifestyle with the Charlie Cabin, crafted by the Amish with room for up to four people. With its cabin shape comprised of western red cedar, there is virtually no maintenance, making it ideal for those looking for a long-lasting product.

SISU | @sisu_sauna | sisulifestyle.com/discount/N-magazine

BRASS BUTLERTRAY STAND & CLASSIC TRAY BY AERIN

Perfect for dining room tableside service or a glamorous home bar setup, entertaining at home has never looked better. With integrated brass handles and clean-lined design, it’s as functional as it is stylish.

CENTRE POINTE | @centrepointenantucket | 28centrepointe.com

BRUT GOLD CHAMPAGNE

The first release from Champagne Armand de Brignac, the Brut Gold remains the most iconic cuvée in the range. Rich with the old-world tradition of champagne blending, it is a trio of vintages from some of the most lauded terroirs of the region, resulting in a cuvée expressing vibrant and fresh fruit character with a soft texture.

ARMAND DE BRIGNAC | @armanddebrignac | armanddebrignac.com

NODDE SEAU BAG

Formed by two interwoven leather pieces, this chic bucket bag can be worn as a handbag, shoulder bag, or cross-body bag. And with a name inspired by the French word for knot, it gives off the illusion of continuous interlacing for a unique and eye-catching shape.

POLÈNE | @polene_paris | eng.polene-paris.com

FIELD SWEATER

Knit with a blend of cotton, linen and nylon, the Field Sweater from Norwegian brand Amundsen Sports—and carried at Murray’s Toggery Shop—strikes a balance between warmth and breathability. The seed stitch gives this sweater its rich texture, making it an ideal layering piece for autumn.

AMUNDSEN SPORTS | @amundsensports | amundsensports.com/en-US

Giving Back to the Island

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 15:07:16 GMT

Lucile Hays' 50 years of philanthropy

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

W hen Lucile Hays turned 80 years old, she decided it was time to sell her nine-acre property overlooking the Harbor Creeks to the Land Bank—not for the windfall, but to give something back to the community. That land, which she sold well below market value in 2019, is now considered the “crown jewel” of the Land Bank’s holdings.

Walking around the property, Hays can’t help but marvel at not only the stunning view of the harbor, but the number of kids and families enjoying the park that now sits there. Hays is modest about the sale, but it might just be the most beautiful park on Nantucket. “It’s spectacular,” she said, sitting on an Adirondack chair where her kitchen once stood.

Giving back to the community—and especially to children—is a philosophy that’s been entrenched in Lucile Hays since she was a girl. It’s a story that comes from a place of tragedy. In 1959, Hays lost her younger sister, Louise Francis Walker (“Weezie”), in a tragic accident behind her house in Long Island, New York. Weezie, who had a childhood love of horses, was out feeding the family horse, when she was suddenly struck in the back of the head by another horse kicking at swarming flies around it. She died just hours later, at 10 years old.

The following year, her parents established the Weezie Foundation in her name with a mission of providing funding for children’s organizations. That foundation has left its mark both on Long Island, and on Nantucket, where Hays moved with her late husband years later. For an example of that mark, you don’t have to look any further than the Children’s Library at the Atheneum.

The story goes like this. In 1994, Hays was asked to lead a fundraising effort for a new children’s library, replacing the former children’s library in the basement of the Atheneum, a dark space that smelled of mildew.

“There was a wonderful lady who lived here, Grace Grossman, and she had been involved with the Atheneum for some time and had known about the Weezie Foundation," Hays recalled. “She came to me saying you’re going to be in charge. It was very exciting having the new library there, to have a place where kids could go after school.”

The Weezie Foundation also endowed the children’s librarian position in 2005. According to Atheneum Interim Director Leslie Malcolm, the former children’s librarian: “The Children’s Library has been such a big part of the community, and that’s thanks to Lucile. Having this space here has been absolutely instrumental.”

This year, Hays celebrates another milestone: 50 years on the board of the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, another organization she has helped tremendously. “I was supposed to be on for two four-year terms, but they never made me leave,” Hays said with a smile.

One of her proudest accomplishments has been the expansion of the organization’s campus, particularly the 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art clubhouse renovated and expanded in 2015. “The Boys & Girls Club can affect everybody on the island,” she added. “For the working people with children, the Boys & Girls Club is there for them after school, and parents don’t have to worry about their kids.”

Looking back at over 50 years of island philanthropy, Hays thinks back on her sister. She keeps a photo of her on the wall of her new house at Sherburne Commons. Below the photo is a drawing Weezie made shortly before she died, of horses galloping in a field. “Weezie has affected a lot of people,” Hays said. “In 50 years, the money in her name has grown, and it’s phenomenal. It feels special. It’s awesome.”

NECESSITIES: AUGUST 2025

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 02:22:51 GMT

Add these items to your August wishlist.

@nantucketbooks | nantucketbookpartners.com

written by Nantucket Magazine

TANZANITE BYZANTINE BRACELET

Inspired by a Byzantine votive crown made circa 650 and discovered when it was dug up in an orchard in Northern Spain between1858-1961, this bracelet from jeweler Katherine Grover is made of tanzanite, diamonds and 22k gold. A unique and luxurious piece fit for any collector’s wrist.

KATHERINE GROVER FINE JEWELRY | @katherinegroverfinejewelry| k atherinegroverfinejewelry.com

HOW TO SPOT A MERMAID BY JANE YOLEN

Looking for a summer book for your young reader that will spark their imagination and curiosity? This delightful picture book is a funny and endearing field guide to the unique world of mermaids.

NANTUCKET BOOK PARTNERS |

SLEVELESS HOLLIE DRESS

The perfect combination of timeless and chic, this dress is made for those warm, carefree days spent sipping cocktails on vacation or strolling by the water. The effortless style, breathable comfort, and playful stripes make it a must-have for your sunny day wardrobe.

SARA CAMPBELL | @saracampbellltd | saracampbell.com

NANTUCKET BEACHES PURE PERFUME

Nantucket Beaches captures the true essence of the island’s shorelines with the airy, sun-kissed scent of Rosa Rugosa in full bloom. Like a soft ocean breeze and warm sand beneath your feet, it’s the ideal way to bring Nantucket’s beaches home in a bottle.

NANTUCKET PERFUME CO. | @nantucketperfumes | nantucketperfumes.com

LARGE LOOPY VASE IN COBALT BLUE

Carefully handcrafted from BPA-free resin and featuring loops reminiscent of a strip of exaggerated lace, this vase will make a playful statement in any home. Also available in green, fog, pink and yellow.

TINA FREY FOR ELEISH VAN BREEMS | @eleishvanbreems | evbantiques.com

SURF POLO

Made from super-soft 100% cotton that’s been garment-dyed for a broken-in look and feel, the Surf Polo holds its color wash after wash. Featuring a chest pocket, two-button placket, and a clamp logo label on the bottom hem, it’s the perfect shirt for casual days by the beach or weekend getaways.

VINEYARD VINES | @vvnantucket | vineyardvines.com

Bringing New Light to a Candle Factory

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:37:33 GMT

A preservation-minded restoration project mixes modern and historic

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

The home on Starbuck Court was once one of the most iconic signs of Nantucket’s whaling industry—a 75-foot-long candle factory. Today, it’s one of only a few former candle factories left standing on the island. So when the homeowners decided to restore the building, they opted against gutting the interior, choosing not to let its history go up in smoke.

The house on Starbuck Court is one of the last remaining former candle factories on the island. After purchasing the property in 2020, the homeowners enlisted the architecture and design firm, Hendricks Churchill, to guide the restoration and bring the historic property in line with the needs of a modern family. More living space was added. A cottage was designed to serve as a primary suite and living space, drawing inspiration from the historic candle factory while incorporating contemporary design elements. Island builder Todd Burns was brought on board for what turned into a major project: lifting the historic candle factory, laying a new foundation, restoring the building and constructing another structure to complete the property. “We had been doing so many contemporary houses, and it’s nice to link up with homeowners who wanted to respect the history of their home,” Burns said. “When you work in the confines of the historic nature of the building it can be challenging but it’s really rewarding.”

The candle factory, which was built by Joseph and Simeon Starbuck in 1807, now includes a modern kitchen and living space equipped with an updated HVAC system. The finished house also retains its historic elements, such as vaulted ceilings and open stud walls. The original property also included a “wagon shed” dating back to the 19th century. The architect and homeowners worked together to redesign this space into a family gathering place, perfect for watching movies and playing board games.

The historic charm of the raw wood and open stud construction was retained, with some new amenities that bring it into the 21st century. The restoration earned the Nantucket Preservation Trust’s 2023 Michelle Elzay Architectural Preservation Award. “This is one of the greatest examples of historic preservation on Nantucket in recent memory, a fabulous success story of modernizing a historic building while still preserving the interior character defining features,” Nantucket Preservation Trust Executive Director Mary Bergman said. “The interior design aesthetic exists on the continuum of Nantucket history, and when I am in the candle house, I feel as though I have been transported to the island’s bohemian heyday.”

Over the Moon

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 15:59:34 GMT

The Maria Mitchell Association reopens its Vestal Street Observatory.

Written by Brian Bushard
Photography by Kit Noble

I f ever there was a star in the world of astronomy, it was Maria Mitchell. She was not only the first woman astronomer on Nantucket—she was the first woman to lead an astronomy department in the country, the first woman invited to the Vatican Observatory and the first woman to work for the U.S. Naval Observatory. She was even presented a gold medal by the king of Denmark for her discovery of a comet in 1847.

Today, thousands of visitors attend programs hosted by the organization that bears her name—but only a handful of people enter a key attraction, the Vestal Street Observatory, built just years after her death as a tribute to her. That is until this summer, when the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) reopened the historic observatory and its adjacent Astronomical Study to the public, once again bringing in visitors to what’s now the organization’s newest museum.

"[ The observatory and Astronomical Study]will help give people a history of not just Maria Mitchell, the MMA and our work in astronomy, but the importance of astronomy, why we study the stars, how it’s important to Nantucket, and how having an astronomy program on an island nearly 30 miles out to sea is really special,” said Jascin Leonardo Finger, the association’s deputy director.

While Maria Mitchell never stepped foot in the observatory on Vestal Street, it carries a lifetime of her achievements, as well as those of her successors who led the organization throughout the 1900s. Among the items on display in the first-floor study is the five-inch Alvan Clark telescope Mitchell used to document Nantucket’s night sky. Also on display: the glass plates developed at the observatory that were used like a camera before digital processing to capture a precise moment in the night sky. The MMA has 8,000 of those plates in its collection.

“This is a lot like a history museum, but it’s actually where the history took place,” interim astronomer Geoff Clayton said. It’s also a living history. The MMA continues to bring in astronomers, as it has done since1913, as well as astronomy research fellows and summer interns funded through the National Science Foundation. The idea is to use the renovated study as a meeting and research space, in addition to holding tours.”

“We had so many astronomical artifacts and historical records, but there was no place where they were on display for the public to see,” MMA Executive Director Joanna Roche said. “We wanted the Astronomical Study to become the museum of astronomy on Nantucket. It’s 157 years of astronomical history that originated on Nantucket and was part of the fabric of the island. That’s what’s really remarkable—that there’s a history of female astronomers on the island who have been such a powerhouse in the industry.”

On August 1, the MMA officially reopens its doors to the public. The Astronomical Study desperately needed to be renovated, Roche said. Inside, there was water damage, as well as plumbing and electrical issues. While the MMA’s Loines Observatory on Milk Street Extension has remained active with stargazing open nights and research, the telescope in the observatory on Vestal Street had not been used since 2019. At a time when the MMA has expanded its open night programs at the Loines Observatory, opened up new exhibits at its Natural Science Museum and relocated its Aquarium on Washington Street, it made sense to invest in the Vestal Street Observatory as a dedicated museum to tell the history of astronomy on Nantucket.

“We want to make astronomy more accessible,” Roche said. “People can go to Loines and have hands-onexperiences in astronomy, but there wasn’t a place for people to learn the history of astronomy. Now we have this space.”

DIP INTO STYLE

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 13:52:51 GMT

Photographer: Brian Sager

Editorial Stylist: Petra Hoffmann

Hair Stylist: Macy Belyea, Darya Afshari Gault and John Stanielon of Darya Salon + Spa

Makeup Stylist: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

Photo Assistant: Reece Nelson

Models: Jacob Boyd, Cierra Dubinsky and Tayla Fernandez of Maggie Inc.

Location: The Dips

Masterfully crafted, The Dips is a lavish Nantucket compound where guests can rest, reflect and recharge in the lap of luxury. This summertime paradise is a private hideaway on 3.7 acres with unobstructed ocean views. The compound boasts as even-bedroom main house, a five-bedroom guest house, two pools, two spas, two fire pits, a pool cabana and a studio, easily sleeping 30. thedipsnantucket.com

Finding its Groove

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 05:45:00 GMT

Doug & Co. brings the Grateful Dead to life.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

It’s not every day that you’ll find a Grammy Award-winning producer and a former producer on The Daily Show performing side by side in a Grateful Dead cover band. And yet, on a Sunday afternoon on a backyard deck somewhere on Nantucket, that’s exactly what they’re doing. In less than a year, the Grateful Dead cover band that Doug Cote formed out of his basement has become Nantucket’s go-to house band. In that time, the band has found its groove, sifting through a 60-year discography like it’s a textbook to study.

Sure, the Grateful Dead has a reputation for living the subdued, marijuana-induced jam band lifestyle, but each member of this cover band will quickly tell you they were the greatest American rock band of all time. The cover band even schedules rehearsals at the Nantucket Community Music Center just to work on their harmonies. “I have a totally new appreciation for the depth of what the Grateful Dead is doing,” said Cote, the front man for the band, which calls itself Doug & Co. “I’m consistently blown away by the depth and integrity of the music. It’s really complex what each individual player is doing at any given time. With other bands I’ve played in, I can learn the song and perform it. But with this stuff, I’m constantly on my toes.”

Each member of Doug & Co. came to the Grateful Dead at different points in their lives. Lead guitarist Ben Champoux grew up listening to Jerry Garcia’s noodling guitar solos as a kid on Nantucket, heading off-island to Foxboro Stadium for his first show in 1986 before creating his own Dead cover band as a college student, called Uncle Ben’s Rubber Band. Bass player Brad Smith didn’t get into the band until later in life, only when he became overwhelmed by a fear of missing out when his friends caught a Dead show in his hometown of Chicago.

Keyboard player Jamie Howarth—a 25-year veteran pianist at The Summer House who won a Grammy reproducing a 1949 Woody Guthrie live recording—didn’t always appreciate the Dead, even though he saw them multiple times as a college student in the ’70s. Though to be fair, Dead shows for college students in the ’70s were more a rite of passage than formal concerts. It was only years later when Howarth’s production company, Plangent Processes, started working directly with the Grateful Dead that he changed his tune on the band.

“Did I go about looking for a Grateful Dead act? No. But what the hell, why not?” Howarth said. “Any good opportunity to delve into the music with this much detail as the Grateful Dead has is a joy and a luxury. I put [late Grateful Dead lyricist] Robert Hunter up there with the great American writers, but because he’s a rock lyricist he’s underrated. To me, he’s right below Bob Dylan."

For Cote, a former television writer, it was seeing the Grateful Dead at Washington, D.C.’s RFK Memorial Stadium in 1994 that did him in. It was just one year before Grateful Dead front man Jerry Garcia’s death. Cote, a self-described punk-rock skater kid at heart, started thinking more and more about putting together a cover band. But life got in the way, and in 2015, he formed Buckle and Shake, the Nantucket country-twang band that’s become a regular fixture at Cisco Brewers and The Gaslight. After nearly 10 years of performing Waylon Jennings, Alabama Shakes and Tyler Childers covers with Buckle and Shake, Cote decided it was time for something new. He reached out to Champoux, Smith and drummer Tyler Somes.

After a year of rehearsing, he contacted Howarth. “I started the band out of fear that if I didn’t do it, someone else would do it,” Cote said. “The universe the Grateful Dead created is so vast, and the fact that people come to it at different points in their lives is really a profound thing. Someone may get into it in their 60s because a song really speaks to them. There’s a frequency about the Dead. It’s almost something you can’t describe. It’s like magic."

Playing in a cover band often presents a fundamental question for the band members involved. Do you perfectly emulate the sound of the band you’re covering, or do you introduce your own spin on the music? For Doug & Co., it’s a bit of both. Champoux spent hours upon hours trying to capture the nuances of Jerry Garcia’s guitar style. Four of the band members sing choruses together, recreating some of the iconic harmonies the Grateful Dead were known for.

“I think you want to touch on it, but hopefully there’s a thread of authenticity with it, even though it’s a cover band,” Cote said. “We play half court,” Howarth added. “We’re constantly working off each other. Ben will play one thing, then Doug will play a solo at me, and we bounce stuff all around. This is a really great bunch of guys and I’ve known some terrific musicians over the years. The opportunity to be on stage with these other dudes kicking it out—that’s great stuff. It is different from sitting alone at the piano. It certainly is more of a rock and roll thing than I had been able to access for years.”

As for the music they play, all five members of Doug & Co. agree that the Grateful Dead is one of the greatest—if not the greatest—American rock band of all time. There’s a perception that the Grateful Dead were always on drugs and goofing around, Smith said. And while there may be some truth to that, there’s no doubting the music they created is some of the most complicated music of its era. Their music has also stood the test of time. “The Grateful Dead is like an organism that keeps morphing,” Cote said. “I feel like we’re still exploring it, and I hope the local community gets behind it and follows us as we explore it, because we’re learning.”

A Prescription for Housing

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 04:00:02 GMT

Nantucket Cottage Hospital On-site Housing Campaign

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

No matter how good the bricks and mortar or how sophisticated the equipment it houses, a hospital cannot function without the staff within it. Nantucket Cottage Hospital, like many institutions on the island, has been suffering from the high cost of housing and lack of available units for its employees—a limiting factor in attracting necessary talent for all aspects of its operation. This month, Nantucket Cottage Hospital is launching a major funding campaign to help solve that critical problem, which has already resulted in unexpected departures from its staff. Like many organizations on the island, the hospital has employee housing, something essential for its survival.

But with 250-plus full-time staff members and an additional 40 part-time summer employees, its current housing only scratches the surface. “We are at an inflection point where we risk losing essential personnel because of the housing crisis on Nantucket,” Nantucket Cottage Hospital President Amy Lee said. “Creating more housing for our staff is not optional but is essential.” Nantucket Cottage Hospital Board Chairman Bruce A. Percelay added: “If we don’t act decisively to produce dedicated housing for the hospital, it will most certainly risk the quality of care that we provide for the island."

The hospital plans to raise $50 million to build a 26-unit housing complex as well as a rehabilitation center on land formerly owned by the University of Massachusetts behind Holdgate’s Laundry on Vesper Lane. According to a design by Boston-based Linea 5, the project will feature fully furnished one-bedroom apartments, designed for short or medium-term stays for visiting specialists, traveling nurses, traveling technicians and doctors on rotation from Mass General Hospital in Boston.

The new housing development also frees up the hospital’s existing housing units, which to this point have been used for both long-term employees and seasonal and traveling staff members, including traveling techs, visiting specialists and rotating doctors. The idea is that those units can now be designated for long-term employees, while seasonal staff members can use the new on-site units. “On an island where the strength of our community is measured in housing insecurity, building homes for our caregivers is not a luxury but a lifeline,” Lee said. “Investing in our talented workforce through stable, affordable staff housing prevents the almost daily crisis we face at the hospital. Without it, we simply cannot sustain the round-the clock care our community and visitors deserve.”

Nantucket’s acute housing shortage is not for lack of trying. The town has appropriated over$84 million for affordable housing in recent years, largely for workforce rental units. Organizations like Housing Nantucket have provided rental and ownership opportunities for year-round islanders, while nonprofits and for-profit businesses have by-and-large maintained staff because of employee housing.

But even with those efforts, the need for more housing still far outpaces the number of units available on the island. For renters competing on the open market, a one-bedroom apartment typically goes for over $3,000 per month—and sometimes well over that price—according to multiple real estate agents. Meanwhile, homeownership has become increasingly out of reach for working families, with the median price of a Nantucket home skyrocketing from $1.58 million 10 years ago to a staggering $3.7million last year. At the hospital, the prognosis is as simple as creating staff housing or suffering losses to its staff. According to Percelay: “The investment in housing is an investment in preserving the quality of healthcare on Nantucket, and as costly as it is, our goal is to reduce our dependency on the market, and control our own destiny.”

Steady as She Goes

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 04:00:02 GMT

Nantucket Rowing trains young islanders.

Interview by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

It’s 6 a.m. and the sun is just rising over Hummock Pond when Mike Springer arrives at the landing on the waterlike he does almost every morning. He unties a single scull from a rack placed inconspicuously by the water and hoists it over his shoulder, two oars in his hand. Rowing is often called the ultimate team sport, but today, it’s just Springer, and the pond is all his. You might not know it by how casually he launches his boat on the pond, but Springer is one of two islanders training for the Head of the Charles Regatta in October—the pinnacle of rowing in the Northeast. The rest of his rag-tag group of Nantucket rowers is made up of competitive high school and collegiate students, former Ivy League rowers and a handful of summer and year-round residents who simply enjoy spending a few hours of their morning out on the water.

“At its core, it’s very peaceful,” said Springer, the founder of Nantucket Rowing. “It’s like meditation on water, and like any other sport, the more that you are involved with it, the easier it becomes. Though I will also say it can be the hardest sport you’ll ever try.”

After seven years of rowing on Nantucket, Springer is now hoping the group he formed can train the next generation of rowers, including students at Nantucket High School and college kids on the island for the summer. Not only is rowing good exercise—it’s also a gateway for students to land college scholarships. And with college amateurism becoming a game of high-stakes endorsement deals, there’s a lot on the line.

Springer’s ultimate goal: Create a Nantucket High School rowing team. “Rowing opens doors,” he said. “It opens doors both for the number of schools that students can get into, and it opens doors to a lot of financial assistance. It can really offset the cost of college, especially for somebody that really loves the sport."

On a Saturday in June, the Nantucket Rowing group is in full swing, all hands on deck. There are over two dozen members in the group, some of them representing the best rowing clubs in the country: Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Princeton, UCLA, the University of Massachusetts, Villanova and Yale. In 1985, late Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Nantucket summer resident David Halberstam wrote a book on the art of rowing called The Amateurs , telling the story of four rowers trying out for the U.S. Olympic team. Those who competed, he wrote, “did so with a demonic passion.” The Boys in the Boat author Daniel James Brown went even further: “It’s not a question of whether you will hurt, or of how much you will hurt; it’s a question of what you will do, and how well you will do it, while pain has her wanton way with you.”

There’s a drive that defines this group of island rowers, too. Some are out there every week, training religiously. Even those whose competitive days are behind them still feel that drive when they launch their boats in Hummock Pond. “If you’re competitive and you’re training, your body uses more oxygen to row than any other sport,” Springer said. “When people talk about 80% of your muscles being in use, it’s true.”

Some members of the group talk about the pain that comes with the sport. One member shows his callused hands from years of rowing. Battle scars. But pain isn’t always the point. Springer, who only got into the sport as an adult with his daughter 15 years ago, can attest. “It can be the worst that your body feels in your entire life—nothing but lactic acid throughout your entire body, to the point that you would rather just have somebody run you over with a car than sit and feel like you do,” Springer said.

“That is not what we’re going for, but the sport runs all the way from one end to the other. For a lot of adults, it’s a great exercise because it’s low impact. It’s for anyone that wants to do strength training or cardio training without impact. If you’re not running, or if you’re not playing tennis, this is a great sport because you get a really good workout, but it can also be easy on your body.”

There are other lessons in rowing, as well—communication, for one. Rowing a quad scull requires careful direction either from a coxswain or a coach on a chase boat. (Nantucket Rowing has a new boat this year donated by rower Don Fornes.) You can hear them from the shore: “Ready all, row,” “Weigh enough.” Rowing also teaches you how to work on a team. This crew typically works out of double sculls and quads.

“To me, rowing is a sport that builds a lot of confidence,” Springer said. “Kids today—when you think about electronics and social media—at least when they’re here, they’re just on the water and disconnected from their phones. It’s just them experiencing nature around them, and they’re doing something that is not easy to do. The confidence level that they build is really great. You can see it in these kids as they’re learning how to row, they get better and better and their confidence level goes up.”

The Show Must Go On

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 04:00:02 GMT

Music returns to the Muse

Written by Brian Bushard
Photography by Kit Noble

T he scene at The Muse was like something out of the movie RoadHouse when Mike O’Reilly walked onto the scene in the early ’90s. It was a tough, burly dive bar with an underused stage. And then, like magic, the scene exploded. All of a sudden, some of the biggest bands in the country made a pit stop at The Muse as part of their national tours—bands like Hootie & the Blowfish and the Dave Matthews Band.

But like all things, the days of big-name bands at The Muse came to an end. Those concerts became the stuff of legend. For years, the band photos that line the walls of the restaurant seemed to serve as a reminder of a past life. So it was a welcome surprise when The Muse started booking touring acts at the venue once again this summer.

“It was a go-to place, and the adrenaline of the people in the audiences and the bands that came with it was amazing,” said O’Reilly, owner of The Muse. “People were very curious, asking what we were doing. And then people just started digging it. They dug it right away, which pushed me to keep going and going. And now that spirit is back.”

The Dave Matthews Band played their first gig at The Muse in 1993, before the band—perhaps the most influential of the ’90s—signed a major record deal with RCA Records. Their second performance one year later marked their final appearance on Nantucket, just months before their debut studio album Under the Table and Dreaming went platinum and launched the jazz-rock-jam band into superstardom.

The Sugarhill Gang also performed at The Muse in the ’90s. During that stop, O’Reilly asked for their autograph. “They were these giant guys, and here I was,” said O’Reilly, who is a tall man himself at an imposing 6 feet, 4 inches. “When else would you have the opportunity to sit down for dinner with somebody that’s selling out stadiums?” Other big acts O’Reilly brought to The Muse throughout the ’90s and early2000s included George Clinton, Guster, Hootie &the Blowfish, Inner Circle, Sister Hazel, Toots and the Maytals, Train and The Wailers—the backing band for the late reggae legend Bob Marley. Some of the bands had already made it big. Some were up-and-coming acts trying to make a name for themselves.

One of those new acts was John Mayer, then a rising singer-songwriter. This was before he won his first of seven Grammy Awards in 2002. “After his first show, he came back the next day and sat on the stage by himself, just playing guitar and writing lyrics. We took him out to a keg party out in Polpis and nobody knew who he was,” O’Reilly said. “He was a wallflower, and now look at him, he’s out there in front of everybody.”

as a time when everybody knew everybody. College students working day jobs as lifeguards took part-time gigs cooking pizza in the kitchen behind the bar. The bartenders worked late nights and became friends with the regulars. “It was the kind of place people would come to and feel at home,” O’Reilly said. “For a lot of people, they could say, ‘This is my bar.’"

As time went by, things started to change. It’s not that The Muse went quiet after that point; it just took a different direction. Arcade games were added. The Sunday night, karaoke-inspired air band shows ended, and DJs became the name of the game. The music lived on, but the epicenter had changed. Places like Rose & Crown, Cisco Brewers and The Chicken Box brought in bigger acts. More recently, The Gaslight has become a hotbed for new acts touring around the region.

Enter Hayden Arnot, the co-founder of Nantucket Crisps and Whale Jam. Arnot linked up with O’Reilly and started booking new acts: Stephen Marley—the son of Bob Marley—as well as the members of Sublime. Arnot and O’Reilly also brought in folk band Mt. Joy and soul band St. Paul & the Broken Bones, and The Muse is slated to host bands like Everclear and Wheatus this August. “They’re some of the biggest names in alternative rock and they’re coming to Nantucket, and they’re coming to The Muse,” Arnot said. “They’re coming back, and they’re making The Muse the venue it used to be.”

After hundreds of concerts, O’Reilly has made a point to remember each act that passed through. He looks around the restaurant at the line of framed band photos, which has long served as a history book. Now he’s adding to that book again. “Sometimes you forget how many people came through here,” he said. “You never want to forget a memory. That’s why the photos are so valuable.”

KAITLYN & MICHAEL

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 02:24:59 GMT

Kaitlyn and Michael's
Nantucket wedding.

Bride and Groom: Kaitlyn Hubbell and Michael Byrne

Officiant: Reverend Jodi Fondell

Church : First Congregational Church

Reception Venue : Westmoor Club

Welcome Party : The Whaling Museum

Wedding Planner: Denise Badders-Perry of ACK Gift Bags & Events

Farewell Brunch : Private Home

Rehearsal Dinner : Brotherhood of Thieves

Photographer: Zofia & Co

Videographer: Harborview Studios

Cake: PPX Patisserie

Band: Sound Society Band

Bride's Dress: Oscar de la Renta

Bridal Hair & Makeup: RJ Miller

Bride's Shoes : Jimmy Choo

Groom's Tuxedo : Suit Supply

Florist: Soiree Floral

Tent : (not pictured due to unexpected Nor’easter): Nantucket Tents

Wedding Artwork : Meredith Hanson

Place Settings : Placesetters

Invitations and Paper : Parchment

The Lasting Legacy of Graham Gund

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 02:05:46 GMT

Remembering Renowned Architect Graham Gund

Written by Bruce A. Percelay

Images Courtesy of The Gund

Th ere are those who leave in their wake an indelible mark on the world around them, and Graham Gund was one such person. Gund, who had been coming to Nantucket with his wife Ann since 1977, left his mark brick by brick, and his legacy of creative architecture will impact the landscape of Boston, Washington D.C. and beyond for many years to come.

A longtime summer resident of Nantucket, Gund was bornin Cleveland, Ohio, from a family of privilege. The son of an investment banker, Gund was one of six children. One of his brothers, Gordon Gund, still lives on Nantucket, and is the CEO of Gund Investment Corporation and an accomplished sculptor.

Graham Gund received his masters in architecture and urban design at Harvard’s renowned Graduate School of Design. His buildings were often whimsical, some with round windows, pagoda-like roofs and gold-leaf chevrons, one could easily identify a Graham Gund building by its unconventional design and signature details.

Gund’s designs extend well beyond New England. In the 1990s,he was tasked with designing new buildings at Disneyworld in Florida. He also worked on over two dozen educational and athletic facilities at Kenyon College and Ohio State University, as well as a botanical garden in Cleveland and a former department store in Washington D.C. that he converted into a mixed-use housing and commercial complex.

Gund was also an active member of the communities he called home. He was a trustee of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, he founded the Boston Foundation for Architecture and in 1997, he co-founded the Nantucket Preservation Trust with Max Berry, bringing historic preservation into the spotlight on Nantucket at a time when historic homes were being gutted. At the time, The New York Times reported the island was “under siege,” awakening to “the din and clash of construction, threatening both its look and its historic integrity.”

Throughout his career, Nantucket was Gund’s place to relax. People asked him to design houses on the island, though he almost never took on residential projects. “You would never know that he had any money,” Ann said. “He had a quiet presence, a quiet sense of humor and humanity about him. He had a passion for beauty and art. He gave so much that you wouldn’t even know about.”

His works have been described as inviting. Gund was known for buildings that not only had a life of their own, but enhanced the entire neighborhood around it. Paul Goldberger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic, said of Gund: “For Graham, the idea of place is so powerfully real that it always sets the tone.

Late Boston Globe architecture critic Robert Campbell added in a 1989 article that Gund is “quite possibly the most playful architect of importance in the history of the United States.” He was also an avid art collector, so much so that The Boston Globe called his the most important collection of contemporary paintings and sculptures in New England. For those who knew Gund, he was ashy, gentle soul who did not seek attention or accolades but let his works speak for themselves. His mark as an architect and as a person will undoubtedly stand the test of time.

A River Runs Under It

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 01:48:13 GMT

Scientists drill beneath the seafloor for signs of fresh water.

Written by Brian Bushard

Images Courtesy of New England Shelf Hydrogeology

It might be the most unlikely place to search for drinking water. Twenty miles south of Nantucket, Jez Everest is stationed on a liftboat with no land in sight—only turbines and sharks. Everything about the project looks strange on the surface. Scientists are working in converted shipping containers on what looks like an oilrig propped above the surface. They’re drilling for signs of freshwater 400 meters beneath the seafloor. And on this day, those signs are clear as day.

“These projects don’t come up very often,” said Jez Everest, expedition project manager for the New England Shelf Hydrogeology Expedition. “This is something that’s never been done before, never been tried before and the results of it will be globally significant.”

In a way, the idea for the project is 50 years in the making. In the 1970s, a team of scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey led an offshore drilling project from Florida to New Hampshire in search of petroleum deposits. They didn’t find any, and the project fell dormant. But during that operation, they found traces of fresh water beneath the seafloor south of New England, a geological anomaly with massive implications as a potential source of fresh drinking water.

Since that drilling project ended, no follow-up testing has been conducted for the elusive freshwater system that scientists all but know lies deep beneath the seafloor—that is until now. “It was an exciting observation at the time, but not a lot of work was done with it because that wasn’t the project,” said Brandon Dugan, a professor of geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. Dugan is leading the drilling expedition this summer.

Dugan’s team of scientists is part of the New England Shelf Hydrogeology Expedition, which launched a three-month research operation in early May. The research group’s members represent 16 countries and will be stationed on the liftboat Robert , a 185-foot drilling vessel that looks like a fish out of water. The vessel rests entirely above the surface, with three legs tethered to the seafloor.

The $26 million project—funded by the International Ocean Drilling Programme and the U.S. National Science Foundation—works a lot like an ordinary oil drilling operation. From the liftboat, Dugan’s team drills up to 1,600 feet beneath the seafloor in three transects: at 19 miles, 26 miles and 42 miles south of Nantucket. Dugan hypothesizes freshwater may exist as far as 30 miles out. The question for researchers is not only how big that aquifer is, but how long the water has been there and how it got there.

Mark Willett has been asking those questions for two decades as an engineer and now as the director of Nantucket’s Wannacomet Water Company. Nantucket is fortunate to have its own sole-source aquifer that is not contaminated by groundwater inputs from any other areas. The only potential contamination to the aquifer would come from the island itself.

It turns out that about 250-280 feet below the island, there’s a glacial lake deposit about 100-feet thick, an area encased in clay that likely formed during the last ice age, when receding glaciers left behind the sediment that formed Cape Cod and the islands. “You’ll see a massive glacial lake deposit that’s solid clay, just like Play-Doh, completely impervious,” Willett said. “And below that is another freshwater lens, which we have not tapped into. Nobody has. I think with that glacial lake deposit, that could turn into a mining operation. There’s no recharge that’s going to get through that glacial deposit.”

That groundwater system extends past Nantucket’s shoreline. At low tide, Willett said you can see freshwater trickling onto some beaches up through the sand along Nantucket Harbor. “The birds are drinking the water,” Willett said. “Birds don’t drink salt water. So at low tide, we are actually losing water out of the aquifer into the ocean.” If that freshwater system stretches for miles and miles beyond Nantucket—as Dugan and his team believe—it could mean an untapped resource not only for Nantucket, but for the entire region. It could also mean other countries around the world with similar geological formations could have another source of water.

“This could be big for a lot of countries—like a National Geographic TV show big,” Willett said. “It’s the first group of scientists whose sole purpose is to go find the aquifer. They know it’s there. Now they’re going to locate it, find it and sample it to see that maybe it’s completely fresh.”

Dugan hopes the research project will provide answers for countries and regions where rainfall cannot be counted on for sufficient fresh water. He pointed to one case in Cape Town, South Africa, where in 2018 the city’s water supply dropped to just a trickle, sparking a regional water crisis. “A very populous, developed city was almost out of water and they limited people to five liters of water per day,” Dugan said. “There’s anecdotal evidence that an aquifer like this exists off South Africa. If we understand these systems better, policymakers can make informed decisions on protecting, maintaining, sustaining or using that water as they feel right. This is not isolated to New England; we just happen to know the most about it here.”

“When we understand the science in a place where we have the most information, we will know how to study these other places more effectively,” he continued. “What we do next is the big question. Then it’s up to policymakers to decide what they would like to do in terms of preserving this resource.

Raising a Glass

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 01:05:00 GMT

Épernay Sommelier Frank Hersey’s tips for wine

For over two decades, Frank Hersey has cultivated a reputation as one of Nantucket’s most trusted wine experts. A seasoned sommelier with a career that began in high-end restaurants in Florida, Hersey spent nearly two decades shaping the wine list at The Galley before joining Épernay Wine & Spirits. Today, he splits his expertise between Épernay and the Great Harbor Yacht Club, where he curates wine programs rooted in seasonal pairings, a curiosity for undiscovered wines, and close ties with clients.

N Magazine caught up with Hersey ahead of the busy summer season to talk underrated bottles, approachable pairings and what keeps him rooted on Nantucket.

How did you first get into wine and what sparked your interest in becoming a sommelier?

I got into wine in the early ’90s. I worked for a high-end restaurant in Florida, and you had to learn. You had to know everything about everything. We had Armagnac tastings. We had wine tastings. And I just found that I had a palate for wine. Wine that I liked, people seemed to enjoy.

What brought you to Nantucket?

I was working in Florida, and I met Howard Clark and Nelson Doubleday. Nelson used to own 21 Federal back in the day, and Howard Clark lived on Nantucket. They were telling me for years to come to Nantucket. Finally, I took their advice, and Howard called David [Silva] and Geoffrey Silva at The Galley, and I started working at The Galley.

For someone intimidated by wine lists, what’s your go-to advice when making a selection?

It’s funny because I’m doing retail for the first time ever. I was at The Galley for 19 years. When I was at The Galley, the less expensive wines—people were more intimidated to talk about with a sommelier. Whereas high-end wines—if you’re spending money on a really expensive bottle of wine, it should be good. We take a lot of time and effort to make the less expensive wines the best that they can be but people don’t ask questions. They should talk to the sommelier and not be intimidated. If you just say ‘I’m looking for a $60 or $30 bottle of wine,’ we would generally steer you towards what you’re looking for.

Is there a rule you think people should feel free to break, like red wine with meat or white with fish?

You know, I’ve been doing this for over 30 years, and most of the time—most Americans or most people in general—pick a bottle of wine out before they’ve even decided what they’re having for dinner. So I feel like most people, if they’re going to have fish and they love Cabernet, they’re going to drink Cabernet. It’s interesting because pairing doesn’t seem to be as much of apriority as to what they’re drinking that they like.

Any clue as to why? Do you think it just kind of comes in waves?

It’s wavy. I feel like it started with New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, and a lot of people got tired of that grapefruit, citrusy style and then evolved to drier, leaner French Sauvignon Blancs. I noticed that about three or four years ago and now you literally can’t keep them on the shelf. It will be interesting, because they had a disastrous season over there, so the production is absolutely minuscule.

Can you name an underrated or overlooked wine people should be paying more attention to?

Whites—Arneis. They’re the perfect summer porch wine for me that people don’t really have a grasp on. Red wines—Spanish like Riojas, Tempranillos Grenache—that seems to be an overlooked wine.

What’s a bottle that always surprises people, either by taste or value?

We’ve done tastings with Arneis twice now at Épernay and I feel like that’s one. It’s hard to say, because I’ve been doing this for so long and I have a lot of relationships with people, so we geta lot of wines that aren’t in the norm. We get a lot of surprises in general, because people haven’t heard the name before. But because I’ve been on the island for so long, and I have such a great clientele list, people just generally trust me and they’ll drink whatever I tell them.

If someone is just starting to build their wine knowledge, what’s one region or varietal you would recommend they start with?

Ithink you should try everything. That’s one of the things that I’ve always tried to have—this memory of my clients and what they’ve drunk. I never try to have them drink the same wine twice unless it was a special occasion. If you like white Burgundies, I would get them to drink different white Burgundies that they might not have ever had. So one week they might have a Puligny, the next week a Meursault, the next week a ChassagneI’ve always tried to get people out of a rut. Then they’re always excited when they try a new wine, because generally, 99 percentof the time they like my selections.

What’s your approach to building the wine program at the Yacht Club or Épernay? Are there any new additions you’re excited about?

My approach has always been the same. I try like two or three thousand wines a season. I try to find the best $60 Pinot Noir that I can. I try to do a wine list like that. There were wines that Great Harbor and Épernay have never been able to purchase. And now they can get those wines.

Outside of wine, what do you enjoy most about being on Nantucket?

Everything. I gave my car to my brother and I walk to work every day. It’s just an iconic place. I do private dinners at people’s houses, and my client list is amazing. Being able to make memories for people that are my friends and clients—and individuals that I’ve gotten to meet— there’s no other place like it in the world. I feel very blessed and lucky to have the clients and the friends that I have on this island.

Changing of the Guard

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 01:00:53 GMT

John Lowell takes over at Coast Guard Station Brant Point.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

John Lowell likes to say he rode the “Swiatek pipeline” to Nantucket. A Dennis, Massachusetts, native, Lowell rose up the ranks of the U.S. Coast Guard to serve on the same cutter off the coast of San Diego as former Coast Guard Station Brant Point Master Chief Chris Swiatek, where Lowell performed counter-smuggling operations on the high seas.

This summer, Lowell followed Swiatek’s footsteps once again, taking the helm of the Brant Point Station as its new master chief, bringing Lowell back to the waters he grew up navigating with his family. Lowell spoke with N Magazine on the dock beside the 47-foot Coast Guard vessel at Brant Point to discuss his journey to Nantucket and what he hopes to accomplish in his four-year tenure on the island

What was your path to Nantucket?

I’ve been in the Coast Guard for 16 years on various assignments—both search-and-rescue units and ships. When it was time for me to transfer out of San Diego, I put Nantucket at the top of my list and got ordered out here.

From a navigational perspective, what are the biggest causes of boating accidents?

Drinking and boating is definitely a recipe for disaster. Nantucket has a lot more fog than most other areas, as we know, so navigating through that can be a challenge for anyone who’s not used to it. Those are the biggest two.

What was the most harrowing rescue of your career?

In my career, I’ve done Medevacs off big commercial vessels, which are always challenging. When I was in Hawaii, we had long-range search and rescue cases off commercial vessels. When I was in New York, there were people who were beset by heavy weather in an inlet and were at risk of capsizing.

What is the line of thinking for the Coast Guard's removal of some navigational buoys?

The one navigational buoy in question is the NB at the mouth of the channel, also known as a sea buoy. The thought is that it’s a non-lateral aid, as opposed to buoys that are red and green to serve as lateral aids, meaning boaters know which side of them they should be on. This is just one fewer buoy to maintain.

Have the recent federal deportations changed your job?

No. That’s always been a mission of the Coast Guard. Station Brant Point was not involved with the most recent ICE raid [which partnered with the Coast Guard vessel Hammerhead out of Woods Hole], so day-to-day on Nantucket, the job did not change at all.

You led a counter-smuggling operation in San Diego. How would you describe that job?

We mostly captured human traffickers and turned them in to the authorities. It kept me busy. It was action-packed. I had an outstanding crew there and worked for a great chain of command that was extremely supportive. But I’m looking forward to getting back to what I trained to do.

How different is the work on Nantucket compared to what you were doing in San Diego?

It’s very different. But my background in the Coast Guard is search and rescue. This is what I was trained to do, compared to what I did in San Diego. I also served at three units on Long Island, New York, doing this same thing—search and rescue and recreational boating safety.

What are you excited for on Nantucket?

So much—driving over sand to get to the beach with the family, Daffodil Weekend, Figawi, the Fourth of July, the half marathon in October, fishing for stripers and bay scalloping. All of the things I grew up doing, I get to teach my kids. That’s going to be awesome.

Turbulent Times

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:51:40 GMT

Former Continental Airlines CEO Frank Lorenzo on the current state of air travel

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

B arbara Walters once called him “the most hated man in America.” The former CEO and chairman of Texas International Airlines and Continental Airlines, Frank Lorenzo oversaw several of the largest companies in the industry as air travel was really taking off in the 1970s and ’80s. He was known for his hard stance on labor unions and for his high-stakes deals at a time when other airlines crashed and burned. Through all of that turbulence, Lorenzo always seemed to come out on top, and he did it with a smile.

Lorenzo recently published a memoir on his career and the companies he led. Flying for Peanuts tells the full story of his career and his lifelong passion for air travel, and gives insight into both the airline industry and what Vanity Fair once dubbed the “Double Life of Frank Lorenzo.” He’s a family man, not a villain, he said. N Magazine caught up with Lorenzo at his home on Nantucket to talk about his memoir, as well as his thoughts on air travel today and the trials and tribulations of one particular deal he made in 1989—with Donald Trump.

N Magazine : How did you end up on Nantucket?

Lorenzo : We came here in 1978, doing some financing for Texas International. One of their bankers invited us for the weekend. By Saturday, we had fallen in love with the place. We had been in Texas in the summer, and Sharon [Lorenzo’s wife]wanted to be someplace cooler in the summer. We had to fly out to London that Sunday morning, but the next summer we rented for a week, and then we rented fora month, and then we bought this place in1985 and had it built in 1987.

N Magazine : What was the airline industry like when you started your career?

Lorenzo : In 1972, we were the smallest airline in the region. We were also in Texas, which had Southwest Airlines. When deregulation hit in October of 1978, the industry dramatically changed. New carriers could come in, and they came in by the dozens. Prices changed. You could do whatever price you wanted. We were the first to eliminate cigars and pipe smoking on airplanes. There was a day when an Eastern Airlines plane had the cabin filled with smoke.

N Magazine : What have been the biggest changes you’ve observed in the industry?

Lorenzo : One of the biggest changes is the management of airlines. Back when we first bought control of Texas International, the industry was like a club. Everybody participated in the club, and then we came along and we knew we couldn't just do what the club wanted; we had to do some different things. When I used to go to the Air Transport Association meetings in Washington, all the big airlines would stay at one end of the table, and I would go to the other end, because I wasn’t really part of the club. We were considered mavericks. It’s that entrepreneurial management that is now standard in the industry. People back then started out because they wanted to walk up and down the aisle and feel like a big shot. We, on the other hand, were the first to do an unfriendly takeover. It had never been done. You have to be willing to take a risk and to experiment. Look at the money United Airlines is putting into some of the new aircraft types. This is great. United has even set up a venture capital operation. It’s a much more adventurous environment, and that doesn’t mean it’s any less safe by any means.

N Magazine : One of your biggest deals was the sale of the Eastern Shuttle to Donald Trump. When you look back at that deal, was it the right decision?

Lorenzo : We had started a little airline called New York Air to compete with the Eastern Shuttle in 1980, and that had been gradually eroding the market share of the Eastern Shuttle. We had New York Air giving away bagels and treating people well, back when the Eastern Shuttle was cheap and basic. You came on board the shuttle, you had your credit card, and the flight attendant went up and down with a credit card reader. They didn’t serve anything. The seats were tight. Then we bought control of Eastern and we had to deal with the shuttle. The Eastern Shuttle was separable from Eastern, and there was a lot of cash in it—and Eastern desperately needed cash. That’s the reason for selling the shuttle, and the most obvious person was this guy in New York. Everything that said “New York,” he loved, so I approached him.

N Magazine : What was it like working with Trump?

Lorenzo : We had a normal price negotiation, and then all of a sudden when we came to a deal, the pilot union went on strike. We kept some of the flights going because about a quarter of the pilots didn’t honor the picket line. The traffic on the shuttle dropped. Trump had every right to a force majeure. I called him up, said he was obviously able to back out of the deal, and he said, “Oh no, I love the deal.” We went skiing and I got a call from our general counsel saying, “Guess what, Trump’s announced he wants a lower price on the shuttle deal.” I was really pissed off. We went skiing that day and I flew to New York that night. His office called to renegotiate. I came to Trump and said we had heard he wanted to put in chrome interiors in his airplanes, and chrome interiors take a long lead time to get done. I told him we would add several airplanes to the deal, which were worth very little to us. Trump heard that and said it was great, so we put out a press release saying the deal was done.

N Magazine : How do you feel about the airline industry today?

Lorenzo : Where we are today is not perfect. From a safety point of view, we have done a great job. But we have not kept up with the modernization of our FAA system. The new administration, after these terrible airline accidents particularly at the Ronald Reagan National Airport, knows there needs to be more regulation, particularly around that airport. The National Airport has no right to be having helicopters in a crowded airspace. That was an accident waiting to happen.

N Magazine: Airplane crashes seem to be in the news a lot recently, particularly the fatal crash in India this summer. What do you think can be done to improve airline safety?

Lorenzo : The information is just coming about the incident in India. It’s really too early to know whether there was a maintenance issue, but that plane—the Dreamliner—had been operating for 11 years, so it’s certainly not a problem with the plane. Boeing is doing a very good job following up on airplanes. As we go forward, we talk a lot about having small electric airplanes. Well, who is going to regulate these? How are they going to be tracked down when they’re buzzing around the sky? Anyone of them could bring down an airplane. There’s a lot of work that can be done.

N Magazine : You’re known for the hub-and-spoke model with airlines. We’ve seen recently that some airlines without central hubs can suffer meltdowns. Has the industry learned its lesson?

Lorenzo : You have to look at all the revenue it was bringing in with connecting flights. Southwest Airlines had a different concept entirely from the beginning. They had smaller airplanes, and they came up with the idea of going from important cities to other important cities and basically offering one-stop service. They were very successful with it. They had a great plan for many years. But then, the model shifted and they hadn’t updated their systems. It was only a matter of time until they had a meltdown.

N Magazine : Throughout your career, you have been labeled as a “tough guy.” Do you think that criticism is fair?

Lorenzo : No. We were just responding to airline deregulation. We were just responding to how you could keep a company alive. The unions had come up with this strategy to make Frank Lorenzo the issue. The unions had put together this massive public relations campaign to make Frank Lorenzo out to be this monster that eats his kids for breakfast and employees for lunch. Their argument was always to blame the Frank Lorenzo style of management and that any problems had nothing to do with the deregulation. But we loved our people. In 1983 when the pilots struck us, because we implemented new work groups to save us, we got 22% of the pilots to come back to work—and that 22% could operate 45% of our system. These people that came back to work could see what was going on. They could see Southwest Airlines next door and recognize that we had to change or we weren’t going to stay alive. We weren’t bad guys. We just did what had to be done to save the company, which we did. Otherwise it would have gone the way of Trans World Airlines and Pan Am, and all these other companies that just went by the wayside.

N Magazine : Do you have any predictions about the future of air travel?

Lorenzo : Safety is going to continue to be a major emphasis. We are going to see some new technologies by 2030 and beyond—technologies like electric, smaller aircraft, supersonic airplanes. We are going to see technological changes, but if you think about it, very little has changed in the last 30 years.

N Magazine : What are your tips for air travel?

Lorenzo : Allow plenty of leeway. Allow leeway for the unexpected.

N Magazine : Do you have a favorite airline food?

Lorenzo: Just the snacks. The boxes of snacks these days are pretty good

Making Waves

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:23:30 GMT

Nantucket surfers Wynter and Kydon Larrabee compete internationally.

Written by Jonathan Soroff

Photography by Tavia O'Keefe

When the Larrabee brothers started surfing competitively on the West Coast, some of their opponents didn’t even know that Massachusetts was on the ocean. None of them are likely to forget it now. Fifth-generation Nantucketers, Kydon, 14, and Wynter, 16, have been collecting first-place titles in national competitions and stealing the thunder from surfers twice their age who come from surfing hotspots like Hawaii and Huntington Beach.

“I think Wynter and I are the first surfers from the Northeast in a really long time to try and take it to the next level,” said Kydon, who won three national titles last year: one in his age division and two in all-ages divisions (meaning that he was up against older, more experienced athletes).In surf-speak, both teens have graduated from being “grommets” to “rippers” in a very short time, putting Nantucket on the surfing map in the process. Although they were born in landlocked Arizona, Kydon and Wynter moved to Nantucket as toddlers and immediately took to the water.

“They did sailing camp, aviation camp, football, soccer, but ultimately the only thing they wanted to be doing once they were absolutely hooked was surfing,” said their mother, Shawna Larrabee.

The first time Kydon got on a surfboard came just before his third birthday. “It just really stuck,” he said. “It’s addictive.” Wynter added that he learned to swim before he could walk. “We’re watermen,” he said. “We do a lot more than conventional longboarding and shortboarding. We foil surf. We’ve done some kitesurfing, paddleboarding and bodysurfing. We also scuba, free-dive and sail—pretty much anything you can do on the water.”

The brothers learned to surf at the Nantucket Island Surf School on Cisco Beach, where Kydon now works. Its founder, Gary “Kona” Kohner, saw the boys’ potential and told their parents, “These kids have really got something.” Kohner should know. A native Nantucketer who started surfing in 1984, he’s traveled the world, chasing waves in the winter and running the surf school in the summer. “When Kydon was small, Gary noticed that his stance on the surfboard was really compressed. He was squatting, which gave him more balance and control over the board,” Wynter said.“ There were other kids my age surfing, but Kydon was definitely one of the youngest. When he was 4, he was surfing with kids twice his age and surfing better than a lot of them.”

Still, Kydon admits, “I struggled with a lot of fear until I was 8 or maybe 10. I was very afraid of big waves for a very long time. But I started to push past it, and now I’ve surfed places like Waimea Bay in Hawaii, which has 20-foot waves. I feel comfortable now, but it took me a long time to get my bearings."

Wynter, on the other hand, was “kind of fearless. I would go out into the bigger surf and get pounded, but I just loved it. I want to surf Nazaré in Portugal and Half Moon Bay in California. I’ve been doing breath training and other stuff to get ready to surf the big waves in Hawaii this winter.”

The season for surfing competition runs from June to August, and for the past several years, the pair has spent a lot of time training in Florida, as well as in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Hawaii and the Dominican Republic. To allow them to pursue their passion, the boys are homeschooled, and their father, Richard Larrabee, points out that surfing is a natural classroom.

"They’re eager learners, and they’ve picked up language skills,” Richard said. “They love math and reading. But from their love of the ocean, they’ve learned a lot about physics, with waves and the tides. Timing, wavelength, fetch, pitch. They watch the weather all the time. Topography. There’s a lot that goes into surfing, education-wise, and sometimes they don’t even realize that they’re learning. But to understand what the ocean’s going to do, they have to know a lot.”

By mid-June, the Larrabee brothers had competed in the USA Longboard Surfing Championships, with Kydon placing 7thand Wynter 10th. The shortboard trials took place at the end of June. More importantly to Richard and Shawna, though, was the fact that Kydon was given an award for best sportsmanship by USA Surfing. Ultimately, both Kydon and Wynter want to become astronauts and go to the International Space Station, so they’re also learning Russian. Kydon joked that his personal goal is to someday surf on Mars. But for the foreseeable future, they both hope to represent the U.S. in the 2032 Olympics, and to continue proving what a lot of people already know: Nantucket is an awesome place to catch a wave.

A Bog Reimagined

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:09:21 GMT

The Nantucket Conservation Foundation restores a historic wetland.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Less than a decade ago, Windswept Cranberry Bog was a sea of red. The Polpis Road bog was one of two active cranberry bogs on Nantucket, part of a living legacy of over a century of cranberry cultivation on the island. But as the Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s Karen Beattie and Cormac Collier walk through the property today, what was once a 40-acre cranberry bog looks completely different.

As the profitability of cranberry cultivation plummeted, the Conservation Foundation, which owns the property, was left with a tough decision. Keep growing cranberries—potentially at a loss—or do something else with the property. “Instead of leaving it alone and letting nature take its course, we made a conscious decision to do a wetland restoration project here,” said Beattie, vice president of science and stewardship for the Conservation Foundation. “Restoring the wetlands at Windswept is an opportunity to improve water quality in the entire watershed, and particularly the watershed going into Polpis Harbor.”

The areas where there had been bogs are now a web of wetland marshes and grasses, connected by boardwalks and walking trails. Shorebirds, frogs and spotted turtles line a new system of ponds that had been bogs. The idea is to both improve the habitat and protect the harbor from harmful nutrients that had been entering the watershed through years of pesticide and herbicide use. “What we’ve created is a wetland that has deeper pockets in the center and shallower pockets around the edge,” Beattie said. “That creates a lot more habitat diversity for plants and animals.”

The property also serves as a gateway for people to walk through the moors, into a deep network of walking trails that stretch for miles. “There was a big intention on maintaining and improving public access and making sure people could get onto the property and access the other abutting properties,” Collier, the executive director of the Conservation Foundation, added.

Cranberries have been grown on Nantucket since the 1850s and were even a critical part of the island’s agricultural history that helped keep the island’s economy alive after the fall of whaling and before tourism exploded. Windswept was constructed in the late 1800s as a private operation. Cranberries from that bog were even brought on ships to stave off scurvy. They became so profitable they were called “red gold,” according to former Conservation Foundation ranger Allen Reinhard. The Conservation Foundation acquired both the Windswept and Milestone cranberry bogs in 1979, and with it came the Larrabee family, which has run the bogs for nearly 50 years, from the late Tom Larrabee Sr. to his son, Tom Larrabee, and now to Tom Jr.’s son, Nick Larrabee.

But in recent years, cranberry growing has not been as easy as pie. Facing dwindling yields and a surge in production out of Canada and the Great Lakes region, the Conservation Foundation turned to organic growing in 2013, hoping to both lessen its load of pesticides and herbicides on the surrounding watershed, and as a way to boost its revenue by selling certified organic cranberries that could fetch a higher price at the grocery store.

Even with the organic label, the revenue from Nantucket cranberries was still a far cry from the red gold of the past. After years of consideration over what to do with the bog, the Foundation officially pulled Windswept out of production in 2019. “We felt it was more important to preserve the historical aspects of Milestone Bog given the fact it’s hard to grow cranberries anywhere these days,” Beattie said. “[Windswept] was an important place to visit. It’s the gateway to the Middle and Eastern moors. Preserving that access was an important component that preserves our mission as a conservation organization.”

Most people know cranberry growing from what they see during the several weeks out of a year when bogs are flooded to allow the ripe cranberries to float to the surface for easier harvesting. But getting to that point takes two years, not just one. The process of growing a cranberry takes a green thumb, as well as pounds and pounds of sand. Each year, a layer of sand is added over the bogs. When that happens for over a hundred years, the sand layer becomes compacted into two to three feet of sand, which in effect turns what had been a wetland into what’s known as an upland system—think scrub oaks and pitch pines with fewer cattails.

Not only does the restoration project preserve the wetland that had been there before the bogs were created, it also serves a key ecological function in purifying the watershed entering Polpis Harbor and even acts as a buffer to absorb rising waters. “Wetlands perform ecological services, so as water moves through the wetland, the plants have an opportunity to take up nutrients from the water column and use it as a fertilizer to fuel their growth,” Beattie said. “Water that exits the wetland will have fewer nutrients than water that enters the wetland.”

Phase one of the restoration project wrapped up this summer, following a three-year operation with help from the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration and engineers Fuss & O’Neill and SumCo Eco Contracting. Finishing the project included a sitewide vegetation survey of over 400species of plants on the property. Conservation Foundation staff also identified pickerel frogs, green frogs, spring peepers, spotted turtles, dragonflies, migratory shorebirds, sandpipers, killdeer, painted turtles and osprey on the former bog.

One aspect of the property the Conservation Foundation is keeping in mind now is that as a wetland, the property could start to change. While it will always be open to the public, it can start to serve new ecological functions as sea-level rise eventually brings saltwater onto the property. The point is the property will be what it wants to be. Regardless of how the wetland evolves, the Conservation Foundation’s objective remains the same: “We want it to be an experience that people really enjoy,” Collier said.

Fair and Balanced

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 18:03:59 GMT

Fox News Anchor Martha MacCallum

Written by Bruce A. Percelay

Photography by Brian Sager

Martha MacCallum has been one of the most prominent voices on Fox News for two decades. MacCallum has interviewed world leaders and Supreme Court justices on her show, The Story , and has covered six presidential administrations. MacCallum views her approach to journalism as being fair and accurate reporting, even on a network with a reputation for conservative commentary. MacCallum is a frequent visitor to Nantucket during the summer from her home in Chatham, and took time to speak with N Magazine about her career, and both the state of the country and journalism today.

N Magazine : What has your experience been on Nantucket?

MacCallum : I’ve spent a ton of time on Nantucket over the last several decades. I grew up going to the Cape every summer, and my husband and I have owned a home in Chatham for a long time. We have family on Nantucket, so we go back and forth. You can’t help but love Nantucket. It’s one of my favorite places.

N Magazine : You’ve been on Fox News for over two decades. How have you seen the evolution of journalism in that time?

MacCallum : I worked at The Wall Street Journal and at NBC before I came to Fox, so I’ve seen a number of different journalistic organizations throughout my time. They’re all great brands, and they all embraced a very strong philosophy about news and storytelling, which is my home base. My show is called The Story , and the aim has always been to create journalism, good reporting on the ground, and to do a show that is very straightforward. We’ve all seen evolution in the news. I think that it has become more siloed, especially with the growth of social media. People tend to go to the place where they feel comfortable and they like what they’re hearing. One of the things that has been the most striking tome over these last years at Fox is that we have a very strong growth with viewers across the [political] spectrum. Our viewership is roughly split into thirds between people who call themselves Republicans, Democrats and independents. Every network has its strong opinions in the evening, and I think there’s a place for that, but I think that we all have our own perspective with our programs, and with mine, I diversify politics and foreign policy and national events.

N Magazine : The general thinking is that Fox leans to the right and CNN leans to the left, which is not a recipe for objective journalism on either side. Do you feel that the orientation of a network conflicts with true objective journalism?

MacCallum : I look at success as what draws people, and I think people are drawn to quality products. People are smart, and I know that they’re drawn to us for a reason. If people spend a few days actually watching Fox, they usually end up watching it for a long time. People understand what they’re getting when they go to different channels. We’re successful because we have a lot of street features and a lot of good news coverage.

N Magazine : Trust in journalism is at an all-time low, according to major polling organizations. What does that say to you, and how does that get turned around?

MacCallum : I look at that and I think about the deterioration of mainstream news organizations. I think it’s very sad having worked at NBC, as well. I remember Bush derangement syndrome, and now you hear about Trump derangement syndrome. I think that people at a lot of these outlets let their emotions get the better of them, and they get spun up on stories. I’m not surprised that there’s a lack of trust in news organizations.

N Magazine : You moderated several debates last year. Were you surprised by Biden’s inability to function then?

MacCallum : Absolutely. I thought it was sad. When you’re watching ,you don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t knowhow the candidates are going to perform. But a few minutes in, it was clear to all of us, I think that this was a pivotal turning point.

N Magazine : Should presidential debates be mandated?

MacCallum : I prefer the old format where you had the Commission on Presidential Debates, with three debates. The commission chose the moderator, and did a pretty good job of it. There was always criticism of that format, but I think it’s a principled way to go. They’re some of the strongest nights for our organizations because those of us who moderate debates take them very seriously. Participating in the debates should be mandatory. Are they decisive? No. But they’re an important part of the process.

N Magazine : Trump has treated Fox News as a farm team for his administration. How hard is it to be seen as objective with a president whose role is so intertwined with the network?

MacCallum : He has seen a lot of good people in our network, and he’s invited them to be part of his White House team. I don’t think it’s that surprising. We’ve certainly seen it before with someone like George Stephanopoulos working in the Clinton campaign. There’s a history of people crossing over those lines at times. It doesn’t change the way I approach my job. Trump has also demonstrated a sensitivity to media criticism.

N Magazine : Does his reaction to challenging questions inhibit the process of grilling a president about issues?

MacCallum : He is actively answering questions all the time, which is refreshing. During the Biden administration, we never heard from him, and he too, very quickly, objected to questions he didn’t like. I look at Fox reporters like [Senior White House Correspondent] Jacqui Heinrich, who never shies away from asking [Trump]hard questions. I think the President respects those reporters. I think it’s also interesting [Trump] is doing interviews with networks that he has referred toas “fake news.” That makes it a very interesting administration to cover.

N Magazine : Is Trump’s public persona the same as his private one?

MacCallum : It’s exactly the same. He treats everyone the same—a waiter or a reporter or the president or leader of another country. I think that’s because he’s very authentic and down to Earth. No matter what you think of him, whether you like him or not, I think that is one of the reasons that he won the election, because people know that he’s saying what’s on his mind.

N Magazine : On the world stage, do you feel we are at an inflection point where our leadership could influence the future of the Middle East in away that is more aligned with the interests of the United States?

MacCallum : I have covered six presidencies, and every president is hopeful about the process of peace in the Middle East. I think we might be closer to it now than we have ever been. The Abraham Accords were a very positive start for a lot of people on both sides of the aisle. We’ll see what happens with Iran following the attack on their nuclear facilities, and whether or not they’ll come to the table and agree to inspections and to dismantling their nuclear weapons program, because they are beyond the levels of anything that you would need for an energy program. This is a moment of hope for the Middle East, and many Americans are hopeful that there’s a possibility for peace.

N Magazine : Are there any public figures who have surprised you when you interviewed them?

MacCallum : I got the call during the very contentious hearings for [Supreme Court Justice] Brett Kavanaugh, to go to Washington and do an interview with him about the allegations against him. I had watched him being questioned in the Senate. It was something I don’t think he anticipated. It was a moment when you sit down and you just see a human being who’s going through a very stressful moment, and you want to give the viewers an opportunity to look into his answers to the questions. You see the humanity of a difficult moment they’re trying to persevere through.

N Magazine : What’s something surprising about you?

MacCallum : I served a lot of clam chowder as a waitress on Cape Cod for a long time. I love to play tennis, though I don’t play as well as I would like to. I’m a New Jersey girl, but my mom’s side of the family was from New England, so we have roots on that side. My loyalties are a little torn between New England and New York.

N Magazine : The country is facing an incredible level of division. What are you most concerned about for the country? What are you most optimistic about?

MacCallum : I’m concerned about artificial intelligence and the impact that it might have. I’m concerned about the education level of kids across the country. I don’t understand why learning from home during COVID didn’t trigger a huge governmental effort to correct that learning loss. I’m also optimistic about the future of this country. I see a lot of young people who are paying attention to what’s going on. The dynamic of kids having different opinions is a healthy and very American thing. And I think we are incredibly resilient. I’ve always been optimistic about America. I think it’s the greatest country in the world.

Late Summer Sippers

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 17:07:23 GMT

Five last-hurrah drinks before the season ends

Written by Jen Laskey

Summer may be starting to feel like it’s already in the rearview mirror. But with one more glorious month to go and plenty of beach days on the horizon, Nantucket’s bartenders and purveyors have plenty of timely ideas for delicious beverages to pair with the sunniest month of the year.

From a cocktail made with locally distilled gin and fresh garden ingredients to two California wines—a Chardonnay that sips like Chablis and another that struts the line between a rosé and a chillable red—your August happy hours are sure to be covered.

NAPA VALLEY CHARDONNAY, Robert Foley Vineyards, 2023 ($116/bottle, $29/glass)

Recommended by Susan Handy, co-owner, Chanticleer

For the last 15 years, guests venturing out to The Chanticleer in Siasconset have been fortunate to find an impressive selection of wines by renowned Napa Valley producer Robert Foley on the restaurant’s extensive and thoughtfully curated wine list. Foley is best known for his commanding, elegant reds, but he’s also achieved acclaim for his Chablis-style Chardonnay—which Chanticleer co-owner Susan Handy believes is the ideal late-summer sipper. “It’s produced in California, but the style is wholly Burgundian," she said. “This is a wine you can sip from cocktail hour to the end of the evening.”

Handy describes Foley’s 2023 Napa Valley Chardonnay as a “true expression” of the Chardonnay grape, adding that it’s bright with balanced acidity and along, lingering finish. “Enjoying the magic of ’Sconset while sipping this French-style Chardonnay transports me momentarily to our sister city of Beaune, France, and its surrounding vineyards.” Handy recommends pairing Foley’s 2023 Chardonnay with The Chanticleer’s wild nettle and white asparagus soup with Maine crab, watercress and lemon coulis. She also loves to “spill” this Chardonnay onto naked Nantucket oyster

MONTE RIO CELLARS, Mission Somers, 2024 ($24/bottle)

Recommended by Edwin Claflin AND Eileen Harkness, co-owners, Mór Wine

After Current Vintage closed last year, Òran Mór Bistro chef-owner Edwin “Ned” Claflin and Commonwealth Nantucket owner Eileen Harkness took up the torch and opened Mór Wine, the island’s newest boutique wine shop at 16 Federal Street. Together, they recommended Monte Rio’s Mission Somers as “the quintessential” late-summer picnic wine. The wine is made with 100 percent Mission grapes. Originally brought to California by Spanish missionaries, Mission grape vines were among the earliest planted there. The grapes in this wine were organically grown and hand-harvested in the Somers vineyard in Lodi. Monte Rio owner-winemaker Patrick Cappiello, a former sommelier and restaurateur, transitioned into winemaking in 2018 under the mentorship of Pax Mahle, an important California winemaker known for pioneering cool-climate Syrah. According to Claflin and Harkness, “this tart and juicy red wine is delicious and can be excellent with alight chill. The vibrant color could be considered a rosé, but we just think of it as delicious.” They suggest pairing Mission Somers with a sandwich, a sunset or a summer cookout.

CUTE AS A COOLCUMBER ($16 at Cisco Brewers)

Recommended by Ryan Lanagan, bar manager, Triple Eight Distillery

Possibly the most festive venue on the island all summer long—day in and day out, come rain or shine—Cisco Brewers offers a place to relax, listen to live music, nibble on food truck fare and sip its beers, as well as wine, spirits and craft cocktails from Triple Eight Distillery, part of the Cisco family. “The truly unique thing that makes us really stand out as a cocktail program is that we craft-distill all of our spirits right here on the property," said bar manager Ryan Lanagan. “You consume the gin steps from where it’s made, and we grow the ingredients for the cocktails—there are not many other places in the world where you can do that.” Lanagan recommends Triple Eight’s Cute as a Coolcumber cocktail, which is made with the distillery’s Gale Force Gin and freshly juiced cucumbers, kale and lemons, and sweetened with a little simple syrup. “It pairs well with a raw bar or grilled fish and veggies,” he said. “It’s also refreshing and hydrating after a bike ride to the brewery.”

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces Triple Eight Distillery Gale Force Gin

•2 ¾ ounces Green Juice*

INSTRUCTIONS

•Fill a shaker with ice.

•Combine Gale Force Gin and Green Juice in the shaker.

•Shake and pour into a glass over ice.

•Garnish with a cucumber slice.

GREEN JUICE

•Juice about ⅓ of a medium-sized cucumber to yield 1 ½ ounces cucumber juice.

•Juice about ¼ cup chopped kale to yield ¼ ounce kale juice.

•Juice a small lemon to yield ½ ounce lemon juice.

•Combine juices with ½ ounce simple syrup.

Tide to Table

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 16:34:49 GMT

Written by Eleanor Wentworth

Nautilus' Mini Fried Oyster Tacos

When you’re on Nantucket, surrounded by raw bars, it takes guts to reimagine the oyster—but The Nautilus does just that with their crave-worthy oyster tacos. This bold, flavor-packed dish wasn’t born out of a brainstorm, but out of late-night fun behind the line. Long before it hit the menu, chef/owner Liam Mackey and his team were playing around in the kitchen after hours, serving fried oyster tacos as surprise treats for friends dining at The Pearl. “We had amazing oysters on hand and just started messing around,” Mackey recalled.

At the time, he had no intention of putting it on a menu—but the reaction was too strong to ignore. A perfect mash-up of texture and taste, the oyster taco embodies Mackey’s vision—taking what’s local and giving it a whole new life. “It just evolved out of what we had,” he said. Now, it’s one of The Nautilus’ most iconic dishes—and it’s here to stay

INGREDIENTS

3 cups sushi rice

½ cup rice vinegar

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons salt

Dash wasabi mayo

1 pound shucked oysters

Up to 1 quart canola oil

2 Nori seaweed sheets

Scallions (thinly sliced)

PICKLED VEGETABLES

2 carrots

2 daikon (raddish)

1 cup rice vinegar

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

2 tablespoons sea salt

1 inch ginger

1 jalapeño pepper

KOREAN BBQ SAUCE

¼ cup gochujang

¾ cups sugar

¼ cups soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons cup sesame oil

TEMPURA BATTER

½ cup cornstarch

½ cup all purpose flour

1 egg

Up to ¾ cup ice cold soda water

INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse sushi rice in cold water until the water runs clear (about 3–4 rinses).
Combine rinsed rice and 3 to 3½ cups of water in a pot. Bring toa boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
Add sushi seasoning (rice vinegar, sugar and salt) to a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until sugar and salt dissolve completely. Remove from heat and cool completely before adding to rice.
While rice is cooling, slice carrots and daikon into matchstick-size pieces. Set aside.
Prepare pickling liquid for carrots and daikon: Mix rice vinegar, water, sugar and sea salt with a small knob of ginger (sliced) and a few slices of jalapeño pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Pour pickle brine over carrots and daikon, allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator or until ready to use (keeps for up to a month).
Make Korean BBQ sauce. Combine gochujang (Korean chili soybean paste similar to spicy miso), sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil, and whisk together in a bowl. Set aside.
Cut half of the Nori sheets in half, leaving eight sheets. Cut the remaining Nori into small strips.
Make the tempura batter: Combine cornstarch and all purpose flour. In a separate bowl, beat the egg before adding dry ingredients. Combine egg mixture with some of the soda water until loosely mixed with some clumps. Do not overmix.
Prepare oysters: Using a fryer or a heavy-bottomed pot, heat canola oil to 365°F. While oil is heating, shuck oysters into a container, discarding shells. Drop shucked oysters into tempura batter and gently coat. Transfer oysters to hot oil, and fry until crispy, turning once. Remove fried oysters to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Assemble tacos: Place mini Nori strips on a dry work surface. Put a dollop of seasoned sushi rice in the middle of a strip (about the size of a cherry), along with a few drops of the wasabi mayo. Place a single carrot and a single daikon next to the rice mound. Place an oyster on top of the wasabi mayo, drizzle with Korean BBQ sauce and a pinch of sliced scallions on top. Wrap the whole thing in a Nori sheet like a taco using a toothpick to secure the bundle. Enjoy.

NEW MOON FEST

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:46:51 GMT

New Moon Festival

NCTV's NEW Moon Festival came back its second year to the Siasconset Casino over Memorial Day weekend for a night of creative and empowering short films celebrating female filmmakers from around the world. The full house at the Casino selected Jellyfish and Lobster as its favorite film, a moving piece on two elderly care-home residents who form an unlikely friendship when they make an enchanting discovery.

photography by Charity Grace Mofsen & Laurie Richards

Take a Seat

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:20:12 GMT

A chat with Classic Sofa owner Blake Anding

What is your connection to Nantucket, and why did you decide to bring the company to the island?

My aunt and uncle first came to Nantucket in 1977 and planted the seed that has grown for an unwavering love of this timeless island. The respect that they have for the island’s history and keeping things as they once were has made an impression on me and how Irun our business. Sometimes, new isn’t always better and if it isn’t broken then why fix it? Nantucket, to me, represents a sleeping beauty that I always look forward to heading back to because I can count on certain things not changing, and in this busy world it’s nice to know that I can always rely on this island. Bringing Classic Sofa to Nantucket came about when my aunt and uncle couldn’t get sofa cushions and a slip cover made in season. I got a phone call from them and had the cushions and slipcover made and delivered in a fortnight. I realized then how underserved the community was and how much we could help Nantucket residents. In full disclosure, I also relish the excuse to get out on the island more often.

Tell us about your approach to manufacturing. How long does the process take?

Unlike competitors that outsource work, we own and operate our own factory and have done so for close to 50 years. Our master carpenters and upholsterers pass down the trade using Old World methods of manufacturing to our apprentices so our level of quality and attention to detail is unmatched. Our Bronx-based factory produces all of our new custom designs and we have a local production facility on the island for reupholstery, as well as a reupholstery factory in our West Palm Beach location. Many of our employees have worked with the company for over 30 years, so there is a unique cohesion at Classic Sofa that allows for quality, custom manufacturing to happen with unmatched lead times of three-five weeks for new pieces andseven-10 days for reupholsteries.

How do you work with customers on a specific design?

Our design process opens the door to endless possibilities. Clients can base their project off of designs in our catalogue or t hey can send in a picture for inspiration that we can then reference. Our design team can combine a number of attributes in different styles to create something completely unique. Customers can feel free to bring a wood base from one design and an arm or back style from another, and we’ll combine them into a one-of-a-kind creation. From handmade legs to brass plinth bases, unique tuft patterns, dress maker skirts, contrast trim, bullion fringe and perfect fitting slip covers—our team is capable of creating any design.

Is there any inherent risk in buying custom furniture?

Not when working with Classic Sofa. Our design process eliminates any issues during the production process. When customers work with our design team, we take the time to review their design goals from the aesthetics of the design, to the overall dimensions of the piece and finally to the preferred seat depth, height and density level that fits each client best. After the production details of the style and dimensions have been solidified, our in-house drafting team will put together a CAD rendering for customers’ approval. Lastly, with complex design we offer the option to upholster the piece in muslin and invite clients to the factory to sit on pieces before fabric is cut to ensure everything is to their liking. Most importantly, at Classic Sofa we are always on your side and we never stop working on a project until our clients are completely satisfied with the end product.

For someone who just bought their dream home on Nantucket, or someone redesigning their island home, what can Classic Sofa offer that other companies might not be able to?

The quality that comes from our factory is something that competitors simply can not replicate. We have the best craftspeople in the industry who love what they do and work seamlessly together as a cohesive team. With hundreds of years of combined experience, our manufacturing team works in tandem with our design team to ensure that everything a client wants to create can be done exactly to plan, and many times the manufacturing team will advise clients on a different way to design a project that will provide a better finished outcome. Most importantly, the Classic Sofa team represents love of design; we love who we work with, and we love what we create.

What are your goals for the company on Nantucket?

We are proud to be exhibited at Nip & Tuck It at8 Amelia Drive with Rebecca Tolliver at the helm. Her knowledge of the upholstery industry and passion for interior design equals my own, and her innate ability to work with clients to efficiently and effectively communicate exactly what they would like to have ensures a seamless production process. Her experience and expertise in the top fabric lines also gives Nantucket clients everything we offer in the D&D Building in New York City. My goal is to become an integral part of the Nantucket community where the Classic Sofa name becomes synonymous with quality.

Building a Legacy on Nantucket

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:03:45 GMT

The Dobbert Companies Celebrates 50 Years

T ake a walk downtown and there’s a good chance that most of the shops, restaurants and inns you pass are clients of The Dobbert Companies, the premier mechanical contractor on Nantucket. For nearly 15 years, the company—led by husband and wife team Mike Dobbert and Kirby Lunger—has provided expert fire sprinkler, HVAC and plumbing services for custom residences, luxury estates and commercial properties on Nantucket. The company is wrapping up a celebration of 50 years in business, with offices on Nantucket, in Boston and the Berkshires.

The Dobbert Companies has been in business for 50 years. How does a company like this persist?

It comes down to our corporate and family values. The first value is integrity—doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. If you don’t have this, you have nothing. The second is community. We truly value our long-standing relationships with the communities we serve, and the people who we work with. The third is learning and education. You can’t rest on your laurels. We pride ourselves on being on the “bleeding edge” of education in fire protection, HVAC and plumbing.

What makes Dobbert stand out?

First, we are committed to Nantucket. We maintain a shop with replacement parts, fully-stocked vans, and several staff houses on island. Second, we provide personal attention and discretion. Contractors often send the “A Team” to sell projects and “bait and switch” with less-experienced staff on the job. Even worse, they often win work and sub out to unqualified third parties for cheaper rates. These issues are magnified here, because it is a difficult and expensive travel destination. Since we are family-owned and run, with a stable and growing presence on the island, what you see is what you get. We also understand the importance of privacy and discretion, especially for high-profile clients. Third, we offer unparalleled industry expertise, with a 50-year operating history in the Northeast. Our CEO literally grew up working at this company. 100% of our field team maintains certifications and licensure in one or more of the mechanical contracting solutions categories, which is unheard of in our field.

What factors are particularly important when doing business on Nantucket?

We are in a unique position 30 miles out at sea. That means some factors that might be considered “no brainers” on the mainland are much more complicated and costly on Nantucket, such as transportation and housing for employees and partners, shipping and receiving materials, and making sure to use stock that is readily available with replacement parts on island. The Nantucket community has done an amazing job of attempting to preserve the island’s historic buildings and to implement sustainable solutions, so we are very thoughtful about the types of materials, equipment, and spaces were commend to our customers and partners.

How has the company become part of the Nantucket community?

Our team lives and works here. We own a shop and several staff houses, and many of our team members are lifelong Nantucketers. We feel strongly about giving back to the communities that have given us so much. Our charitable and philanthropic focus is the health and education of the communities we serve. We focus on areas that we can influence in our daily operations, such as sustainable building practices to improve the environment and increasing vocational education opportunities.

Looking forward, what are your goals for the company?

We would love to keep providing the same integrity, community and education in the mechanical contracting market for another 50 years and beyond.

Safe Haven

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 13:51:31 GMT

HOUSING NANTUCKET’S WIGGLES WAY DEVELOPMENT PROVIDES A STABLE HOME FOR THE ISLAND’S ESSENTIAL WORKERS

Photography by Kit Noble

Even with Nantucket’s 2025 median family income at $163,500, the island’s median home price of $3.73 million has put stable homeownership and long-term rentals out of reach for many who live and work on the island full time. Housing Nantucket, an island nonprofit real estate developer, recently completed Wiggles Way, a fully occupied 22-unit, mixed-income rental housing development on Fairgrounds Road.

Tax deductible donor support allows Housing Nantucket to expand the island’s parallel real estate market: a protected inventory of homes that remain accessible to year-round residents. These homes provide an anchor for the essential workers who keep this island running, ensuring Nantucket remains a vibrant, livable community all year long. housingnantucket.org .

Summer Sippers

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 01:05:16 GMT

Four must-try drinks for July

Written by Jen Laskey

Beyond the flags and fireworks, the Fourth of July marks the unofficial start of peak season, when the island welcomes a critical mass of vacationers who—like locals—share an appreciation of Nantucket’s natural beauty and quintessential summertime vibe. Delicious food and drinks always help make the month’s festivities more memorable, and no one knows that better than the people who’ve worked hard to curate those summer dining and drinking experiences.

From a very special bottle of bubbles to pair with the sunset and an elegant Chablis for oysters to a Provençal rosé that’s great with barbecue and a grab-and-go garden cocktail, here’s a taste of what our local wine and spirits professionals have in store for you this month.

BOLLINGER CHAMPAGNE, Special Cuvée, Non-Vintage, ($38/glass, $190/bottle)

DOMAINE CHRISTIAN MOREAU PÈRE ET FILS, Chablis AC, 2023, Magnum,($226/bottle, 1.5 liter)

Recommended by Carlos Hidalgo, CRU

For Carlos Hidalgo, there are two exceptional wines that embody the spirit of summer. The first is a Champagne from the historic house of Bollinger, which was founded in 1829. “Enjoying a glass of Bollinger is the perfect start to the evening while watching the sky change over Nantucket Harbor at sunset,” said Hidalgo. A blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Pinot Meunier, this Special Cuvée entices with notes of Meyer lemon and green apple on the nose, and marzipan and toasty sourdough on the palate. It shines without accompaniment, but Hidalgo said this Champagne’s flavors and creaminess make it a perfect pairing for caviar, crab and lobster—star ingredients in three of Cru’s homemade pastas.

The Christian Moreau Chablis AC 2023 is an elegant, racy Chablis Village Chardonnay with a light lemon, thyme and yellow fruit-scented nose, according to Hidalgo. “The palate is lively with a slightly waxy texture, moderate depth and a twist of sour lemon on the short finish,” he said. Hidalgo met Christian Moreau and his son Fabien on Nantucket in 2012, the summer he and Jane Stoddard opened CRU. In 2017, Hidalgo joined the Moreaus and worked the harvest season at their domain. He recommends sipping this wine with CRU’s seafood tower.

ROSE GOLD, Côtes de Provence Rosé, 2024, ($24.99/bottle)

Recommended by Carri Wroblewski, co-owner, BRIX Wine Shop

At the end of a long day at the shop, Carri Wroblewski’s go-to bottle is the Rose Gold Côtes de Provence Rosé. “It’s refreshing,” Wroblewski said. “I love its crisp minerality and zippy acidity.” Rose Gold was founded in 2017 by Casey Barber, a Texan who partners with Les Maîtres Vignerons de la Presqu’île de Saint-Tropez winemaking collective to produce her wine in a prestigious area known as the “Golden Triangle” of rosé production.

Light and easy drinking with lush notes of peach, pear and dried apricots, Rose Gold is the quintessential Provençal rosé, said Wroblewski, who suggests pairing it with baby back ribs or fried oysters and homemade tartar sauce. “It’s easy to pair with just about any summer fare, and equally delicious on its own,” she said. “It’s the ultimate porch pounder.”

BYO MASON JAR PIMM’S CUP

Recommended by Jake Hicklin, bar manager, The Proprietors and Black Eyed Susan

Jake Hicklin has taken the classic garden party cocktail and small-batched a new grab-and-go recipe. “At Black Eyed Susans, we’re a BYOB restaurant, so the idea here was to create a cocktail you could throw together at home and bring to the restaurant.” Like the classic Pimm’s Cup, Hicklin’s BYO mason jar riff features Pimm’s, the British gin-based liqueur.

Once you get to the restaurant, you can order a sparkling lemonade, ginger ale or soda to top it off, along with some ice. “It’s designed to be a pantry cocktail made with ingredients you already have,” Hicklin said. You can also add blackberries, basil and sliced cherry tomatoes for more umami notes, or swap the pickles for cucumber spears and add a little balsamic vinegar, he said. Hicklin said the BYO Mason Jar Pimm’s Cup is not only a perfect pairing for his dream breakfast, but also great for an afternoon at the beach.

INGREDIENTS

•Juice of 1 lemon

•2 tablespoons marmalade

•2 pickle spears (or cucumbers)

•2 mint sprigs

•1 strawberry, sliced

•10 ounces Pimm's

OPTIONAL

•4 ounces sparkling lemonade, ginger ale or artisanal soda

•4 ounces gin, for higher-proof cocktail

•5 ounces Seedlip or other non-alcoholic spirit (or 2.5 ounces apple cider vinegar) instead of Pimm’s—for a zero-proof cocktail

INSTRUCTIONS

•Combine all ingredients in a mason jar, seal the jar and shake, then store in fridge until needed.

•To serve, pour about 3 ounces of liquid from the jar into a glass with ice.

•Top with sparkling lemonade, ginger ale or artisanal soda.

•Add fruit or herbs to the glass for garnish.

Comida Salvadoreña

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:36:46 GMT

Casa Real dishes up traditional molcajete

Written By Brian Bushard

Photography By Kit Noble

Despite the quality dinners Mayra Escobar-Aguilar had tried at some of Nantucket’s high-end restaurants, there was something missing in the island food scene. So when the call came from her real estate agent about an off-market sale for the former Saltbox property, she jumped on it. She called it Casa Real, meaning “royal house.”

“We felt there was an opportunity for Mexican food,” said Escobar-Aguilar, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Salvador Aguilar. “The people that come in are grateful to have a place open to come and enjoy a good meal. There’s a language barrier for a lot of people in our community. They like that they can come and order in Spanish, in their own language. And from the whole community, we’ve had a lot of support.”

The menu includes Mexican staples like tacos and fajitas. It also features pupusas, a savory stuffed flatbread popular in El Salvador. “A lot of people here are from El Salvador,” Aguilar said. “The El Salvadorian community is pretty big and we wanted to add the pupusas.” Casa Real shared a recipe for another popular dish with N Magazine : the meat-filled molcajete, a volcanic rock mortar traditionally used with a pestle for grinding spices and making guacamole.

INGREDIENTS

•Skirt steak, or your favorite cut of steak

•Boneless chicken breast

•Large or jumbo peeled shrimp

•Longaniza or chorizo (sausage)

•2 red onions

•2 jalapeño peppers

•2 tablespoons Panela or Cotija cheese, crumbled

•Limes (for garnish)

FOR THE MARINADE

1 red onion

•1-2 garlic cloves

•1 bunch cilantro (reserve some for salsa and garnish)

•Chicken bouillon, to taste

•1 dash vegetable or olive oil

•1 dash Worcestershire sauce

•Salt and pepper, for seasoning

FOR THE SALSA

•10 large tomatoes

•½ red onion

•1-2 garlic cloves

•1 chile de arbol, dried

•1 guajillo chile, dried

INSTRUCTIONS

•Season the chicken, steak and shrimp with salt and pepper.

•Make the marinade. Mix the onions with garlic, some of the cilantro, chicken bouillon, vegetable oil, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a blender. Divide marinade in half, adding half to the steak and the rest to the chicken (if using), and marinate meat for at least one hour (the shrimp only require salt and pepper).

•Grill or sautée the red onion and jalapeños along with the chicken, steak, shrimp and sausage until tender. (Add shrimp last.) Set aside.

•Make the salsa: Sautée whole tomatoes, red onion and garlic cloves until they change color, 2-3 minutes. Set aside. In a separate pot, combine the chile de arbol and guajillo chile in water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from pot. Combine all salsa ingredients with some cilantro, and mix together in a blender.

•Heat the molcajete upside-down on the stove on low-medium heat until very hot, up to 20 minutes. Carefully remove the molcajete from the stove and line it with Panela or Cotija cheese. Pour salsa into the center of the lava bowl, on top of the cheese. If the molcajete is hot enough, it will cause the salsa to sizzle and melt the cheese.

•Add grilled chicken, steak, shrimp and/or longaniza or chorizo into the sauce inside the molcajete, along with grilled jalapeño peppers and onions. Top with remaining salsa.

•Serve with rice and beans, as well as a salad of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion.

The New Defender

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:16:56 GMT

The Land Rover Defenders parked at 10 Easy Street may look classic, but take a closer look and you’ll find something truly extraordinary. While the cars themselves retain the iconic silhouettes of vintage off-roaders, everything beneath the surface has been completely reimagined—down to the very last nut and bolt.

“You’ll never find anything as bespoke or as one-of-one as this,” said Kevin Kastner, the Chief Revenue Officer of ECD Auto Design, which is showcasing two of its models on Nantucket this year. “These are extremely unique vehicles. You can certainly customize a Jeep, but to achieve this level of craftsmanship and performance, there’s simply nothing else like it.”

ECD Auto Design, a Florida-based builder of luxury, handcrafted vehicles, offers a concierge approach to car building. The journey is as tailored and immersive as the final product itself. Here’s how it works. The company sources original Defenders, Mustangs, Jaguar E-Types and Land Rover Classics and works with clients to transform the vehicle into a fully customized and modernized creation based on a driver’s specifications—so much so that the driver ends up choosing the very leather, wheels and engine they want.

“You get the classic appearance of an early series truck with the reliability and comfort of a brand-new vehicle,” Kastner said. “From a modern powertrain to Apple CarPlay, reverse cameras, wireless charging pads and USB-C ports—it’s allthere. The beauty is, you dream up the perfect car, and then webring that version to life.”

In addition to the custom-made builds, ECD also offers a line of stock vehicles known as the County Collection. Each is named after a U.K. county. Isle of Wight is a Defender 110 finished in lush green. Essex is a vibrant yellow soft-top Defender built for summer driving. After selling several Land Rover Defender Beach Runners on Nantucket last summer, ECD returned in April with more Defenders and will keep multiple cars staged at 10 Easy Street through December.

These vehicles—whether they’re custom made or part of the County Collection, fit perfectly with the island’s culture of early series trucks and classic 4x4s. “These aren’t meant to be recreated,” Kastner said. “They’re built for you, and you only. Ideally they become more than vehicles—they become heirlooms.”

Next Stop: Nantucket

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:11:57 GMT

Like Nantucket’s historic ships that once connected the island to distant parts of the globe, PlaneSense brings Nantucket’s charm within reach of private flyers nationwide. Established in Norwood, Massachusetts, in 1995, PlaneSense offers convenient and luxurious flights to travelers as part of its aircraft fractional ownership program.

With the Pilatus PC-12 turboprop as the cornerstone of the program, PlaneSense quickly became a trusted choice for travelers across coastal New England and the Northeast. Today, Nantucket is one of the company’s top destinations, with over 1,200 flights to the island each year.

The introduction of the Pilatus PC-24 jet in 2018 marked a new opportunity for PlaneSense clients. The PC-24 jet offers extended range and greater cargo space, while retaining the ability to access shorter runways. This makes it uniquely suited for flying clients from remote locations to Nantucket, delivering luxury and convenience that perfectly complement the island’s allure.

For PlaneSense clients, the journey to Nantucket’s slower pace and calming lifestyle begins with a relaxing flight. Passengers discover a quiet elegance inside the light-filled, spacious cabins of the PC-12 and PC-24. They unwind in the executive style leather seats, with generous headroom and legroom for even the tallest travelers. The flat floor provides added comfort for both passengers and pets to stretch out. ThePC-24 jet cabin is particularly impressive, offering space that surpasses other light jets.

Whether traveling across the U.S. or to a nearby country, passengers enjoy an environment crafted with comfort and elegance in mind. PlaneSense accommodates a range of private flights with its fractional aircraft ownership program and jet card options. Both solutions provide tailored features and unwavering reliability, ensuring seamless travel for business or leisure alike.

Serving clients across the continental U.S., the program offers guaranteed access to destinations such as White Plains, New York, Aspen, Colorado, Los Angeles, California, and beyond. International locations include Canada, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico. An exclusive collaboration with Jetfly in Europe has also expanded access to 37 countries in Europe and North Africa.

Now headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, PlaneSense operates the largest U.S. fleet of Pilatus PC-12 turboprops and PC-24 jets. The company oversees all aircraft maintenance, flight scheduling, pilot training and staffing for its clients, delivering world class service with meticulous attention to detail. Whether visiting Nantucket for a summer retreat or Christmas Stroll, PlaneSense ensures each journey is safe, effortless and elegant.

HEDGES & HEMLINES

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:15:38 GMT

Photographer: Brian Sager

Editorial Stylist: Petra Hoffmann

Hair Stylist: John Stanielon and Darya Afshari Gault of Darya Salon + Spa

Makeup Stylist: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

Photo Assistant: Reece Nelson

Model: Demetra Poly of Maggie Inc.

ALEXANDRA & SAMUEL

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 23:57:12 GMT

Alexandra and Samuel's
Nantucket wedding.

Bride and Groom: Alexandra Kent Bratton and Samuel Aron Korol

Officiant: Reverend Jodi Fondell & Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer

Venue : First Congregational Church & Galley Beach

Wedding Planner: Melanie Tatum Events

Photographer: Cameron Clark Photography

Videographer: Yellow Productions

Cake: PPX Events

Band: Ripe

Bride's Dress: Monique Lhuillier

Bridal Hair & Makeup: Melissa David Salon

Florist: Flowers on Chestnut

Tent : Nantucket Tents

Dance Floor : New Image Dance Floor

Decor : Flowers on the Square, The Event Rental Co., Placesetters Nantucket

Living Legend

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 19:38:26 GMT

Written by Raine Gifford
Photography by Kit Noble

Straight Wharf Restaurant celebrates 50 years.

It was once just a laundromat. Today, it’s one of the most iconic high-end restaurants on Nantucket. For the past 50 years, Straight Wharf Restaurant has been a late-night bar, a high-end restaurant and a bustling hub.

We were as surprised as anyone, my sister and I, at where we found ourselves that summer in 1976. I was nine and my sister, Star, was eight. We had a special bird’s-eye view of the Straight Wharf kitchen from the hole my dad had cut into the wall of the upstairs office, watching as desserts were plated, clams opened and dinners loaded onto giant oval trays. When we got tired, we fell asleep up there on makeshift beds, drifting off to the sound of clattering plates and sizzling pans.

Day and night, “The Restaurant” was our second home. Fifty years later, the spirit of Straight Wharf carries on almost as though it has a life of its own—the same layout, the same shingled interior walls in the dining room, the same thumb back chairs, the same glass hurricane lamps on the tables and the same antique carousel horse. Perhaps most remarkable of all is the continuing presence of the man who started it all, my dad, Jock Gifford, who designed and built the place and has repaired and cared for it year after year.

"It had a really good energy because we weren’t professionals, we were having a goodtime but being serious about doing a good job,” Jock said. “It was different right from the beginning.”

Jock’s connection to Nantucket goes way back. His family started coming to Nantucket in the 1930s. He and my mom, Laine, moved to the island to live year-round in 1967. Jock worked on several projects with Walter Beinecke, founder of Sherburne Associates. As Jock recalls, the waterfront in the late ’50s and early ’60s was “pure industry,” a bit down at the heels, where freight boats unloaded lumber, hardware, coal and ice onto the docks.

The building that became the Straight Wharf Restaurant was created out of a structure originally used as a laundromat to serve the marina. After designing the small retail shops farther down on Straight Wharf, Jock recommended that Beinecke convert the laundromat into a fine dining restaurant, noting that there weren’t any eateries serving locally caught fish and seafood that overlooked the harbor. Beinecke agreed and asked Jock to find someone to run it.

The Giffords had become friends with Susan Mayer, Marian and Russell Morash at WGBH (who produced Julia Child’s show, The French Chef ) and Peter McGhee, who had learned to cook from renowned Martha’s Vineyard chef Joe Hyde. The story goes that one of these evenings, McGhee floated the suggestion that the dinner party group take their love of food, cooking and entertaining to the next level and open a restaurant themselves. There might have been wine involved.

What started as a far-fetched idea became a more concrete plan, and there was no turning back. Using his rough plans from the fall, Jock and two friends started building and renovating in April. Morash and Mayer, along with dessert chef Meg DeGive, started planning and testing their trial menu. Hyde was there to help them pull their menu together in a two-week “boot camp,” Marian Morash recalled.

“It was crazy and wonderful,” Marian said. “Everyone was up for it. And with a lot of work, it took shape.” Jock created the iconic logo based on an engraving of a striped bass that he found in a book at the dump.

Mickey Rowland spent eight summers at Straight Wharf from its opening until 1983, starting as a clam opener and working his way up to sous chef. He sums up his time at Straight Wharf as “unquestionably the most enjoyable summers of my life,” describing the staff as “wives and mothers and friends.”

The first few years produced some beloved classics: striped bass with white butter sauce, sole in parchment, swordfish with cream and mushrooms, ice cream with chocolate cognac sauce, and of course, the smoked bluefish pâté. During those early years, Straight Wharf was managed by my parents, with several front-of-house point people who did much to keep thing going—notably, the late Judy Janelli, who could balance a fully loaded tray as her head tossed back in a contagious laugh.

In 1988, Sarah O’Neill stepped up to the helm as executive chef. “Despite it being a job, and stressful at times, it was a community of like-minded hard-working folks,” said Julian Weatherill, who worked with O’Neill as day prep, garde-manger(salads) and bar grill chef. The restaurant was unpretentious. For Ruby Palmer, a childhood friend who worked kitchen prep in the early’90s, it was the “perfect summer job.”

The Straight Wharf bar saw a dramatic shift after longtime bartenders Ken Layman and Dick Burns moved on. In 1989, waitress Andrea Kovalencik introduced Paul Robbins to the Straight Wharf bar. Robbins, better known as Pablo, arrived on Nantucket from the Bahamas, bringing with him a concoction he called a “Goombay Smash,” a boozy mix of orange and pineapple juices, coconut milk and rum. It was an instant hit.

The bar became a hub of Nantucket nightlife and a place where friendships and romance sparked and took hold. The bartenders ran a tight ship. The late Paul Conti became a well-known presence behind the bar. He was followed as head bartender by Packy Norton, who went on toco-own The Chicken Box. Then came Ty Costa, Brendan Dickinson and Tim Farley—now co-owner of Slip 14. Dickinson was introduced to Straight Wharf as a kid. His mom, Brigid Sullivan, and Jock married in 1996.

The ’90s also brought a new practice on Nantucket of hiring seasonal staff from outside the U.S. with the help of a visa program. They came from Jamaica, Ireland and Eastern Europe. Many of those staff members returned year after year, and some became year-round residents. Eulette Heath arrived from Jamaica in 1994 and started baking at Straight Wharf in 1996, where she made bread and pasta until her departure in 2020

Gabriel Frasca, who worked a summer there in the’90s, returned in 2006 to head the kitchen. He recollected “wanting to embrace a style in which you could tell that the vegetables came into the kitchen in the morning warm from the sun with dirt still on them.” Frasca’s style has become deeply connected with Straight Wharf over the past 20 years. His menu changes with the seasons. He likens the restaurant to a “summer camp."

“I think worrying about success can be the start of your downfall,” Jock said. “You don’t really reach a point of success. The restaurant is like the theater; it doesn’t matter how good you were last night, people who are here tonight care about tonight and tomorrow’s customers care about tomorrow. It’s a moving target, and so we do our best every night. That said, I’m still secretly thrilled to hear people love it.”

“There’s a feeling of family among returning staff members as well as regular customers,” said Taryn Dilworth, who has worked at Straight Wharf since 2016 and has been general manager since 2020. “Nantucket has been through so much change, and although Straight Wharf has been tweaked, it feels unchanged, it feels the same to so many people who have memories of the place.”

Straight Wharf has had many regulars over the years, including a range of celebrities and luminaries, but historically VIPs didn’t get extra-special treatment because they didn’t need it: All the customers got great service. Jock recently consulted with a physician in Connecticut and the conversation inevitably turned to Nantucket. “Without saying anything about my connection, I found out this guy’s favorite restaurant on the island is Straight Wharf,” Jock said. “He goes there every summer. I thought that was cool."

Martha by Design

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:10:19 GMT

Lifestyle icon Martha Stewart comes to Nantucket by Design.

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay
Photos Courtesy of Martha Stewart

For nearly half a century, the words “lifestyle” and Martha Stewart have been inseparable. Stewart, the first female self-made billionaire in the country, made a career off her own image, launching Martha Stewart Living in 1990, and a weekly television show in 1993. She has also taken an untraditional approach to business, selling her product line at Kmart, and more recently teaming up with hip-hop star Snoop Dogg in one of Hollywood’s most unlikely friendships.

Throughout her career, Stewart has visited Nantucket dozens of times, purchasing lanterns and lightship baskets, visiting auctions and at one point holding a company retreat on the island. Stewart returns to Nantucket this July to deliver the keynote address at the Nantucket Historical Association’s annual event, Nantucket By Design. N Magazine Publisher Bruce Percelay caught up with Stewart ahead of her talk to discuss her career and her time on Nantucket.

N Magazine : Your persona and products are so Nantucket. Have you had much exposure to the island?

Stewart : I’ve been coming to the island for 60 years, never as a resident, but as a visitor. I visited quite a few of the most beautiful homes on Nantucket, attended auctions, learned about the history of the island, and I keep trying to make an annual pilgrimage to the island. We even had an annual meeting of my company on Nantucket one year.

N Magazine : Speaking of Nantucket design, the trend has become to preserve the exterior but renovate the interior into something contemporary. Does that evolution bother you?

Stewart : No. That’s happening everywhere, and it really has to do with the lifestyle of today. People don’t want clutter. They want air conditioning. They want technology. Every house has to be wireless, and you have to adapt to that wireless connection, so you can’t have nooks and crannies. It all has to do with the aesthetic of living with modern technology.

N Magazine : Has Nantucket inspired your aesthetic?

Stewart : I did buy my lanterns on Nantucket for my farm. I love the shapely houses and the simplicity of the Nantucket salt boxes: two-stories, brick chimney. I have always lived in a 19th century house. Though, I do not like low ceilings, and that’s a problem for a lot of Nantucket houses. You want higher ceilings, clean walls to hang paintings that aren’t necessarily little ship paintings.

N Magazine : How have you been able to preserve your lifestyle brand without diluting it, especially if you branch out into so many areas, like selling your line at Kmart?

Stewart : Kmart was one of my most successful initiatives. In my house in Maine—which is a very fancy house in Seal Harbor—all of the towels are from Kmart. That’s from 30 years ago, and I still use them. They’re in perfect shape. The beautiful duvet covers, the embroidered towels in the guest house are all from Kmart. I changed the perception of Kmart’s quality and customer base. When we made that product, my friends bought it and that’s my demographic.

N Magazine : Was it a risk to potentially lower the perception of your brand?

Stewart: I didn’t know. I was a total novice. One of the big things I did that I was really proud of was changing the colors of their towels, which were maroon and dark green and navy blue. They said it was because poor people don’t wash them. I said, ‘Let’s change that right now because I don’t believe that.’ So we made towels in pastel colors, and beautiful shades of aqua and green. Guess what the best-selling towel was. White. They were totally wrong and totally misreading their customers. And at that time, their customers were watching television, and watching programs with rich families, so I gave it to them.

N Magazine : When you launched your business, television had a huge impact. If you were to start your company today in the digital world, how would it be different?

Stewart : In those days, television was the whole thing. If you didn’t have a daily show on television, you were not going to sell. I had a daily one-hour television show. That’s where my commercials were showing. Look at some of my commercials with Kmart and they’re some of the best commercials you’ve ever seen. There are no commercials like that now.

N Magazine : Have you ever traded thoughts or ideas with Ralph Lauren?

Stewart : No, our relationship is just social, but he knows what I’m doing and I know what he’s doing. I wore his clothes to the Olympics last summer in Paris. I know his children very well. Of course, everybody knows what Ralph Lauren’s doing. He’s so visible and admired. He is American style.

N Magazine : Are you American style?

Stewart : I am totally American style, but I am much more mass-oriented, and he has always been selling to a more financially wealthy demographic.

N Magazine: You were the first female self-made billionaire in America. Is it easier to make it as a woman in business today than when you started?

Stewart : If you look at the board members at major companies, it’s a lot more women that you’ve never heard about who are sitting on those boards. Women have made great strides in management and running American companies successfully. There’s still room for improvement. Women are entrepreneurs and celebrities and can make a billion dollars. Kylie Jenner is almost a billionaire at only 27 years old. These are go-getter girls, and yet they’re in the minority. They’re extremely active on social media. They are out there. But there are still only a small number you hear about.

N Magazine : Can you explain your relationship with Snoop Dogg?

Stewart : Both Snoop and I saw the opportunity to increase our demographics tenfold by our association. It’s a nice dynamic. Who would have thought 10 years ago that he would ever know who I am. And now so many more people know who I am and that’s because of Snoop Dogg. It wasn’t written down and planned. It was just my gut feeling that it was the right thing to do at the right time, and it worked.

N Magazine : If you were 30 years old and starting your business, would you repeat what you’ve done, or would you pursue different avenues knowing what you know today?

Stewart : Well, I think about that sometimes. I pursued a very conservative path. I started out on Wall Street. It broke down some barriers, but it was very conservative. I was in the banking world. I had to know about companies, and know what a good stock was. Then I left that for various reasons, mainly to spend more time at home and spend more time with my child. I moved to the country and started a catering business. It was conservative. I knew how to cook and could make a good business. In my day, I talked to the press. I did not advertise until I had my magazine in1990. That was the first time I had ever advertised the Martha brand, and before that, Kmart had advertised it in their television commercials. But now, you don’t have to advertise, you just have to post online. Look at the “tradwife” movement (traditional wife). Not only am I the original influencer; I’m the original “tradwife.” I raised my own kid, I had my own goat in the backyard in Connecticut—and I could still be educated and still write books. I’m very proud of that. I’m proud that I did it first.

N Magazine : Why did you never buy a house on Nantucket?

Stewart : Access has to be a little easier. I bought a house instead in East Hampton, and even that was a stretch for me because I don’t like spending time in cars. I loved Nantucket. I visited Martha’s Vineyard a lot and had carpenters from Martha’s Vineyard building my kitchen in Westport, Connecticut. I looked at both islands very carefully, and I liked both islands very much. But I didn’t want to be fogged in or fogged out. I wanted to be able to get there and not have to deal with little planes all the time. It was a life choice not to be out there. I love visiting, and visiting all the time. I love the basket makers on Nantucket, and I love going to the auctions there and finding the old books and other things that were part of the heritage of Nantucket. I go fishing there, too. I always go out for striped bass on a little boat.

Need to Read: July 2025

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 04:00:55 GMT

Tim Ehrenberg of “Tim Talks Books” gives you his six picks for July.

This Dog Will Change Your Life by Elias Weiss Friedman

How lucky am I to have known the love of a dog for over 15 years now? Simba, my shih tzu pup at home, is the apple of my eye. I understand why they call it “puppy love.” Elias Weiss Friedman became known as “The Dogist” when he took thousands of photos of dogs and posted them online along with their unique dog stories. Now he has 8 million followers on Instagram and gives us the gift this summer of This Dog Will Change Your Life , a brilliant book that celebrates our favorite four-legged friends and all the joy and fulfillment they infuse into our human experience. This collection of heartfelt and uplifting tales about the dogs he raised, photographed and met in his travels provides the same spike in serotonin you experience when you get home from a long day at work and your dog, tail wagging, excitedly greets you (if you know you know). I was incredibly moved by these stories and, like Elias, came to a simple realization: Dogs make people’s lives better by making people better. Calling all dog lovers.

Join me in conversation with The Dogist, Elias Weiss Friedman, at The Nantucket Hotel and Resort on Tuesday, July 8. thenantuckethotel.com

A Novel Murder: A Mystery by E.C. Nevin

I’m just coming off the planning of the annual Nantucket Book Festival last month, so I couldn’t wait to put my feet up and my detective hat on to solve this whodunit, featuring a murder at a literary festival. While I am thankful life didn’t imitate art at our own book festival, I had a lot of fun with this reading experience. What I enjoyed most is the “inside baseball” on book events, publishers, authors, editors, agents, adoring fans and book influencers. It’s my world and I love reading about it. If you’ve been reading this column for a while, you also know that I revere a good murder mystery, and I always have a new one ready to solve and recommend. E.C. Nevin is a pseudonym for an ex-publishing professional, the perfect person to craft this literary caper at the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival, where the murders aren’t just on the page. You’ll have a blast becoming an armchair detective along with some quirky bookish characters to solve the case and reveal the culprit.

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

All the Colors of the Dark was one of the most talked about books of 2024. It was a Read with Jenna selection that sold more than a million copies and spent over 22 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. I can’t tell you how many people I have heard saying, “Did you read All the Colors of the Dark ?” outside Mitchell’s Book Corner on Main Street. The suspense created by the short chapters and staccato sentences, plus the memorable characters and the tears you shed for them, made for one of the most propulsive stories I’ve read in a while. I will never forget the pirate boy, Patch, and his beekeeper friend, Saint, and the decades-long search for each other, for love, for answers and for hope. This is such a genre-bending novel. It’s a missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a coming-of-age story, a tale of friendship and an epic saga of grand proportions. Chris Whitaker’s previous novel, We Begin at the End , was my favorite book of 2020, so if you finished All the Colors of the Dark and are experiencing a book hangover, go get yourself a copy.

Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore

It’s beach reading season. I know there are several readers out there drowning their sorrows in “CRUcomber” cocktails without a new Elin Hilderbrand novel in their beach bags this year. Meg Mitchell Moore is Elin’s personal favorite “beach read” author so I couldn’t wait to pick up her newest novel Mansion Beach . Let’s go island hopping, shall we, and book a ferry to Block Island in this modern-day take on The Great Gatsby. I had a lot of fun in the sun reading this one. It’s a sophisticated and scandalous summer read. As a podcast host, I loved the inclusion of the fictional podcast Life and Death on an Island , where they take a deep dive into life on a small island. Sound familiar? Yes, this is escapist reading at its finest, complete with lavish parties, buried secrets and local island drama between year-round residents and summer visitors, but what is most notable here is, just like Elin Hilderbrand, Mitchell Moore explores the depth of human relationships.

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

Like the hottest o f summer days, King of Ashes burns with intensity and explosive storytelling. I’ve been a fan of S.A. Cosby’s books since Razorblade Tears came out in 2021. Then came All the Sinners Bleed , when Cosby officially became an auto-buy author for me. Each of his novels is as sharp, gritty and vigorous as its title. I am not lying when I say I got at least three paper cuts because I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough in this latest one. King of Ashes is a captivating crime thriller that will be splayed open on every beach towel this month covered in sunscreen, sand and sweat from all the suspense. It’s a little bit The Godfather , a little bit Breaking Bad , and a whole lot of signature Cosby and his dynamic brand of hard-boiled crime fiction: A missing mother, a prodigal son, a merciless gang, dangerous debts and family secrets make the pages and sparks fly to a riveting showdown that feels like a ticking time bomb for the reader. I would not be shocked if you devour this in one sitting, from sunrise to sunset .

Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson by Claire Hoffmann

Considered an “absolute must-read” by The New York Times Book Review, Sister, Sinner piqued my interest when I stumbled upon a headline highlighting this true story. Here are the facts: On a spring day in 1926, Aimee Semple McPherson wandered into the Pacific Ocean and vanished. Weeks later she reappeared in the desert, claiming to have been kidnapped. A national media frenzy and months of investigation ensued. She was America’s most famous evangelist, using her notoriety to bring God’s message to the country, but after her disappearance, many asked, “Was she a saintly sister or a con artist?” I had never heard of Aimee Semple McPherson, but now I’ll never be able to forget her or the mysterious scandal surrounding her infamy. She greatly influenced the rise of popular religion in America, and her life feels like something lifted from a 1920s “talkie” that you can’t quite believe. After reading this book, I’ll tell you this: I’m a true believer in Claire Hoffman’s talent as a storyteller.

Don’t miss Claire Hoffman signing copies of Sister, Sinner at Mitchell’s Book Corner on Sunday, July 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Introducing Nourish Nantucket

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 01:26:21 GMT

Nourish Nantucket launches to address food insecurity on the island.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

As implausible as it seems, more than one in five year-round Nantucket residents go to bed hungry. These people work in the restaurants and schools, some working several jobs at island companies and nonprofits. Some are in the Coast Guard, some hold nursing positions at the hospital and some are school teachers. In another town, they should earn enough to get by. But on Nantucket, they struggle with high rents and rising costs of food.

“We met with several large employers on Nantucket, whose employees were showing up at the pantry in uniform, and they were shocked that their employees were using the food pantry,” said Brooke Mohr, the board president of Nourish Nantucket, a new organization that launched this year to fight food insecurity on the island. “For a parent with children who is struggling to feed those children, imagine the stress level of not knowing where your kid’s next meals are coming from, never mind the hunger alone.”

It might not be obvious, but Nantucket has a food insecurity problem. On an island known for its world-class restaurants, roughly 21 percent of the year-round population struggles to put food on the table. A stunning statistic is that 46 percent of students at the Nantucket Public Schools qualify for free or reduced lunch, according to data from the U.S. Census and Nantucket Public Schools officials.

While a dozen organizations on Nantucket have been working for years to address the issue, those groups have been working independently of one another, lacking the ability to coordinate and fundraise effectively, and leaving islanders who need the service confused on where to seek help. Nourish Nantucket launched this year to bridge that gap, raising awareness and offering financial support to address the food insecurity crisis.

Nourish Nantucket was launched by N Magazine Publisher Bruce Percelay, who presented the idea of creating a single umbrella brand called Nourish Nantucket as a single fundraising vehicle for the 12 different agencies on the island. "The work done by Brooke Mohr, the Nantucket Resource Partnership, the Food Pantry and all the other food service organizations has been heroic over the years, but given the growing magnitude of the problem, it seemed that now is the time to expose the issue to the island’s summer and year-round residents in order to solve a problem which should not exist on Nantucket,” Percelay said.

“Bruce is the only one who could really make this happen,” said Robert Grinberg, a member of the advisory committee for Nantucket Food, Fuel and Rental Assistance, which oversees the Food Pantry. “He is the most qualified individual to do it because he has the ability to raise funds that are needed for this issue and he cares about Nantucket."

The backbone of the food support system on Nantucket is the Food Pantry, which provides meals to more than 3,000 islanders in need each year—but the demand for its services keeps growing. In addition, the Food Pantry’s temporary home in the old Greenhound building will be unavailable to them early next year, and they need to acquire a permanent location in order for them to continue to deliver their services.

One major factor at play behind the issue is the rising cost of living on Nantucket. With the median price of anew home topping $3.7 million, many new residents seek rentals. But with those rents averaging nearly $3,000 a month, the cost of living can easily eat up the majority of a monthly income, especially during the off-season months when steady work is harder to come by. When the summer season ends, service personnel on the island are faced with housing costs that can be more than 50% of their income, and leave them with choices between food or medicine. The high cost of living places additional challenges with a gallon of gas in excess of $4.50 or a slice of pizza goes for $5 or more.

"While Nantucket is known for its beautiful beaches, it’s also a growing year-round community with a tourism economy that needs intentional support to address food insecurity,” said Matt Haffenreffer, who leads consulting firm Process First. Nourish Nantucket has taken in several major grants, including $250,000 in 2023 from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It also received a $250,000 matching grant from the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation. So far, it’s made over 1,100 referrals to island food security programs, including the Pip & Anchor Send-It Box, a program that’s delivered over 310,000 pounds of local produce since 2022 to people who struggle to put food—and particularly nutritious food—on the table.

“Anyone who could be affected by the housing crisis can be affected by food insecurity,” Meg Browers, director of development and operations for Nourish Nantucket, said. “If you’re a teacher or a nurse, if you’re if you work for the DPW or the town of Nantucket, if you work for one of our larger employees, and your salary or hourly wage is such that it is your monthly rent or your mortgage, is up to 80% of your monthly income, you are going to find it challenging to afford the amount of healthy food that you need to feed yourself or your family.”

One program that has worked to address the issue is Fresh Connect, administered by Nantucket Food, Fuel and Rental Assistance. The program provides $100 prepaid debit cards each month to islanders who meet the criteria for the service (up to $500 per family), with those cards working at the two island Stop & Shops. But with limited funding, the program has run up against a wall. Today, over 400 people are on the waitlist for Fresh Connect.

The Pip & Anchor Send It service, on the other hand, provides food for 80 families (over 300 people) each week. But there are 120 more families on that waitlist for that program. “Any program that exists that is a part of our network is at capacity,” Browers said. “We need million of dollars more to accurately meet the needs of islanders in the food security arena.”

“On Nantucket, you can make six figures and still be food insecure,” Browers added. “The judgment that comes along with it, that if you’re working as a bartender or a landscaper or a house cleaner, you may very well be making more than $150,000 a year, and someone might think, how on Earth could you possibly need pantry services or any other food security program? But what people don’t understand is that you have to work five full-time jobs to be able to afford a home here. The cost of living on Nantucket is so extreme that a lot of seasonal residents cannot comprehend the budgeting magic that has to happen to make living here possible.”

There is also an irony to the situation. There’s plenty of food on the island, whether it’s at the Stop & Shops, Bartlett’s Farm, the Sustainable Nantucket Farmers and Artisans Market, or if it’s being served at a restaurant. At the same time, a good amount of food that’s delivered to those shops and restaurants is often discarded.

“There’s cooked food in restaurants that goes in the trash,” Mohr said. “We know restaurants throw away a ton of food. Is there a way to safely collect and process that into meals? We don’t want to be wagging fingers at people who love this place and make them feel guilty for being here. That’s not the point. The point is to help them understand what the problem is and invite them to help us solve it.”

“The person who’s eating a $100 steak may be served by someone who goes to the Food Pantry,” Browers added. “That’s wild, and that happens far more often than I think most people understand.”

One group that works with Nourish Nantucket is the Nantucket Family Resource Center, a referral partner that helps identify islanders in need. David Hayes, the group’s program manager, said addressing food insecurity is often about more than simply feeding people.

Once you no longer have to worry about how to put food on the table, there are down-stream effects on a person’s mental and physical health. “People come in and one of their basic needs is food,” Hayes said. “In one fell swoop, we can sign them up for food. We’re always trying to find ways to help families. You put food in people’s mouths and their mental health starts to improve.”

“When Nantucket as a whole rallies around an issue, it invariably gets solved,” Percelay said. “We are hopeful that Nantucketers will respond to the food insecurity crisis in the way it did for the hospital and other critical institutions with the goal of eradicating hunger on Nantucket permanently.”

The Naked Truth

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 01:04:19 GMT

Filmmaker John Waters performs his one-man show at the Dreamland.

W ritten by Brian Bushard

Photography by Greg Gorman

J ohn Waters has made a career on raunchy films that could be so grotesque, some theaters would lay a sawdust-like material in the lobbies to absorb the smell of vomit after a screening. His films, including Pink Flamingos and Hairspray , are both subversive and iconic. They’re intended to stir a crowd. Waters often says he’s based his career on negative reviews. One of his favorite lines came from the Detroit Free Press review of Pink Flamingos , which compared the 1972 classic to a “septic tank explosion, it has to be seen to be believed.”

Waters comes to the Dreamland on July 26 for a production of his one-man show, The Naked Truth , a 70-minute show he rewrites every year. Waters sat down with N Magazine ahead of his show to discuss his legendary career and his upcoming performance.

N Magazine: Tell us about your one-man show.

John Waters: I don’t know how many film directors have stand-up acts, and it’s not just about my movies—it’s about fashion, politics, sex, parents, how to rebel when you’re my age, and how to not be an idiot when you’re young. I think it touches on everything.

N Magazine : Have you been to Nantucket before?

Waters : Yes, I went once. What I always do when I visit anew place is ask, ‘Where is the bar that the county workers go to?’ I went there. I went to The Chicken Box.

N Magazine : You’ve made a career pushing the boundaries. Does this show accomplish the same goal?

Waters : Completely. I make fun of the rules of the people who think they’re outlaws. I don’t make fun of our parents’ rules. I’m glad I had them so I could rebel and do it with some humor. I make fun of the old days and I make fun of hippie values even though I was a hippie. Today, I make fun of politically correct values, even though I think I am politically correct—and I make fun of myself first. That’s why I had a career that’s lasted this long.

N Magazine : What do you have to rebel against now?

Waters: Politically, there’s plenty to rebel about, but how do you do it? I talk about that [in the show]—how to find comic ways to rebel that work. You never make your enemy feel stupid. That’s the dumbest thing ever. You make them feel smart, even when they are stupid, then you make them laugh, then they’ll listen, and then you have sex with them. Humor is politics. I’m not a separatist. The only way that you can ever get somebody to change their mind is to make them laugh. Humor is how you win.

N Magazine : Has that approach worked so far for you?

Waters : Completely. How did Pink Flamingos get named by the National Film Registry as a great American film? It all is insane. The films are worse, but they play better and my audience is younger. They were even born when I made those movies.

N Magazine : Technology aside, when you look back at your earlier movies, like Pink Flamingos , do you think you would make them the same way today?

Waters : Yes, except when I made Pink Flamingos , it was right when porn became legal, so there was nothing left in terms of violence or nudity that was new, so you had to come up with something else. Pink Flamingos was a joke, a satire on what is left. Nobody has ever done any of the things in that movie again. Why would somebody eat dog s**t again? It would be a stupid stunt. The closest thing ever to Pink Flamingos is Johnny Knoxville’s Jackass .

N Magazine : Is it true that theaters would lay sawdust to mask the smell of vomit during your movies?

Waters : It’s not sawdust. There is a product that carnivals used outside of the tilt-a-whirl, and the theaters would put that down. I made the joke of my first book that if someone vomits during one of my films, it’s a standing ovation. I sort of meant that humorously, but I have seen people vomit, not that much, but it happens. I’m a carny, I still am.

N Magazine : Would you call your films “cult films?”

Waters: Well, you never say the word “cult” in Hollywood. That means three smart people liked it and it made no money. They are cult films, but they did make money. It’s not a word that means so much as it did then, but it’s still a very dirty word in Hollywood.

N Magazine : When you look at Hollywood today, is it harder to get a start as an indie director?

Waters : It’s over. The film business I knew is completely over. Young people don’t really go to weird movies anymore. Old people are the ones that like art movies, and after COVID, they never came back. Young people go to horror movies, but they don’t go to weird art films. I based a career on negative reviews, but it was by critics that we called “straight” in those days—that didn’t mean sexually, just that they didn’t smoke. The only other director I know that used negative reviews was David Lynch, but because we got the right kind of negative reviews, that made people laugh and come see it.

N Magazine : Are you in any way optimistic when it comes to young artists?

Waters : I have optimism with all young people. Their job is to think of things that make me nervous. The whole non-binary world definitely did that. The new non-binary world is the new revolution that even makes me—someone from the original sexual revolution—confused. And I love that.

N Magazine : What advice would you have for someone starting out as an artist or filmmaker?

Waters : Don’t try too hard to be shocking. Make people laugh. Don’t worry about rejection. You only need three people to say ‘yes’ to have a career: your mother, the person you’re sleeping with, and then that third person before your career has begun.

N Magazine : Is there any scene from any of your movies where you’ve looked back and said, ‘Maybe I went too far?’

Waters : I didn’t know I would have the chicken being killed in Pink Flamingos , but we got the chicken at a market that freshly killed chicken, and one of the cast members cooked and ate it after the scene. At least it was humane, but I don’t think I would do that today.

N Magazine : Did it take time for you to adjust to negative reviews?

Waters : No, because the movies always sold out. I never struggled to find an audience, and audiences loved the fact that other people were appalled by it. The whole point when I first came out with these movies was, ‘Imagine if my parents saw this movie.’ Today, people say to me, ‘My parents told me to see your movie.’ Any minute, somebody’s going to say, ‘My grandmother really loves you.’

N Magazine : Were your parents supportive of your movies?

Waters : They were but they were also horrified. I was very lucky. I was dealt a good hand. My parents were horrified by what I did, but amazed that I could do it.

N Magazine : What influences do you have now when you write and rewrite your one-man show?

Waters : It’s always been the same. First, I try to make myself laugh. I listen to people, I watch people, I spy on people. I’m never bored. I have 51 shows this year, and I’ll be 80 years old next year. People always ask how I do it. Well, I don’t know how I can’t do it when it’s offered that I can. I love constantly rewriting material and finding humor in everything, even when it’s grim.

Born to Ride

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 21:20:09 GMT

Two islanders set out from Alaska to Argentina.

Interview by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

For most of the year, they’re behind a desk. But when summer rolls around, they’re on the road on their BMW R1200GS Adventure motorcycles, criss-crossing America’s highways from Hyannis to San Diego, letting go of the stresses of everyday life. “We both have this mentality that you’ve got to make time to doit, or it’s going to pass you by,” said Dean Miller, who co-founded the Nantucket Adventure Company with Kenan Giguere. “We’re not getting any younger.”

The trip to California is relatively quick. Once they hit San Diego, the adventure really begins. From there, Miller and Giguere travel north to Alaska on the Pan-American Highway, an 18,000-plus-mile road network that stretches from Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean to Ushuaia, Argentina, at the southern the tip of Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost city on the continent and the so-called end of the world.

All they have with them is the lightweight backpacking equipment they’ve secured to their bikes: tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cooking equipment, clothes and “creature comforts,” along with the food, water and beer they’ve picked up along the way.

After dozens of these rides, they’ve come to realize the journey is as important as the sites they set out to see, and there’s a lesson in that journey. It doesn’t take much to live comfortably, they said. All that you really need, you can strap onto a bike. “You realize when you’re on these trips that you don’t need a lot of stuff,” Miller said. “You need shelter. You need food and transportation, and really that’s it. You can be sitting in the dirt at the end of the day. You appreciate less is more.”

Their trip this summer is part of the Nantucket Adventure Company, a bike touring company they launched to take bikers from Nantucket across the country and to different locations. It’s not just biking and camping. On this trip, they’ll also be chartering a halibut fishing boat and a helicopter in Alaska.

After that leg of the journey is over, they’ll reconvene for the second segment in San Diego, before heading south through Mexico to Panama. The last leg takes them from Colombia to Patagonia. People who sign up for these trips must have their own bikes. Everything else is provided, down to the three-course meals Miller—a chef—makes over a campfire. On one of his recent trips, Miller prepared a panko-crusted halibut with wild mushrooms, fresh corn risotto and grilled asparagus with a lemon beurre blanc. “That’s what you get in the middle of nowhere,” he said.

“I have worked my way in my business so that I can do this,” Giguere added. “I’ve spent years working seven days a week, not doing anything, never leaving this island in the summer. That’s not how I want to live my life. I worked very hard to get myself to a situation where I can do more of these trips."

The trips are personalized and kept small. They’re meant to teach people how to use the bikes the way they were designed to be used. “People buy these bikes and they ride them to Starbucks,” Giguere said. “It’s the running joke. These bikes are meant to do what we’re doing with them."

We’re passionate about this,” Giguere said. “We want to get people that had these bikes but didn’t have a lot of experience camping or going away on these trips. We wanted to develop something that we could safely bring them through.” Miller admits there’s an intimidation factor to the motorcycles. Each one weighs nearly 500 pounds, and that’s before equipment is strapped on. Each bike has a six-speed manual transmission and a 1,200 cc twin-cylinder engine.

“With the idea of taking this thing off-road, I wasn’t afraid, but I was definitely intimidated,” he said. At that point, Giguere advised him to take a course through BMW. Miller said it was the best thing he’s ever done. "My confidence level went through the roof,” Miller said. “They actually teach you how to ride these bikes properly. I would say 90% of people who have these machines don’t know where to start. That’s what we’re trying to do with our tours. We’re not taking people on something crazy. It’s totally doable.”

Miller and Giguere’s goal for the company is to expand beyond motorcycles to Jeeps and other big vehicles. They want to expand to a larger market. An African safari ride comes to mind.

At the end of the day, it’s a form of high-end glamping, where bikers can hit the open road and hang out at night by the light of a campfire in some national or state park, a beer in hand and a quality meal cooked over a fire. This is the best part of the whole journey, Miller said. Sitting down after a day of exploring a new place, not knowing exactly where you are and resting in the comfort of disconnecting from the real world.

“I live more minimalistically as a result of doing this,” he said. “I need less. I’m going to take what I need and that’s it. It’s kind of a mental state.”

“The bikes aren’t just a mode of transportation—they’ve become apart of us,” Giguere added. “You’re out there in nature and hear nothing but the trees and the rivers. When we’re old, we want them to tell our stories, and to remind us of the places we’ve been and the people we’ve met.

Southern Charm

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:15:00 GMT

Audrey Sterk's interior design on the South Shore

Written by Brian Bushard

Interior Design by Audrey Sterk Design

Architect: Benjamin Normand Residential Design

Builder: RPF Built, Ryan Fitch

Landscape Architect: Julie Jordin, Garden Design Company

Photography by Matt Kisiday

Each house is supposed to tell a story, according to interior designer Audrey Sterk. Sometimes, when the house is just built, that story has to be created. If that’s the case, then the story for the new house on the island’s south shore is more of a travel essay.

Sterk, of Audrey Sterk Design, laid out the interior with a “traveled feel” in mind. The homeowner is a traveler and had collected artwork and knickknacks along the way. It only made sense that the home would include its fair share of vintage items, from the glassware on the bar to the thrifted art pieces from island estate sales.

"Every single bar should have a set of vintage glasses, period, full stop,” Sterk said. “Every bar should have a touch of vintage, something to root it in history. Even if it didn’t originate from you. It could be somebody else. It doesn’t matter where it’s from. You don’t need to spend a million dollars on vintage accessories."

Each room in the house carries that theme. The idea is to keep it clean and durable, modern with a look of being old-fashioned. “Light, sandy-colored oak is very popular, and it’s also timeless,” said Sterk, now in her 30th year in business on Nantucket. “It’s like a pair of blue jeans. It’s never going to go out of style.” If there’s a color palette to the house, it’s moody dark teal, as well as light cream and ebonized wood. The pantry area is one example. The cabinets are painted poplar in dark teal.

The ceiling wallpaper has the look of a watercolor storm or a wave reaching its crescendo. A painting by island artist Julija Mostykanova hangs in the living room—a foggy seascape. Upstairs, a sitting room flanked by two bedrooms offers a perch over the Atlantic. One of the bedrooms, which also looks over the ocean, features a modified wingback chair and an ebonized wood frame.

“It’s like somebody had a lazy Sunday morning and they read their favorite book, and they get to look at the ocean and sit in bed,” Sterk said. “It’s very rooted in tradition, and because we’re situated on the island, and on the south shore, we definitely leaned into it being more of a beach-focused house because of its location,” she said. "You can’t get away from the fact that sand is going to travel through this home.

Fishing for Trash

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:15:00 GMT

The Nantucket Shellfish Association hauls 3,500 pounds of debris from the harbor.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kevin Korn

Two diesel engine blocks, four boat batteries, two fuel tanks, an exhaust pipe, the hull of a boat and hundreds of feet of wiring. They were some of the clunky, rusty debris hauled out of Nantucket Harbor this spring, part of an inaugural Harbor Clean Up Initiative that pulled over 3,500 pounds worth of metal, plastic and other hazardous junk from the water.

“This is a no-brainer,” said Kevin Korn, the executive director of the Nantucket Shellfish Association, which organized the project. “This is a huge safety hazard. Imagine if kids jump in the water and hit it, or the toxic materials in batteries if those batteries leaked. We want to get it out of there.”

While the debris has been out of sight—and out of mind—for years, the buildup of old boating parts and other large material has become a growing safety hazard for swimmers, boaters and fishermen, particularly commercial scallopers who drag for Nantucket Bay Scallops. Not only that, the decaying metal and plastic, along with battery acid and fuel, has created an environmental risk for marine life.

Some of the material is believed to have come from a vessel out of Egg Harbor, New Jersey, that sank over 20 years in the harbor off Monomoy. “This project just makes total sense,” Korn said. “There have been a ton of projects to protect the health of the harbor, but nobody has done this. Water quality and water health is so important to Nantucket and the Nantucket Shellfish Association.”

For anyone who observed the operation, it may have looked like a regular barge with a crane out on the water on a gloomy Nantucket morning in May. But this is no normal barge. Diver Chris Fuller heads into the water in a spot identified by scalloper Bruce Cowan, where Cowan had previously encountered debris. On board, Korn, Nantucket Moorings owner Tim Reinemo and mate Chris Bell haul up the metal boards, lines, and large boat parts. From there, the debris was taken to the town boat launch to be transported to a recycling center in Middleborough.

“It’s an amazing effort—amazing for our scallopers who scallop through those areas, where if they got caught on that debris, it could have sunk a boat,” said Harbormaster Sheila Lucey, who worked on the clean-up effort. “For boaters’ safety, it’s so important.”

“When boats sink, they’re abandoned and then it becomes everybody’s problem, so there’s more to be done,” she added. “There’s going to be a second phase. First and foremost, we need to make sure the harbor is safe, and that’s what this project is all about.

Old Faithful

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:15:00 GMT

Nantucket’s First Congregational Church turns 300.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

It is an institution that has withstood the test of time. Founded 50 years before the founding of America, the church is among the oldest in the nation and has survived presidential assassinations, a Civil War, two World Wars and an era where people have increasingly turned away from religion. From its 120-foot bell tower, the First Congregational Church has seen vast changes since its founding and this year it celebrates its 300th anniversary.

“The availability, openness and welcoming to the community was an important part of what I value in that church, and that makes a lot of difference,” said Gary Klingsporn, who served as the church’s minister from 2010 to 2022. The name First Congregational Church has several meanings on Nantucket. It was the first place where a woman served as pastor, in 1880, when a 34-year-old poet and temperance leader from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, named Louise Baker was called onto lead the church. It was also the first church on Nantucket to host a same-sex wedding, in the early 2000s.

“It makes you feel like you’re part of the island when you’re there, and when you’re coming to the island, the steeple is one of the first things you notice,” said Joe Hale, the chair of the church’s 300th anniversary committee, who noted the church is raising funds to enhance its exhibition space in its tower. “It’s the most beautiful panoramic view you can get of the island.”

For three centuries, the church has moved twice, added a second sanctuary, brought in a bell, built a tower and constructed a theater. And throughout all of those changes, the church has remained a fixture of the community, serving as a welcoming place for generations of islanders. Not only does it host Sunday services, weddings, funerals and baptisms, it also hosts the Assembly of God Church, Congregation Shirat Ha Yam, the Bulgarian Education Center, The Warming Place and Alcoholics Anonymous.

"The First Congregational is much more than just an historic church, it is a vital part of our community’s religious, social and cultural life,” congregants Peg and Phil Read wrote in a testimonial to the Nantucket Current . “It is special because it is so welcoming and accepting to all. It is special because one can find comfort and a sense of peace in worship.”

The church was first built in 1725 near a kettle hole bog off West Chester Street called No Bottom Pond. At the time, it served not only as a place of worship, but as one of two town meeting houses. Only later did it take on its name, the First Congregational Church. Seventy years later, the building was taken apart piece by piece and reassembled on its new site on Centre Street, known then as Beacon Hill. An 80-foot tower was added to the building and a 1,000-pound bell was installed. It was the first bell to be rung on the island, ringing at sunrise, noon and 9 p.m. According to church records, a vote was taken in 1807 to keep the doors to the tower shut, “preventing unscheduled ringing.”

By 1834, the congregation had become so large that it spent $8,000 on an even larger sanctuary, what is now referred to as the Summer Church. The original church, called the Old North Vestry, was rotated 90 degrees and placed behind the new structure. It was bare-bones in those days. Reverend Samuel D. Hosmer, who presided over the church from 1862 to 1872,described the pews at the time as “old-fashioned square compartments” without cushions or elbow supports. As for heat in the winter, Hosmer remarked: “Who ever heard of an old church with any fire, save the flame of devotion to warm the worshippers.” That attitude must have changed in the coming decades. Years later, the Old North Vestry became the second building on the island to install electricity.

Tom Richard remembers the church from the days when his father, late minister Clayton Richard, led services in the Old North Vestry and the Summer Church. When Tom graduated from seminary school years later, he became minister of the same church, serving in that role from 1986 to 2001before heading the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches.

“I spent a lot of my ministry here working on the church to see itself as a national pulpit,” Tom said. “You could count on getting great preachers here. A church’s history, a church’s reputation can only be blessed by leaders of that church taking their faith to the streets of Nantucket. The church has a reputation in its 300 years of being involved in important community movements.”

The Food Network Doctor

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:15:00 GMT

David Lieberman trades his cooking apron for scrubs

Written by Jason Graziadei

Photography by Kit Noble

Dr. David Lieberman’s journey to practicing medicine, and ultimately to Nantucket, was anything but conventional. Lieberman was a political science major at Yale, and his love of cooking led to an early career breakthrough as one of the first Food Network stars.

His show, Good Deal with Dave Lieberman , premiered on the Food Network in 2005, focusing on affordable gourmet recipes. A year later, he launched a web-exclusive series with the Food Network called Eat This with Dave Lieberman , where he visited various cities, uncovering trends and crazes in cuisine. It was a precursor to some of the network’s most successful shows that would come years later, shows like Guy Fieri’s Diners Drive-Ins and Dives .

Despite his early success and brush with stardom, Lieberman soon realized that he needed to find another path. “I was approaching 30, and I was like, ‘Is this my life’s work’?” Lieberman said. “I got into food television and food media sort of by accident, serendipitously, I would say. I took the ride, but then as I took that ride, I asked, ‘Is this really what I want for my entire life?’ I thought I’d better reevaluate. I didn’t train formally, and I didn’t feel like I had the chops to do a restaurant or be a mature, multifaceted chef. I just didn’t see a future in it. I was this young kid cooking, and that was fun, and people watched me doing that, and that was cute. But then you’re not cute anymore.”

Lieberman has always had another interest in preventative health and wellness, so he returned to school and dove into primary care and internal medicine. It was no half-baked idea. He completed his medical school prerequisites at Columbia University before graduating from medical school at the Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Lieberman ultimately landed a job practicing in the southwest as an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in the division of geriatrics.

Lieberman then got a call from Mass General Brigham recruiters who asked him about a job as a primary care physician at Nantucket Cottage Hospital—an island he’d visited only once before. “Of course it posed challenges, but when we looked at the overall picture, the quality of life for my wife and my son, the safety of it, the proximity to Boston and being able to practice medicine in this rural, very intimate setting, I think that kind of clinched it,” he said. “You can’t really find that in the metro area very easily as a primary care doctor.”

Lieberman still cooks at home, of course. He tends to make simple dishes, with an emphasis on fish and Mediterranean cuisine. The process of cooking and the preparation helps him relax, he said. It’s not unlike the preparation that goes into practicing medicine.

“I often feel that creating a medical plan for a patient is like opening a spice drawer, looking for just that right combination of flavors,” he said. “Preparing ingredients for cooking—washing, peeling and cutting—requires quiet focus and patience, which feels familiar when I’m reviewing patient charts and completing documentation. Preparing a meal for a large group is an orchestrated team effort, and so is patient care."

Lieberman made the move to Nantucket with his family, and arrived on the island in late March to take the job as Nantucket’s newest primary care physician. Almost immediately, he was struck by how different his patient population was compared to Arizona.

“There’s a lot of diversity, whether it’s Portuguese, Bulgarian,” Lieberman said. “It’s been a lot of talking to patients in Spanish through a translator. But it’s also kind of a unique, complex set of circumstances here on the island that you have to take into account when providing a care plan. This is very different, and kind of a nice challenge.”

Lieberman credited Dr. Diane Pearl, one of Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s longest-serving physicians, for helping to both convince him to take the job and ease his transition into the island’s medical staff. “Dr. Pearl brings this incredible historical knowledge and experience, so she’s an amazing mentor, and that’s one of the reasons why I felt comfortable coming here, was because Dr. Pearl is here,” Lieberman said.

Perhaps the number-one question people have asked is whether Lieberman has found housing, and if he plans to stay on the island. For now, he said, the hospital has provided his family with housing, and his family has already found the community to be embracing. "We love the island so far,” he said. “My wife is Russian. We didn’t even realize that there’s this Russian community here on the island. And within two weeks of being here, she had already met a number of young Russian women and families basically in her own demographic. We definitely see a future here, long-term, and I think we’re confident that as long as we’re giving to the community, the community will make sure that it’s something that can work out.

Is It Time for the Land Bank to Address the Affordable Housing Crisis?

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:15:00 GMT

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Nantucket would not be what itis without the Land Bank. So why, then, has a growing segment of islanders started asking whether the Land Bank has enough conservation land already? The question seemed far-fetched just a decade ago. But now, with over 50 percent of the island preserved thanks in large part to Land Bank’s purchasing power—and as home prices skyrocket—fewer and fewer undeveloped properties remain on the market.

The matter of what the Land Bank does now has become front and center. The question is whether the Land Bank helps address the island’s affordable housing crisis. “The Land Bank thought their mission was to buy land, and now they have enough. What is the mission of the Land Bank is the question,” Nantucket Finance Committee member Jill Vieth said. “We have a population that has grown exponentially in the last 15 years and to meet the needs of the island, we need more land for affordable housing."

The Land Bank was a first-of-its-kind experiment when it was created in 1983. Unlike other conservation organizations on the island, the Land Bank pulls its revenue from a 2% transfer fee on most real-estate purchases. According to its enabling legislation, the properties the Land Bank buys with that money must be used for just three things: conservation, recreation and agriculture.

In its 42 years, it has succeeded beyond all expectations, and is now the second-largest property owner on the island, with nearly 3,500 acres to its name, second only to the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. Those properties include some of Nantucket’s most iconic parks—Gardner Farm, Lily Pond, Smooth Hummocks and the Creeks Preserve. The Land Bank has also created and maintained playgrounds in Sconset and on Old South Road. It owns pickleball and paddle tennis courts, soccer fields and two public golf courses, as well as Moors End Farm and the Sustainable Nantucket lots on Hummock Pond Road.

But with housing prices surging, employers struggling to secure staff housing and renters paying exorbitant amounts for a modest place to live, some islanders are now asking whether it’s time to tap into the Land Bank’s steady income stream to address the lack of affordable housing.

“The Land Bank has been a visionary organization in its first 40 years, but half a billion dollars later and with over 50 percent of the island in conservation collectively between organizations, only a small amount of land is available and undeveloped,” said Tucker Holland, the town’s former housing director. “Now, the question is what should happen with the remaining available land.”

Between the amount of land owned by the Land Bank, other conservation organizations, the town and existing development, less than 3% of Nantucket is available for housing, something that has played a significant role in the high cost of housing production.

Calls for the Land Bank to support affordable housing came to a head at the 2021 Annual Town Meeting. In one of the most controversial articles in recent years, Brooke Mohr—now a member of the Select Board—proposed earmarking a quarter of the Land Bank’s transfer fee revenue to the town for affordable housing projects. But the response to that proposal was an overwhelming no. Mohr’s proposal received more than 120 letters of opposition, led by the Land Bank’s then-Executive-Director Eric Savetsky, who argued at the time the move would “have a drastic negative impact on our ability to acquire new parcels of land for public benefit.” The Nantucket Conservation Foundation even made a rare political statement denouncing the proposal.

In the end, it was rejected by a 572-205 vote—though it did succeed in stirring the pot. “The Nantucket we see today is not the same one that existed when the Land Bank was created,” Mohr said on the floor of town meeting. “The most pressing issue at that time was how to balance development and conservation. Housing for year-rounders was recognized to be an issue then in 1983, but conservation was deemed a higher priority. Since then, the percentage of vacant, undeveloped land has been reduced from 53 percent to less than 4.8 percent today.”

The median Nantucket home price, meanwhile, was a stunning $3.73 million last year, with an average home value of $4.88 million, according to data from Fisher Real Estate. Only a handful of homes remain on the market for under $1 million. The likelihood of a nurse, a school teacher or even a doctor to be able to afford to buy a house on Nantucket has become slim, while service employees looking for a reasonable rental opportunity are left with few practical choices.

As the debate was going down four years ago, the Land Bank was raking in hundreds of millions of dollars from its transfer fee, leveraging a hot housing market in 2021 for a record $48.63 million in revenue, only to be followed by another $46.91 million he following year (the Land Bank received $23.70 million off the transfer fee last year and has so far made $25.4 million in 2025).

“We know there are huge needs of the island, for more housing, a new middle school, for recreation, for coastal resilience—but where is this money going to come from?” Vieth said. “There needs to be more collaboration between the town and the Land Bank and historically there has not been.”

Last year, the Land Bank dropped $26 million on a one-acre beachfront compound east of The Galley restaurant in the organization’s most expensive purchase to date. The idea behind the property—which includes three buildings and had been marketed as a boutique hotel or private club—was to increase public access to the beach, improve handicap accessibility to the area and potentially boost coastal resilience. But the Land Bank drew fire on its acquisition of the property, which opponents argued could have been used for housing.

The property is now one of several where the Land Bank is considering working with housing agencies on a potential collaborative use, Land Bank Executive Director Rachael Freeman said. The buildings could be repurposed as municipal housing units, she said. Though it’s unclear if that would be feasible.

That property also reignited the debate over what the Land Bank should be doing—if anything—to address housing, and whether it has been spending too much money on smaller pocket parks. “I’m not sure just where we can work into affordable housing,” Land Bank Commissioner Allen Reinhard said. “We don’t do affordable housing. We’re not a housing organization. If we can do something that could create a conservation area or even a space where people could sit, like a park, that seems to be the main role the Land Bank might be able to assume."

You don’t have to look very far to find a lesson on how conservation and housing have worked collaboratively. Since 1988, the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank has partnered with island housing organizations and all six towns on the Vineyard on 17 separate joint purchases where land was split for open space and affordable housing.

“There are plenty of properties that have conservation value in some areas and neutral value in others,” said James Lengyel, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank. Meanwhile, an N Magazine article last year delved into the success of other resort communities, such as Aspen, Colorado, which had the vision to use its transfer fee to build workforce and affordable housing. Aspen—which has less than half the population of Nantucket—now boasts more than 7,000 affordable units, well above Nantucket’s 500 units.

While the Nantucket Land Bank has recently stepped up its efforts to work hand-in-hand with housing agencies, it falls short of the efforts taken on the Vineyard. One reason, Freeman said, is because Martha’s Vineyard’s space constraints are not as acute as they are on Nantucket.

Still, Freeman said the Land Bank has started to take a harder look at how it can support housing projects. One example is the Housing Nantucket affordable housing development on Fairgrounds Road, where the Land Bank is in talks to purchase the front lot on that property and impose a conservation restriction on it, keeping it open space in perpetuity. At another Land Bank property on Orange Street, the Land Bank Commission agreed to provide an easement for an abutting town property slated to become affordable housing.

“Within the boundaries of our act, how can we participate in these conversations?” Freeman asked. “We got here because Nantucket has a number of very important community needs and has very limited space. For me, we started to think through acquisitions priorities and how we partner with housing organizations in the limited space we have.”

Even in these conversations, one point remains clear among all parties involved: The Land Bank should not become a housing developer. To some, there are consequences that come with housing that should also be considered. Reinhard, who has serve on the commission for 23 years, argued that if the Land Bank works with a housing developer, it needs to consider downstream effects, such as parking and traffic. “You can only squeeze so many dwelling units into so many acres of land, and we don’t have that many acres of land,” he said. “We are an island, and we’re a diminishing island at that.”

Housing and conservation can seem antithetical, though it’s hard to argue against either. Nantucket has benefitted from an abundance of pristine, open-space walking trails and wildlife habitat, and it needs more housing, town officials say. The Land Bank was created to protect the island from the prospect of overdevelopment. Now, it faces an acute housing shortage. The question is not whether the Land Bank should cease to exist, but how it allocates its revenues and how it works with housing organizations.

“It feels like a great moment 40 years in and half a billion dollars later to reflect on what the Land Bank set out to accomplish,” Holland said. “The Land Bank is not a housing organization, but are there ways they can lend a hand to address one of the most pressing issues on Nantucket today?”

Picture Perfect

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:15:00 GMT

Written by Larry Lindner

Photography by Michael Gaillard

The Artists Association of Nantucket honors photographer Michael Gaillard

T here’s such a painterly quality to Michael Gaillard’s photographs that at first glance it’s very hard to tell what the medium is. “You do a double take on certain images,” interior designer Kevin O’Shea said. Those double takes are what led O’Shea, chief creative officer of The Brant, to include Gaillard’s works in every guest room and public space in the hotel.

“Oftentimes the art in hotel rooms can feel like an afterthought, but this was a very intentional, very thoughtful process led by Michael,” O’Shea said. “People remark on his photographs all the time.”

The comparison to paintings, including the Hockney-esque quality in much of his photography, doesn’t surprise Gaillard, who frequently captures landscapes. “In general, I have more affinity with painterly discourse than photographic discourse,” he said. “Painters are always dealing with the play between depth and flatness, and that’s critical to my work.”

A s to drive home the point, collector Katherine Bucknell points out that while she has more than a dozen Gaillards in her Nantucket and London homes, she curates the work of no other photographers, only painters—including, perhaps not ironically, an ink-on-paper work by David Hockney. She spoke of a Gaillard photograph showing “a window on an old Sconset house, painted that pale green color on so many Nantucket houses—weather-beaten. The window is slightly open with an old-fashioned stick. So many people see this picture and think it’s a painting from the school of Andrew Wyeth,” she said. "His photos feel so intimate.”

Gaillard described his efforts to capture what he does as a spiritual experience. “The primary tool the photographer has is the frame,” he said. “It’s a challenge I find endlessly fulfilling, potent and rich with symbolism—a revelation—I don’t know what my life would be without that discovery.”

That process of discovery, which has landed Gaillard’s work on the cover of Veranda , in the pages of House Beautiful and in a book called Artistry of Home by celebrated luxury interior designer Nicole Hollis, no doubt also played into the choice to feature him as this year’s honoree at the Artists Association of Nantucket’s annual gala. The celebration, AAN’s largest fundraiser of the year, will take place on Saturday, July 19, at the Great Harbor Yacht Club.

“Michael is the first photographer that the association has ever honored, so it’s kind of a big deal,” said AAN Executive Director Tracey Sears. One of the ways money is raised at the gala is via the auctioning of donated artwork. The funds help underwrite year-round activities, including arts programming and youth and adult education.

“Michael has been a contributor for many years and is always a top seller, so he has raised a lot of funds over the years,” Sears said. “We’re super grateful for his generosity and support.” Gaillard, for his part, called the recognition “a great honor and really surprising.” “Choosing a life as an artist is by no means a traditional trajectory,” he said. “It’s filled with hardship, especially in small communities that aren’t close to urban centers. AAN supports artists on this difficult trajectory. It provides the necessary community—you can’t make art in a vacuum.

This year’s gala will pay homage not only to Gaillard’s talent but also to his deep roots on the island and his intergenerational connection to the AAN. His paternal grandmother was Gwen Gaillard, proprietor of the Opera House Restaurant, which opened in 1945 on South Water Street and was one of Nantucket’s first fine-dining establishments. It turns out the restaurant’s chef for the first 20 years, Lucien van Vyve, was also an AAN member. Gwen Gaillard’s cookbook, Recipes with Love , was illustrated by fellow AAN member Roy Bailey.

There will be an Opera House ambience at the gala, as well. Just as there was a piano played during meals at the Opera House—one restaurant guest, Judy Garland, sang for diners when she visited—there will be a piano played during dinner by local musician Matt Hutchinson.

Gaillard has only what he calls “gauzy memories” of the Opera House, which went out of business in the mid-1980s when he was about 5 years old. But he brings his grandmother’s knack for conviviality to his work. “I am a very private person and pretty much don’t talk to people I don’t know,” Bucknell said. But when she first met Gaillard, “there was some magic chemistry. I felt so open to him.” When she and her family chatted with him, she said, “we just liked him so much and appreciated his appetite for everything. He is so curious and interested and excited by new ideas.”

There’s an earnestness and carefulness people also remark on. Renowned architect Andrew Kotchen commented, “Michael comes across as a very compassionate, committed person in the work that he does.” The two recently collaborated on a project to put about a dozen of Gaillard’s works throughout the Nantucket home of a resident who spent their entire childhood on the island. With that in mind, Kotchen said, “Michael took certain shots of the island that were meaningful to them, specifically for their home—bespoke pieces.”

“He’s playing in a sandbox with a lot of copycats—computer-generated rather than skill-generated,” he continued. “I very much appreciate the quality he brings to the table through his process.” Designer Nicole Hollis sees it similarly. She has collaborated with Gaillard on a home in Pebble Beach, California, and a public space in Hawaii.

“He’s very thoughtful about the work that he does—and considered and enthusiastic. He gets really hyper-involved, which is great,” she commented, noting that he throws himself not just into the shoot but also the framing and the location of art on a property.

O’Shea of The Brant also spoke of the unique way in which his art reaches people. “I think everyone loves the interpretation of the island through Michael’s viewpoint,” he said. “With Cape Cod and the islands in general, there tends to be a lot of very literal photography—the lighthouse, the beach, the whale. I think what Michael does is capture these beautiful moments that really make a place. People comment that his are not the expected depictions of Nantucket. This is not a repatriation of the iconic moments but capturing the day-to-day beauty of the little quiet moments, the little corners.

Stand Up Guy

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:15:00 GMT

Comedian Brian Glowacki returns to Nantucket for a stand-up set at the Dreamland.

Written by Brian Bushard
Photography by Kit Noble

After selling out The Wilbur theater in Boston, headlining in Las Vegas and spending years touring on the stand-up circuit, Brian Glowacki sees his next show at the Dreamland as a homecoming. “I grew up in the Dreamland before it was redone, when it was a sweat box and it was haunted,” Glowacki said. “It means something to me to come home now and do that theater.”

Glowacki, who grew up on Nantucket “digging holes and filling them back in” for the family business in the mounds of sand known as “Glowackiland,” has always had a knack for stand-up, whether he knew it or not. In school, he said, he was the class clown. He and his friends took turns taking playful jabs at each other, and he learned to be quick on his feet and to take a joke. While the Nantucket of his childhood did not provide him with an outlet as a stand-up comedian, growing up on the island did teach him the tricks of the trade. Now that he’s coming back to the Dreamland for a show on August 2, Glowacki said that training has prepared him well.

“I think it comes from how I grew up with my friends on Nantucket, when all we did was make fun of each other,” he said. “Hecklers don’t bother me now because they’re not as funny as the friends I grew up with. You had to be quick on your toes or you would get laughed at in my group of friends. I didn’t know that would be the training for what I was going to do with my life. It was just us all busting on each other all the time."

"I've had years where I’ve done almost 300 shows a year, and I still come home and my friends are quicker than me and make fun of me,” he continued. “I haven’t sharpened the axe quite enough to come home and hang out with my old friends.”

Glowacki moved to Boston in his late 20s as an escape from Nantucket, not necessarily seeking a career in comedy. His introduction to the artform came through watching HBO’s Def Comedy Jam growing up. Stand-up comedy, he said, was a completely different world. “They might as well be on Mars,” he said.

Then came a chance comedy class in Boston. Glowacki signed up and immediately decided he would pursue a career as a full-time comedian. There was something about the storytelling and about saying his absurd ideas out loud to an audience that somehow made sense to him. The connection he felt with his audiences was instant. The feedback he received on his jokes happened in the moment. And as someone who grew up quick with a comeback, that world felt right.

Three years ago, Glowacki lived a lifelong dream of headlining The Wilbur in Boston. It took years on the road to get there. He had tours where he would only come home for a few days over a span of several months. There was a toll to that lifestyle. “I could be in Oklahoma for a weekend, but then come home and my family’s different,” he joked. “I did that for months and months and months, for so long."

"My eyes are open to funny experiences, and now I can’t turn it off,” he said. “I’ll see something or have an interaction with my wife and say, ‘I have to write that down.’ Some things are just too good. I think that’s when I’m at my best when I’m observing, when my eyes are open a little wider. It’s a fun line to walk.”

“The things that I find funny are the shared experiences that we all have, like slipping on a banana peel,” he added. “That’s the basis of all comedy. But it can also be in a relationship—it can be how as a father, I slip on a banana peel every day trying to raise these kids. It’s fumbling through your second or third or fourth marriage.”

While Glowacki said he’s trying to see more of his family and enjoy the simple things in life as opposed to spending weeks on end on the road, he still keeps busy. He also plays guitar, and will be performing music at the Brotherhood of Thieves and Cisco Brewers this summer. He’s also working on a comedy special.

“I feel like I can pick and choose now and do the things I want to do and still be able to raise my family, and get home and go fishing every now and again,” he said. “I want to watch my kids grow and not have this marriage fall apart, hopefully. There isa trade-off to that. Maybe I could be farther in my career, but my kids wouldn’t know who I am. I try to straddle that line all the time.

Beatlemania

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 02:59:04 GMT

Nantucket rock band Cranberry Alarm Clock plays the Beatles Festival in Liverpool

Written by John Stanton

Photography by Kit Noble

T hey were like a lot of kids who grew up in the ’60s and early ’70s, swept up in one of the many cultural ripples that went through those decades. There was something about the music, an energy that welcomes you in. It is still with them today.

"To me it was seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show ,” George “Skip” Curtin said. “I was nine years old. It was a monumental moment in my life. JFK had just been assassinated and the country was in a funk. Even as a little kid I could sense that. Then when [rock and roll] happened, it lifted the country, especially for the kids.

Somewhere there is a snapshot of a very young Curtin standing in front of the family Christmas tree holding his new guitar. Today, Curtin and his bandmates call themselves Cranberry Alarm Clock. There is a touch of gray to the band. Curtin is 70 years old, and his bandmates are younger but not by much. They still share the thrill the music gave them over six decades ago.

The band—Curtin on lead guitar, Tom Proch on drums and vocals, his brother Phil on bass guitar and Frankie Hunter playing rhythm guitar and singing—are sitting at a table in the Chicken Box one afternoon, talking about bringing their music to the International Beatleweek Festival in Liverpool, England, this August. It is a six-day event dedicated to the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo. The event takes place at the Cavern Club, the headwaters of British rock and roll where the Beatles found their creative footing. “The Cavern is the holy of holies, man,” Hunter said. “You play there, that’s it."

Tom Proch has his own memory of first hearing the music. His brother Phil was in the first grade when he got a Beatles record. “I’d be holding the album cover just strumming it like a guitar and we’d sing to it,” Tom said. “Phil took guitar lessons when we got a little older. I was always interested in the drums.”

Tom and Phil never put a band together, just played together for the pure fun of it. “A couple of kids from the neighborhood would come by and we’d make some noise, but never officially called ourselves a band,” Tom remembers. Phil eventually made a living as a building contractor. Tom was a chef at two of the island’s most legendary restaurants: The Opera House and The Club Car. Then Tom traded in the grueling work of putting out 150 plates a night for a job teaching culinary arts at Nantucket High School. Suddenly, there was plenty of time to put together a band.

They all knew each other in that way small-town people know of each other, especially small-town musicians. Curtin and Hunter played in bands on the mainland before moving to the island. Hunter said that Tom simply pulled him over on Madaket Road one day.

“He just stopped on Madaket Road, and I said to myself, ‘Is that Tommy? He’s crazy.’ He wanted my phone number, and that Sunday we got together and played, Phil and Tommy and me,” Hunter said. “The common denominator was the Beatles. It was never really about starting a band, just playing together.”

Curtin brought his lead guitar and his years of professional experience into the mix. “The great thing about these guys is they just want to play,” Curtin said of the Proch brothers. “For Tom and Phil, it is as if they jammed together as kids and then they went off and had careers. Decades went by when they weren’t playing."

“But when we all got together, it was like they dropped the needle back on the record on the same spot in 1971 and had the same enthusiasm,” he continued. “They weren’t jaded by playing gigs in sh***y bars all over New England. And it was refreshing. It was awesome. That energy just lifted me.”

T he idea of trying to get selected to International Beatleweek came from Hunter, who grew up in Scotland before ending up on the island in 2004. He was visiting an old bandmate in Liverpool and happened by the festival.

“What’s fascinating is these guys will have their minds blown,” he said. “I came back and said to the guys they had to go there. I wasn’t thinking of playing there, just that they would love to go. When you get there, the Beatles are everywhere. You walk around and there is Penny Lane, there is Strawberry Fields.”

The Cavern now has three stages and nearby is a stage at the Adelphi Hotel. Bands play45-minute sets, rotating between a half-dozen venues. The music begins at 11 a.m. and doesn’t stop until 3 a.m. It is likely the band will play a handful of sets. “I don’t want to say it’s a dream come true, because it was never my dream to do that,” Tom Proch said. “But like Frankie says, it will be mind-blowing.”

Hunter talked his bandmates into applying to be one of the hundreds of bands selected to play that week. The application called for a YouTube video and a CD of Beatles tunes. These are just four guys who like to play music together. They never even thought about promoting themselves that way. But they managed to do both, getting into a studio on the Cape to record the CD, which includes six Beatles tunes and one from John Lennon’s solo career: “Come Together,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” “If I Needed Someone,” “#9Dream,” “The Ballad of John and Yoko,” and “I Am the Walrus."

To get the video, they taped six iPhones set on video to mic stands and railings and posts on the deck at the Sandbar and recorded one of their shows. The selection committee at the International Beatleweek took a pass on Cranberry Alarm Clock the first year they applied. This time around the invitation to Liverpool arrived. It will be a bit of a homecoming for Hunter and for Tom Proch’s wife, Pauline, who grew up outside of London. There is even a small contingent of local fans who might make the trip.

It is a chilly, windy afternoon reminiscent more of early autumn than of Memorial Day weekend, but the Sandbar on Jetties Beach is packed. Sure, the band has now been in a studio, but playing live before a crowd of their friends is what they do.

The deck is vibrating underfoot as the crowd stamps and dances as the band lets loose with "Crossroads,” a guitar-driven song that has been a staple of blues since the legendary Robert Johnson first played it in 1936 and fueled into overdrive by any number of electric guitar players. Some in the crowd know the words. A man clearly in his mid-70s is singing along while waiting to get the bartender’s attention. But what people, young and old, are responding to is the power of the drums and guitars.

“I’d look at a lot of what we play as real primal. And it is infectious because it is primal,” Curtin said. “I look at kids when we play the Sandbar that are in their 20s and they might not get it, but they get it. And that’s what is so wonderful of the nature of that kind of music. It’s lasted the test of time. These songs are 50 or 60 years old.”

Cranberry Alarm Clock might be heading for a gig at the epicenter of all things Beatles, and they kicked off the set with “If I Needed Someone” and “Ticket to Ride,” but they are not what is sometimes called a tribute band. They play blues rock. Covers, yes, the Rolling Stones, the Doors, anything that strikes their musical imagination, but they look for a way to make the music their own.

They try to strip the music down to its core; they flow one song into the next at unexpected places. They have fun. “You've got to put your own stamp on the music,” Hunter said. “You’re not capable of doing what the Rolling Stones or Pink Floyd did. Simple as that. You do what in your capabilities you can do.”

The band tends to all talk at once, an indication of how comfortable they are with each other and probably an insight into how they create their sound. “We’re just big music fans,” Tom said. “I get up at 3 a.m. to use the toilet and there is a song, maybe something we’ve been working on, in my head. As soon as I get back up in the morning, there is always music in my head. It’s amazing.”

“We always try to add four or five songs each year,” Hunter added. “‘Eleanor Rigby’ might morph into Heart’s ‘Barracuda’ morphed into the Stones’ ‘Paint It Black.’ It’s fun.”

Keeping a band together can be a notoriously difficult task. Talk to any experienced musician and you will hear cautionary tales of runaway egos that prevented bands from staying together despite making good music. Tom Proch calls weekly rehearsals and gigs his therapy, a chance to set aside everything else in life and just play music, just tap into the beat. It is a feeling he tries to share with his audiences by leaving tambourines and a cow bell and drumstick on tables so the audiences can pick them up and join the band for a moment.

“It’s great. They’re like part of the band. We’ll be playing and it’s like, ‘Willie’s here!’ Or local people we know,” he said. In the end, this is a story about chasing that backbeat, about the joy and friendship based on playing music together. Sure, they will be playing every weekend at the Sandbar and leaving for Liverpool in late August, and they have been in a recording studio to cut a couple of CDs. But they make it clear that they would be just as happy getting together for the pure fun of playing rock and roll, just like when they were kids and the music first grabbed them.

DAFFODIL CAR PARADE & PICNIC

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 17:41:18 GMT

Nantucket Daffodil Festival

The rain held off for the morning of the 49th annual Nantucket Daffodil Festival, with classic cars galore lining Main Street before parading to Sconset for a soggy but enthusiastic tailgate picnic. Despite the rain, Nantucket was still abuzz for the weekend—one of the first signs of spring on the island—as cold winter days long gone paved the way for one of the biggest and brightest blossoms in recent years.

photography by Charity Grace Mofsen

EMILY & CRAIG

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 15:38:45 GMT

Emily and Craig's
Nantucket wedding.

Bride and Groom: Emily Deombeleg and Craig Moore

Officiant: Reverend J. Car Holland III

Venue : Siasconset Union Chapel & Sankaty Head Golf Club

Groom's Tuxedo: Sal Lauretta

Wedding Coordinator: Jimmy Jaksic

Photographer: Brian Sager

Videographer: September Productions

Stationery/Paper: Wouldn't It Be Lovely

Cake: PPX

Band: The Sultans

Bride's Dress: Oscar de la Renta

Bridal Hair: Mariah Wolfe

Bridal Makeup: Katarina Fiumara

Florist: Sayles Livingston Design

Tent : Nantucket Party Rentals

STYLE ON TAP

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:02:03 GMT

Photographer: Brian Sager

Editorial Stylist: Petra Hoffmann

Hair Stylist: John Stanielon and Darya Afshari Gault of Darya Salon + Spa

Makeup Stylist: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

Female Model: Kassandra Hostage of Maggie Inc.

Male Model: Caleb Foster of Maggie Inc.

Venue: Cisco Brewers

In the Bag

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 22:48:21 GMT

One summer resident’s clutches are a work of art.

Eittem is hosting private styling appointments on Wednesday, July 16th, and Thursday, July 17th, from 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM, on Cliff Road.

Door-to-door transport will be provided in the Eittem Rover.

To request an appointment, please email inquiries@eittem.com

Written by Madeline Bilis

Photography by Kit Noble

Twelve years ago, one of Erin Saluti’s accessories began turning heads. She was often seen sporting a curved wooden clutch that her husband made for her as a birthday gift based on a sketch she gave him. “I carried that thing all over the world, and wherever I went, someone asked about it,” said Saluti, a Nantucket summer resident. “They were shocked when I said that [we] had made it.”

Erin had sketched the design for the handbag and showed it to her husband, Joe Saluti, a partner at hedge fund Highline Capital Management who dabbled in woodworking in his spare time. He carved pieces of walnut on a curve with a computer-operated machine to bring Erin’s idea to life. He attached brass cabinet hardware to serve as the bag’s hinges.

Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe’s woodworking hobby kicked into high gear. He moved his CNC machine to their family’s garage in Westchester, New York, raising the ceiling so it would fit. Erin gave designing another bag a whirl, and then another one. “We were stuck at home and I just kind of kept going,” she said. This marked the beginning of what’s now known as Eittem (pronounced item), Saluti’s luxe collection of sculptural wooden handbags

In those early days, Erin, who studied contemporary art and design at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and interior design at London Design School, designed and prototyped all of the bags at home with Joe, and increased production once pandemic-related supply chain issues subsided. In the spring of 2024, they moved the business toa studio in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, perfecting the process of creating Eittem’s three hallmark designs.

Bags like Eittem—which start at $5,800 and go up to $7,800—maybe more than just a place to hold your belongings, but may also bean investment and a future collectable. Birkin bags, for example, often start above $30,000, while Nantucket Lightship Baskets can be just as valuable. Eittem’s signature forms, named Owl, Moon and Bird, recall themes from natural environments. “One of my favorite places on Nantucket is Tupancy Links,” Erin said. “Doing those hikes and looking at all the flowers, birds, deer and turtles—there and in our yard—those are the things that really inspire me."

To settle on each design, Saluti considered shapes that meant something to her. She loves owls, particularly snowy owls on Nantucket, and other organic forms that could translate into minimal, three-dimensional objects. “[The designs] resonate with people inmany different ways,” Saluti said. “But they’re shapes that I happen to like personally; that’s where it starts from.”

Each of the bags is available in a classic wood grain finish, plus two of their own colorways. The Owl comes in black and plum, the Bird in lilac and berry, and the Moon in pale blue and pearl. These colorful finishes are applied much like the top coat to an electric guitar or a new car. Finishing them requires a 20-stepprocess that involves sanding, hand-painting and buffing. Then, a craftsperson applies a unique protective coating that cures in a custom-built ultraviolet light chamber.

From the start, Saluti was set on crafting bags from walnut. “I just love the grain, the richness and the character of it,” she said. Eittem receives its walnut from urban salvage—in other words, reclaimed wood from trees that have fallen or were cutdown in places like city parks. The leather lining on the inside, meanwhile, is sourced from a company in Germany called Weinheimer Leder, one of the major suppliers to Hermès. And the hinges have come a long way from Home Depot’s offerings. Now, they’re made of stainless steel.

“Most handbags, even the most expensive ones, just use brass, which is inexpensive and not very strong,” Saluti explained. “I wanted to try making our hardware out of stainless steel, which is super strong and can be polished beautifully to this gorgeous shine. It really looks like jewelry.”

“They’re really a hybrid of art and a fashion accessory,” Saluti said. Flouting traditional luxury purse designs, there’s no exterior logo on any of the bags—only a small embossed “Eittem” on the inside of the clasp. “We really want the shapes themselves to become the indicator of the brand and, over time, what people will recognize,” she said.

Each clutch takes at least two weeks to craft from start to finish. A series of artists and technicians work on each bag, and roughly four to five bags are in the production process at once.“ Similar to Nantucket lightship baskets, they take a lot of time to make each of them,” Saluti said.

A bag begins with a hand sketch, which is converted into a computer-assisted design, or CAD, drawing. Next, salvaged walnut is carved with the CNC machine according to the CAD drawing. The wooden shells are then hand-sanded and rested on a shelf for several days, allowing the wood to expand and contract before assembly. From there, it receives a finish, either natural wood grain or a paint color, such as lilac or black, depending on the bag’s shape. At the same time, the leather interior is uniquely wet-molded and dried in the kind of incubator that’s typically used to grow bacteria, rather than being sewn into the bag. “No bacteria is involved in our process,” Saluti noted. “We adopted it from the medical industry as the temperature can be finely adjusted.”

In fact, a variety of the machines and tools in Eittem’s Chelsea workshop are repurposed from other fields. An optical comparator from a machine shop helps fine-tune a bag’s clasps, while dental tools and jeweler’s instruments bring the stainless steel portions—17 pieces per bag—to a mirror finish. From there, each clutch undergoes assembly and, finally, a personal inspection from Saluti. Due to the small size of Eittem’s production facility and team, they’ve only produced about40 of each of the three hallmark shapes in total.

Saluti estimates the company will make roughly 200 bags in all of 2025. That’s because she endeavors to work similarly to an art model: Each bag is numbered, much like a work of art, and a card of authenticity signed by the people who handmade the bags is tucked inside the product. As for future clutches? Three additional shapes have been prototyped, while two more are in sketch form, Saluti said. The plan is to release one new shape per year. While those designs are under wraps for now, Saluti hinted at a local source of inspiration for a bag she might create one day: “I would love to do something that ties in a lightship basket element.

Need to Read: June 2025

Sun, 25 May 2025 16:02:46 GMT

Tim Ehrenberg of “Tim Talks Books” gives you his 11 picks for June.

Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us by Jennifer Finney Boylan

While you will usually find my nose stuck in the pages of a good novel, autobiography is a genre I also devour. I have always compared reading to walking in someone else’s shoes, and nowhere is this description more accurate than in the pages of a memoir. Jennifer Finney Boylan is bearing it all in Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us . She dives into the divisions and common ground between the genders and her experience as a transgender American.

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist of March , returns to bookshelves this year with Memorial Days , a heartrending memoir of marriage, grief and the journey toward peace from the loss of her husband, the celebrated journalist Tony Horwitz.

How to Lose Your Mother by Molly Jong-Fast

Black in Blues by Imani Perry

From political writer and podcaster Molly Jong-Fast comes an exposé on her reckoning with her complicated childhood and her relationship with her mother, Erica Jong, in How to Lose Your Mother. And National Book Award winner Imani Perry goes beyond the personal and pens a memoir and meditation on the color blue and its fascinating role in Black history and culture in Black in Blues.

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb

Ask any bibliophile what their top five favorite books of all time are and you will see them panic. How is it possible to choose? My “Top Five Books List” changes weekly, but one pick that has always stayed put is Wally Lamb’s I Know This Much Is True . I am beyond thrilled to welcome Lamb to the Nantucket Book Festival this month to discuss his first novel in eight years, The River Is Waiting, hitting the stands June 10, the week of the festival. It’s a propulsive story of a young father who, after an unfathomable tragedy, reckons with the possibility of atonement for the unforgivable. With themes that focus on addiction, the American prison system and forgiveness, the novel demonstrates the transformative power of fiction and how it nurtures emotional intelligence, empathy and connection. Like all of Lamb’s novels, the book is brutally sad at times, but he always manages to find faith, hope and light in the darkness.

I will be in conversation with Wally Lamb on Friday, June 13, at 11 a.m.at the Nantucket United Methodist Church (schedule subject to change

Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen

Carl Hiaasen has been described as “America’s finest satirical novelist” by The London Observer . His most recent novel, Fever Beach , tackles the current chaotic and polarized American culture in a laugh-out-loud plot with zany characters on every page. Hiaasen’s books are always entertaining and must-reads for me. They make you think, “There is no way this could happen” or “People don’t do these things”—that is, until you turn on the news and realize truth is often stranger than fiction. Hiaasen brings the state of Florida to life in a way only a native Floridian could, with good humor and his signature style. Fever Beach features the characters Figgo, Twilly and Viva, with a larger-than-life supporting cast, in a tale of right-wing extremism, greed and corruption. Once you finish it, race to the nearest bookstore for Squeeze Me and Bad Monkey , two other Hiaasen crowd-pleasers. Carl isn’t just a writer for adults—check out his No. 1 New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor winner, Hoot . He’s a writer for the whole family.

Elin Hilderbrand and I will be in conversation with Carl Hiaasen on Saturday, June 14, at 11 a.m. at the Methodist Church for a special live recording of our podcast, “Books, Beach, & Beyond” (schedule subject to change).

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong

When I read Ocean Vuong’s 2019 debut novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous , I knew the literary world had just welcomed someone special. The author’s name and the book’s title alone are like beautiful miniature poems. His sophomore novel, The Emperor of Gladness , produces the same gorgeous prose and poignant passages in every paragraph. You’ll find yourself underlining phrases as they lift off the page and resonate in your mind and heart. Featuring characters that become a part of us and people you think about long after the story ends, this novel is about chosen families, unexpected friendships, what it means to exist on the fringes of society, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive. I will never look at carrots, bread rolls or fast-food restaurants and their employees the same way again. Occasionally, you can read a piece of literature that shifts your way of thinking about the world. I’m glad to say this is one of them. Don’t miss Vuong’s poetry collections Time Is a Mother and Night Sky with Exit Wounds .

I will be in conversation with Ocean Vuong on Saturday, June 14, at 3 p.m.at the Methodist Church (schedule subject to change).

COLEMAN HILL by Kim Coleman Foote

THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND by Patti Callahan Henry

JACKIE by Dawn Tripp

GOOD DIRT by Charmaine Wilkerson

I revere historical fiction because I believe that the stories from the past guide us in our present, giving us the tools to understand ourselves and our place in the world. Kim Coleman Foote’s Coleman Hill draws from the author’s own family legend and historical record to tell an unforgettable saga set in 1916. The novel is told in nine voices, and each perspective makes you feel like you’re part of the Coleman clan, joining in their conversations, struggles and dreams. Patti Callahan Henry centers her writing on the power of stories to move and change us, and The Story She Left Behind is perfect proof of this. Inspired by a true literary mystery, the novel takes us back to 1927 with a legendary book, a lost mother and a daughter’s search for them both. Jackie by Dawn Tripp is an intimate investigation into the very heart and soul of one of the most famous women of the 20th century, Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. The research and writing in this fictionalized biography is absolutely masterful. You can feel Jackie in between the prose . Good Dirt , by Charmaine Wilkerson who also penned the Read with Jenna selection Black Cake, connects the past to the present in this tale of a childhood tragedy and a beloved family heirloom from the 1800s. I will never forget the Freeman family and this epic generational saga.

Connect with all four historical novelists at their Nantucket Book Festival events June 12-15.

Bartender's Choice

Fri, 23 May 2025 15:29:28 GMT

Three must-try drink picks from local purveyors

Written by Jen Laskey

As we shake off the early “June-uary” weather and gear up for the official start of summer, it’s more than just a change in temperature we need to get ready for. June marks a total sensory shift—from gray days to blue skies, a sleepy downtown to bustling cobblestone streets—and a slew of events suddenly vying for time on our social calendars.

Besides a proliferation of Nantucket reds and lightship baskets, June also brings a new rotation of flavors into the mix. Restaurant menus lighten up with more farm-fresh, produce-driven dishes. Drink lists also get a seasonal revamp with lighter, brighter, spritzy and tropical tipples. Whatever your so-called summer water of choice, Nantucket bartenders, sommeliers and shopkeepers can help you source it. Ask them what they’re excited about, too. They might just turn you onto your new favorite drink of the month. From a German sparkler to a chillable Italian red and a cold-brew cocktail, here’s a taste of the Nantucket drinks that pros are thrilled to pour, shake and sip this June

HILD, Elbling Sekt, NV, ($22/BOTTLE)

Recommended by Chris Sleeper,co-founder & wine buyer, Pip & Anchor

"Hild's sparkling Elbling is refreshing and tropical with some lemon zest to wet your whistle on a warm summer day,” said Chris Sleeper. Using the same winemaking process as Champagne, Matthias Hild and his son Jonas produce this light-bodied, zippy bubbly in the Obermosel, in Germany’s Mosel region. Unlike the rest of the region, which is known for its slate soils and ultra-crisp riesling-based wines, this area is full of chalky limestone, which makes the soils more like those in Chablis or Sancerre in France. Here, the ancient grape elbling is king.

"The incredible mineral and acid structure explodes on the palate and is begging to accompany some Island Creek Littleneck Clams on the beach,” said Sleeper. “The wine highlights the sweetness and brininess of the clams while cooling you down because those clams can be a little spicy.” Sleeper reveres summer on Nantucket for being“ a celebration of the greatest community in New England.” For him, it’s all about collectively coming together to host an epic season-long party. “This wine works with an island summer's greatest moments—long, hot beach days, a sunset sail, cool evening bonfire, or while shucking oysters on a milk crate.”

VIGNETI LUIGI ODDERO E FIGLI, Convento Langhe Rosso, 2022 ($18/GLASS, $68/BOTTLE)

Recommended by Melissa Layman, Bar Manager, Pi Pizzeria

Not everyone thinks of red wine as a “summer sipper,” but this organically farmed Nebbiolo blend from the family winemaking estate of Luigi Oddero in the village of La Morra in northwestern Italy is a “bull’s-eye,” said Melissa Layman. “It’s dry and light-bodied with medium acidity, and fruit-forward notes of dark berries and violets.” She recommends pairing it with salty cured meats, rich cheeses, red sauce pizza and pasta, or even a creamy slice of cheesecake.

Serve Convento on the cooler side, around 52-55degrees Fahrenheit, Layman suggests. If ordering the wine out, “Don’t be afraid to ask the purveyor to chill your glass or bottle before you enjoy it,” she said. In addition to the wine’s aromas in the glass, Layman looks forward to breathing in the intoxicating aromatics of Nantucket’s summer air. “It hits and envelops you when you first set foot on-island—that arid mix of honeysuckle, beach plum and sea salt,” she said, likening it to a sensory hug that’s complemented by “some of the resonant wines of the season.” Take her advice and pour a glass of Convento, then give it aswirl and a sniff, and savor the unique combination of olfactory sensations that can only be experienced here

B LACK TIDE

Recommended by Samantha Watson, Lead Bartender, Sistership

Need a little pick-me-up at cocktail hour? Samantha Watson has got an ultra cool cocktail for you. Her Black Tide is a savory sipper with just a hint of sweetness that takes the espresso martini and brings it to the next level. Watson swaps in Japanese whiskey and cold brew for the usual vodka and espresso, adds black sesame syrup for a little complexity, and then tops it off with a delicate little cloud of coconut foam.

She loves to pair the Black Tide with Sister Ship’s Dark Chocolate Budino, a decadent chocolate mousse with coffee whipped cream, salted almond praline and fleur de sel. But it also makes a great nightcap, she said. “If you’re outdoors, by the fire with a few friends listening to Khruangbin and just vibing, this drink will instantly put a smile on your face.” This is exactly the kind of thing Watson thinks makes summer on Nantucket so special. “It brings everyone together again to share fun memories and silly stories,” she said. “And you never feel like time has passed

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces Japanese whiskey

1 ounce cold brew

1 ounce black sesame syrup*

Dollop of coconut foam

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the whiskey, black sesame syrup and cold brew in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake.

Serve over ice, and top with coconut foam

For the black sesame syrup, prepare equal parts sugar, water and black sesame paste (keep the paste separate for now). Make a simple syrup, combining the sugar and water, and simmering it over medium heat. Remove from heat, then blend the simple syrup with the black sesame paste, using either a traditional or immersion blender. Strain out any solids, let cool and store leftover syrup in the fridge.

Calming Down

Fri, 23 May 2025 14:51:21 GMT

Happy Place: A Wellness Symposium

Written by Greta Feeney

Photography by Charity Grace Mofsen

If you’ve ever wondered why Americans currently have the lowest life expectancy among high-income, industrialized nations, the newly reimagined Happy Place Wellness Symposium might be able to shed some light. While the slower pace and connection to nature remain essential parts of the Nantucket lifestyle, the hustle and bustle of today’s lifestyle can make it hard to slow down. So we turn to yoga, both as a meditative practice and for the health benefits it provides. Sunrise beach meditations, yoga by the lighthouse, biking along quiet lanes and farm-to-table meals all contribute to a state of physiological calm and emotional regulation—where the body feels safe, the mind is clear and healing can begin.

Wellness and positive psychology experts call this a “green zone”—a place that epitomizes the island’s distinctive atmosphere of holistic living. It is Nantucket’s uniquely restorative spirit that Joann and Ted Burnham of Dharma Yoga Nantucket, along with author Holly Ruth Finigan, aim to celebrate this summer for a reimagined version of the Nantucket Yoga Festival. After a five-year hiatus, the festival—now named the Happy Place Wellness Symposium—returns June 21-22 at the Dreamland with a renewed sense of purpose and an expanded mission—to serve as a call to action for those seeking vitality, connection and amore intentional life.

Here, 30 miles out to sea, those in pursuit of a deeper kind of well-being can find the space to rewrite their personal narratives—and to live a more meaningful existence. “Ted often says you are the author of your life,” says Joann Burnham. “We often forget that we get to write the script. The symposium is an opportunity to share tools and offer perspectives that may help people do just that.”

While its roots may lie in yoga, the wellness symposium now embraces nutrition, longevity science, therapeutic movement and meditation—underscoring that wellness isn’t just about looking and feeling good, but about being and doing good. The event’s producers have curated a global lineup—voices from medicine, movement, spirituality and storytelling—who will bring insight and depth to some of life’s most profound challenges.

True holistic fitness, for example, includes the impact our thoughts, words and actions have on ourselves and those around us. Thom Bond—founder and director of education at the New York Center for Nonviolent Communication, creator of the global Compassion Course and self-described “peace engineer”—has taught compassionate communication to people around the world. At the wellness symposium, he’ll guide attendees in understanding compassion as a practical, learnable skill—one that can radically transform our relationships, deepen our self-awareness and strengthen our communities.

It’s the “connection and consciousness” layer of wellness and a timely reminder to take a breath and lead with empathy, especially while sitting in summer traffic. David McLain, a veteran National Geographic photographer has documented the lifestyles of the world’s longest-lived communities, known as the “blue zones.” His mission “to understand how the world’s oldest, healthiest people got that way” and then share that wisdom so “we may all live longer, healthier, happier lives” connects directly to the symposium’s themes of health, happiness and longevity. Showing how community, purpose and environment can foster well-being at any age, McLain invites us to apply those global lessons to our own blueprints for a happier, healthier life.

One of the wellness symposium’s central themes is the invitation to rethink how we engage with life’s most uncomfortable truths—especially around death and dying. In a post-COVID world, candid conversations about mortality might feel like a step backward. But what if they’re the key to moving forward? Jodi Wellman, a positive psychologist and author of You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets , suggests that reflecting on our mortality isn’t morbid—it’s motivational. To jolt us out of autopilot and into a more intentional life, she argues, we must confront the end. Only by facing death head-on can we awaken to a deeper sense of purpose, urgency and joy.

What if we reimagined movement not as punishment or performance, but as nourishment—something essential to our well-being? That’s the shared philosophy behind two of the wellness symposium’s featured speakers, who bring radically refreshing perspectives to our increasingly sedentary lives. Biomechanist Katy Bowman studies how the body moves and responds to physical forces, reframing movement as a form of daily nutrition vital not just for fitness but for cellular health. In her book Move Your DNA , she challenges us to move more and move differently, showing how even subtle motions—yes, even fidgeting—can feed the body. Her work invites us to reshape our environments to support more natural, varied movement throughout the day.

Ryan Hurst, fitness expert and co-founder of GMB Fitness, builds on this idea by transforming exercise into a practice of play. Instead of chasing reps or aesthetics, Hurst emphasizes the beauty and intention behind every movement. His approach fosters strength, ease and genuine joy—helping people feel more confident, capable and connected to their bodies. Together, these philosophies underscore a key message of the symposium: Wellness isn’t a grind—it’s a practice in presence, pleasure and daily renewal, and one that can add years to your life.

For Joann Burnham and well-being of our beloved island. ”The symposium is as much a local labor of love as it is a global gathering of minds. Peter Palandjian, CEO of Intercontinental (Marine Home Center’s parent company), emphasized the importance of such initiatives: “We take seriously our responsibility as an employer and supplier to the Nantucket community. Supporting the Happy Place aligns with our values around mental and physical health.” Late yoga instructor B.K.S. Iyengar imparted a lesson from yoga that hits the nail on the head: “Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.

Refuel in More Ways Than One

Fri, 23 May 2025 14:38:54 GMT

It wasn’t always the case that some of the best coffee on the island could be found at the gas station by the airport. But that’s exactly what you can find at Airport Gas. After receiving a full makeover, Airport Gas is now far from just a gas station. It’s a one-stop destination, and now, it’s also the second location of Roastd General Store.

“When redesigning this site, we thought about convenience, ease and accessibility,” said Keena Boling, marketing director of Island Energy Services, which owns Airport Gas. “You have access to everything at one stop—fill up your propane tank, grab a delicious coffee, maybe grab some freshly made sandwiches for the beach, a bag of ice for the cooler and groceries for later. Nantucket is busy in the summer and people want to make the most of their time on the island.”

In addition to the gas pumps, Airport Gas also features air for your tires, vacuums, a two-bay car wash, bagged ice and propane. It’s a spot for everything you need for the beach—or your first stop once you arrive on the island. addition to its signature specialty coffee, freshly made breakfast, baked goods and patisserie items, Roastd carries an assortment of grocery staples such as produce, fresh meat, fish and dairy products, along with specialty charcuterie and dinner party items.

“After landing at the Airport, visitors can swing by and grab a delicious coffee after an early morning flight and simple grocery items to hold them over until they do their big grocery shop or head into town.” Starting this June, Roastd will also offer gourmet dinners to-go, including Jamaican Jerk chicken and pork, as well as Focaccia pizza.

“Roastd's goal in partnering with Airport Gas was to provide a convenient way to get high-quality food and beverages year-round,” said Jon Zack from Roastd. “The idea is you can grab all the food and drinks you need to-go on a busy schedule. And with plenty of on-site parking, you can sit on the new four-season covered porch and enjoy.” Roastd General Store at Airport Gas (10 Airport Road) is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A New Era for Island Events

Fri, 23 May 2025 14:33:34 GMT

There’s a new name in the Nantucket event scene. The new company, called Nantucket Event Co., has combined some of the biggest names in island events under the same umbrella, the culmination of a major merger in the Nantucket event space, and just in time for summer. The new company combines Nantucket Tents, Placesetters and Soiree Floral. N Magazine caught up with Nantucket Event Co.’s owner, Alec LeFort, who led the move and now heads the new company, to discuss the acquisition, and his goals for the new consolidated company.

N Magazine : Tell us about the consolidation of Nantucket Tents, Placesetters and Soiree Floral into Nantucket Event Company.

LeFort : Our overarching philosophy at Nantucket Event Co. is to always think about how we can make the customer experience better. By consolidating the three businesses under one roof and providing a truly end-to-end service, we can greatly simplify and streamline the purchasing, planning and execution of any event on Nantucket.

N Magazine : How do you approach supporting events to meet unique demands, especially in a place like Nantucket?

LeFort : We are incredibly fortunate to have over30 years of experience on the island, which is critical to ensure that these complicated events are a success. Most importantly, we rely heavily on our longstanding relationships with the leading local planners, venues and vendors on the island to navigate the significant nuances of an on-island event.

N Magazine : Tell us about your background, and how you made it to Nantucket.

LeFort : I have been an entrepreneur my entire career and love building and operating businesses. My family is based right across the Sound in Jamestown, Rhode Island, and I have spent a ton of time on the island over the years. The opportunity to own and operate these businesses in a place close to my heart and my personal interests—sailing and surfing—is so unique and exciting.

N Magazine : What are your goals with the new company?

LeFort : The combination of our three legacy businesses has allowed us to significantly expand our capacity and reach. Through this integration, we've built a larger team, streamlined our operations and revamped our online presence with the new nantucketeventco.com website. Also, the strategic purchase of Sperry Tents of South Florida (now Palm Beach Event Company) based in Palm Beach, Florida brings fantastic seasonal, geographic and customer base synergies.

N Magazine : Nantucket has long been a wedding destination and a place for galas, festivals and fetes. Have you seen a change in the event space on the island?

LeFort : I can’t imagine a better event destination than Nantucket, and that’s not changing anytime soon. While the design and aesthetics of events will continue to evolve, the island’s charm and appeal will always be at the heart of it all. We’re committed to evolving alongside new trends while staying true to the island’s roots.

N Magazine : What sets Nantucket Event Company apart on an island known for its events?

LeFort : What really sets us apart starts with our team—we’ve got a group of incredibly experienced people who know Nantucket like the back of their hand and genuinely love what they do. We’re also the island’s exclusive provider of Sperry Sailcloth Tents, which are such a beautiful fit for events here. And beyond that, we offer pretty much everything under one roof—from tents and flooring to furniture, décor, and floral design—which makes the whole process so much easier for our clients.

N Magazine : What are you most excited about for the company heading into the season?

LeFort : We’re going into the season with a really clear game plan and just want to execute at a high level. With the new name, refreshed brand presence, and some exciting additions to our inventory, the overall energy within the team is incredibly high. We’re especially looking forward to welcoming clients into our newly renovated showroom at 28Centre Street where they can meet with the team and check out the full inventory.

Fried and True

Thu, 22 May 2025 17:29:37 GMT

Stubbys Celebrates 25 Years on Nantucket

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Not every restaurant makes it 10 years, let alone 25 years, especially on an island where restaurant turnover has become the name of the game. Stubbys, the little fry shop by the Steamship, has become one of those restaurants. Now in its 25th season, Stubbys is an institution on Broad Street, a stomping ground for islanders and visitors alike—a place for people from all walks of life to enjoy a simple hamburger or chicken fingers and fries.

The idea was we wanted to be a step above McDonalds,” said Jim Weiman, a co-founder and one of three partners of Stubbys. “We wanted to be fast food, but decent fast food, fast food you wouldn’t hesitate to eat. We wanted Stubbys to be a place people can go a few times a day. It didn’t have to be a big pilgrimage. You can come for a coffee in the morning, and later for dinner.”

In its 25 years, Stubbys’ menu has grown with the times, but by and large it hasn’t changed. The original idea was to create a go-to spot for French fries. “Stubbys is slang for French fries,” Weiman said. “A friend of mine has worked most of his adult life in Europe. I was talking to him when we were just getting going. We went with Steamship Stubbys, though the name was shortened before we even got going.”

Stubbys has since evolved into much more than a casual fast food option for fries, providing breakfast, lunch and dinner, a variety of sandwiches, fried food and vegetarian options, as well as a full Jamaican menu at its Broad Street location. “In order to remain in business we had to swerve more than French fries,” Weiman said. Stubbys has remained a fixture on Broad Street, forming the so-called Strip, along with Steamboat Pizza, Young’s Bicycle Shop and the Juice Bar. Three other shops on the Strip—Island Coffee, Walter’s Deli and Scooters—are also owned by the same group of Weiman, Scott Kopp and Gita Nakarmi Mali. Nakarmi’s son, Saugat Mali, now runs Stubbys’ Boston location in the Seaport. “What’s special about Stubbys is that on any given day, you’ll see such a mix of people,” Mali said. “Early morning you’ve got folks grabbing breakfast before work, midday is beachgoers and workers on break, and then at night, you’ve got families, friend groups or people grabbing something after going out. It’s a place that fits into people’s everyday lives. We’ve even had customers who started coming as kids and now bring their own kids. That’s when you really feel the generational connection to the place.”

For Weiman—a former bartender at The Boarding House and The Muse—the special sauce for Stubbys has been the mantra of common fare cooked well. Just a simple burger, a fried chicken sandwich and French fries. Nothing crazy. A few years into having the restaurant, a few of the cooks said they wanted to expand the menu to include some of the food they grew up eating in Jamaica—oxtail, jerk chicken. It’s been on the menu ever since. “It’s the real thing,” Weiman said. “It’s authentic and it’s good. That was something that we just stumbled on, and we just wanted to keep the idea the same that it was good food served cheaply.”

Twenty-five years in, Weiman said the restaurant has resonated with generations of Nantucketers. Anew generation of employees has even stepped in, taking over for the old salts that clocked hour after hour at the frialator. It’s not surprising the restaurant has lived on, Weiman said. “You get up each day and put your pants on and live your life and that’s just the way it goes. And then25 years go by like that,” Weiman said. “I would belying if I were saying we had this grand plan.”

Pressing Issues

Thu, 22 May 2025 17:12:11 GMT

Investigative Journalist Bob Woodward at the Nantucket Book Festival.

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay and Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Bob Woodward was a 29-year-old reporter for The Washington Post when five men broke into the national Democratic headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C. The burglary—perhaps the most famous in American history—not only led to the resignation of former President Richard Nixon in1974; it also launched Woodward’s career as an investigative journalist. Since his reporting with fellow journalist Carl Bernstein on Watergate, Woodward has gone on to write23 books. He has interviewed every president since Nixon, and has won two Pulitzer Prizes. This June, he comes to the Nantucket Book Festival to discuss his latest book, War , on the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. N Magazine sat down with him for a conversation on his recent book, and the state of both journalism and democracy today.

N Magazine : Have you been to Nantucket before?

Woodward : I was there in the early ’80s. I had a 45-foot sailboat named Timeless , and sailed it to Nantucket at least once and anchored there. It was a magnificent place. I sailed my sailboat around Nantucket, and in fact, for one sail, Katherine Graham, the owner and publisher of The Washington Post, was on the sailboat. We took her for a sail.

N Magazine : We are going through an incredibly tumultuous and divisive time as a country. Do you feel that what we are going through currently is just a moment in time, or do you feel that there has been a fundamental shift in the democratic system?

Woodward : What’s striking from interviewing 11 presidents over 50 years is the concentration of power in the office. The president can exercise that power, and we see [President Donald] Trump doing all kinds of things no president has ever done before. Seizing on that power because he's president, and in the culture and in the media—his role is amplified to a degree that I can't even put a number on it.

N Magazine : Have we had another president with the same influence over his base as Donald Trump?

Woodward : My big problem with Trump since 2020,when I did nine hours of interviews with him, is that he was warned that COVID is coming and is going to kill 650,000 people. He got that warning in January2020 and he didn't tell the public. He didn’t step up to that responsibility at all. I would say that's a moral felony to not do that. That is the year he lost his reelection, and pollsters and other analysts have said it's because of what he said in those interviews. The interviews made it very clear that he was not looking out for the American people, even though when I asked him what is the job of the president, he said, ‘To protect the American people.

N Magazine : Moving to Ukraine, in your book War , you say Vladimir Putin had a 50% chance of using tactical nuclear weapons. How real is the risk today of nuclear war in Ukraine?

Woodward : It always exists, though I think it’s diminished. As I report in the book, Russia has felt Ukraine was really theirs. They believed that they had an existential bond with Ukraine, and so they felt they were going to get it. And of course, that’s Putin and that's Putin’s absolute obsession with Ukraine.

N Magazine : What was the Biden administration’s relationship with Moscow?

Woodward : One of the discoveries in the book is that Biden had a realization from his experience in Congress about how we got into the Vietnam War, and that was because we sent American troops. That became the remedy. Biden was absolutely determined and succeeded in this determination to not send U.S. troops to Ukraine, to keep us out of another potential Vietnam. For the United States and for the U.S. military, that was such an important decision, because now as the war still goes on, there are no U.S. troops involved in the combat.

N Magazine : Was the war in Ukraine ever close to becoming the next Vietnam?

Woodward : That was always the threat and the worry and in the White House. It was John Finer, who was the Deputy National Security Advisor at the time, who concluded that this is what it must have been like during the Cuban Missile Crisis, that you’re in that moment where it can go to full war.

N Magazine : You have said the threat of nuclear war in Ukraine is the most serious nuclear threat that you have reported on. Is an end in sight?

Woodward : It’s not guaranteed. I go back to the transcript of what President Obama had told me in 2010 about what he worried about the most. I asked, ‘What keeps you up at night? What are you worried about?’ Obama said: ‘A potential game changer would be a nuclear weapon blowing up a major American city. And so when I go down the list of things I have to worry about all the time, that is at the top, because that's one area where you can't afford any mistakes.’ He’s saying, very plainly, that this is his biggest worry, and they have to structure their discussions in their meetings and their strategy around making sure this never happens. Later on, as I report in War , Putin was threatening to use a tactical nuclear weapon. The key with Putin and the Russian doctrine is they can use tactical nuclear weapons if they are facing a catastrophic battlefield loss. This is the question—and it came very close. There was a moment where they faced a potentially catastrophic battlefield loss, and they could have used a tactical nuclear weapon. My reporting shows the extent to which Putin is isolated and is somebody who can't be counted on. The threat—as Jake Sullivan and John Finer in the Biden National Security Council say—got down to a coin flip of whether this might happen. As the intelligence agencies report, Putin is a danger and a threat. You can't tell what he’s going to do.

N Magazine : What were the differences between the Biden and Trump White House you found?

Woodward : There is a period of Trump’s first presidency, and you see how people prevented him from taking steps that were perilous. People like Gary Cohen and Rob Porter saying they’re going to take [a proposed withdrawal from the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement] off his desk, because Trump has a short attention span and he won't remember—that he needs a trigger, something to remind him of this. The solution is hair-raising because something will click in his mind—‘Oh, get me that, and I’m going to sign it.

N Magazine : You quote Trump saying real power is fear. What have you learned about him?

Woodward : This is what the first book is called Fear. In an interview with Trump, I asked about power, and that's when Trump says, ‘Real power is—I don't like to use the term—but real power is fear.’ We see that exactly the way Trump operates to this day.

N Magazine : You also interviewed Trump in 1989 when he was 43 years old. What was your impression of Trump then? Did you ever think he would run for office?

Woodward : It was always possible, and you saw in that interview in1989—36 years ago—Trump’s mindset and one of his themes, which he lays out, which is, ‘Never fold, never give in.’ He was 43, areal estate developer in New York. There was no immediate sense that he would ever enter politics, at least by me. I think Carl [Bernstein]saw that possibility more vividly. Here you see Trump laying out some of his principles that he practices as a New York real estate developer, and then he gets into politics and is elected as president, becomes president, and you see those principles from 36 years earlier applied.

N Magazine : Your reporting along with Carl Bernstein during Watergate took down an American president. Fifty years later, do you think investigative reporting still holds that same power?

Woodward : I think it’s always been important. It couldn’t be more important now, with Trump as president, better know what he’s up to? What are his goals? That question that pulses throughout—who is he? I’ve addressed that in my books and some of it is answered, but there is an in complete report on Trump everywhere. I don't think anyone, including myself, has the full portrait. There are so many things to learn from investigative reporting, from standard daily and weekly reporting. Thomas Jefferson spoke of the importance of a free press and how given the choice between a government without newspapers and newspapers without government, he would have chosen the latter. With journalism under attack, how big a threat is this to our democratic system. Trump has attacked the news media somewhat effectively with fake news, and it's a standard denial mechanism that Nixon also practiced. It didn’t work for Nixon. We’re now at this central pivot point in history about where Trump is going, and what he’s going to do. It’s a future that I certainly can’t predict.

N Magazine : Speaking of the future, what is next for you?

Woodward : As a journalist, you keep gathering information, talking to people, working on the next thing. I haven't committed to what the next project is.

N Magazine : It's been over 50 years since Watergate and Nixon's resignation. You've won two Pulitzer Prizes. How do you see your legacy?

Woodward : The books and the work are there. I think the last thing somebody in journalism should think about is legacy. You do the work, it’s either accepted and supported and or not. Quite frankly, I try not to think about that.

N Magazine : Given your breadth of exposure to political leaders overtime and your intimate understanding of our political system, are you optimistic, pessimistic, or undecided about America’s future?

Woodward : I’m deeply troubled, because Trump and Elon Musk have assaulted the status quo, which is imperfect as it is. You can’t just go in and start arbitrarily slashing away, which is exactly what they’re doing. They are altering the fundamental makeup of the federal government. And some of it is going to be permanent. In five or 10 years, historians are going to be able to measure the impact of this. My assessment from doing all this work on this presidency is that it’s going to be profound, it’s going to be painful, and it will reverberate.

The American Revolution, Retold

Thu, 22 May 2025 16:54:48 GMT

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns comes to the Nantucket Film Festival to discuss his new series on the American Revolution

Interview by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Ken Burns has become synonymous with documentary filmmaking. Since his first film, Brooklyn Bridge , in 1981, the director behind documentary series like The Civil War , Baseball, The National Parks and Country Music has become the preeminent, reliable source in nonfiction storytelling, with his film collection distributed on PBS. Burns comes to the island for the Nantucket Film Festival this June, where he will discuss his new documentary, The American Revolution —a six-part series debuting this November commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War and shedding new light on the well-known era in American history. N Magazine sat down with Burns at the Old North Church in Boston for a conversation about the lesser-known stories of the Revolution, his filmmaking process and the parallels between the state of the nation then and today.

N Magazine : What brought you to Nantucket?

Burns: The first time I went to Nantucket, I was going on a vacation with my then-wife-to-be, who was already pregnant with our first daughter, for a belated wedding, and we spent a couple weeks on Nantucket. It was really idyllic. The next time I was there for the wedding of a very close friend of mine from my Hampshire College days. Since then it’s been periodically—to be with friends, to go with family. There definitely is a charm to Nantucket, and the food is some of the best I’ve ever had.

N Magazine : How did you come up with the idea for a documentary series on the American Revolution?

Burns: The ink was still drying on our film series on the history of the Vietnam War, and I said we’re doing the Revolution next. There was no sense of the250th anniversary. As we were working on and got immersed in production, COVID came along, and all of a sudden, we’re opening up the editing room, going, “Wow, do you realize we’re going to get this done intime for the 250th anniversary of Lexington and Concord?”—which is when the Revolution started. That’s the name of our film: The American Revolution. It’s not “The Declaration of Independence” or “The Forming of the United States of America. ”I thought we’ll be out in the fall and that it’ll help us have a national conversation, so that when we finally get around to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we’ll have a much more informed and nuanced and complicated view of the Revolution.

N Magazine : Did your research put the Revolutionary War into anew perspective?

Burns: We tend to hold [the Revolutionary War] at arm’s length and protect it. It’s been encrusted with the barnacles of sentimentality. We accept the violence of the Civil War and all the 20th-centurywars we were involved in, but we just want to protect the Revolutionary War. What we learned is that those great ideas are, in fact, even greater and more inspirational when you understand the context of this bloody civil war. Our Civil War was a sectional war, North against South. But the American Revolution was a true civil war in which families, communities, neighborhoods, towns and states were divided. It’s brutal, and it’s fascinating knowing the human beings that emerged from it—not just the boldface names like the Washingtons, John Adams, Thomas Jeffersons and Thomas Paines—but folks that we’ve never heard of.

N Magazine : Were there stories you uncovered that surprised you? Of course, and it will do that for everyone else. When we make something superficial or we romanticize it, we basically enter into a binary, where there’s a good guy and a bad guy. Take somebody like George Washington. You understand the complications of his life as a deeply flawed person who is rash at times. He runs out on the battlefield with foolish bravery and at times jeopardizes his own life, and therefore the entire cause. At the Battle of Long Island, which is the biggest battle of the American Revolution, he suffers a devastating loss for the patriots. He makes a huge tactical blunder and doesn’t protect his left side, and the British come around and force the surrender of several generals. But at the same time, as you progress, you begin to realize that there is no way we have a country without him. In our fifth episode, there is a German-language newspaper in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that calls him our country’s father. It’s the sense that we don’t become a nation without George Washington. That’s exhilarating, too. There are no perfectly virtuous or perfectly villainous people. That’s the exciting part of telling a good story. What makes Shakespeare so great is that none of his characters are one-dimensional; they have undertow. They have a surface, but underneath the surface, there’s depth, and that’s what you want to try to achieve

N Magazine : You’ve looked into the tensions that led up to the Revolutionary War. Do you see any parallels to today?

Burns : Of course. We know that human nature doesn’t change. The Bible says in the Old Testament that there’s nothing new under the sun. I’ve learned now from nearly 50 years of doing this that when you finish a project and lift your head up, it’s rhyming. As Mark Twain said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” It’s rhyming in the present in so many different ways. We’ve been divided for most of our history in many ways. And what is so extraordinary about the story of the United States of America is how all of these disparate elements have actually succeeded pretty well in maintaining the cohesion. And so I hope that in someway, this film could contribute to the idea that we could put the “us” back in the U.S.

N Magazine : You have said you will not make a more important film than this. Why?

Burns : First of all, it’s the subject matter, the origin story of the greatest country in the history of the world. This is the most consequential revolution, as we say in the first minutes of the film. I believe the most important event since the birth of Christ is the birth of the United States. It is born in violence, and it is born with lots of tensions and pushing and pulling. It’s as magnificent and as inspirational a story as you could have in the midst of that violence and brutality, and that’s what we look for. This is a story firing on all cylinders that has so much meaning for Americans at any time that you consider the Revolution and our birth.

N Magazine : Has AI changed the game with documentaries?

Burns : It hasn’t changed mine, and that’s the only one I care about. If they’re happening in other places, I’m incredibly concerned about that, because then you’ve acknowledged that your master is not the truth but something else, something expedient, whatever it might be. We just can’t do that. We want to get the facts right as they happen. This is a subject matter that has no photographs, that has no newsreels, and so we’ve had to take paintings, drawings, maps, documents, signatures and live cinematography of America. I have an obligation to my audience, and I’m not sure that others who take the expedient route have actually done anything but erode an audience’s confidence in what it is. I have a reputation that I intend to protect completely and wholeheartedly and not take any shortcuts. I have in my editing room a small neon sign that says, “It’s complicated."

N Magazine : What do you hope is the takeaway of this film?

Burns : We’re spending 10 years on it. We are shaping it into this complex narrative with lots of subsidiary stories and people that everybody knows but who are complicated by certain dynamics in their life, and we’re introducing you to even more people that you’ve never heard of who have as complex lives as anybody that we do know. We don’t have a prescription about how you should respond or what you should take away. Given the fact that we are coming up on the 250thanniversary of the United States, we’re thinking carefully and deeply about the meaning of our country, its intentions. Everybody before the formation of the United States was a subject. Afterwards, we have people who were citizens, and the responsibilities of that are so immense and so profound, and itis so inspirational and moving.

A New Act

Thu, 22 May 2025 16:38:12 GMT

The Nantucket Performing Arts Center creates a new theater experience

Written by Brian Bushard
Photography by Kit Noble

T here’s a new show in town. The new owners of the former White Heron Theatre on North Water Street have not only purchased the property—they also come with a lofty new goal for the theater itself. The Nantucket Performing Arts Center, as it’s called, has reimagined the theater as not just a space for a single production company, but as a stage that can be used by other arts groups, nonprofits and education programs.“

The White Heron is a different nonprofit that will potentially live on somewhere else in the country,” said Chris Bierly, board president of the Nantucket Performing Arts Center. “But this is a completely different thing. I wouldn’t think of it as how we will maintain what was here before. The space was here before, but we’re a new nonprofit with our own mission and our own ambition, which is to provide a great performing arts center for the island.”

Bierly had been on the board of the White Heron, and had pushed for some time for the theater group to open its doors to other island arts groups to use its 150-seat stage. At the same time, rumors circulated that the White Heron Theatre—which for over a decade had hosted Broadway actors for professional, experimental and outside-the-box productions—would shut down. Bierly feared a housing developer would swoop in, and that the stage would be lost.

A former White Heron board member and a senior partner at Boston-based consulting firm Bain & Company, Bierly even pitched a purchase to several island nonprofits, but the$13 million asking price was unreasonable for them. Bierly then started reaching out to artists he knew, who reached out to other artists, to get the ball rolling on a performing arts center. Bierly’s group received donations from51 donors for the performing arts center, collecting over $6 million. They closed on the property in April for $9.5 million.

“When I was on the board of the former theater organization, I thought this really ought to be a broader community asset,” Bierly said. “It was essentially an asset for one nonprofit theater group. It was open 50-60 days a year. I thought that was a wonderful thing, but it was not the full potential of what it could be. And so to preserve this and then turn it into something to its full potential—what it can be a performing arts center year-round—I think that’s a pretty unique opportunity.”

The North Water Street campus includes the 150-seat theater with balcony seating, plus a courtyard and a 1,315-square-foot residence for staff and visiting artists. But that residence is in need of a renovation, part of major fundraising effort led by the three-person board of Bierly and other former White Heron board members Bob Doran and James Malone.

“We’re saving something that was not necessarily going to remain a theater, and that was unlikely to remain a theater,” Bierly said. “It’s a beautiful theater on an island that has a 150-yeartradition of theater and the performing arts going all the way back to New Yorkers coming here in the 1800s and doing stuff in the summer. This is the only dedicated-purpose-built performing arts space on the island. It has everything you need to do Broadway or the like here in Nantucket, and it was really at risk of going away."

The property had been owned by Lynne and Roger Bolton since 2012, and was run by Lynne Bolton and co-artistic director Michael Kopko.In 2016, the $7million facility opened as the first purpose-built venue on the island designed specifically for professional repertory theater. The theater hosted Tony Award-winning directors and Broadway actors. WhenCOVID-19 shut down the performing arts in2020, the theater company created the White Heron Radio Theatre. It put on “The Ghost Light Series” and a radio drama of “A Nantucket Christmas Carol,” an island-themed adaptation of the Dickens classic narrated by late Oscar, Tony and Emmy winner Christopher Plummer.

“What was certainly not here before and is 100% new is the idea that this space will get developed as a community center, a place that other arts organizations can share,” Bierly said. “That’s not that common in the arts world.”

While its full 2025 schedule has not been finalized, the group has agreed to host Nantucket Film Festival screenings this June, as well as comedian Kevin Flynn’s comedy education program Stand Up and Learn. It will also put on two shows this season: What the Constitution Means to Me and Theatre People.

“I think Nantucket innately fosters and incubates art so beautifully, and has for a really long time,” said actress Mary Seidel, one of the members of the group’s artistic advisory board. “This is an intended space to do so, and we’re all very excited to open the doors, work together and create cool things.”

The new ownership group is still seeking donations to renovate the campus and hire an artistic director. In addition to improvements to the residence on the quarter-acre site, Bierly said the group’s goal is to lower the balcony seating and install new seats. Still, other aspects of the theater will remain. “The demand for art is here, the interest is here, the history and the richness of the artists are here,” Bierly said.

Jaws at 50

Thu, 22 May 2025 16:07:08 GMT

The Nantucket Film Festival dives into the making of the 1975 Benchley classic.

Interview by John Stanton

Photos Courtesy of Rob Benchley, Wendy Benchley and the Nantucket Film Festival

It is late one fine summer night, at the tail end of a beach party, when a young woman decides to go skinny-dipping. We see her in a wide shot, calling to a friend on the shore to join her in the ocean. The camera’s point of view changes. We can see her legs treading water, illuminated by the moonlight filtering down from the surface.

Then the music. If you have seen the movie Jaws , you can hear those two notes, an F and an F-sharp, even as you read this. The music looms in the darkness. It is the clicking of a roller coaster as it reaches the apex of the hill. Then the terrible screams as the shark attacks and the woman is dragged furiously back and forth, struggling and calling for help until she is pulled under. It is almost a more frightening moment when the water becomes smooth and quiet again and we understand that the ocean does not care about us.

Jaws terrified audiences when it hit theaters 50 years ago. The reception from audiences is said to have surprised director Steven Spielberg, as it created a level of fear not seen or heard since Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds . To say that the struggles to get it made were worth it in the end is an understatement. It became a legitimate phenomenon. Jaws rang up the highest opening box office numbers of all time, until two years later when it gave way to George Lucas’ Star Wars .

It is also one of those rare movies that have become part of the pop culture landscape. It is as relevant and entertaining today as it was in the summer of 1975.The movie was based on a novel of the same name by Peter Benchley. He had grown up spending summers in Sconset, fishing with his brother and father, who chartered Gibby Nickerson and his boat until he eventually bought his own boat—called Nibble. “We’d go 30-miles-plus off the south shore looking for swordfish,” Benchley’s brother Nat remembered. “We considered that we grew up on the ocean even though we had to go back to the mainland when school opened again."

Peter Benchley, who died in 2006, had worked at the Washington Post and Newsweek magazine, and he had written speeches for President Lyndon B. Johnson. They were a family of writers. His grandfather, Robert, was a humorist whose work appeared in The New Yorker magazine, and was a member of the legendary group of writers called the Algonquin Round Table. His father Nat wrote the novel The Off-Islanders , which later became the film, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming.

When Benchley was a boy, his father wanted to discourage him from being a writer, and one summer paid him what he was making as a landscaper’s assistant to just sit and write all day, thinking he would give in to boredom. Instead, he learned the discipline writing requires.

The plan backfired. He had found his place. In 1972, he was introduced to Tom Congdon, an editor at the publishing house Doubleday and a longtime Nantucket summer resident. He told Congdon that he had two ideas for novels. The first was a modern-day pirate story; the second was a fish story about a shark that terrorizes a small beach community. Congdon gave him a $1,000 advance to begin work on the fish story.

“He felt this was his last dance, writing this novel, because he had decided not to go back to Newsweek ,” Benchley’s wife, Wendy, said. The couple was living in Pennington, New Jersey. Peter wrote in an office he rented above the local furnace supply shop. The day came when Congdon called looking for the four chapters he was owed. Benchley hurriedly sat down and cranked them out.

In his first approach, he played the story as a comedy. “The idea of a humorous man-eating shark was a perfect oxymoron,” Nat said. Congdon rejected the idea. He suggested Benchley rewrite the first four chapters and play it straight. It was a simple story: a small beachside community on the cusp of tourist season when a rogue shark begins to kill swimmers. The book looked at how the town dealt with the shadow of losing summertime business. In the book, the shark was secondary to the workings of a small town.

The book was about the small town’s reaction,” Wendy Benchley said. “Peter and his parents knew the importance of the summer season on Nantucket, about a short time frame to make money if you were going to survive the winter.” Peter Benchley did not know what to expect while writing those first four chapters. “It was his first novel, and he was sure it wouldn’t be a success because it was a novel about a fish and who wants to read that? But other people with more experience in books and movies knew better,” Nat said.

Hollywood producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown bought the rights to the book before it was even published, based on reading those four rewritten chapters.“ Peter’s agent told him Brown and Zanuck wanted to buy the movie rights. He said what do you mean? You can’t train a shark and you can’t make one that looks the same,” Nat said. “He was coming from a literary background and point of view. He had never seen a great white but had seen plenty of sharks. Still, the producers paid him a bunch of money for it so he took it.”

Zanuck and Brown talked to several directors and finally took a bet on a 27-year-old director named Spielberg, who had only a single film to his name. Spielberg brought in a friend and screenwriter named Carl Gottlieb to help rewrite the script. Both of the writers also act in the film, Benchley in a cameo playing a television reporter doing a report about the shark and Gottlieb playing the part of the local newspaper editor. In the long run, it gave Spielberg what most directors do not have—the right of final cut, which means the director gets to decide on the final version of his films.

The new Jaws@50 documentary explores the trials of getting the film made and the reaction to its success, through the memories and personal footage of Spielberg. It also features directors like Lucas talking about how Jaws influenced the movie-making business. “The success of Jaws gave him creative license and control to manage his stories,” said Justin Falvey, president of Spielberg’s company Amblin Entertainment and executive producer of the documentary. Amblin partnered with National Geographic on the film.

Jaws@50 will have its world premiere on June 20 on Martha’s Vineyard, where much of the film was shot, and will then come to Nantucket as part of the Nantucket Film Festival. The festival will screen both the documentary and the original film. Other documentary films have explored the drinking and the sniping between two of its main actors—Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss—how the most famous line,“ We’re going to need a bigger boat,” was an ad lib, and a list of anecdotes that seemingly know no end. Ian Shaw, the son of Robert Shaw, who plays the local fisherman and shark hunter Quint, even wrote a play called The Shark Is Broken , in which he plays his late father.

“I think it’s really the perspective of 50 years that makes this film really special,” said Laurent Bouzereau, whodirectedJaws@50. “To me, that’s Steven opening up his heart, his archive, that makes the film unique. Yes, we’ve heard the stories, but this is a very unique perspective.”

Falvey agreed. He said Jaws@50 explores the making of Jaws at a level that goes well beyond fanboy obsessions thanks to Spielberg’s memories and personal archive. “He was a 27-year-old talent, but a vulnerable filmmaker,” Falvey said. “This is a pretty inspiring story about perseverance in what was a difficult time for him.”

One of the things that Spielberg brought to the movie was his decision to use local folks on Martha’s Vineyard in the film. The most memorable example is Mrs. Kintner, the mother of a boy who is killed by the shark. In her big scene, she confronts Police Chief Martin Brody (played by Roy Scheider) and slaps him in the face. Kintner was played by Lee Fierro, who co-founded the Island Theatre Workshop. She died in 2020, at 91 years old, of COVID.

Spielberg, I think, did a magnificent job with all the local people from Martha’s Vineyard in the film,” said Wendy Benchley. “It gives the film areal feel of a close-knit community. I think there were only six or seven professional actors.” Jaws showed Spielberg’s ability to bring humanity to a thriller. The characters share some version of a journey home. It would be something he would return to in his films for the next decade. After they defeat the shark, our two remaining heroes are paddling into shore on a part of the wrecked boat, named Orca . “I always hated the water before,” said Brody. “I can’t imagine why.”

It is a very Spiebergian ending. The shark, of course, is the villain in Jaws . It must be that way. This is a simple, very well-made film, and needs an obvious villain and some heroes. Part of the reaction to the film was an uptick in shark tournaments. Both Benchley and Spielberg later said they regretted the popular notion of sharks as villains.“ Peter was horrified that many people took the book and the movie as a license to kill sharks,” Wendy said. “He said many times that he would never write Jaws again the same way.”

The couple responded to the fallout from the film by getting involved in ocean conservation. Peter wrote articles about sharks, and the two of them went on cage dives off Australia to see great white sharks. Wendy is still very much involved in ocean conservation. She is an advisory trustee of the Environmental Defense Fund and on the board of Wild Aid. She calls the increase in both seals and sharks off Great Point a success story.“ Seals were protected 30 years ago, and it has taken that long for them to get their population back up to strength. And seals are sharks’ favorite food,” she said. “You would not go to the Serengeti and walk around in a bikini and sun tan lotion, because that is where lions live. It is the lions’ Serengeti, and we respect that. I think we should see sharks and the ocean in the same way.”

Sounds of the Sea

Thu, 22 May 2025 15:09:36 GMT

Whale Jam brings its concert series to Nantucket

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Before Hayden Arnot was known as the Nantucket Crisps guy, he had a steady job booking music for the Nantucket Dreamland. The first show he ever booked was Jonathan Russell of The Head and the Heart. The summer he launched his potato chip company in2022, he brought Vermont folk singer Noah Kahan to the Dreamland, where he played his song “Stick Season” to a live audience for the very first time. That same year, Arnot also brought Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young singer Graham Nash, “American Pie” singer Don McLean and reggae legend Stephen Marley to Nantucket.

As the chip business grew, so did his music booking. In 2023, Arnot launched Whale Aid, later naming it Whale Jam—a benefit concert that combined his passion for music with his lifelong goal of creating a charity show for a cause he believes in: the protection of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. The chips gave him an opportunity to put it all together.

“The chips are the vehicle for these passions,” Arnot said. “I love Nantucket, and I found the chip is the best vehicle because it’s accessible, everyone loves them, and it’s the best vehicle for flavor. On Nantucket, there are so many amazing flavors and ideas and things you can work off of.” In Whale Jam’s first year, 700 people attended the benefits how in Boston. This year, Arnot is expecting 5,000 people at the MGM Music Hall on June 3.

“I would love for this to eventually be at the Xfinity Center as a big,12,000-person concert,” he said. At the same time, Arnot is organizing a Whale Jam Summer Series on Nantucket, with nearly a dozen concerts at Cisco Brewers. Proceeds from the shows go to Whale and Dolphin Conservation USA, an ecological organization out of Plymouth, Massachusetts, that works to reduce ship strikes and entanglements that contribute to the right whale’s declining population. There are about 370 North Atlantic right whales remaining, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“This is what drives us. Weas humans need these whales in order to have a healthy ocean,” said Melissa Walsh-Walker, the deputy director, North America of Whale and Dolphin Conservation USA. “Nantucket Crisps walks the walk and talks the talk and is all about helping the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, by sending the message out there to their customers.”

While Arnot’s ambition is to evolve Whale Jam into a full-on festival-sized outdoor concert series like the kind he grew up with, the Cisco shows are just as special—and in some ways more so. “From these shows I put together, you see on the next year’s concert summer fliers that O.A.R. is booking Ripe to open for them—I introduced Ripe to O.A.R.,” Arnot said. “They played Whale Jam together. It’s cool to see the networking happening behind the scenes.”

This year’s concert in Boston features bands like O.A.R. On Nantucket, they include Phantom Planet, Stephen Marley, Futurebirds, Smallpools and Flipturn .“When you’re in a small environment in an intimate setting you know everyone wants to be there. That’s the best musical testing ground,” said O.A.R. front man Marc Roberge. “The best place to perform is a small space."

Arnot’s passion for music can be traced back toa benefit concert he attended when he was 15 years old. The artist was Chadwick Stokes, the lead singer of Boston-based jam bands Dispatch and State Radio. The charity was called Calling All Crows, an initiative Stokes started to empower women in Sudan that now conducts campaigns on a range of issues impacting women and girls.

Arnot went to the show loving the artist but not knowing anything about the cause. The music was the reason he went. But he left feeling inspired and wanting to help the organization. Three weeks later, he organized his own fundraiser for Calling All Crows.

“That’s the exact example—I love my favorite artist, I went to do something because he stood behind it, and then walked out empowered and raised money for that nonprofit,” Arnot said. “I would have never known about it unless I went.” Fast-forward to February 2023 when Arnot held a meeting with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation. “I pitched them this wacky idea of booking music, supporting the whales and throwing a benefit concert,” he said. “You listen to the music and feel empowered and inspired, and you walk out feeling passionate. These are musicians people look up to, and if they get behind something, then people can get behind that too.”

While it might seem that potato chips and a benefit concert for the North Atlantic right whale are an odd combination, Arnot does not see it that way. The projects work hand in hand, he said. They both allow him to be creative and grow a passion. Arnot opened the Nantucket Crisps store on Easy Street in May. He is introducing new, wacky flavors, Polpis Pickle being one of them. Whales Tail Beer Cheese is another, a collaboration with Cisco Brewers. His chips have even made it to mainland grocery chains like Roche Bros., Stop & Shop, Market Basket and Star Market. He sees the company not so much as selling chips—which it is—but of selling an idea of Nantucket.

“When this is all said and done, I want to look back and see that the journey was amazing, that we created something that people love, we created experiences and it was special,” Arnot said. “That’s why we have this store, that’s why we do Whale Jam, that’s why we do these wacky things—it’s about creating a story that people will talk about later and have fond memories of."

The Music Man

Thu, 22 May 2025 14:14:57 GMT

Conductor Francisco Noya leads the Boston Civic Symphony on Nantucket this summer.

Written by Brian Bushard
Photography by Kit Noble

Francisco Noya comes from a family of athletes, not musicians. His father played professional soccer in Venezuela. But music has always surrounded him. Noya started taking piano lessons when he was six. But it was not seen as a career. Noya chose engineering over music, studying electrical engineering as an undergraduate in Valencia. At some point during college, Noya felt an urge to pick up a second instrument and started taking cello lessons. In those days, he would travel back and forth from engineering classes to those lessons, practicing for hours on end.

“I needed to make a decision,” said Noya, who will conduct the Boston Civic Symphony at Nantucket High School this June. “Do I continue with engineering or do I pursue music? Not only do I have no regrets, I would do it again. I don’t recall agonizing too much about it; I just remember having to decide. When you’re in your late teens and early20s, any decision you make can be traced back. You’re young. You don’t know what you’re doing. You have no fear.”

Music turned out to be a fortuitous choice. At the same time in Venezuela, a movement had begun to start a national youth orchestra program called El Sistema. Noya joined one of the Sistema’s orchestras in Valencia, playing cello. When the group’s conductor needed to leave, the then 20-year-old Noya was appointed conductor. At his first rehearsal, the orchestra had 14 members. By the time Noya left the orchestra three years later, there were 90 members.

“There was an explosion,” he said. “I was a conductor for several years, but I decided I didn’t really know what I was doing and I would need to go learn it because I really liked it and seemed to have a facility for it,” Noya said. So he applied to Boston University, where he ended up completing an undergraduate degree in compositions, with a scholarship from the government of Venezuela. Noya returned several years after his graduation for a master’s in conducting, and soon began orchestra hopping.

His first big gig came in Albany, New York. He conducted the Empire State Youth Orchestra, known as one of the best youth orchestras in the country. “We did all kinds of big repertoires—European tours, concerts at Carnegie Hall. It was fun,” he said. His resume runs the gamut: the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Philharmonia Orchestra, the Longwood Symphony Orchestra and the Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra, as well as Venezuela’s Caracas Philharmonic and Teatro Teresa Carreño.

Noya has made international appearances with orchestras in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Italy, Peru, Russia, Spain and the Czech Republic. He is also a member of the conducting faculty at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. When Noya—the husband of Nantucket Public Schools Superintendent Beth Hallett—conducts the Boston Civic Symphony on stage at Nantucket High School this month, Noya will not only have the 45-50 symphony members he’s bringing to the island, but a group of island students participating in the Nantucket Island Youth Orchestra. Those students join the Civic Symphony at the end of the performance, sitting side by side with the professionals.

“The orchestra members love doing that because they remember what it was like in the beginning,” he said. The opportunity is something the Nantucket Community Music Center, which organizes the youth orchestra, has been planning for years. The youth orchestra, an after-school program now in its second year, is something the Music Center has been wanting to establish for several decades.

“We really wanted to do something with the kids, and the kids were first,” said Tony Wagner, the Music Center’s executive director. “There was a conversation we had with Francisco on how to build a youth orchestra on the island. The first thing we have to do is inspire the kids, and having the Boston Civic Symphony comedown and play with them is a way to inspire the kids to be part of a music education program, and it worked. ”He describes his approach to conducting as an interpretation. On the one hand, he considers himself respectful and faithful to the wishes of the composer whose work he’s playing. On the other hand, he said it’s not possible to play a piece of music if you don’t have a part of yourself in it.

“That’s how human beings are,” he said. “So in that sense, it’s an interpretation, but it’s informed by my understanding of the score and the composer and the style of music at the time the composer was writing.”

Looking back on his career, Noya reflected on what has changed since the day he started conducting. “I think I have changed, I like to think,” he said. “I think the industry has changed tremendously. When I began conducting in the late ’70s, there were still record labels, and LPs and CDs were still far in the horizon. Now we have streaming, which gives you unlimited access to music. In the beginning, if you wanted to listen to a recording of something, you had to go buy it. Most things were not available. It was much more difficult to do a search. Now we have a much wider variety in our repertoire. Musicians are also getting better and better. The caliber of play is getting so high.”

The Boston Civic Symphony plays a free concert at the Nantucket High School Mary P. Walker Auditorium on June 22 as part of the Nantucket Community Music Center’s 50th anniversary.nantucketmusic.org.

Inside Baseball

Thu, 22 May 2025 12:20:44 GMT

Nantucket Book Festival author Christian Sheppard discusses his new book, The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball.

Written by Brian Bushard
Photography by Beowulf Sheehan

It was another let-down season for the Chicago Cubs when Christian Sheppard’s daughter was born. It was the late ’90s, and Sheppard found himself watching the last-place team in the National League Central from the hospital maternity ward, whispering the play-by-play to his newborn daughter as his wife rested. Around that time, another voice caught his attention. A fellow graduate student at the University of Chicago’s Divinity School asked him how he would raise his daughter. It was a question not just about religion, but a philosophical inquiry about the very ideals he would impart on his daughter. Without hesitation, Sheppard quipped, “I’m going to raise her a Cubs fan.”

In the two-decades since his daughter’s birth, Sheppard—who was raised Catholic and as a Red Sox fan—has asked that question over and over again. Somewhere along the way, he realized baseball, by its very nature, carries a sort of philosophical wisdom similar to religion and mythology. Its stories of legends are not unlike the heroes of Greek mythology. Wrigley Field is Sheppard’s church. His seat is his pew.

“What would it mean to ask of baseball the questions we usually put to philosophy, and the questions that we usually put to religion, which is basically to say, what is this world I find myself in, and how should I live there?” said Sheppard, who recently released his first book, The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball . Sheppard, a professor of liberal arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, will discuss that book at the Nantucket Book Festival this June

I was not completely coincidental that Sheppard happened upon the Homeric epics. Sheppard holds a Ph.D in religion and literature from The University of Chicago. He has written about art, food, culture and sports for The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune , and for10 years, he taught The Odyssey at The University of Chicago. The heroes in the Homeric epics embody virtues of courage and bravery. Their successes were triumphant. Their failures were tragic. That’s not dissimilar from Sheppard’s childhood hero, Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk.

When Fisk’s home run in Game Six of the 1975 World Series struck the left field foul pole at Fenway Park—an iconic image for Sox fans despite the World Series loss—Sheppard remembers cheering for Fisk, as the catcher waved his arms in hopes his bending fly ball would stay fair. When Fisk was traded to the Chicago White Sox six years later, Sheppard called it an “unforgivable sin” to a teenage Red Sox fan like himself. “The formulation I came up with in the book is that every baseball game is the ritual reenactment of this essential myth,” Sheppard said.

The game proceeds slower than other professional sports, allowing for conversation. There's also an interesting relationship between location, history and family that plays out over years of watching baseball, Sheppard said. There’s even a term for it: psychogeography. It’s the idea that because places like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are still around, spectators can associate those ballparks with pivotal moments in baseball, even associating those events with older generations that witnessed them. When you go to Fenway, you’re at the same field where Babe Ruth once pitched and where Ted Williams hit the longest home run in the park’s 110-plus year history. A formative memory for Sheppard was when his grandfather told him he saw Babe Ruth play at Fenway Park. As a child, Sheppard remembers seeing Carl Yastrzemski’s 3,000th hit from his seat at Fenway in 1979. He was also there for a Rico Petrocelli home run that went up into the lights—a heroic act for a kid at the ballpark, and the kind of stuff out of Robert Redford’s The Natural.

“So when you go to Wrigley, you can recall that that's where Babe Ruth called his shot,” Sheppard said. “When we see a home run at Fenway, we think that's where Big Papi in the clutch helps break the curse [in 2004]. Baseball has this resonance that goes over the generations that relates individuals to America, in some ways at its happiest.

That resonance extends to younger generations, as well. Looking back at his life as a Red Sox and Cubs fan—and as a father—Sheppard said watching baseball has become a richer experience. “When you share baseball with your own kids, it's like you get the joy of seeing them see a home run for the first time,” he said. “There’s away in which having a family, having someone to share it with, amplifies it for yourself in ways that you couldn't imagine.

Into the Frey

Thu, 22 May 2025 12:03:43 GMT

A chat with French textile designer Patrick Frey ahead of his talk at Nantucket by Design.

Written by Brian Bushard
Photos Courtesy of Pierre Frey

Patrick Frey, one of the most renowned textile designers in the world, is known to push the envelope. The so-called patriarch of wallpaper and textile giant Pierre Frey, he said he doesn’t follow trends. He anticipates them, often at a risk. He follows his instincts and branches out in a design world where being complacent is often considered safe. Frey will visit Nantucket this July for the Nantucket Historical Association’s annual event, Nantucket by Design, where he will participate in a luncheon on the “transportive power of textiles.”

At any point in your career, were you able to break off from more traditional design?

We are very eclectic and I love to do both traditional and contemporary designs. I love to look backward and forward. In fact, to look forward you have to look backward.

On the other hand, how do you stay true to tradition when designing in the modern world?

The idea for tradition is not to copy the past, or to do what has already been done. It’s to keep a certain influence and inspiration from the past and update it for today. Often it’s a simplification. If it was woven as a silk damask, perhaps we would reinterpret it as a print. If the motif was small, perhaps we would make it big. We play with a design to keep the beauty of the design but give it a different dimension that’s new. We have a Scandinavian collection, really a mix of the past and future. Use classic culture, itis very modern. To implement, when we work on the past I always try to implement the past while modernizing.

Tell us about the revitalization project you undertook in 2017on Villers-Cotterets.

To this point we were primarily producing fabrics and wallpapers and I was always frustrated because they were never on my own furniture. Now we have the ability to create our own furniture, and now the creation is complete. It was a kind of global concept. That’s why for years I was looking to add to our collection a furniture manufacturer.

How do you find pieces to add to your collection?

Creation is never finished. A new one replaces an old one. As long as we are creative, the story goes on and on. Our collections have themes or inspirations and we channel that essence with our choices for what to add. We are passionate about the designs.

What design elements do you consider when working with a coastal space?

When you are in a coastal area, you reference the water, the sun, bathing suits, swimming pools and the outdoors, so it has to be practical. The spirit is chic but simple, not too fancy. Often it is a question of fibers and colors, even more than design. Typically when you are in a coastal home you are on vacation, or you’re there to relax. It is the same in coastal towns all over the world.

As it relates to textiles, how can pieces from the past be reimagined in modern spaces?

We are not decorators, we are creating fabric and wallpapers. We leave it to designers to decide how they want to use it. I never do a design specifically fora use. Like with dining, is a wine good for fish or meat? The one to decide is the chef. The wine maker makes the wine and the chef decides on the pairing.

What new trends in design most excite you?

Rather than follow trends, I aim to anticipate what is coming. Our collections all have a common theme, and if you asked me why it was chosen I would have difficulty explaining it. It’s a certain flair, something in the air, that I follow. Creativity is always a risk. We take risks all the time. You can be right or you can be wrong. For me, I follow my instincts.

Have you ever been to Nantucket?

I was on Nantucket for two weeks with my wife and our five kids. We rented the most charming house. The kids were quite young, and they loved it. I always intended to come back but the world is big and there are so many places to explore, especially in the U.S., where we have visited many different places but unfortunately it has taken me this long to get back to Nantucket.

Shoot for the Stars

Thu, 22 May 2025 11:54:09 GMT

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Nantucket S.T.A.R. is raising funds for an accessible van for its children’s programming

The first time Audrey Sterk brought her son to a program with Nantucket S.T.A.R., she was caught off guard by the fact that she could drop him off without having to stay to supervise him. Sterk’s son, who has special needs, had until that point been surrounded by parents, teachers or caregivers for any event, whether it was a social gathering, a birthday party or just a typical day.

“As a parent, the first time we showed up to a program and they said, ‘OK, we’ll see you later,’ I said, ‘Wait a minute.’ This was the first time we could go away and say, ‘OK, we’ll see you guys later,’” said Sterk, the board director of Nantucket S.T.A.R. “We came back and asked how it went and they said, ‘Great.’ That’s the response every time because these amazing humans can handle all of the spectrum of support. They’ve got it.”

Nantucket S.T.A.R. (Sports and Therapeutic Accessible Recreation) began in 2003 when islanders Renee Gamberoni and Max Goode realized there was a hole in children’s programming on the island for students with special needs. Over the past 22 years, the organization has brought in hundreds of children with learning and physical disabilities for accessible recreational activities. It currently has over 100active participants, including peers and siblings.

“When S.T.A.R. began, there were probably four active participants,” Board President Lauren Soverino said. “Compare that to the rate of identified needs in the public school; the population has exponentially grown on the island. Nantucketis a very welcoming community, and people know they canreceive great support here through the school system and outside of it.”

The organization’s programs run the gamut from tennis, swimming and kayaking to sensory arts, ice skating, cooking classes and CrossFit. On a Friday afternoon this spring, a group of children, peers and adults met at the University of Massachusetts Boston Field Station in Polpis for an adventure pod scavenger hunt. It was a simple walk through the woods, where participants could learn about the ecology around them and at the same time engage in a meaningful way with other children and adults in a welcoming environment.

“We really try to offer a breadth across different age groups and developmental abilities,” Soverino said. “Our staff is highly specialized. We have a therapeutic piece to it, and we have never turned a participant away because of ability, confidence, behavior or skill level."

Outside of school, there aren’t many opportunities for S.T.A.R.’s participants to access a program either without parental support or some sort of additional caregiver, Soverino said. Before COVID-19, the organization also had a summer camp. “Every kid deserves the opportunity to say they went to summer camp,” Soverino said.

It was during that time the organization’s board realized it would need some way to transport kids to and from the camp. The organization had borrowed a van from the Boys& Girls Club, but it wasn’t a long-term solution. That’s when an idea was formed. Having some sortof transportation would not only goa long way toward S.T.A.R.’s year-round programming; it would also provide an opportunity to pick kids up at their houses and let them ease into a program.

“Not only is it fun to go to a program together, but it also opens up a level of accessibility for our participants, where anybody with a physical need can access a level of transportation,” Soverino said. On June 28, Nantucket S.T.A.R.—a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization—is holding a fundraiser at the Great Harbor Yacht Club to raise money for an accessible van. Its goal is $200,000, including the purchase and upkeep. The van would serve the organization’s programming throughout the year—as well as provide another learning opportunity for participants, Sterk said. The kids would be able to learn how to greet a driver, how to behave on board and how to buckle themselves in.

“A lot of families work, so to be able to pick up a child in a safe way and transport them to the programming gives them accessibility to the programming. We’re trying to break down all the barriers to get kids to be able to access the programming,” Sterk said. “And for a parent with a kid with neurodiversity, every opportunity is a learning opportunity,” she added. “Getting kids in the transition to a program can make a huge difference. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it’s a nice, calm and inclusive environment to get a kid to the program itself?”

Moving forward, Sterk and Soverino expect Nantucket S.T.A.R. to keep growing. Right now, they have 15 dedicated staff members, many of whom are active or retired teachers and therapists. The group is also expanding its volunteer base, another key piece for the organization.

“Our programming provides an opportunity to participate in these activities that they otherwise would not be able to access because of their cognitive or physical level, or their social-emotional skill set, or behavior,” Soverino said. “We make sure they can access it, with the intention of them then ultimately being able to find greater participation within the community.” For more information on Nantucket S.T.A.R. and its summer fundraiser,visitnantucketstar.org.

Lighthouse School '90s Prom

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:00:20 GMT

Nantucket Shorts Festival

For one night in April, the Nantucket Hotel was a '90s sit-com series finale, as guests danced the night away like it was 1999 for the Nantucket Lighthouse School's annual fundraiser.

photography by Charity Grace Mofsen

CLUB CLASSICS

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 20:43:55 GMT

Photographer: Brian Sager

Editorial Stylist: Petra Hoffmann

Style Assistant: Moriah Scharn

Photo Assistant: Reece Nelson

Makeup Stylist: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

Hair Stylist: The Coupe Nantucket

Female Model: Han Kelleher of Maggie Inc.

Male Model: Michael John Gross of Maggie Inc.

Venue: The Westmoor Club

GABRIELLA & ERIC

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:53:58 GMT

Gabriella and Eric's
Nantucket wedding.

Bride and Groom: Gabriella D’Ambrosio and Eric Carey

Officiant: Father Patrick

Reception: The White Elephant

Groom's Tuxedo: ordillos Custom Clothing

Wedding Coordinator: Tsvetelina Benova

Photographer: SAE Photo Film

Live Artist: Leyah Jense

Cake: PPX

Band: Boston Common Band

Bride's Dress: Lʼelite Bridal Ines

Bridal Hair: Lindsay Walsh, RJ Miller Salon

Bridal Makeup: Makeup by Paolina

Favors: Sip and Sea Boutique

Florist: American Stems

Home Sweet Home

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:41:57 GMT

Written by David Creed

Photography by Kit Noble and David Creed

Nantucket faces a pivotal vote on the future of the Our Island Home nursing facility this spring.

Norman Gauvin came to Nantucket in 1962 when he was stationed at Coast Guard Station Brant Point. When Our Island Home was built nearly two decades later at its current location on East Creek Road, he remembers looking at the nursing home with contempt. “We used to look across from the tower to this place thinking, ‘Oh my God, I am never going there,’” Gauvin said. “Now sure as s**t, here I am.”

In February, Gauvin suffered a fall in his home that caused him to break his arm. He was transported to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, where he stayed for five days before he was told he would need physical therapy. That led him to Our Island Home, where he stayed for six weeks.“

Nantucket needs this place,” Gauvin said. “We all say we’re not going to come here but we all grow old. If that day comes, it wouldn’t be fair to send us to the Cape or to go to Boston, right? We want to stay home. We're here on the island. This is our home.”

But the building is deteriorating. Our Island Home now faces a consequential vote at the May 3 Annual Town Meeting: a $126 million appropriation for a new 60,000-square-foot, 45-bed nursing facility at the Sherburne Commons campus off South Shore Road. If approved, the new facility—the only municipally run nursing home in the state—would then need to secure voter approval in the town election on May 20.

“If you start from the position that we’re going to take care of this segment of our community, then this is the right project,” Finance Committee member Chris Glowacki said during a February meeting. “The appropriate diligence has been done. One hundred million dollars is a big number, but that’s what it costs to build a facility like this.”

Since 1994, some 883 people have called Our Island Home their home, according to Our Island Home administrator Peter Holden, while 98% of its residents have been islanders with families on Nantucket. Holden said when you consider the family members and friends who benefit from keeping their loved ones on-island, thousands have benefited from the facility’s services over its 45-year existence.

Some, like Gauvin, are temporary stays, while others depend on the facility as a permanent home. Phil Gallagher is one of those residents who found himself in sudden need of the facility after suffering a stroke 18 months ago. “I am physically and mentally not capable of doing what I used to be able to do,” Gallagher, a retired health insurance director, said. “I was in public health for 50 years and I love what I see here. The staff is great. I don’t know what I came inhere expecting, but I now know that I cannot live totally on my own like I used to. My body and my brain are not suited to bean independent person. That can happen to everyone.”

The Finance Committee endorsed the proposal for a new facility in February by a 6-3 vote. Peter Schaeffer, one of the six committee members to approve the proposal, said that the town has plans to convert the East Creek Road property into a new senior center, which will preserve the harbor view that the community has been hesitant about giving up in previous appropriation requests for a new nursing home.

“In reality, this building cannot be repurposed, and it was not built well to begin with,” Schaeffer said. “It’s held up over these years, but it’s not a building that we can say if we paint it and put some new walls up, everything’s going to be fine.”

The new facility would include enclosed courtyards and solar panels. Some rooms would be large enough to allow for the addition of a second bed should Our Island Home need to increase capacity. Still, it’s an expensive investment.

“This is a very expensive operation,” committee member Joseph Wright said during February’s meeting. “In a perfect world, you would do everything for everybody, but the world isn’t perfect, and the question is whether you can afford it.”

Jim Richard grew up on Nantucket and is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He checked his father into Our Island Home decades ago after his father received inadequate care off-island at another nursing facility. Richard said once his father arrived at Our Island Home, he was up walking around at the age of 97, dusting the walls just three days after being bedridden at his former nursing facility. Fast-forward to this year and Richard himself needed to be checked into Our Island Home for eight weeks following the amputation of one of his big toes due to complications from diabetes. He needed to complete eight weeks of physical therapy.

“Everybody always used to think back when I was a kid growing up here that this was the old folks home where you came to die,” Richard said. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. Anybody could end up needing this place at any time."

"Society lives and thrives through its seniors,” Richard continued. “That has been proven throughout history that if you take care of your seniors, your society will be successful.”

Bart Cosgrove took care of his husband, Thom, for as long as he could until late December of 2024.Cosgrove said it became too much for him to do on his own after Thom began to fall more frequently and had reached a point where he couldn’t remember who Cosgrove was. His husband lived at Our Island Home for a few months before passing away.

“I think we have an obligation not to turn our backs on the seniors here,” Cosgrove said. “I had mixed feelings about deciding I couldn’t take care of Thom the way he needed to be. It wasn’t until I was here that I realized while not under the best circumstances, they do an incredible job here.”

Others, such as Nina Liddle, turned to Our Island Home to take care of their mothers. Liddle is a businessowner on the island and said her mother has been at the island home for about two years. She said keeping people on-island is important to combat loneliness and improve quality of life for seniors.

“It’s so important that these people see their families or their friends,” Liddle said. “Isolation is one of the worst things in the world to do to an elderly person.”

Pat Newton, who has been a resident at Our Island Home for almost three years, said she hopes voters will try to think about how they would feel about needing to leave the island in the latter stages of their lives if a nursing home no longer exists on Nantucket.“ People who are voting for this of course are younger for the most part, but they probably don’t know that at some point they may need the nursing home,” Newton said. “Do they want to go off-island to be a resident in the nursing home, or would they like to have their family and their loved ones be able to visit them right around the corner?”

Growing Native

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 11:58:54 GMT

Landscaping that’s both eco-friendly and beautiful

Written by Larry Lindner
Photography by Kit Noble

When Polpis resident Will Kinsella learned that mowing his 12-acre lawn was the carbon-spewing equivalent of driving all the way from Nantucket to California, he stopped mowing. He let his land go to seed—literally.

“I collected seed heads on the property that were native to Nantucket using a plant identifier app called PictureThis, mixed them with some topsoil, and then just kind of scratched the area and hand-broadcasted the seeds,” Kinsella said. By the next summer, his land was lush with native Nantucket flowers that finally escaped being mowed down before they could bloom—wild geraniums, bog violets and asters among them. There were also the tallgrasses he had planted, which grew alongside other native grasses no longer threatened by the lawn mower’s blades. “The wavelike sway and swish of the grasses inthe breeze is magical,” he said.

Kinsella is one of a growing number of Nantucket property owners who are ditching their lawns and the so-called rose and hydrangea monoculture for more eco-friendly gardens that are no less lovely to look at. The Nantucket Land and Water Council is all for the shift—so much so that it has started an initiative called Grow Native for Nantucket, a program designed to help islanders swap out traditional grass and non-native plants for indigenous species that are better for the environment.

Non-native plants typically require more pesticides and herbicides that can be harmful to pets and people. Nutrients from those pesticides and herbicides can also seep into groundwater and eventually to Nantucket’s harbors and the ocean, where they harm marine life. Native plants, on the other hand, often don’t require as much water to thrive because their long roots allow them to take up water from deeper in the ground.

A conventional lawn requires roughly 100 gallons of water for every 1,000 square feet on a hot summer day, according to Rita Higgins of Wilder Designs Studio, who along with Julie Wood of the landscaping firm Hither Creek Gardener helped Kinsella plan his meadowland. “A meadow just needs water to establish it and then zero inputs for fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides,” Higgins said.

Those same long roots have other benefits as well. They can bolster coastal resilience by strengthening a coastal area to combat erosion. They also encourage habitat diversity. This becomes abundantly clear at Peter Kellner’s own meadow landscape in Quidnet, a sprawling landscape where elementary school children from the Nantucket Lighthouse School visit on field trips to learn about pollinating species that feed on the island’s native plants and grasses. Those pollinators were largely missing from Kellner’s property before he converted one of his six acres of green lawn into a meadow.

It’s not just that Kellner now gets to see more butterflies, hummingbirds and bees (enough for him to have an apiary that produces what he calls “fantastic honey”). He also enjoys the aesthetic of the meadow itself. “I hate lawns that look like they’re a golf course,” he said. “Nantucket was never meant to be suburbia.

Emily Molden, the executive director of the Nantucket Land and Water Council, points out that with eco-friendly landscaping, residents can still manicure spaces and keep their lawns. But at the same time, they can reduce the size of their laws and promote biodiversity. “It’s not all or nothing,” she said. Higgins agreed. “There is room for hydrangeas and roses in an ecological landscape,” she said. “But even just moving hydrangea bushes to a spot where they would require less water would help.

Island resident Susan Burke, an expert gardener, believes in an integrated approach as well. “We planted the bank with natives,” she said, crediting her grandmother for her interest in preserving the environment by making her learn the difference between native and non-native plants when she was a girl. But other parts of her property are more of a mixture. “If it were all ecological, that would be boring,” she said. “In the summer, you want some perky annuals to come in.”

Julie Jordin, a landscape designer on the island who helped Burke create more eco-friendly landscapes while keeping them beautiful, said her design mantra is that around the house or in special spaces, it’s fine to plant non-native species. But as you move farther from the house, she said it really should be two-thirds for the birds. Surrounding a property line with privet hedges isn’t going to do it, she added. Instead, there are native plants that act like privet but require less maintenance.

Those who are thinking of growing native should keep in mind that an eco-friendly garden has a wilder aesthetic, as Higgins puts it. “It becomes more about exerting less control over the land with water and chemicals, and inviting a willingness to let things evolve the way they want to,” she said. “People love a tidy garden, but as they see the increase in bird and butterfly activity, their perspective on what’s beautiful changes.”

For resources and tips on how to get started on an eco-friendly garden, visit nantucketlandandwater.org . The Nantucket Land & Water Council will also feature landscape architect Edwina von Gal at its August 5 annual meeting.

Harpoon Hunters

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 23:13:19 GMT

Doug Lindley, one of only a handful of remaining bluefin tuna spotter pilots, is featured in the Discovery Channel series Harpoon Hunters .

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Doug Lindley is one of a dying breed of pilots. Fifty miles northeast of Nantucket, Lindley spots what appears to be a disturbance in the water. Sitting some 800 feet overhead in his 1968 Piper PA-18 SuperCub single-propeller plane known as 44 Zulu, Lindley is looking at what could be a whale, a flock of gulls, a school of baitfish or, possibly, the wake from a school of coveted bluefin tuna.

Lindley signals to his captain, Mattapoisett Select Board member and 40-year harpoon fisherman Tyler Macallister, to go in for the strike as swiftly as possible. Too slow, and they’ll miss the fish. Too fast, and the tuna will be spooked into deeper waters where they’re harder to spot. Lindley and Macallister are part of a dwindling group of fishermen carrying on the tradition of harpoon tuna fishing, a method that’s earned a reputation as one of the most challenging—and also one of the cleanest—ways to catch a fish. They are also stars of the Discovery Channel’s new series Harpoon Hunters.

“There’s probably six of us left,” Lindley said about harpoon tuna fishing spotter pilots. “There usedto be 30 or 40 of us when it was really worthwhile, and most of them were swordfish guys. It’s become kind of a lost art.”

Harpoon tuna fishing works when everything goes right. The bluefin season only lasts a matter of weeks in the summer, so anyone involved needs to make the most of it. With the legal limit set at five fish per day, captains best be sure they catch enough to afford the immense cost of a boat, a crew, repairs and fuel to take them into the channels where bluefin hunt for food. With so much on the line—and with bluefins that fetch prices upward of $10,000—most captains hire spotters.

“The plane is an extension of the boat,” said Macallister, captain of the Cynthia C.2 harpooning vessel that partners with Lindley. “You have an 800-foot tower that can move at70 knots and cover the ocean. Doug can see the fish deeper in the water column than I can. Once he sees them, he can hold them and keep an eye on them until they come back up.”

Lindley has always looked to the skies. His father was a World War II fighter pilot in the South Pacific. Lindley has also been fishing for decades. He was a professional sportfishing boat captain for 30 years, but at some point along the way, he realized he was more interested in a bird’s-eye view of the ocean than the view from the captain’s seat. Years earlier, one of Lindley’s friends teased the idea of going out for a pilot’s license, even saying he would pay for it. That was 1980. The friend lost interest, but Lindley stuck with it, even when it meant six-plus hours looking for signs of fish.

“You’re looking for birds and whales and big schools of bait, and the tuna fish you can see on the surface,” he said. “You see huge schools of them, they make a tremendous wake. From the plane on a calm day you can see them from miles away if it’s a big school. We call it nervous water, when they’re upsetting the water like that."

Harpoon Hunters debuted on the Discovery Channel in January. To film the show, producers attached four cameras to Lindley’s plane, which he keeps at a hangar at Nantucket Memorial Airport. Once the bluefins are spotted and the boats close in, the show’s producers launch drones to capture the catch. The show focuses as much on the tradition of the industry as it does on the rivalries and infighting that ostensibly divide its members, though Lindley said the real story is a bit different. Still, he understands the need for dramatics.

“We all work together, and for the most part we’re all good friends and help each other out,” he said. “We’ll travel out together in case someone gets in trouble.”

The Discovery Channel was looking for a follow-up to Deadliest Catch, its 20-season Alaskan crab fishing series that became so popular it even survived the collapse of the crab population in the waters where it was filmed. Discovery also happens to be vying for an audience during a proliferation of dating shows that pit strangers against each other, hence the dramatics.

The first episode of Harpoon Hunters landed 670,000 viewers, Lindley said, outpacing Discovery’s goal of 500,000.With that kind of audience, Lindley hopes the show will give viewers insight into the abundance of bluefin tuna in the Atlantic, something that has not always been the case. He has seen the rise and fall—and now the resurgence—of bluefin tuna numbers first-hand. According to the World Wildlife Fund, bluefin populations in the Atlantic and Pacific have dwindled severely due to overfishing, though regulations like the five-fish per day limit have been put in place with the intention of preserving the fishery.

“I got to see the heyday and I saw the decline,” he said. “Everybody cried about the regulations, but it’s one of the few fisheries where the regulations have worked the way they wanted it to."

Lindley has also seen the cost of doing business rise as the fishery has waned. If he doesn’t make $600 per day—the cost of flying his plane around Nantucket and the Cape—he said it’s not worth it. While his crews have had $20,000days in the past, Lindley has also gone as long as 17 days without a catch, leaving him counting on a few incredible days to recoup his losses.

“It used to be that you could walk on them,” he said. “In the late ’70s, early ’80s, they started to become worth more money. The Japanese market developed. Before that, it was sold for cat food, but then the Japanese market developed and it became a delicacy over there. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon. There was a lot of money in it and they were overfished. In recent years with the regulations and putting limitations on them and so on, the fish have come back huge."

New Moon Rising

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 22:57:21 GMT

Written by Greta Feeney
Photography by Kit Noble

Celebrating the creative power of women: Nantucket’s NEW Moon Fest

Each month, beneath Nantucket’s legendary dark skies, the new moon arrives—fully present and yet unseen, a threshold between past and future. Like the new moon itself, women who have journeyed through darkness often discover and recover their fullest selves by illuminating what once lay hidden. Nantucket’s NEW Moon Fest celebrates women filmmakers who courageously step from the shadows into the transformative light of storytelling.

With its celebrated history of strong, independent women, Nantucket is a natural home for a female-led film festival. For centuries, island women have shaped businesses, households and community affairs—a legacy of resilience and self-determination that enriches contemporary women’s narratives.

Launched by NCTV in 2024, the NEW Moon Fest—Nantucket Empowering Women—builds on this tradition, celebrating the wild woman archetype and the fierce, intuitive and creative essence with in every woman. Hosted at the iconic Siasconset Casino, the festival showcases the works of women storytellers from around the world, honoring their creativity, perseverance, strength and power of voice.

“This is medicine—soul medicine,” said Director of Programming Stephanie Serra, who as a filmmaker herself is a passionate advocate for the transformative power of storytelling through film. “I see myself as a curator in the Latin sense—to curate is to cure. This is about the healing of souls."

Through her work, Serra selects films that confront complex and often uncomfortable realities—from cultural traditions surrounding female genital mutilation to the struggles of incarcerated women and survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence—as well as the evolving challenges all women face throughout the different stages of their lives. Serra seeks to showcase transformation, understanding and healing through the power of film.

“NEW Moon Fest will explore what our personal powers are, the places in which women have become powerless, and advocate for the strength of our voices,” she said.

The inaugural NEW Moon Fest in 2024 received film submissions from 17 countries. For the 2025 festival, to be held May 24, that number has grown to 22, reflecting the festival’s expanding reach and its commitment to amplifying women’s voices worldwide. With awards categories such as Most Empowering Film, The Wild Woman Award and The Grey Lady Award, the festival highlights bold and resonant storytelling.

The 2024 official selections ranged from a coming-of-age film exploring Black British girlhood to a documentary following female inmates as they underwent transformative voice work. These films challenge and inspire audiences to hold space for diverse women’s experiences. British actress Busayo Ige, who wrote Essex Girls , won last year’s Best Director award. Her film draws from her experience as a young woman of Nigerian descent growing up in a predominantly white English neighborhood. Through authentic portrayals of young Black women like herself, she aims to empower and inspire newfound confidence in others.

“This film gives girls like me—who grew up in environments where hardly anyone else looks like them—the chance to see their experiences reflected on screen,” she said. “I channeled my own experience into something universal: What is it like to be a Black girl in an almost entirely white space, and how does it shape self-acceptance?”

The Girl Inside , a mini-documentary in the 2024 festival by Kate Bryan, film creator and host of the 1 Girl Revolution podcast, follows female inmates in Chicago’s Cook County Jail—a facility heavily criticized for overcrowding, violence and inadequate mental health care. The short documentary follows detainees unable to afford bail as they await trial, without having been convicted, as they participate in the academic course “Storytelling as a Healing Art,” taught by interdisciplinary voice artist and teacher Dr. Laura Biagi. Through vocal exercises designed to release grief and uncover hidden trauma, students reconnect with their authentic selves. Biagi encourages them to explore what their own voices have to reveal, prompting them to respond toa profound statement: “I am your voice, and this is what I want you to know.”

Selected as Most Empowering Film, The Girl Inside amplifies a story about women whose voices often go unheard. “There are many issues in the world because people are not able to be heard,” said Bryan. “Our voices are our revolution, and we must seek opportunities to speak up for those who are forgotten and to elevate voices that are too often ignored. Above all, we need to listen. We have the power to change the world through our lives, and if we truly believed that, the world would look so different.”

This year, the NEW Moon Fest highlights include films like Barricade , a psychological exploration by London-based writer-director Alice Johannessen. The film delves into the lasting impact of a teen sexual assault on a school bus and how societal norms—especially the “boys will be boys” mentality—diminish the victim’s personhood by framing such violations as everyday occurrences.

Johannessen—whose films are shown throughout the U.K. to educate teachers and students about sexual violence—believes that by dismissing a passing moment of impropriety, or quickly labeling it as unremarkable, such abuse is allowed to take root and cause serious damage.

“Our aim with Barricade was to make a film that immersed audiences in the feelings teenage girls experience on an average school day,” Johannessen said. “The insecurity, rage, euphoria, blood, sweat and tears. To ask what happens when all these feelings can no longer be contained? Where do they go when an institution repeatedly fails to find a space or outlet for them? By ending the story with a moment of intense catharsis, I hope audiences will consider why this is such a rarity for survivors and victims.”

Another standout in the 2025 lineup is We Did Not Consent , an 18-minute short film directed by Dorothy Allen-Pickard that explores the U.K.’s “spy cops” scandal. For over 50 years, a secret unit within London’s Metropolitan Police infiltrated activist groups, luring women into false romantic relationships.

In the film, three of these women reclaim their narratives by reenacting and directing scenes from their pasts. Wearing theatrical masks to protect their identities, they use the creative process to confront and communicate their trauma. Allen-Pickard emphasizes the importance of allowing the women to control their stories—to “find a method where these reductive versions of their life stories could play out and the women could interrupt and redirect them to reveal something that was more true to them.” This transformation of deep psychic wounds into truth and healing embodies the very essence of the NEW Moon Fest.

These deeply personal and culturally resonant films give rise to the wild woman’s voice—unfiltered, courageous and transformative. Suspended in the moment between darkness and renewal, we reclaim our stories and rewrite our futures. As Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés, the author of Women Who Run with the Wolves, reminds us: “Creativity is meant to be an act of clear consciousness...or else all comes to nothing.

Full Court Press

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 22:43:36 GMT

The forecast for offshore wind has become increasingly uncertain.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

The 200 wind turbines off the coast of Cape May, New Jersey, were supposed to tower over the water, generating enough electricity to power more than 700,000 homes. But that project has been stopped in its tracks, and possibly for good. It was a pair of blows in a matter of months that stopped it. The first blow: Oil giant Shell pulled out of the project, erasing a$1 billion investment it had in the wind farm. Then in March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pulled federal permits for Atlantic Shores, the two-part project off the coast of New Jersey, even though the project had already received federal approval.

The EPA’s decision marks the culmination of a months-long effort by local opposition groups and elected officials to stop the project. It also comes as offshore wind, a hallmark of the Biden administration, faces new uncertainties in a second Trump term, casting more than two dozen offshore wind projects along the Eastern Seaboard into doubt. Those blows to the Atlantic Shores project have now become a source of inspiration for ACK for Whales, a Nantucket group that’s trying to keep offshore wind farms from being constructed in the waters south of Nantucket—and they’re asking the town to join them.

“[Energy companies] know that public opposition is the number one thing that kills these projects, and when they see a concerted effort with businesses, municipalities and environmental groups all banding together and saying we don’t want this here, they say, ‘Holy crap, this is going to take a long time, we are going to be fighting a long slog of a fight,’” said Amy DiSibio, a board member of ACK for Whales.

While the focus for Nantucket has by and large been on Vineyard Wind’s 62-turbine project 15 miles south of the island, that wind farm is only one of a handful with a lease off Nantucket’s shores, a 60-plus-milearray that stretches west to the waters south of Newport, Rhode Island. Since those proposed sites lie in federal waters, Nantucket officials have maintained they have not had a say in the permitting process, save for a2019 vote of the Conservation Commission approving a Vineyard Wind cable connecting the turbines to the mainland through Muskeget Channel.

At the time, Select Board members were advised by town counsel to support the project, structuring a deal—a good neighbor agreement—with Vineyard Wind to mitigate its visual effects. Vineyard Wind agreed to paint its turbines off-white and install a type of nighttime lighting that would only go off when planes were overhead (Vineyard Wind only began testing its aircraft detection lighting system in February). The town—as well as cosigners the Maria Mitchell Association and Nantucket Preservation Trust—secured$16 million through that deal in exchange for support of the project. Five years later, and in the wake of the project coming under fire last summer because of a collapsed blade that left fiberglass and styrofoam particles scattered across Nantucket’s south shore, a group of residents and some town officials are now wrestling with the idea of exiting the good neighbor agreement.

"If that whole lease area gets built out, what Nantucket needs is a huge seat at the table,” ACK for Whales board member Veronica Bonnet said. “Just because you’re a proponent of offshore wind doesn’t mean you should be putting your head in the sand about the impacts of it. All energy has an impact. This isn’t a little fairytale where we get to build windmills off Nantucket and everything is great. This is a massive amount of power in the hopes of supplying electricity to millions of homes in New England. If that’s what you’re a proponent of, then you ought to be a proponent of getting out of the good neighbor agreement and into an agreement that protects Nantucket from a massive power plant.”

Dawn Hill Holdgate, one of two Select Board members who were on the board in 2020 when the agreement was signed, believes Vineyard Wind already broke the terms of the agreement when it waited three days to inform town officials about the broken blade last summer. She felt the same way after a two-day delay in communication to the town after a lightning strike on the same turbine over the winter. At a heated Select Board meeting in February, she argued the community had been misled about the visual and environmental impacts of the project when it was proposed. Vineyard Wind did not return N Magazine ’s request for comment.

“What I think we have come to realize is that the impacts outweigh any financials,” Hill Holdgate said. “It really doesn’t matter what the dollar figure is. It was very misleading what we were told in2020. The impacts are far greater visually, and now we know the environmental impacts are more significant."

Just days into his second term in office, President Donald Trump released an executive order slamming the brakes on offshore wind, halting new federal leases and setting the stage to potentially amend or terminate existing offshore wind leases like Vineyard Wind or SouthCoast Wind off Nantucket, pending a federal review by the Department of the Interior. SouthCoast’s plan calls for 141 turbines standing over1,000 feet tall, taller than Vineyard Wind’s 850-foot turbines.

“My preference would be for the entire project to stop. I am hopeful these other projects will be stopped or delayed with the new administration,” Hill Holdgate said. The town in March appealed the federal approval of SouthCoast Wind, citing an alleged failure to protect the island’s status as a national historic landmark and a failure to “take a hard look at environmental impacts.”

But a federal delay in the rollout of offshore wind has some state and federal officials on edge. “There’s a need for offshore wind,” Rep. Bill Keating, a Democratic Congressman representing Nantucket, said.

That need stems from a state comprehensive energy plan developed during Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration, when Plymouth’s Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station was decommissioned, leaving Massachusetts reliant on imported natural gas. The state has explored hydropower through a transmission project from Canada to Maine, though the recent federal trade war with Canada has Keating worried that option would see state ratepayers paying a fortune for energy. Purchasing natural gas is another option, though Keating said that too would be “enormously expensive and volatile.”

“What was initially a project in offshore wind that focused on the needfor alternative and renewable energy became part of our plan to get the power that we need,” Keating said. “We’re in a very precarious spot where we live. We’re at the end of the line in terms of energy sources.”

Democratic State Sen. Julian Cyr, who represents Nantucket on Beacon Hill, agreed with Keating. The conversation around wind energy, he argued, should start with electricity costs, which he said have become “astronomical on Cape and Islands” because of the state’s reliance on natural gas. As of January 2025, Massachusetts consumers pay the fourth highest price for electricity in the country (30.08 cents per kilowatt hour), only behind Rhode Island, California and Hawaii, according to data from the Energy Information Administration.

Cyr has been consistent in his criticism of Vineyard Wind’s communication following the blade failure—which led to a federal suspension on the project and which GE Vernova attributed to a “manufacturing deviation” at a Canadian factory where the blades were made. But Cyr also argued the blade failure should not be cause to walkaway from offshore wind altogether.

“Offshore wind is a critical source for the electric grid for Massachusetts and New England,” Cyr said. “We’re an importer of our energy and that’s a part of why our energy costs are so high, and that burden falls to our residents."

According to Vineyard Wind, the 800-megawatt offshore project has the capacity to generate energy for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the state, reducing carbon emissions by an estimated1.6 million tons per year. Offshore wind proponents have long touted the alternative energy source’s ability to reduce Americans’ carbon footprint, a major policy goal of the Biden administration. That goal: 30gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, or enough to power 5.25 million homes.

What offshore wind proponents and some opponents seem to agree on is the importance of transitioning away from traditional greenhouse gases. Congressman Jeff Van Drew, a Republican from New Jersey and one of the most outspoken critics of offshore wind on Capitol Hill, even said he was in favor of renewable energy, though his preference is for solar—as well as nuclear—energy.

“This has been a great opportunity to monetize the global push for the panacea for climate change,” DiSibio said. “It’s politically popular to talk about it, but in the end, people really aren’t focusing on the impacts, and the trade-off just isn’t there.”

But without offshore wind, some officials worry Americans’ reliance on fossil fuels will only accelerate, exacerbating both pollution and the negative impacts of climate change such as sea-level rise.

“Islanders have seen and are not happy about the adverse consequences of a single blade failure,” Cyr said. “The prospect of drilling off our shores for natural gas could truly present catastrophic consequences for our shores, let alone only furthering the climate crisis.”

Several offshore wind projects down the Eastern Seaboard have begun construction. In addition to Vineyard Wind’s 62 turbines, other projects include the 12-turbine South Fork Wind Farm south of Rhode Island, the Block Island Wind Farm and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, a pilot project consisting of two turbines with plans for 174 more. In total, 36offshore wind projects have secured federal leases off the East Coast from Maine to South Carolina.

Just south of Vineyard Windis another proposed project called New England Wind, a planned129-turbine wind farm 24 miles southwest of Nantucket. ACK for Whales is challenging that project as well, asking the Select Board to sign on as a co-plaintiff. In March, the group petitioned the EPA to review its Clean Air Act permits for New England Wind, the same permits that were pulled for Atlantic Shores off the coast of New Jersey. It’s not the group’s first legal challenge.

ACK for Whales had also sued to stop the Vineyard Wind project, taking its case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, though the nation’s highest court declined to hear the case. In March, the group launched a new challenge against Vineyard Wind through the EPA, seeking to revoke its Clean Air Act permit.

“The missing link is we want the Select Board,” DiSibio said. “If the town and county of Nantucket push back on this, then everything is a lot stronger.”

Matt Fee, who serves as the Select Board’s vice chair, said the board is considering all of its options when it comes to the good neighbor agreement. The Maria Mitchell Association exited the agreement last fall. At the same time, over 150 businesses have signed a petition urging the Select Board to withdraw from the deal. es that agreement, the Select Board has also asked islanders to lobby state and federal preservation authorities over mitigation for SouthCoast Wind, and has publicly objected to a proposed mitigation plan from SouthCoast that would have seen the town receive $150,000in mitigation funding—a drop in the bucket of the good neighbor agreement’s $16million, and a number Hill Holdgate called a joke.

“We have greater leverage now because [Vineyard Wind] is in breach of the agreement in my mind,” Hill Holdgate said. “We have seen further unintended consequences with the blade failure, the debris, the impact on summer tourism and local businesses, and now leaving it the way they have since last summer, it’s been allowed to be hit by lightning causing further issues. We are in a position to do a lot more about it now, but it’s still an uphill battle."

Risen from the Ashes

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 20:29:45 GMT

The Veranda House reopens this month, nearly three years after a fire completely destroyed the historic inn.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Along the gallery wall of old black-and-white photos in the lobby of the new Veranda House, one image stands out. The shot was taken in 1881, the year island entrepreneur and eccentric inventor Nathan Chapman purchased the property as a house for him and his wife on the site of the 1684 home of mariner William Gayer, the first person to build on the lot. It happened to be the same year the Coffin family chose to throw a family reunion, bringing hundreds of family members to the island. With limited lodging options, a large group of them stayed at Chapman’s new house on Step Lane.

And like that, an idea was born. One year later, the Veranda House was open for business as a hotel. Over the next few decades, the Veranda House helped put Nantucket on the map as a tourist destination in the late 1800s and 1900s. The inn also passed through many hands. In 1901, it was purchased for just $200. In 1946,it was purchased by Jo Devine and her husband, Tom, the so-called mayor of Nantucket. They passed the torch to their son, who later handed it to his son Ethan. He held on to it until 2006, when he sold the inn for $3million to Susan and Dale Hamilton, who went on to sell it for $4.1 million in 2019.

Then in 2022, on an otherwise picturesque summer day, the Veranda House went up in flames, taking with it decades of history. The fire completely destroyed the inn’s iconic verandas and balconies, leaving the building a charred shell of itself. All 36 guests, along with hotel staff members, miraculously escaped the fire alive, including several guests who were saved thanks to the off-duty heroics of Nantucket Fire Department Captain Nate Barber.

In the aftermath of that devastation, after the wreckage of what was left was torn down, a new structure has emerged—one that looks strikingly familiar to the venerable inn, but with a modern interior that emphasizes safety.

" This is is an absolutely brand-new modern building with the most modern life-safety systems—the electrical work, the sprinklers, the fire suppression,” said Ralph V. Izzi Jr., vice president of corporate marketing and public affairs for the Procaccianti Companies, the real estate company that owns the Veranda House. “With that, in addition to an elevator that was installed, we’ve really taken this to be the safest property on the island.”

The new three-story inn is nearly an exact replica of the old Step Lane building that had stood in the same spot. The inn has 19rooms, the same number as the old Veranda House. Inside those rooms are spa-like baths made with Carrara marble, subway-tiled showers and rainfall showerheads. Guests can choose between a queen petite or a king petite, as well as a queen or king bed with balcony access, or the cream of the crop, the grand harborview king with a balcony.

he number-one thing we’ve received feedback on so far is how similar it looks from the outside and how that means a lotto returning guests, in terms of modern standards inside,” said Alicia Hehir, general manager of the Nantucket Resort Collection, a subsidiary of the Procaccianti Companies that operates the hotel.

While the inn opened for a trial run during Stroll in December, the hotel’s official grand opening came in April, the culmination of months of research, discussions with historians and meetings with the Historic District Commission. Izzi said the goal was to make sure every element of the new building adhered to the design elements of the old building that burned down.

“It never crossed our minds[to build a new inn that would look completely different] because we value the importance that this property had and the historic significance that it had to the island of Nantucket,” Izzi said.

"We had our own investigation into these historical elements, and we wanted to make sure it was accurate. It wasn’t just that we thought it was right. We wanted to go back and make sure we verified that what we were doing was on the right path.”

When asked about the timing of the reopening, Izzi said the company landed on a time frame of just over two years to reopen shortly after the fire destroyed the old building and two neighboring houses. Procaccianti came within six weeks of that goal, a success considering the supply chain disruptions and unpredictable weather that often complicate new construction on Nantucket. The result, he said, will strike a chord with previous guests.

“To really identify the significant details and the meaningful details that gave the property its character before the fire, we really want to reintroduce that and reapply that to the newbuilding,” Izzi said.

Intercepted

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 20:15:23 GMT

Bobby Sabelhaus and Tom Brady were recruited out of the same high school class, though the two quarterbacks went in wildly different directions.

Written by Brian Bushard
Photography by Kit Noble

Bobby Sabelhaus has never met Tom Brady. But he might be responsible for Brady’s rise to the NFL’s Mt. Rushmore—at least in part. This is a story 30 years in the making, starting with a single decision Sabelhaus, a Parade All-American high school quarterback, made as an18-year-old high school senior. It turns out that without Sabelhaus, there’s a good chance Brady would not have been signed by Michigan out of high school in 1995. Without Sabelhaus, there’s a good chance Brady would not have gone on to win seven Super Bowl titles.

“I might have a hand in one of the greatest NFL careers of all time,” said Sabelhaus, a real estate agent at Great Point Properties on Nantucket. Sabelhaus and Brady had a lot in common in the mid-’90s. Sabelhaus, a 6-foot, 5-inch, 225-pound Gatorade Player of the Year out of Baltimore, was the number-one ranked prospect in the country with nearly 6,000passing yards to his name, a Maryland high school state record at the time.

He was a hot commodity in the college recruiting circuit. He was also Michigan’s top choice for a new quarterback. Brady, a competitive high school quarterback from California, was seen as a solid backup plan. But Sabelhaus went down a different path. He chose coach Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators over Michigan, leaving the Wolverines with second-pick Brady. After a rocky start, Brady turned out to be the right choice, setting single-season school records in pass attempts and completions in his first year as a starter. Sabelhaus, meanwhile, struggled as a college quarterback, ultimately transferring from school to school before giving up the game altogether.

“Coming out of high school, I was on top of the world,” Sabelhaus said. “Going to the University of Florida, I was feeling great, and then all of a sudden I started to doubt myself and get depressed and not function the way I used to. I had always had football as an escape, but I didn’t have that anymore because I wasn’t playing well, and that was a direct result of my depression.”

But this is still a success story. It’s a story about reinvention after the game that had promised Sabelhaus the world turned out not to be all it was cracked up to be. Sabelhaus bounced around from Florida to Pierce College in California to West Virginia, where he lasted less than a week. He transferred to San Jose State for his junior year but left the sport before he ever took a snap with his new team, telling his parents he was done. Sabelhaus, who had just two years earlier been lauded by the Prep Football Report as “the biggest name to sign with Florida in quitesome time,” was now nicknamed the “patron saint of recruiting busts” by Sports Illustrated.

But then things turned around. Sabelhaus found a career in the film industry of all places, first cutting his teeth as an assistant at Village Roadshow Pictures, the production company behind Training Day and The Matrix franchise. He got his big break working for Richard Donner, the legendary Hollywood film director responsible for the original Superman, The Goonies and Lethal Weapon . He also worked with Donner’s wife, Lauren, for four years, producing movies like Constantine ,X-Men: The Last Stand and She’s the Man . During that time, he managed to break out on his own at one point, developing projects and selling them to major studios. One of those projects was sold to Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema. At one point, he successfully pitched a story to ESPN for its documentary series 30 for 30 about the legendary Baltimore high school basketball team that launched the careers of late Celtics star Reggie Lewis, as well as Reggie Williams, David Wingate and Muggsy Bogues, who at 5 feet, 3 inches remains the shortest NBA player of all time. The episode was Sabelhaus’ first experience as an independent producer.

“I’ve always had a passion for movies,” Sabelhaus said. “If I wasn’t watching football on Saturdays and Sundays with my dad, I was in my room watching Spielberg movies, watching Star Wars or Scorsese or Tarantino, some of these great filmmakers who really connected with me. I would disappear for hours because I would go to the video store, get a stack of movies and watch them.”

Sabelhaus had reinvented himself—and it wouldn’t be the last time he’d do so. After leaving Los Angeles for a new start on Nantucket, Sabelhaus landed a job at Great Point Properties selling real estate. Sabelhaus sees that reinvention as another similarity to Brady, now an announcer on Fox.

"The perspective you get is that these NFL players, they end up retiring and they have to reinvent themselves, and that’s kind of like what I’ve been doing,” Sabelhaus said. “I have a new chapter on Nantucket and still feel youthful and have a lot left.“

I think about five years ago, in my head I knew the movie business was going to be in my rearview, and especially with COVID, I started thinking about what that next chapter would look like,” he continued. “My parents had always been involved in real estate on the island. I said I love Nantucket, I know this island, I’ve been coming here my whole life, and what a dream it would be to get an opportunity to come to live on Nantucket year-round and work in real estate. I got the ball rolling and started networking.”

Looking back, Sabelhaus can joke about his connection with Brady, even though the two have never met. Sabelhaus, a longtime Baltimore Ravens fan who idolized Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino as a kid, rooted for Brady during his years as a New England Patriot and a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.

Sabelhaus also does not live in a world of what-ifs. Football, he said, presents a small window of opportunity in college, and if you don’t succeed in that window, your prospects dwindle. That’s a fact Sabelhaus has always known. In what turned into a prophetic interview with The Baltimore Sun in his senior year of high school, Sabelhaus acknowledged that “football is only going to take me so far, I don’t know where it’s going to take me. It could end tomorrow and then where am I going to be?”

“I’ve had second chances,” Sabelhaus said. “Now, [Nantucket] is anew chance at love, a new chance at a career, a new chance at a place to live.” As for whether he will ever meet Brady, Sabelhaus is still hopeful.

“I would love to cross paths with him some day,” Sabelhaus said. “I think we would have a lot to talk about. We got recruited by the same college—the same guy—and had two very different experiences, but I havea ton of respect for him. The least Tom can do is buy a house from meon Nantucket.”

The Craftsman of Notre Dame

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 14:37:06 GMT

After restoring several Nantucket buildings Michael Burrey took his talents to Paris.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Brian Sager

Michael Burrey could only watch as Paris’ iconic Notre Dame Cathedral burned down on April 15, 2019. Burrey was watching the fire on TV, some 3,000 miles away with his students at the North Bennet Street School, Boston’s renowned traditional trade school. There was nothing Burrey could do to save the12th-century cathedral’s crumbling spire or its wooden ceiling, but the fire got him thinking.

Burrey, a specialist in medieval architecture with a career of historic restoration projects under his belt, started working with architects and architectural historians on a reproduction of one of the cathedral’s ceiling trusses in Washington, D.C., as an educational project to show that the trusses could, in fact, be rebuilt. That re-creation caught the hopeful eye of a French company contracted to restore Notre Dame. Through that company, Burrey was brought on as one of only nine U.S. artisans to restore the cathedral, a monumental project that had Burrey in Paris for three months in 2023.Now, six years after the fire, Notre Dame is open once again. N Magazine sat down with Burrey in his classroom at North Bennet Street School to discuss his work in Paris and Nantucket.

You’ve worked on multiple restoration projects on Nantucket and have been recognized by the Nantucket Preservation Trust. What brought you to the island?

I’ve been working in preservation carpentry and masonry since I was 13 years old, and my base is in Plymouth. I’ve been working with Brian Pfeiffer, an architectural historian who has done a lot of work on Nantucket documenting buildings and structures. My introduction to Nantucket was in2007 when Brian called me up to ask if I had ever built a firebox underneath a chimney. It was 18 India Street, a 1767 house, that had suffered a collapse of the base of the chimney. I flew over, took a look at it and determined I could cradle it, pick it up, dig out from underneath it and reestablish the base of that chimney. It was one of my favorite projects. They were going to start dismantling the chimney from the top down, but realized you had to support that chimney because it was leaning toward the back, and at some point the whole thing was going to tear up and collapse into the cellar.

You also worked on the Unitarian Meeting House, another historic structure on Nantucket. How did that come about?

There were a number of things that led up to that. In 2009, we were out the restabilizing the trusses inside the roof system, and in 2010 we scaffolded the whole front of the building. We repaired all of the handmade shingles. Those were from the 1830s, when they built anew bell tower. We repaired windows and returned architectural elements that had been lost like the front door. At the bell level, we returned the railing to the way it was. We looked at photographs from the Nantucket Historical Association and determined what kind of railing was there to reproduce.

What goes into historic restoration? Where do you source your material?

I produce it myself because it’s hard to go to a sawmill and say this is what I’m looking for. There’s always something lost in translation. I go out to the log yards and buy specific logs. I look at the quality of the logs, the dimensions of the log, whether it’s old growth, how many growth rings it has per inch. Then I have a Wood-Mizer band sawmill, which is a portable sawmill, so you saw through it in the same manner they did in the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. It’s not just finding a white pine but a good quality white pine that has good rot resistance.

Speaking of things being lost in translation, how is it that you ended up contributing to the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral?

It goes back pretty far. For the last 20 years I’ve been working at Handshouse Studio in Norwell, Massachusetts, with Rick and Laura Brown, who are both sculpture professors at MassArt [Massachusetts College of Art and Design]. One of the first projects I worked on with them was the Turtle, a Revolutionary War-era submersible built by the Bushnell brothers designed to get a load of gunpowder below the water line and attach it to a British “man-of-war” in New York Harbor. We took a six-foot-diameter spruce tree, split it in half, hollowed it out and rounded the outsides. Everything was done in a period manner. Pumps were done in a period manner. All of the blacksmithing was done as a blacksmith would in the 1770s. We took it out in Duxbury Harbor, sank it and propelled it, and then we took it down to Annapolis, Maryland, to the Naval Academy, and they dragged it through the water to test its dynamic abilities. That’s now in the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

It's that kind of thing, how the Egyptians raised a 300-ton obelisk, how 300-pound stone balls were thrown with trebuchets in Scotland. [Handshouse] was doing these historic projects when Notre Dame burned. I was here at North Bennet and we’re all watching it as it came through the newsfeed and we’re all saddened by this event of this incredible cathedral losing its original roof system, and then all the knowledge and talent that went into that construction 800 years ago. We were all wondering what we could do to help repair that. It was through the [Washington, D.C.] truss project that we made contact with one of four French companies that got the contract to build the roof structure and the spire. They were looking for interactions with Americans to create a collaborative effort. Rick and Laura chose me and Jackson DuBois, the president of the Timber Framers Guild, to go over and represent us at Notre Dame.

You have called that project the pinnacle of your career. How does it stack up to other historical restorations?

It’s literally the pinnacle. It’s the spire of the cathedral. It’s pretty wild. It’s still in some sense a little hard to believe. Medieval history is something I’m very interested in, and all the carvings involved in it. The spire to Notre Dame Cathedral is new by relative standards. It was built by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc from the 1840s to the 1860s. His inspiration was medieval architecture, and he designed it based on that. To be able to go over there, work on carvings—those quatrefoils, trefoils, railings, dormers—and have it be presented on the cathedral itself is pretty cool.

Had you been inside the cathedral before it burned down?

No. I had only seen pictures, and of course there’s the notoriety of Notre Dame. It was on my bucket list to see, and I had spent a lot of time in England but not the rest of Europe. To go over there, spend three months in a medieval town called Thouars, which is two hours south of Paris, and work with a company that has fantastic French carpenters who are very skilled was all fantastic.

With so many new buildings popping up, and historic homes being gutted, do you believe historical renovations and traditional craftsmanship have become a lost art?

There’s opportunity for it to return, but it has been lost over the years in terms of the craftsmanship that we have established over thousands of years, which has been let go for modern conveniences, modern materials and modern engineering needs. But in the case of Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the big questions they had when it burned was if they had the talent to reproduce it in kind. Carpenters Without Borders is a group of international timber framers and artisans who got together in front of Notre Dame and built truss numbers even, and executed it quickly. They showed the country and the world that these abilities still exist out there, and at that point, the decision was made that they could make this happen in five or so years.

What Notre Dame has exhibited is that all of these trades still exist—the stone carvers, the timber framers, the wood-carvers and stained glass artists and organ builders—all these things that were lost in Notre Dame. All these tradespeople, about 2,000 of them, got together and worked on the restoration, and that’s what’s important to say to people. There aren’t just these trades of electricians, plumbers and carpenters, but there are all these other trades—timber framers and stained glass artists and stone carvers—that are still viable means of making a good income and enjoying what you do

The World According to Ian Bremmer

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:54:57 GMT

Political scientist and global strategist Ian Bremmer provides his world view.

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay

Photography by Kit Noble

Ian Bremmer is the founder of the political research and consulting firm Eurasia Group, which primarily advises private sector enterprises on how to manage political risk. With offices around the world, Bremmer’s opinions are highly sought after, particularly during times of political instability. He has published 11 books, including the New York Times bestsellers, Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism , and The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats—and Our Response—Will Change the World.

Bremmer launched a digital media company called GZERO Media and the national public television show GZERO WORLD with Ian Bremmer on PBS. N Magazine sat down with Bremmer, a Nantucket summer resident, at his New York City headquarters for a wide-ranging discussion about the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, our relations with our allies, the status of the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the state of democracy in America.

How did you end up on Nantucket?

I’m from Chelsea [Massachusetts]. I grew up in the projects and didn’t even know Nantucket existed. When I was a kid, someone once said, “Nantucket,” but I misheard them and thought they said, “Nantasket,” because I had been to Nantasket Beach. Much later in life, after I had set up my family and was finally ready to take a proper vacation—I was thinking about where I wanted to go. Someone said to me, “Why don’t you go to Nantucket, you would love it there,” knowing my New England roots. I look edit up online, found some places sight unseen, and rented a little cottage on Warren Street for a month. I took the ferry, and as I got off, I saw something that had only existed in my dreams before, and I said, “Clearly, this is the place for me.”

Do you feel that the U.S. has been unfairly treated by other countries in terms of tariffs, and is there a justification for leveling the playing field?

Broadly speaking, I would say no. The U.S. today is the wealthiest large-scale economy in the world by far. Look at the U.S. and our quality of life, our productivity and entrepreneurship compared to Europe over the last20 years. Europe is poorer than Mississippi. You have to look at that and say, how is it that these guys are taking advantage of us? The idea behind free markets and more open access is that the most powerful country and the largest economy in the world will do much better if it has access to all of the markets around the world. Trump has said that if a country is running a trade surplus against the U.S., that means they’re taking advantage of us, so we need to zero that out with tariffs. That’s the way it was formulated. But let me give you two counterexamples. There are countries around the world where the U.S. is running a trade surplus, Brazil and Australia, for example. By Trump’s own definition, that means that the U.S. is taking advantage of those countries. Well then, why did we just add 10% tariffs to those countries? That argument doesn’t hold.

Secondly, there are many countries in the world that are incredibly poor that run trade surpluses with the U.S. because they cannot afford our goods. Madagascar, Lesotho and Bangladesh are not going to buy high-end American products. They don’t have a market for that. We want their inexpensive textiles. That’s why we run a trade surplus with them. Adding massive tariffs to those countries does not help us. All that does is make those goods more expensive for the U.S.

China is the 800-pound gorilla in this trade war and they have taken a very hardline stance. Where do you see this going?

The Chinese understand that they are more dependent on the American economy than the U.S. is on the Chinese economy. A tit-for-tat trade war will hurt the Chinese economically more than it will hurt the U.S., but having said that, it would hurt the U.S. politically more than it would hurt China. The U.S. is a democracy, and the Chinese are not. America is a high-income country that’s not willing to take an awful lot of pain and we’re short-term in orientation. The Chinese are not. That’s the bet that the Chinese are taking, that they can outlast Trump.

What is your prediction as to how this gets resolved?

It’s going to be easy to come up with deals with almost every other country in the world to get to a yes, including by restructuring the USMCA [United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement] with Mexico and Canada. With China, it’s a lot harder. My level of uncertainty that we will fix this with China is very high. There’s no break-through, there’s no scenario where Trump and Xi Jinping get back together and we take the tariffs off. The two options are a complete decoupling, which is very messy and unmanaged, and leads to economic pain on both sides. Or there is a half deal without trust that brings us back to 60% tariffs instead of the 125% that we’re looking at now, where the Americans de-risk away from China and the Chinese de-risk away from the U.S.

For our lifetimes, we’ve lived in a world of U.S.-led globalization, a system of common values and standards and rule of law where we work to bring tariffs a slow as possible so that goods, services and capital can move across borders as fast and efficiently as possible. For the last 15-20 years, that system has persisted but without active U.S. leadership. You can point to the failure of the Trans-Pacific Partnership as the beginning of that, which was under President Barack Obama—and then Trump killed it. Now, you can say the U.S. is actively looking to dismantle the system of globalization and in its place live by the law of the jungle, where the U.S. can impose its standards on other weaker countries, and that it would remake that global order in our image. There are significant obstacles to making that work effectively.

The biggest fear on Wall Street is the bond market. Do you see a scenario where the bond market could turn it into something far more dangerous for the economy?

That’s what Trump responded to in April. He didn’t respond to two days of the stock market tanking; instead he responded to the bond vigilantes. He was worried we were heading to a global financial crisis. It was certainly plausible if he had stuck to his guns on the across-the-board tariff levels that were announced, and that was only the opening salvo. And he has credibility because he’s not running again and the Democrats have no popularity or leadership on these issues right now—and Trump is surrounded by loyalists who are not going to speak crosswise to him.

If he wanted to ignore the markets and lead to more pain, he could have, but he chose not to. For that reason I don’t think that there is a significant short-term risk of a self-induced global financial crisis, but there’s a large long-term risk that America is no longer trusted by countries around the world as a safe place to make long-term commitments. Long-term, we are taking steps to ensure that countries make smaller bets on the U.S., and it’s not just about tariffs. It’s also about Russia and Ukraine, about the way we treat foreign students and tourists. All of these things erode trust in the U.S.

Is the erosion of trust unique to Trump, or to his predecessors, as well?

It’s not unique to Trump. The erosion of trust has been happening incrementally for decades. You can point back to the global financial crisis, which started in American free markets. You can point to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the longest war the U.S. has been in. We can point to a lot of things that have happened that have made Trump symptomatic, and also the biggest beneficiary of the fact that American trust has eroded.

At the end of the day, who is the winner? Will China emerge stronger 10 years from now?

When you’ve had a system of globalization that for the post-war period has unlocked unprecedented global growth, allowed a global middleclass to emerge, and allowed China to become a middle-income country—and then to undo that—that doesn’t create winners. It creates losers allover the world. The question is who are the bigger losers and who are the smaller losers. The U.K. is the smaller loser, ironically, because of Brexit, a major goal of the U.K. economy until now. Now, the fact that they’re not in the European Union gives them more flexibility vis-à-vis the U.S. China’s economy is significantly underperforming, and they’re going to get hurt in a big way by the pressure the U.S. is putting on them, not only directly but indirectly through third countries where the Americans are trying to squeeze trans-shipment. Long-term, as America tries to shutdown globalization, shut down USAID and aid in the global south—and as the U.S. supports Israel in a war where the majority of countries take the other side—China has other opportunities. If the U.S. pulls out of the Paris Climate Accord, the Chinese—who are driving new technologies in renewable energy—will become a dominant force, and America will be in the margins. If the U.S. pulls out of the WHO [World Health Organization], China will become the dominant country in future policies.

Does the current situation increase the risk of China invading Taiwan?

No, I don’t think so. China’s economy is doing badly right now and it will do worse because of this conflict. China is trying to become self-dependent on semiconductors as quickly as possible, but they are not there. Right now, they desperately need Taiwan and [the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company] for their own economy. A conflict with the U.S. over Taiwan would cause unprecedented damage. The political pendulum has been swinging quite wildly in the U.S.

We’re now seeing Democrats coalesce around the growing unpopularity of Trump. Could you see the pendulum ultimately swinging back to the left?

Of course. Joe Biden was not capable of running again. He needed to be pushed out, and they needed an open primary. Kamala Harris was an incumbent, and when asked if she would do anything differently, she said she wouldn’t do anything differently and she lost. Canada is going through this. Justin Trudeau was the incumbent but unpopular. His deputy prime minister forced him out. She ran an open primary and lost. They’re now bringing in Mark Carney. In an environment where incumbency has become a singular disadvantage, you’re going to see bigger swings, and that’s a vulnerability Trump has as we look to the midterms.

The amount of money saved by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency seems to be relatively small at this moment. Is it a political pipe dream to reduce the deficit in a meaningful way?

Virtually no one in Congress is interested in reducing the deficit. They all have things they want to spend money on. President Trump himself has no problem running deficits. He doesn’t like trade deficits, but he has no problem with budget deficits. That’s a drag on the U.S. economy if you’re no spending money wisely. Look at the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. That’s trillions of dollars that should have been spent on the American people. There’s a lot of fat in the U.S. government. DOGE is going to reduce the workforce by something like 10%. That’s not a rounding error—it matters, and it’s not going to significantly undermine the ability of the U.S. government to produce. But where DOGE could be more effective is in using artificial intelligence inside the government systems to identify regulatory overlap and inefficiency.

I also see DOGE driving ideological programs. The things they’re trying to cut are because they are perceived to be progressive, woke or connected to Biden. That creates a chainsaw as opposed toa scalpel approach. There was waste in USAID, but there were also things that were cut that are going to kill millions of people. I see DOGE as a double-edged sword, and I’m deeply uncomfortable with the idea that the person in charge of DOGE is also a Trump donor and the richest person still in the private sector. That strikes me as kleptocratic and a conflict of interest.

Does the national debt blow up at some point if we cannot manage it?

I don’t think we know. You can look at the basic numbers around Medicare and say the population is changing. The number of older people is becoming greater, which requires you to change the nature of the program, when people get benefits and what those benefits are. But we also know that American productivity gains through entrepreneurship and advanced technology are far greater than what we’re seeing in Europe. We know China is not an attractive place to store wealth because they have much less transparency into their systems. To say the U.S. is going to become unsustainable implies that people are going to go someplace else, and you have to tell me where that is. We don’t yet have that other place.

What is your view of where we will be a year from now based on current policies in Washington and their impact on the economy?

The biggest question for the U.S. in the next year is not about the economy, but about the political system. The U.S. is already by far the most coin-operated, kleptocratic political system of any advanced industrial democracy. The reason we got Trump is because so many people already believed the U.S. didn’t have a functioning democracy. Trump is the principal beneficiary of that, but he’s not trying to fix it. When you see his willingness to weaponize a number of departments like the DOJ, FBI and the IRS against his political enemies, you have to start asking whether the U.S. persists in terms of its fundamental rule of law, or whether we have a constitutional crisis. That’s where you have to look at whether the judiciary will stand up and contain an executive that doesn’t want to adhere to its rulings.

Trump is under fire for many things he is doing but are there aspects of his agenda you think are positive?

Applying artificial intelligence into government operations (through DOGE), increasing efficiency and reducing regulatory overreach and overlap is extremely important, and other countries around the world will try to follow a similar strategy. Trump's orientation towards ending wars is important. Trying to bring the war in Ukraine to an end is overdue and welcome. I'm also glad to see Trump leaning into diplomacy with Iran, with the intention of a broader deal.

Some feel democracy is threatened under Trump? What is Your View?

It’s in more trouble than at any other point in my lifetime, but that’s different from saying it’s about to collapse. I don’t think we’re on the precipice of a civil war, or becoming a dictatorship. The U.S. is not going to be Russia over the course of Trump. We still have an independent, professional military, a federal system with elections run state by state, and a Supreme Court that rules independently even today. There have been decisions in the last week that are unprecedented in undermining some fundamental pillars of American democracy.

Long-term, are you optimistic about where the country is going?

Long-term, I’m an optimist. The power of new technologies that will unlock human capital is transformative and coming fast. We’re actually creating solutions faster than we’re creating problems. It’s an amazing time to be a kid right now. I think 2040 or 2050,in a world with at-scale, inexpensive, decentralized, abundant sustainable energy for everyone—that’s amazing in terms of wealth and what you can do with it. I think about what AI is capable of doing in terms of anyone around the world having access to world-class knowledge and solutions for education, medication and self-development. How can you not be an optimist in that environment.

The Grapes of Wrath

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:15:27 GMT

The Nantucket Wine & Food Festival returns this May, but it almost didn't happen.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography By Kit Noble

When a hostile takeover attempt threw the future of the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival into jeopardy last year, there came a point when Nancy Bean thought the festival she had run for nearly two decades might not return. She worried the hours of planning and coordination she had already put in for the 2025 festival might all be for nothing—and she thought she would be out of a job. When a partial settlement put a stop to that takeover last fall—for the time being—Bean said the first thing she felt was tremendous relief.

“My whole livelihood almost got taken away from me,” she said, reflecting on the attempt by a Boston-area wine and liquor company to replace the festival. “I’m really proud that I stuck with this and that it’s happening. All of the insane amount of triple-time work that we had to do to catch up and make it happen is so worth it. It’s so worth it, and it’s our honor to be able to do it.”

The Wine & Food Festival has become a springtime Nantucket staple since its first iteration in 1996, a series of elaborate events and grand tastings with Champagne, rosé, hors d’oeuvres, purveyed meats and artisanal cheeses. The scene has become well-known on Nantucket: chefs prepare oysters and caviar, while winemakers boast some of the finest bottles from around the world.

But just one month after the last glass of wine was poured at the2024 festival, the event’s future was suddenly cast into doubt. Bean heard about it through a series of email blasts and social media posts from Waltham-based Gordon’s Fine Wine & Liquors. Those emails and posts claimed Gordon’s had purchased Bean’s long-running festival. The company also claimed it had struck a deal with the White Elephant and would rebrand the event as the Nantucket Food and Wine Experience. That was all news to Bean.

Gordon’s later clarified it had not purchased the event but instead would launch a separate Wine Experience over the same week in May as the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival. Bean took Gordon’s and the White Elephant to court, and in November, she reached a partial settlement with the White Elephant preventing the hotel from conducting any event with Gordon’s in May 2025 or 2026. The settlement preserves all claims against Gordon’s.

“When things did go in my favor, we had been at a point where there was going to be no festival if something didn’t happen, and luckily we had an injunctive hearing that expedited things,” Bean said. Bean announced less than two weeks after the injunctive hearing in November that the festival would return in 2025—with a new home base at The Nantucket Hotel, and tastings and other events at Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm and the Sconset Casino.

“I am incredibly proud,” she said. “I have three daughters, so what’s the message going to be, that you’re going to back down because it’s too hard to keep fighting and it’s too expensive? I am very proud and I also am honored that so many people helped me and believed in it because it was really hard.”

The Nantucket Wine Festival was founded in 1996 by Denis Toner, a longtime Nantucket seasonal resident. Bean began her tenure in 2007 as the director of operations, and in 2012, Toner sold the festival to Bean and her then-business partner Mark Goldweitz. Since then, Bean has become the sole owner of the festival—acquiring it for approximately $1 million, according to the lawsuit—and rebranded it as the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival. These days, the festival draws over 4,000 visitors annually, according to Bean.

While there will be several new venues this year, Bean said the spirit of the festival will remain the same. There are still the wines from around the world, as well as dinners and hors d’oeuvres that celebrate the cuisines of multiple countries, along with some of the best food Nantucket has to offer. The winemakers who travel to Nantucket come from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Austria and Hungary.

And this year, there is a spotlight on pinot noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, with a luncheon at the Nantucket Inn. Other tastings take place at American Seasons, The Nantucket Hotel, private residences and Bartlett’s Farm. “What’s exciting about Bartlett’s is it’s a stunning location,” Bean said. “We’re all about food, which brings us back to agriculture and farming. It’s such a beautiful location for all of these tasting events to take place, and it makes sense. We can also spread out a bit more. We’re not confined to a small space.”

The festival also returns to the Siasconset Casino for the first time in over two decades, with events including a Judgment of Paris wine tasting and the festival’s La Fete, a high-end dinner in a venue Bean lauds as “stunning.” “For the consumer, it’s going to be exciting because there are some new things, and some things have been reimagined,” Bean said. “For those who had heard about [the festival] and never come, it’s going to be just what they thought, and for those who have come before, it’s going to be every bit as good as it’s always been. We have a lot more to do.”

New Paragraph

Spring Sippers

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:34:33 GMT

A seasonal selection of wines and cocktails from local purveyors—plus a buzzy tipple with a booze-free twist

Written by Jen Laskey

Renewal is the theme of the season. Why not embrace it with a new wine, cocktail or nonalcoholic drink? Whether you need a glass of something to warm you up after a chilly beach walk, to sip while listening to a chorus of spring peepers in your backyard or to tote to your tailgate picnic on Daffodil Day, Nantucket’s drinks purveyors have an array of resplendent sips for you.

KEN WRIGHT CELLARS

HIRSCHY VINEYARD WADENSWIL CLONE PINOT NOIR, 2019 ($70/BOTTLE)

KEN WRIGHT CELLARS

WILLAMETTE VALLEY CHARDONAY, 2023 ($28/BOTTLE)

Recommended by Nancy Bean, owner, Nantucket Wine & Food Festival

Ken Wright, who has been making wine in Oregon for nearly 40 years, put Oregon on the wine map. Nancy Bean, who owns the festival, refers to Wright as a legend, someone who grew Oregon's Willamette Valley and is known for pioneering single-vineyard pinot noirs. This year, Wright will be spotlighted by the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival, with his 2019 Hirschy Vineyard Wädenswil Clone Pinot Noir featured at the Harbor Gala. A medley of black plum, huckleberry and red licorice, this wine boasts silky tannins with herbal and sweet spice notes, Bean said. It pairs well with all sorts of spring and summer foods—from grilled salmon, lamb chops and filet mignon to barbecue pork ribs, pepperoni pizza and beet salad with goat cheese.

For a refreshing spring white, Bean recommends Wright’s 2023 Willamette Valley Chardonnay. This wine is juicy with crisp flavors of white peach, green apple and pear. “It’s refined and elegant, and has great depth and complexity without being heavy,” she said. “With its bright acidity, crisp minerality and rich fruit flavors, it’s great to pair with seafood and shellfish.” After the festival is over, Bean said she looks forward to getting her kayak back in the water, sipping a glass of this wine on her back deck with a friend—and then going to chase the sunset at Miacomet.

SOPHIE SCHAAL ALSACE RIESLING, 2023($22/bottle)

Recommended by Erin Hepinstall, Wine & Cheese Manager, Bartlett's Farm

"Don’t be afraid of riesling!” That’s the message from Erin Hepinstall, who hopes to encourage more Nantucketers to embrace the noble grape. Despite what many people think, riesling wines aren’t always sweet, especially when they come from Alsace, a region in northeastern France known for its ultra crisp, dry rieslings. This one from Sophie Schaal, which is made from organically grown grapes, is “super friendly and approachable,” Hepinstall said. “Honeyed florals and beeswax notes give great weight without any cloying sweetness. A laser-focused finish of citrus fruit and mineral-driven acidity keep things fresh and lively on the palate. It can go from sunshiny days to chilly evening meals pretty effortlessly.”

Hepinstall absolutely loves spring on Nantucket and tries to get outside as much as possible. As the days get longer, she looks forward to outdoor potlucks with friends. “This wine will absolutely be my contribution this year,” she said. Hepinstall recommends pairing this riesling with oysters—or any shellfish. “It would also be so delicious with any sort of soft, aged goat cheese, like a Bûcheron or Humboldt Fog."

DOMAINE PELLE LA CROIX AU GARDE SANCERRE, 2023 ($32/BOTTLE)

Recommended by Elizabeth Pereira, Owner, Épernay Wine & Spirits

Spring has its glorious moments, but it’s not every islander’s favorite season. “I don’t love the rainy spring days on Nantucket,” Elizabeth Pereira admitted. Pereira and her husband, Brian, took over Épernay Wine & Spirits on North Beach Street from Jenny Benzie and Kirk Baker last year. But on a sunny day, Pereira often rejoices with a bottle of fourth-generation winemaker Paul-Henry Pellé’s La Croix au Garde Sancerre. “This wine is refreshing and uplifting,” she said. “It rounds out a good day and gives hope of warmer weather to come.” Sipping it, “you can almost taste summer coming.”

Bright, crisp and aromatic, this sauvignon blanc from Sancerre in France’s Loire Valley pairs well with lighter spring foods and fish. “I love how well it pairs with white fish,” Pereira said, adding that it would also “be wonderful in a picnic with charcuterie, cheeses, pâté and some deviled eggs—a perfect part of any Daffodil Croquet party.” And with its citrus notes and minerality, she said, “it’s also amazing with pad thai."

THE QUEEN BEE

AT THE PROPRIETORS

Recommended by Orla LaScola, owner/operator with Michael LaScola, The Proprietors Bar & Table

"What is not to love about spring on Nantucket?” Orla LaScola asked. “All the restaurants and small businesses begin to reopen, our favorite guests start to return, Nantucket’s year-round residents come out of hiding. The community starts to reconnect after winter, it is the absolute best time here.” The Queen Bee, a new cocktail on the menu at The Proprietors Bar & Table this spring, “speaks to the freshness and brightness of the season—and our food menu at this time of the year,” LaScola said. “We love the light, fresh notes in this cocktail. It has a touch of sweetness, but it is tart and light. The floral notes in the gin and the hint of ginger make it very refreshing.”LaScola suggested sipping the Queen Bee and nibbling on some light snacks from the Proprietors menu, such as chef/partner Nathan Hanyzewski’s hummus plate with snap peas and pickled peppers or his smoked whitefish salad with brown bread and crudité.

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces gin (LaScola loves Sông Cái Floral Gin in this recipe)

½ ounce of honey syrup*

1 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon

Drop of ginger bitters

Lemon twist for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients over ice in a shaker. Shake for approximately 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Make a fresh twist of lemon peel, twist to release oils and rub over the glass top. Enjoy!

For the honey syrup: Combine equal parts honey and water in a small pot on the stovetop on medium heat until you can easily whisk them together. Leftover honey syrup will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to two weeks.

PEPE PICANTE

Recommended by Matt Hayes, bar manager, Ventuno and Via Mare

Created by Matt Hayes, the Pepe Picante is one of Ventuno’s most popular warm-weather cocktails. A tropical riff on the classic martini, Hayes’ version is made with tequila as its base spirit, instead of vodka or gin. He revs it up with mango and lime juices, as well as a jalapeño, habanero and poblano chile-infused agave-based simple syrup. “It’s light, fun and nicely balanced,” Hayes said. “You get sweetness from the mango juice, tartness from the lime juice and a little bit of sweet spiciness from the agave syrup.” The rich yellow color makes the Pepe Picante look like sunshine in a glass. “It can take you from spring right into summer,” Hayes said. And while he thinks the Pepe would be an ideal après-festival cocktail for any of Nantucket’s spring festivals (he loves going to all of them), he said, “It’s definitely the drink for a Daffodil cocktail party."

INGREDIENTS

1½ ounces blanco tequila (Hayes recommends Casamigos)

½ ounce lime juice

1½ ounces mango juice

½ ounce spicy agave syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

For the spicy agave syrup: In a medium pot, combine 2 cups agave nectar, 2 cups water, 1 habanero pepper, 1 jalapeño pepper and 1 poblano pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat and let cool. Strain out the chiles before using, and store leftover spicy agave syrup in the refrigerator.

DE SOI TRÈS ROSÉ, $16/4-pack

If you want to rosé all day without risking a hangover, this sparkling nonalcoholic apéritif is a great option. Enjoy it as an alternative to actual rosé wine or use it to stay hydrated in between glasses of the real stuff. The base of this pretty pink drink is a blend of pear, grapefruit, raspberry and lychee juices. It gets a little kick from red wine vinegar and ginger extract, plus added nuance from chamomile, cardamom, rooibos and rose extracts. Marketed as “adaptogen rich,” the Très Rosé also contains extracts of lion’s mane and reishi mushrooms plus the amino acid L-theanine for a “mood-boosting buzz.” There are no mushroomy flavors in the drink at all. What you smell and taste is tart, juicy and refreshingly fruit-forward with dominant berry fruit leather notes and subtle florals. It’s more complex and more like a lightly effervescent sparkling wine (Lambrusco, for example) than a typical soda. De Soi Très Rosé comes in cute 8-ounce cans or 750-milliliter bottles.

Easy Does It

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 11:58:40 GMT

Written by Brian Bushard
Photography by Kit Noble

Inside Milan Basnet's new Easy Street Restaurant

The building on the corner of Easy Street and Steamboat Wharf was known for years as Schooner’s. It was the first place you saw as you hopped off the Steamship throughout the ’70s and ’80s. In 2009, it reopened with the simple yet apt name, Easy Street Restaurant. During the summer of 2015, a restaurant named Nabe served sushi and mac and cheese there, though it only lasted for a year.

But for the past decade, the building has mostly sat empty, save for a few short stints as a retail pop-up. This spring, the building will reopen, once again as the Easy Street Restaurant. “Every time I would walk by that place, it was empty, and for me, I always thought that this is the face of Nantucket,” said Milan Basnet, the owner and manager of the new restaurant. "You get off the boat and the first thing you see is an empty building. I said, ‘This place needs life.’ It’s right on the water, right outside the ferry.”

Basnet—a former manager at a handful of off-island restaurants such as The Friendly Toast, IHOP and TGI Fridays—struck a deal with longtime property owner Todd Arno to lease the property earlier this year, receiving the green light from the town for a 200-seat restaurant that he said will focus on quality local ingredients, with a modern and experimental spin. His recipes include an island fried rice with pineapple, buttered rice, peas, bias-cut green onions, sweet chili glaze, and chicken or beef.

Nantucket is not entirely new for Basnet. His fiancée Rekha has been coming to the island for years, working as a nurse at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Basnet said now that he’s on the island, his goal for the restaurant is to have it open for breakfast, lunch and dinner as a gathering spot for a good time and good meal. “We’re incredibly excited,” he said.

Before Basnet took over the space, the 0.8-acre property had been eyed for years by town officials, as well as by the Land Bank and Steamship Authority, who saw it as a strategic location. Town officials even met in executive session as recently as 2023 to discuss a potential joint acquisition of the lot that would see it used to expand and potentially raise Steamboat Wharf, provide open space alongside the Land Bank’s recently developed Easy Street Park, and improve parking for the Steamship. In an April 2023 statement, the three entities said the property would improve Steamboat Wharf “as the gateway entrance to the island for future generations,” citing a need to enhance “public safety, coastal resilience and economic security.

”The Easy Street Restaurant puts a damper on those plans, at least for now—though the restaurant is a welcome sight for diners after years of dormancy on the bustling corner. As Basnet told the Nantucket Current in March, the building “has so much potential. I always wanted to put some life into that place."

Irish Tunes

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 12:48:51 GMT

On Wednesdays, a group of musicians plays Irish jigs at Kitty Murtagh’s, carrying on a tradition of Celtic sessions.

Written by Brian Bushard
Photography by Kit Noble

The part-time musicians who take a seat at Kitty Murtagh’s on Wednesday nights are not looking for the spotlight. For that matter, they’re not even looking for a paycheck from the bar. Instead, the group has found a place where it can meet regularly to play traditional Irish music, more as away to jam and build community around a common language of music than to show off their talents—though there’s no denying they are talented. For nearly eight years, they’ve met almost every week to perform together in some capacity. They have met at different venues, with members rotating from week to week. Even at Kitty Murtagh’s—where they’ve performed since 2023—some group members take breaks during the performance for a bite to eat. Some grab a Guinness.

“It’s one of the things we’re missing in our modern world, the connection of community,” said Meg Glidden, a teacher at the Nantucket Lighthouse School who has been playing in these Celtic sessions for five years. “I missed one week, and when I came back the next week, everybody clapped. Everybody can join, there’s nothing exclusive. Everyone can be there, that’s how music is.”

The Celtic Slow Sessions, as these impromptu gatherings are called, are organized by the Nantucket Community Music Center under de facto band leader Graeme Durovich. When the musicians are not playing a Wednesday session at Kitty Murtagh’s, they can be found at the Music Center on Centre Street.

Irish music has a rich history on Nantucket. John Keane, the owner of Kitty Murtagh’s, Town and Queequeg’s, has hosted a number of Irish musicians,

including Cork County native Sean Cunningham and his rock band Sunday’s Well, which covers ’70sand ’80s rock and punk songs by bands like Thin Lizzy and The Pogues, and U2 cover band Joshua Tree, which went on to perform several gigs at The Chicken Box. “It wasn’t iddly-diddly Irish music,” Keane said.

Traditional Irish music like the tunes played during the Celtic Slow Sessions has also had along presence on the island, whether by way of performances at the Whaling Museum by American troubadour Bill Schustik or jams organized by the late Henry Varian, an Irish immigrant to Nantucket via Boston known fondly to Keane as an “ambassador for music.”

“[The Celtic Slow Sessions] started out as a group of musicians getting together and jamming. They wanted a place where they could all get together,” Keane said of the Wednesday night performances at Kitty Murtagh’s. “It’s worked out well. People enjoy it. You might not be going thereto dance, but I feel as much as the house benefits from it, they benefit from it because it’s a venue and they get to have a good time.”

Peter Lochtefeld joined the group two years ago. At the time, he did not know much about Celtic music. But he was intrigued, and the songs sounded familiar. Lochtefeld’s father, artist John Lochtefeld, grew up in West Virginia playing what Peter referred to as “old folk songs that no one knows anymore.” When Peter joined the group at the Music Center, he said it was “like the wheel coming back around.” He’s since played sessions across the state. He’s attended sessions in Spain and in Amsterdam.

“You walk in and it’s really, really nice to have a group of people to play together because there’s a canon of songs that everyone knows,” he said. “I’m starting to finally get to know about half the stuff they play, which is great. People can come in and play and jump in and come and go. They don’t all go there for the beer, they go for the music and the camaraderie. This group is made up of all ages. It’s nice to have people come.”

Lochtefeld is one of several guitar players in the group. Others play the viola, fiddle, flute, oboe, mandolin, bass, banjo or an Irish string instrument resembling a long-necked mandolin called a bouzouki. Glidden, a trained flutist, pivoted to the penny whistle during the pandemic. She’s started memorizing a few pieces, “The Irish Washer woman” being a favorite. When she’s playing, it’s not to solo, but to play along to a melody. There are no solo instruments in the session. In other words, she said, there’s no place where one person is showing off.

“The group is very connected, very kind,” Glidden said. “When we play at Kittys, anyone can show up with an instrument and join in. There’s a real open sense of community with the group.”

PERI & JARED

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 20:24:17 GMT

Peri and Jared's
White Elephant wedding.

Bride and Groom: Peri Schaut and Jared Tokarz

Rehearsal Dinner: Cru

Ceremony: Unitarian Universalist Meeting House

Reception: White Elephant

After Party: Chicken Box

Wedding Coordinator: Jimmy Jaksic

Photographer: Hannay Alyssa

Cake: Montillo's

Band: The Dukes

Bride's Dress: Oscar de la Renta

Bridal Hair: Darya Salon

Bridal Makeup: Paolina Doycheva

Stationery: Julie King Studio

Car: Nick Johnson (ACK Classics)

Rentals : Event Rental Co., Placesetter's Nantucket, BBJ La Tavola

Florist: Soiree Floral

Sweater Weather

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 14:22:22 GMT

FASHION

Photographer: Brian Sager

Photo Assistant: Reece Nelson

Editorial Stylist: Petra Hoffmann

Hair Styling: The Coupe Nantucket

Makeup Styling: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

Floral Styling: Kelsey Day of Nuude Botanica

Female Model: Nikki Stalling of Maggie Inc.

Male Model: Jason Vergados of Maggie Inc.

Cooking Family Style

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Four recipes to get you through the winter.

Written by Greta Feeney

Photography by Kit Noble

Nantucket Stroll is a time to celebrate established traditions while creating new memories with family and friends. But with our peak seasonal population approaching 70,000, and just 4,000 restaurant reservations to be had on-island on any given evening, Nantucketers are upping their game as stay-at-home chefs, creating wholesome, nourishing meals that are as delicious as they are practical. This holiday season , N Magazine features favorite recipes from the custom kitchens of some of Nantucket’s most celebrated hosts and hostesses.

Mark Famiglio became enchanted by Nantucket in the1970s while he was a student at New College in Sarasota, Florida. A Philadelphia native and a second-generation Italian American of Roman and Sicilian descent, Famiglio was raised alongside six brothers and a sister on a steady diet of home-cooked Italian food. After a familial squabble over who would inherit his mother’s copper cookware, Mark came into possession of his grandmother Aldina’s chitarra pasta maker and has since mastered the art of traditional pasta-making. Those fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of the Famiglio family’s famous brand of Italian-style hospitality are treated to heaping bowls of homemade pasta, served with a traditional “meat gravy” that, over the years, Mark has refined into a gourmet bolognese. “To my mother’s meat gravy I add a soffritto, also known as the ‘holy trinity’ of Italian cooking,” says Mark as he dices the celery, onions and carrots that form the base of the flavor for his pasta sauce. Together with his twin daughters Camilla Marquesa and Bryn Aldina, Mark regularly hosts pasta nights that have become famous among the Nantucket teen theater crowd. “We make rigatoni, fettuccine, penne, spaghetti, and then we basically eat until we die,” says Camilla, who serves as sous-chef to her dad when she’s not keeping busy as a summer camp counselor at The Westmoor Club.

Polly and Nick Miller met and fell in love on Nantucket as teenagers in the 1950s, and after they married, entertaining became central to their family’s legacy. Society events such as “Women of Summer” and “Women of Winter” featured many of Polly’s signature dishes, as well as world-class entertainment at the Millers’ sprawling seven-acre Polpis estate. At the top of Polly’s list of go-to dishes is a satisfyingly savory Portuguese kale soup, prepared with fresh local produce whenever possible and served with a tangy, aromatic side of skillet beans. This versatile protein and fiber-rich combination is well suited to a mixed crowd of carnivores and vegetarians, as well as those with gluten sensitivities. “Even the meat-eaters can’t seem to resist the skillet beans,” says Polly, who adapted the skillet bean recipe from her son Scott. “Watch out,” she adds. “It is addictive.”

From her annual Stroll celebration to her Ladies’ Luncheon, where accomplished women in the community meet and support each other, Kimberly Kozlowski is all about bringing people together. A self-described “purist,” Kozlowski honors Nantucket’s history through the impeccable historic renovation of her Pleasant Street home, and in the kitchen, where she makes healthy food sourced from locally grown and produced ingredients. She even incorporates the use of an antique pie crimper for her famous apple pie. “Apples should taste like apples and not like sugar,” says Kozlowski, who this holiday season has embellished her recipe with Nantucket cranberries and honey.

FAMIGLIO FAMILY RAGÙ ALLA BOLOGNESE WITH MACCHERONI ALLA CHITARRA

Prep and cook time 3-4 hours. Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

For the Bolognese:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

10 ounces mixed ground beef and pork

5 ounces pancetta, finely diced

½ cup good dry white wine (something you would actually drink)

½ cup whole milk

14 ounces canned peeled tomatoes (we like San Marzano) crushed or passed through a sieve

Chicken broth

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Fresh basil for garnish

For the Pasta:

6 large eggs

3½ cups all-purpose flour

Extra-virgin olive oil

For the Bolognese, heat the olive oil and butter in a large cast-iron pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are soft and fragrant, but not brown. Add pancetta and cook until fat renders and meat begins to brown. Add ground beef and pork and cook until browned, breaking up meat. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in white wine and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until alcohol evaporates. Lower heat and stir in milk until absorbed. Add tomatoes and season with a bit more salt and pepper, then lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. If sauce gets too thick, add broth.

For the pasta, heap flour in the center of a large, clean cooking surface. Make a well in the middle. Crack eggs into the well and beat together with a fork, starting at the inner rim of the well and working outward, until half the flour is incorporated. Continue kneading with the palms of your hands until all the flour is gone and the dough becomes cohesive. Clean the cooking area and dust with fresh flour, then continue kneading for about 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary. Set the dough aside for 30 minutes. After it has rested, cut the dough into four equal parts, covering those not in use to prevent drying. Roll out the dough with a dusted rolling pin, lengthwise and widthwise, until it forms a thin rectangular sheet. Press the sheet of dough through the wire rack of the chitarra with either your fingers or the thin rolling pin. Dust the pasta with flour and cover until cook time. This pasta should be boiled for approximately 2 minutes, then served immediately.

POLLY'S PORTUGUESE KALE SOUP

Prep and assemble, 1 hour. Cook time, 45 minutes. Serves 8.

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock

1 pound linguica, chorizo or kielbasa, casing removed, sliced thinly or diced

1½ pounds kale, washed, torn apart, stems removed

2-3 yellow onions, chopped (about two cups)

2 cans diced basil-and-oregano or fire-roasted tomatoes

2 medium raw, cubed Idaho potatoes (2½ cups, peeling optional)

1 small can Bush’s brand baked beans

1 can undrained dark red kidney beans

1 small red and ½ orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped

Some shredded napa cabbage (optional)

Cumin and curry powder to taste

Directions

Place sausage in a large, heavy pot or slow cooker, along with chicken stock. As the mixture begins to simmer, add kale, then the other ingredients, in the order above. Cover and let simmer for at least 45 minutes. Soup will improve the next day when reheated and can be thinned by adding more chicken stock.

SCOTT’S SKILLET BEANS WITH SAFFRON ORZO

Prep and cook time, 35-40 minutes. Serves 8.

Ingredients

1 pound orzo pasta

2-3 cans undrained red kidney beans, drained black-eyed peas, butter beans, white northern beans or garbanzos

1 large can plain diced tomatoes

1 large Vidalia onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1-2 green bell peppers, chopped

3 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey or molasses

1 tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon basil1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

¼ teaspoon good saffron

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Salt to taste, plus a few shakes of cayenne pepper

Directions

In a heavy saucepan or large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until golden. Add celery and peppers and continue sautéing another five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add thyme, oregano, basil, black pepper, salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Add tomatoes, honey or molasses, and mustard. Cover and simmer for five more minutes, then carefully fold in the beans, cover and stir occasionally until thoroughly heated. Crumble saffron into a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of hot water to extract the spice’s flavor and color. Use the water to flavor the cooked orzo. Top orzo with skillet beans and add Parmesan, if desired. Both dishes pair well with a simple mixed green salad and hot buttered Portuguese rolls. Ladle soup into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

KIMBERLY KOZLOWSKI’S NATURALLY SWEET CRANBERRY APPLE PIE

Prep and bake time, 3 hours.

Ingredients

For the crust:

2½ cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of sea salt

1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter (cubed)

6 tablespoons ice water

2 tablespoons honey

For the filling:

6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into 3-centimeter slices

½ cup fresh cranberries (approximately 20 cranberries)

½ cup 100% pure raw honey (I love Grey Lady Apiary)

2 teaspoons pure ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 pats unsalted butter

For a golden crust:

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk or water

Directions

Prepare the dough. Add 1½ cups of flour and salt to a food processor, pulse 3 times until combined. Add cubed butter a little at a time, then honey, continuing to pulse the food processor (about 15 seconds) until the dough takes the form of little clumps. Add 1 cup of remaining flour and continue to mix on low speed until the dough looks crumbly. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add 4 tablespoons of ice water and hand-mix to form a ball. (You should be able to pinch the dough and it should bind. If it does not, gradually add a tablespoon of water and test again.) Cut the dough ball in half and press into a disk-like form. Wrap both pieces in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until firm. While the dough is chilling, prepare the pie filling. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the filling. Mix apple slices, fresh cranberries, cinnamon and cornstarch together. Mix well and set aside.

Assemble the pie. Take the dough out of the freezer and test for pliability by squeezing it. Dust a clean surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough out evenly to about a 12-inch circle and place in an ungreased glass pie pan (you can use a nonstick cooking spray if using an aluminum pan). Continue the same process with the second half of the dough. Set it aside. Fill the crust in the pie pan with the apple/cranberry filling, then pour the honey directly over the apple mixture. Apply the 4 pats of butter onto the filling. Place the second crust over the filling and crimp edges with a pie crimper. (If you do not have a pie crimper, you can pinch the upper and lower crust together with your thumbs around the edge of the pie pan). Remove excess dough. Make slits or cut a design in the top pie crust to vent (I typically cut the shape of Nantucket Island in the crust). Place the pie on the center rack of the 400-degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. In the meantime, in a separate bowl, mix egg and milk until frothy. After baking the pie for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and brush the crust with egg wash. Bake for another 40 minutes until the apples are soft and the crust is golden brown. Place on a cooling rack for two hours before cutting. Served best with vanilla or Crantucket ice cream from the Juice Bar.

Winter Wines

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Seven winter drinks for your favorite cold-weather comfort foods

Written by Jen Laskey

Stroll kicks off the last hurrah before we hunker down for the long winter ahead. With it comes the promise of holiday celebrations, followed by some well-earned R&R when we get to catch up with friends and neighbors, indulge in our favorite comfort foods, and relish the cold, quiet, locals-only version of the island. Whether you’re looking for seasonal sippers to share over Stroll weekend, a special beverage to brighten some of those dark winter nights or something delicious to pair with your hard-earned harvest of Nantucket bay scallops, our local drinks experts have got you covered. Here are seven wines, cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks to savor with your favorite winter foods between now and spring.

DENNY BINI “FESTA”LAMBRUSCO DELL’EMILIA, NV ($20/BOTTLE)

Recommended by Alanna Lucas, owner, Nantucket Wine & Spirits

A fruity but dry sparkling red wine made with organically grown grapes from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, the Denny Bini “Festa” Lambrusco is “rustic yet playful,” said Alanna Lucas. “The tiny bubbles awaken your palate, keeping you on point for that board game by the fire.” This wine also has darker, deeper flavors that make it a perfect pairing for charcuterie such as Prosciutto di Parma served with Parmigiano-Reggiano, marinated mushrooms, olives and figs—some of Lucas’ favorite things to nosh on in the cold winter months. She adds that the offseason is an excellent time to explore new wines and regions, or even take a wine class. “Most importantly, though,” she said,“ it’s a time to have dinner parties and do what winemakers intended for us wine drinkers to do with their wine: enjoy it with a leisurely meal with family—and friends who are family.

ST. AGRESTIS PHONY NEGRONI ($10/2-pack)

If you love the flavors of a negroni but are looking to dial back on booze at any point this season, this delicious bottled cocktail from Brooklyn-based distiller St. Agrestis has all the juniper, bitter citrus peel and herbal notes of a real negroni without any alcohol. Plus, its cute packaging makes it festive enough for a holiday party. Just pop the cap and serve. Cheers!

TRIMBACH PINOT GRIS RÉSERVE 2018 ($21/GLASS, $84/BOTTLE)

DUCKHORN MERLOT 2021($26/GLASS, $104/BOTTLE)

Recommended by Zack Lindsay, general manager and beverage director, The SeaGrille

Zack Lindsay loves the downtime that comes with winter on the island. “It’s not a blur, like the summer,” he said. In the winter, he gets to relax, spend quality time with his family and indulge in some of his favorite dishes and drinks. “I love our broiled bay scallops with beurre blanc and Trimbach pinot gris—with the sweetness of the scallops and the acidity of the wine, it’s like a homerun, honestly,” he said. “But for real comfort food, I go for our au poivre.” The SeaGrille’s center-cut filet mignon au poivre comes with brandy cream sauce that Lindsay tosses with a side of house-made fettuccine. He’ll wash that down with a warming glass of Duckhorn merlot. “It’s a benchmark for merlot in my mind,” he said. “It almost drinks like a cabernet [sauvignon], so it pairs great with red meat.”

UCCELLIERA ROSSODI MONTALCINO 2021($36/BOTTLE)

Recommended by Elisabeth English, founder and former owner, Current Vintage

Close your eyes, take a sip of the Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino and let your mind transport you to the sun-drenched vineyards of Tuscany. Made with100% organic Sangiovese grapes, this dry red wine is “silky and vibrant,” said Beth English. “The savory, spicy red fruit flavors are lengthy and mouth-coating, beckoning another sip.” It’s an excellent value too: “Its big brother, Brunello di Montalcino, is three to five times the price.” For English, the slower pace of winter grants her time to do more cooking, relaxing and binge-watching great TV. “I love pairing all of the above with Italian red wines, especially from Piedmont and Tuscany.” But one of her favorite pairings doesn’t require any time in the kitchen at all: a glass of Uccelliera and Pi pizza with Esposito’s sausage and hot peppers. “Sangiovese, in general, pairs beautifully with pizza and tomato-based dishes,” she said, “but a Rosso di Montalcino with Pi pizza by the fire on a Nantucket winter night is a trifecta!”

EVENING GLOW

Recommended by Neil Ferguson, chef-owner, American Seasons

Inspired by the 1930s-era Army & Navy cocktail, the Evening Glow brings a floral twist to the bright, citrusy classic. “Elegant, clean and moreish, it perfectly balances zesty lemon, the almond and aromatic gin and the St-Germain,” said Neil Ferguson. “You will definitely want a second!” This cocktail is bound to elevate any snowy-weather soiree—or even a cozy evening at home. “During Nantucket’s winter months, there’s nothing better than curling up under a blanket with a great movie and a comforting drink,” he said. At American Seasons, they pair the Evening Glow with Ferguson’s Butternut Squash Tortelli, a stuffed fresh pasta filled with squash purée and crumbled amaretti biscuits that’s served with a sage-brown butter sauce and a touch of lemon zest. The dish, he said, “echoes the cocktail’s lovely lemon and almond notes for a delicious pairing."

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces gin

¾ ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur

¾ounce orgeat syrup

1 ounce lemon juice

3 dashes Angostura bitters

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled three-quarters of the way with ice. Shake vigorously until chilled, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

STROLLING WITH MY HOMIES

Recommended by Clinton Terry, founding partner and beverage director, Nautilus and Gaslight

Bartending maverick Clinton Terry may have invented the ultimate Stroll cocktail. It’s delicious, it’s red, it’s got holiday spirit—and a great name: Strolling With My Homies. Served seasonally at Nautilus, this cocktail is made with tequila, Ambrosia hibiscus-infused simple syrup, a little bit of sour mix and, according to Terry, “Christmas cheer.” (The Gaslight serves a vodka-based version.) After the craziness of summer, Terry appreciates how winter turns Nantucket into “one big close-knit neighborhood.” And he added, “The light is just so beautiful.” His ideal spot for relishing this seasonal sipper is at the beach, chasing those last afternoon rays. “I’m a big Cisco sunset guy, even in winter.” He recommends Nautilus’ barbecued beef bánh mì as a pairing for Strolling With My Homies. “The cocktail gives a bit of fruitiness, then there’s a little leather-sandalwood you get from the hibiscus that blends well with the pâté, herbs and pickled veg.”

INGREDIENTS

2 Ounces blanco tequila

1½ ounces hibiscus-infused simple syrup

½ ounce sour mix

DIRECTIONS

Fill a shaker with ice, add ingredients and shake. Strain into a chilled coupe (or rocks glass with a large ice cube). Garnish with a lime wheel. For the hibiscus simple syrup, use a 4:1:1 ratio of water to sugar to dried hibiscus. Combine in a pot over medium-high heat, and let simmer until sugar crystals dissolve. Cool completely, strain out the hibiscus, and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Is The Downyflake Cooked?

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

After the demolition of The Downyflake, will the landmark return?

Written by Jason Graziadei
Photography by Kit Noble

In what may have been its final day in business this fall, the island institution that is The Downyflake was filled with emotions as staff and customers shared memories of a place that had been a steady presence in their lives. When The Downyflake shut its doors on October 15, it may not have been the end of the iconic restaurant, but it certainly closed one chapter in its storied 90-year history.

The building on Sparks Avenue where The Downyflake has been located since the mid-1990s will soon be demolished to make way for the so-called new downtown—an 18,000-square-foot, three-story, mixed-use development recently approved by the Planning Board and Historic District Commission. Paté Kennedy and Ron Oldham, who have owned The Downyflake since2014 after taking the torch from prior owners Mark Hogan and Susan Tate, are unsure what the future holds but would like to see The Downyflake carry on as it has for decades—as a family-run dining establishment for the year-round community. The owners have discussed the possibility of an alternative location for the restaurant while the stretch of Sparks Avenue is demolished and remade. They’ve also contemplated selling the name and business to the next steward of The Downyflake.

Oldham and Kennedy—both decades-long veterans of the island restaurant industry who are now in their 70s—own both the name and the business. They believe The Downyflake will live on after the Sparks Avenue location is demolished.

"It’s bittersweet,” said Kennedy, who previously managed the Rope Walk on Straight Wharf, working for the late Joe Pantorno, and before that worked at the Atlantic Cafe on South Water Street. “We want it to stay the same as much as possible. We’re committed to that. And I’m not really worried about it, because I think Chris is too.”

Kennedy was referring to Chris Fiumara, the owner of Boston-based Crowd Lending Inc., and the lead developer of the residential-commercial development on Sparks Avenue. Fiumara and his partner Daniel Najarian have secured approvals to construct the mixed-use buildings on lots stretching from 18 to 26 Sparks Avenue, including the area where The Downyflake restaurant is currently located up to the Cumberland Farms property. The new development will feature two buildings that will include 32 housing units, a restaurant and an eight-lane bowling alley. Fiumara wants to see that restaurant remain as The Downyflake.

“It will be The Downyflake,” Fiumara said confidently. “I will be 100% on top of making sure that happens. I’ve talked to three or four potential operators, people who are looking to go in and continue the tradition. [Kennedy and Oldham] will be talking to them. I’ll facilitate that, because they’re willing and want to continue the tradition of the island.” Fiumara said he hopes to have the lots along Sparks Avenue cleared by the end of November, and to start construction by February 2025 if all goes according to plan.

Over her years at the helm, Kennedy said The Downyflake has been like a family. Her staff, many of whom have been at the restaurant for many years and in some cases decades, were all aware of the situation with the demolition and what could come next.

“We’re not spring chickens anymore—we have to be wise about what we do next,” Kennedy said. “We’re fine with everything. We’re just hanging loose right now. When we bought The Downyflake name and business, it was a 10-year plan, and this was our eleventh year.”

Oldham said the looming closure this fall has started to dawn on some of his customers, while others are oblivious to the pending demolition of the building. He thinks about how the change will impact his regulars, many of whom he saw on a weekly or daily basis at the restaurant. “It was like being a bartender, you know what they’re going to order,” Oldham said. “When I see someone come in, I’ll start it up and before it’s ordered, I’ll be serving it.”

Off Course

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

What's Wrong with the Steamship Authority?

Written by Brian Bushard
Photography by Kit Noble

On a Sunday in June, the Steamship Authority canceled all of its fast ferry runs to Nantucket after a pilot called out sick. There were no mechanical issues on the boat. It was a sunny day, with winds under 10 mph. The Steamship had no other qualified pilots to fill in. As a result, high school sports games that day were canceled. Travelers were left scrambling for a seat on Hy-Line Cruises’ fast ferry or the Steamship’s slow boat. At the time, Nat Lowell, Nantucket’s representative on the Steamship Authority Port Council, called it an “unprecedented disaster.”

As the summer went on, it became clear the Steamship’s staffing issues were far from over. A shortage of licensed deck officers and a contract dispute with the ferry’s labor union led to reductions in service, boat swaps and cancellations that stretched into the fall. On one day in August, the ferry line canceled over half a dozen trips on its Martha’s Vineyard route due to a crew shortage. Another crew shortage on a Saturday in October forced the Steamship to cancel six more Nantucket ferries. And to top it all off, the late trip on the M/VIyanough between Hyannis and Nantucket was scrapped all summer due to a crew shortage, only returning in September thanks to a change in service.

“There was going to be a real issue if the Steamship didn’t end up adding the 7:30 p.m. boat,” Nantucket Public Schools Athletic Director Travis Lombardi said, noting the 7:30 p.m. M/VIyanough run was reintroduced for the start of the school season. “That would have been a disaster. If we have teams traveling off island, there’s no way we could get the kids back on the 5:40 p.m. [Hy-Line ferry], so those kids and coaches would have had to take the 8:00 p.m. slow boat.”

An N Magazine investigation found maritime staffing shortages stretch well beyond Nantucket to a group of public ferry lines across the country, though some of those ferry lines have been able to address staffing shortages in ways the Steamship—through its quasi-public funding mechanism—has not. The Steamship effectively operates as a private company, even though it faces constraints as a public service. Unlike other state-run ferry companies across the U.S., the Steamship relies almost exclusively on ticket sales and grant funding for operations and capital expenses. And with a projected $5.49 million net loss in operations in 2025, the Steamship Authority Port Council in October proposed its largest-ever fare increase.

“We never canceled boats for someone calling in sick or going to a doctor’s appointment or some other personal reason,” Lowell said. “That’s the new canceled trip. Nobody had heard of that. The public was blaming the Steamship, saying, ‘The service is terrible.’ But that’s not true. It’s perception. The perception issue got way worse because of non-mechanical issues. The out-of-nowhere cancellations were not the typical cancellations of the past.”

The Steamship’s overall cancellation rate hit a five-year high this year at 7.3% through August, with 1.5% of its Nantucket trips canceled for mechanical issues (a five-year high) and another 5.4% of its Nantucket trips canceled for other non-weather-related reasons (a four-year high). Lowell lamented it as the “worst no-win situation” in his more than two decades on the advisory council.

The Steamship is currently in the process of collective bargaining sessions with multiple unions representing its employees. Ferry officials also expect a trio of new boats to come online over the next two years. For those reasons, ferry officials believe the Steamship’s issues could be resolved soon. But the question remains what else can be done to address those cancellations, the staffing shortages and mechanical issues for the Steamship, which boasts itself as the lifeline for Nantucket.

One idea that continues to resurface—despite opposition from the Steamship—is to fully privatize it. “The Steamship isn’t making money from October through April or May, so that’s over half the year that it isn’t making money, and no one’s going to step in and operate at a loss for half a year,” said Rob Ranney, Nantucket’s representative on the Steamship Authority Board of Governors. Steamship Authority Communications Director Sean Driscoll agreed. The Steamship exists because there used to be private companies and there was a need to change it, he argued.

“What do seasonal businesses do when it’s slow? They shut down,” Driscoll said. “[Privatization] is a bigger question, but as a public utility, we’re not driven by a profit margin—we’re driven by operational needs. I don’t know if you could say that about private companies.”

But several reports have found that making the ferry line private could provide benefits. Other reports have found the Steamship’s current system needs major improvements. A Temple University study on privatizing transportation systems delivered mixed results. On one hand, it stated private investors would be interested mostly in profitable routes, potentially disrupting service. But the study also suggested that publicly funded companies fail to innovate like transportation companies in the private sector do. Specifically, the study stated that politicians behind public companies often support expensive infrastructure in the short run but ignore long-term financial consequences.

“The capital needs of everybody—not just us—are getting more complex and more expensive,” Driscoll said. “Everything is more expensive now. I think that there is certain value in examining the financial structure of the organization. How that happens is a bigger discussion that the board and Port Council would have to initiate. We have significant capital expenses coming on [including updating the Woods Hole and Nantucket terminals].”

An independent 2018 report by HMS Consulting found the Steamship’s “frugality is based on admirable goals, but its overemphasis on cost reductions has been penny wise and pound foolish.” The report went on to call out the Steamship for understaffing in key technical roles. “This has directly and indirectly contributed to vessel incidents,” the report stated. Those incidents “end up costing[the Steamship] due to unplanned maintenance and lost revenue,” according to the report.

“[The Steamship] is over-reliant on a small number of individuals who hold inordinate amounts of knowledge and power, resulting in an executive team that is stuck in a perpetual mode of day-to-day firefighting,” the report stated. “The primary focus of these roles should be long-term sustainability and improvement of the organization, but almost no long-term planning is currently being performed.”

Ranney noted that most recommendations from the 2018 report have been addressed, including the implementation of a safety and quality management system and addition of a chief operations officer. But there’s another issue, he said. “Most of the revenue is from ticket sales, and one of management’s concerns is if we have to buy a new boat or pay for more employees, we have to increase fares,” Ranney said. “It’s apolitical hot potato. The state doesn’t want to be involved.”

As a public company, the Steamship’s workforce is represented by several labor unions. Given the ferry line’s ongoing collective bargaining process, the Steamship’s staffing issues have largely been tied up, with negotiations held behind closed doors. One major factor affecting the ferry’s staffing levels has been a so-called overtime strike by licensed deck officers, where those officers informally decline overtime shifts in a maneuver to push management to meet their demands in collective bargaining. Licensed deck officers are not permitted to fully strike under Massachusetts state law. The overtime strike is a workaround.

“We hear a lot of, ‘Well, the Hy-Line can do this, the Hy-Line can do that’—well, the Hy-Line isn’t unionized,” Ranney said. “There are pros and cons of unionization. The union has helped with employee benefits. The employees want to bein the union for protections, but it slows it all down.”

But even with the overtime strike, Driscoll shot back at the notion of a staffing shortage. The Steamship’s staffing levels, he argued, are not short. The ferry line is budgeted for 255 positions and had 262 employees heading into the 2024 summer season. The issue lies with the number of technical crew the ferry retains. The Steamship was short three pilots of the 31 it had budgeted for 2024. It was also short one oiler, and was exactly on target for its budgeted number of captains and chief engineers.

“There are layers of challenges on top of the global challenges and the shortfalls facing the maritime industry,” Driscoll said. “We’re far from immune from that. People say why don’t you talk to Mass Maritime [Academy] about cadets, well, they’re getting fewer students entering too. They’re right on our doorstep, but fewer students are going into these fields.”

A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE

Staffing woes have plagued ferry companies throughout the U.S. for several years. One of those cases was in mid-coast Maine, where the publicly operated Maine State Ferry Service provides vehicle ferry trips to six islands. The ferry line’s most popular route, to the island of Vinalhaven, saw 215 of its roughly 2,000 trips canceled over the first six months of 2024, with staffing shortages responsible for nearly three-quarters of those cancellations. As of July, the state ferry service was short 14 of its 64 full-time positions, with seven more staffers on leave and five other part-time spots unfilled.

“The ferry to the islands is a lifeline,” said Paul Merrill, the director of communications for Maine’s Department of Transportation. “We hate it when we have to cancel a ferry run, but we have to cancel more because of staffing issues than we have previously. A few months ago, we did not have a very deep bench. When someone goes on leave or is out on vacation, sometimes one person being sick is enough to cancel a run.”

As a public ferry line, the Maine State Ferry Service is predominantly funded by the state Department of Transportation, with taxpayer dollars allocated by the DOT covering 100% of capital expenditures. Ferry operations are covered by a 50/50 split between the DOT and ferry ticket sales. The Steamship, by contrast, does not receive funding from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and, as a result, relies much more heavily on ticket sales for its operations and capital expenditures. The Maine State Ferry Service’s multiple funding sources give it added leeway to address its staffing shortages. Over the summer, the Maine State Ferry Service contracted Indiana-based Seaward Services Inc. for $500,000 to provide temporary workers through the end of 2024. “Seaward Services has made the most difference to keep boats running—having those people come in to serve the ranks,” Merrill said.

Maine officials have also approved a round of raises for ferry crew members this year, bringing captains to a minimum of $92,976 in annual salary, engineers to at least $73,260 (with a 21.5% stipend) and able seamen to at least $58,489 (with a 30% stipend). The Maine DOT also allocated over $700,000 to create six full-time positions, including three captains.

“Pay is lower at the Steamship,” said Roland Rexha, secretary-treasurer of the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association union, one of the unions representing Steamship employees. “The Staten Island Ferry is the highest pay in the country. You’re trying to recruit people while other people are making far more [with other ferry companies]. On the Steamship pay alone, you can’t afford to live on Nantucket. You’re paid for what you do, what you know and how to respond,” he added.

The Steamship puts its employees in a position to fail every day. It’s a high-expectation job. ”In Washington state, the public ferry line providing service in the Puget Sound is also dealing with a shortage of both employees and boats—a double-whammy The Seattle Times called “twin crises.” The ferry has committed to running a reduced schedule for the next four years, with an aging fleet of 21 boats—five short of the 26 the ferry said would be necessary in its 2019long-range plan. One staffing shortage in 2023 led to hundreds of delays and cancellations, with the majority of those cancellations coming as a direct result of a shortage in engineers and oilers.

“It’s a system-wide problem,” said Amy Drayer, director of the Washington-based group, Islanders for Ferry Action.

A privatization feasibility study for the ferry line in 2021 stated it would be possible to make the service private, though it listed a mixed bag of potential impacts from privatization: On the one hand, the transition would create additional maritime jobs, though it could also disrupt ferry service to the San Juan Islands during times of the year when service is not profitable, and impose a “negative economic impact.”

“I just don’t think there’s the political will to change it,” Drayer said. “The system is so large it would be a massive undertaking. ”The Steamship, meanwhile, is also in the process of bringing in new boats. In 2022, it purchased three boats previously used as oil rig service vessels in the Gulf of Mexico. Those boats are in the process of being modified to be used as freight boats, and will ultimately replace the M/V Gay Head (brought online in 1989) and the M/VKatama (1988).

“This would allow the Steamship to take a breath for five years at least without having to worry about what’s the next move,” Lowell said. “[The new boats] are going to carry more, be easy to back on trucks and all be identical—every engine, control panel, gear box, everything. That’s going to be a big positive for the Steamship maintenance system.”

As for the crew-related cancellations, Steamship officials say it’s a priority to resolve. “We understand anytime a trip is canceled it’s frustrating,” Driscoll said. “The vast majority of our trips run, period. Our cancellation rates for mechanical issues are below industry standards. Any time a trip cancels, we know it’s an inconvenience. This is the lifeline for people getting on and off or companies running a business.”

Urban Legend

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

A conversation with CNN commentator and Trump advisor David Urban

Interview By Bruce A. Percelay

Photography By Kit Noble

David Urban has been credited with helping then-candidate Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election. As a former senior advisor on Trump’s 2016 campaign, Urban played a pivotal role in Trump’s strategy in Pennsylvania, one of a handful of swing states that also proved to be crucial in the 2024 presidential election. Urban’s resume has run the gamut. Prior to his political career, he attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and earned a Bronze Star in Operation Desert Storm. Now, he can be seen on CNN as a conservative political commentator.

N Magazine: How did you discover Nantucket?

David Urban: I came in for a wedding and stayed at the White Elephant 30 years ago. My wife and I live in Florida. We were looking at places—Martha's Vineyard and Newport and Block Island and Maine. Post-COVID, we came up, and we were hooked. We kept renting, until it became apparent that buying a house is much more cost-efficient than renting.

N Magazine: You were instrumental in Trump’s victory in 2016. How surprised were you that Trump won that year?

David Urban: When you’re traveling around a big state like Pennsylvania, you talk to people. I’d pull into a gas station [in 2016], and everyone talks about the election. I would say, “Well, who are you going to vote for?” Everywhere I went the answer was, “Trump, of course.” The vibe on the ground was, “Something’s going on here, something that’s different.” So early on, I knew that this was not a normal race. In 2020, I didn’t get that sense. I said to [Trump], “Listen, I’m not feeling it,” and he said, “You think Biden can really beat me?” I said, “Yeah, I think he can.” I said, “Listen, you’ve had nothing but negative press for four years. The kind of legacy media just beat the hell out of you, and we’re in the middle of a pandemic, like a black swan event where people just want change.” I said it’s going to be 50,000 to 75,000 votes in one way or the other, so we need to keep fighting here, and sure enough, Trump won Pennsylvania by 45,000 votes in 2016, and lost by about 80,000 in 2020.

N Magazine: You remained steadfast that Trump would win the 2024 election and potentially win big. What made you so convinced?

David Urban: You start to know the market conditions. I knew from being on the ground in Pennsylvania and talking to people, and I knew the corporate media narrative did not match what I saw on the ground. The pollsters kind of missed it, and I think people weren’t necessarily telling them the truth. When people don’t tell you the truth, it’s hard to poll. Pollsters might miss that, but when you’re on the ground, you don’t miss that.

N Magazine: If you were a leader in the Democratic party, what would you say to the party about its focus following the election?

David Urban: Some Democrats say they lost because they weren’t progressive enough. Clearly, that’s the wrong answer. The most Hispanic county in the United States had a 72-point swing for Trump from 2016 to 2024. What’s going onto make us see that kind of change? I think it’s largely due to the economy. If you’re an average person and bread and milk is three times more expensive, you’re getting frustrated. Democrats are talking about democracy and these lofty ideas, but people are more concerned with kitchen table issues that affect them. I think with the economy and social issues, Democrats are out of touch with where people are. The Democrats thought abortion was going to be the biggest issue in the world and that it was really going to dominate. It was a dominant issue in the 2022 Midterm Elections, but it’s a more distant issue than the economy.

N Magazine: Does this election help launch Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s run for president?

David Urban: He’s a friend of mine. I think he’s an incredibly gifted politician. Other Democrats like Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom or Wes Moore don’t have the political background or talent that Josh does. He’s wildly popular in Pennsylvania and I suspect that he will find a way to work with Trump. That will only reinforce his standing among Pennsylvanians. While Democrats lost, Josh Shapiro won.

N Magazine: Would you accept a spot in the Trump administration?

David Urban: No, I’m an outside guy, not an inside guy. I enjoy being able to have a little bit of input and a life. Being a public servant is incredibly hard. The time span of the people who go into these jobs is about 18 months because it’s all-consuming. They don’t get a break. There is no break for the weary. It’s 24/7. You go in to work for these jobs that are woefully underpaid, incredibly overworked, and at the end of the day, nobody thanks you. Nobody says, “Hey, David, you did an incredible job today.” You get torn to shreds because you’re trying to help our country.

N Magazine: Let’s talk about you personally. You were recruited to play football at Harvard. But you chose the U.S. Military Academy at West Point instead. Was that a difficult decision at the time? And in hindsight, what was the meaning of that decision?

David Urban: I was recruited by Harvard’s famous coach, Joe Restic. Joe Restic was to Harvard as Bobby Bowden is to Florida State, or Nick Saban is to Alabama. But it was a pretty easy decision. I visited Harvard with my best high school friend who is now a tenured professor at the Harvard Business School. I remember we went and visited Harvard together. He said, “How about going to West Point with me?” And I said, “That’s fine.” It was a whole duty and honor [for] country thing. I viscerally felt it was just the place for me. When you go there, they had a big poster at West Point that said, “Most of the history we teach was made by those we taught.” They have Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant and Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and all these famous folks up there. And you thought, “Wow, I want some of that.”

N Magazine: You earned a Bronze Star in Operation Desert Storm. How do you describe your military experience?

David Urban: There are two types of Bronze Stars. One is for valor, for something like jumping in front of a hand grenade. And then one’s for doing really great stuff while in combat. Mine was for achievement, not for valor. I always want to make sure that’s correct, because I never want to be in a position like some people we find in the media today who are claiming things they’re not. There are so many people who are super heroic, and it’s still red, white and blue. I’m very proud of it, very proud of what I got it for and what I did. The military is about grit, hard work and teamwork. It’s about the golden rule—treat others like you’d like to be treated. Success in the military is no different than success anyplace else. If you’re the lowest private, you’re treated the same way as the chief of staff of the Army or the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who I’m good friends with. These are the best people that America has to offer, who are your colleagues, your peers, your employees.

N Magazine: How would you describe the state of our military preparedness now?

David Urban: I know Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Charles Q. Brown, the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs; Randy George, the chief of staff of the Army. Mark Esper, the former secretary of defense, was my good friend. The [former] secretary of the Navy, Richard Spencer, and [former Secretary of the Navy]Kenneth Braithwaite. All these folks are people that I know, and so I’ve got a better than average comprehension. I think our military today is probably the best military, best fighting force, the best men and women, the best trained, the best equipped that we’ve ever had in the history of our country. They are incredibly talented. They are loyal. They’re very smart. They operate at a level where most employers would kill to have these folks working for them.

N Magazine: You’ve had experience in the Persian Gulf and have observed what’s going on in the Middle East. What is your opinion as to where we go relative to Israel’s war with Hamas and growing tensions in the Middle East? How do you get a permanent solution?

David Urban: To see how perverted—and that’s the only way to put it, perverted—that Hamas has made Gaza and Gaza City, and what they’ve done to the people there, it’s just a shame. It really is a shame, because the Palestinian people do not want to have the outcome that they’re living through right now. If you pull the thread, it all goes back to an emboldened Iran funding and fueling Hamas and then Hezbollah [in Lebanon].It comes back to our relationship with Iran, and I do lay this at the feet of the Biden administration of being too soft on Iran and kind of opening back up when they lifted sanctions on Iranian oil, on the purchase of Iranian oil. I think the solution is to have incredible sanctions. Make them a pariah on the world stage. We need more sanctions on Iran, not less sanctions, because they’re going to find a way around even the sanctions we put in. The sanctions were working under the Trump administration. When you lift your foot off the brakes and put on the gas like we did, you see the results. I think you trace a line from the actions of the Biden administration to where we are today.

N Magazine: Let’s talk about CNN, not a bastion of the right, yet you are a prominent voice there. You’re the Trump guy. What is that experience like?

David Urban: It’s great. Mark Thompson, the CEO, isa great guy. He’s really supportive. Scott Jennings, my colleague, and myself are the two Republican pillars. There are some other folks they have, but we’re the people that get the most rotations. I think CNN is very fair to me and to my Republican colleagues because they give us a lot of air time. They give us a chance to make our point, and it’s incumbent upon us to deliver. Is it more difficult sometimes when it’s David Urban versus a host and two other panelists who hate Trump and a clip teed up that’s the worst possible clip they could have? There’s no clip that’s teed up about Trump that’s great. It’s always the worst Trump moment, and then it’s, “David, how can you defend that Trump moment?” That’s where it’s tougher. I accept the challenge.

N Magazine: What are you most optimistic about over the next four years? What are you most pessimistic about over the next four years?

David Urban: I am concerned about our debt. We keep whistling past the graveyard. As long as the U.S. Dollar is a reserve currency, we’re great, but the second that starts being questioned because of our incredible deficit, we’re in trouble. If global markets think we’re a risky place to do business, that really impacts us. I think we need to promote a dollar-based stable coin globally that can be traded. As payment systems become frictionless and people get on blockchain of payment, I think we need to make sure we’re at the forefront of that like we were at the forefront of the internet. I’m also concerned about the division in this country. No matter who won the election, half of the country was always going to be disappointed .I would hope the winners would afford some grace to the losers, and the losers would extend an olive branch to the winners. We may not agree on how we get to the destination, but we’re on this journey together. My biggest fear is that political violence will reemerge, but I’m now hopeful that we can strike a middle ground, and that President Trump will realize his place in history. This is an opportunity to cement that and build a Rushmore-like legacy. I do believe America’s best days are ahead of us. You see rocket launches and the promise of artificial intelligence and how it can help us. There’s so much in the future that’s so positive that we can corral.

Nature's Filter

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Rain gardens are an innovative approach to reducing stormwater runoff into Nantucket Harbor.

Written By Brian Bushard

Photography By Kit Noble

The Nantucket Land Bank’s pocket park on the corner of Easton Street and North Beach Street started flooding as soon as the rain came down. Just as it was intended to do. This is a rain garden—a property designed to absorb stormwater from the road before it inundates the streets downstream. In doing so, it takes in nutrients from the runoff before they flow into the harbor.

“Instead of going straight into a storm drain and being released at Children’s Beach, [the water] is going directly into the soil and being filtered by plants,” said Rachael Freeman, the interim executive director of the Land Bank. “That’s one level of purification.”

The Land Bank purchased the 0.2-acreproperty at 65 and 67 Easton Street for $900,000 in 2020. Then came a $784,250 construction project spearheaded by Speakman Excavating LLC. Water enters the park through a gap in the curb—also known as a stormwater inlet—during a storm, catching runoff as it flows down the edge of Easton Street. Two swales allow the water to pass through the center of the park. The westside of the property is a constructive wetland, with plants in place to absorb the water coming in, while the east side features an open lawn and walkway with picnic tables for sunny day lunches.

“Water going into the harbor from Children’s Beach is coming down from that area,” Freeman said. “By drawing that into a wetland, we’re restoring water quality in the long run. The first inch of runoff captures the most pollutants.”

The property is part of a growing network of rain gardens and restored wetlands intended to mitigate the effects of both stormwater runoff and saltwater flooding from Nantucket Harbor. The Land Bank is one of several players in the development of that network. One area the town is considering for another rain garden is on the corner of Francis Street and Washington Street. Town officials are also considering a long-term plan for the Saltmarsh Senior Center that includes relocating the facility to the current site of Our Island Home and replacing the asphalt on the Washington Street Extension site with permeable pavement to allow water to seep in.

There’s not a lot of green area that is town property, so how do we deal with stormwater?” Leah Hill, the town’s coastal resilience coordinator, said. The corner of Hulbert Avenue and Easton Street across from the U.S. Coast Guard Station Brant Point is one example, according to the town’s stormwater manager, Charles Johnson. That area “wants to be a wetland pretty badly,” he said.

But there are some areas of downtown where a rain garden only gets you so far. In 2021, the town released its coastal resilience plan, outlining not only the long-term impacts of runoff to water quality, but the risk of sea-level rise on coastal downtown areas that are already prone to flooding. That report, conducted by Arcadis, identified 2,373 structures at risk of flooding and erosion, with a total cumulative annual cost of $3.4 billion. In the downtown area, the report estimated public roadways leading to Steamboat Wharf will see “frequent loss of service at monthly high tide” in the coming years and that by 2050, the wharf itself will be “completely cut off from surrounding roadways at monthly high tide.”

“We already have flooding today, and the risk is only going to increase to the point where eventually there’s no access to the Steamship [Authority] in coastal storms and high tides,” Hill said.

Easy Street has become the epicenter of downtown flooding. During a winter storm, islanders can almost always expect water to rush in from the harbor, and flooding from high tides repeatedly inundates the road. Projections show several feet of water regularly coming up over the road in future storm and high-tide events. Unlike on Easton Street, there are hardly any green spaces along Easy Street, save the Land Bank’s park on the harbor and several small patches of grass and hedges along the sidewalk. For Easy Street, the town is in the design phase to raise the road itself, with the hope of securing state and federal funding for the project—which town officials admit would be a major undertaking.

“These are big, expensive projects,” town sustainability programs manager Vince Murphy said. “The idea is you go through the design and public vetting, and get feedback. We need state and federal funding—[sources] like the Inflation Reduction Act. We’re up against Boston, Fall River and all these other towns applying for large-scale grants. We’re punching above our weight class, but the idea is to leverage what we have and have the right people applying for these grants.”

Addressing coastal flooding and sea-level rise takes a variety of approaches. You can retreat from the shoreline, raise structures or adapt. And in some cases, you can work with nature.

“We should be looking at areas where there’s a need for flood storage, a need for runoff storage,” Freeman said. “We saw a need in the area [on Easton Street and North Beach Street]. We also wanted to have it be a little educational. The path loops around the two swales, and the goal is to get people to interact with these wetlands in a way where they can see how they’re functioning. We hope people find them beautiful at some level.”

The Good Doctor

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Author Sebastian Junger credits NCH Dr. Steven Kohler with saving his life.

Written By Brian Bushard

Photography By Kit Noble

Sebastian Junger was carted into the emergency department at Cape Cod Hospital on a June afternoon, his blood pressure steadily dropping. The sharp pain in his abdomen that had been bothering him for months had finally reached a boiling point. Junger, a New York Times bestselling author and combat journalist, said he had escaped death at least three times before—once while surfing in the wake of a nor’easter, once as a climber for a tree company in his 20s and again at a U.S. Army outpost in Afghanistan. But this day, which started in his backyard in Truro, was different.

“My abdomen seemed to be simply made of pain and nothing else,” Junger wrote in his latest book, In My Time of Dying —a minute-by-minute account of the pancreatic aneurysm that nearly killed him and the eleventh-hour heroics of a handful of doctors that saved him. One of those doctors was Dr. Steven Kohler, a Nantucket resident who had worked in Cape Cod Hospital’s emergency department before leaving earlier this year to head Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s urgent access clinic. “I walked in the room and I knew it was bad,” Kohler said about seeing Junger at Cape Cod Hospital. “You can just tell sometimes.”

This was June 2020. Cape Cod Hospital, like most medical centers around the world, had recently implemented COVID-19 procedures. Many people had also developed a fear of entering the hospital, or any place for that matter where there was a lingering concern of contracting the virus. The hospital, as a result, “was like crickets,” Kohler said. So when Junger came in, assessed on the ambulance as an EMS priority 2 with declining blood pressure, his treatment quickly became all-hands-on-deck.

“Walking in the room, I took his blood pressure and saw it was 60-something,” Kohler said. “It was likely an abdominal vascular catastrophe. It’s one of the few times I went down with the tech to the CT scan, and what we saw on the CT scan was a bunch of blood in his abdomen—but it was unclear what it was coming from.”

Kohler started working at Cape Cod Hospital in 1996. It was a reverse-commute from his house on Nantucket. He estimates that from1996 to 2023, he racked up 125,000 patient encounters either in urgent care or in the emergency room. Over those 28 years, he can’t remember any other patient with the same diagnosis as Junger. Junger was a code crimson. In layman’s terms, he needed blood, and fast.

“It’s vascular shock, and at some point you reach this spiral you cannot come out of,” Kohler said. “We were able to identify that he had a catastrophic blow-up in his abdomen somewhere, but we were not sure where, and I was initially thinking it was his aorta. I got the vascular surgeon on the phone, talked to radiology and tried to orchestrate things.”

What Junger had suffered was a pancreatic artery aneurysm, an obscure diagnosis, according to Kohler. It’s also a life-threatening one. “I later asked Dr. Kohler what was going on with me, medically, at that point,” Junger wrote in his book. “He said, ‘You were getting ready to buy the farm.’”

In total, Junger needed nine units of blood, meaning he likely lost roughly two-thirds of the blood in his body, he estimates in the book, writing that the CT scan revealed a “huge pool of blood” in his abdomen, with more blood gushing out around his pancreas. At that point, the doctors had a choice: either stabilize him and repair the rupture in radiology using a catheter, or open his abdomen in surgery with the hope of finding the rupture before he reached a critical point of internal bleeding. The team of doctors chose the radiology option. The latter choice, Junger wrote, was so severe that doctors later told him they would have called in his wife, Barbara, to see him for what could have been the last time, knowing his mortality rate would have gone up had they taken that route.

It was at that point that his blood pressure bottomed at 64 over 59. “It’s up there with one of the biggest emergencies,” Kohler said. “There have been plenty through my career, and this one happens to be a famous author. Most of us have read [Junger’s 1997 book] The Perfect Storm or watched the movie.”

The other doctor in the room was a man by the name of Craig Cornwall. He estimated Junger was 10-15 minutes from cardiac arrest, and potentially 10-15 minutes away from death. “One of the best things I did was ask for help,” Kohler said. “We had a young surgical resident who called and I said, ‘Can you put a Cordis line in his neck?’ I just needed to dump blood in this guy. And it gave me time to get on the phone.”

Junger spent four days in the hospital. Months later, he sent Kohler an email, thanking him for saving his life. He attached a photo of his daughter saying thank you. Kohler called it the sweetest email he has ever received. The question of fame, on the other hand, after treating an acclaimed journalist and author, never crossed his mind.

“I don’t know how much fame there is,” Kohler said. “Though he gave a talk at the Dreamland, which was very interesting. I went. It was packed and it was a cool talk. Then a few days later we go to Henry Jr.’s to pick up a sub and I walk in and the lady there says, ‘Thank you for saving Sebastian,’ and I’m like, ‘Did I see a kid Sebastian?’ She told me she was at the talk and that’s when I realized it was Sebastian Junger.”

Several years went by and Kohler found himself returning to his house on Nantucket from an urgent care shift in Harwich. It was a late ferry. Kohler estimates he saw 160 patients that day. As the boat entered the Nantucket Sound, he was approached by Diane Pearl, the former chief medical officer at Nantucket Cottage Hospital.

“She gave me her phone number and said, ‘If you ever want to do urgent care here, let me know,’” Kohler said. This was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. “It seemed like the right time to bring it home, get out of the [reverse] commute,” Kohler said. “I’m getting old. It’s my final turn, my homestretch.”

The timing was right for Nantucket Cottage Hospital, too. Just two years into its new facility, the hospital was looking to revamp its urgent access clinic, which at the time ran on appointments, as opposed to drop-ins. According to Kohler, it did not resemble urgent care at all. “It wasn’t urgent care,” he said. “[Joining] was like turning around an aircraft carrier, just to be blunt. I had never heard of urgent care with appointments. That’s not urgent care. You should just walk in and you’re seen. We had to rethink and retrain everything to look at it as an urgent care with an ER point of view rather than a primary care point of view. We’re not closing for lunch, you take lunch when you can. It’s walk-ins.”

The summer came and the hospital’s urgent access volume exploded. From Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend, urgent access saw 5,380 patients—a 76% increase over the same time in 2023. Of those patients, 86% of them walked in without an appointment. Close to 4,400 of them were in and out of the clinic in less than 30 minutes. If their visit was longer, it usually included the need for an X-ray. Roughly 3% of them (169 patients) were taken to the emergency department for more extensive care.

During the summer, the clinic is open seven days a week. Since Labor Day, it has been operating at an off-season schedule of six days, closing on Sundays (it will also be closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day).

When he’s not in the clinic, Kohler can probably be found training for his next triathlon. Kohler is a modest runner, never the one to brag about a marathon or triathlon sprint. He’s an 11-time ironman athlete, the super-human race consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run—a full marathon. He also competes in the Nantucket Triathlon in July. Kohler is also modest in the clinic. Looking back at the time he treated Junger, he was quick to call it a “team effort.”

“I wasn’t the only person taking care of him,” Kohler said. “I was the first person in the room when he came in and got things in motion and identified it and handed it off, but it’s a total team effort and everything fell in line for him.”

The Last Resort

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

The owners of the Nantucket Hotel have a new resort: a private island in the Caribbean.

Written by Brian Bushard

Images Courtesy of Little Gem Resorts

Nearly 1,600 miles south of Nantucket, Gwenn and Mark Snider have developed a private resort so secluded, it has the feeling of being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. That was the intent when the Sniders—the owners of The Nantucket Hotel—purchased half of an island one mile off the coast of Saint John in the U.S. Virgin Islands for their newest resort, Lovango. And while the resort provides a sense of escape from cold winters, guests on the island are not totally isolated.

“There are very few places that are undeveloped, especially in the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said Gwenn, who co-owns The Nantucket Hotel through Little Gem Resorts with her husband, Mark. “We most certainly wanted to—given this time of climate change—try to build something that will be there and endure. We had the opportunity to do something with great mindfulness. We’re not building a monolithic building. That really guided it.”

The idea for a third resort got its start about 10 years ago. The Sniders—who also own the Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Katama on Martha’s Vineyard—were looking for a place to establish a tropical resort for guests wanting a winter getaway. As self-proclaimed island people who had vacationed in the Virgin Islands on multiple occasions, the couple began forming the idea for a private resort on Lovango after a visit to the island in 2017.

“We had a beautiful experience there [in 2017],”Gwenn said. “We let our imaginations go and we could see it. It’s enchanting, completely unspoiled, and you have the whole experience of having a private resort where even though you’re away from Saint John and Saint Thomas, you’re not isolated.”

When the Sniders purchased the land in 2019, they had a blank slate to create a resort that would adhere to their guiding philosophy: a light environmental footprint and a resort that puts you in nature. At the time of the purchase, all that stood on the land was a lone building overlooking the Caribbean. Five years later, the Sniders have built out their luxury private island resort an ensemble of resplendent tropical beaches, restaurants, shops, glamping rooms and villas intended to provide direct access to the beauty of the island.

“When you’re on this island, you feel like you could be in Polynesia, you could be in the southern seas,” Mark said. “It’s a remarkably beautiful island surrounded by azure waters. When you’re on it, you feel isolated from the U.S., but when you go for dinner, you can choose from 15phenomenal restaurants and beautiful national parks on Saint John.”

Sustainability is at the core of the entire operation. The resort produces its own power. The chefs on-site—including at their upcoming second annual Taste of Lovango—source their food locally. The resort even created a coral reef restoration project in collaboration with the University of the Virgin Islands that spells out L-O-V-A-N-G-O.

Instead of a sprawling multi-story hotel building, the Sniders built a series of walkable villas, luxury glamping tents, a waterfront restaurant and a Main Street of boutique shops, all surrounded by beaches and walking trails. Saint John and Saint Thomas, with their restaurants, shops and the Virgin Islands Natural Park on Saint John, are only a 10-minute ferry ride away.

“When we think of vacationing to the Caribbean, there is a certain naturalism to it, and while there are other beautiful resorts in it, they’re more manicured,” Gwenn said. “We walked softly on the land, made sure that we did it in a way that feels very curated and celebrates the unspoiled quality of Lovango.”

The glamping tents were designed for a luxury vacation. They don’t feel like traditional tents, Gwenn said. The treehouse guest rooms put you directly in nature, though they also come with air conditioning.

Since opening the resort, Mark and Gwenn said they have heard from guests who describe their stay at Lovango in nostalgic terms, likening the resort to the Saint John of 30 years ago. They talk about opening their door to a blue sea, lush forests and a concert of tropical birds that comprise the mostly untouched landscape on the island. Some of those guests also have fond memories of the former Caneel Bay hotel on Saint John, Gwenn said, and the quiet, undeveloped land they had known from vacations to the island before the storied Caneel Bay resort was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. They remembered a vacation destination not hard to reach, with luxury rooms, quality hotels and a virtually untouched landscape. It was clear from day one that Lovango would share that quality of vacation.

Nantucket's Person of the Year: Elin Hilderbrand

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Bringing Nantucket to Hollywood

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

In a matter of days, Elin Hilderbrand’s Netflix series, The Perfect Couple , exploded on the streaming platform. By the end of its first week in September, the Nantucket whodunit hit 103.5 million hours viewed, with 20.3 million individual views—enough to make it the most-watched show on Netflix that week. The Perfect Couple topped the Netflix charts again in its second week, this time boasting 111.6 million hours viewed.

While Hilderbrand was surprised the show had become an instant hit, its success on Netflix might not have been as surprising to Hilderbrand’s loyal following who have kept up with the so-called Queen of Beach Reads’ impressive resume of 27 Nantucket novels. Hilderbrand now believes the show could drive a spike in tourism for the island, and not just in the summer. “I just wasn’t sure,” Hilderbrand said. “I hoped this was how it would turn out, but in terms of numbers, I had no idea what to expect. Am I surprised we beat Emily in Paris ? I’m shocked. I love that show.”

The Perfect Couple —an upscale Fourth of July weekend wedding that descends into a murder mystery when the maid of honor turns up dead on the beach—is Hilderbrand’s first novel adapted into a TV series. Hilderbrand said there’s hope for a second—or third—adaptation based on another book from her Nantucket series. That goal leaves TV producers with a slate of material to work with from her prolific career—one that now sees Hilderbrand retiring from Nantucket novels. She released her final Nantucket book, Swan Song , this summer, and is working on two new books with her daughter, in addition to putting out her Beach, Books, & Beyond podcast with Tim Ehrenberg. For her stellar year, N Magazine is naming Hilderbrand Person of the Year. N Magazine caught up with Hilderbrand on the heels of her Netflix hit on what the show could mean for offseason tourism and what’s next for her.

N Magazine: Did you have Netflix in mind when you were writing The Perfect Couple? Do you ever think about a TV or film adaptation while writing?

Elin Hilderbrand: You have to write the book, and that’s really the most important part. If I was thinking about Netflix, I would be writing a screenplay. I have a background in literary fiction. It was always the integrity of the writing that came first for me, and I have only been worried about writing the best book I can. The fact that The Perfect Couple is a murder lends itself to being on TV because for whatever reason that’s what people want to watch.

N Magazine: As you were writing, did you always know who the killer would be?

Elin Hilderbrand: No. I didn’t figure it out until about two-thirds of the way through. As I was starting, I didn’t know. I was just getting started and figuring out my characters. As I was writing, it was the middle of August and I was outside by my pool and came into the living room when it just clicked. I took it one step further back. Then I was like, “Oh my God.”

N Magazine: Was your approach to writing a mystery different from your previous books on Nantucket?

Elin Hilderbrand: Not really. I didn’t know what I was doing—didn’t know how to write a murder mystery. I knew there would be a body, but I didn’t know whose it would be because I don’t know who my characters really are until I spend time with them. Initially, when I turned my draft in, the person found dead was the bride, and my editor [Reagan Arthur] said she loved the book, but the wrong person died. She said, “It should be Merritt [Monaco]. It should be the maid of honor.” I changed the book around and it all clicked. I didn’t have to change every page, and a lot of the novel stayed the same.

N Magazine: You have been called the “Queen of Beach Reads,” but you have chosen to describe your novels as “escapist.” How would you define “escapist,” and what goes into writing an escapist novel?

Elin Hilderbrand: It has to take you to a place you want to go. Anyone reading on Nantucket knows that Nantucket is a dreamland. It is a fantasy world. To a person visiting, especially via fiction, there are so many beautiful things here that aren’t in other places. You’re not waiting at a stoplight, not sitting in traffic on an exit ramp in miles of traffic. You don’t have strip malls or Olive Gardens or the things that define urban sprawl. To the casual visitor, it’s beautiful and especially in the summertime. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the most beautiful American summer resort, period. To be escapist, you need to take people to places they want to go and have lots and lots of drama and reasons to turn the page. I write about flawed characters. That’s where my expertise lies: flawed characters that do terrible things, make terrible decisions, but are still people who you care about.

N Magazine: There are quite a few changes from the novel to the series. The bride’s name, for one. Were any of those changes your suggestions?

Elin Hilderbrand: It was in the hands of the showrunner, Jenna Lamia. She wrote the scripts. Her goal was to make propulsive TV, and she had to sacrifice a lot of the backstory and the love affairs. When I watched, I knew why Tag [Winbury] and Merritt were together, but then as I read the reviews, I realized people don’t know about Tag and Merritt. They don’t know about Shooter [Uxley] and Celeste [Otis]. But she had to curtail it. There’s a lot of drama around Celeste’s parents in the book [that does not make it into the show]. One of my favorite reveals [in the book]is when Celeste’s father reveals something to Tag that’s astonishing. That was her decision, and I have always felt that for any project of mine going to the screen, people should read the book. It would be edifying to read the novel afterward, because then you would understand the show a lot better. Even me, I watched the first episode—I was coming from Hollywood at the premiere—then the next day I had to fly to New York City. I watched episodes two, three and four on the plane, and I landed in JFK Airport at the end of episode four and I had to go to bed. I was saying I can’t keep myself from watching episodes five and six. You’re so immersed in the world and the characters.

N Magazine: You announced last year that Swan Song would be your final Nantucket novel. You told N Magazine at the time you had “done it all.” But does the popularity of The Perfect Couple make you reconsider writing another Nantucket novel?

Elin Hilderbrand: Hell no, I’m done. The reason I retired from the Nantucket books is because I had written 27 books and covered everything. Do I have ideas for other Nantucket books? Kind of down the road. The problem was the schedule I was on—a book every summer, touring. It was so punishing. I needed a break. I’m not ready to go back and do another Nantucket book. As far as Hollywood goes, they have plenty of material if they want it.

N Magazine: You have also said a dream scenario for you would be if Netflix runs with the series for multiple seasons, sourcing from your other novels. Is that in the cards? What’s next?

Elin Hilderbrand: One [ 28 Summers ] is in development for a film, and a couple [ The Five-Star Weekend and Hilderbrand’s Winter Street series] are in development for a series. Swan Song has been auctioned. Summer of ’69 is also in development for a series. We’ll see if that ends up being true. That’s one reason the [Netflix] numbers are so important. I want to see season two. I don’t know if I’ll get a season two. I would love to have a different story made into something. We’ll see if it rings true.

N Magazine: What do you think this series and its overwhelming popularity could mean for tourism on Nantucket?

Elin Hilderbrand: My books alone drive so much tourism, especially in the fall and in the offseason. Most people have been coming for years and years. Summer is prohibitively expensive, but in the fall and spring that’s when you see my readers come. I can’t tell you how many hundreds and hundreds, thousands who say, “I came to Nantucket because I read your book.” Nantucket is important to recreate. The one thing I say is that it never disappoints. It could have been a rainy weekend and they still come. I was out walking and I had three people stop me and say they love the show. That’s the best thing about what’s happened because I was worried, and people on Nantucket seem to enjoy it. They know it wasn’t shot here and it’s different, but they still like it.

A Life Elegantly Lived: Arie Kopelman

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

W ritten By Bruce A. Percelay

There are those in life who possess an innate sense of style and grace that defines who they are. Names like Jackie Kennedy, Karl Lagerfeld, Tommy Hilfiger and George Clooney come to mind as people whose personal styles set trends to which others aspire. In the world of fashion and design, Arie Kopelman was truly an icon, and one who literally wore his sense of style on his sleeves.

A former executive at Procter & Gamble who later became a rising star at the advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach, Kopelman joined the House of Chanel in 1985 and turned it from a boutique business into a multibillion-dollar powerhouse. Under his leadership, Chanel expanded its core businesses including retail, fragrance, cosmetics and accessories. He oversaw the launch of several iconic fragrances, including Coco Mademoiselle and Chance, and he was instrumental in developing the brand’s global strategy.

Arie and his wife, Coco, were longtime summer residents on Nantucket along with their two children, Jill Kargman, a bestselling author and actress, and actor Will Kopelman, who was formerly married to actress Drew Barrymore and is now the husband of Vogue market editor Alexandra Michler. Arie and Coco spent summers on the island with their six grandchildren and involved themselves deeply in island life. Arie was the president of the board of the Nantucket Historical Association and helped guide the renovation of the Whaling Museum, the most highly visited attraction on Nantucket. Arie’s sense of style was seen throughout his tenure at the NHA, and he continued to serve the organization through its Friends of the NHA organization and heritage society. Arie and Coco were personal collectors of art and artifacts.

Their home presented a very clear expression of their sense of everything visual and portrayed their passion for the intersection of design and history. Beyond Arie’s success as a corporate executive, he was well known for his robust sense of humor and personal charm. When Arie was young, he had considered standup comedy as a career; however, his Harvard-educated lawyer father was able to dissuade him from a career path that was unlikely to yield the same level of success that he achieved in the world of design and fashion. People who knew Arie always remarked about his personal appeal, which likely played no small role in his business success, according to NHA Executive Director Niles Parker.

“[Kopelman’s] leadership over the years was crucial,” Parker said. “His passion and vision were always evident yet always accompanied by his grace and signature sense of humor. He was truly a pleasure to work with and will be dearly missed.”

Arie Kopelman’s legacy in the business world, and in the luxury fashion industry in particular, will be hard to replicate, and his commitment to philanthropy and the support of his passions on Nantucket will leave an indelible mark. At the end of the day, Arie Kopelman’s biggest asset was Arie Kopelman.

Life Blood

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Written By Brian Bushard

Photography By Kit Noble

As the American Red Cross was preparing for the first blood drive on Nantucket in nearly three decades, organizer Tom McCann said their goal was to collect 40 pints of blood. The Red Cross nearly doubled that goal at the blood drive at VFW Post 8608 in October, raising a whopping 73 pints—the most the Red Cross could collect with the equipment on hand.

“They said if you get 40 pints [of blood], that’s a good turnout,” said McCann, who organized the blood drive through island organization Nantucket Cares. “I said I want to get as many [pints] as you can get. It was like I was batting in the bottom of the 9th inning, two outs. I don’t want to bunt, I want to swing for the fences. They said, ‘Your idea of a bunt is our idea of a home run.’”

It had been 28 years since Nantucket held a blood drive, largely due to the belief that the American Red Cross would not collect blood on an island with a prevalence of tick-borne illness. But that is not the case. According to the American Red Cross, donors are eligible even if they have had Lyme disease in the past, as long as they do not actively show symptoms and have completed antibiotic treatment. What Nantucket needed was an organizer for a blood drive. Enter Tom McCann.

here’s never enough blood,” McCann said. “There’s always a blood shortage. [Blood] comes in and goes out in the same breath. There shouldn’t be a shortage, but there is. It’s a matter of getting people together and donating.” The idea for an island blood drive came about when McCann was in Boston for a physical. On his way out, he heard there was a desperate blood shortage across the country. McCann, knowing a thing or two about Nantucket, hatched a plan to rally islanders, restaurants, transportation services and Nantucket Cottage Hospital for a blood drive on the island. By the day of the blood drive, McCann had secured food from The Downyflake, Pi Pizzeria, Bartlett’s Farm, The SeaGrille and Something Natural. The Fire Department pitched in to store an American Red Cross van overnight, and the Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Cruises provided ferry tickets for American Red Cross employees to and from Nantucket.

The blood itself does not stay on Nantucket. Once it’s donated, it’s sent to a lab in Dedham, Massachusetts, before it enters a so-called blood bank to be distributed where it’s needed most. McCann said at the time of the blood drive in October the blood would most likely be sent to areas in North Carolina Hospital receives a blood delivery from the Red Cross every two weeks.

“We’re on an island 30 miles out to sea, and there’s only so much blood we have here in our facility [at Nantucket Cottage Hospital],” he said. “There were times they would MedFlight blood from Boston to Nantucket in times of need.”

With the success of the first blood drive, McCann said he plans to make it a twice-per-year event, with the next drive planned for May 2025. His goal for the next event is 251 pints of blood, enough to overtake the record amount donated at an annual Red Cross event at Fenway Park in September. The only place you could do that is Nantucket, McCann said. “It’s like setting up the Boston Pops concert at Jetties Beach,” he said. “It was a Super Bowl party. People stayed the full day. The Red Cross was blown away. They had never seen that much food donated. Boston has Boston Strong. We have Nantucket Strong as our theme.”

Fenway Football

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

The Nantucket Whalers varsity football team takes on rival Martha's Vineyard at Fenway Park for the annual Island Cup game this fall.

Written by David Creed

Photography by Reece Nelson and Chris Tran

On November 26, the Nantucket Whalers varsity football team will not be playing their Thanksgiving week Island Cup game on Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard, but at Fenway Park. When head coach Coreese Everett and his players first learned the news in August, it sparked an excitement that has driven the team to improve day after day.

“My first reaction, of course, I was very, very excited,” Everett said. “You know, things like this don’t always come to programs that easy. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am excited because this is an opportunity that the kids get to experience and hold and cherish for a lifetime.”

While Fenway today is synonymous with Red Sox baseball, the ballpark has hosted its fair share of football games over the past 100 years, including a 1927 game between the New York Giants and a South Boston-based football team called Pere Marquette (the Giants won that game 33-7). Fenway first hosted high school football just months after it opened in 1912, in a rivalry game between Boston Latin and Boston English. Two days later, Everett High School took on Oak Park, Illinois, in the 1912 high school football national championship game (Oak Park won 32-12).

The ballpark became a popular venue for high school and college football games throughout the 1920s, ’30sand ’40s, as the Red Sox entered what would become an 86-year championship-free rut. The Boston College Eagles and Boston University Terriers called the park home in the ’30s and ’40s. In 1940, a game between Boston College and Georgetown was lauded by late Boston Globe columnist Grantland Rice as “probably the greatest football game ever played by colleges or by pros.” And one Boston University game in 1949 was announced by legendary Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully. Fenway was even home to five professional football teams through the 1960s, including the Boston Shamrocks and the Boston Braves, who later changed their name to the Redskins and moved to Washington, D.C.—the team renamed themselves again as the Commanders in 2022.

The last scheduled college game of the 20th century at Fenway was set for November 1963 between rivals Boston College and Boston University, but it was scrapped at the last minute following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It marked the beginning of the end for Fenway football. After the Boston Patriots left Fenway for Foxborough—via Alumni Stadium and Harvard Stadium—in the late 1960s, the park entered a 47-year period without any football, a stretch that was finally broken in 2015 when Boston College took on powerhouse Notre Dame, a game the Eagles lost 19-16. Fenway has since hosted high school football games every year since 2021. Nantucket’s game is one of just four high school games being played there this year.

“This is a pretty unique opportunity for these kids,” Nantucket Public Schools Athletic Director Travis Lombardi said. “Obviously, it’s for the kids but [for]our town and our community as well. I know there are a lot of other rivalries that applied for this, but for us to be selected is a huge honor for both us and the Vineyard. We’re really looking forward to it, and it’s definitely going to be a little bit different. The atmosphere is not going to be as intimate, I get that. But just the whole experience and the environment and the atmosphere is going to be something that these kids in this community are going to remember for a very long time.”

Assistant head coach Mark Willett, who has been on the Whalers’ coaching staff for over a decade, said the team has taken a week-by-week approach all season, but the Island Cup looming at the end of their schedule has kept them focused.

“I think the Island Cup is always like a carrot at the end of the stick because it’s always towards the end of the season,” Willett said. “Now it’s even bigger and it’s a great showcase. I mean, one of the best rivalries in New England high school football, right? Playing everybody’s favorite sport in everybody’s favorite park. I think they’re working hard for it. I think some, especially the upperclassmen, the ones that lost the cup, they know. They know what it’s about. They’ve seen the cup not come home with them on the boat, and they’ve seen the cup leave this island. They know and they’re working for it.”

The last time the Whalers won the Island Cup was on October 31, 2021. After a somewhat slow start, they won comfortably 27-7 on Nantucket that day. But since that game, the Vineyarders have rattled off wins in two consecutive Island Cups—beating Nantucket 14-13 in 2022 on the Vineyard and 24-21 in 2023 on Nantucket. The Whalers failed to qualify for the playoffs in either of those seasons and went a combined 4-15in 18 games. But the Whalers are starting anew era under Everett and realize a victory in Boston would send a message to the Cape and Islands—and Martha’s Vineyard, in particular—that Whalers football is on its way back to being a winning program.

“When I first heard about the game being at Fenway Park, I was really shocked and surprised because I didn’t know that was an option, but the opportunity just to play at Fenway Park with a lot of the state’s biggest rivals is really cool and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I’m excited for,” said Owen Sullivan, the Whalers’ senior running back, linebacker and captain. “I think the game being a few weeks after our regular season ends is a good thing because it encourages us to get better through the end of the season, and it really allows us to get prepared for that game as we all really want to get the cup back.”

Junior middle linebacker Jeremy Jenkinson, who has established himself as one of the team’s key defensive players, said his first reaction to the news was excitement. “For us, it’s going to be like our championship game,” he said. “I feel like the atmosphere will still be there because half of our island will be there, and when you play for such a big group and knowing that your community is there with you, it feels the same as playing on the Vineyard."

When senior defensive back and captain Jake Haigh heard his team would play their Thanksgiving game at Fenway, he said he didn’t know how to feel. “Obviously, I wanted to play at Fenway,” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance similar to TD Garden with basketball [in January 2024 against the Vineyard]. But I also wanted to go to the Vineyard and win the cup at their home—kind of like a villain story. But now I’m excited and ready to play anywhere to win the cup back.”

“A part of me kind of wanted to play at the Vineyard because I personally like hearing all the hate from the Vineyard fans,” Sullivan added. “It sort of fuels me, and seeing them get disappointed after a big play on our end is exciting. The cup this year being at Fenway instead of an island is a little bit different, but I think it’s a great opportunity for all the people playing.”

Haigh and Sullivan were both freshmen on the last Whalers team to win the cup, and they expressed that a second cup victory on their resume would be the perfect way to finish their high school careers. They not only want to win, but win in dominant fashion with the defense leading the way, holding the Vineyard to zero points.

“I’ve already experienced the pain that’s come with losing it, so getting it back would be the perfect way to top off my career,” Haigh said. “As for the team as a whole, winning this game will show that Whaler football has entered a new era. Despite our setbacks this season, we’ve seen major improvement and to demonstrate that improvement in Fenway with a new head coach will send us off to a new era of dominant Whaler football.”

The Diplomat

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

On her fourth trip to Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in 2022, Mitzi Perdue set up an online mental health counseling program for residents in the war-torn country.

Interview by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

Barely into her return from Ukraine as a war correspondent in 2023, Mitzi Perdue knew something was about to go terribly wrong. The instinct kicked in for Perdue—a freelance journalist for Psychology Today and the Foreign Press Association who summered on Nantucket—the second she saw two unknown men step into her elevator at the hotel in Poland where she was staying on a return trip from Kyiv. It all happened quickly. One of the men shoved her. The other stuck a needle in her thigh. This elevator run-in, she said, had quickly turned into an assassination attempt.

Perdue survived that night, and in September, she returned to Ukraine for her fourth trip since Moscow launched its invasion of the eastern European country nearly three years ago. Perdue has written over 100 articles about Ukraine since the war began, documenting human trafficking, the proliferation of land mines and the long-term mental health costs in the war-torn country. On her most recent visit this fall, Perdue—the daughter of late Sheraton Hotels co-founder Ernest Henderson and whose late husband Frank Perdue headed Perdue Farms—helped establish a mental health resource for Ukrainian citizens. That resource, which is available at mentalhelp.global, is designed to handle the overwhelming trauma, panic attacks and depression of living in a country at war. She plans to expand that program to reach a worldwide audience in each client’s native language.

N Magazine sat down with Perdue to discuss her most recent trip to Ukraine and the mental health resource she’s creating, as well as her take on how much more Russia and Ukraine will be able to withstand and whether the end of the war is in sight.

N Magazine: How did you discover Nantucket?

Mitzi Perdue: As a Massachusetts girl, I’ve been to Nantucket several times for visits, but this time, I’ve spent the summer here as a guest of [author] Ken Roman. I’ve loved everything about Nantucket, including the amazing amount of civic participation, the kind you can see in the conservation efforts, the walking and bike paths, the parks and the attention to preserving the architectural specialness of the place. It’s been a dream to spend the summer here, and I’m looking forward to more in the future.

N Magazine: What was the purpose of your first visit to Ukraine?

Mitzi Perdue: I had written this story on human trafficking in Ukraine, and it happens to be a very big issue because the human trafficking cartels throughout the world, when they know there’s a conflict area, they just converge in that country because there will be so many vulnerable women. I wrote about that for Psychology Today , and to my undying joy, my little story reached the chief of police of the Kyiv region. He had written his master’s thesis on human trafficking and read my article and said he liked it, so immediately we’re friends, but second, he said you’ve barely scratched the surface. He said, “If you come, you can be my guest for six days and we’ll show you things that other journalists don’t get to see.” I have since learned that there are virtually no journalists who have as their beat the police and law enforcement in Ukraine, and yet they have some of the most important stories because they’re the ones who document war crimes.

N Magazine: You have written and spoken about land mines, mass casualties and the outright destruction to villages, cities and farmland, which is critical to Ukraine’s economy. Can you describe what you’ve seen in Kyiv and throughout your travels in Ukraine?

Mitzi Perdue: Land mines have to be among the most inhumane things possible. I became really sensitive to it because I was traveling in Ukraine around Christmastime in snow-covered fields. So here we are in northern Ukraine barreling along at 80 mph, and I look at these snow-covered fields that have what look sort of at a distance like a crop of black toothpicks. I look as closely as I can and they’re sunflowers, but unharvested sunflowers, and thousands and thousands of acres of them. Those sunflowers are ruined, they’re unharvestable. The number of people who won’t get their sunflower oil is just staggering. And why didn’t they harvest them? Because those fields have been mined. The evilness of that is bad on so many levels. It’s bad for the farmer, it’s bad for the village that depends on the income from his farm and all the local grocers in that town—it’s just a catastrophic thing locally—but nationally for Ukraine, it means not getting the income from agriculture, which is their biggest source of income. The Russians, by planting those land mines, have caused so much misery.

N Magazine: What do you see as Russia’s purpose of continuing the war if it’s only going to be destroying the country?

Mitzi Perdue: [Putin’s] motive for destroying the country is to create 8 million refugees. You make the place unlivable. If people can’t live there, they’ve got to go elsewhere. The destruction, whether it’s to the buildings or the factories or the water supply or farmland—the purpose is to create millions of refugees, which puts pressure on the West to stop the war at any price. Then there are his deeper psychological reasons for doing it. I hang out with a lot of psychologists and pretty much everybody that I talk with believes he’s a psychopath. Psychopaths have no conscience. They could care less about human lives. They care about their power and their image. I think as a psychopathic dictator, he does what pleases him. I think one of his goals is to be like Peter the Great. Does he care about the misery? As a true psychopath, he could even enjoy it.

N Magazine: From the U.S., we hear about the death toll, but we often don’t actually know the human lives affected. By going to Ukraine, are you able to put the war in a more humanizing perspective and visualize its scale and the toll it’s taking on people?

Mitzi Perdue: I think I do more than average because each time I’ve gone, I’ve been the guest of the Ukrainian police. Say I’m in a town that’s been newly liberated, I’ll be in the police station and people at the town talk with each other and learn there’s an American journalist there who would like to tell their story, and they just line up at the police station in an interview room and I hear their stories. Part of the reason, I’m told, that I got on the kill list is that if somebody’s a journalist and they talk about what’s happening in the war, that rarely tears at people’s hearts. People are much more moved by human stuff, and I think my specialty as a writer is I write the human side. I try to paint what it’s like for a human being living under these kinds of circumstances.

N Magazine: Which stories have stood out to you?

Mitzi Perdue: While I was there, Kyiv was under active attack. There were 40 missiles that day aimed at the capital city. I was at a school in the immediate suburb of the capital city. The classes are taking place in a bomb shelter and it’s dark and below ground. The class I got to sit in on was a math and physics class, and the teacher told me afterward that she had come into school that day with her arms loaded with games. She said her intention was to try to distract the kids because those kids know that when they come home at night, their building might be in ruins, they might not have their family any longer. She said the kids saw her with her arms laden with all these board games and puzzles and they said, “Put them away, teacher. We don’t want your games, we want to study math and physics, because we know when the war is over, it’s on our shoulders to help rebuild and we have to study now. We’re too young to fight a war, but we could at least give our all to studying.”

N Magazine: You have obviously recovered from the attempted assassination. Can you describe what led to that attempt against you, and what risk you faced as a journalist in Ukraine?

Mitzi Perdue: While I was in Ukraine, I had constant police protection. I would have four special services guys with me with their AK-47s, so I was pretty darn safe in Ukraine. But when I was in Poland after Ukraine, I checked in at the airport Marriott, and as I’m going to the elevator, I see two people and I get a tickle in the back of my neck. They gave me the spidey-sense of “don’t you dare get on that elevator with them,” so I didn’t. I walked away, and half an hour later I came back and they were gone. I get back on the elevator and they get on at the second floor. I have a terrible problem with the next part of the story because I don’t remember it but I have a physical scar to prove it. I’ve learned there are at least 100 other journalists who have had something similar happen: [The assailants] get on the elevator with somebody, they’ve got to be alone. One of them bumps into someone sharply, and the other sticks a needle in their thigh. Well, I had a scar on my thigh that lasted two months, but I didn’t know at the time because if you’re distracted by someone knocking into you, you’re not thinking of getting injected. When I got into my room, I had this terrible trouble breathing, and I knew I should call the front desk but I couldn’t get myself to roll over to reach the phone. I had a Polish friend, and I texted them “help can’t breathe, room 407 airport Marriott. ”Thank God he was there to get the text. He called the front desk, and by good luck the airport ambulance happened to be in the driveway at that very moment. The desk clerk alerted them there’s someone in room 407 who can’t breathe. They came rushing up, and I think they thought I had anaphylactic shock because they injected me a couple of times with adrenaline. It had no effect, and my breathing is getting shallower and shallower. When you can’t take a deep breath and you’re wheezing—how about scary?

N Magazine: We’re coming up on the three-year mark of the war. Do you see an end in sight, and do you think either side can sustain more?

Mitzi Perdue: One reason I think the end is insight is because the Ukrainians have been spectacular at drone warfare and they are particularly going after the oil refineries. You send a drone toward the most vulnerable part of the refinery, which is the distillation column. You hit one of those and it’s going to be a huge explosion, and the technology to replace it is going to be very difficult for the Russians to get. Right now in Russia there’s rationing. It means it’s harder for them to fuel their army, and President Zelenskyy said[late last year] he wants to build1 million drones. How can Russia defend itself when there are a million drones?

N Magazine: What about congressional spending? What do you believe the U.S. should be doing?

Mitzi Perdue: I’m firmly in the idea of making it all military aid and making this thing end. The slow bleeding to death—where do they even get the idea that this makes sense?

N Magazine: Your most recent trip to Ukraine was with retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus. How did that come about, and what was the purpose of that trip?

Mitzi Perdue: The reason I’m going to Ukraine now with Gen. Petraeus is to meet with government officials and people at the university to operationalize the idea [for a mental health resource]. I’m raising money for it as hard and as fast as I can. Imagine being able to help a billion people [worldwide] in their language at any time of the day or night when they need it. The amount of good this can do is hard to measure. Can you talk about the mental health resource you’re creating, and why you came to create it? I have the privilege and pain of interviewing war crime victims. One of them, a 14-year-old girl named Darya, told the story of how in the town of Bucha she was with her stepfather, her mother and her grandfather and Russians randomly and for no reason machine-gunned down all three. She watched her mother bleed out and described it in horrific detail. As I’m listening to this story, I can’t help but notice that she’s speaking incomplete monotone and describing it as if it happened to somebody else. Since I write for Psychology Today and I hangout with psychologists, I know that she is dissociating, and when somebody is dissociating as badly as she was, they need counseling. It takes so much effort to separate yourself from yourself that you become less functional and the likely outcome is you medicate yourself with alcohol or street drugs.

Somebody who doesn’t get counseling, their future is very worrisome. The policewoman I was with said there are a million kids who have had trauma this great. The current system of providing mental heal this one-on-one, which is very expensive and not available in Ukraine. There’s some available in Ukraine, but on the scale it’s needed, it’s nowhere near. Would there be some way of addressing her situation and those of the others around her? The current system for dealing with them is failing them. With the new large language models, which made possible things like ChatGPT, would there be some way of helping someone like Darya, where she could ask questions and it would interact with her? It’s not an ideal system, but how about it’s better than nothing because right now she has nothing.

N Magazine: What are the biggest things you’ve learned from your time in Ukraine?

Mitzi Perdue: I’m absolutely staggered by the strength and resilience of people. Remember that in Ukraine, they’re having 9/11’s every single day, day after day, unremitting. This gives me a reason to be impressed they’re able to carry on. I’ve been three times. When I leave and get into Poland, I am so exhausted I can hardly get out of bed, and I think what a weak stick I must be if six days drains everything I’ve got. What must it be like if you’re there fulltime and you can’t leave? ’m staggered with amazement with the courage and strength of the people I meet

Snapshot of History

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

A look at the long career of legendary photographer Frederick G.S. Clow

Written By Brian Bushard

Photos Courtesy of Frederick G.S. Clow

If a celebrity, diplomat, foreign leader or national politician passed through Boston in the mid-20th century, there’s a good chance Frederick G.S. Clow was there, taking their photograph. In eight decades as a photographer, Clow has generated a stockpile of images that includes the likes of Martin Luther King, Ella Fitzgerald, Winston Churchill and nearly every member of the Kennedy family. Clow forged long-standing friendships with some of them. Ted Kennedy, in particular, was a friend of Clow’s for years.

Clow’s images capture the person behind the celebrity—the tilted smile of Martin Luther King, the surprise on the face of Eleanor Roosevelt sitting in the backseat as Clow slides in the car, camera in hand. His portfolio, in a sense, serves as photographic evidence of the personal and professional rapports he developed, captured in hundreds of negatives. Each photograph he turns through has a story. Sitting in his kitchen, I asked if he is glad he chose the life of a photographer. The answer was an emphatic yes.

Clow’s career in photography began in 1949. An 18-year-old Clow was working here and there as a wannabe stringer for a handful of Boston publications. He received a tip on what time Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru would be leaving his Boston hotel room. Clow went therewith his camera, and took a photo of Nehru and his sister on their visit, wearing traditional dress. That was the first photo Clow sold. His payout: $5 (the modern equivalent of $65, adjusting for inflation). “ The Boston Post [initially] said, ‘Thanks for your interest, but we’re not interested.’ But then on my way out, the society editor said, ‘Put [the photo] up right away.’”

When Clow enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve in 1950, he found a spot taking photographs. He was later hired as a photographer for the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee. When then-President Harry Truman visited Boston in 1952 with House Majority Leader John McCormack, Massachusetts Gov. Paul Dever, Archbishop Richard Cushing and then-Rep. John F. Kennedy, a 22-year-old Clow was there, quietly taking photos in the back.

Clow's career is one of journalistic independence. Clow sold his images to Newsweek , Time magazine, UPI and over a dozen other publications in Boston and Cape Cod. It wasn’t until he moved to Nantucket that he landed a job as a full-time photographer, at The Inquirer and Mirror . “I’m independent as hell,” Clow said. “I don’t have to answer to anyone and I own my own negatives.”

He was at the right place and the right time at Logan Airport for the arrival of Pope John Paul II in 1979. At the time, Clow told the photography editor for UPI he wanted to photograph the Pope for the Boston-based news agency, only to later say he changed his mind and would sell the image elsewhere. “[The editor] went ballistic,” Clow said.

Clow turned that philosophy of independence into a lengthy career, taking photographs of Eleanor Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. By the 1990s, Clow had become a well known fixture at political fundraisers. At one campaign fundraiser on Nantucket for Bill Clinton, Clow was able to sneak past a gauntlet of Secret Service agents. “I guess they knew me,” he said. Clow was later stopped by Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential campaign. She shouted to Clow, “Nantucket!” before taking Clow by the hand.

Clow moved to Nantucket in 1968, buying a house on Lyon Street, where he still lives. Several years earlier, Clow had been at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis taking photos of the family on their lawn—something Clow would do over and over again for decades. On that trip, Clow took the ferry to Nantucket. The island had a quiet, isolated feeling that reminded him of his mother’s hometown in Nova Scotia. “I walked up Main Street and said this is where I want to be forever,” Clow said. “I said as I looked up Main Street that this is where I want to live and this is where I want to die.” Clow, now 93 years old, said he has started to think of a long-term plan for his photographs. When asked about donating images to an institution or museum, Clow half-jokingly said he would donate for cash. “I’m a realist,” he said. “The good lord has put me on Nantucket, so it was meant to be."

Representative Thinking

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 03:00:00 GMT

A sit-down with Nantucket's new state Rep. Thomas Moakley.

On November 5, Nantucket overwhelmingly elected former Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Thomas Moakley as its new state representative. Moakley, a 29-year-old Democrat, Georgetown University graduate and Falmouth resident, won the election in a landslide with no official Republican candidate on the general election ballot, after beating Martha’s Vineyard resident Arielle Faria in the Democratic primary in September. He is set to be sworn into office in January. While Moakley will be representing nine towns on the Cape and Islands, he is already well acquainted with Nantucket. Moakley previously interned for former Nantucket state Rep. Tim Madden. N Magazine caught up with Moakley to discuss why he ran for office, his priorities on Beacon Hill and his take on a range of issues from sea-level rise to affordable housing.

N Magazine: Why did you run for state representative?

Thomas Moakley: I’ve been working in public service as assistant district attorney for the Cape and Islands, and I know I have the skills to be a successful state representative. I think the issues most important to our community like climate change, affordability, the opioid epidemic and women’s reproductive rights—those are some of the biggest issues for me. Climate change, sea-level rise and coastal flooding have become major issues on Nantucket.

N Magazine: How would you address climate change at the State House?

Thomas Moakley: I think the most fundamental role of good governance is to address these issues. When it comes to climate change, it has to be a two-pronged approach, where on the one hand you focus on mitigation, where our power is coming from and reducing our impact on the local level. But what’s most important when we talk about sea-level rise is resilience. That means calling on our experts about how we talk about infrastructure and how we protect existing infrastructure. It’s not just sea-level rise but more frequent and intense storms. It’s a great opportunity for both climate scientists and engineers coming up with new ideas on how to address these challenges.

N Magazine: What about the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project and its recent blade failure that left materials littered across Nantucket beaches? Do you support the project, and do you think the state can or should do anything to address the recent collapse?

Thomas Moakley: On a large scale, I support alternative energy. I support wind energy, solar energy and the proliferation of renewable resources so we can mitigate the impacts contributing toward climate change. I also support the development of microgrids on the local level so we can be more resilient during storms rather than being beholden to larger networks that cover the entire region. The destruction of the blade was a huge disappointment to all of us that know renewable energy is the only responsible path forward, and it was also disappointing because of the breach of trust that had been built up over the years this project was coming to fruition between the company and host communities. Before we were talking about, “Do we want to continue our reliance on fossil fuels or develop renewable energy?” Now the discussion is, “Well, exactly how do we implement that in a way that is responsible to the people hosting that project?” Our role at the state is doing whatever we can to foster transparency and responsibility.

N Magazine: The median price of a home on Nantucket has swelled to $3.5 million this year. You listed affordability as a major part of your platform. What do you believe needs to be done to address the cost of housing on Nantucket?

Thomas Moakley: I support the local option transfer fee because it’s all about giving municipalities all the tools that they can use to address the housing crisis, which is acute on Nantucket. What’s really going to make the biggest impact is recapturing the seasonal housing stock and transferring it into year-round stock for service providers and what’s called the missing middle—such as firefighters, teachers, court workers and municipal employees. The legislature while I was running in the primary did pass a significant $5.1 billion investment in affordable housing statewide, and [state] Sen. Julian Cyr put a lot of legwork into the seasonal communities designation, which is going to give municipalities power to address the crisis. What’s missing is the funding. That’s where the transfer fee comes in. It’s important for the sustainability of so many Nantucket businesses and the critical public services that we act swiftly on this.

N Magazine: What are some other issues important to you?

Thomas Moakley: Access to interpreters in the court systems, and that is something especially prevalent on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. That’s frankly leading to an inequity of access to justice when both defendants and victims are not able to communicate freely with police officers, prosecutors, their attorneys, court personnel and then in court itself. The court needs help to hire people in our region and statewide.

N Magazine : How do you see your role as state representative?

Thomas Moakley: The role of state representative comes with two primary responsibilities. One is at the legislative level and that’s what gets a lot of bandwidth—things we want to do in the next term. The other part of the job is constituent services. Being the guy when there’s no one else to turn to, to figure out the appropriate executive department that might have control over the issue and making connections to help people navigate the state system, or maybe it’s something as simple as fixing potholes. That’s one of the roles where I’m closest to the people, and I plan to be as accessible as I can. A goal of mine because we have so many dedicated people in the nonprofit and government sectors in this region—[and] we’ve already started in the past few months—[is] coordinating between the nine towns I represent to get conversations going on what has been working for each of those organizations and what we can do to help one another and be responsible for that region when nobody else is.

Lost in Translation

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 15:43:38 GMT

Learning t he ways of Nantucket also means learning English.

Written by Larry Lindner
Photography by Kit Noble

Imagine coming to Nantucket to start a new life and earn a better income but being unable to name even the tools you work with. That’s why Susan Richards, who teaches beginner’s English to adults as a member of the Literacy Volunteers of the Atheneum (LVA), holds up various items and says in declarative sentences for her students from myriad countries, “This is a hammer. This is a broom.” The students learn to translate them from Spanish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and many other languages.

Plenty of students are translating to English from their mother tongue, if you extrapolate from what’s going on in the school system. Nearly 50 percent of students in Nantucket’s public schools have a first language other than English, says the system’s director of English Language Learner Services, Barbara Cohen. And nearly 20 percent are taking classes for English as a second language (ESL).

Spanish is spoken by the largest number of English language learners and former English learners on-island, at 73 percent, Cohen says. Number two is Portuguese, at “11.5 percent of English learners and growing.” Those students come from Brazil. Bulgarian runs a distant third, but Cohen also ticks off Lithuanian, Russian, Patois, Nepali, Uzbek, Thai, Tagalog, Ukrainian, Yoruba, and Mayan.

“Nantucket is amazingly diverse,” she says. “We don’t view this as a problem. It’s really an asset. These students bring a richness and a real-worldness.”

Still, it’s a challenge for the learners, particularly the adults. Marina Calderon, a housekeeper from El Salvador, took some classes at the Atheneum when she first arrived on the island in 2013 but then became too busy working to continue attending. Not until 2020, when the pandemic moved the classes online, was she able to resume. By then, she and her husband had had three daughters. “When I was giving birth, I didn’t understand everything the nurse was saying,” she comments. “You feel nervous even to go to the supermarket.”

Like most of the students, she remains highly motivated. Now that her children are no longer babies, she continues to take classes once a week and meets one-on-one with a tutor, also courtesy of the LVA. Both classes and private tutoring are free to all comers.

Cezar Jenzura, another Atheneum student, arrived with his wife and daughters from Brazil in 2021. Back in Brazil, Jenzura taught computer and electronics technology and also developed systems and created software. When he arrived on Nantucket, he didn’t even know how to say the word “router.” Now, he helps develop sound systems, computer systems, and other complicated technologies for large smart homes that may need many access points, and he has begun classes for licensure as an electrician. “I think I learn English,” he says, “because it’s better to open the doors, for social community, for being alive in society—if I need to make an appointment in the hospital or even simple things, for example, to buy groceries in the market.”

LVA coordinator Cheryl Creighton marvels at the dedication of students like Calderon and Jenzura, although work schedules can make it difficult, she says. “Five minutes before it’s time to meet, someone will call and say, ‘Sorry, gotta get this fence. Boss won’t let me leave.’”

Volunteers started teaching the classes some 25 years ago, Creighton notes. LVA started out at the schools, but by 2005 the program needed more space and was able to move to the Atheneum.

It’s not surprising, and not just because people from other countries keep emigrating to Nantucket. The adult learners also gain community in the program. “You can see when a new person comes in they might be really quiet and just sit,” Creighton says. “And then, if they keep coming, they’re soon laughing and bantering.”

That camaraderie extends to the teachers and one-on-one tutors. “We all know each other pretty well,” intermediate teacher Jane Carlin says, “and we know about each other’s families. That’s part of our goal. We don’t want our students to feel like they have to be invisible and just do the work of the people who need them here.”

Carlin, like Cohen of Nantucket Public Schools, also talks about the value of having such a strong international community all learning English together on the island. “It’s just such an amazing group of people from all backgrounds, from all over the world,” she says. “We all really like each other. If it’s Zoom, they put their kids on, and we talk to the kids. ‘So-and-so just had her prom; here’s her prom dress.’ We laugh a lot and speak good-naturedly about our strengths and weaknesses.” She points out that they meet for potluck dinners on Children’s Beach sometimes, too—the teachers, the students, and their families.

Tutor Belinda Bralver has become good friends with one of her students, a Ukrainian woman named Olha Strukova. They get together for coffee every week.

Strukova made her way out of her country in 2022 with her daughter, Sofiia, and son, Prosha, after they saw bombs hitting the local airport from their apartment, about 300 miles southeast of Kyiv. “We were afraid for our lives,” she says. Her husband, a carpenter, had been working on Nantucket temporarily and was originally planning on going home that summer. Instead, with the war raging, he was able to bring his family over via a circuitous route that took them through Poland, Germany, and Mexico. For Strukova, who worked at a bank in Ukraine and now manicures nails in a salon, learning English has been somewhat difficult.

“I learned English in school in Ukraine many years ago,” she says, “but I have not practiced. I started the beginner class the third day I was here. I understand more than I can speak. But now, I’m not afraid. If I don’t understand something, I ask, ‘Repeat, please,’ and it’s okay.”

Her daughter, Sofiia, 12 going on 13 when she arrived, had a much easier time getting a handle on the language, not just because of her youth but also because students are almost automatically placed into ESL classes in the public school system as soon as they arrive. They don’t have to seek out the learning, as the adults do. She started with ESL when she landed on Nantucket in April 2022 and then worked with an online tutor for the summer when school let out. “When I came back to school,” she says, “I knew English. I was able to talk to people.”

As someone, whether a child or adult, moves forward with English, the rewards then find their way to all islanders. A few years ago, Carlin was in Marine Hardware looking for something her husband asked her to get, but she couldn’t remember what it was or how to identify it. A man who happened to be shopping there at the same time was able to help her figure out what she was seeking, which was a pack of finishing nails. It turned out he had been one of her students 20 years earlier.

“His first language was Spanish,” she says, “and here he was teaching me something in English. Even more important, it was so great to catch up with an old friend. We talked about what was going on with our families and our lives in general.”

In other words, he had very much become, to paraphrase the school system’s Cohen, part of the fabric of diversity that enriches a community.

Volunteer to Teach English

“We always need more volunteers to tutor and teach,” says Cheryl Creighton, the coordinator for the Literacy Volunteers of the Atheneum. The need is greatest for year-rounders. She notes, “There’s an abundance of summer people, but you have to be here for a certain amount of time to build a relationship.”

You don’t need experience as a teacher or knowledge of a second language. For more information, head to nantucketatheneum.org and click on “Attend,” then “Volunteer,” then “Literacy Volunteers of the Atheneum.”

ArACKnophobia!

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:33:37 GMT

Though widely feared, spiders are an ecological boom to Nantucket.

Written by Jonathan Soroff
Photography by Kit Noble

Among the planet’s unloved creatures, spiders are perhaps the most unreasonably loathed. In literature, including the Bible, they serve as metaphors for calculated treachery, while folklore from medieval times to modern Hollywood depicts them as a basic ingredient of horror. No wonder arachnophobia consistently ranks among the top 10 most common fears, and if you suffer from it, you may want to stop reading here.

As it turns out, Nantucket (including Tuckernuck and Muskeget) is home to over 270 documented species of arachnids—a biological anomaly for such a small and isolated island, and the spider population includes several varieties of the most feared: two types of black widow and two types of tarantula. In fact, the eensie-weensie spider crawling up your waterspout might even be a type that has yet to be cataloged.

“Nantucket has been a hotspot for arachnologists for over 100 years,” says spider expert John Dobyns, an instructor at St. Norbert College who teaches a course every other summer on the Creatures for UMass Boston at its Nantucket Field Station. Dobyns points out that the eminent arachnologist James Emerton conducted research on the island in the early 20th century. While the collection at the Maria Mitchell Association includes 234 species, a census by MMA-affiliated naturalist Andrew McKenna-Foster has expanded that number. Dobyns says, “In my mind, there’s certainly over 300. It’s a moving target, and new discoveries are made every year.”

In 2006, McKenna-Foster was tasked by the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative to update its last spider census, conducted in the 1920s. He spent three years collecting specimens and cataloging them. “There are still a lot of mysteries on Nantucket,” he says. “It has a unique mix of species, and we don’t know why there are so many different ones.”

One theory is that there are so many different ecosystems that provide favorable habitats for the vast array, combined with spiders’ remarkable mobility. “Most of the spiders you’ll find on Nantucket were introduced,” McKenna-Foster says, undoubtedly arriving in the cargo holds of ships and the suitcases of unwitting tourists over the past several hundred years. Spiders can also travel vast distances by themselves using a technique called “ballooning,” during which the spider creates a parachute out of silk and can ride air currents for thousands of miles.

One previously undetected variety called Tiso was recently collected by both McKenna-Foster and Dobyns. Native to Scandinavia, it either stowed away or came via ballooning. Currently, only males have been found (both sexes must be collected to scientifically describe a species). While Dobyns was hoping to find a female this past July, he didn’t. However, his survey did identify three different new species, proving that the number continues to increase.

As for the black widows and tarantulas, populations are likely found due to where Nantucket sits geographically, leading to a mixing of species from the North and South. McKenna-Foster explains, “There’s one spider that’s only been seen in Florida and lives underground with the ants. Of the tarantulas, one is incredibly difficult to find because it’s the size of a quarter and only comes out to mate for one week during June.”

Among the island’s other eight-legged residents is the Carolina wolf spider, which grows to be the size of a man’s palm, and the black-and-yellow garden spider, which builds a web with a distinctive lightning-bolt pattern. Dobyns says, “I’m a huge wolf spider lover. They’re incredibly beautiful, but no one ever sees them because they burrow down in the sand.”

Whether you like or loathe the creatures, both McKenna-Foster and Dobyns adamantly point out that none of the species—including black widows and tarantulas—pose any threat to humans. Indeed, Jeff Coakley, communications manager at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, says, “Both our Emergency Department and Urgent Clinic directors have reported no recorded incidents of spider bites. It just doesn’t seem to be an issue on the island.” McKenna-Foster also notes that a bite is impossible to identify unless the person actually sees a spider doing it.

As for the widely feared brown recluse? Both McKenna-Foster and Dobyns point out that they don’t exist in Massachusetts. Chancellor Pollock, who co-owns Island Insect Control with partner Flint Ranney, confirms the claim. “Spiders are one of the things we get the least requests about,” he says, “with a little over a dozen calls this July. While they may look scary and aren’t the ideal pests to have in your home, they play a beneficial role in the ecosystem, as well as serving as natural bug controllers, preying on other insects, like mosquitoes.

“Luckily, Nantucket has no serious threat of poisonous spiders,” he continues, “the only real danger being that a bite from a species like the wolf spider can be painful, causing red swelling and irritation.”

Dobyns, meanwhile, stresses spiders’ salutary effect in controlling other, more dangerous pests. “Spiders eat things like spotted lantern flies, an invasive species that poses a major threat to agriculture. The only nightmare scenario I can envision with spiders on Nantucket would be an infestation of pirate spiders because they exclusively eat other spiders, and that would decimate the robust population.”

Above Dobyns’ desk hangs a framed quote of an old English rhyme that Nantucketers ought to take to heart:
If you wish to live and thrive, Let the spider run alive.

Need to Read: September 2024

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:33:01 GMT

Tim Ehrenberg of “Tim Talks Books” gives you his seven picks for fall reading.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

On shelves September 12

Picture it. You are on a flight. There is a delay. A woman stands up and tells you and everyone else the cause and age of their death. Everyone is a bit shaken, but they hardly believe the woman coined in the news as “the Death Lady.” Then the predictions start coming true!

This high-concept novel had me from the very first moment, and I could not stop thinking about the deeper themes and profound questions even after I finished it. If you knew your destiny, would you try and fight it? What would you change in your life if you were going to die this year? Liane takes these questions and gives us a powerful and propulsive plot with characters you grow to care about. It’s the ultimate “what would you do?” novel by one of the world’s favorite fiction writers.

September is still summer, so make this one your final beach read of the season. Don’t miss our upcoming podcast episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond with Liane Moriarty on September 18. Liane, Elin, and I talk about fortune tellers, death, fate, and all 10 of Liane’s bestselling novels. Listen at booksbeachandbeyond.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

September is wedding month here on Nantucket, and the island becomes the setting and backdrop for hundreds of beautiful Nantucket nuptials and newlyweds. I have always loved a good wedding novel. There is no better scene for drama, family secrets, and reflection than a wedding, and The Wedding People is one of the latest and greatest. Last month’s Read With Jenna pick is one of those gems that is hilarious, witty, and quick-moving. Set in Newport, Rhode Island, it’s an incredibly thoughtful look at starting over, friendship, and connection—you won’t soon forget Phoebe and Lila.

Make sure to take this one along for any wedding weekends you are attending this month, but don’t miss the ceremony while you’re lost in its pages.

Mrs. Frisby and The Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien

Not only is September wedding month, but it is also the time when kids all over the country are headed back to the classrooms. In honor of school being back in session, I always like to feature one of my favorite books as a young bookworm. Last year I spotlighted Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls, and this year I present Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. I sometimes can’t believe that one of my favorite children’s books stars a cast of rodents, considering I have a self-prescribed phobia of them, but it’s true.

This winner of the 1972 Newbery Award is about the mouse Mrs. Frisby, who lives with her family in the field of Mr. Fitzgibbon’s farm. When her youngest mouse pup, Timothy, falls ill and needs to be moved to avoid the spring plough, Mrs. Frisby seeks the help of the magical rats of NIMH. This adventure is classically told, and I will never forget all the farm animals in its pages. I recommend reading this one together as a family this month!

When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman

On shelves September 17

Alice Hoffman writes, “In the year I was twelve, I discovered many of the books that have meant the most to me, books that changed my life. The book that affected me more than any other was The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.” When We Flew Away is Alice’s fictionalized but highly researched take on Anne Frank’s life before the diary and before the Frank family went into hiding.

We see Anne like we have never seen her before. She is experiencing life out in the world as a sister, daughter, and friend, trying to exist as the Nazi occupation closes in around her and her family. Anne experiences firsthand the transformation of ordinary people into horrific and violent Nazis. Published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, this book is for any age, but it’s another perfect recommendation for your child’s silent reading time in school. Do they still have those? I sure hope so.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

On shelves September 17

I am a gigantic fan of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series. We Solve Murders introduces a new group of detectives solving a brand-new case of murders. Meet Amy Wheeler, a bodyguard to billionaires; her father-in-law and ex-cop Steven Wheeler; and Rosie D’Antonio, Amy’s current client and the world’s bestselling crime author.

These characters will keep you on your toes as you laugh at their quirks and eccentricities, and work together with the trio to try and solve the case in its pages. I think what makes Osman’s books go immediately to the top of my reading pile is his trademark wit. Every sentence and word that Osman puts in his characters’ mouths puts an immediate smile across my face and keeps me turning to the next page.

Entitlement by Rumaan Alam
On shelves September 17

Rumaan Alam is the New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and a major motion picture starring Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali. Alam is back on bookshelves this month with a novel of money and morality—Entitlement!

It’s a fascinating tale of need and worth, race and privilege, following Brooke, who works for an octogenarian billionaire and assists him in his quest to give away a vast fortune. BookPage writes, “If you miss HBO’s Succession, put Entitlement on your TBR list,” and I agree it fulfills the void, but it elevates the themes from that show even more. You may see a bit of yourself in this social novel, and you might not like it.

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

On shelves September 24

A new Sally Rooney novel is always cause for celebration, and what better way to settle into the fall season than with Intermezzo. I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I am obsessed with this one. Playing with a chess metaphor in the novel, Irish author Sally Rooney gives us her signature exquisite character development featuring a cast of queens, kings, rooks, and bishops who make moves back and forth, challenging each other and their own existences.

Intermezzo is about two brothers, Peter, a successful lawyer, and Ivan, a competitive chess player. They are both grieving the loss of their father and attempting to juggle despair and desire with newfound relationships. It’s a novel of grief, love, and family, but done only as Sally Rooney can do it.

BRIDGET & JACK

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:30:20 GMT

Bridget and Jack's
Sankaty Beach Club wedding.

Bride and Groom: Bridget Mara and Jack Hayden

Rehearsal Dinner: The Chanticleer

Ceremony: Sankaty Beach Club

REception: Sankaty Beach Club

After Party: The Club car

Planner: PPX Events

Photographer: Katie Kaizer Photography

Tent: Nantucket Party Rentals

Band: Sultans of Swing

Bride's Dress: Sareh Nouri

Bridal Party Dresses: Fanm Mon

Lighting: Billy Voss

Rentals: Event Rental Co.

Linens: BBJ La Tavola

NECESSITIES: SEPTEMBER 2024

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:29:37 GMT

Add these items to your fall wishlist.

written by Nantucket Magazine

LARGE NANTUCKET SCRIMSHAW HEART PENDANT WITH DIAMONDS

Inspired by the sailor-made ivory needle holders from the Nantucket and New Bedford Whaling Museums, this heart necklace is full of whimsy! With diamonds set in the holes that would have allowed a woman to sew it to her smock, it evokes a bygone era with a modern twist.

KATHERINE GROVER FINE JEWELRY | @katherinegroverfinejewelry | k atherinegroverfinejewelry.com

WHI TE WHALE BABY HAT

As the temperature starts to drop, every little one needs an island-inspired hat to keep out the cold. This hand-knit cotton baby hat by Beth Laffey makes the perfect gift for the new addition to any family!

NANTUCKET LOOMS | @nantucketlooms | nantucketlooms.com

FRANCOIS CAZIN CHEVERNY BLANC

It may be fall, but by no means is it time to stop drinking refreshing, crushable whites. This French blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay comes together with a nice texture and bright citrus and mineral notes, and it’s organic, too

NANTUCKET WINE & SPIRITS | @nantucketwines | nantucketwineandspirits.com

COASTAL CREWNECK SWEATER

Beautifully knit with a cashmere blend, this sweater is a perfect transition into fall or for those late summer nights. Also available in "West Coast," show your coastal love everywhere you go!

JOHNNIE-O | @johnnieobrand | johnnie-o.com

LIGHTHOUSE NANTUCKET RED SLIPPER

Murray’s Toggery Shop and Stubbs & Wootton have joined forces to deliver an iconic collection of luxury footwear paying homage to Nantucket. Available in additional styles like Whaling and Rainbow Fleet, these made-to-order shoes for men and women are a wardrobe staple for any island lover.

MURRAY'S TOGGERY SHOP x STUBBS & WOOTON | @ackreds | nantucketreds.com

LAUREN MARTTILA PHOTOGRAPHY SHELFIE®

The Shelfie®, by local island photographer Lauren Marttila, is perfect for all your bookshelf-decorating needs. Bonus: They make the best holiday, hostess or co-worker gifts, too!

LAUREN MARTTILA PHOTOGRAPHY | @laurenmarttilaphotography | laurenmarttila.com

Mangia!

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:27:23 GMT

Make Black Eyed Susan's' Capellini for Your Next Dinner Party

written by Antonia DePace
recipe by Black Eyed Susan's
Photography by Kit Noble

As summer comes to a close and seasonal residents start the trek back home, Black Eyed Susan’s shares the recipe for its popular capellini to cure those off-season cravings.

INGREDIENTS

• 6.5 pounds of San Marzano tomatoes

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 small carrot, diced

• 1/4 cup minced fresh garlic

• 10 basil leaves, chopped

• 3 small plum tomatoes, diced

INSTRUCTIONS

Sauté garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat until it just starts to turn golden.
Add diced onion and carrot. Cook until onion is translucent.
Add San Marzano tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2.5 hours, stirring often.
Purée the sauce and return to the pot, along with the diced tomatoes and basil.
Toss with capellini or your favorite pasta and serve with grated Parmesan.

A Rosé By Any Other Name

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:26:01 GMT

Written by Antonia DePace
Photography by Kit Noble

Carl Sutton's Oversand Rosé

Carl Sutton wears a number of hats on Nantucket, whether as the wine buyer and guide at Épernay Wine & Spirits or a produce packer for Nourishing Nantucket. More recently, he added “maker of Oversand Rosé” to his repertoire.

Sutton, who came to the island seven years ago and never left, launched Oversand Rosé in July 2022. This summer, he returned with the 2023 vintage and sold approximately one-third of the 160 cases at Pip & Anchor, Épernay, and Bartlett’s Farm by early August. “We had people at the beginning of this season asking, ‘When is it going to be back in?’” Sutton says.

He describes the rosé—which is 78% Mourvèdre, 11% Grenache, and 11% Cinsault—as earthy with notes of watermelon and strawberry. The wine is aged for six months in stainless steel after fermentation with wild yeast—a stark difference from the three-month industry standard in the United States.

According to Sutton, the biggest challenge he’s faced thus far is predicting how much wine to make. “What will the market absorb? How much of it can we make?” he asks.

While the label may be newer to Nantucket, making wine isn’t for Sutton, who started in the industry in the mid-1990s in the tasting room of a small family-owned winery in California. His ability to speak Spanish led him to get by in the winery and vineyard in addition to the tasting room, allowing him to learn multiple aspects of winemaking quickly. Not only did he find his passion through the experience, but he continued working at wineries in both sales and production.

He also began making his own wines at home in 1996, later named Sutton Cellars. “That quickly developed into something that was way, way bigger than a hobby,” he says. He continued to produce wines under the commercial label out of California for 20 years.

Then in 2017, shortly after closing Sutton Cellars, he was invited to Nantucket for a three-week consulting job at Triple Eight Distillery and Nantucket Vineyards Winery. Three weeks turned into seven years as Sutton became a year-round resident.

In addition to Oversand Rosé being carried exclusively on Nantucket, the bottle pays homage to the island with its label: a pink replica of Sutton’s 2020 oversand permit. Between the label art and the flavor profile, Oversand Rosé has quickly become a local favorite. Sutton notes that many Realtors and landlords purchase the bottles for client welcome baskets, adding, “It screams Nantucket. Everyone’s going to be able to identify it.”

Breaking Barriers

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:23:12 GMT

The pioneering program that's helping create jobs for young
Nantucketers with disabilities

Written by Jen Laskey
Photography by Kit Noble

In 2022, Nantucket resident Joshua Malitsky was trying to find a job for his son, Asher. Asher, who has autism, had just graduated from a post-high school program at the Riverview School, a Cape Cod-based educational institution for students with complex language, learning, and cognitive challenges.

After seeing an online post from town manager Libby Gibson about the problematic trash situation on the island, Malitsky proposed a solution that would help them both. He wrote Gibson, pitching a program where his son and some of the other young Nantucketers from Riverview could help clean up the island. He negotiated a pay rate of $15 an hour. Gibson accepted. And with that, Malitsky launched Inclusive Work Opportunities Nantucket (IWON).

Today, the summer program provides developmentally disabled young people (ages 16-24) with paid work experience that not only helps them build their skills and qualifications for future jobs, but serves the greater Nantucket community, too.

“The data on people with disabilities having paid work experience prior to finishing school is so advantageous for the possibilities of independence afterward,” Malitsky says.

A growing body of research suggests that such opportunities significantly increase the chances for more paid work in the future, which can lead to longer-term economic well-being, greater self-sufficiency and, ultimately, reduced costs in social services for people with disabilities, among other benefits. It’s one of the reasons Malitsky was driven to spearhead the project in the first place.

“Since then, the town has been really wonderful,” he adds. In 2023 and 2024, it awarded IWON a $10,000 grant. IWON also received $2,000 from the Nantucket Land Bank (NLB) and $1,000 from the Nantucket Land and Water Council last year (NLWC). With those funds, IWON has hired supervisors to oversee the annual program and help members develop additional vocational, social, civic, and leadership skills.

Having just wrapped its third year, the program partners with the town of Nantucket to pick up litter all over the island—along bike paths, at beaches, in fields, protected lands, cemeteries, and parking lots—five days a week throughout the summer. As part of their on-the-job training, IWON members learn about waste management from DPW parks and recreation manager Charles Polachi, who directs them in sorting the garbage they collect into proper waste streams.

Since its start, Malitsky has expanded the program into different types of work opportunities, branching into the Take-It-or-Leave-It under the guidance of Alice Kellogg this year. Last summer, the organization partnered with the NLB and the NLWC to help with landscaping and orchard pest management as well as work on an eelgrass restoration project.

After some members expressed interest in office work, Malitsky sought to create additional jobs. As a result, IWON tackled a mountain of paperwork for the NLB and NLWC—organizing, scanning, and digitizing their paper forms. “We got through the material way faster than anyone expected us to,” says Malitsky, noting that it was “a huge time-saving and cost-saving benefit to our partners.”

Nantucket resident Nora Harrington, a social worker whose training focused on children with disabilities, became IWON’s first supervisor for the summer of 2023. She managed a team of 11 as they performed their various morning and afternoon gigs. “Being able to learn from them and share their experiences was incredible,” she says. “By the end, they had a better grasp of who they were and what their next steps could be.”

IWON has also received valuable support from other members of the community, including Jenn Christiansen of Nantucket Public Schools and parents like Malitsky’s wife Anne Brynn, Linda Ledoux, Laura Steele, and Diana Turk. Turk’s son, Jamie, worked two summers with IWON, but this year he landed a job at Bartlett’s Farm, which Turk says is a testament to how well IWON prepared him for working on the open market. He learned what it meant to show up every day and get paid to do a job. “This is what the research tells us about how best to help make people with disabilities productive members of society,” says Turk.

Looking ahead, Malitsky hopes to secure enough job prospects to transition IWON into a full-time, year-round program.

Treasure Island

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:21:41 GMT

The virtues of secondhand shopping on Nantucket

Written by Antonia DePace
Photography by Kit Noble

"From 2021 to 2023, the global value of secondhand apparel rose from $138 to $211 billion,” states a recent article on EarthDay.org. By 2027, it is expected to reach $351 billion. These statistics demonstrate the popularity of buying secondhand across the globe and Nantucket is no exception. On an island where recycling and being environmentally conscious are second nature, buying from thrift or consignment shops serves two goals: one to find bargains and the second to reduce waste.

At the Hospital Thrift Shop, it is not uncommon to find high-end items like Limoges china, Chanel jackets, and Prada handbags at stunning discounts—just this year, a leather and cashmere-lined Loro Piana jacket that retailed for $5,000 sold at the shop for $995. But beyond the racks of clothing and shelves of household finds is an opportunity to help contribute to Nantucket’s Cottage Hospital.

Currently celebrating its 95th year, the nonprofit has donated over $7.5 million since its inception in 1929 by selling donated inventory. Last year alone, the shop donated $625,000 after covering its own expenses. Mary Casey, executive director of the Hospital Thrift Store, says, “Recently, we were the main contributors to the new state-of-the-art MRI machine. We also contributed to the rehabilitation PT building when that was being done, and then, last year, our funds went directly to housing, because we all know how important and difficult housing is.”

Due to the steady increase in interest for shopping secondhand, the thrift shop is projecting an even larger increase for the 2024 season. “Our success in achieving our mission—which is to serve the community with affordable goods and donate to the hospital—depends upon our success in engaging the Nantucket community to ‘Donate, Shop, Volunteer,’” Casey adds. “We have been fortunate in that it seems that we continue to grow both donors and shoppers, enabling us to give generously to the hospital each year.”

On Orange Street, the Rainbow Fleet shop has also seen an increase in the volume of buying secondhand. Specializing in designer and vintage styles, the consignment shop has more than quadrupled its inventory due to demand since opening less than five years ago—owner Kristen Hull estimates the shop sees nearly 10,000 clients annually. “We have reached max capacity for our floor plan,” she says. Hull does note some challenges of running the consignment shop, like budgeting for the off-season, but even then, she finds a way to give back to the island that gives to her. In addition to allowing island artists to utilize the store’s front porch, lawn, and parking lot space to display goods and host pop-ups, Hull has also given back Through fundraising events like her Fill a Bag event, which benefits A Safe Place, Hull has also given back. During the pandemic, she upcycled designer clothes that needed mending into masks and donated them to the hospital and Meals on Wheels drivers. Hull also works with the community to donate costumes and props for school theater productions. Any leftover inventory is either sent off-island to Goodwill on the Cape and other nonprofit programs or donated to on-island artists at no charge.

At Commonwealth consignment shop, Eileen Harkness attributes the growth in value for secondhand shopping to the younger generation.
She explains, “The younger generation is so much more aware of the impact on the world. And they’re definitely trying to mitigate the negative effects of what they are doing. There’s also been an increase in awareness about how the fashion industry is impacting the environment. I think that generation is very clued in to that.” At her consignment shop, which opened in 2017, she’s seen a steady 15 to 20 percent increase in sales every year.

The value of Nantucket’s consignment shops and thrift stores is clear and they give the entire island population access to items that might otherwise be unaffordable or unavailable. Whether it be designer items like Hermès leather bracelets, vintage Gucci luggage, or Seaman Schepps clip-on earrings, one thing is clear—Nantucket’s consignment shops are a place to find buried treasure.

Falling for Fashion

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:15:32 GMT

photographer: Brian Sager

photographer Assistant: Reece Nelson

wardrobe stylist: Petra Hoffmann

style assistant: Evan Hoffmann

makeup stylist: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

hair stylist: Caitlin Boland

female model: Maddie Woods of Maggie Inc.

male model: Malcolm Jackson of Maggie Inc.

New Paragraph

Words on Wheels

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:09:37 GMT

Gillean Myers' mobile solution ensures access to books.

Written by Emma Kershaw
Photography by Kit Noble

Eight years ago, Nantucket Public Schools elementary teacher and island native Gillean Myers was determined to encourage the younger generation to read more—but there was one problem. Many of her students told her that they didn’t have access to books at home. Despite having access to the Atheneum, many students found that their time was too limited to go after-hours, but they also didn’t have the funds needed for books of
their own.

As someone who has fond memories of being read stories like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Treasure Island, Myers was shocked at first, but then took the problem into her own hands. After organizing book donations and being donated a van by Don Allen Ford, she created the Nantucket Bookmobile. “The bookmobile is responding to [this] need and also provides book ownership, which is impactful,” she says. “The bookmobile goes to where the children are, making the access more attainable and something they can access on their own.”

The nonprofit, which delivers free books to those who need them most, has donated approximately 10,000 books to children each year since its inception in 2016. According to Myers, she donates approximately 1,700 books every time she goes to the Nantucket Elementary and Intermediate schools. The bookmobile visits the schools once a month.

To keep reading going during the summer months, Myers travels to local fairs, camps, and churches. “The bookmobile has helped support literacy on Nantucket and create excitement and a positive outlook for young readers,” she explains. “The children look forward to visiting the van to pick out a book.”

When it comes to finding book donations, Myers depends entirely on the Nantucket community. Moors End Farm has created a place to drop off book donations, and fellow elementary school teacher and reading specialist Sandy Mitchell helps to keep the bookmobile stocked with donations by assisting with pickups and organizing. Residents can also make monetary donations, which are used to buy new books and help with the maintenance of the van. Myers also works closely with the Nantucket Book Foundation and Nantucket Book Festival, where she both distributes and collects donations.

Looking to grow, Myers hopes to expand the initiative to the high school level with a wider range of reading material and even wants to include students in the day-to-day management of the program. “Having an assortment of books from board books to young adult books gives readers all sorts of reading levels and interest choices,” she adds. “It is amazing to listen to the excitement of children finding a book they love.”

All In the Family

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:08:30 GMT

Blue Flag Capital's new kid-centric hotel.

Written by Antonia DePace

With questions looming about the future availability of short-term rentals, the spotlight has begun to shift back toward hotels for those seeking vacation alternatives, particularly for those with families. Nantucket’s economic engine is clearly driven by tourism, and the recent ruling against corporate ownership of short-term rentals has generated significant concern about the island’s ability to adequately provide for vacation accommodations. For Blue Flag Capital, timing is everything, and its acquisition and redevelopment of The Beachside Hotel may prove to be propitious. Blue Flag Capital acquired the dated, 100-room hotel in 2021 and executed a total redesign, transforming it into a family-friendly boutique accommodation that opened in late August.

"I’ve got three kids—10, eight, and three. Brad has two kids of similar ages,” Jason Brown, Blue Flag Capital co-founder and CEO, says. “We felt like there wasn’t anything fun, but also a little bit cool and design-forward, that we wanted to go to, and Beachside presented that opportunity with this vast campus of endless possibilities.”

With that mission in mind, the hotel near Brant Point is themed around endless summers. According to Brad Guidi, Blue Flag Capital co-founder and chief development officer, “there’s this shared human experience where we feel like everybody can equate summer to your first inkling of freedom as a child.”

“What we were setting out to do is really bring back that nostalgia for us in an environment that the kids are going to have an unbelievable time in,” Brown adds.

The duo has certainly succeeded. The 3.5-acre property has a swimming pool, baby pool, gym, guest-only restaurant with quick bites, an arcade, fire pits, a retail store, outdoor movie nights in partnership with the Dreamland, local food trucks, and fun activities with Barnaby’s. There is also an event space on the property, meant for birthday parties, small private dinners, and other micro-events.

Interestingly enough, while there are a limited number of family-oriented hotels on the island, none of them zero in on the child experience quite like The Beachside Hotel, which presents an interesting opportunity for a company that has established an oversized presence in the hospitality business on Nantucket, including the Faraway Nantucket Hotel, Woodbox Inn, the former Century House Inn, and the Brass Lantern Inn, among others.

Working in tandem with New York’s Parts and Labor Design, Brown and Guidi chose a mid-century modern vibe with a saturated color palette of maroons, blues, and greens. “When you walk in, you’re going to be greeted with this beautiful terracotta, red, and cream color floor, and that terracotta is the thread that ties the design together throughout the whole property,” says Guidi. For one of his favorite elements, he notes the seafoam-green tile bar that has an indoor-outdoor element with a large, retractable window. In the same area, a large patio covered in sun sails creates an area for parents to relax while children can play in the pool nearby.

Throughout the property, custom furniture, trinkets, and two original pieces of artwork by Sean Spellman add to the charm. “We’ve taken everything we’ve learned from the other hotels to the next level here,” Brown says. “It’s very different from the other stuff that we’ve done in a way that we want to push the envelope a little bit, and I think it will be really interesting and fascinating to see how people react to that.”

The Beachside is open through the season. Stroll before closing to prepare for next season.

An Appetite for Expansion

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:07:50 GMT

Written by Brian Bushard

Nantucket's restaurants seek growth beyond our shores.

Just two blocks from the Cisco Brewers Seaport summer beer garden, the Nautilus ownership trio of Stephen Bowler, Liam Mackey, and Clinton Terry have transformed a new space in Boston’s Seaport District into the second coming of their hit restaurant at 12 Cambridge Street on Nantucket. Walk three blocks from Nautilus Pier 4 and you’ll find yourself at Stubby's Boston, the metropolitan version of the Broad Street late-night classic.

For these restaurants, it’s not only a matter of boosting revenue, but of finding ways to overcome the inherent restrictions of owning a business on Nantucket.

“It’s so seasonal on Nantucket, but in Boston it’s year-round,” says Terry, who runs the cocktail program at Nautilus. “You go out in January [in Boston] when it’s cold and miserable outside and the weekends are still pretty good.”

Limited real estate for opening new restaurants, exorbitant construction costs, a business model tied to summer tourism, a cap on the town’s liquor licenses, and high start-up costs are some of the factors that have led to some restaurants expanding off-island—to Boston, in particular. Just two blocks away from Stubbys Boston, diners can reserve a table at LoLa 42, the follow-up to Marco Coelho’s popular LoLa 41, while down the road, customers might opt instead for fries and a milkshake at LoLa Burger, a re-creation of the lunch spot Coelho had owned at the Milestone Rotary.

In just a matter of five years, the food scene in Boston’s Seaport District has embraced some of Nantucket’s tried-and-true restaurants. And more are on the way. When the CambridgeSide Galleria’s food hall reopens this fall, the 30-year-old shopping plaza on the Lechmere Canal will swap out fast-food chains Taco Bell and Burger King for the Nantucket sandwich shop, Fresh.

Wendy Hudson, co-owner of Cisco Brewers, says that after years of considering where to set up another location, Boston made the most sense, because so many visitors from Nantucket come from Boston. “We’re always trying to find ways to maximize opportunities but stay in our lane,” Hudson says.

In 2018, nearly three decades into running Cisco Brewers off Hummock Pond Road, Cisco’s ownership made the decision to expand off-island, first with a brewpub in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, then with Cisco Seaport and finally with a waterfront spot in New Bedford, Massachusetts—a location that provides live music, food vendors, and a full restaurant.

As with the Nautilus team, the seasonality of business on Nantucket was a key reason to go off-island. Cisco Brewers’ Nantucket location, like most island establishments, makes the bulk of its revenue in the summer months and hopefully into the shoulder season. “We try not to lose money [in the winter] but if you can keep people employed and at least break even that’s a good enough reason for me [to stay open]. I take an annual view of it and want it to be open for the community,” Hudson explains. “There are people [on Nantucket] in the winter, but their spending patterns are different. To keep our staff, it makes sense to go off-island. It’s another opportunity.”

Beyond New England, Coelho has opened two additional LoLa 41 locations in Naples and Palm Beach, Florida. Meanwhile, in South Carolina, 167 Raw Fish Market and Food Truck owner Jesse Sandole is celebrating 10 years of operating his sister raw bar in downtown Charleston, where Sandole has been able to go well beyond the food truck and fish market concept, first to a four-seat bar, then to a full 24-seat restaurant.

“I always had aspirations to bring the business off the island,” says Sandole, who went to college in Charleston and opened 167 Raw Oyster Bar there in 2014. “Nantucket is amazing but it’s really difficult with the seasonality. You really have eight weeks to make money and survive, and while you’re doing that you’re working 24/7.”

The allure of expanding off-island also comes from the fact that people want Nantucket year-round, according to Georgetown Hospitality owner Bo Blair. Blair, who has been known for his Nantucket-themed restaurants for years, opened his first on-island spot, Millie’s, in 2010. Seven years later, he expanded the name off-island to DC. “Northwest Washington, DC, and the surrounding area has a tremendous number of people who love the Island. Millie’s is located at the center of that loyal following,” says Blair. In 2025, he plans on expanding the brand to Darien, CT.

“You see how tough Nantucket is,” Terry says. “It’s amazing what Millie’s did between the rotary and the strip, or what Dre [Solimeo] did at Ventuno, the pizza place, and Via Mare. It’s hard. It’s hard to find a space.” Then again, Terry said, expanding off Nantucket is no easy feat.

“We’ve heard so many offers, ‘Oh I have a spot for you in Austin, in West Palm,’” he says. “It’s tough because we’re actual workers. When we set things up, we’re there for the first six months we’re open. That’s part of it, even finding a chef partner [Steve Marcaurelle], we couldn’t have done it without him. We’re just not wanting to hand over a folder full of recipes and say good luck because the story gets lost. We’re not TGI Fridays, we want it to be personal. There are chains that do it well, but some are soulless. We wanted people to go to Boston and say ‘Oh, I feel like I’m on Nantucket.’”

Clearly, Boston has an appetite for what Nantucket has to offer, and the expansion of island restaurants in the Seaport and beyond is likely to be a trend that continues.

Diving Beneath the Surface

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:05:55 GMT

The Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative's groundbreaking research

Written by Madeline Bilis

Since launching in 2004, the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative (NBI) has funded more than $150,000 in local biodiversity research. Larger groundbreaking studies to come out of its grant program range from recording tick densities and cataloging tidal marsh bird demographics to discovering more than 260 species of herbivorous insects not previously reported on Nantucket. The organization’s focus is broad, but there are two significant initiatives of particular interest.

TRACKING SHARK POPULATIONS OFF NANTUCKET

The subject of sharks is one that conjures up fear among many, but the fact is they are a vital part of the food chain and warrant protecting, not hunting. Lurking in the waters just off Great Point is a significant population of sharks—sandbar sharks, to be specific. “If you’ve swum off Eel Point or if you’ve swum off Coatue, you’ve swum with a sandbar shark and you just don’t know it,” says shark biologist Caroline Collatos.

You can rest easy knowing sandbar sharks aren’t a threat to humans. The species overall, however, is threatened—and Collatos is hoping to change that. Thanks to NBI grants—which she’s applied for and received for three years in a row—Collatos has been able to tag and closely monitor the activity of sandbar sharks off the coast of Nantucket. Ultimately, she’s working to save their population from further decimation.

Collatos, a Ph.D. student at UMass Boston who works with the New England Aquarium, personally fishes and wrangles each shark that she tags. From either a boat or the beach, she uses a shark rig that she’s built to affix tags to every fish. Each shark, once it’s measured, receives between one and three tags. First, an identification tag allows Collatos to record their size, sex, and age estimate to compile demographic data. Next, another tag operates much like the EZ Pass toll system, she explains, where it communicates with receivers placed around Nantucket Sound to track the sharks’ movements. Some sharks receive another tag that looks at the sharks’ energy expenditures “on a Fitbit level,” she says.

Collating the data points gleaned from the tags is an important step toward protecting the sharks. “This information has never been incorporated into shark assessments for population numbers or biodiversity,” Collatos says. “So a lot of fishermen know what they catch around Nantucket. But with this EZ Pass system, it’s another way for me to put a level of authentication around what these fish were doing on their own. So it’s answering the who, what, when, where and why around the island.”

MAPPING SCALLOPING HABITATS

Commercial fishing for bay scallops was once a booming industry up and down the East Coast. Today, Nantucket is the last remaining commercial bay scallop fishery in the world, though habitat loss is presenting a large hurdle to retaining the title.

To combat this, the Brant Point Shellfish Hatchery takes stock of Nantucket’s bay scallop population through dives each year. “They have a couple of staff members who will dive in, take pictures, count the scallops and get an idea of population numbers at specific places,” says Jacob Tinkhauser, who has a background in computer science. “This is, as you can imagine, really tedious. It takes a long time. It’s tiring. It’s resource-intensive.”

Tinkhauser hopes to make this process more efficient with his grant from the NBI—by taking aerial drone maps of the scallops’ habitats this fall. The maps will offer a snapshot into what’s occurring in the harbor over time, and which eelgrass habitats are particularly beneficial to bay scallops.

Tinkhauser plans to run his drone photos through a software program to process the images, which will then arrange them together into a comprehensive map. The program will be able to identify the dense areas of scallops; the hope is that density patterns will merge with areas rich in eelgrass. He’ll then hand the maps over to the hatchery and the Nantucket Shellfish Association, who will use them to strategize about where to release juvenile bay scallops into the water. The maps will also aid in identifying scallops that have been pushed onto the beach after storms in “strandings.”

“This is a small part to try to get a bird’s-eye view of what’s going on,” Tinkhauser says. “We want to use our limited resources effectively to redistribute the scallops and increase the survival rate to adulthood.”

Being Diplomatic

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:03:54 GMT

U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Elizabeth Frawley Bagley reflects on diplomacy in turbulent times.

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay
Photography by Kit Noble

Elizabeth Frawley Bagley has been a longtime summer resident of Nantucket and a prolific fundraiser for the Democratic Party. Bagley has served in a variety of posts in Washington, D.C., over the past four decades and has the unique distinction of having served as both the U.S. ambassador to Portugal and now to Brazil. She was the youngest ambassador to ever serve in Portugal and is now finishing out her term in Brazil as an appointee of President Biden.

You were one of only a few politically appointed ambassadors to serve in two different posts. How are ambassadors selected?

Well, as a political ambassador, and I’m a hybrid because I spent over 20 years working in the State Department, and then another eight years when President George W. Bush was in office as co-chair of the [U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy], most ambassadors who were politically appointed were either close to the current president, helped him get elected, raised money or were close to personal colleagues. Usually, 70 percent of the ambassadors are career diplomats and 30 percent are political appointments, but with Trump, it was the other way around.

You were ambassador to Portugal and are now ambassador to Brazil. Have you noticed an evolution of the role of ambassador from more of a figurehead to something more serious, given the instability in the world?

You could be a figurehead if you wanted to, but there’s plenty to do. When I was ambassador to Portugal, I was the youngest ever and the first woman. There were a lot of things that I had to do to prove myself with the Portuguese government, the Portuguese people—with the men in particular on my staff and in the government. We did a lot of things with NATO as Portugal was a founding member. It was all very substantive.

Given the tensions in the world, do you experience tightened security?

Yes. We are actually building a new building because we don’t feel the current building is secure enough. After 9/11, everything was beefed up at every mission. We have eight Marines that guard the embassy, and then the ambassador’s residence is guarded by a private company. When I travel, I always go with bodyguards, and there is an advance car and a car behind me.

Let’s talk about the political situation in Brazil. What parallels do you see in Brazil to what’s going on in the U.S.?

There are a lot of parallels. [Jair] Bolsonaro was determined to have been actively involved in the insurrection against the Capitol in Brazil on January 8 [in 2023]. Bolsonaro is a big admirer of Donald Trump, and I think he thought he could do it because he had a lot of people in the military. Bolsonaro also never accepted his election results, which also mirrored Trump. Secretary of Defense [Lloyd] Austin came and met with the minister of defense in Brazil and basically said, “Do not do anything that might surprise us because if you do, we will take everything away.”

When you [look back at] our history in Latin American relations, in 1964, President Johnson supported a military coup against anybody who looked remotely anti-communist, so we have had a checkered history in Latin America. Because [President Luiz Inácio] Lula [da Silva] and his party are very left, they tend to be more distrustful. [But] when Lula was elected, the first person to call him was Joe Biden, which helped solidify the relationship.

Let’s talk about the environment, particularly since the majority of the Amazon is situated in Brazil.

The Brazilians care about the environment, which Bolsonaro destroyed. Deforestation was at its worst when he was in power. He decimated the Amazon, but now up to 57 percent of it has been reforested. There are six biomes in Brazil, and it has the [world’s] largest [tropical] wetlands in Pantanal.

Eighty percent of the electricity in Brazil comes from hydroelectric, and the rest is provided by nuclear, wind and solar.

What do you make of the shift in governments to the left? And how does that impact our position in the world?

I would worry more about the right movement. We were certainly worried about Marine Le Pen in France, but luckily, they had a second election. In the U.K., this was, I think, just a response to the Tory government, and I feel that many of these responses are reactions to the governments before them. I don’t think Brazil is particularly left. Although, there is certainly a hard left wing and right wing. Lula tends to be more pragmatic. He’s much more to the center left, and the people around him, like his finance minister, are very center.

Despite the issues in America, are we still the guiding light for a country like Brazil?

We like to think so but less than we were. We were the big democracy. People really do love the United States, and one of the major billionaires in Brazil, who I was talking to, said that “it is closest in every way to the United States of any country in South America.” Brazil has the most diverse population, and in São Paulo, the country has Lebanese, Japanese, German, Italian and Indigenous peoples. Black people, who self-identify as Afro-Brazilian, account for 58 percent of this country.

Brazil is bigger than the continental United States and is the second-largest democracy. It has the second largest military to the United States, so they see themselves as very close.

They actually love Disney World. It’s a rite of passage for a 15-year-old boy or girl to go to Orlando, Florida. Brazilians are the third-largest tourist group to the United States; they love everything about America. It really started with FDR’s Good Neighbor Policy and then JFK’s Alliance for Progress.

Can you tell me any interesting stories about our relations with Brazil?

When FDR had his Good Neighbor Policy, he was worried about Brazil because there were so many Germans and Italians. He was worried that they were going to support Mussolini or Hitler. So FDR sent all these brilliant creators, including Walt Disney, to Rio for a month at the Copacabana palace. Walt Disney himself created a character called José Carioca, which was a parrot with a straw hat and a cigar, and he was drinking and it became a caricature. He never worked but drank and smoked all day. He was a bad influence on Donald Duck but was his best friend.

If you could make a broad statement about the Brazilian people, how would you describe them?

I love their joie de vivre. These people are engaged, warm and outward. They welcome everyone there and their music is enchanting, which I’ve really gotten into.

The country is complicated, and its politics are complicated, but its culture is not—it’s amazing. When you go to a concert, everyone is standing, they sing and dance and that’s what they do. You go to a dinner party and it starts with music and everyone knows every word of the song and the night ends with dancing. Their national anthem goes on forever, but Brazilians sing it with such passion. I never see people depressed and they are always up and very welcoming. They are wonderful people.

What was the reaction in Brazil to the announcement that Biden was stepping aside in favor of Vice President Harris?

There are headlines all over Brazil that say “Kamala ta pronta” that refers to the fact that “her suitcase is packed and she is ready to go to the White House.” The country is very pro-Kamala and sad about Biden, and personally, I feel he has passed the torch with humility and grace, “classic Biden.” The country loves Kamala,because 58 percent of the population self-identifies as Afro-Brazilian and this is a source of pride.

Blown Away

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:00:29 GMT

Vineyard Wind's turbine collapse riles the island.

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

On a February afternoon in 2019, Vineyard Wind executives came to the Great Hall of the Nantucket Atheneum to make their case directly to island residents that their planned 166,000-acre wind farm southwest of the island would provide clean, renewable energy, with minimal visual and environmental effects on Nantucket or its waters.

But just over five years later, with the project suspended by federal officials, and with thousands of pieces of fiberglass and foam board from a crumbling blade strewn across the island’s South Shore, those promises of clean energy feel empty.

The question for a growing number of residents, environmental groups, and town officials is not just what went wrong, but whether Vineyard Wind or GE Vernova, the manufacturer of the 350-foot blades, knew those blades could fail—and what happens when the rest of Vineyard Wind’s proposed 62 turbines fall in the path of a winter nor’easter or a hurricane.

“The number of failures [in offshore wind] are relatively small, however as these machines go bigger and bigger, we have seen a bit of an uptick in the number of failures,” Todd Griffith, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas, said.

Vineyard Wind completed construction on its first turbine last October, using GE Vernova’s Haliade-X, touted as the “largest turbine in the Western world.”

On July 13, the company learned one of its blades had collapsed into the Atlantic. It notified the town two days later, just as pieces of the blade began washing up on shore. Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller identified those shards as nontoxic, though that definition has also been called into question.

GE Vernova officials claimed the blade failure was an isolated event and “not a fundamental design flaw.” In a July earnings call, CEO Scott Strazik blamed the event on a “material deviation or a manufacturing deviation in one of our factories that, through the inspection or quality assurance process, we should have identified.”

But those answers did not satisfy town officials, and past turbine failures show a pattern of issues. “Maybe they didn’t expect it to break and shatter into a billion pieces, but wait, it already happened once,” said Amy DiSibio, a board member of ACK for Whales, a grassroots organization opposed to the turbine project.

Just last May, a turbine blade in the Dogger Bank Wind Farm—a 277-turbine, 3.6-gigawatt offshore wind project roughly 62 miles east of Newcastle upon Tyne, England—crumbled into the North Sea.

But other failures have occurred with land-based turbines. GE Cypress model onshore turbines have suffered multiple broken blades and a collapsed turbine in incidents in Sweden, Germany, and Lithuania.

In February, Texas-based wind company Mesquite Creek Wind LLC sued GE Vernova in the New York Supreme Court, claiming GE took eight months to investigate a group of turbines that suffered damage from lightning strikes in 2015. In its delayed inspection, GE Vernova identified a handful of damaged turbines, though one year later, plaintiffs claimed the company admitted additional damage had occurred prior to its initial inspection—a case of fraudulent misrepresentation, according to the plaintiffs.

In a separate case in May, energy company American Electric Power took GE Vernova to court over “numerous material defects on major components” and “several complete failures” on a wind farm in Oklahoma, including one failure to a turbine blade and an “even larger portion” that “exhibited one or more material defects that are reasonably expected to result in failures within their useful service life that will require expensive repairs.”

What’s more, Vineyard Wind’s blade failure came on a breezy summer day, when weather charts showed Nantucket faced winds between 6 and 13 mph from the south-southwest. Compare that to a Category 1 hurricane (74-95 mph sustained winds) or a Category 3 major hurricane (111-129 mph).

“This endeavor is a learn-as-we-go experience,” Val Oliver, the founder of ACK for Whales, said. “We are the guinea pigs of this industry and if I’m not mistaken, these are the largest turbines ever built so of course there’s no information on failure or how they’re built because they’re just getting built now.”

Vineyard Wind’s turbines themselves sit comfortably in federal waters, outside of state and local jurisdiction, in an area where the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has leased 10 offshore wind sites, part of a major advancement in offshore wind intended to replace traditional fossil fuels.

As Vineyard Wind started to secure funding and federal approval, town officials in 2020 signed a so-called good neighbor agreement with Vineyard Wind, the Maria Mitchell Association, and Nantucket Preservation Trust. The partnership requires Vineyard Wind to fork out $16 million to signatories in remediation for the wind farm, and in return, the town would “convey support for the projects” and “inform federal, state, and local elected officials of their support for the projects” through its permitting process.

At the time the agreement was signed, the primary concern for town officials was the project’s visibility from the island and what that could mean for Nantucket’s designation as a national historic landmark. But the agreement also acknowledged the possibility of damage, stating: “The Parties recognize that the development of offshore wind power projects are subject to many risks and uncertainties, that there is no assurance that the Projects will obtain permits and approvals necessary for development and construction or receive necessary financing, and that Vineyard Wind may abandon a Project at any time, at its sole discretion.” It goes on to state that neither Vineyard Wind nor its affiliates will be held liable for any failure to receive financing, if it abandons the project or for any “consequential or punitive damages, whether or not foreseeable.”

One week after the blade failure, the Nantucket Select Board said it would renegotiate the terms of that agreement. “Our hands are not completely tied,” said Select Board member Dawn Hill Holdgate, who chaired the board when it signed the good neighbor agreement. “We agreed if we have a real problem we would start with remediation. This is very different from what’s in the agreement about the visual impact.”

In response to the blade collapse, GE Vernova launched a root-cause analysis to determine any necessary adjustments to its turbines to avoid future failures, Chief Sustainability Officer Roger Martella said, calling the blade failure “highly unusual and rare.” In that analysis, GE Vernova said it will look at all of its Haliade-X blades, including blades coming off the production line at Canadian manufacturing plant LM Wind, as well as the blades already installed, by using computer records—though some Nantucketers, including ACK for Whales, do not believe that process will prove thorough. “It’s reactive and cheap to look back at the X-rays,” DiSibio said.

DiSibio is now asking whether the installation of the turbines was simply a matter of putting up the most powerful devices available and doing it quickly. “They’re in a race to get this stuff up,” she said. “They want their production tax credits. It’s all about money.”

The 850-foot-tall, 14.7-megawatt turbines received independent certification following three years of prototype testing from Norwegian assurance and risk management company DNV (Det Norske Veritas) in December 2022. At the time, GE Vernova boasted the turbines would be a “proven and bankable technology for customers seeking financing,” and said they would “set a new benchmark in lowering offshore wind’s levelized cost of energy” and make “offshore wind energy a more affordable source of renewable energy.”

Vincent Schellings, GE Vernova’s head of product management, said at the time that GE’s engineers “have learned a great deal about how to maximize the performance of the Haliade-X,” adding that the certification “validates our ability to translate those lessons into more performance for customers using offshore wind to help mitigate climate change.”

But other aspects of its inspection process have given islanders pause. In 2019, GE sent one of its Haliade-X turbines to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Wind Technology Testing Center in Boston for rigorous testing, though the turbines were too big for the facility, and the blade had to be cut to fit into the building. “The structural design as it gets more and more challenging, if you think about making anything bigger and bigger,” UT Dallas’ Griffith said, “you have higher loads, stronger forces on those machines.”

In the aftermath of the blade failure, Nantucket was left with a massive cleanup project. Thousands and thousands of increasingly smaller and smaller—some microscopic—pieces of foam board and fiberglass washed up on the island’s South Shore. Residents who cleaned the beaches were told to wear footwear and gloves to avoid potential contaminants from the debris field from Low Beach to Madaket—even though Vineyard Wind officials said the debris was nontoxic. Town officials closed all South Shore beaches the day after they were informed of the collapse.

ACK Surf School owner Gaven Norton said after the debris field washed up onshore, customers started canceling. “I have 25 employees that are now struggling with money because they can’t teach,” he told the Select Board. “It’s ruining my business short-term, but who knows how long this is going to go.”

In less than a week, the incident left more than 6 cubic yards of foam material and roughly 1.5 cubic yards of fiberglass on Nantucket’s beaches, according to a July 17 estimate from the Robert B. Our Company, which was hired by Vineyard Wind to clean up the pieces and haul them off-island. “To say that large pieces of floating debris and pieces of fiberglass in the environment was not harmful was questionable at best,” Emily Molden, executive director of the Nantucket Land and Water Council, said.

"Our big concern and disappointment was the initial, immediate downplay of the potential harm of the release by having them say that it was not toxic and not harmful to people and the environment,” she continued. “We recognize the real benefits of wind and offshore wind, but at the same time recognize that it’s an industry as well and this is a very unfortunate example of what can happen when we industrialize our offshore waters around the island.”

The blades themselves consist of nearly a dozen materials. More than 64 percent of each blade, by weight, is fiberglass, which includes a polyester resin and glass fiber made from silicon and oxygen. The blades also contain carbon planks, an adhesive called vinylester GT60 glue, balsa wood, and foam.

A preliminary environmental review conducted by GE Vernova’s consultant engineering and design firm Arcadis—the same group hired by the town for two coastal erosion projects—found the primary risk from the debris was potential physical injuries from contact with it. The report found the pieces of the turbine were “inert, non-soluble, stable and non-toxic,” similar to materials used in boating, packaging, textiles, and aviation. While the manufacturing of the blade includes no materials with the forever chemicals known as PFAS, the report finds 200 “aerodynamic add-ons” containing PTFE, considered a type of PFAS.

“It’s a matter of definition; it’s quite irritable,” Select Board member Malcolm MacNab, a former doctor, said. “I had a case once of someone with fiberglass in their eye and it wasn’t pretty. It is toxic material.”

What comes out of the blade failure is a question still up in the air. Holdgate said town officials are continuing to meet to review all options, though she would not say if the town is planning to file a suit against Vineyard Wind or GE Vernova.

State Sen. Julian Cyr argued the biggest step Vineyard Wind should take is to improve its communications with the town. Waiting two days from the failure to inform town officials of what happened is unacceptable, he said. But he argued that doesn’t mean the wind farm should be abandoned altogether. “Broadly speaking, moving toward clean energy and offshore wind remains a commonsense strategy for Massachusetts to lead on the climate crisis,” Cyr said. “But that can only happen if we do it right, and anything else is unacceptable.”

“I expect that this unacceptable incident and its aftermath is going to ensure that this never happens again,” Cyr added, “that there are extra protocols and inspections and other activities conducted to ensure the integrity of turbines and blades, and in the event that an incident does occur—and things do happen—that their response lives up to being a good neighbor to Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Cape Cod.”

Game On

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 01:57:20 GMT

Jason Garrett discusses his life in football, from the Giants to the Cowboys and beyond.

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay
Photography by Kit Noble

From his early days playing for the New York Giants to leading the Dallas Cowboys as head coach and transitioning into a successful broadcasting career, summer resident Jason Garrett continues his football journey as a studio analyst for NBC Sports’ Football Night in America. Garrett won three division titles during his time as head coach of the Cowboys from 2010 to 2019 and holds the record for the second-most wins by a head coach in team history. We sat down with Garrett to discuss the NFL, the significance of sports in social movements, and personal anecdotes that stood out in his career.

How did you find Nantucket?

I was playing for the Giants in 2000, and a good friend of ours was broadcasting a game at Boston College. He looked at our schedule, saw that we had a bye week, and said, “Why don’t you come up to Nantucket.” So, my wife, Brill, and I came up, and we were just completely amazed by it. We got on a boat to Tuckernuck; we did a picnic, had a great dinner at this long table, and we just became smitten by it. Finally, in 2017, we bought our house. It was the best decision we’ve ever made in our lives. We love it.

You went to Princeton. Was there a different balance between academics and sports at Princeton than there would have been at an Ohio State, for example?

I loved the balance that Princeton had. It was competitive football. There was a true commitment there and certainly a tremendous commitment during the season, but the expectation was that you’re a student-athlete, and you had to perform well in the classroom. They have high standards academically and athletically, and to me, it brought the best out in us.

Can you talk about your senior thesis?

I did my thesis on the Black Power movement in sports in 1968 in Mexico City at the Olympics. Essentially, the idea was the sports phase of the civil rights movement—the inequities that Black athletes felt in college and elsewhere at that time. They weren’t treated the same way. … So I went through the entire history of that, and it’s pretty interesting because, as I was the head coach of the Cowboys, this idea of using sports as a platform to convey social change certainly came upon us with kneeling on the sidelines. And it was something that I actually talked to our team about—the fact that I had done this research many years ago, and how these are the issues and these might be the consequences of your actions.

Did this enable you to have a better relationship with your players?

It was one of the most challenging experiences I had as a head coach because you have these two competing ideas. Some of the greatest moments I’ve had as an athlete or as a coach are standing on the sidelines before a big game with the flag being raised and listening to the national anthem. It’s emotional, and it’s something that I always was very grateful to be a part of. We, as a team, took that very seriously well before all of these issues came to the surface. And then this came up, and I thought it was important for me, as one of the leaders in our organization, to recognize the roots of this issue.

Give us a couple of impactful highlights that you walked away with as head coach of the Cowboys.

My biggest takeaway was the idea that I took over a team that was one and seven in the middle of the 2010 season. When I became the head coach, we really had to dismantle our team. They were all great players for a long time, but they were older and making a lot of money, so we had to undo the team and start anew. … I felt like we built the right kind of team who played the right way. Did we win enough games? No. … Our team had played well, but just not well enough.

How much of an advantage was it for you as a coach to have been a player?

It was a tremendous advantage because you have been where the players are, and you have a perspective that many coaches don’t. That doesn’t mean coaches who haven’t played in the NFL can’t be good, including the guy who lives on the island who is arguably the best coach ever.

What’s your take on the impact of ownership?

Ownership is critical. There’s no question about that. I would argue that the best teams in the NFL and all sports are aligned, and it starts with ownership…ownership being supportive, giving everybody what they need, but then communicating with everybody to start that alignment.

Was it Bill Belichick or Brady?

They’re one of the greatest combinations ever. If you just think about what they did over the course of 20 years, the winning … it’s ridiculous. It’s unprecedented. So they became the ideal franchise in all of sports. Nobody sustained that type of winning for that long, along with winning the championships, and they were able to do that. … They had a great dynamic there. Because Brady was so good, they were allowed to load up on the other side of the ball and draft and sign great defensive players, and maybe give him a lesser cast. I’m not trying to diminish the players he played with, but they were always so strong on defense, and the resources went to defense. And Tom figured it out.

What was the secret sauce that made Tom Brady so effective?

I think he has underappreciated athletic ability, but what separates guys in my mind is the intangible stuff. Take any of the GOATs that you can imagine. Let’s start with Michael Jordan. As great as Jordan was physically, was he so much better than everybody else athletically? Weren’t there other guys who could run and jump and do some of the same things? To me, Jordan’s greatness comes from his mind, his will, his mental and physical toughness, his heart, his desire, and his competitiveness. And I think Brady has all those same traits, all of those qualities: his mentality, his heart, his will.

Were you surprised that Belichick did not get picked up?

Shocked. There were seven head coaching opportunities this year. This guy’s won six Super Bowls as a head coach, eight total. His track record as a head coach in New England is unmatched. I think he still has a desire to coach, and I think a lot of the owners are going to come to their senses and say, "Maybe some of these older guys can still coach," like Andy Reid in Kansas City.

Is there an explanation for why he was not picked up?
The explanation is probably that he’s in his 70s, and there’s a perception that he needs to take over the entire organization. And that probably threatens a lot of people. Is the owner willing to do that? Are the people around him who helped the owner make the decisions willing to bring that kind of person in? Maybe their jobs get threatened.

There’s a lot of anticipation in New England about Drake Maye as quarterback. Any observations?

I’m a fan of Drake Maye, and when I watched him on tape, I was impressed with many things he did physically, but in some ways, I felt he was a little immature. However, in talking to people who spent a lot of time with him during the draft process, they absolutely love him. I’m not saying he has Tom Brady or Troy Aikman traits, but a lot of people talk about him in that way.

Do you think the risks of playing football with CTE and other injuries have been reduced in any way?

CTE is a real thing, and we all know that. The game can be brutal and can have a lasting impact on those who play it for a long time, but the NFL has done an incredible job making it safer. A couple of years ago, you played 16 games in a season, then 17, and now 18, as well as flying to Europe, which are all contrary to the great strides they have made in making the game safer. The NFL has fallen prey to putting the almighty dollar first.

This is a career that still has a relatively short lifespan to it. What do you see happening to these players when their career is over?

The average career in the NFL is 2.3 seasons, so it’s not long. I always use Troy Aikman as an example. The player who’s the first player taken in the draft, plays 12 years, goes to seven Pro Bowls, wins three Super Bowls, but he retires at 34 years old. He’s got the rest of his life, and he’s been so identified with this his entire life. What does he do? Troy’s made an amazing transition to be a broadcaster, but you wake up in the morning, do you have a purpose to your day? And can you shake your identity as a great football player and channel all of the great qualities that you developed in becoming a great football player into something else? It’s not really a slam dunk for a lot of people. It’s hard to do. … That’s why we go back to education. I think it’s incumbent upon some of these colleges to make sure to try to remain true to their cause of developing them as students, as athletes, and as people.

Was broadcasting an easy transition for you?

At the end of my playing career, for the last four years, Fox used to have this opportunity for players to go over to NFL Europe for two weeks, and you could announce games. That was my first exposure to doing it. … When I was done playing, I decided to go into coaching instead. So it was kind of in the back of my mind. And when I decided I wasn’t going to coach, a good friend of mine, Fred Gaudelli, who was regarded as the best producer of football on television ever, said, “Hey, do you have any interest in this?” And he encouraged me to join NBC and go down and do USFL [United States Football League] games in Birmingham, Alabama, a couple of springs ago. … I did 10 games down there, and it was something I really liked doing.

You’ve coached a lot of guys, but who impressed you the most?
The first guy that came to my mind is Jason Witten. Jason Witten was not a "wow" physical player. He was probably an underappreciated physical athlete, bigger than everybody, faster and quicker than everybody thought, but I’ve never seen a guy demonstrate total dedication to a craft like he did. I coached him for 12 years, and every minute of every day, he was determined to do things the right way. If the definition of discipline is doing what you’re supposed to do, when you’re supposed to do it, exactly like it’s supposed to be done, and doing it that way every time—that’s Jason Witten.

Pitch Perfect

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 15:34:50 GMT

Nantucket's own Nick Davies puts on a locally inspired opera for the ages.

W ritten by Andrea Timpano

Nick Davies has quite the resume. Currently a full-time musician for the Colorado Symphony, Davies is a clarinetist with multiple competition wins under his belt who has lent his talents to classical ensembles around the country—including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He’s also performed solo, even playing a concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the ripe age of 18.

Now, the Rice University and University of Southern California alum returns to Nantucket, where his family has lived since 2006, to try his hand at something new: staging an opera with the Rossini Club, the seasonal chamber-music organization he founded on the island more than a decade ago. The series, which he hopes to continue every season, kicks off with a production featuring the club’s original take on Austrian composer Franz Schubert’s 19th-century work “Winterreise,” or “Winter’s Journey” at the Dreamland on August 29 and September 1.

“We’re finally dipping our toes into something I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time,” says Davies. “I cannot tell you how excited I am.”

For Davies—who first learned to play clarinet as an elementary school student in Australia, where he lived with his family before moving to Nantucket—this opportunity has been many years in the making. He credits his parents, islanders Beth and Wayne Davies, for introducing him and his sister to classical music at a young age.

“My parents played a wide range of music for us. I think ‘eclectic’ is barely covering it,” he recalls, adding that he remembers listening to his mom’s copy of the Igor Stravinsky opera “The Rake’s Progress” during his childhood. “As a kid, I just absolutely loved this stuff.”

Hooked on classical music and committed to mastering an instrument (or two) of his own, Davies trained on the clarinet and cello and eventually began to study musical composition—an interest that ultimately led the budding virtuoso to start the Rossini Club in 2012. Initially comprising a then-18-year-old Davies, his composition teacher and some local musician friends, the group—aptly named as a nod to renowned Italian composer and home chef Gioachino Rossini—began by entertaining their concertgoers with classical music performances and a multicourse meal, which club members would plate and serve themselves. In addition to their shared penchant for chamber music, “all of us really [liked] to cook,” Davies explains. But ultimately, music was their true passion.

The group’s upcoming Schubert production at Nantucket Dreamland, directed by Nantucket-based vocalist Greta Feeney, is an ambitious addition to their musical repertoire. After successfully joining forces with theater and dance companies in previous years, Davies felt the Rossini Club—currently made up of professional musicians from the island and beyond—was ready to tackle opera, which he reveres.

“I think opera is one of the pinnacles of Western civilization. That’s a very bold blanket statement, but I think it’s up there because it has and does everything,” says Davies, who has performed with the Santa Fe Opera, the Sarasota Opera, and the Des Moines Metro Opera throughout his career. “It’s art, costuming, set design. It’s literature.”

It’s music, too, of course—and, in particular, Davies thinks “Winter’s Journey” is a piece islanders will find relatable, even if they’re not familiar with the genre as a whole. The opera—which will feature tenor Benjamin Boskoff and Davies, among other musicians—is essentially a “70-minute breakup song,” he says. The opera’s setting, which for this production has been changed to 1950s Nantucket, should resonate with audience members too.

After all, catering to the local community is key to Davies’ mission for the club overall. While staging an opera in his adopted hometown allows him to cross a major item off the Rossini Club’s performance bucket list, the clarinetist also sees the show as an opportunity to bring something new to Nantucket—a community he feels could benefit from more exposure and access to “high art.”

Davies’ series will occur again at the end of August in 2025 and will center around the premise of humankind’s turning points in the last century through works like Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time”; a portrait concert of Boston-based composer Howard Frazin; and a new solo violin commission by Davies himself, based on the music of baroque composer Dietrich Buxtehude.

COURTNEY & MATTHEW

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 15:04:44 GMT

Courtney and Matthew Maskell's Nantucket nuptials.

Bride and Groom: Courtney and Matthew Maskell

Venue: White Elephant

Wedding Planner: Elegant Aura

Photographer: Emily Scannell

Videographer: B. Remembered

Caterer: White Elephant

Florist: Parties & Petals

Officiant: Saint Mary's

Bridal Hair: Bre Welch

Bridal Makeup: Haley Page Makeup

Bride's Dres: Lela Rose from Mark Ingram's Bridal Gown Atelier

Groom's Tuxedo: The Black Tux

DJ: Nantucket DJ Productions

Invitations: Line Avenue Calligraphy

GRACIELA & CONNOR

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 14:50:37 GMT

Graciela Watrous and Connor Martin dance the night away at Summer House.

Bride & Groom: Graciela Watrous and Connor Martin

Venue: The Wade Cottages (ceremony), The Chanticleer (cocktail hour), Sconset Casino (reception), Summer House (after party)

Wedding Planner: Lindsay Daley, PPX Events

Wedding Design & Florist: Stone Kelly Events

Photographer: Mark Crosby, Zofia & Co. Photography

Videographer: McKenzie Miller

Caterer: PPX Events

Cake: Dani Coleman

Officient: Julian Watrous, Brother of the Bride

Lighting and AV: Capron

Bridal Hair: Abbey Ardolino

Bridal Makeup: Emily Nantucket

Bride's Dress: Oscar De La Renta

Groom's Tuxedo: Kiton

Band(s): Nantucket Second Line, Peter Watrous Trio, Big Sam's Funky Nation

DJ: DJ Ryan Brown

Transportation: Cranberry Transportation

Rentals: The Event Rental Co., Nantucket Party Rentals

Raw Bar: Yoho Raw Bar

Cup Runneth Over

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 04:00:00 GMT

More than just a fountain

Written by Jason Graziadei

It may be just a fountain, but in many ways, it’s so much more. The icon of downtown Nantucket was donated to the town anonymously in 1885 and erected in its original location near the intersection of Main and Centre streets in 1886. The iron fountain was first a basin for people, horses, and dogs to drink from, with water flowing 24 hours per day, all year round.

Years later it was moved to its current location on lower Main Street near the Pacific Club, where it has stood for more than a century. It became part of the fabric of the island’s historic downtown, and although the water stopped around 1935, the fountain has remained. Today, it is decorated for each season by the Nantucket Garden Club and has been the backdrop for countless photos and paintings of the island’s beloved, cobblestoned Main Street.

When the fountain was violently destroyed by a pickup truck speeding up Main Street at 40 mph on a quiet evening last October, the island was shocked. Sure, it had been toppled before on several occasions by motor vehicles. But not like this. What appeared to be an intentional act—all of which was caught on Fisher Real Estate’s main street camera—eventually led to a probable cause hearing in Nantucket District Court. But the suspect was never charged. The clerk magistrate determined police did not have enough evidence to establish probable cause that the suspect was behind the wheel when the Chevy Silverado struck the fountain, shattering it into pieces.

And so the fall and winter passed with a hole in the heart of downtown Nantucket and frustration simmering over the fact that no one had been held accountable for the destruction of the fountain. While the town put up a Christmas tree in its place for a few weeks, and the Garden Club subsequently erected a few decorated barrels, there was no suitable replacement for what had been lost.

In the week after the fountain was destroyed, the town engaged the Plymouth, Massachusetts-based Bartlett Consolidated, a company that provides services to public property owners to assist in “the repair and restitution of roadway appurtenances damaged in vehicular crashes.” Under the agreement between the town and Bartlett Consolidated, the company completed the repairs and is authorized to pursue and recoup its costs from the owner of the vehicle: Michael Holdgate. Bartlett Consolidated transported the fountain off-island and it was repaired by Cassidy Bros. Forge in Rowley, Massachusetts. The Cassidy Bros. Forge team spent weeks “performing intricate welding repairs on the fountain,” according to the town. “This included extensive stitch welding and brazing, followed by re-plumbing for water and electrical connections. The fountain was then steel grit blasted using refrigerated dry air and painted with Navy-grade marine paint to protect against corrosion. A custom light fixture from Penn Globe was added to complete the restoration.”

According to Katie Cabral, the office manager and customer service representative for the town administration, “The only ‘cost’ to the town was the time spent by DPW staff on-site the day of the accident and the day of reinstallation, but no town funds were actually paid to anybody at all throughout this whole process.”

On June 3, crowds gathered on lower Main Street to watch as the fountain was reinstalled by a DPW crew and private contractors. Under blue skies with a celebratory vibe in the air, the three major pieces of the fountain were assembled, the wiring was connected, and within days, the women of the Nantucket Garden Club had it decked out and looking back to normal.

The return also provided an opportunity to reflect on the history of the fountain, the name it bears on a small plaque—Lt. Max Wagner Square—and its place in downtown Nantucket. Shortly after its destruction on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, the Nantucket Historical Association took the time to update its history of the fountain.

“In July 1932, the selectmen renamed the lower square on Main Street in memory of Lieutenant Max Wagner,” the NHA wrote. “A bronze plaque was placed on the fountain to mark the square’s new name. Wagner (1866–1900), originally from Charleston, S.C., came to Nantucket with the U.S. Signal Service and worked his way up to head of the Weather Bureau office located in the Pacific Club building. He married Mary Jennie Macy of Nantucket in 1890; they relocated to Washington, D.C., in 1897. At the start of the Spanish-American War, he was appointed a second lieutenant in the Volunteer Signal Corps. He served in Puerto Rico and then in the Philippines, where he was killed. He was buried on Nantucket in Prospect Hill Cemetery and the idea of naming the lower square for him came from his friends who were members of the local post of the United Spanish War Veterans.

“As the need to water horses decreased, the fountain began in 1935 to be used as a location for seasonal decorations and flower displays,” continued the NHA’s history. “In recent years, the Nantucket Garden Club has kept the fountain filled with seasonal plant displays. Locals also took to calling it a ‘silent policeman’ after the traffic directions ‘Go to the right’ were painted on it. These were later painted over when traffic on lower Main Street became one-way.”

Last fall’s collision, while perhaps the most traumatic, was, the NHA emphasized, just the latest of at least 13 collisions that resulted in it being knocked over or dislodged over the years.

“In January 1944, a government truck struck it during a blinding snowstorm,” the NHA noted. “Motorists hit it again in July 1954, December 1957, July 1963, May 1966, November 1967, January 1969, April 1980, June 1985, May 1997, October 2012, March 2020, and October 2023.”

History certainly repeats itself, but let’s hope the fountain has a long run now without any further disruptions.

ALEXANDRA & JOHN

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 21:45:48 GMT

Alexandra Cox and John Shoemaker
tie the knot at the First
Congregational Church.

Bride & Groom: Alexandra Cox and John Shoemaker

Photographer: Mark Crosby for Zofia & Co.

Cake: 45 Surfside

Bridal Hair & Makeup: Darya Salon

Lighting: Advanced Production & Design

Florist: Soiree Floral

Tent: Nantucket Tents

Bride's Dress: Monique Lhuillier

Band: Soulsystem Orchestra

Linens: Indigo by Boutin

Videographer: September Productions

Bridal Hair: Adam Pardyjak and Jen Tawa

Stationery: Mulberry & Elm

Smart Buoy

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 04:00:03 GMT

Gaining a deeper understanding of our ocean.

Written by Greta Feeney

Nantucket is renowned for its pristine bay and abundant scallop fishery. But the waters surrounding the island, like oceans across the globe, are becoming increasingly acidic. And the scallops are not happy about it. As levels of carbon dioxide rise in the atmosphere, a reduction in the pH of ocean water spells trouble for sea creatures with carbonate-based shells and skeletons, as well as for those organisms higher up in the food chain, like humans, that feed on them.

But there is hope on the horizon. Research has shown that kelp and eelgrass beds can help improve the ocean’s pH by sucking up excess carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, creating a safe haven for scallops, clams, oysters, and countless other sea creatures. According to scientists, by protecting and cultivating Nantucket’s eelgrass, we can actually help stem the tide on ocean acidification, addressing some of the issues around habitat degradation for marine life, while providing an even broader benefit to the climate as a whole.

Still, a deeper understanding of the effects of ocean and coastal acidification is key to enacting the kinds of land use reform measures necessary to reduce the pH-skewing nutrient loading that, in addition to atmospheric carbon dioxide, is negatively impacting Nantucket’s coastal waters. With the recent acquisition of a cutting-edge oceanographic monitoring device, the Maria Mitchell Association is effectively poised to help the community address some of these pressing issues.

MMA Executive Director Joanna Roche believes in bringing the community together around quality data to better inform the decision-making process surrounding the health of Nantucket Harbor. According to Roche, the deployment of the MMA’s new EMM700 environmental monitoring module—a high-tech, solar-powered buoy that can continuously gather multiple streams of data from the ocean environment—"creates a partnership of organizations that are interested in supporting the health of the harbor—a critical mission. And the data will be available to anyone, and we will start this summer by taking the temperature of the water, measuring its pH, and monitoring the nitrates."

A dream 10 years in the making that started with just a conversation between former MMA Executive Director Jack Dubinski and Roche, then a founding member of the Clean Water Coalition, "The Mitchell Curve" (which is what the collected, scrubbed, and translated data will be called) has come to fruition through the strong leadership of Roche and her team of scientists, including Jónelle Gurley, director of Science and Programs, with a joint funding endeavor by Remain Nantucket, the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation, the Osceola Foundation, and a private donor.

The EMM700, which was being launched this summer in a location deemed optimal by the harbormaster and MMA scientists, is essentially a cutting-edge computer system contained within a virtually indestructible platform buoy capable of performing much of the work of a field scientist, only continuously and in any and all weather conditions.

Dr. Rich Blundell, MMA’s scientist in residence, is excited about the possibilities. “I’ve done a lot of oceanographic research and worked out of schooners that sailed out of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and so I have a long history of dealing with deep sea oceanographic equipment that studies everything from ocean currents, salinity, temperature, conductivity, phosphorus—all the things that this buoy is going to measure.”

With his hands-on experience, Blundell can contextualize The Mitchell Curve as a science communicator who aims to bring the community together around the important issue of environmental stewardship. “The local and state governments are going to be making decisions that are going to affect resource management,” he says. “They also are going to have access to the data. And here’s the thing—we only have spot checks on it now. What this buoy is going to do is give us real-time, continuous data. Having multiple streams of data on different metrics over time, in a continuous stream, brings exponential value to the actual data.”

A self-described “neurodivergent scientist and cultural communicator,” Blundell studies Big History, a new branch of science that contextualizes human and natural evolution together. Like Maria Mitchell, he is a transcendentalist who believes in the inherent goodness of humans and nature. “Maria Mitchell was also a Big Historian,” says Blundell, whose research and work as an educator seeks commonality in what can often be construed as a disparate narrative—human versus nature.

On the subject of Nantucket’s marine ecosystem, Dr. Blundell envisions a paradigm shift in thinking. “I think it’s really important to get people to see the beauty and the diversity that’s out there. If we care about it, then we’re not making an argument that you better stop fertilizing your lawn. We’re actually saying, ‘You know, by doing that, you’re hurting this thing you love.’ I love the green lawn as much as anybody else, but come sailing with me out there one day, and look at these flowing green expanses of eelgrass, and you’ll fall in love with it, too. And so there’s different kinds of logic that we can call upon to take care of this harbor.”

The Art of Living

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 04:00:00 GMT

ABD Studio expertly balances contemporary and traditional sensibilities in an art-filled island home.

Written by Madeline Bilis
Photography by Matthew Kisiday

When designer Brittany Giannone sat down with her client to dream up the interiors for their recently purchased home, she knew she had to underscore the identity of the place—and its owners. Giannone, the founder and principal at San Francisco-based ABD STUDIO, has summered practically every year on Nantucket since she was born. Her client, meanwhile, was an art collector who hailed from the South and spent much of her time in San Francisco after years of working on the East Coast. The client had fostered a deep love for Nantucket during that time, and she and her husband realized one of their favorite places to vacation should be a part of their children’s lives.

"We want them to understand and love Nantucket," says the client. "This place has something no place else has."

So, they bought a masterpiece on the island by Workshop/APD architecture and tapped Giannone—who’s worked on several of the client’s homes—to not only reflect their eclectic style but to design in a setting that Giannone knew and loved well. As for the house’s identity: It would be a modern refuge that channeled Nantucket’s traditional sentiments while incorporating art and design nods from both West Coast living and Southern roots.

That began by injecting the place with color. When she and her husband bought it, the client noticed the home was devoid of brighter hues. "It was all taupes and white and gray," Giannone says.

So the client, who was trained as a painter, decided it’d be best to connect the outdoors with the indoors. She’d inherited a striking flower garden in the property’s central courtyard and resolved to repeat the colors from the flowers—alliums, hydrangeas, hostas, and others—in the living area and bedrooms. She infused the fabrics, artwork, and accents with greens, maroons, and mauves that felt harmonious with the garden.

The next major consideration was art. As a collector, it was imperative for the client to showcase pieces that created a sense of calm and comfort. "The challenge was to make the home feel like it was embracing you," says the client. "And that you didn’t feel like you were on display."

A modern home with stark white walls and blocky paintings wouldn’t do, so she opted for pieces from multiple artists like Tanya Ling, Per Kirkeby, and Allan McCollum. One focal point in the living room is a large-scale abstract work with deep golds, oranges, and browns, while another piece in the primary bedroom draws in the leafiness of the courtyard with broad green brushstrokes.

Like the home itself—which the client describes as having a very strong nod toward the classic architecture that makes up Nantucket, but with a contemporary reinterpretation—the art strikes a balance between classical and modern. It establishes an environment for both sculptural sofas and antique pieces to feel at home in the same room.

Several of the artworks on view subtly reference nautical themes and Nantucket’s history. One such piece is the woven wall hanging in the home’s front hallway. Created by Sheila Hicks, it’s meant to point to Nantucket’s history of weaving and basket-making. "The challenge was: How do we pay tribute to Nantucket without using overtly traditional symbols?" explains the client. Sparing rattan accents and basket-making objects achieve the same goal, as do coral-like light fixtures.

New Paragraph

Come nighttime, unwinding from a day well spent is a joyous comfort in each bedroom. The primary bedroom is wallpapered in seagrass, one of many textures exhibited throughout the room. More can be found in the jute rug blanketing the floor and in the dresser from New York’s Roman and Williams Guild. "It’s hand-carved and kind of looks like it’s something from under the ocean," Giannone says. She explains that the client wanted the space to feel like a ship captain’s bedroom, with a balance of stately accents and light, modern touches.

Every bed in the home features chambray blue linen sheets, or in other words, the textile equivalent of summer on Nantucket. In a bedroom for one of the client’s daughters, striking plaid textiles the client purchased in Morocco serve as a rug to ground the bed. A bright-blue painting by Tanya Ling on the wall is framed with chrome, matching the metallic shine of the chrome four-poster bed. The other bedroom features a range of textures and patterns, from a chunky throw blanket and woven baskets to plush leather seating at the foot of the bed.

In the same wing of the house beyond the clients’ daughters’ bedrooms, there’s also a media room for spending time away from the sunshine. A partition divides the mounted TV setup from a Ping-Pong table. "When you open the doors, the pool’s outside, and this is an entertaining space," Giannone says. "Or you know, everyone piles on this massive sofa after dinner and you watch a movie." The client reupholstered the home’s existing L-shaped sectional with a preppy yet modern green plaid, then finished off the room with hanging cloth lanterns.

The media room isn’t the only part of the home with expansive glass doors. Every room has a generous view of the property, with several sets of sliding doors offering stunning portals to sea breezes. With the doors completely open, it’s easy to appreciate the home’s seamless connection between indoors and out.

The entire home, including its guest house, is split into seven separate buildings, each with its own identity. Though from the outside, classic weathered shingles bring a touch of Nantucket’s heritage to the angular modern rooflines of each wing. A modern in-ground pool in the property’s courtyard serves as a central gathering place among the home’s separate wings.

Lush plants, flowers, and greenery create a sunny refuge that’s only steps from the kitchen and living room. Whiling away summer days in this art-filled abode is all too easy when the environment is light, airy, and approachable. "The design of our homes really inspires how we’re affected every single morning when we wake up—how we get to take our first step forward into a fresh new day," Giannone says. "If you wake up in a home where you love the colors, love the textures, and feel cozy in your vacation home, you’re able to relax and entertain."

Overall, the client wanted a place where anyone who entered would feel disarmed and relaxed, with spaces for private reflection and relaxation. "Sometimes with modern architecture it’s hard to feel that way because of the stark walls, big windows, and openness of the rooms," she says. "But with the goal of giving people the emotional satisfaction that a more enclosed space brings, we really tried to create warmth—an environment that had fabrics and textures and a layout that was inviting." The idea was to ensure nothing felt too precious, allowing the inhabitants of the space to simply be themselves.

The end result, the client says, is a home that reflects her eclectic, bicoastal sensibilities. "It’s a wonderful oasis for our family."

We Are The Champions

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Boys lacrosse wins first state title in program history.

Written by David Creed
Photography by Chris Tran

The Nantucket boys lacrosse team made history on June 15 after winning the Division 4 state championship 7-6 against the Sandwich Blue Knights. It was the first state title in program history and the first state title earned by any Nantucket sports team since the 2011 Whaler football team beat Boston Latin Academy in the Super Bowl.

“I still can’t believe it,” senior captain Cole Chambers said after the game. “I can’t believe this is happening right now. It is crazy. This is what we all dreamed of and worked for our whole lives.”

The Whalers were the No. 1 seed in the tournament while the Blue Knights were the No. 3 seed. Chambers and sophomores Arann Hanlon and Nolen Mosscrop scored two goals each while senior Colby O’Keefe scored once.“This means everything, to be honest. One last ride with my brothers,” senior midfielder Ryan Davis said. “I grew up playing with these kids every day, every season, and these brothers were always by my side. It means everything to be with them through this entire thing.

”Throughout the game, sophomore goalie Jeremy Jenkinson was sensational for the Whalers. He finished with nine saves on the scorecard, but it was undoubtedly more. Jenkinson stepped up over and over for his team, making several elite stops at timely moments including one with his arm as time expired in the game. “It was a good thing I saw it well [on June 15] because [the day before] I wasn’t seeing it well in practice so I was a little nervous,” Jenkinson admitted. “But today, I saw it pretty good. Means everything to win it for the community and the boys."

"That might have been one of the best games Jeremy has ever had,” senior captain Griffin Starr added. “He stepped up and is just a great kid. I say he deserves to be league MVP and I say that with no disrespect to Logan.” Poulin [star Nauset midfielder], but Jeremy has to be up there.”

O’Keefe said scoring in the title game will be a memory he cherishes for the rest of his life. He said he couldn’t describe in words the feelings of happiness he felt when the clock hit zero and the Whalers became state champions.

“Ending our high school careers on a dub doesn’t happen to many people,” O’Keefe added. “It only happens to one team in our division, and that’s us. So we are excited about it.”

Head coach Sam Aloisi, who has coached the Whalers’ program for 11 years, said it was a special moment to win the first state championship of his coaching career with this group of players.

“This is awesome, and this is the group to do it with,” he said. “They deserve it. If anybody does, it is these guys. They put in a lot of time, a lot of commitment. This is a fitting end for these seniors. They earned it. They earned it all.”

Nantucket finished the season with a 16-1 regular season record and 21-1 record overall. Aloisi felt the Whalers' lone loss this season, which came against Falmouth on April 9, 13-6, was one of two turning points for this team. He also pointed to the Whalers’ narrow 7-6 victory over King Philip on May 5.
“We went away and we got embarrassed over there,” Aloisi said of the team’s first performance against Falmouth. “Then Falmouth came over, these guys woke up, and we beat them. Then we went away and we’re down 6-4 to King Philip in the fourth quarter but come back and win that game. That was when it was looking like these guys were for real. They had made up their minds of what they wanted to do and what they wanted to be. After that King Philip game, that is when I felt like they may be able to win the state championship. When we scheduled it, we did so as sort of a reach game and these guys came back to win it.”

Much of the boys lacrosse team’s core was made up of members of the Whalers’ football team, including Chambers, Starr, O’Keefe, and Hanlon.

Knapp softly tossed a puck in a scrum happening at center ice. The story circulated across the state as the loss of Knapp derailed an otherwise terrific season for the Whalers. Nantucket finished the regular season with a 15-4-1 record and earned the No. 2 seed in the Division 4 state tournament after making it all the way to the state semifinal the year prior.

“I mean I wish Braden [Knapp] could be here with us,” Davis said while reflecting on their state championship. “This is for him. This is for everybody. This is for the whole Nantucket community.”

Without Knapp, the Whalers still managed to win a pair of games in the hockey state tournament before losing 4-1 to Stoneham in the state quarterfinal. Senior captain Griffin Starr, who also played goalie for the hockey team and was the Whalers’ captain, said the shenanigans at the end of the hockey season motivated the lacrosse team all year long.

“After hockey season, we jokingly said we were going to see Sandwich in the finals [in lacrosse],” Starr said. “We kind of just wrote it up as a joke, but this honestly could not have been written up any better. The last three years Sandwich has made it to this game and now they go home sad for the third time in a row.”

The title game was played the day after the Nantucket High School graduation. All of the senior players bailed on the post-graduation festivities—including the annual beach party—to head home and get a good night’s sleep. “They [earned] a bigger party tonight,” Aloisi said after the game.

HANNAH & ANDREW

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 20:53:33 GMT

Hannah Davis and Andrew Katirai tie the knot at The Wauwinet

Bride & Groom: Hannah Davis & Andrew Katirai

Photographer: Diogo & Cosimo

C aterer: The Wauwinet

B ridal Makeup: Jeannie Vincent

G room's Tuxedo: MaxDavoli Baroni

G room's Shoes: Gucci

W elcome Party: Private Home

V enue: The Wauwinet

Invitation Photo: Shannon Grant

F lorist: Flowers on Chestnut

Tent: Nantucket Tents

B ride's Dress and Veil: Vera Wang

G room's Second Tuxedo: The Black TUx

B and: Jerry Bennett Entertainment

R ehearsal Dinner: The Whaling Museum

W edding Planner: Handy & Dallaire

V ideographer: Falcon Visual

O fficiant: Rabbi Steven Leder and Cantor Don Gurney

Bridal Hair: Adam Pardyjak and Jen Tawa

B ride's Second Dress: Vintage Cache

B ride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Invitations & Paper: Wouldn't It Be Lovely

NECESSITIES: AUGUST 2024

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 20:39:14 GMT

Add these items to your August wishlist.

written by Nantucket Magazine

PERIDOT, PINK, TOURMALINE & AQUAMARINE DROP EARRINGS

Add a touch of glamour to any outfit with these stunning drop earrings featuring over 25 carats of peridot–August’s birthstone–pink tourmaline, and aquamarine set in 18k gold.

SUSAN LISTER

LOCKE GALLERY

@susanlisterlockejeweler

susanlisterlocke.com

SUSAN LISTER LOCKE GALLERY | @susanlisterlockejeweler | susanlisterlocke.com

AERIN & GRACIE HEATHCOTE LACQUER BACKGAMMON SET

Heritage and craftsmanship intertwine in this backgammon set featuring Gracie’s Heathcote design, a hand-painted scene combining flowering trees and bushes as well as butterflies and birds. Presented in a smooth lacquer and brass case, this charming set is also a beautiful addition to a table or bookshelf when not in use!

CENTRE POINTE | @centrepointenantucket | 28centrepoint.com

IMP OF THE PERVERSE BLAZER

Add some personal style with a little edginess in this Imp of the Perverse blazer at REMY on Old South Wharf! Hand-dyed in custom colors with a distressed trim and finished with Edgar Allan Poe buttons, this linen and cotton twill blazer is available in XS-XL and is the perfect statement piece for any wardrobe.

REMY | @remycreations | remycreations.com

7-INCH SOLID CHAPPY SWIM TRUNKS

A go-to for summer, the 7-inch Chappy Swim Trunk features quick-drying capabilities, UPF 50 sun protection, elastic waistband and a soft mesh lining. Plus, it’s crafted from REPREVE® Recycled Polyester, resulting in a great fit and feel, while upcycling nearly 11 plastic bottles per pair.

VINEYARD VINES | @vineyardvines | vineyardvines.com

KAWAMA TEQUILA & SODA

Kawama Tequila & Soda is a local, Boston-born, low carb canned cocktail started by two siblings and former Harvard and St. Lawrence college athletes. The perfect option to cool down this summer and stay refreshed, now with two new flavors – Blood Orange and the first-ever Tequila Iced Tea or “Tea-Quila.”

KAWAMA | @kawama.usa | kawamausa.com

BOCCEROLL

Blending the best parts of Skee-Ball, bocce and cornhole, BocceRoll™ is a new classic yard game you’ll want to take with you everywhere. Perfectly portable with a compact footprint that doesn’t take up too much space in your backyard, at the beach or wherever you play, this

addictive game will provide fun all summer long!

BOCCEROLL | @ bocceroll | playbocceroll.com

Nantucket Goes Hollywood

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

The Perfect Couple's star Eve Hewson

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay
Photography by David Zaugh

Eve Hewson is a rising star who has recently appeared in Bad Sisters and Behind Her Eyes. Born in Dublin, Ireland, and the daughter of famed musician Bono, Hewson is making a name in her own right as a dramatic actress and one who appears in comedic roles. She costars as the bride in The Perfect Couple series, which is a murder mystery centered around Nantucket and an adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s novel. N Magazine sat down with Hewson to discuss the filming of the series, and her interactions with Nicole Kidman and author Elin Hilderbrand.

Have you ever been to Nantucket? If not, is it on your bucket list?

Well, what was so disappointing was that we never had enough time to go over to the island. We shot in Chatham, basically. And we had a weekend to go over to Nantucket but the weather changed so much when we were shooting that our schedule kept moving around. We ended up having to shoot Saturdays and so we never got to make it there, which was ridiculous because we were acting as though we were on Nantucket. We were so close, but so far.

Elin Hilderbrand, who wrote The Perfect Couple, is obviously very well known on Nantucket and has been coming here for a long time. Did you get a chance to meet her?

She was fantastic. She’s one of those dream writers where it’s their story and it’s their book, and they sort of pass it along to us. She was very cool about being “this is your thing.” She was such a champion and a cheerleader, but she wasn’t overly involved. She just came to set to bring her family, meet all of us and is a ray of sunshine. That woman is just so delightful, and so we were all kind of starstruck to meet her when she came.

How exhausted does your father (Bono) get by being asked “aren’t you Eve Hewson’s dad?”

Exhausted, he is just exhausted by it (laughing).

In terms of the characters in the show, there’s something ironic about your role. You’re playing the simple outsider and obviously your life is probably the exact opposite. Was there anything in that plotline that you particularly identified with?

Yes, I actually really do relate to being an outsider in so many ways. I never grew up in sort of a waspy, affluent culture. I grew up in Dublin, which is a very different kind of place. I’m Irish, I haven’t spent a lot of time in America, which is a completely different culture to me. So I’ve always felt a little bit far removed from the environments that I’m in. But not when I’m at home.

The thing that I loved about the character Amelia was that she was just such a free spirit, and she’s really not self-conscious. And that’s so different to, I think, Greer (Nicole Kidman). Greer has created this life for herself that is very image-conscious. Amelia doesn’t see the world that way and that’s the tension between them. Amelia kind of triggers something in Greer that she wishes she could be but never allowed herself to be. I thought that was really interesting, two women coming from very different places, trying to understand each other. So, Amelia is a real outsider. And when she enters this world depicted in this series, everything changes.

There was one scene where you are in the kitchen with Greer and she is staring at you. With this laser beam glare and you are staring her down. It was actually uncomfortable watching it because it felt so real. Was it easy to get into roll on that because it felt so realistic from the viewers’ perspective?

Nicole is such an incredible actor. She’s truly one of my all-time favorite actors on the planet. I was sent the script and I really loved the story; I thought it was so gripping. I was sent the first three episodes and I’ve always wanted to do a murder mystery type of show, so this was just a dream, and I had absolutely no idea that Nicole was going to play the mom. When they told me they got the role in the series, they kept talking about this Nicole person, and I said, who’s Nicole? When they said Nicole Kidman, I was completely shocked and excited. There’s nothing better than working with a fantastic actor like that because it can feel real in the moment in between action and cut. With someone like that, you don’t have to act so much, you’re just reacting because they’re giving you everything.

In defense of Nantucket, the portrayal of the value system in the show did not necessarily reflect life as we know it on the island. In fact, I think people aspire not to be that way.

They’re definitely fictional characters, for sure.

Can you tell us a little bit about the production? Elin said it was a virtual army of people who totally transformed the house in Chatham where the series was shot and actually built a second structure. You’ve seen a lot of productions. What was your assessment of how big an effort this was?

It was incredible what they did. They took over a lot of places in Chatham, but it was mainly the house that they rented for those three months. First of all, the house was absolutely stunning. I don’t know what it looked like beforehand, but apparently, it was a complete transformation. It was beautiful. And we spent most of our time in that house, which is really great. It’s such a luxury to be in one set and on such a beautiful set, as well. We spent a lot of time there, we had a green room up in the attic, where all the kids went up in between scenes and entertained themselves and we got to sit out on the beach during lunchtime to enjoy the sunshine. It was really beautiful.

You are from a very thoughtful, activist-engaged family. Is acting your ultimate goal in life? Or do you see yourself going beyond that, in terms of you as a person?

I love acting and it’s something that I need to do in order to understand the world and understand humanity. But I definitely want to have my own company and my own films. I want to make my own work, write and direct, because as much as acting is amazing—and I’ve been very fortunate—there’s a lot of your life that you’re not in control of. I would just like to sort of be my own boss.

Do you gravitate toward dramatic roles and is that what you find most fulfilling?

When I started out, I was definitely given more dramatic roles. I think maybe that’s the Irish in me. We have very dramatic faces or something. But for the last few years, I’ve done mainly comedy. So I’m coming back to the drama world in this show, especially with my character. I know we’re sort of a dark comedy, a lot of it is funny, but my character was dealing with something so intense for the six episodes. Going back into that dramatic part of myself I really enjoyed.

Elin is a very prolific writer. Could you see any other of her books, assuming this is successful, being turned into a series?

There could be an entir e Elin Hilderbrand universe. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already working on it.

If you were to create the ideal scenario for your next movie, does this experience inspire you to want to do more projects like this?

Well, I’m a huge, huge TV fan. I love doing shows like this that are murder mystery, binge-worthy with big characters, big stories, big drama. I really enjoy watching those series when they come out, so I was really excited to do this and be a part of it. A lot of my career has mainly been television, and I feel really lucky because I feel like we’re in this massively golden era of TV. And even though I grew up watching movies being the number one product coming out of Hollywood, I think it’s now TV and movies are getting less and less important. The storytelling in television is so creative but I’m open to any genre. I’m about to go do something that’s mainly comedy. I just did Bad Sisters , which is sort of a dark comedy. I’m always looking for what’s the best character, where’s the best writing, where is the best storytelling, and I think it’s in television. So I hope to stick to TV.

Is there any possibility of making a visit to Nantucket?

I hope so. They said to us that when we do the premiere, we’ll do a premiere on Nantucket. So, I’m waiting for the invitation.

Behind the Scenes with Elin Hilderbrand

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Netflix's upcoming series The Perfect Couple

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay

Nantucket has had its brushes with Hollywood fame over the years, but nothing could be truly termed a blockbuster hit. Elin Hilderbrand and Netflix’s adaptation of her bestselling book The Perfect Couple could change all of that. With a star-studded cast, including Nicole Kidman, Dakota Fanning, Liev Schreiber, and Eve Hewson, the upcoming series has all the potential to become a major television hit that would not only catapult Hilderbrand to a new level but also expose Nantucket to a national audience.

Eve Hewson, a rising star and the daughter of famed rock musician Bono, plays the bride in The Perfect Couple . She shared her thoughts about the film and Nantucket with N Magazine . Hilderbrand, who has authored 30 books relating to Nantucket, also sat down with N Magazine to discuss the Netflix series and the drama behind her years-long efforts to get her book from print to the television screen.

Give us some background as to how this project started.

The genesis of this project was bananas. I sold it to Fox in 2019 to a producer named Gail Berman who did Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Addams Family, the Elvis movie, among others. She is a very big deal and loves my books and picked up The Perfect Couple for her production company.

In 2019, Fox passed on the deal because they had a Lee Daniels project that was set on the Vineyard and felt it was too similar. Gail took the project to her own production company. She sat on it for over a year and referred me to a contact in Southeast Asia. They offered me a significant amount of money and wanted to do the series to be set in Bali with an Asian cast speaking English and planned to market it in places like South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Singapore. I simply couldn’t do that and said no.

There were numerous false starts from there, and finally, I connected with a woman named Susanne Bier, who has major credits to her name with productions that included Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. They called Nicole, who said she wanted to do it, but we did not have a male lead at that point. I suggested Liev Schreiber, which Nicole was excited about. They then got Dakota Fanning and Meghann Fahy, and it snowballed from there.

Did you have a say in the cast, or was this completely up to Netflix?

Ultimately, it is up to them, but they like to hear my suggestions because I am engaged in the streaming world. They asked my opinion about Liev Schreiber, as I was the one that suggested using him. As it turned out, he was the only person Nicole Kidman wanted to work with. So, do I have influence? I’m really not sure.

I know your books are not autobiographical, but is there anyone in this movie that you see yourself in?

There’s a little bit of me in Greer, who is the part that Nicole plays because she’s a novelist. There is a little bit of the writing life that I was able to incorporate with [my] career and it was Nicole’s role in the movie. It was super fun because I make fun of writer’s block and all this stuff, and Nicole has told me that she particularly loved this role.

Have you gotten to know Nicole Kidman and educate her about Nantucket?

She flew to Nantucket at the end of August, and we had dinner at the Galley. She said, “I love it here and I want to come back for Thanksgiving.” I suggested to her that Thanksgiving was not a good idea because the president was here and said she could come back for Christmas Stroll. She really thinks Nantucket is so storybook and so perfect and absolutely loves it.

You are a prolific writer. Is it your dream scenario where this series just continues with Netflix because there’s enough content for them to go for numerous seasons?

That is correct. Yes, I have plenty of content, and I would love it if The Perfect Couple went into a second series using one of my other books.

The movie was actually shot in Chatham, not Nantucket. Were they able to faithfully reproduce Nantucket, and why did they select the Cape?

When I went over to the set last May, I saw what the production entails. We are talking about enormous trucks that I don’t think would even fit on the boat. There were enormous cranes with huge lights and hundreds of people working on this production, which is why I understood why shooting on Nantucket was not practical.

Basically, they rented a waterfront house in Chatham, took out every stick of furniture, re-wallpapered and repainted it, as well as redecorating it. I don’t know how they got this done, but they also added two guest cottages in the backyard. When you walk into this house, it feels like you are on Nantucket. I then went in January to the last shoot at a reservoir in California. They had tents and a rehearsal dinner, and it was like going to a wedding on Nantucket with seafood towers, place settings, and hydrangeas. It looked like a wedding out of the pages of your magazine and was dead on. I could not believe how authentically Nantucket it looked with extras wearing Nantucket reds and all the details.

Was there any shooting on Nantucket?

Yes. They sent what is called a second unit who came in a van with cameras and shot all over downtown. They shot at Cisco and had a photographer come in his helicopter and filmed alongside the Endeavor to get the feeling of it being under full sail in the harbor. It was crazy for those on the Endeavor to all of a sudden have a helicopter filming right next to them.

Do you think that the series could have a meaningful impact on tourism in Nantucket?

Absolutely. I really hope people don’t get angry about it because it’s busy already. I mean, the only thing that makes me not worry about it is that Nantucket is self-regulating. So basically, what’s going to happen is the summer is as busy as it can be. And then it’s going to push out to the shoulder season. I see that already with my own readers who come. My readers are on Nantucket early June. And then they will come back in September. October midweek, and into November because that’s when they can afford it. And that’s when you know there’s room. So yeah, I think it will make an enormous difference. Because who doesn’t want to come to visit once they see it? I mean, everyone’s gonna be like, I want to go there.

How many followers do you have on the internet, either through Instagram or whatever other platforms?

I have 171,000 followers on Instagram and 156,000 on Facebook. I can tell you that 92 percent are female and 8 percent are male.

The success rate of movies on Nantucket has not been high, and I am just wondering what your thoughts are on that.

I understand what you’re saying, and the answer is Nantucket has never been done correctly. You need a large budget to shoot Nantucket properly, and my gut is that this show is finally going to do that. It’s nobody’s fault that Nantucket hasn’t been done correctly to this point, but it’s just impossible to access in a Hollywood way, and shooting on the Cape is the closest you can get to reality. They did a great job on this film, short of bringing the entire production to Nantucket, which would have resulted in everyone hating my guts. It’s just not feasible.

Wine Finds

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Hatches Package Store is much more than your average convenience store.

Written by Antonia DePace
Photography by Kit Noble

In the early 1900s, Hatch’s Package Store originally operated as a garage that sold kerosene in five-gallon containers for heating. The store, located at 133 Orange Street, has continued to evolve with the changes on the island, including acquiring a beer and wine license after Prohibition. Today, among its regular stock, the store offers not only special orders of fine wines but also a barrel program unique to Nantucket. Hatch’s manager Zach Held talks with N Magazine about these programs, what’s new at the store, and more. Hatch’s Package Store is much more than your average convenience store.

What is something you wish everyone knew about Hatch’s?

Hatch’s has recently gone through some major renovations: new floors, fresh paint, new fixtures and new lighting—and a fresh approach to the layout that has our regulars thrilled. Along with the renovations, management has brought a lot of cool new items to the store such as craft beers and a wide variety of tasty snacks. Hatch’s website is also brand-new, with a much easier interface to order online for pickup or delivery.

You also special-order fine wines. Tell me more about this and the process.

Hatch’s has the ability to find practically any wine on the market because we work with so many distributors. If you are looking for a particular wine, come into the store and talk with me or [co-manager] Matt Hotin, or give us a call and we will most likely be able to source whatever you are looking for.

With this in mind, what makes Hatch’s stand out compared to some of the other wine and liquor stores on the island?

Our fantastic staff is highly knowledgeable and looks forward to helping customers find whatever it is they are looking for. Hatch’s is also the first and only retail store on Nantucket to feature barrel programs. A barrel program is a process in which a retailer works with a distiller to choose different blends and barrel aging to produce a one-of-a-kind product to put on the shelves. Hatch’s worked with three distillers—Maestro Dobel, Old Forester, and Cleveland Underground—to come up with four unique spirits: two tequilas (Maestro Dobel) and two whiskeys (one from Old Forester and one from Cleveland Underground), exclusive to Hatch’s.

What have been some of your favorite special-order wines thus far? Are there any good bottles that ended up permanently on the shelves?

We have a number of special orders every week, and we do occasionally keep some of those wines on the shelves. One order that comes to mind is Larkin Cab Franc. We were luckily able to get our hands on a couple of cases, some of which we put on the shelves. We then brought in the Larkin Sauvignon Blanc and the Jack Larkin small-batch bourbon.

What is new this month?

Hatch’s will have three private-label wines (rosé, sauvignon blanc, and white Burgundy) that are only found at Hatch’s. All from France, these wines are unique and delicious—something we are very proud to carry. For more information, visit ackhatchs.com

Need to Read: August 2024

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Tim Ehrenberg of “Tim Talks Books” gives you his seven picks for summer reading.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

“What if?” This is the question Jodi asks in all her novels, taking us on a reading journey through tough moral and ethical dilemmas that don’t always have easy answers. This month Jodi returns to the literary stage with another what-if question: What if Shakespeare didn’t write his plays, but Emilia Bassano did? You’ve probably never heard of Emilia Bassano, but you’re about to. Jodi admits this is the “book of her heart” and the one that she was meant to write. You don’t have to be a Shakespearean scholar to love this novel, as Jodi makes each character, sonnet, and timeline easily accessible for the reader. As always, her research and storytelling are top-notch. I also loved the contemporary timeline with Melina Green and the themes of ambition, courage, and desire, which are relevant centuries apart and that I know pulse through Jodi’s own life and writing career. To read or not to read. There is no question!

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout has been creating characters that feel like a part of my community and life for years. Olive Kitteridge. Lucy Barton. Bob Burgess. Opening up these books to spend time with the residents of Crosby, Maine, is always enjoyable, but this one was my favorite visit yet. Strout has a way of bringing stunning insights about the human condition with just a single sentence. It’s no wonder she won the Pulitzer Prize. The book begins with our beloved characters in the midst of a shocking crime and one in which Bob is defending the man accused. The best part about this book is witnessing the characters we’ve grown to love walk and talk with each other about their lives, fears, and regrets, as if the reader is saying, “tell me everything!”

MARGO'S GOT MONEY TROUBLES by Rufi Thorpe

Rufi Thorpe’s The Knockout Queen from 2020 knocked my socks off, and her newest, Margot’s Got Money Troubles , is another crowd-pleaser. Meet Margot, the child of a Hooters waitress and ex-pro wrestler who has an affair with her English professor, gets pregnant, and starts an OnlyFans account to make a living. When people question if Margot can be a good mother and participate in online sex work, troubles ensue. This book is the perfect August read. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, endearing with characters to love and remember, and so entertaining you won’t be stressing about your to-do lists and upcoming after-summer responsibilities.

THE ART OF FIELDING by Chad Harbach

The author Ann Patchett has a tagline: “If you haven’t read this, it’s new to you.” While I usually always feature books that are recently published for this article, I am going to take a page out of Ann’s book here and recommend one of my favorite reads from 2011, The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. This is one of those novels that sits on my shelf and whenever my eyes scan the title, I think, “I loved that book.” It’s a campus novel, which I adore, and primarily about baseball, which I’m not particularly fond of, but its presence in this novel makes it a home run!

Student Henry Skrimshander at the fictional Westish College on the shore of Lake Michigan seems destined for big-league stardom, but when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended. This is like the very best of John Irving and Jonathan Franzen, and it will always hold a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf. This was Chad Harbach’s debut and I wait and hope every year to see if he will write something again.

THEY DREAM IN GOLD by Mai Sennaar

Elin Hilderbrand and I started Season 2 of our literary podcast Books, Beach, & Beyond with special guest and award-winning actor, Sarah Jessica Parker. She created SJP Lit, a publishing imprint that brings us thought-provoking, inclusive, and big-hearted stories. The most recent title for SJP Lit is They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar. Buckle up, readers, because this literary debut by a striking new voice in fiction is a journey across half the globe, spanning two decades, and featuring two dreamers and the diasporic pursuit of home. Sarah Jessica Parker calls it a “mouth-watering delight!”

To listen to our episode with Sarah Jessica Parker and hear all about SJP Lit, visit booksbeachandbeyond.com or tune in wherever you get your podcasts.

THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON CLUB by Griffin Dunne

You can meet Griffin Dunne and get your book signed on Thursday August 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Mitchell’s Book Corner.

I am still seeing stars after reading The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne. This memoir of growing up among larger-than-life characters in Hollywood and Manhattan is popcorn reading at its finest, but with such a genuine talent for writing and storytelling. You won’t believe all the people in these pages: Carrie Fisher, Sean Connery, Janis Joplin, Joan Didion, Thomas Wolfe—the list goes on. In the center of this star-studded crowd of film and literary celebrities is Griffin, and his voice and story leap off the page with humor, heart, vulnerability, and family tragedy. Sometimes celebrity memoirs are a dime a dozen, but this one is pure gold.

LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Literary close-ups on one family are some of my favorite types of novels, and Long Island Compromise is one you will get lost in. In 1980, a wealthy businessman named Carl Fletcher is kidnapped from his driveway. This dark moment shatters the Fletchers and their suburban paradise, and for 450 pages we are along for the ride of family dysfunction and trauma. The novel spans the entirety of one family’s history, through several decades and generations and multiple familial perspectives, and we witness their mistakes, quirks, joys, and trials, tears, drama, and mental and emotional health. It is ultimately a novel about inheritance, both financial and emotional, and how that inheritance defines them all. Don’t miss this laugh-out-loud, “maybe-my-family-isn’t-so-bad” story!

Honor Roll

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Lobster, butter and a toasted bun are the equation for a perfect summer meal.

written by Antonia DePace
recipe by The SeaGrille
Photography by Kit Noble

On Nantucket, the early months of spring bring excitement for a veritable array of happenings— Daffy Day, the promise of better weather on the horizon and, for those at

the Lemon Press, Nowruz. Celebrated in March, the Persian holiday marks the beginning

of spring and a period of reflection throughout the following months. Here, the Lemon P

ress team offers their rendition of this holiday dish, featuring sunchokes as the main attraction. It’s also the perfect plate to enjoy as we start to prepare for the island’s upcoming summer season.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 pound fresh shucked lobster meat

• 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon of finely diced celery

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• Juice from 1/4 of a lemon

• 2 tablespoons of butter

• 1 brioche hot dog bun

• 1 small handful of arugula

• 1 teaspoon of chopped chives

I NSTRUCTIONS

Cut lobster meat into large chunks.
In a mixing bowl, toss with mayonnaise, celery, and lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper.
3. Melt butter on a griddle or pan and toast the bun on each side till golden brown.
4. Split the bun and line the bottom with arugula, then fill with lobster salad.
5. Top the lobster with a sprinkle of fresh chives and enjoy!

Introducing The Hive

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Remain's latest buzz

Written by Antonia DePace and Bruce A. Percelay
Photography by Kit Noble

Innovative, forward-thinking ideas for Nantucket are nothing new to Wendy Schmidt, whose latest venture, "The Hive," will support local farmers and makers to ply their craft while expanding food resources on the island. Those looking to produce food on Nantucket are often stymied by access to affordable commercial kitchens, a problem that Schmidt has sought to address through a facility designed for food innovation and production that will be both affordable and accessible. The Hive, opening early this month, will include rental kitchen space, as well as specific programming and the opportunity for food producers to access bulk ordering of sustainable products and packaging, as well as other shared services.

The Hive’s building at 5 Amelia Drive—the former location of Keepers Restaurant—was expanded to include six commercial kitchens and common space for meetings, as well as a centralized online platform for food ordering and a pick-up food locker system. It will also have a vending machine for non-perishable food items made by the island’s local creators. N Magazine sat down with Wendy Schmidt and Cecil Barron Jensen, Executive Director of Remain, to gain a deeper understanding of the role The Hive will play in the food production world on Nantucket.

Tell us about the inspiration behind The Hive.

Wendy Schmidt: This is an extension of the larger philanthropy of the Schmidt Family Foundation. We focus on several areas: human rights, clean renewable energy, healthy food and agriculture systems, and access to fresh, healthy food. Since we started Remain in 2008, we have concentrated on the social and environmental sustainability of the island, reflected in all the projects we’ve undertaken, starting with the year-round viability of downtown, which will likely always be a challenge. Remain supports anchor institutions downtown by being a benevolent landlord to businesses like Born & Bread, the Corner Table, the Nantucket Community Music Center, and Mitchell’s Book Corner. These are important tent poles for downtown and for the community.

Is the idea to focus on locally grown food?

Wendy Schmidt: We’ve been thinking for a long time about the food system on the island and how we can help make Nantucket a place of more opportunity. A lot of food is grown on the island, and we have many farmers markets. Just like communities across the country, we face high rates of food insecurity, housing shortages, and economic challenges.

So what is your strategy?

Wendy Schmidt: There’s a way here on the island that we can make a difference as a philanthropy interested in access to healthy food systems. That’s how Pip & Anchor came about, originally working with 100 Mile Makers, including the organic local food boxes that people can sign up for. We’ve previously looked for places where we might help production and offer commercial kitchens to people to use because that’s really a limiting factor if you’re a food producer. When 5 Amelia Drive showed up as an opportunity to purchase with a couple of kitchens in it, this was our moment. We looked to see if this model actually works anywhere…and it turns out it does. So Cecil and our team at Remain just started digging into how to transform this particular site into what we’re opening this summer.

How do you interface with food entrepreneurs?

Cecil Barron Jensen: We’ve always been really interested in helping young startup businesses flourish on the island. We noticed that a lot of the small businesses were food-related—people wanting to start restaurants or takeout businesses, or maybe they were creating a product like jam or salsa that they wanted to develop and get to market. Our colleagues

At the Nantucket Island Center for Entrepreneurship in the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce offices we're doing a lot of coaching of small food-related businesses. We had the idea of giving cooks and chefs commercial kitchen space while also combining it with support for entrepreneurs, including educational opportunities to learn about growing an idea and turning it into a full-fledged business. When we found 5 Amelia Drive, it had two existing, big, beautiful kitchens. We added four kitchens. They’re varying sizes and outfitted with a wide variety of equipment. We see the kitchens working for the innovation folks, people who are developing small products like jars of pickles or sweets, as well as those who have existing catering businesses.

Wendy Schmidt: What we did here was to make the scale appropriate and utilize this building to its full potential. It has two apartment units on the top floor for housing, which is also an important need on Nantucket. We plan to have a take-out business there, so there will be food outside. The building is fully electrified, meaning that in a conventional traditional setup, you would have gas firing everything, but because we’re working on renewable energy, we put induction into five out of the six kitchens. The air quality will be great; it’ll be a healthy environment for people to work in and visit.

Can you explain specifically how it works?

Cecil Barron Jensen: The plan is to have two opportunities for people to pick up food when they’re visiting The Hive. One is with the food lockers. If chefs are making meals in the building— for instance, if a caterer is cooking a giant menu for a party and they have the ability to cook 10 extra meals— they can list it through an online ordering platform managed by our operator. You and I could go in and say, ‘Oh, I’d really like to have that beef tenderloin tonight,’ or whatever it is that they’re cooking. The meals can be reserved and picked up in the food lockers. And then there will be vending machines, where you can purchase stable, packaged food. If somebody is making jams or chocolates or pasta that’s in a package, they can use the vending machine for people to purchase.

What are some of the benefits of the shared space model?

Wendy Schmidt: We are trying to use all of the newest technologies in this building, both in the customer experience and also in the production side of things. The other great advantage of having people in a shared space this way is how you can achieve economies of scale. We can dig into sustainable packaging and share all of those resources among everybody who uses this. As a single producer, you might work there twice a week for three hours, but the arrangement allows for lots of food producers. So it’s not just six people we’re talking about here; we’re talking about many producers working in these spaces.

Will there be any eating spaces at The Hive?

Wendy Schmidt: There’s going to be some comfortable seating on the porch. It’s not really like a restaurant, but honestly, just down the street at Pip & Anchor, you can purchase prepared food in a setting with seating to eat on-site. The Hive is not intended to be a place where there’s going to be food service, but people are welcome to come inside and watch what’s going on through the large windows into the kitchens—to see how the sausage is made and to make food purchases.

Is there an educational component to The Hive?

Cecil Barron Jensen: One of the more important things is the Maker to Maker learning. I think there’ll be tons of opportunities in the building for makers to support each other, and that’s something that our operator, Karen Macumber, will definitely facilitate. She’ll make sure that there are lots of educational opportunities. The makers will be able to have conversations about how to market their products, how to package, and distribute them.

When it comes to food insecurity on the island, are there any programs or initiatives that you’ve worked on that will be able to reach that part of the community as well?

Cecil Barron Jensen: Remain has had a wonderful relationship with the nonprofit Nantucket Food Fuel Rental Assistance, which operates the Nantucket Food Pantry. They are housed in the Greenhound Building, which was owned by Remain until 2021. We’ve also funded a number of studies, which have informed how organizations can meet the needs of the community. Our tenants at Pip & Anchor, in partnership with Nantucket Resource Partnership, are significant players with their Nourishing Nantucket boxes. To date, they’ve distributed more than 6,500 boxes of fresh, local, nutritious food, feeding 80 families. Families weekly on the island who are experiencing food insecurity. So we’ve definitely been in conversations with them, and what we’re hearing is that people who are providing for food insecure individuals need commercial kitchen space, especially for products that are grown on the island. Our hope is that The Hive and its makers will become an important resource in the community to help support local farmers and food-insecure families.

How many local businesses are you projecting to be able to support during the summer season?

Wendy Schmidt: We plan to start with 12, but ideally, we’re going to grow the program as we learn the system, as we get comfortable with the procedures and the policies, and as we figure out how to manage these kitchens and also meet Board of Health requirements.

Health standards. So the target number right now is 12. But that’s a starting point for us, and we’d love to be able to accommodate more in the future.

I imagine it also opens up a lot of opportunity to have different types of food on the island; we only have so many restaurants because we only have so much space.

Wendy Schmidt: Local opportunities are often out of reach for a lot of people who would like to participate in the food business. But The Hive brings together people with talents, skills, abilities, and provides coaching on different ways to build their own businesses and livelihoods.

What other educational programs could be happening at The Hive, whether it’s for those makers or maybe even for the Nantucket community to learn more about healthy food?

Wendy Schmidt: There’s so much potential. One of the programs at our foundation focuses on healthy food and agriculture, agroecology, and the mysteries of mycelium in mushrooms. There’s so much to learn—for example, let’s learn about bees, what’s at risk in the world right now because of climate change, and how we can become part of the solution instead of the problem. What is in soil? What soil grows healthy food? All soil in the world doesn’t grow food, and people don’t understand that. There are lots of topics that we could bring into the public conversation in that space, and I think we’re very open to all these conversations. It’s a great public service.

Where do you see The Hive growing in the next five years?

Wendy Schmidt: I think in five years’ time, we will have not only proven the concept but it’ll also be a well-oiled machine. It’ll be an island resource people know about from the time they’re young. They’ll know that if they want to do this, there’s a place where they can start. And by then, you would have people who had succeeded through the system who could mentor newcomers. It could become a real engine on the island in five years’ time.

Cecil Barron Jensen: It goes back to that idea of The Hive as an incubator. You can imagine all these little baby businesses growing up in The Hive and then flying off. Maybe they will become brick-and-mortar restaurants, or maybe they will go the food truck route, or maybe they will take their business off-island where they’re co-packing some wonderful food that started on Nantucket and is being sold in grocery stores all over New England. You just never know, so I love the idea of being able to really grow businesses and see it happening right in The Hive.

Is there anything that we didn’t touch on that you would like to add?

Cecil Barron Jensen: I just want to make sure that all the credit goes to Wendy and her incredible vision for this work. I can see how it will make a difference on Nantucket. It’s going to change the way people think about how to make food on Nantucket, how it’s grown, and how it’s sold. And I think that’s really exciting. Credit to Wendy for the vision for that.

Wendy Schmidt: That’s very kind, Cecil. Vision is one thing, and bringing it to life takes a dedicated team working through thick and thin to fit all the pieces together. We have a talented team at Remain under Cecil’s leadership, who have taken this project through all aspects—from the construction to the financing to the running of it and the nuts and bolts of how it’s all going to work, interfacing with the health department and getting new electrical panels and on and on and on. It’s taken skills, and we’re lucky to have them. We’re also grateful to the talented team at Gary McBournie Design, Matt MacEachern at Emeritus Architecture, and Gerard Clarke with Clarke Brothers Construction

Broad Reach

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Bill Liddle sets his sights on an Opera House Cup victory.

Written by David Creed
Photography by Kit Noble and Cory Silken

It has been nearly two decades since a year-round Nantucket resident won the Opera House Cup Regatta. Chris Magee, owner of the Zingara, was the last year-round winner back in 2005. Bill Liddle—with his 26-foot Alerion, Fortuna —hopes to break that two-decade drought after a third-place finish in 2023 has him heading into 2024 with plenty of momentum. “To win the Opera House Cup I would be ecstatic given the people I am racing against,” Liddle said. “I’m mostly familiar with the Alerion sailors, all of whom are really competent and highly skilled individuals who have been doing it for a while. To be able to actually beat all of them would be pretty fantastic.” Liddle moved to Nantucket as a teenager in the late 1970s and was quickly introduced to sailing by family friends Vladdy Kagan and Erica Wilson. They were passionate sailors, and it didn’t take long for that passion to rub off on Liddle. He said the idea of getting on a boat gives him the ultimate sense of freedom.

“I remember sailing up the harbor. There used to be a barge up there, and I just remember going up to it, tying up and hanging out there and throwing shells in the water,” Liddle said. “That was a strong memory. I suppose I have many memories exploring Polpis Harbor on a calm day. It’s pretty unique. The world slows down when you’re on a boat.”

Sailing continues to be an escape for Liddle. He recently took time away from his work to sail with Alfie Sanford from the Azores to Bermuda. He has also sailed in the Caribbean to partake in some clinic work and competed in regattas in St. Petersburg, Florida, this past winter.

“I would sail just about anywhere if given the opportunity, but I will say that Nantucket for day sailing is still the best,” Liddle said. “There is no doubt. But sailing with Alfie from the Azores to Bermuda was an extraordinarily memorable time with him just as a teacher, but also looking at stars in the middle of the night in the middle of the Atlantic. Then when it was calm the next day, being able to swim in the ocean while seeing an outback whale breaching in front of you.”

Liddle’s love of being on the water has never waned. Windsurfing became his main hobby after graduating high school and helped him discover his love for speed on the water. Liddle knew that one day he would return to his sailing roots, and this hobby helped him come to the realization he wanted to do more than sit back and relax on his boat while exploring the picturesque island when that day came.

Liddle has been selling real estate on the island since 1992, and after a brief two-year sabbatical from 2000 to 2002 to work in New York City as a real estate project manager, he returned to the island and co-founded Great Point Properties alongside Greg McKechnie, where he remains to this day.

As his career and family began to shape into form, he found himself desiring to get back out onto the water to sail. It led to him purchasing a 38-foot Alerion Express Fiberglass boat with a modern design and small living area below.

“I quickly learned that my family didn’t really want to sail with me,” Liddle joked. “They had no interest and just didn’t embrace it the way I thought they would. So I then started racing the boat and we would do these handicap races out of Nantucket Sound. I quickly realized that all of the other boats were much more serious sailors and much more serious boats. I decided that if I want to race, I should get into the one-design fleet where there are other boats within the same ZIP code as me.”

It led to Liddle giving Alfie Sanford a phone call in 2016, over 40 years after Liddle had first expressed his interest in an Alerion boat to Sanford.

“Fortuna is an Alerion, and Alfie and Edward Sanford reintroduced the class in the 1970s to Nantucket because they were building them,” Liddle said. “It was the reintroduction of a boat that was designed around 1914. In 1980, when I was around 14 years old, I wrote Alfie a letter asking for a brochure. He lived right around the corner and sent me a brochure. Then in 2016, I called him and said I’d love for him to build me a boat. He’s like, ‘You might have taken longer than any other client I've ever had.’”

He will be putting aside the leisurely approach and replacing it with a more business-like mindset, with two experienced sailors by his side, including a young local sailor named Sam Turner, who has been on the Nantucket Yacht Club sailing teams in the past.

The boat’s construction began in Chatham in 2017. The Pease Brothers began building it before being sold to First Light Boatworks, who completed the work under Woody Metzger.

“The boat is made out of cedar and teak wood,” Liddle said. “It’s what’s referred to as a cold-mold construction, where they layer laminates of wood over a shell or form of the shape of the hull, and then they put laminates of wood on and follow the form. It’s just one thin veneer after another and then it’s finished with mahogany and teak and other species of wood.”

Looking ahead to the 52nd Opera House Cup on August 18, Liddle will be taking a slightly different approach from years past where he has been accompanied by friends with little to no sailing experience. He will be putting aside the leisurely approach and replacing it with a more business-like mindset, with two experienced sailors by his side, including a young local sailor named Sam Turner, who has been on the Nantucket Yacht Club sailing teams in the past.

“He is a local kid but away at boarding school now,” Liddle said. “Then I have a friend named Andrew Kotchen, who is an architect out here and in New York looking for some peace of mind, so we are going to provide that in some way. Andrew has been a racer since he was a child.”

Liddle says that while he will be taking a more serious approach to this year’s regatta, his top priority remains having fun and appreciating all of the beautiful boats he hopes to see behind him.

“I always prioritize having fun, but look, if I feel like all of a sudden we have some competition being reeled in, my focus might change from fun to trying to place well and beat them out,” Liddle said. “But being out on that Alerion is just pure joy. It is a simple boat and absolutely elegant. I enjoy looking at every square inch of the boat, appreciate the design and love the smell of the wood. Being out and being able to see all of the beautiful boats around me as well as the natural beauty surrounding us is a wonderful escape and, on race day, is really quite meditative—especially if we can win. All the little worries in my head seem to go away and I am just fixated on what is in front of me.”

“It’s so invigorating to be surrounded by boats where some are new and just beautifully designed and beautifully engineered, while others are stunningly gorgeous and have history,” Liddle said. “It is a real joy. I am looking forward to it.”

Fortune Teller

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Bob Reynolds' view of the markets.

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay
Photography by Kit Noble

Bob Reynolds has had an impressive career in the securities world, having been chief operating officer of Fidelity Investments and president and CEO of Putnam Investments and is currently serving as chairman and CEO of Great-West Lifeco U.S. Reynolds has steered some of the largest financial service companies in the United States through both economic booms and challenging financial periods and has a perspective on the equity world that few can rival. Reynolds sat down with N Magazine to discuss the state of the market at a time when securities valuations have reached new heights and during a period of particular uncertainty in our domestic political environment. Reynolds shared his insight with us regarding his outlook for the markets.

Pre-COVID, the stock market was at 29,000 and we’re now hovering around 40,000. Would you have ever anticipated the market would have done what it’s done over a relatively short period?
Yes, because so much money was pumped into the system. Consumers had a lot of money to spend and they spent it. Stock prices have always followed earnings and earnings have been pretty good.

Given the fact that the government stimulus has stopped, would the corollary be true that the market has peaked for the moment?
A lot is going to depend upon what’s going to happen in the election. I think if the current party stays in power, there’ll be downward pressure on the market, because you will know inflation is not going away. I don’t see anything near term that would cause you to lower interest rates. So that would hurt. However, if there was a change in administration, I think that’d be positive for the market, because a new administration will bring something different than what we’ve had.

It has to do with taxes and the Trump tax plan and different things like that; it could be very positive for the market. The first 100 days of this year was the second highest rise in the market in an election year ever. That shows you that there was a lot of cash around, and people were still spending money. Now, you do see a lot of things that are cause for concern with credit and commercial real estate. Personal credit and credit card use are going up and it’s going to put pressure on the consumer.

The wealth effect created by the stock market benefits places like Nantucket disproportionately. Would you imagine that the wealth and presumably the bonuses associated with it from investment firms would have a meaningful impact on the housing market and other aspects of the economy on Nantucket this summer?
No, because I think the current interest rate of mortgages is above 7 percent. And that’s detrimental to the housing market. And inflation will impact rentals and other spending this summer.

Do you feel then that housing prices are going to be under pressure until rates back off, if indeed they do?
It’s been on a very upward trajectory but I don’t think you can keep it there. I don ’t think there’s gonna be a dramatic fall off on prices near term, but I do think if you talk to anyone in real estate, there is some softening in the market. There’s not the volume that there was certainly two years ago, and the higher interest rates are starting to have an effect on people and what they do with their money.

A lot of high-profile prognosticators like Ray Dalio, for example, and even Jamie Dimon, were predicting a recession, or in some cases, worse. It hasn’t happened. Do you think that we have escaped a serious retrenchment in the economy or is it something that is still a possibility?
It’s still to be played out. Again, people are starting to use their credit cards more and y ou don’t have the same amount of cash around. I think higher interest rates and inflation have made people take a wait-and-see attitude. So I think what Jamie and Ray Dalio have said is still in the cards due to the earnings of companies and the cash that people had carried us to where we are today, but I think people are holding back right now.

Do you see AI as having a profound effect on productivity and in the end, the ability of companies to reduce labor costs, and in a way that could have a material effect on the economy? Over the next 10 years?
It will definitely have a positive effect on productivity, but it could create a lot more new jobs in different fields that we’re not thinking about today. Industries that benefit from AI are probably going to be the next big play, for instance, power companies, because you use so much more energy. There will be a whole new economy built around AI.

The stock market has its ups and downs, but usually the trends over the last decades have been excitingly positive long-term. Are you bullish on equities, given where the stock market is today?
As long as the companies can generate earnings, stock prices will follow. So I think there are companies that are well suited for the new economy, and they will do well and other companies that are not going to do well, but I think there’ll be positive areas to invest money in, that’s for sure.

What is your biggest concern?
I think the election is going to have a bigger impact than people think right now. Some people feel pretty good, but as we get closer and it becomes more clear which party can emerge victorious, I think it’s going to have a pretty dramatic impact on the market. And right now, inflation is still the boogeyman out there. And I don’t see any signs of it abating. All you have to do is go to the grocery store, go fill your car up for gas, and it’s expensive. It’s an expensive world we live in right now. And I just think, at some point, you got to pay the piper.

What's Inn?

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

The new faces of Nantucket's historic hotels

Written by David Creed

The days of the four-poster bed, laced curtains, and braided rugs as the décor de jour for inns on Nantucket have long been a thing of the past. Dowdy has been supplanted with cool with respect to the interiors of the island’s newest inns and hotels. Frumpy has been replaced by luxury with thousand-count sheets, designer toiletries, and gourmet breakfast offerings. The following is a summary of newly designed or renovated hotels for this season that are raising the bar of hotel offerings on the island. More than simply inns, these are places to truly stay in.

76 Main Ink Press Hotel

In-Season Pricing: $649-$1,049

The only hotel on Main Street, 76 Main, has gone through a total redesign that combines a coastal aesthetic with a captivating theme of media on the island. Rebranded as the 76 Main Ink Press Hotel, the walls in the common areas, lobby, and rooms have become a means to tell stories about Nantucket over the last 200 years as seen through the eyes of Nantucket’s print and broadcast media. Everywhere you look, the hotel reveals some part of Nantucket’s history.

Each room has its own story theme, ranging from famous journalists on the island to broadcast media personalities to stories of shipwrecks and those of the whaling days. Certain rooms focus on famous island personalities, including beloved author Elin Hilderbrand, whose bestselling book The Perfect Couple is about to become a Netflix feature series.

The Beachside by Blue Flag Capital

In-Season Price Range: $549-$1,349

The Beachside has transformed from a modest motel into a luxurious retreat, capturing Nantucket’s summer traditions. This 92-room hotel is perfect for families, with adult and kids pools, Barnaby’s Kids Club, and an arcade. Guests can enjoy summer classics at the Swim Club or take advantage of on-site yoga and Peloton bikes in the gym.

Evenings come to life with Dreamland’s outdoor movie nights under the stars. Described as “a love note to a Great American summer,” The Beachside offers a family-friendly alternative, previously exclusive to the Nantucket Hotel on Easton Street. Enjoy exclusive dining without reservations, featuring fresh island fare, local snacks, and creamsicles.

The Swim Club’s poolside service and takeaway menus cater to all ages. Cool off at the Lobby Bar & Lounge or explore local provisions, picnic wine, and stylish cabana shirts at the on-site shop. Whether exploring on complimentary bikes or relaxing in serene spots, every detail at The Beachside ensures a memorable stay.

19 Broad/Swain House

In-Season Price Range: $849-$1,249

Adjacent to the hotel known as 21 Broad, 19 Broad/Swain House was built in the late 1800s by coal merchant Andrew Hunt, who originally owned both properties with his brother-in-law Captain William Swain. This Victorian masterpiece, used primarily as a private residence, now offers the unique distinction of being available to rent by the room or the entire house, making it stand out under new short-term rental laws. Fully renovated with a contemporary, minimalist vibe, the hotel shares a large, private deck with its neighbor, 21 Broad.

21 Broad, previously known as the Nesbitt Inn, is the longest continually running hotel on Nantucket. Constructed in 1878 by Charles Robinson, Nantucket’s most prolific builder of the late 19th century, 19 Broad is one of the finest examples of Victorian architecture remaining on Nantucket. It retains many of its character-defining features, including ornamental carvings by James W. Folger. The Swain House stands as proof of the enduring appeal of Victorian design, offering a glimpse into the island’s rich architectural heritage.

The Brant (Salt House)

In-Season Price Range: $695-$1,040

The Brant, a luxurious renovation of the former Dolphin Hotel on North Beach Street, is now a high-end inn and mini resort. Featuring rooms with kitchenettes and a breezy coastal feel, The Brant offers an exclusive equity membership program, which provides guests with access to dedicated rooms each year, The Brant’s Jeeps, dedicated storage space, and concierge services. Members also enjoy access to an exclusive lounge, partnered with Veuve Clicquot, adding a touch of luxury to their stay.

The Martin
In-Season Price Range: $600-$1,400

The Martin has been newly renovated and redesigned by Nantucket Looms. Its former traditional aesthetic has been reimagined with a coastal theme, featuring varied hues of gray, green, and blue, giving it a distinctly contemporary feel. Built in 1803, The Martin has 15 rooms, provides a complimentary continental breakfast, and is open year-round.

Sweet Heart

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Leah Bayer of Aunt Leah's Fudge bestowed with this year's Fred Rogers Good
Neighbor Award.

Written by Robert Cocuzzo
Photography by Kit Noble

Years ago, Leah Bayer was caring for a family friend at Nantucket Cottage Hospital when she first met Fred Rogers. “He came every day to bring her a bowl of his homemade soup,” Bayer recalled. “We always said that it was his soup that helped her recover.” At the time, Bayer had no idea that Fred Rogers was a famous children’s television host. Instead, she connected with him over the fact that they were both from Pennsylvania. Bayer was taken by Rogers’ simple, soft-spoken kindness. His approach to caring for others aligned with her own. Now, decades later, Bayer has been honored with the Dreamland’s Fred Rogers Good Neighbor Award in recognition of the same understated kindness that she witnessed from Rogers all those years ago.

"For me to be recognized for this esteemed award is the highest honor that reaches my heart and soul,” Bayer said. With her platinum blonde hair bound behind her trademark red visor, Bayer is known by most as “Aunt Leah,” the longtime proprietor of Aunt Leah’s Fudge on Straight Wharf. For the last 40 years, she’s been an unofficial ambassador for the island, serving old-fashioned hospitality alongside her tasty treats to everyone who walks through her swinging double doors.

Yet the sweetest part of Aunt Leah is not her locally famous fudge. On an island where generosity is most readily seen in monetary donations, Bayer purveys in simple acts of kindness. Whether she is gifting boxes of her fudge to policemen, firefighters, and hospital staff during the holidays, caring for ailing friends, or handing out water to dock workers in the heat of summer, Leah exemplifies what it is to be a good neighbor. She proves that one can make a difference in another’s life, no matter what they have at their disposal. “A group of small gestures will reach farther than a single large one,” she says of her approach. “I think that if everyone could do some small things, it would make a big difference in this community.”

Bayer came to the island in the summer of 1968 at the behest of a college classmate and eventually got a job at the Hub. Before long, she was also moonlighting at the Sweet Shop across the street. One thing led to another, and Leah became a first-grade teacher at Academy Hill on Nantucket—and never left. She taught first grade for 35 years before retiring to work full-time at the fudge shop that she opened during the summer. Though she no longer teaches students formally, Bayer has mentored many employees who have gone on to great heights from her fudge shop.

“I am always inspired by her optimism and passion,” says Ashmita KC, who has worked for Leah since she was 14 years old. “Her kindness—whether it is in giving out bottles of water to the guys working around the courtyard, delivering fudge and cranberries to stores all around the island, or encouraging new local businesses—is something all of us could learn from.” Born in Nepal before moving to Nantucket as a child, Ashmita was championed by Leah to pursue higher education. Currently serving as the manager of the fudge shop, Ashmita will be embarking upon her doctorate in biomedical research.

“Everyone, no matter what their job is, needs to feel appreciated, treated with kindness, and valued on Nantucket,” Bayer says. “Everyone is important here and deserves that recognition.” Yet, when it comes to receiving her own recognition, Bayer is visibly sheepish. Of the many nominations the Dreamland received from the community for the Fred Rogers Good Neighbor Award, entries for Bayer were said to be particularly impassioned. “Her love of this community and the thousands of lives, including generations of families, that she has impacted is incredible,” said the Dreamland’s executive director, Alicia Carney. “She is truly a ‘good neighbor’ and an absolute gift to this community... We are honored to recognize her and celebrate her outstanding contributions and efforts in spreading love and joy to those in this community.”

For those who grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, part of what made the children’s television program so magical were all its kind-hearted characters, from Mr. McFeely on a “Speedy Delivery” to Lady Elaine Fairchilde in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Aunt Leah would have fit right into that cast of characters. Here on Nantucket, she is one of the reasons why we can say, “it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”

Reaching A High Note

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

America's Got Talent star to deliver national anthem at the Pops.

Written by Bruce A. Percelay

At the age of 16, Amanda Mena’s performance on NBC’s America’s Got Talent television show not only saw her winning the “Golden Buzzer” from the judges but actually brought tears to their eyes. So impactful was Mena’s delivery that her performance on the hit television series was rated among the 10 best in its entire history. Her rendition of “What About Us” by P!nk captivated the audience and put her on a trajectory to become a national star.

To date, the 22-year-old singer from Lynn, Massachusetts, has appeared on American Idol, America’s Got Talent, and The Voice, which has opened doors for her where she is now performing on a national stage. Mena has performed on Broadway, singing “I Feel the Earth Move” in the Carole King musical Beautiful, and was invited by Hollywood producer Kenny Ortega to perform a tribute to the late Aretha Franklin at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Mena is one of many homegrown singers from Massachusetts who have gone on to become household names. While she has not reached stardom yet, she delivers performances that critics have come to notice on a local level. Keith Lockhart invited her to perform at the July 4th Boston Pops concert at the Esplanade, where she sang a duet with Queen Latifah and Arlo Guthrie, which Lockhart rated among the top shows they have ever produced. She sang the national anthem at the opening game for the Patriots celebrating their 2019 Super Bowl Championship and has sung for the Patriots three times since.

A senior at Berklee College of Music, Mena graduated with honors from St. Mary’s High School in Lynn, Massachusetts, and has recently released several singles that have been embraced by her 250,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook. It is anticipated she will be releasing her first album in the near future. Mena will be delivering the national anthem at the Boston Pops on Jetties Beach and will clearly be a tough act to follow for the Neil Diamond tribute band. Clearly, not only does America have talent, but for the Pops this year, Nantucket has the talent too.

Outfit to Sea

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

photographer: Brian Sager

wardrobe stylist: Petra Hoffmann

makeup stylist: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

hair stylist: Kate Diggan of RJ Miller
Photographer Assistant: Meaghan Dunn

female model 1 (Blonde): Charlotte Nagle of Maggie Inc.

female model 2 (Brunette): Hailey Oullette of Maggie Inc.

male model: Ryan O'Sullivan of Maggie Inc.

Shot on location with Nantucket Mermaids Yacht Fleet

Tacotucket

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Great tacos on the go

Written by Antonia DePace

Tacos are hardly indigenous fare on Nantucket, but they have emerged as a popular quick bite on the island. There are numerous places to grab a tasty taco,
soft or crunchy, on the island before hopping on a boat, racing off to the beach, or jumping on a ferry. The following is a sample of some of the island’s popular options.

Nantacto

21 S. Water Street

nantaco.com

Nantaco offers quick, relatively inexpensive, tasty, and filling tacos for those in search of the perfect meal on the go. Fish and shrimp tacos are among the most popular menu items, along with a variety of burritos, quesadillas, and beach bowls—all of which are served with both speed and quality in mind.

Boathouse

2 Sanford Road

boathousenantucket.com

The Boat House specializes in tacos to go that also happen to be minimally processed for the health-conscious diner—there is something particularly appealing about food that is deemed all-natural versus highly processed or filled with antibiotics. Make your own or opt for one of their originals, including the Mr. Gordon, which includes jerk chicken, brown rice, pinto beans, lettuce, and chili lime mayo; and Nino’s Famous Fish Tacos, made with cod, crunchy cabbage slaw, cilantro, lime, and chili lime mayo. Located adjacent to the Stop and Shop and somewhat off the beaten path, the Boat House presents a quick and tasty option for those who choose not to brave the traffic in town.

M illie's (mid-island at the rotary)

1 Sparks Avenue

milliesnantucket.com

Millie’s footprint on the island continues to expand from its original location in Madaket to its offerings on Broad Street and mid-island at Sparks Avenue. The Sparks Avenue location offers takeout using some of the same menu items from the Madaket flagship but also includes tacos, lobster rolls, po’boys, quesadillas, and family boxes designed to feed five to six at home.

Casa Real

5 Macys Lane

casarealrestaurant.com

Great for eating in or dining out, Casa Real serves some of the best Latin food on the island. While there is a robust menu to choose from, the taco section is especially appealing with protein options of steak, chicken, al pastor, braised beef tongue, grilled shrimp, and quesibirria—all served with cilantro and onions tucked inside a corn tortilla with lime and salsa on the side.

The Coffee Connection

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Folgers and Starbucks, the perfect blend

Written by Bruce A. Percelay

Nantucketers love their coffee, but few know about the island’s serendipitous coffee connection. In 1849, three Folger brothers left Nantucket in search of gold in California. One of the brothers, J.A. Folger, split off and became partners with Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills, which produced roasted and pre-ground coffee. Folger eventually bought the company and renamed it Folger Coffee Company. The firm grew dramatically and was eventually sold in 1963 to Procter & Gamble and became the top coffee brand in America. The Folger family had, and continues to have, deep roots on Nantucket, leaving an important mark on the island. A prominent whaling family, the Folgers were instrumental in the colonization of Nantucket Island in the Massachusetts colony. Adding to the family lore is the fact that Peter Folger was the maternal grandfather of Benjamin Franklin.

Nantucket’s connection to the world of coffee goes beyond just enjoying a good brew. The Folger name is seen all over the island: Folger Avenue, Folgers Lane, Folger Road, and Folgers Court, among others. Walter Folger Jr. was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Massachusetts. A Civil War Honor Roll on four sides of an obelisk not far from the Whaling Museum lists James, Charles, Edward, and Henry Folger as casualties of the war. Henry Clay Folger assembled the largest Shakespeare collection in the world, and Timothy Folger was a noted whaling captain.

Enter Starbucks, the Seattle-based coffee behemoth that has dominated the premium coffee world. When Starbucks was founded in 1971, the company adopted the name from a character in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick. Starbuck was described as a Quaker from Nantucket and the first mate aboard the whaling ship the Pequod. The real Starbucks were known as one of the founding families of Nantucket and ultimately became a whaling dynasty. As fate would have it, in 1720, Anna Folger married William Starbuck, creating an extraordinary blend with names deeply connected to both Nantucket and the world of coffee.

Time To Move On From Town Meeting?

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 04:00:02 GMT

Written by Brian Bushard

Photography by Kit Noble

The scene at the Nantucket High School auditorium is a familiar one. Residents trickle in, pick up their warrants, and sit among peers, all waiting for the sound of the town moderator’s gavel. This is an hours-long affair. There are the contentious articles that have dominated the Nantucket Current for months—the short-term rental proposals, articles aimed at curbing fertilizer use and expanding the town sewer, major town appropriations, and home-rule petitions that will head up to the State House for a vote. Look around and someone will be knitting. Someone else might be playing a round of town meeting bingo.

Twenty years ago, political scientist Frank M. Bryan described New England town meetings as the last vestige of true democracy, the only form of government left in the U.S. that resembles the one-person-one-vote governance of ancient Athens.

But as Joe Grause looked across the tightly packed auditorium at a sea of over 1,000 registered island voters, he couldn’t help but think it’s time to move on from town meeting. “I thought this past town meeting was a disaster,” said Grause, a former member of the town’s Finance Committee and the chair of the newly created Town Council Study Committee. “A two-hour debate on short-term rental articles, and people don’t know what we’re voting on, people in the [overflow] room didn’t know what was going on.”

The first town meeting in the country took place in 1622 in Plymouth. For centuries, towns across New England and New York adopted a town meeting form of government, where all eligible citizens could gather to vote collectively on the issues facing their communities. Over time, as those municipalities grew, some of them shifted toward town council and mayoral systems—while across the country, the annual tradition of town meetings has become increasingly rare.

One of those cities is Aspen, Colorado, a city of nearly 7,000 year-round residents and a $160 million annual operating budget. Perched in the Rockies and dependent on seasonal tourism, Aspen is in many ways not unlike Nantucket. The difference is that Aspen, for decades, has elected a mayor and city councilors that meet twice a week to serve as the city’s legislative body.

“The huge advantage we have is we’re nimble and can respond quickly because you have an elected council working with constituents and a professionally trained city manager,” Aspen city manager Sara Ott said. “If I have an emergency repair on a utility line I can authorize it and move forward.”

Closer to Nantucket, city councils are few and far between. None of the six towns on Martha’s Vineyard have made the change from open town meeting to town council, and only one town on Cape Cod has done so—and has found some success in the process.

“All things being equal, I think our system is a more equitable and rational way of approaching things,” said Betty Ludtke, a member of the Barnstable Town Council. Barnstable, the Cape’s largest town, adopted a charter change in 1989 to do away with an open town meeting in favor of a 13-member town council. In its first year, 105 residents returned nomination papers for a shot at the town’s inaugural town council, The Barnstable Register reported in May 1989. That council, like Aspen’s, meets twice per month.

“I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to continue [town meeting] when you could do something else,” Ludtke said. “Unless everyone shows up [to town meeting], then the system is flawed.”

Last year, voters at Nantucket’s Annual Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly on a citizen’s article drafted by Curtis Barnes to form the Town Council Study Committee, which Grause chairs. That committee is now tasked with drafting a proposal to do away with Nantucket’s form of town government in favor of a town council, a city structure of government that 14 communities in Massachusetts that still call themselves towns—including Barnstable—have adopted.

The issue with town meeting, for a growing number of town officials, boils down to three main points. Nantucket’s town meeting warrants often become too complicated to be effectively voted on at a single open town meeting; major appropriations, bylaws, and zoning amendments are voted on only once, or sometimes twice, per year; and the very nature of the hours-long meeting precludes residents from attending.

“We’ve outgrown town meeting,” Select Board chair Brooke Mohr said. “Town meeting is a difficult way to participate in town government because it requires many hours to engage in the entire process. Our warrant is [roughly] 100 articles long—that’s a lot to engage in. It’s asking a lot of an individual who has other commitments in life.”

The issue of representation, or a lack thereof, has become one of the predominant criticisms some town officials have of the open town meeting. That issue becomes even more evident several hours into the annual meetings, when often, after contentious articles are decided, a sea of one-issue voters spark a mass exodus from the crowd. After several hours, attendance often dwindles even more.

At the 2024 Annual Town Meeting in May, 1,137 residents voted on the first article that came up for a vote—a ban on corporate ownership of short-term rentals—representing just under 14 percent of registered Nantucket voters. By the end of the meeting, fewer than 250 voters remained in the auditorium. Attendance was so dismal at the Special Town Meeting in 2018 that the lack of a quorum kept over $35 million in appropriations from reaching a vote.

“I found that open town meetings were long, drawn-out affairs where you have good attendance the first day, but by the end of the meeting you have 2 to 3 percent of the voters; it’s inappropriate,” Grause said. “The issues facing town are too complicated, too big, and because you have a core group of people who like to go to town meeting, you have issues decided by a few hundred people.”

In June, the town council committee voted unanimously to recommend moving toward a town council form of government. Changing to a town council requires an official charter change, starting with a vote at a future town meeting and at the ballot box. If voters approve those measures, Nantucket would likely adopt a nine-member council including six island residents elected by precinct and three islanders serving at large, committee members said. Town councilors would serve four-year terms, with a maximum of three terms per member. The five members of the Select Board at the time would automatically roll over onto the council for the remainder of their terms. The Select Board itself would cease to exist.

But changing decades of tradition has not sat well with everyone. “We have a democracy right now. Let’s try to keep it,” Herschel Allerhand said at the 2023 Annual Town Meeting. “I don’t know why anyone would vote to give up their voice,” Mary Bergman added.

“There’s no silver bullet,” Select Board member Matt Fee said. “All these issues we’re having, they don’t magically disappear. If we have trouble finding staff, if staff is having trouble getting work done, then changing town meeting isn’t going to change that.”

“Being a council member is more than American Idol,” he continued. “It's more than who sang the best today. It’s more than who had the best presentation. It’s understanding how things are supposed to go, the best practices, the history, and not just who sang the best today. Those positions have a lot of responsibility.”

Greg Milne, an associate member of the Cape Cod Municipal Leader Association and a Barnstable resident, initially opposed Barnstable’s transition from a representative town meeting to a council in 1989. Pivoting to a council would make Nantucket a city, he argued, whether it wants to be one or not, and regardless of what Nantucket calls itself.

While Milne has come to appreciate some aspects of the city form of government, namely the speed at which major decisions can be made, he also sees a “fatal flaw” in the format. That flaw, he argued, is that Barnstable councilors are elected by precinct, meaning neighborhoods are represented equally at council meetings. Major policy should not be restricted to one person per precinct, he argued. Those policies and decisions should be made by members elected at large, he said.

Another issue: The meetings themselves are not always well attended.

“They’re usually only attended by people who want to make a public comment,” Ludtke said. “People don’t routinely attend.”

Brooke Mohr made a similar case in considering the possible strengths of the town council. She said she was not convinced a town council form of government, in practice, would actually increase true participation in the debate over issues.

“Folks who cannot or do not choose to participate in town meeting are basically giving their vote to the people who come,” she said. “They are basically assigning their vote to others in a really informal way. In a town council, they would still be assigning their vote. Either way, they are having to choose or are choosing to have someone else represent them. The question is in what manner of representation do we do this?”

Under Massachusetts state law, municipalities must have at least 12,000 residents to be considered a city. Nantucket, with its year-round population of over 14,000, according to the 2020 U.S. Census, fits the bill for that classification, meaning it could elect a mayor, if voters opt for the change.

If Nantucket were to adopt a mayoral form of government, the island would also retain a council, with a mayor overseeing administrative functions, developing an annual budget to be voted on by a council, appointing department heads, and in some cases, vetoing acts of the council, according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association. Alternatively, Nantucket could opt for a town council without a mayor, instead pairing the council with a town administrator to oversee procedural responsibilities.

“With a town council, decisions will be made faster,” town moderator Sarah Alger said. “I think it’s always a good idea to look at what you’re doing and see if there are better ways to do it. But if you go to a town council form of government, there’s much less representation. First of all, you’re not going to speak for yourself, you don’t have a vote.

“If I wanted to live in the city, I’d move to the city,” she added. “If it’s going to operate like a city, why wouldn’t it feel like a city? Then you wouldn’t have to participate at all and you’d have no obligation, you could be alone and anonymous like you could be in the city.”

As Nantucket’s Town Council Study Committee continues to mull over the idea of a town council, another question remains: When could the change be made? While Grause said his goal is to draft an article for the 2025 Annual Town Meeting, town manager Libby Gibson doubts that timeline is likely.

“Even 2025, in my opinion, is not enough time because there’s a huge amount of outreach that needs to be done and most towns that have switched their forms of town government have taken several years,” she said.

Fee, who was reelected to his fifth term on the Select Board in 2022, believes the task at hand is to keep studying what a town council would look like on Nantucket.

“Be careful what you wish for,” he said. “Why are we so successful? Well, it’s partly because you preserve things. You take care of Nantucket, then the economy and everything is taken care of.”

Garden Party

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 21:23:05 GMT

photographer: Brian Sager

wardrobe stylist: Petra Hoffmann

makeup stylist: Jurgita Budaite of Island Glow

hair stylist: Kate Diggan of RJ Miller

female model 1 (curly hair): Abbey Rose of Maggie Inc.

female model 2 (brown hair): Margaret Kovalcinof Maggie Inc.

Shot on location at Bartlett's Farm

Dress Code

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 21:15:35 GMT

Beth Taylor's resort wear label Kahora brings seaside style to Nantucket

Written by Kristin Detterline

Having summered on the island since 1997, Beth Taylor loved the particular style of the island, which she describes as “ocean elegance.” The simplicity of the island’s aesthetic, which inspired a single dress silhouette, has morphed into a resort wear label called Kahora, which is an ancient word meaning “mind consciousness.” Taylor’s resort wear label combines femininity and sophistication with timeless designs meant to be worn all season long.

This summer, Nantucket’s fashionistas can find the entire collection during her on-island pop-up at Milly & Grace on July 13. “It’s funny because I live in Palm Beach and started the brand there, but it was Nantucket where people first embraced it,” says Taylor, a former professional photographer. “Clothing sales completely exceeded my expectations that summer. The local community really looks out for one another. I feel like I experienced that support.”

Luxurious textiles and dreamy prints are front and center in Kahora’s 2024 capsule collection, all inspired by the French Riviera. Hues like sage green, ballet pink, and French blue echo the landscape of the iconic travel destination. Other designs include the original breezy, sleeveless cotton voile style called La Guerite that started it all. Caftans, mini dresses, and button-down shirt dresses are also available. The designs are meant to be worn for any occasion, from a casual shopping day in Town to a sunset dinner at Toppers.

What they all have in common are the colorful, swirling floral prints that are the brand’s signature. Taylor and her team design all the prints in-house and take equal care in selecting fabrics that not only show the patterns well but are soft, lightweight, and easy to pack. “The Nantucket style is easy to wear and uncomplicated but still refined, sophisticated, and high quality,” says Taylor, who lives in Palm Beach during the offseason.

Born into a family of creatives, her grandmother taught her how to sew on an old Singer sewing machine, giving her a base to start Kahora from early on. “We knew that women wanted pretty, flattering silhouettes they could wear from day to night with great color combinations.”

After another blissful summer winds down, Taylor will continue her ongoing mission to establish a scholarship for workers at the factory where Kahora is manufactured in Colombia to further their education. She is also laser-focused on refining the collection. She says, “Some brands try to diversify too early. I want to perfect what we’re doing right now and continue to concentrate on amazing prints and silhouettes. We want to be the dress that you know will still be stylish and sophisticated in five years.”

Undue Influence

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 21:11:35 GMT

Investigative reporter Brody Mullens shines a light on the world of lobbying.

Written by Bruce A. Percelay
Photography by Tony Powell

Over the past five decades, according to author Brody Mullins, the center of power in America has shifted from mainly elected officials to paid operators—thus bringing the term “shadow lobbying” to the core. Mullins, an investigative reporter at The Wall Street Journal, covers the topic of lobbying in his recently published book, The Wolves of K Street , which he co-authored with Luke Mullins. The book follows 50 years of corporate influence in Washington as they trace the rise of the modern lobbying industry.

In an interview with N Magazine , Brody talks about the world of lobbying and its incredible influence on our lives, a topic he is discussing at an event at the Great Harbor Yacht Club on July 30.

The world of lobbying is foreign to many people, but it is something that affects almost all of us. How pervasive is the impact of lobbying on day-to-day life for average Americans?

Most people don’t [understand] lobbying or hear about it, but it affects everything. It affects the air people breathe, the cars they are driving in, and the boats they navigate. I mean, everything in the world is affected by corporate lobbyists who make the rules for how the rest of us live.

And when you say they make the rules, can lobbyists influence just about any piece of legislation?

100 percent. They might not be able to write any piece of legislation exactly the way they want, but they certainly have input on it. ... The problem is when they edit the book, there’s not much pushback. If there’s no public interest, lobbyists can push back against the power of corporate America, and therefore companies have more influence over the ultimate laws and regulations than the American public.

When you started researching and writing about the power of lobbying, did you have a point of view as to whether lobbying is good or bad? And do the counterbalancing forces of one side versus another wash themselves out?

I did not go into it with a theory that lobbying was good or bad. Corporate lobbying exists. And corporate America has had a tremendous influence on our public policy for several decades. What we’re trying to figure out is how that’s different from the past, how things have changed, and how lobbying has evolved in terms of the actual technique.

One thing we found in the last 40 years is an era in which companies have tremendous power. But it has not always been that way. Before the 1980s, consumer groups, Ralph Nader’s, and environmental and labor unions were the ones who had the power. Lobbying is constantly protected. People, executives, and businesses have a right under the First Amendment to make their grievances heard in the government. But it certainly supports the premise that one side has their thumb on the scale and the other side doesn’t.

Could you give a dramatic, and possibly egregious, example of where effective lobbying was done to serve the interests of a few?

There are hundreds of examples. I’ll pick out one that’s a really good example, [which] was the 1993 Clinton health care bill. So Bill Clinton was elected in the 1990 election. He wasn’t tremendously popular because he was elected in that three-way race with Ross Perot, but once he was elected, his popularity shot up. He had a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate, and he proposed as a first bill, national health care reform, which many people including Ted Kennedy supported. The prior year, many Republicans supported mass health care reform. ... So everyone seems to be saying—Republicans, Democrats, Clinton, Congress, and the people—that we should have some sort of national health care system.

Then the lobby started getting involved. Lobby for major insurance companies and for hospitals and for other medical providers, and doctors started pushing back against the bill, saying that the government shouldn’t have so much control over people’s health care.

In less than a year, the bill went from being incredibly popular and very likely to pass to being completely dead. The reason that example is a good one is because Bill Clinton, as a centrist but also an old-school democratic liberal, got his butt kicked. He realized that in order to be a successful president, he would have to be more modern. And so he moved to being a more centrist president governing from the middle, and he went on to approve NAFTA, welfare reform, and other free trade bills, so he shifted his presidency from being more liberal to a more provisional centrist president, and he was elected to a second term. One law showed him that in order to be successful, you need to be more pro-corporate going forward.

Who are the most powerful lobbying voices in the country?

Pharma, 100 percent. The drug companies, since the 1950s, have blocked just about every attempt to limit the cost of prescription drugs or any drug. And they’ve done that with the help of Republicans, they’ve done that with the help of Democrats. They’ve done that with the help of George Bush. They’ve done that with the help of Barack Obama. We just now finally got to a limited victory, to eliminate the price of a couple of drugs. But that industry and pharma itself are definitely the most powerful lobbying group in Washington in the last 50 years.

What do you think is the most surprising impact on an individual case where a piece of legislation was changed by the influence of lobbyists?

Another example that we write about was in the late 2000s. Our main character’s name is Evan Moore. He worked for a company called Genentech, a huge biotech firm in San Francisco. They happen to make, among many products, something called Tamiflu. Tamiflu is the best treatment for the flu. So in the late 2000s, before we had the real pandemic, the COVID pandemic, there was talk about a flu pandemic in the United States, and he took advantage of that by trying to get right-wing media and blogs to write stories scaring the American public about a potential U.S. outbreak of avian flu. At the time, a few dozen people had died around the world, and he wanted people in America to be worried about the avian flu. He paid for and promoted stories in the media that then got to members of Congress, important members of Congress—Barack Obama, who was a senator, Hillary Clinton when she was senator, and Joe Biden when he was senator—all three proposed legislation, creating a stockpile of avian flu prevention in case the avian flu came to the United States. They created legislation and passed the bill to create the first U.S. stockpile of treatment for the avian flu. The government allocated $2 billion to create that stockpile. Meanwhile, the Genentech lobbyist who created this in the first place turned around and said, I am the only person who sells Tamiflu, the treatment for the avian flu. The government in turn bought $2 billion worth of this guy’s product.

The use of commercial draggers for fishing is an issue in Nantucket. Many people feel they have started to deplete certain levels of sea life that are critical parts of the food chain and getting legislation to protect waters off of Nantucket and the Vineyard have not been very successful. Are you aware of anything that we should know about in relation to the commercial fishing world?

One of the interesting things is that the commercial fishing industry has been very successful in blocking so many of these regulations and laws. I think the Marine Mammal Protection Act was in the late 1970s ... I mean, that’s the last major legislation that we’ve passed as a country in that area. We understand more and more about what we, as humans, are doing to impact the Earth and species and fish, and it seems like we’d like more information to know how to make better policy. The fact that we haven’t had a new policy in that regard for 50 years shows the interest that big money has on how we live.

If we didn’t have lobbyists, how different would the country look and feel and how different would our lives be?

I think if you didn’t have lobbyists, and didn’t have money in politics—both of which are protected by the First Amendment and campaign money is also protected by the First Amendment—but if you could manage to get rid of those, then absolutely, the country would be very different. There would be a lot more pro-consumer legislation. The 2017 tax cut bill, the last big tax cut we did under Trump, wouldn’t have been all for companies, it would have been for individuals and for the middle class. There certainly would be some pro-corporate tax cuts and pro-corporate bills, but they’d be done because these companies employ millions of Americans. When we go back to the 1993 Clinton health care bill, that certainly would be law. And the last 25 years or 30 years we spent fighting over health care would have been moot because we already have a system like that.

If it were up to you, what would you do to reform the lobbying industry so that it did not have a disproportionate influence on our daily lives?

The problem in our system is big money in that the number one goal ever in Congress is to get reelected. And the number one way to get reelected is to have money to fund your campaign. And if you could remove that—and I don’t think that it’s possible, I think it violates the constitution—but if you take money out of the game, you reduce a lot of the leverage that corporations have, because they control the money. And if members of Congress don’t need that money, then they’re less reliant on companies and then maybe they’ll be more willing to look at both sides of the coin on every issue that comes up, instead of just taking the corporate side because they need the money. Money’s the problem.

Would term limits have an impact?

That’s a tough question. I see both sides on term limits. Look at Ted Kennedy. Look at all the great things Ted Kennedy did while he was a senator. And he was able to do those, in part, because there were no term limits because he was around for long enough to amass the power at the multiple committees that he chaired. And more importantly, the know-how and the staff. The staff was probably the most important. He established staff that were working for him for 20 or 30 years, who were experts in health care policy or welfare or education. And those people knew how to create, expand, and protect the federal safety that Ted Kennedy supported. So if Ted Kennedy was limited to two terms, he never gets into a position of authority; he never gets to a committee chair where he can enact and push for his priorities.

At the same time, I understand the argument of bringing in fresh blood all the time. But look at our current Speaker of the House right now. Mike Johnson has only been Speaker for a few months, he’s only been a member of Congress for a few years, and he’s supposed to govern this unruly body.

A Brush with Success

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 21:03:40 GMT

Anne Marie Bratton is this year's AAN 2024 Honorary Artist of the Year.

Written by Greta Feeney
Photography by Kit Noble

The 19th-century plein air tradition of painting has particularly influenced Nantucket’s art scene—however, not all of the island’s notable artists fit the impressionist mold. Anne Marie Bratton, who divides her time between Nantucket and Fort Worth, Texas, is an example of this as her technique focuses on photorealism. She was named Artist Honoree for the 2024 Artists Association of Nantucket Gala, which takes place July 13 at the Great Harbor Yacht Club. “Her process is hyperrealism, and specifically she is very good at reflective surfaces,” explains impressionist painter Robert “Bobby” Frazier, AAN artistic director and the 2020 Gala Artist Honoree.

Her oil painting, Seascape in Portal, will be honored as the final piece in the event’s live auction—there’s a total of 25 works from other local artist members. The proceeds from the evening help the AAN continue to support almost 300 artist members, host year-round art programming, and preserve a collection of historic art.

Bratton is thrilled to be this year’s honoree. “I tell everyone this is the Academy Awards of art. There’s no question. This is the highest honor you can possibly get. And what’s even more of an honor is when you look at the people who have been chosen in the past,” she says. “Those are the luminaries of the art world. … Those are the best artists on the island. They’re incredible, and the fact that my name is with them—well, I couldn’t ask for more.” Past award recipients include John Carruthers, Julija Mostykanova, Lynn Nicholas, Carol Keefe, and more.

Often seen around town and on the beach capturing images on her iPhone to create collages for her paintings, Bratton explains that the biggest compliment she can ever get is when someone says that her work looks like a photograph. “Sometimes, [the galleries] put my paintings in the photography section, and that’s a huge compliment because that is effectively what I was trying to achieve,” she adds.

Raised in New York City by her single father, the legendary Pete Rozelle (former commissioner of the NFL), Bratton spent much of her childhood reading books, sketching pictures, and watching television. When she wasn’t heading off to the Hamptons with her father and his pro football colleagues, she was developing her artistic skills. Her formal training began in high school at Rollins College and continued under the guidance of renowned art teacher Helen Silvestri in Fort Worth, focusing on photoreal drawing. She also studied at the Texas Academy of Figurative Art and continues to hone her craft with Laert Aleksi at Sabka Studio.

Looking back, Bratton has grown considerably since first showing the AAN her portfolio for membership in 2013. Despite having drawn and painted for years, she always gave her work away for free. During her application process, the AAN leadership challenged her to determine the value of her art. Determined, Bratton entered every possible silent auction to figure out the value of her art. She gathered pricing data, especially noting purchases made by non-friends and family, to determine her art’s worth. Since then, she has charged for her work, marking the beginning of her career as a true professional artist. In 2014, Bratton was inducted as an artist member at the AAN.

Bratton’s impressive portfolio includes numerous high-profile commissions. She has created works for the Kimbell Art Museum, the Amon Carter Museum, the Van Cliburn Competition (where she was the featured artist at Bass Hall), the Fort Worth Zoo, the Texas Ballet Theater, Artists Against AIDS, the Fort Worth Country Day School, and the Fort Worth Garden Club, where her oil painting White French Tulips graced that year’s invitations, notecards, and programs. In addition to these prestigious projects, she has completed numerous commissions for private homes and patrons, solidifying her reputation as a master of photorealism.

Bratton’s commitment to her craft and her ability to capture the intricate details of her subjects have set her apart in the art world. Her works are not just admired for their technical prowess but also for the emotional depth they convey. As she continues to push the boundaries of photorealism, Bratton remains an inspiring figure in the Nantucket art scene, demonstrating that dedication, skill, and a willingness to value one’s own work are key to artistic success. Her journey from a young artist giving away her work to a celebrated professional with high-profile commissions exemplifies the transformative power of recognizing and embracing one’s worth.

Off the Grid

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:57:41 GMT

Solar projects are shining light onto a growing trend on Nantucket.

Written by Bruce A. Percelay
Photography by Kit Noble

Nantucket is not known as an island filled with survivalists. Yet the easy access to fresh water, fertile soil for growing food, and the rising popularity of solar could provide all the ingredients for those who choose to live totally off the grid.

But for homeowners simply looking for an environmentally sensitive means of generating electricity—as well as those attracted by the economics of solar power—solar installations are clearly on the rise. “Solar is definitely going mainstream on Nantucket,” says Tobias Glidden, co-owner of ACK Smart Solar. He says more than 200 homes on the island now have solar installations, and he expects many more in the coming years. Solar panels on roofs, as well as ground arrays installed on open tracts of land, provide peace of mind in various ways for those who choose to install them. They assist with the generation of clean energy, protect against power outages, provide a backstop against rising electric bill rates, and come with generous tax incentives.

ACK Smart was founded by Zach Dusseau in 2011, and Glidden joined as co-owner in 2016. According to Dusseau, “We have grown organically and have become the major provider of solar installations on the island.” ACK Smart Solar touts both the environmental and economic benefits of solar. Glidden indicated that “the quality of solar panels has improved dramatically, and we expect our installations will last 25 years, which significantly improves the economics over time.”

We have reviewed four solar projects on Nantucket that highlight what is becoming a powerful idea for energy independence.

Location: Mid-Island

Number of Panels: 76

Intended Use: Domestic electricity and power for in-town hotels

When one of the two undersea cables that supply Nantucket with electricity went offline in late April, Bruce Percelay, real estate developer, publisher of N Magazine, and owner of 76 Main Ink Press Hotel and 21 Broad Hotel, saw the power in self-sufficiency. “It shows you that living on an island 30 miles out to sea, you are vulnerable to a lot of things that you would not expect,” he says.

Percelay is no stranger to the use of solar and environmentally advanced developments, having built the award-winning Allston Green District in Boston over a decade ago as the first major green housing project in New England. According to Percelay, “Having my house and our hotels being at the cutting edge of environmental sensitivity was simply an extension of something we practiced in our business years ago.”

ACK Smart Solar completed the installation of three ground arrays in March 2024, establishing a 36-kilowatt power source not only for Percelay’s home but for his businesses. Surplus electricity generated from the panels will be funneled to 76 Main and 21 Broad. Percelay says, “I think guests will appreciate the notion that electricity for the hotels is generated locally and through a clean and renewable power source.”

Climate activists have devoted much energy of late to protests over the reduction of fossil fuel use, but actual initiatives such as solar installations embraced by Percelay will make a tangible difference on Nantucket.

Location: Pocomo

Number of Panels: 28

Intended Use: Domestic Electricity and Backup Power

For Pocomo resident Carlton Neel, installing solar panels was the eco-friendly cherry on top of a robust renovation project. His mid-century modern home was originally built as a kit house and had all the 60-year-old quirks to prove it, including old-fashioned fuses, no air conditioning, and plenty of mildew. Neel and his wife decided on an overhaul.

Thanks to its mid-century design, the place flaunted a mostly flat roof. This shape, combined with the strength of the sun’s rays reflecting off the water, established a near-perfect opportunity for rooftop solar panels. “The reason I even got interested in solar was being an early adopter of a Tesla car,” Neel says. “I really started noticing what the cost per kilowatt hour is for electricity—and I found it fascinating.” Neel began doing the math with his electricity bills on Nantucket and realized solar could benefit his home, too. He invested in panels for the roof, plus a battery system to store extra energy for power outages. The 12-kilowatt array, installed in September 2021, heats and cools the house, as well as powers the electric pool in the backyard. “Because of the nature of our house, the vast majority of our electric usage is in the summer with air conditioning. So we really get the full benefit of longer days in the summertime,” he explains.

Solar power’s tax incentives, eco-friendly benefits, and ability to lower utility bills have been a net positive for Neel and his family’s home. “Massachusetts is a very solar-friendly state,” Neel says. “You’ve got the combination of high electric expenses on Nantucket, a good location for [solar panels], and the battery backup. It’s a really good environment for solar where we are.”

Location: Tom Nevers

Number of Panels: 23

Intended Use: Electricity for affordable housing buildings

Finding affordable rental housing on Nantucket has long been a challenge for scores of year-round residents. To ease that burden, Housing Nantucket, which was founded 30 years ago, operates 150 below-market value units across the island. Still, low-income residents are especially vulnerable to unpredictable—and often high—energy costs. “They have to make choices between do we turn on the heat today, or do we get food? The cost of living here is just really expensive,” explains Anne Kuszpa, executive director of Housing Nantucket.

That’s when a light bulb went off for Kuszpa: defraying the costs of utility bills with solar power seemed like a natural solution. Thus, fundraising began. In addition to donor contributions and grants from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the organization worked with environmental nonprofit Remain Nantucket to secure upfront funding for installing solar panels. Kuszpa says, “Remain is not only helping the whole community get more solar here island-wide, but they’re also funding and helping the low-income residents. It really makes a big difference for them to be able to have access to the benefits of green power.”

Housing Nantucket’s solar endeavors began with outfitting its office building in 2014. Then, in 2022, the nonprofit began expanding to its current 86 kilowatts of rooftop solar panels at a dozen different apartment buildings. “We gave [ACK Smart Solar] a list of our 39 properties all over the island. They looked at them in GIS and saw which ones had the best roofs to generate the most energy,” Kuszpa explains. “So we’ve been chipping away at it and doing a couple every year—it’s been really great.”

The organization’s newest solar project is a 120-kilowatt array in the form of a parking pergola on Fairgrounds Road. The panels will cover the parking area between two buildings that make up a new 22-unit development where tenants will be moving in this summer. Upon completion of the parking pergola panels, the entire property will become net zero.

Location: Tom Nevers

Number of Panels: 40

Intended Use: Domestic Electricity, Pool, Panels, Batteries

As a real estate investor, Randy Sharp has a keen sense of what will add value to a home. Solar power is one addition he’d been curious to try out. In 2022, Sharp decided to install a ground array of 40 panels on his property to power his home and pool. “The federal, state, and local initiatives helped with the overall cost,” Sharp explains. “I look at the final cost as adding value to the property—it should be offset by the savings over approximately eight years.”

Solar panels can increase a home’s appraisal value by 4.1 percent, according to a study from Zillow. “They’re an incredible asset to the value of your home,” says Glidden. “You just sleep better at night knowing you’ve got a plan for when the power is out.”

Sharp opted for a battery from Hyannis-based Savant Systems for those power outages. With a battery, surplus energy from the panels is saved for a rainy day, so to speak. “A battery stores the excess energy that solar panels produce during the day so it can be used to power the home in the evening,” explains Bob Madonna, founder and CEO of Savant. “It can also provide emergency backup power during a grid outage such as the one the island recently experienced.”

Most of the time, panels are powering homes in fair weather. Sharp says his solar array has made a dent in his electricity bills, both for heating and cooling his home with two mini splits, and for his pool’s electric heat pump.

For Glidden, the opportunities for added value—and lower bills—seem endless. “We can install solar anywhere,” he says. “There’s no property that can’t have solar on Nantucket. It just shows that you can do it on affordable housing. You can do it for a hotel. You can do it on a roof right by the water, or you can do it on the ground. It’s a no-brainer.”

Divine Design

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:41:59 GMT

HOME & GARDEN
Written by Antonia DePace
Photography by Kit Noble

Behind the new look of the Parish of St. Mary Our Lady of the Isle.

In the summer of 2022, Bob Monahan sat down in the familiar pews for mass at the Parish of St. Mary Our Lady of the Isle. This was hardly his first time in the church—he had been attending on island for the past 36 years, but it was in this moment that he realized that the building was in need of some upgrades. He immediately went to Father John Murray—starting an inside-out renovation of both the church and the rectory on Orange Street. “The church was not in bad condition, but it was like any home that needed to be updated,” explains Murray. “We wanted it to be reverent and prayerful and something that was going to draw people into the church… into the warmth of what Jesus Christ offers, as opposed to just a nice decorative building on the island.”

The team—consisting of Monahan at the helm, Murray, interior designer and parishioner Jill Vieth, Steve Hollister of Hollister Consulting, St. Mary’s business manager Soo Woodley and facilities manager Brian Davis, and longtime parishioner Tom Bresette—started construction this past January, during which they ordered new pews, chandeliers, carpeting and paint colors. “This project took a very holistic approach towards connection—to our faith, to the ancient scriptures and the people the church brings together—the parish community, the seasonal community, and anyone who walks inside the church. Every detail was considered for them,” Vieth says.

To start, everything had to be ripped out of the building, including the pews, which were at least 60 years old. But rather than throwing them away, Murray decided to give them away. According to Monahan, locals began lining up at the church at 7:30 a.m. on the day the pews were ready, and by 9:15 a.m., they were all gone. Murray compares it to the church’s mission itself. He says, “Really taking the sacred from the church and bringing it into the ordinary moments of everyday life, that’s really the point.… It’s the point of the church that you enter into the sacred space, you take that which is sacred, and you bring it back into the ordinary experience of everyday life to really sanctify your life.”

Once emptied, one of the most important goals was to fully connect the church’s design. The last major renovation began in the late 1990s under the supervision of Father Thomas Lopes, who departed from the church once the project was complete in 2000. One example of this is through the brand-new pews. As a nod to the previous generation, Vieth made sure to have the same cross incorporated on the sides, just as the old pews had featured.

Another example lies within the arch behind the altar, which the team completely redid with crosses that replicate the ones in the stained glass windows behind it. They called upon local artist Pen Austin to do the work. “If you look at some of the old pictures of the church back to the 1950s, there were designs of crosses going up around the arch,” Murray explains. “They had been covered over because it’s hard to do that kind of artwork.” Outside, the statue of St. Mary is in the process of being repaired, and the church’s exterior will get a fresh coat of paint and new landscaping. Masses were officially moved back into the church on March 28, Holy Thursday (they were hosted in the basement while work was being done). Next, the work on the rectory will begin with an expected completion of summer 2025.

The total cost of the renovations is approximately $5 million, which the church is still raising money for. “A lot of people were employed by working on the church, and for them, it was all a labor of love,” Murray says. He adds, “This is work that will impact the current members of our parish as well as those of the future.”

Treasure Hunting

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:35:51 GMT

The NHA's Hidden Gem

Written by David Creed
Photography by Kit Noble

The moment you step foot on Nantucket, you automatically immerse yourself in history. But for those who want to delve deeper, the Nantucket Historical Association’s Research Library located at 7 Fair Street is a treasure trove of Nantucket’s past. In fact, very few buildings, if any, on the 13-mile island hold as much history as this one with thousands of meticulously preserved documents and artifacts kept inside.

Deep within the corridors of the historic building, several centuries’ worth of island relics and documents are locked inside a large, temperature-controlled vault. Some items date back as far as the 1600s, while others have been collected over the past 20 years—but no matter their age, they’re all pieces of history that cannot be replaced if they were to be lost. In other words, they are priceless.

The items inside are available to the public but by appointment only. According to Amelia Holmes, the NHA’s director of Collections & Research Services, because there are so many items in the collection, in order to pull specific artifacts, the team needs to go through the library’s digital catalog to find where they are located. “It’s not possible for anyone to really know everything we have here,” she explains.

One important artifact includes a map from 1625 created by Henry Briggs. It is known as the first one to depict the island and is believed to be the oldest item in the NHA’s possession. It is also considered to be one of the most influential maps of the 17th century. “I actually love that map because I don’t know if you’re familiar with the concept [of] the island of California, but there are all of these maps where California exists as an island from people coming up from the Baja Peninsula,” Holmes says, “and so even at the time that this map came out, they knew that it wasn’t an island but the English still put it on maps and eventually the king had to issue a statement saying to stop. I just love that this is so old that it’s got the island of California, and then Nantucket is over there almost as an unknown.”

Briggs, who had yet to visit North America at this time, constructed the map through documentation and accounts made by other travelers who had been to the region—more famously through correspondence with English explorer Thomas Dermer, who was best known for being an early liaison between the Native American population of southern New England and the Mayflower Pilgrims. The map is also the first to name Cape Cod. Nantucket, which was not yet known by its modern name, is transcribed as “Caupaw,” stemming from the Indigenous settlement of the Caupaum who lived on the island at that time. “[Dermer] documents his travels, his experiences, and in the book he wrote, he talks about meeting the people living here,” Holmes says. “And that is what they refer to the island as, Caupaw. So that is where the name on this map is coming from.”

A variety of historic photographs also exist within the vault, with the earliest dating back to 1841. The photo depicts Main Street prior to the Great Fire of 1846. “That’s the only known photo of the town before the fire that still exists,” says Holmes. Many other photos are portraits that show islanders from the 17th century up to the present day. In addition to pictures, the island community is documented through yearbooks, dance cards, report cards, and other learning materials preserved by the library over the years.

From our island’s whaling history, the library possesses hundreds of sailor logbooks, all of which contain firsthand accounts of their travels centuries ago. Many of them date back to the 19th century and have become the focus of scholars’ studies. “One area that’s been an increasing research focus for scholars are these [logbooks], which track data around weather in the 19th century, and so they have been of interest to climate change scientists,” Holmes explains. “We’ve worked on a number of projects and have a professor we’re working with at UMass Dartmouth on extracting that information on what the weather was like in various parts of the ocean over this period of time.”

During N Magazine’s tour of the building in May, the library was in the midst of digitizing 400-plus account books ranging from the 1680s through the 1980s—documenting 300 years of island history. This included a Westgate Store account book from January to November 1847. Account books like this show the island’s financial growth, especially when it comes to those small businesses that served the whaling industry, as well as those farmers that stayed home. Through digitizing artifacts like this, the library eternalizes them. “Our goal is to make things as accessible as possible, and the security comes from not keeping people out, but just thinking about the future Nantucket researchers. How do we help things last as long as possible here?” Holmes says. Anyone interested in learning more about Nantucket and immersing themselves in the island’s rich history would be wise to check out the research library and set up an appointment through its website at nha.org/research/research-library/ .

Pining Away

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:25:14 GMT

HOME & GARDEN
Written by Larry Lindner
Photography by Kit Noble

A newly arrived beetle from the South is destroying Nantucket's pine trees.

The death of the trees started last summer with the infestation of about 50 pines. By the time the incident was all over, the Nantucket Conservation Foundation ended up having to cut down hundreds of trees across seven acres of Ram Pasture, not far from Madaket Road. The culprit behind the pine massacre? Southern pine beetles, which destroy trees from the inside out—and quickly. Unfortunately, that one incident is just the start of the southern pine beetles’ assault on Nantucket’s somewhat scraggly pitch pines, the main kind of pine tree on the island. Significantly more tree devastation is anticipated.

The beetles, which have historically lived in the southeastern United States, have been migrating north due to climate change. “A very hard freeze—3 degrees Fahrenheit—will kill them, but we don’t see those temperatures much anymore,” comments Emily Goldstein Murphy, research ecologist at the Nantucket Land Bank.

The damage southern pine beetles can inflict is nothing short of staggering. In 2014, the insects started ravaging pine trees on Long Island, just 200 miles to the south, and to this point have killed an estimated 37,000 trees there over wide swaths of acreage. “That put us on high alert,” says Danielle O’Dell, wildlife research ecologist at NCF. “We knew it was just a matter of time.” Before that, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a four-year outbreak in the southern Appalachian Mountains affected more than one million acres, with other areas farther south affected from time to time, too.

In general, the beetles kill pine trees (not just pitch pines) by entering through crevices in the bark. From there, they create S-shaped tunnels in tree tissue underneath. That disrupts a pine’s flow of nutrients. A tree will work to resist the attack by secreting a resin to create what are known as pitch tubes. Looking something like popcorn on the tree bark, the tubes will literally pitch out some adult beetles and slow the entry of others. But it’s no match for the thousands of beetles attacking a single pine. “One week the tree is fine, and the next the pine needles have gone this rusty red color,” says the Land Bank’s Murphy. In four to six weeks the tree is dead and a potential fire hazard. Meanwhile, the beetles continue to ravage nearby pines in hordes.

As part of a monitoring process, NCF started trapping the beetles six years ago using traps supplied by the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. O’Dell reports that the organization trapped “one in 2018, none in 2019, and by 2022 we were up in the hundreds of beetles.”

Martha’s Vineyard has been affected too, more severely than Nantucket to this point. That island also didn’t get its first outbreak until last summer, but unlike on Nantucket, it occurred over several locations. Adam Moore, president of the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation, the Vineyard’s counterpart to the NCF, estimates that around 3,000 trees have been felled so far. He counts the risk of wildfires from dead wood as the biggest threat that comes with the devastation the beetles cause. “It’s not just conservation land,” he says. “We’re in a community. People live here.”

Endangered species are at high risk as well. Nantucket has Massachusetts’ largest population of northern long-eared bats, which eat mosquitoes, moths and other kinds of insects. “They highly prefer pitch pine forests for their habitat in the summertime,” O’Dell says. “They form maternity colonies, where related females group together and raise their pups—sometimes upwards of 10 or 20 mothers roosting in pitch pine trees at a time. We have one of the last good populations of them in New England,” she says. “Losing the trees would endanger them further.”

So how do we best protect pitch pines from the invading beetles? Chop them down—or at least some of them. Southern pine beetles use the trees’ proximity to each other to grow their battalions of destruction. “What makes forests vulnerable to the beetles is if they’re too dense and don’t have good airflow,” Murphy explains. “The beetles come into a tree and, to try to overwhelm its defenses, call all of their friends through airborne chemicals called pheromones. The key to protecting forests is to thin them out and make sure there’s airflow. That disrupts the pheromones’ communication signals.”

Nantucket is on it. In 2022, with the aim to work toward preventive rather than reactive management through information sharing, O’Dell and Murphy set up a Southern Pine Beetle Working Group. It consists not just of NCF and the Land Bank but also the Town of Nantucket, Mass Audubon, the Linda Loring Nature Foundation, and several tree care and landscaping companies, including Bartlett Tree Experts, Nantucket Green Tree, KJP Land & Environment, and Champoux Landscape. Furthermore, both NCF and the Land Bank hired the Vineyard’s Moore, a licensed forester, to write stewardship plans that will guide the management of Nantucket’s forests for the next 10 years.

This past winter, the Land Bank started its first preventive efforts at Gardner Farm—conservation land close to Hummock Pond. After an intentional decrease in tree density of about 50 percent in a section just off Hummock Pond Road, the area still looks like a forest but has much better airflow so the beetle pheromones don’t concentrate as much between the pines. There are other benefits as well. “You decrease the stress that the remaining trees have,” Murphy says, “[with] more water to go around, more nutrients, more sunlight. It makes the trees as healthy as they can be to repel the beetles.” She adds, “Light can hit the forest floor now, and we can get regeneration of rare plants. We have to wait and see what comes back, but we expect it to be really nice.”

The effort to save the island’s pines will have to come not just from conservation groups intentionally monitoring for pitch pine infestation by the beetle, but from people in general. “The more eyes out there, the better,” Murphy says. “The reddening needles, that’s really what people are going to see right away—a forest of trees and one all reddened or browned out,” O’Dell says. “If you see the needles and you approach the tree and see the popcorn-shaped balls, then you know there’s a major problem.” This can happen on publicly owned land or private property and should be reported to the Southern Pine Beetle Working Group by emailing spb@nantucketconservation.org . It’s best, says O’Dell, to include a photo of the tree, directions to the spot, and, if possible, the GPS coordinates, which can be determined by dropping a pin onto a Google map.

People can also “start talking with landscaping crews about thinning the pine trees out on their own private land, making their own land more resilient,” Murphy says, “because the beetles won’t respect property boundaries. Once they get established, they can roll across many properties. This has happened on the Vineyard. Some beetles started on conservation land and ended up on private land and vice versa.” (As counterintuitive as it may seem, don’t automatically rush to cut down a pitch pine on your own property that is already dead. Dead trees no longer have southern pine beetles living in them, so if they do not have the potential to fall on people, buildings, roads, or power lines, they can be left standing to provide the preferred habitat for bats and birds.)

Can the preventive efforts keep the destructive southern pine beetles away completely? Forester Moore says, “There will still be pitch pines. They’ll just be younger pitch pines. This is what happens in the life of trees. We’d rather not have the southern pine beetle, but it’s something we’re going to have to adjust to if we’re going to manage our natural landscapes.” Adds NCF’s O’Dell, “I want to be optimistic. I don’t think every single pitch pine is going to die. But it’s hard to imagine that we’re not going to have some pretty major impacts. I’m hopeful it isn’t going to be completely devastating. Out in Ram Pasture, we were able to get on top of it really quickly. We’re hopeful that we’ve bought ourselves some time.”

Interior Motives

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:05:06 GMT

Ken Fulk returns for Nantucket by Design

HEALTH & SPORTS

written by Antonia DePace

As the elite of the interior design and architectural worlds gather for this year’s Nantucket by Design, July 15-18, one not-to-be-missed event is keynote speaker Ken Fulk. On July 16 at the White Elephant Ballroom, the self-described “magic maker” will discuss and sign his newest publication, Ken Fulk: The Movie in My Mind. Ahead of the conversation, N Magazine chats with Fulk about his career, favorite projects, Nantucket architecture, and more.

You’ll be discussing the evolution of your career during the keynote. Can you highlight some of the most pivotal parts of this and how they helped to make you the designer you are today?

I had an unlikely career trajectory and became a designer almost by chance. A friend knew that I loved design and that I had a knack for it. They hired me to decorate their new apartment without any constraints. I sanded the floors, I painted the walls, I sewed the drapes, and delivered a turnkey apartment. After delivering that apartment, it was like a faucet turned on. I had all sorts of jobs all over the place. I had one in France and [in] Martha’s Vineyard. From the beginning, we did almost everything for our clients. I would put together a dinner party, pick out a tie to wear to an interview, and help plan a vacation. That indefinable role of mine eventually became what is now an incredibly creative team of almost 100. We call our team “the magic makers”—or sometimes “the Fulkers”—because “designers” doesn’t quite describe all that we do.

Tell me more about your latest book, Ken Fulk: The Movie in My Mind.

This is my second book and the first with Assouline. While the first book was more like a traditional monograph, here we decided to take readers behind the scenes of some of our more cinematic endeavors. I’ve always used the metaphor of a film because every new project starts with a story. These “movies in my mind,” as I call them, are a swirling amalgamation of ideas inspired by my travels, film, fashion, art, history, novels, or something as elemental as the scent of a dwindling fire. The book is divided into genres: Westerns features a Napa Valley farmhouse that honors the region’s rural hills dotted with cabernet vines; Action Flicks includes a superyacht that calls to mind 007, Bullitt, and Foxy Brown; Summer Blockbusters has a Miami hotel and rooftop pool club.

How does Nantucket design and architecture inspire you?

I’ve always been drawn to historic structures and buildings that hold stories. Nantucket has such a rich legacy of both humble and grand architecture. From the prominent homes in town to the rose-covered cottages of Sconset, it draws you in with its charm and then keeps you here with all of its deep history.

What are you most excited about during this year’s Nantucket by Design?

Any time I get an excuse to return to the island, I’m excited. I have many friends who spend time there, and I love that we’re bringing designers together in this rich locale.

You’ve had the opportunity to design for multiple high-caliber clients. What are some of your favorite projects to date?

Projects for me are like great love affairs, and I tend to focus on the ones at hand. However, there are certainly standouts over the years. The chance to design alongside Pharrell Williams was a dream. We worked on two projects in Miami, including Goodtime Hotel, which has become known for its famous pool parties by David Grutman.

You also worked on The ’Quin House in Boston, which has been coveted for its rich and ornate design. Can you talk more about this project?

The biggest surprise was that we conceived the entire concept for another location, and then there was this serendipitous opportunity to take over the building, which was purpose-built as a club by McKim, Mead & White in 1887. Not only was I thrilled with this historic building, but I knew it well, having lived right across Comm Ave (Commonwealth Avenue) when I was freshly out of college. And then the second surprise was that this extraordinary building, for all its illustrious past, was really quite ordinary in some places. That gave us the chance and the challenge to knit together new with old—we restored some areas, reimagined others, and then built from scratch entirely new amenities that needed to fit within the context of the building.

What are some design elements that you hope to see more of this year and beyond?

I am very excited about the shift and fearlessness in taste that has come with all of our new technology. People of all backgrounds have instant access to so much imagery and inspiration that it’s created a new sophistication and a more egalitarian approach to what was once a very rarified world of culture, travel, style, and collecting. So many people have become enthralled by design and beauty, and that has pushed us toward a new level of individualism.

What are you over?

There’s not too much I’m bothered by in the world of style and design, and I think that comes with this global embrace and celebration of individuality.

Making Waves

Sat, 29 Jun 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Written by Kristin Detterline

An intimate new staging of the opera, Moby Dick, sails into Nantucket this month.

Months before Moby-Dick drops anchor at the Metropolitan Opera as part of the 2024-2025 season next March, the show’s composer, Jake Heggie, is bringing the critically acclaimed contemporary opera to Nantucket. But don’t expect to see the original production that debuted in 2010 and won immediate praise for what the Washington Post described as a “colorful, singable score that has its own undeniable unity and through-line.”

For the July 30 show at the Dreamland, Heggie will lead a behind-the-scenes presentation of his arresting adaptation of Herman Melville’s great American novel about Captain Ahab and the elusive white whale, Moby Dick, told through the eyes of sailor Ishmael. The book is famously set on Nantucket.

“I’ll walk people through the whole creation of the opera, not necessarily Melville because everyone knows the story of Moby-Dick, but how we managed to take that massive book and create a workable libretto that inspired me to write music that illuminated the story for people. And then that led to this brilliant production,” says Heggie, adding that he’ll share excerpts of the score and manuscript and play some of the music on the piano. Clips of the San Francisco production of the opera will be shown to highlight the sweeping stage experience.

The idea to do a stage performance of Moby-Dick in Nantucket started with Heggie’s friend Franci Neely, the Houston-based philanthropist who summers on Nantucket and sits on the board of the Metropolitan Opera. Neely introduced him to Niles Parker, executive director of the Nantucket Historical Association, to talk about how they could bring the show to the island this summer in advance of the Met’s run. It wasn’t long before the Dreamland was on board for the project. Less than a year later, the show is shaping up to be one of the season’s hottest arts and culture tickets.

“This is an incredible opportunity to experience the transformative power of live performance on our small island with the world-class Metropolitan Opera. While Dreamland has long been a venue for sharing the Met: Live broadcast screenings in our theaters, the opportunity to bring this live, one-of-a-kind evening to our Nantucket community is truly extraordinary,” says Alicia L. Carney, Dreamland’s executive director.

Unlike Melville, who wrote the book without ever visiting Nantucket, Heggie thought it was essential to experience the island in order to create the piece. He visited with the show librettist Gene Scheer during late spring in 2008 and was pleased to find “moody weather and few people out.”

While many familiar faces will be in the crowd for Moby-Dick, Heggie is most excited about the new showgoers, some of whom may be experiencing opera for the first time.

Says Heggie, “Opera builds community in a very special way and that’s what I really love about what I do. I can set a vibration that might resonate with people. You don’t necessarily know how they feel about issues that are important to you. But all of you can experience something together. That’s a big human drama and it opens up the possibility for dialogue, exchange, communication, and new perspectives.”

Buy tickets at nantucketdreamland.org .

Mile High Housing Solutions

Sat, 29 Jun 2024 12:00:12 GMT

Written by Bruce A. Percelay

Could Aspen’s housing crisis help Nantucket?

As Nantucket continues to wrestle with its housing crisis, it is instructive to look beyond our shores to other areas with similar demographics and geographic challenges to help find possible solutions. Aspen, Colorado, is one such example. According to Business Insider, Aspen is one of the most expensive towns in the United States—so much so that its nickname is “Billionaire Mountain.” A 2023 report from Engel & Völkers stated that when it came to the ski town’s real estate, it can cost more than $8,000 per square foot, over four times that of Nantucket.

While Nantucket’s median home price is now a jaw-dropping $3.5 million dollars, Aspen’s are in the nosebleed section with a median home price of $10 million dollars. The similarities between Aspen’s housing challenge and Nantucket’s are more obvious than they would appear. While workers can get in a car and drive to and from Aspen, the city is supported by only one state highway, and the traffic often makes commuting impractical. During winter storms, Aspen can be as isolated as Nantucket, making the need for workers to be close to their jobs as critical as ours.

According to Chris Everson, Affordable Housing Development senior project manager for the City of Aspen, “Had Aspen waited to address the housing problem before the meteoric rise in property values, creating the amount of affordable units that we have would have been extremely difficult.”

While Nantucket has for years been contemplating housing solutions designed to retain a working class and middle-class population, Aspen recognized its problem before the staggering rise in property values and got out in front of the issue. Since the 1970s, the town of Aspen has been enacting a series of programs designed to address what its leaders saw as an impending housing crisis. Aspen first began implementing a 1 percent transfer tax designed to fund various aspects of affordable housing. Says Everson, “The transfer fee has been a miracle.” From 2017 to 2019, the transfer fee generated nearly $40 million, and in 2020 alone, the fee generated over $21 million and has been rising steadily. Aspen also has produced more than 3,000 affordable housing units within Aspen’s city limits since the ’70s, which enables approximately half of its year-round population to live in affordable units. For comparison, it is estimated that roughly 15,000 people live in Nantucket year-round, yet Nantucket has only 332 affordable units.

In addition to funding from the City of Aspen through its transfer tax, a portion of sales tax is directed to affordable housing as are taxes generated from short-term rentals. Given that Nantucket no longer allows short-term rentals, this potential revenue source is now off the table.

In addition to other initiatives, Aspen is also entertaining proposals to offer deed restrictions with financial incentives to homeowners to put properties into the affordable pool. However, given the town’s median home price of $10 million, Everson indicates that the practical reality of a program like this having broad impact is limited. A program in nearby Vail called Vail InDEED is applying a more aggressive approach to deed restrictions for year-round residents. It relies on giving homeowners a significant financial incentive to not only earmark future sales to year-round residents but limit price appreciation. The success of this program is yet to be determined, but for those looking to monetize part of the value of their homes without selling them, it could be an interesting approach to expanding home ownership, and one that is being tested in Nantucket.

Given the success of Aspen’s coordinated policies on affordable housing production, it receives inquiries from all over the world as to how best to manage the problem. Everson states that for a community to begin addressing an affordable housing crisis, there are three things it must do if there is a serious desire to solve the problem.

First, Everson indicates that securing community support for affordable housing funding sources is essential. He says, “Without a source of income to address a large-scale housing problem, it is impossible to succeed.” Second, he notes that policies need to be created to catch up to the crisis. This can range from zoning relief for high-density development, to reallocation of tax revenues, to having governmental assistance for affordable housing creation. The third strategy that Everson refers to is “deal chasing.” He indicates that housing organizations or authorities need to either locate attractively priced land, renovate underutilized existing buildings or determine a way to build new housing stock to satisfy unmet demand.

Since there is limited land available for development in the Aspen area, the Western Mountain Regional Housing Coalition (WMRHC) continues to explore different pilot programs that aim to leverage current housing stock and rental affordability. Three programs are under discussion: One would support renters in accessing loans or grants to get into units (the current upfront cost is close to $10,000); another supports homeowners who are willing to add additional dwelling units on their properties; and the WMRHC also is considering a plan to contribute 30 percent of the purchase price in exchange for a price-capped deed restriction on the property. The overall idea is to place renters in a position to buy, which in turn, frees up rental units without having to focus on new construction.

But could programs like that also work on Nantucket? According to Anne Kuszpa, executive director at Housing Nantucket, the above proposals could be effective to earmark units in perpetuity for the year-round community.

Nantucket has started to explore similar avenues. The Nantucket Food Fuel Rental Assistance, managed through the Interfaith Council, for example, has a program that helps tenants with a lump sum to get into a unit. While it isn’t Aspen’s proposed $10,000, it does help them to get over the hurdle. “The bigger issue is that there are simply very few rentals available for people who work here. We have a red-hot local job market slamming into ice-cold housing availability,” Kuszpa says. This is what inspired the ACK NOW Lease to Locals program, which would pay a landlord to convert an underutilized or unutilized unit and rent it to a year-round family—currently, the program is in limbo due to a lack of funding.

Kuszpa also notes that, similar to Aspen, in getting homeowners to add additional dwelling units to properties, Housing Nantucket has started to explore the idea of supporting the development of accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, which will allow the creation of units alongside existing homes.

In terms of the deed restriction program, one was approved by the Select Board on May 15 during the Town Meeting. Named the Nantucket Year-Round Housing Restriction Program, the pilot deed restriction program was modeled from the one that was enacted in Vail, and gives the year-round community two points of entry into housing. The first is when an income-qualified buyer goes to find a home, they can put a deed restriction on the property in exchange for down payment assistance; and the second is for those who already own a home and can put a deed restriction on their property in exchange for a cash incentive. “The second option will keep the housing year-round, saving the homes for the future for year-round residents,” explains Kristie Ferrantella, Nantucket’s municipal housing director.

The program, which launches late this summer, was approved for $2 million in funding. The deed restrictions can’t be more than 20 percent of the market value of the home, and the person holding the deed restriction must qualify for up to 240 percent of the area’s median income.

Despite the various options being explored by Nantucket, Aspen’s experience clearly indicates that the simplest, most direct and most effective source of funding for the production of affordable housing has been the property transfer fee. Unfortunately, the long-sought housing bank legislation that would have enabled Nantucket to apply the property transfer fee to affordable housing was dealt a major setback in Boston as the governor’s housing bill was modified and no longer includes a local option to establish an affordable housing fund. According to Kuszpa, “When Brooke Mohr put forth her citizens petition at the Town Meeting to divert some of the Land Bank fee to housing, it was overwhelmingly voted down.” Kuszpa adds, “The local resolve to solve this problem through modifications of the Land Bank fee structure appears very limited; however, when we see ferries being canceled because of lack in manpower and restaurants limiting their hours because of worker shortages, it is possible the island’s attitude toward creating more affordable and workforce housing will change.”

While discussion about moving the transfer tax from the Land Bank to housing has been a live third rail, the reality of our housing shortage is affecting the quality of life on the island. Given the fact that the island now boasts over 50 percent open space as a result of Land Bank and Conservation Foundation acquisitions, it may be time for Nantucket to start looking West for new solutions.

Finding a Rare Connection

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:00:01 GMT

Written by Antonia DePace
Photography by Kit Noble

From London to Nantucket: the Journey of a Unique Antique Weathervane

Twenty-five years ago, well-known British and European folk art dealer Robert Young published a book titled Folk Art that celebrated the artistry of often untrained craftsmen and women who relied more on their ingenuity than their formal art education.

The book, which covered folk art across the European continent, included a unique weathervane from the mid-19th century that caught the eye of Nantucket summer resident Arie Kopelman. Made from sheet iron, the weathervane featured a fish with a cross, as well as a two-fold heart detail—a large heart cut out from the center of the fish with a silhouette of the same shape at the top. He considered it one of the most interesting weathervanes he had ever seen. And after serving as the chair of the New York City Winter Antiques Show for nearly 25 years, as well as president of Chanel from 1986 to 2004 and former president of the Nantucket Historical Association, Kopelman is a person with impressive bona fides in the art world. With a keen eye for style and aesthetics, Kopelman saw something in this weathervane that intensified his interest.

It would have taken a blacksmith only a couple of days to make the piece before mounting it onto the ferrous metal base. The symbol of the fish itself has two meanings: It pointed toward the church and God in earlier time periods but also represented coastal town life in the late 19th century. According to Young, the weathervane was likely intended for a fishermen’s chapel, although without knowing the exact building it came from, it’s impossible to ever know for sure. “It was wonderfully authentic. It had a weighted face, which they have to have in order to point in the wind,” Young adds. “It had a naturally weathered surface, slightly more on one side than the other. And it’s just such a wonderful graphic shape.”

So how did this weathervane, out of all places, end up on Nantucket? While Young isn’t surprised (he sends at least three to four pieces of folk art to the island from his New York City gallery every year), he himself had sold it to a collector in London. From there, it somehow made it to one of Sylvia’s clients, who had it styled in his Nantucket home.

Despite keeping his eyes peeled at every antique show and asking dealers if they had seen it, Kopelman wouldn’t come across the actual antique until nearly a decade later—at Sylvia Antiques on Nantucket. John Sylvia is the third-generation owner of the gallery, which opened in 1927 and is known for its collection of lightship baskets. On a visit to the dealer early in the summer of 2014, Kopelman was searching through the upstairs room of treasures that were yet to be displayed. “Here I see this thing and I couldn’t believe my eyes,” he says. “I must say I was very excited, especially after a 10-year-plus quest.”

Clear Thinking

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:33:17 GMT

Written by Larry Lindner
Photography by Kit Noble

Guardians of the island's ponds are winning the battle against the growing problem of toxic algal bloom.

If you happen by Hummock Pond on July 16, you’ll see thousands of dollars worth of chemicals being unloaded into the water. Payment for the drop-off comes courtesy of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, the Nantucket Pond Coalition, and abutters of the pond, the largest on the island after Sesachacha. The chemicals are PAC, short for polyaluminum chloride, and they inactivate the mineral phosphorus—a nutrient in the pond that, if left unchecked, allows for the growth of blue-green algae, which is toxic to both people and pets and can create a harmful environment for fish and other wildlife.

People making recreational use of water that has harmful algal blooms—swimming or coming into contact with the water when getting in or out of a boat—can end up with skin or eye irritation. Inhaling a spray of contaminated water can cause asthma-like symptoms, and more sustained contact can cause severe neurological problems.

Hard figures for incidents of algal bloom poisoning on Nantucket are lacking, but in 2021, the latest year for which figures are available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were more than 100 reports of people across the country becoming sick from exposure and more than 2,700 incidents of animal illness. The Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health reports almost 2,500 incidents of animal death. Of course, all of these numbers represent only information shared, not illness and deaths that went undocumented. A dog can get sick and even die just licking its own fur after algal bloom contact.

That’s why it’s so important to bind up the phosphorus in the water with PAC. Phosphorus provides “a feeding frenzy for algal systems,” according to the Town’s water quality specialist, Emma Morgan. It reaches the pond largely via runoff from fertilizer and septic systems, meaning its overabundance in the island’s waters is a new problem, geologically speaking. Nantucket’s 80-plus ponds, representing about 5 percent of the island, are 6,000 years old, and the island has been populated by people of European descent for 400 years—but only within the last 100 did the degradation of the island’s ponds really begin, says Bob Williams, founder and president of the Nantucket Pond Coalition. “The Wampanoag didn’t have septic,” he says. “They didn’t have 100,000 people in the summer.”

While the Town can’t close the ponds, those frequenting a pond at which algal blooms have been confirmed will notice newly installed signs warning people to stay out of the water and to not let their pets step into it or drink it.

Hummock Pond is not Nantucket’s first body of water to be treated for algal blooms with PAC, an inert substance that is considered safe for the environment and is used even in the treatment of drinking water. It was applied in April of last year to both Gibbs and Capaum ponds, says Karen Beattie, director of Science and Stewardship at the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. “Both have a pretty long history of harmful algal blooms, some of the worst on the island,” she reports. But because of limitations on how much PAC can fit in a tanker truck that comes over to the island by ferry, only Gibbs Pond was able to receive a full dose, with the rest going to Capaum. The upshot, according to Beattie: “Gibbs Pond did great. I won’t say that there were no harmful algae blooms, but compared to years past we definitely saw a reduction.”

On Capaum Pond, Beattie relates, levels declined pretty readily but then went back up again in the middle of the summer—likely due to not receiving a full dose. This year, she says, Capaum Pond gets a full dose of PAC, with the rest going to Gibbs. “It’s very promising-looking,” she says, but adds, “we’re very much in the infancy of discovering how effective this is.”

Emily Molden, executive director of the Nantucket Land & Water Council, says that with the dose being applied to Hummock this summer, “we’re hoping we can bind up enough phosphorus to prevent harmful algal blooms for one to two years at a minimum.” It’s not that PAC ever loses its potency. Once phosphorus binds to the chemical, it can never get loose again to feed more algae. “But what happens over time,” Molden explains, “is more phosphorus that’s deeper down in the sediment will slowly move up and be released into the water column again.”

The Land & Water Council will be monitoring the process. It’s not just about tracking the pond’s phosphorus. The organization will also be measuring certain pond health indicators, like the pH of the water, to make sure it doesn’t change during treatment with PAC. If the pH is thrown off, the water becomes harmful to fish and other wildlife.

Crunch Time

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:33:11 GMT

Written by Antonia DePace
Photography by Kit Noble

Nantucket Crisps opens a brick-and-mortar store on the island.

It’s been three years since island summer residents Hayden Arnot and Sara Jemison won the second annual Nantucket Pitch Contest inspired by NBC’s hit show Shark Tank. The duo impressed then-judges Jamie Siminoff, Elin Hilderbrand, and Bruce Percelay during the October event, bringing in the $10,000 needed to jump-start their fledgling product: Nantucket Crisps, a flavor-forward, consciously and sustainably made potato chip inspired by the island. “As soon as we won, it gave us the confidence to go out and actually do this,” explains Arnot.

Just six months later, in April 2022, Arnot and Jemison officially launched Nantucket Crisps during Daffodil Festival Weekend. Within their first eight months of production, they brought in $300,000 in sales, which increased to just shy of $900,000 in 2023.

But not everything about launching a new brand was a snap. One big initial challenge, according to Jemison, was finding reliable suppliers for high-quality production and securing cost-effective packaging solutions. The team quickly realized the complexities and costs behind small-scale manufacturing, including high-quality ingredient prices and the logistics of distribution. “Another one of our largest issues we faced was self-distributing our product,” she adds. “We soon realized we weren’t a distribution company and handed that all over to larger distributors like US Foods, Baldor, Chex, and Rainforest.”

Other challenges came in the form of scaling production to meet increasing demand without compromising quality and navigating the competitive snack food landscape. Jemison says, “Key lessons were the importance of flexibility in business strategies, the value of building a strong brand identity early on. Additionally, we’ve learned to always network as much as possible with colleagues in the same space and never hesitate to call upon them for advice or help.”

Nantucket Crisps has come a long way with a presence both on and off the island. The hope is that the crafted flavors of Stubbys Jamaican Jerk, Brant Point Black Pepper, Cisco Beach BBQ, Madaket Sweet Onion, Sconset Sea Salt, Hummock Hot Honey, Stuffing Terrific, and Steps Beach Salt & Vinegar have become part of the Nantucket experience—last summer, over 60,000 bags of chips were sold on the island—but the team has taken it one step further with the official opening of a brick-and-mortar shop at Zero India Street.

The store, located at the former home of Sweet Inspirations, launches this month with an array of offerings including chips, dips, caviar, local snacks, branded merchandise, and a back room themed around the newest flavor launch, South Wharf Shrimp. “The store embodies the entrepreneurial spirit,” says Arnot.

Beyond being a go-to spot for summer snacks, the store will also serve as a venue for Arnot and Jemison to host fundraisers and events, continuing to unite the community that has supported them so strongly. “We’ve felt supported since day one,” Arnot notes. “And we wouldn’t be here without all the support. So it’s important for us to give back to the next generation of brands.”

Arnot and Jemison hope to do more collaborations with island businesses moving forward, similar to the Stubbys chip flavor, so that small businesses on Nantucket can grow with them. “There’s definitely all types of Nantucket folklore and history that we’d like to tackle as well, as we grow this brand,” Arnot says, noting that he’d like to get the community more involved by hearing about flavors they’d like to eat.

But even as the brand continues to grow, Arnot and Jemison’s ultimate mission stays the same—to create tasty, crunchy chips with flavors that are authentic to Nantucket while building an economically viable brand.

Need to Read: July 2024

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:33:06 GMT

Tim Ehrenberg of “Tim Talks Books” gives you his seven picks for summer reading.

Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda

Earlier this year, my husband and I traveled to Japan to see the cherry blossoms. I always like to read books set in the country where I am visiting to further soak up the culture. One of our first stops in Japan was Jimbocho (a district in the heart of Tokyo that is home to over 130 bookstores—a bookworm’s dream!) where I stumbled upon the novel Honeybees and Distant Thunder. It won the Naoki Prize and the Japan Booksellers’ Award in 2017 and has sold over a million copies in Japan since its publication. The English translation by Philip Gabriel appeared just last year and was literal music for my mind. The story is set in the glittering, high-stakes world of classical piano competitions. We follow several contestants and their relationships to each other, and their connection and harmony with music and art.

P.S. This one might not be for everybody, but if you are a fan of piano, poetic writing, translated books and the art of musicality, I think you will love it.

P.P.S. I read this novel while listening to the classical piano pieces beautifully described in its pages which A) makes me a next-level nerd and B) truly enhanced my reading experience.

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand

All hail the “Queen of the Beach Reads” and her final Nantucket novel Swan Song! I can’t believe this is the end! Ever since I first moved to the island in 2013, my summer has officially started with taking the day off and reading the new Elin book on my Nantucket beach of choice. Swan Song is such an ode to Nantucket, Elin’s prolific career, and the 30 novels before it, as well as the summer season. Her books are synonymous with that first day of summer on the calendar, that first beach day and lobster roll, Galley sunsets, sailboat rides around Brant Point, pool parties and galas, jeep jaunts with the top down and doors off to Great Point, and all that sizzling and steamy drama that transpires every late June to late September.

Thank you, Elin, for all the summer memories with our toes in the sand and your stories in hand, ignoring our friends and families for “just one more chapter” before the sun sets. Get your tissues ready for those last few pages.

In celebration of the final novel, I worked with Elin’s publisher to create a Nantucket Special Edition you can only get at your Nantucket independent bookstores. This exclusive copy features gorgeous watercolor endpapers by artist and friend Meredith Hanson and bonus content—an interview with Elin and me, plus Elin’s party tips and favorite summer recipes.

THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore

Well-written murder mysteries and crime stories are some of my favorite novels, and Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods gives us a dual timeline investigating not one, but two cases at an Adirondack summer camp. You will be on the edge of your beach chair trying to figure out how everything and everyone fits together in this story. Told through multiple perspectives, from suspects to detectives, and pertaining to separate disappearances in 1961 and 1975, this is a classic crime novel that also entertains as a coming-of-age and epic family saga. There are shelves and shelves of new mysteries these days—books that disappoint you with their trendy and repetitive plotlines, their unreliable narrators and campy twists. However, this novel will immediately go on your “favorites shelf,” revered as a classic of the genre, perhaps to be read again for the sheer enjoyment of the writing and story.

SANDWICH by Catherin Newman

What a perfect little gem of a summer novel. Like a sparkling seashell found on a beach walk, Sandwich is a true treasure you will cherish. If you vacationed at the same place every summer with your family, this book might be for you. If you are a mother, father, son or daughter, this book might be for you. If you wonder how your kids grew up so quickly or have specific food cravings from your past, if your spouse sometimes annoys you with their idiosyncrasies, or if your body and mind don’t quite function the same as they used to in your younger days, this book might be for you. It’s safe to say—this book is for you! This is more of a quiet story, which is its strength, and it is elegant with moments of humor, heart and paragraphs that evoke all your senses and memories of all kinds. It makes you smile the whole time you are reading it. I felt like a member of this family, or at the very least a fly on the wall, during their annual Cape Cod beach vacation. There is a lot sandwiched between the sentences here that will leave you pondering your own life and thinking of your loved ones. You’ll look back to the day you spent reading this novel with pure pleasure.

THE CAUTIOUS TRAVELLER’S GUIDE TO THE WASTELANDS by Sarah Brooks

Fantasy novels and I have a complicated relationship. If it works just perfectly for me and follows its own rules, I can really love and adore it, but I’m hesitant because this isn’t always the case. There is nothing to be cautious about in Sarah Brooks’ debut novel, though. All aboard this extraordinary historical fantasy set on a grand express train and its dangerous journey across a magical landscape. The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands is an all-encompassing thrill ride filled with vivid storytelling, delightful world-building, and memorable characters that guide you through this incredible adventure. It reminded me of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, both stories so uniquely and imaginatively all their own.

SAME AS IT EVER WAS by Claire Lombardo

I was such a huge fan of Claire Lombardo’s debut The Most Fun We Ever Had in 2019, and her sophomore novel out last month, Same As It Ever Was, was just as fun. I recently read a quote by psychologist Adam Grant that fiction has meaningful benefits for empathy. Reading books like Claire’s truly strengthens my emotional intelligence, relationships and human connection. This novel introduces its characters and plot in a tantalizing way, but metaphorically gives us a look at ourselves and our own human relationships. It’s about marriage, family, friendship, parenthood, our insecurities, why we laugh and why we cry, and what it means to make mistakes, forgive each other and love unconditionally. You’ll get lost in the writing and story and wish for it to never end.

Tune into Season 2 of the literary podcast Books, Beach, and Beyond, co-hosted by me and Elin Hilderbrand, to hear our episode with Claire Lombardo at booksbeachandbeyond.com.

THE HISTORY OF SOUND by Ben Shattuck

On shelves July 9

Ben Shattuck joined us for the Nantucket Book Festival in 2022 for his debut, Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau. He returns to bookshelves everywhere this month with this interconnected collection of 12 short stories across three centuries set in New England. This is a love letter to where we all call home; it’s also a treasure map to what came before us and a crystal ball for the future. Ben manages to have a moving conversation between past and present on the page, one that is imaginative and elegantly constructed. The book transports you to Nantucket in the 1700s, Maine during the First World War, contemporary New Hampshire and beyond. Anyone who follows my book recommendations knows I revere the word “connection” to describe why I love reading. Connection is what The History of Sound is ultimately about: connection through storytelling across time and place and between people, to be cherished forever on your bookshelf.

Going To Court

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:32:49 GMT

Written by Bruce A. Percelay
Photography by Kit Noble

The Twists and Turns of Racket Sports

Rocco Monto is an orthopedic surgeon at Nantucket Cottage Hospital and a part of the Mass General Orthopedic organization. He trained on a clinical research fellowship in sports medicine and knee and shoulder reconstruction and is a founding team physician for the U.S. National Soccer Team, based on his early career as a professional soccer player.

Could you talk about your sports background, which I assume led to your medical specialty?

I was a professional soccer player myself and have been taking care of professional and amateur athletes my entire career. I have worked with Olympians and professional athletes in almost every sport, including tennis. I had the opportunity to take care of Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, John McEnroe, and Lindsay Davenport, which has given me a strong perspective on the nature of tennis injuries.

Starting with tennis, given how many people have played the sport, what is your perspective on its safety?

We study injury rates based on 1,000 hours of play. Tennis logs in at roughly 50 injuries per 1,000 hours, which would be considered moderate. If you play 100 hours, you are probably going to pick up some minor injury, but those injuries are seldom catastrophic.

As the popularity of tennis has waned, what other racket sports have you followed that are filling the void? And what are your thoughts on them, relative to injury rates?

Squash has continued to grow in popularity and is the most dangerous of racket sports. It is a much more intense game than tennis. Rallies are short and the VO2 max (which means cardiac output) of the players is higher. It is an intense sport, and all of a sudden, we started to see a different pattern of injuries like those to the eyes, which makes sense, given the proximity of one player to another, and the size and density of the ball. A lot of squash injuries relate to wrists, elbows, and ligament ruptures based on the intense cutting that happens on a squash court. It is also a sport that sees almost 100 injuries per 1,000 hours, which is double that of tennis.

Let’s move on to paddle tennis, otherwise known as platform tennis.

The sport is very popular in the Northeast because people can play almost year-round. Again, it is a much smaller court than tennis and is one that attracts older players. It requires quick movements, though not as intense as squash, and has a higher injury rate among older female players. These injuries include broken wrists, upper extremities, and shoulder fractures. It does, however, lack the intensity of other racket sports, which reduces the injury rate.

Clearly the hottest new sport is pickleball. Give us your thoughts on the explosive growth of this game.

The sport was the product of the pandemic and actually started in the ’60s but became wildly popular when people could not socialize inside as a result of COVID-19. All you need to do is take five minutes on a pickleball court and you will see what the problem is. You have a hard physical surface, four people of mixed genders and mixed ages within 15 feet of one another, often hitting the ball as hard as they can at the opponent. When you play pickleball, you are reacting and cutting at a very quick pace, which is fine if you are 25 or 30. However, when you look around at a pickleball court, it’s hard to find anyone under 60. I was out on the courts on Macy Lane, and every single person I saw was 60 and above, whipping the ball at each other, running around intensely, and it is an accident waiting to happen.

Can you quantify the injury rate of pickleball?

Through the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the government has created a National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) that can check the injury rate of particular sports. In the last five years, I would estimate that there has been a 900 percent increase in the number of fractures reported by pickleball players. Most of these injuries are for people who are older, who are falling and breaking bones.

Are these gender-related injuries?

Absolutely. Women are the No. 1 issue of concern from my personal experience. It is such a huge concern that UBS Insurance has prepared a report on it because the insurance losses from the emergency room are alarming. It is estimated that the cost of all pickleball injuries on an annual basis is somewhere between $400-$500 million a year. It is a sport that is targeted towards older players, many of whom are not prepared. In the case of women over 60, for pickleball, paddle, or squash, they should have bone density tests. If they have osteoporosis, they should be treated by their physicians. It is non-negotiable for people in general, and women in particular, to play these kinds of sports without knowing what shape your body is in because with osteoporosis, when you fall, you have a serious fracture opportunity.

Is the concern the same with men?

Obviously, age plays a role, but men are more likely to develop cardiac problems or tendon issues. I strongly recommend that strength training be a part of a person’s routine before they play strenuous court sports and that people have EKGs and understand their physical condition before they jump on a court, especially if they are in their 60s or 70s.

What other preventive measures do you recommend?

I think almost every single patient I have has a vitamin D deficiency, which leads to a high percentage of muscular injuries. Making sure you have appropriate nutritional supplements like vitamin E or, in the case of women, calcium supplements is important. Flexibility is also critical, so stretching and warming up is extremely important. Yoga is a great way to stretch and is a smart way to prepare for strenuous court sports as well as other forms of cross-training.

Has pickleball been a boom for Nantucket Cottage Hospital?

Unfortunately, yes, and for me in particular. It is a sport that keeps me very busy, but many of these injuries could be avoided if people took seriously their physical condition before they jump on a court.

It has been said that the most dangerous sport in Nantucket is women walking on the cobblestones in heels or platform shoes.

I am sure you are asking this partially in jest, but the fact is, we see about 500-700 lower extremity injuries from people, mostly women, injuring themselves on the cobblestones with inappropriate footwear. My office has an entire rack of walking boots, and we could go through them every year from fractures and sprains on cobblestones.

The Bling Team

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:32:08 GMT

Calista West on diamonds, summer events and more.

Since launching her eponymous jewelry business in 2017, Calista West has only continued to grow in demand. Last year, the year-round Nantucket resident officially opened a brick-and-mortar space on Main Street, giving those who stop in an experience unlike anything else. Think jewelry service and pieces that go beyond the commodity.

“Many people forget [that jewelry is] historically ritualistic,” West says. “Visit any museum to learn the stories of people through their precious things.” Many of her clients are in tune with this and think of her pieces as talismans and keepsakes. Just in time for the summer season, N Magazine catches up with the jeweler.

How is Calista West different?

We’re not just a regular jewelry store. We’re a full-service space that extends far beyond our walls at our 12 Main Street flagship. We have clients sprinkled around the globe and a large client base in the Boston area where we regularly meet clients in our atelier there. From what my clients tell me, we go pretty far above and beyond what most retail offers. We want to connect with and build lifelong relationships with them. Clients welcome us into their homes and to their weddings. It is not uncommon to travel anywhere from a local beach to hand-deliver a ring to the highlands of Scotland to bring them their finished pieces. We’re helping weave the narratives of families and their valuables, commemorating and celebrating major events. It’s a lot of joy.

Your specialty is in diamonds. Tell me more.

To me, diamonds transcend space and time. They’re literally created from carbon that has undergone extreme heat and pressure, created over the course of billions of years! It’s humbling. Inspiring. Ancient civilizations saw them as an extension of the sun because of their light-filled sparkle. They can be breathtaking. They mean many things to many people: strength, love, commitment. Some cultures believe they protect a person’s aura, balance and tone the body, or even treat allergies and other chronic conditions. I’ve never seen diamonds not complement someone’s beauty by adding light and joy.

The quality of all the diamonds in the store is extremely important to me. We sell only GIA-certified diamonds. (GIA, or Gemological Institute of America, is a nonprofit laboratory that is the frontrunner in diamond education and grading. I studied there.) For each client, we source what we would buy for ourselves, respecting their parameters. Our products run the gamut, anywhere from a few hundred dollars for precious diamond huggie earrings to seven figures for a one-of-a-kind ring. We aim to maintain a space where anyone can come in to buy or create something special.

What are some of your favorite pieces you’ve sold thus far?

So many. One that comes to mind is a ring we made for a client whose father had recently passed. We created a new ring incorporating his birthstone and three diamonds representing each family member. Those types of designs make us feel honored to be included. Commemorating your memories is important to us. It’s sacred.

What’s happening this month and beyond?

We’ll be hosting some fun events. Our piercing parties are very popular, so we’ll continue those and present some art shows by local photographers and trunk shows by independent designers I love and admire, like vintage watches curated by Eric Wind. Education around value is important to us. For example, Eric is one of the world’s leading experts in vintage watches and was a senior specialist at Christie’s for years. Anyone who is interested can sign up for our email list to receive invites and follow us on Instagram. If you like diamonds, Nantucket, and babies, we will not disappoint!

Politically Speaking

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:31:31 GMT

Interview by Bruce A. Percelay
Photography by Evan Mann

Kaitlan Collins, anchor of CNN’s nightly news program The Source , gets candid about American politics and challenges in the broadcasting world.

Kaitlan Collins is a CNN news anchor and host of The Source . She was the youngest network chief White House correspondent in CNN’s history and one of the youngest correspondents to hold this role for a major broadcast network. Collins is a frequent visitor to Nantucket and will be speaking at the Dreamland this month. She sat down with N Magazine to discuss a wide range of issues relating to politics and the future of cable news.

What is your connection to Nantucket?

My first time in Nantucket was actually when COVID was happening. I was supposed to go on a bachelorette trip for our best friend to Puerto Rico. It was in the first summer of COVID when obviously travel was greatly restricted and you couldn’t really go internationally. We said, “Let’s try Nantucket.” And it was just amazing. From the minute being there, we said, “OK, this is an amazing spot.”

You have entered the broadcast business at perhaps the most divisive and unsettled time in American politics that we have seen for a long time. Does today ’s political environment seem normal to you, given that you weren’t around during the days when rational thought ruled the day?

I think we just turned the volume up a lot in the last eight years. But I actually moved to Washington when I was 22. So I lived there during the last few years of Obama before Donald Trump became the kingmaker of the Republican Party and so nothing is ever normal. I was thinking about this the other day as we were planning out our show and reporting and guests ... the fact that we’ll know whether or not the former president is convicted, if he’s guilty or not guilty, and it’s kind of casual. It’s just remarkable in and of itself, and I think it speaks to what the last eight or nine years have looked like. For me as a reporter, it’s been an interesting and challenging time. But I think every reporter wants to cover history. And every reporter wants to be in the front row of that briefing room or in that interview chair or the anchor chair for those moments. It’s been a fascinating time. I’ve learned so much in the last eight years. But every year, every few months, it seems to somehow one up what you thought could never happen. After living through the 2016 election, the first few years of Trump in office, the pandemic really altered things, the 2020 election and the fallout from that—it’s remarkable how it still reverberates today.

And do you think the American public has become desensitized to the drama that we are all living through?

I don’t think fully desensitized, because I think if you talk to anyone, regardless of their political views, they have the same expression; things are so crazy, things feel out of control, there’s this sense of uncertainty, [whether] you find yourself on the left side of the political spectrum or on the right side, or somewhere in the middle, or you don’t really know where you belong in 2024. I think that’s also a really common theme that I hear from a lot of people. I do think people are desensitized to a degree, especially since the Trump trial. That’s just remarkable in and of itself, whatever you think of the prosecution and what he’s on trial for.

And I was thinking about this yesterday, when I was watching a rally of his where the crowd was chanting “Lock her up!” when he was talking about Hillary Clinton. Eight years ago, that was a massive headline, but it when it happens at dozens if not hundreds of rallies, it becomes less so because that’s what happens at a Trump rally.

Do you have to struggle to separate your own points of view when you’re interviewing someone or reporting on a story?

No, I don’t think so. I’m not political. So it’s not like I have a point of view of what’s right and what’s wrong. I think if I’m ever challenging someone, it’s because of the basis of truth and if what they’re saying strays from that. What I think is bipartisan and doesn’t have a political lens to it. I also think it’s really important to not be political because I want people to be able to trust me and to know that even if they don’t agree with me, or the questions I’m asking, that they do understand I’m a credible reporter, that I’m tough to people on both sides of the political aisle, and that I don’t have a dog in this fight. And I’m from Alabama. I come from a background that’s very conservative and leans towards the right. To live in Washington, and to live in New York City, I’m pretty familiar with how other people feel. I don’t live in a bubble. I want everyone to watch my show. I want people who live in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and I want my dad who lives in Prattville, Alabama, to be able to watch the show and learn something from what we’re reporting or find our conversation with an elected official engaging.

We’ve seen a level of partisanship in this country that we have not seen since the Civil War. The two major cable networks are perceived to be either in one camp or another. Do you feel that CNN is on one side and Fox is on the other and that the cable networks are part of the problem?

I don’t think that they’re part of the problem. I think it’s easy to blame the media because people watch it. A lot of people want their beliefs and their thinking confirmed by what they see. And that’s not our job. I understand when people seek that out, it’s comforting. People have their different preferences, but I don’t think that’s our job to cater to one political group or the other. I can speak for myself and how I approach the news. We had Senator James Lankford, one of the most conservative senators in the Senate, talking about immigration. We had Senator Ted Cruz talking about abortion and IVF and the election in 2024. We had Senator Bernie Sanders talking about Israel and how he won’t go to an address by Prime Minister Netanyahu. And so we run the spectrum. I don’t subscribe to the idea that CNN leans one way or the other. I came from working for a conservative outlet. I’m an Alabama girl, went to Alabama, went to a state school, and CNN hired me with no issue to cover Trump. It wasn’t even really a question. And as reporters, our job is to not be political and partisan.

It used to be that presidential debates were a given. Do you think that debates should be required, given the fact that so many elections have been moved by the debates themselves?

I don’t know if they should be required; however, they are historic. The chance that we were not going to have a debate this year, which I agree with you a few months ago seemed like a real possibility, was concerning, because I do think the American people are busy. They’re not just watching TV all day long. They’re not reading the paper every single day. I think people try to stay informed. So that’s why debates are useful because they crystallize what we cover every single day, and what I personally live and breathe. For a regular person, it’s helpful to see a debate and to watch the two go back to back and have this real engagement. Now in 2020, were the debates those thoughtful forums that helped people make a decision? I’m not necessarily sure, because if you watch the first one, it was just two old men screaming over one another the whole time. I think everyone kind of walked away from it exhausted and not better informed of a position. The second debate improved. I think the candidates both realized what [they] needed to look like. And so I do think that debates are really helpful. I don’t think they’re the whole story, but I do think that if you’re trying to be president of the United States, you should be willing to debate your opponent.

Given your age and that you are female, and that the Senate in particular is dominated by older males, how much of a challenge does that present in you doing your job?

If anything, maybe it helps, because maybe people underestimate me or don’t take me seriously. I’ve never found it to be a challenge. I think anytime someone maybe questioned whether I’m too young or whatever assumptions there are, I think the only way you can respond to that is to prove them wrong by doing the work. That’s been my life ever since I’ve been at CNN, certainly, from being at the White House to the morning show to the last year. Every day, the slate is wiped clean, and we have to put on a new show that is informative and thoughtful. If anyone underestimates me, that’s fine. But I don’t think I’ve ever found it to be a challenge. I think hard work supersedes everything.

Over the decades, since television started, there have been a lot of legendary broadcasters. Are there ones or one in particular that you look up to or measure yourself against, or you are inspired by?

I love to learn about people’s stories and their paths and how they got to where they are. You grow up thinking, everyone did the same thing, but they didn’t. Right now I’m reading Susan Page’s biography of Barbara Walters, and she had this incredibly interesting life. And her dad was this entertainer and always had venues and shows and these clubs, and it made her this more outgoing person. And she talks about how hard she had to work just to get an interview, just to have a segment that was on fashion and makeup. One time she had to be one of the swimsuit models on the Today Show. The change in what it’s like to be a woman reporter or any reporter growing up in this business now, it’s so different than it was just not that long ago. I’m fascinated by that. But I look up to a lot of people and I love to watch Tim Russert interviews. I love to look at Ed Murrow, Barbara Walters, Christiane Amanpour, Clarissa Ward, one of our best war correspondents. I’m always learning from other people and how talented they are. And I think that’s how you get better at anything is to just learn from people who are already really good at it.

Fresh Off The Boat

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 16:00:02 GMT

Michael Pierce’s raw bar boat creations.

At first glance, Michael Pierce might look like your typical Nantucket carpenter, with a perpetual coating of sawdust on his clothes and a pencil peering out from his chest pocket. But when the former independent contractor steps into the woodshop behind his house, something quintessentially Nantucket is being made—wooden raw bar boats. “It started as winter work, basically,” Pierce says. “I used to build houses.”

In fact, it was in the process of rebuilding the home of 21 Federal Street, now known as Ventuno, that Pierce met his best friend, the late Stephen “Spanky” Kania, the man who, according to local legend, was the first to cater a raw bar on Nantucket. It all started in the 1980s when Kania was hired by a woman named Lizzie Sanford to shuck littlenecks for a group of women playing bridge in her home. The idea quickly took off, and with Pierce’s help, they soon left building homes behind, enjoying season after busy season of not only providing and shucking at raw bars at events, but digging for the shellfish as well. This business became so popular that Pierce says they needed to dig for clams every single day, all year long, to have enough to serve at their parties. But he and Kania quickly realized that the iced tables they were using weren’t the best vehicles to display the mollusks—they were destroying the tables in the process. Kania and Pierce turned to Warren Pease, who was the first to build a wooden raw bar boat on Nantucket (and still continues today).

Although this pardoned the fate of countless wooden tables, the design was just a few inches too long to fit in the back of a truck’s bed, causing Pierce to take matters into his own hands (literally) when he constructed his first raw bar boat, a shorter creation that could be transported from party to party with ease. The first raw bar boat he created is still used at The Wauwinet. Pierce’s process is one of patience and craftsmanship. He first created a mold for the three different sizes of boats—56, 76 and 96 inches. The smallest can accommodate a single shucker, while the medium and large can accommodate two or three. Each boat is built with a mahogany stem and stern, and cedar is clamped and slowly bent for the smooth curve of the planking. “When it snaps, it’s not bashful,” Pierce says. “And while it’s being built, with all the clamps, it kinda looks like a porcupine.” An insert tray made of plywood allows for the use of less ice, and a brass plug gives a controlled release of ice melt so that the seafood is never “swimming” in water. Each boat, from beginning to end, takes just under a month to be fully constructed, the longest part due to waiting for varnish and glue to dry. But Pierce doesn’t seem to be in any rush, nor does he have plans for hiring an apprentice. In fact, this 78-year-old has relied solely on word of mouth to sell his work, up until about two years ago when he launched his single-page website, and now he “receives calls from every which way but loose,” the master woodworker happily reports.

In the summer, in his time away from his woodshop, Pierce can still be found as a raw bar shucker at parties, although the digging for littlenecks is now, thankfully, someone else’s responsibility. The classic wooden raw bar boat, typically the length of a four-top table, has become something of an island staple at weddings, parties, galas and other celebrations. The boats serve not only as a display for the ocean’s bounty, but as a focal point and gathering place, a common

ground for all to convene and enjoy. Meeting the customers who purchase his boats is what Pierce says is his favorite part of the job after long solo winters in the woodshop behind his home. For now, the calls continue to come in from both existing customers and new, all wanting their own take on his one of-a-kind creations. But he insists that despite all the hard work, he’s still having a good time.

“I was thinking just recently, am I still having fun?” he says. “It’s good woodwork, and yes, it’s still fun.”

Collector's Items

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 13:30:01 GMT

A look at some of Nantucket residents’ most curious collections.

At some point in their life, a person may get bitten by the collector’s bug. It could come on suddenly, like for some islanders, or it could grow into a gradual hobby over a period of years. Regardless, whatever possesses people to gather and display items that bring them joy is certainly an extraordinary gift. N Magazine asks four Nantucket residents to share their special collections.

Tom McCann, Sports Memorabilia

One of Tom McCann’s most prized possessions is his display of Muhammad Ali’s garments—among them the robes from the famed boxer’s first and last fights, signed boxing gloves and framed photos. But they’re only the beginning of McCann’s affinity for sports memorabilia. Just over 30 years ago, after acquiring the boxing relics, he started keeping his eyes peeled for one-of-a-kind collectibles, from pennants and trophies to signed balls and racquets. Since then, he’s filled a 1,000-square-foot room in his home with hundreds upon hundreds of items. He describes it as 80 percent sports-themed and 20 percent simply eclectic, thanks to neon beer brand signs, a refurbished gas pump from 1920 and plenty of nautical accents. The result is a combination sports pub and museum, complete with tables and chairs for watching a game—or playing one. “You can go in there 1,000 times and miss things. I go in there and I go, ‘Oh, I forgot I got that!’” says McCann, the owner of McCann Pets Group. “But every item has a story behind it. I remember each day, each location, each place that I got each item.” The room, anchored by both a pool table and an antique shuffleboard table, is organized by sport. Over the years, McCann has aimed to have every sport imaginable represented in the space, with sections for baseball (with both Red Sox and Yankee heirlooms), golf, hockey, soccer, football, tennis and beyond. More obscure finds include a discus from the 1954 Olympics and a trophy from a Southampton, England, sailboat race in 1928. Other standouts like Shaquille O’Neal’s signed sneakers, antique bowling pins suspended from the ceiling, bocce balls from Sicily and 1940s table tennis paddles round out the collection. Still, there are numerous showpieces tucked away safely in storage to swap in when the time is right. “People come into the room and they either have a panic attack because there’s so much to look at,” McCann says. “Or they freak out and go ‘Can I take a video?’”

Matthew Palka, Marble Eyes

Matthew Palka’s offbeat collection began with a visit to the Toy Boat on Straight Wharf. Over a decade ago, he stopped in the now-shuttered shop with his fiancée, admiring its trinkets and curios. One treasure in particular caught his eye: a marble eyeball with a snake wrapped around the base, its head resting on top. He marveled at the little sphere of glass but left without buying it. Six weeks later on their wedding day, Palka’s wife, Lydia, presented him with a gift. It was none other than the marble eye he’d spotted. She didn’t know it at the time, but that gift would eventually balloon into a collection of 251 marble eyes.

He was never a collector of traditional glass marbles or even a kid who played with them, yet the colors, the level of detail and the artistry on the eyeballs are simply something he admires.

“Nobody I knew had really seen or heard of them,” says Palka, who is the owner of Matthew Palka Landscape. “I didn’t know anything about them. It was just fun.”

Upon research, the source of the marble eyeballs still seems to be a mystery, but that didn’t stop Palka from his collection. When each of his three daughters was born, he acquired matching eyeballs to mark the occasion. Then, after the Toy Boat closed, he turned to sites like eBay and Etsy to find interesting designs. Palka began following glass artists like Kenny Talamas and Lindsey Peterson online, buying ones with new colors and patterns when he’d come across them. Eventually, he began arranging them in a display case in his home office, which he’ll keep filling with interesting pieces. Each eyeball he finds is completely unique, much like human eyes. “I just got one from Kenny Talamas that has a tree on the back of it,” Palka says. “I’m always doing stuff with trees everywhere all over the island. To have that on the back and the eyeball on the front—it’s just cool. You can always have a personal take on them.”

Dr. Timothy LePore, Antique Revolvers

At 79 years old, Dr. Timothy Lepore still spends most of his time caring for the people of Nantucket. The island’s resident surgeon has a full calendar—as most of his patients, family and friends know—but when he does find a moment to himself, he’s likely admiring his vast collection of antique revolvers and pistols. “I grew up interested in knives, guns, bows and arrows,” recounts Lepore. A little later, when he was a freshman in high school, he acquired his first gun: a lever-action rifle. It wasn’t long before he realized what he really enjoyed. “I seemed to gravitate towards antique firearms,” he says. His current collection, of which there are dozens upon dozens of specimens, ignited with one type of gun: an 1849 Colt. It’s the revolver model that put Colt on the map as a company. “They’re fascinating old guns,” says Lepore, who owns a version with an ivory grip. “And they come with obscure different engravings on the barrel.”

Other guns have followed as the years have marched on, including an 1811 Springfield flintlock musket, a Remington Model 1858, a few Winchester Model 1885s, a Savage Model 99 and many more. “It gets obscure,” admits Lepore. Naturally, he’s protective of his vast collection and stores the guns in several booby-trapped vaults. One wrong move and a burglar could discover an “unpleasant surprise,” per Lepore.

What all of Lepore’s guns have in common is a representation of a period in history, which is what he enjoys most about each one. Some models were used in the Civil War, others were thought to have been brought to Nantucket by members of the Navy. “Guns all have a history, a mechanical history,” he says. “And they played a role in the history of the country.”

Janet Sherlud, Lightship Baskets

Upon entering Janet Sherlund’s home, it’s evident someone with a collector’s spirit lives there. For almost 25 years, Sherlund has been adorning her house with her favorite things: Nantucket lightship baskets. “It’s just something that my heart responds to,” says Sherlund, who bought her first basket on Main Street soon after moving to the island in 2000. Since then, she’s amassed more than 200 of the woven creations, which originated on Nantucket in the 19th century. One of Sherlund’s largest displays sits under the front staircase where over a dozen baskets take center stage, with several sets of nesting baskets resembling crowns. Up the stairs, friendship baskets—the kind used as handbags—cover an antique bench, while some command attention from a wooden hutch, including originals from artist José Formoso Reyes. More baskets sit atop cabinets in her primary bedroom; others are tucked beside sofas and under tables. Sherlund, a trustee emeritus of the Nantucket Historical Association, stresses that she’s not an academic collector—she doesn’t have goals or certain models she’s after. Instead, she selects them based on the colors, shapes and carvings she’s drawn to. Her inventory ranges from historical baskets made as early as the 1800s to Folger and Appleton designs, as well as more contemporary pieces created by locals. Her most prized baskets include a nesting set of 18, crafted by Nantucket basket weaver Kathleen Myers with scrimshaw detailing by Lee Ann Papale. Sherlund collaborated with the artists to choose what quotes and designs would grace the scrimshaw handles. Beyond the piece’s custom detailing, Sherlund says she’s never known of any other weaver to complete a nesting set as large as 18. Every basket Sherlund acquires has been from the island, though the thrill of the hunt pales in comparison to the joy she receives from the environment she’s created. “Whether they’re something you’ve found in an old dusty corner of a secondhand store or something at the finest antique store, I think having baskets in a room just grounds it,” Sherlund says. “It makes a space feel warmer and more human.”

Brutally Honest

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:00:05 GMT

Nantucket Film Festival short Lyrical explores issues of Black identity

Nantucket Film Festival (June 19-24) will feature a short by summer resident Carter Stewart this year. Titled Lyrical, the short film follows a privileged Black law student who is trying to escape pressure from his father and eventually finds himself in a potential poli ce violence situation. The coming of age drama depicts the collision of two worlds: that of the Black elite and the dispossessed. Carter, who serves as the executive vice president over programs at the Mellon Foundation, has a deep-rooted history on the island, where his great-grandparents built a cottage in 1926. He sat down with N Magazine ahead of his film’s debut.

Tell me more about Lyrical.

Lyrical is a very personal story. It’s a story that I started drafting in my head while I was in law school, in part because in my first year, my criminal law professor, rather than giving us a final exam, said, “I’d like you to write an episode of Law & Order that captures all of the legalities and law that we’ve been talking about this semester.” And so that just got me in that mindset of writing a script. I had the opportunity to represent kids who were charged with crimes as part of a juvenile justice clinical in law school, and I also volunteered in a halfway house for kids who were coming out of lockup facilities that were on their way back to their families after a period of months. Those two experiences opened my eyes to a different world. It was really impactful for me, especially to work at the halfway house because these kids shared my ethnicity. We’re African American, but we came from such different backgrounds, and they viewed me with suspicion … looked at me as an Uncle Tom. I was struck by the fact that they have these incredible stories that I wasn’t aware of, and so that combination plus the script idea got me writing.

When did you start this project?

I wrote the first draft all the way back in 2003. We just had our daughter, and I was going through my background check when I was about to start as a federal prosecutor, so I had about two months dedicate the film to my dad, who’s buried in the Colored cemetery.

What kind of impact do you hope that this film makes not only on the island, but beyond?

I hope it encourages people to think about our shared humanity. That’s the basic point. From my time as a prosecutor, and then when I was a defense attorney as well, and also during the juvenile justice time that I had at law school, what became evident to me is that we allow injustices to happen in large part when we don’t see the humanity of the folks that they are happening to. And when we think “those people are different, they’re not like us,” that sense of separation leads to bad things happening. And so I’m hoping that people, after seeing this, will think about how everybody has a story. Everybody has reasons and development history that help explain why they are who they are and how they act. And that if we take the time to learn each other’s stories, this will be a better world. I want people to feel entertained. I want folks to feel engaged. I think anybody who has felt caught in between worlds will see themselves in this film. Folks who feel like they don’t really belong to one place or another, I’m hoping that they see themselves and realize that they’re not alone in feeling that way.

All of your career and life experiences have allowed you to look deeper at humanity, so how did that continue to inspire the depth of this script’s story?

Well, the sad fact is that this film feels just as relevant today as it did back in 2003, which to me shows that we have not had as much progress as I would have hoped in this development of the criminal justice system. The fact that it’s still relevant today is unfortunate and sad to me. How the movie changed over the time was really personal. It changed as my relationship with my dad developed and changed as I got older. He passed away four, five years ago. But standing in the shoes of a father helped me understand him better and helped me understand where he was coming from when he showed me what I would call tough luck, when he would basically try to tell me what I should do with my life and force me into certain situations that I didn’t really want to go in. … So I think that the time difference between then and now really allowed me to learn from and lean into my relationship with my dad, which is why I dedicated the film to him. His influence is a key factor. As much as I recognize that there was some detriment to the things he was pushing me to do, there was also a huge upside in terms of his teaching me about the power of persistence and the power of time on task. It was that lesson that led me to keep working on this [film].

After watching the film, what are some steps that we can begin to put in place as a community to help shift the narrative into a better light?

I would encourage people to do what I did, which is to volunteer, to reach across places where you don’t necessarily feel comfortable, and try to learn that which you don’t know. And so if you have the opportunity to volunteer, to work with, to support, to basically be proximate to some of these issues that are so easy to ignore, that would be for everyone’s betterment. And this actually comes from Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy, where he talks about how important it is for us to not stay too comfortable in our established worlds, but to learn how others live. So public service and volunteering would be my number one piece of advice.

The Wordsmith

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 15:20:45 GMT

Author Kwame Alexander returns to the island for this year’s Nantucket Book Festival.

Kwame Alexander’s mission is simple—to change the world, one word at a time. But as this Emmy Award-winning producer and author of 40 books—many of which are No. 1 New York Times bestsellers—will tell you, simple doesn’t always mean easy. Alexander’s tireless work as an educator and literary ambassador on multiple continents has underscored the impact of his writing. “I have visited over 2,000 schools in the past two years,” he says.

This includes those schools on Nantucket in partnership with the Nantucket Book Foundation’s Visiting Authors program. In 2023, Alexander was “hope No. 1” for Rebecca Hickman, the Cyrus Peirce Middle School Library teacher, and others involved in the program. “To say we were over the moon to have Newbery Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander visit our schools last spring is an understatement! The sheer number of awards his books have received, and the fact that keeping his titles on the library shelves is nearly impossible to this day, is indicative of his popularity among tweens and teens,” she raves.

This year, Alexander is returning to the island for the Nantucket Book Festival, during which he will speak about his 2023 memoir Why Fathers Cry at Night, a book that explores the author’s rich tapestry of life through childhood memories, kitchen table tales, poems, family recipes and a jazz playlist, and his latest release, This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets, to locals and summer residents alike. Coincidentally, Alexander listens to instrumental jazz as he writes, which streams into the central themes of his books, along with sports, family, friendship and first love—according to Nantucket High School librarian Jill Surprenant, this makes him especially relevant to young readers on Nantucket. She says, “Many of his titles are written in verse—yet another draw, as readers allow the rhythm and cadence to propel them forward and keep reading.”

Music serves as a point of connection for the author, as classic mid-century American jazz allowed Alexander to finally connect with his father, a serious man who became a minister after a career in the U.S. Air Force. When Alexander discovered his father’s box of old classic jazz records in the attic of his family home, he was still a student of acclaimed poet and creative writing professor Nikki Giovanni. The music helped him appreciate his father’s humanity. Alexander explains, “When I fell in love with those jazz records, I sort of fell in love with my father. Because I realized he’s got to be a cool dude to be listening to this music. And that sort of coincided with me beginning to really write love poems in earnest. And jazz music became the soundtrack.” His early days as a poet didn’t make for a smooth chapter. His first marriage ended in divorce after just five years, and he admits that in the beginning, poetry was “not … a sustainable career for a twentysomething husband and father to a four-year-old—and the author of a book of amateurish, if not provocative, love poems that I published myself.” While his poetry is now widely celebrated (in February, he read aloud from This Is the Honey on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert), it was Alexander’s transition into children’s literature that allowed him to truly find his stride. Was it a strategic move? “Not at all,” he says, explaining how his shift in focus was simply a natural outgrowth of his love for his daughters. “I had my second daughter and my wife [said], ‘You should write a poem, a prayer for our daughter, so that she can recite it every night,’” he recalls.

As a new dad, reading aloud from children’s books by celebrated authors like Mo Willems set Alexander on a new trajectory. He adds, “Before you knew it, I had written a children’s picture book, and then another one, and then, as my kids got older, I began to write to meet the age that they were.” Eventually, Alexander ventured into the television, film and music industries,

becoming executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning series The Crossover, which was based on his Newbery Medal-winning novel of the same name. It was released on Disney+ in April of last year. This was followed by Rebound, which was shortlisted for the prestigious UK Carnegie Medal, and The Undefeated, a National Book Award nominee, Newbery Honor and Caldecott Medal-winning picture book illustrated by Kadir Nelson.

Among his other awards and accolades are the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Prize, the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, four NAACP Image Award nominations and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award. In 2018, he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana, as part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he co-founded in honor of his mother, a professional educator who shines as a luminous presence throughout his memoir.

Page Turner

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 15:02:40 GMT

Gabriella Burnham Returns to Nantucket as a Featured Author for the Nantucket Book Festival

rowing up on Nantucket, author Gabriella Burnham always felt a strong

connection to the island and community. In an interview with N Magazine,

she describes it as a “oneness.” “Truly for people who live on the islands, there

isn’t as big of a barrier between the people who live there and the land that we

live on,” she explains. It’s this connection, along with a sense of obligation and

loyalty that one feels toward the community they are from, that she homes in on in

her most recently published book, Wait. This is her second novel, the first being It

Is Wood, It Is Stone. This month, Burnham returns home for the Nantucket Book

Festival (June 13-16) as a featured author.

All-American Refresh

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:36:46 GMT

Thoughts From Style Empress Aerin Lauder

t’s no secret that American businesswoman Aerin Lauder has taken the beauty, style and design world by storm. She is not only the style and design director of Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv, part of her grand mother’s eponymous beauty company, but is also the founder and creative director of her own luxury lifestyle brand AERIN. Next month, industry experts can expect to hear from Lauder as the Design Luncheon speaker, along with Mark D. Sikes, during Nantucket by Design (July 15-18) in a panel discussion about the icons, inspiration and interiors behind American style—which AERIN epitomizes. N Magazine chats with Lauder further about the panel; Nantucket inspirations; the intersection of beauty, fashion and interior design; and more.

The topic for your talk will be “American Style: Icons,Inspiration and Interiors.” Can you go into more detail about what guests can expect?

Classic American style and heritage have always been inspiring to me, which you can see throughout my brand, my home and my wardrobe. I love the effortless sensibility and timeless approach to American style, especially when it comes to design and interiors. In Nantucket, I am excited to share an inside look at some of my favorite visual inspirations, aspirational American icons and designers who have influenced me over the years and, of course, the impact of American style on our industry and beyond. A wonderful example of that inspiration is the new AERIN for Williams Sonoma collection. This spring, we launched an assortment of entertaining essentials and beautiful furniture pieces, all of which were inspired by my home and my garden in East Hampton, as well as an American basket that belonged to my mother. The collections possess the detailed simplicity of classic American design and summers spent outdoors with friends and family.

What is your Nantucket connection?

I visited Nantucket a few times when I was in my teens. I stayed at The White Elephant, and I have special memories of the incredible beaches, delicious food, famous ice cream shop and classic American design on the island. Nantucket has also always been a place filled with such authentic inspiration, especially the textiles and baskets. Raffia and wicker are seen consistently throughout the AERIN brand, cross-category, which really emphasizes that timeless American aesthetic. It is a material that I incorporate into my home and my wardrobe, no matter the destination or the season.

You’re known for your luxury lifestyle brands in beauty, fashion and interiors. How do you believe these categories all intersect?

When the modern woman thinks about beauty, she sees beauty as an extension of herself, her home, her wardrobe and her travels. Therefore, beauty and home should live together. When I decided to launch AERIN, I expanded the whole concept of beauty to make it part of the way we live today. Beauty is my heritage, but home and accessories are my true passion. Since the brand is built on the concept of lifestyle and effortless style, it was very easy to merge my passions into these different categories.

As a successful American businesswoman, what is your advice to those in similar fields?

My grandmother, Estée Lauder, always talked about the importance of being authentic. She used to say that if you are passionate and true, success will come. I have valued this idea since I was a young girl. Through the years, my goals have ultimately stayed the same—to be authentic to myself and do what I love. That is the best advice that I can give to any entrepreneur.

Looking forward, how do you see the industry changing this year and beyond?

I always say that my style is classic, with a modern twist, which has now become a theme throughout the industry. The concept of heritage and vintage is more present than ever, which I am really excited about. I think we are seeing this idea industry-wide, especially in lighting, table top and decorative accessories. AERIN is also leading the way with a specialty assortment of carefully curated and bespoke pieces that are now available for our customers to discover. Designers and brands alike are going back into their archives to revisit popular styles from many years ago and launch them in a modern way. I have always referenced my own heritage, but I am inspired by how I am seeing much more of this when it comes to design.

What are some major trends that you foresee for the end of 2024 and into 2025?

One trend that I am especially excited about is the return of color and pattern. For many years, a neutral color palette was very popular, but I feel that we are starting to move away from that and more toward a colorful mix of pattern and texture.

What’s new for AERIN?

We are planning to open a new retail location in the fall, in a destination that will be a first for the brand. We also have a few collaborations launching over the next couple of months, allowing us to work with like-minded, talented partners and design collections that offer an element of surprise and delight to the consumer. Mark Cross and Gracie are two of our most recent partnerships that represent the best of American design.

Who or what is your inspiration?

I draw inspiration from everywhere—from friends, family, travel, museums, exhibitions, hotels and destinations. Many of our products within the AERIN brand are actually inspired by destinations that I have visited. Each piece is unique in its inspiration and tells its own story.

Sushi Haven

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 04:00:01 GMT

11:11 Market & Bistro brings authentic Japanese fare to Nantucket.

FOOD & DRINK

story by David Creed

photography by Kit Noble

In 2011, Sean Durnin stepped foot on Nantucket for the first time. He was recruited by Lola 41 as one of the new sushi chefs, where he worked for four years. But long before his island days, Durnin aspired to open his own restaurant in his own space.

Durnin, well known across the island as the owner and operator of Sushi Sean 11:11 from several temporary locations and his food truck over the past few years, finally made his dream a reality after locking up a lease at 130 Pleasant Street—the former home of Petrichor, which closed late last year after a four-year run. Calling his new restaurant 11:11 Market & Bistro, the sushi aficionado debuted the market in mid-April with the bistro to follow in late summer or early fall. The restaurant is named after the numerology representation of 11:11, meaning balance and synchronicity—two characteristics that are evident in Japanese cuisine, according to Durnin.

“I have all these ideas floating around in my head of what I want to do and it’s difficult to harness when you don’t have a home base,” Durnin says. "This place is set up for success. It’s got an excellent kitchen; dining facilities are great; it’s got a 12-seat bar. All these little knick-knack ideas I had floating around in my head, we can finally transform into some Japanese fare.”

Durnin’s passion for making sushi dates back to his days working in a small sushi bar out in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the mid-2000s. For years, he had been traveling to work in numerous high-end establishments as a chef, but watching these Japanese meals be prepared and served caught his eye. He explains, “Those

guys … they have a knife [and] a piece of fish, and looking at these dishes that are coming out … I was just blown away by the simplicity and the confidence in these guys of what they were doing and I just said, ‘That’s what I want to do.’”

Quickly after coming to island for Lola 41, Durnin noticed something was missing from his repertoire. He realized if he truly wanted to master his craft, he needed to go learn from the masters, himself. This prompted him to pack his things and move to Tokyo, Japan, in 2017 for almost five months, where he learned everything and anything about sushi while attending the Tokyo Sushi Academy. And now he’s using these talents within the new establishment.

The restaurant will have two faces, the first being a day market where locals can pick up grab-and-go items like Japanese milk bread sandwiches. “You can have different types [of food]. You can have egg sandwiches, you can have fried pork cutlets, you can have matcha tea and strawberry,” Durnin says. “They’re made with Japanese milk bread, which adds a different flavor, a sweeter flavor, and a different

texture to the sandwich. They’re very popular in Japan. Now that I have a facility, I want to start making my own Japanese bread and making

these sandwiches.”

Durnin also understands no matter how prepared he feels he is for this next stage in his culinary career, there will inevitably be challenges. He states, “You don’t go to a poker table playing with scared money.”

For success, risks will need to be taken and patience will need to be exercised. But in the big picture, Durnin feels like all of the pieces are in place for success. “Our business has worked in the past and it keeps evolving,” Durnin concludes. “We have good clientele and thank God. I am so grateful for that. … It is just putting out good food at a good value, treating the guests right, being polite, giving back. … This has all happened so fast. I can’t wait to get started.”

Nantucket Eclectic

Sun, 26 May 2024 16:35:18 GMT

Transitional and traditional design meet in this Polpis home.

HOME & GARDEN

story by Antonia DePace

photography by Kit Noble

On an island where nautical often meets traditional in interior design, there sits one home in Polpis that defies the norm. Think traditional and transitional aesthetics with a touch of whimsical character, where each room is layered with color, texture and something made by the owner herself.

Purchased before COVID-19, the Cape-style home was originally built by Stephen Cheney of Cheney Custom Homes. When the new family, who had been renting on Nantucket during the summer season, purchased the property, they went back to Cheney to apply their personality to the home. They called upon Sydney Wachhorst of W Design for inspiration to create a one-of-a-kind interior.

This is the eighth project Wachhorst has worked on for the owners, who are West Coast-based. Once their children graduated from college and settled on the East Coast, they wanted to find a permanent vacation home where they could all be together with enough space to host their extended family.

The homeowners and decorator worked hand-in-hand to layer colors, textures and patterns, as well as bringing personal touches into the home like homemade needlepoint, decoupage and knitting. Wachhorst adds, “The layering factor is a really important part with all of their houses.” Look to the tub room as an example, which is a favorite of the wife’s. Originally, the house did not have a primary bath, which led the team to convert a storage closet in the basement into a place for her to sneak away for restoration time. Inside, a freestanding tub from Shropshire sits atop a custom arabascato-honed marble floor juxtaposed by a Timorous Beasties wallpaper in shades of pink, purple and green. The bathroom is reminiscent of space you would find in a Newport mansion, adding to the whimsy of the house.

Also in the basement is the Faraway Hotel-inspired bunk room, which was constructed to be a space for the homeowners’ children and friends to escape to, all while still being in the same house. Cheney and Wachhorst called upon local architects Joe Paul and Chris Belanger of BPC Architecture to help. A celestial Mind the Gap wallpaper used behind each bed was the launching point for the design. Also adding personality to this room are custom-fabricated brass railings, antique lighting, Pierre Frey drapery to divide the room, Soane Britain linen drapery on the bunk beds for privacy, Misia headboard fabric and plush bedding.

Other family-oriented moments show up throughout the home through the wife’s homemade projects, like needlepoint pieces and knitted throws.

“She brings in a lot of things about the kids that they love or about the family, but not in a traditional monogrammed way. It’s

much more creative,” Wachhorst says. She notes that the husband is also an avid art collector and purchases all of those works for their homes.

But even through all these changes, both Cheney and

Wachhorst note that the clients tried to prevent being wasteful

in a lot of the updates. For instance, the original countertops and appliances in the kitchen were kept and antiques were strewn throughout. “The initial inclination is often tear it out [and] start over and the client is very thoughtful,” Cheney explains. Other updates to the kitchen included adding two windows (there were none prior) and installing an organic, warm green backsplash from Ann Sacks. Three bespoke pendants were also added to give a coastal feel to the space. Wachhorst concludes, “The project was a lot of ‘how can you take

these bones and work with them to add the defining character.’” She adds, “They never really gave me a set of guidelines. She just said, ‘Make it us.’”

Happy As A Clam

Sun, 26 May 2024 16:06:23 GMT

The Clam Shack finally opens on-island.

FOOD & DRINK

story by Jonathan Soroff and Bruce A. Percelay
Photography by Kit Noble

Few stories on Nantucket last summer garnered more attention than the battle of The Clam Shack. National media found the conflict between two Nantucket billionaires, San Francisco Giants owner Charles Johnson and New England Development owner Steve Karp, to be too delicious not to broadcast across the country. A Boston Globe headline read “Nantucket Billionaires Battle Proposed Clam Shack”, while CBS News, Forbes, Bloomberg and The Daily Mail chimed in, creating a truly national story.

The person at the heart of the controversy was Chef/ restaurateur Gabriel Frasca whose restaurant property was a mere 18 inches away from Johnson’s home with an exhaust fan overlooking Johnson’s property. When Johnson began to object to the possibility of fried clam exhaust wafting through his home, the dispute morphed into a battle of David and Goliath with Johnson being the billionaire and Frasca being the fledgling entrepreneur. But as the

story evolved it became the battle between Johnson and Karp, two of many of Nantucket’s uber-rich. Given that there had always been a clam shack and ice cream stand in the same spot for decades, Johnson was painted as the billionaire bully who was holding up Frasca’s piece of the American dream.

As time went on, and the press became increasingly fascinated with the story, which was not flattering toward either Johnson or Karp, both parties were pulled together one afternoon at Old North Wharf to find a resolution. During that meeting, Karp saw the proximity of the vent fan to Johnson’s house for the first time and was genuinely surprised by its location. Both he and Johnson walked over to the site and Karp, recognizing the potential for disruption from both the sound and smell of the exhaust system, agreed to relocate the equipment, which ultimately led to a resolution of the dispute.

Fast forward to today, and Nantucket is anxiously awaiting the opening of the now legendary clam shack. Little in Frasca’s culinary background hints at fast-casual dining. Born and raised on Boston’s North Shore, he left college to pursue a career in cooking, first in Boston, and then during stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in France, Spain and Italy. Upon returning to the U.S., he worked in Boston, before accepting a summer job in 2003 as a

chef at Straight Wharf, which had been in business since 1976 under the ownership of Nantucket icon Jock Gifford and the kitchen expertise of Marian Morash (who worked with Julia Child).

“I had an amazing time,” Frasca recalls, “and afterward, I told Jock I’d love to come back.” Three years later, he and Gifford hammered out an agreement, and the rest is Nantucket dining history. “There’s not a lot of places like Straight Wharf,” says Frasca proudly. “It’s an open-air restaurant, exposed to the harbor. It’s fine dining, but not at all stuffy.” Not surprisingly, it’s a favorite among the cognoscenti, and its reservation list has included the likes of Martha Stewart, John Kerry,

Jennifer Lawrence and Greta Gerwig.

As for the reimagined Straight Wharf Fish, it will look like nothing

else on Nantucket, Frasca promises. To design it, he turned to the award-winning architecture firm of Workshop APD and its co-founder Andrew Kotchen, himself a Nantucketer. The aim was to create an interior that feels like it’s been there forever. A brick floor and a communal table suspended from a cathedral ceiling give it a spare Scandinavian aesthetic that displays the stylistic link between Copenhagen and the Quakers.

The bill of fare will include fried clams, onion rings, and hot and cold takes on the traditional lobster roll. Frasca and partner Kevin Burleson hope to add ice cream back intomthe mix at some point, as well. There’ll be no reservations and no bar, although beer, wine and aperitifs will be served. Takeout will be available, and the simple yet elegant decor—with seating for 60 at larger tables and high tops—will feature an awning for shade and unbeatable vistas. “The view is fantastic,” Frasca says, “I’m

pretty confident that the neighbors are going to love it.” In addition, The Clam Shack will sell fresh local catch. “I’m so excited to have local purveyors and provide people with fish caught by the Nantucket fleet,” Frasca adds, “or to get Ipswich clams every day, so that I can fry 'em and put ’em on a bun.”

“The island deserves to have a low-key, first-come, first-served place, with good food and a view of the water,” he concludes. As for all the controversy initially surrounding it? Like most of last

season’s chatter, no one will remember it after their first bite

of the signature lobster roll.

High Wind Warning

Sun, 26 May 2024 14:29:41 GMT

One hundred and sixty turbines, 1,312 feet tall, are planned for Nantucket.

H ISTORY & POLITICS

story by Antonia DePace

The voices in opposition of the wind farm are growing in velocity. While the proponents of the wind farm stand by their position that their effects will be minimal on the environment, ACK for Whales is coming from a very different direction. According to Vallorie Oliver, President of ACK for Whales, “The environmental damage that will result from Vineyard Offshore’s own described construction processes is decimating our seabed with trenching, drilling, pile driving and cable laying.” In late April, it was announced by ACK for Whales that yet another offshore power plant began permitting in full view of Nantucket’s beaches from Low Beach to Madaket—only this time, Vineyard Northeast planned on using turbines 53 percent taller than those in view now. To be exact, the up to 160 turbines will be approximately 1,312 feet tall, according to the first of two virtual scope meetings BOEM held. “It’s a very complex conversation,” says Amy DiSibio, a member of ACK for Whales, of the entire topic. She notes that in addition to the project equating to decades of construction out in the ocean, there could be a total of 775 out of approximately 1,400 turbines visible from Nantucket at the end of completion according to public record. “It is a huge slam to Nantucket, to a National Historic Landmark.

I t is a huge slam to the environment to do this,” she adds. According to the newsletter sent out by ACK for Whales, the National Academy of Sciences prepared a report on the projected ecological impact of the project on the water that surrounds Nantucket, which mostly states how the total implications are unknown due to the fact that there have yet to be other completed projects of this scale. Even so, it is clear that this could affect a variety of topics important to the island: tourism, which is Nantucket’s entire economy, and the protection of the North Atlantic Whale, among other things. DiSibio concludes, “Nantucket is a National Historic Landmark and it's our responsibility to defend it.” The turbines were said to be virtually invisible from Nantucket, but the first 10 from the Vineyard Wind 1 Project are clearly seen from Madaket and Cisco Beaches, particularly at night, as well as Tom Nevers and the ferry. It is important to note that the closest turbines have yet to be installed. Let’s hope that the promises related to no impact on whales and other mammal life hold more water.

FIRST CLASS

Thu, 23 May 2024 01:57:38 GMT