N MAGAZINE June 2021 by Nantucket Magazine

margaretta ANDREWS The Community Foundation’s

D I V E R S I T Y, E Q U I T Y & I N C L U S I O N D I R E C T O R

KIMAL McCARTHY

JIM HACKETT P O W E R

T H E

P L AY E R

P E R S E V E R A N C E

O F

KARLI STAHL D R E A M L A N D ’ S N E W E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R

ALICIA CARNEY

JUNE 2021

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E N V I S I ON R E S I L I EN C E NANTUCKET

ReMain Nantucket to showcase work of five leading design schools as part of the Envision Resilience Nantucket Challenge In recent years, a mix of severe winter storms, coastal resilience initiatives and conferences on sea level rise have brought to center stage the reality of Nantucket: We are an island on the front lines of climate change.

ern University, and Yale School of Architecture spent the spring semester considering imaginative ways to redesign Nantucket’s historic waterfront, from Brant Point to the Creeks, in response to sea level rise.

In the winter of 2018, storms Grayson and Riley hammered the island, delivering some of the most significant flooding the island had witnessed since the 1991 No-Name Storm. In 2019, the Nantucket Preservation Trust hosted its eye-opening Keeping History Above Water conference with keynote speaker, author and Rolling Stone contributing editor Jeff Goodell, reminding us all just how high the water will rise. And in the fall of 2020, the Town of Nantucket officially adopted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s “High” Sea Level Rise Scenario for planning purposes. Under this projection, Nantucket will regularly see the waters surrounding the island rise by 4.13 feet above local mean sea level by 2060, 6.36 feet by 2080 and 9.25 feet by 2100.

University teams tuned in weekly to lectures from experts in the field, engaged with local Nantucketers and sought out possible adaptive solutions. The library of recorded lectures can be found in the Speaker Series library at www.envisionresilience.org/speaker-series.

Today, multiple projects focused on addressing the challenges of coastal resiliency are underway across the island. Among them is the Envision Resilience Nantucket Challenge, an open-sourced, virtual design studio launched in January 2021 by ReMain Nantucket. “Our community is well versed in the reality of sea level rise, this we know,” said Cecil Barron Jensen, executive director of ReMain Nantucket. “We did not set out to educate the community, but rather to inspire island locals through the Envision Resilience Nantucket Challenge to consider how we might live beautifully with more water, how we can adapt in ways that will make us stronger in the face of climate change and how we might envision even more opportunity with rising seas.” Teams from from University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, University of Miami School of Architecture, the School of Architecture at Northeast1 4

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On June 2, ReMain invites the Nantucket community to an outdoor, hybrid event at the Great Harbor Yacht Club where Envision Resilience Nantucket Challenge universities will present their research, process and final design proposals. The free event will be offered virtually for all those who wish to participate from afar. Registration is available at www.envisionresilience.org/ exhibition/events. The student designs will be showcased in an exhibition on the second floor of the Nantucket Historical Association’s Thomas Macy Warehouse at 12 Straight Wharf, a historic building itself threatened by sea level rise. The exhibition, being developed in partnership with the NHA and with help from the Artists Association of Nantucket, will run from mid-June through December 2021. Through the exhibition, the public is invited to explore the history of Nantucket’s relationship with water and the island’s resilience and adaptability to change. Locals and visitors are encouraged to follow along at www.envisionresilience.org/exhibition/events and explore the calendar of events to learn more about speakers, opportunities and workshops throughout the year. — By Claire Martin Contact us at newsletter@envisionresilience.org Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @envisionrnc and @envisionresiliencenantucket

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CONTENTS /

BATHING SUIT: THE SKINNY DIP EARRINGS, SCARF: CENTRE POINTE NECKLACE: MILLY & GRACE

JUNE 2021

45 Silver Linings

24 COLUMNISTS What to look for in this issue from our regular columnists. 26 NUMBERS A numerical snapshot of Nantucket in the early summer. 28 NEAT STUFF The Scandinavian-inspired styles of Eleish van Breems. 30 N TOP TEN A rundown of where you need to be this month on Nantucket. 32 KID’N AROUND Children’s book author and N Magazine columnist Wendy Rouillard shares some ideas on keeping your kiddos entertained this June. 34 NECESSITIES Cool items for the warm season. 36 TRENDING A recap and preview of N Magazine’s podcast Nantucket Sound. 38 HEALTH N WELLNESSS Get your body back on point with the ancient healing power of acupuncture. 40 NOSH NEWS Belly up to the raw bar with master oyster shucker Rick Sorocco. 42 NBUZZ Nantucket Current editor Jason Graziadei gives the headlines for this month on Nantucket.

June in Bloom 1 8

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44 NTERIORS Serena & Lily provides some inspiration for bringing the inside outside. 46 NEED TO READ Tim Ehrenberg shares his favorite reads for June.

NSPIRE 48 AGENT OF CHANGE Meet the Town of Nantucket’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director, Kimal McCarthy. 54 ONE MAN BAND How Floyd Kellogg became Nantucket’s resident music man.

NVESTIGATE 58 FREEDOM WRITERS In honor of Juneteenth, the Nantucket Book Festival is presenting a dynamic panel of authors, historians, activists and thought leaders to discuss the state of race in America.

62 TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING? Some islanders look to reallocate conservation funding for affordable housing. 66 POISONOUS PONDS? Island researchers discover a toxic algae bloom can become airborne.

Agent of Change

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CONTENTS /

106

JUNE 2021

Starring Role

NDEPTH 72 ALL FOR ONE The Community Foundation for Nantucket strengthens the island’s safety net during its greatest time of need. 78 LIFE’S DESIGN The inspiring perseverance of Nantucket resident Karli Stahl.

NQUIRY

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en plein air nantucket

•

boston

t 508.228.1219

•

beyond

www.kathleenhaydesigns.com

120 A quick chat with local businesswoman Melanie Perkins. Follow us

@kathleenhaydesigns

Patio of 167 Raw Oyster Bar • Charleston, SC

photo by Leslie Ryann McKellar

106 STARRING ROLE The new executive director of the Dreamland Alicia Carney shares her vision for the future of this historic institution.

P O W E R

118 Amanda & Dave Currey tied the knot on Nantucket. K at h l e e n H ay D e s i g n s

KIMAL McCARTHY

JIM HACKETT T H E

NUPTIALS

NOT SO FAST

D I V E R S I T Y, E Q U I T Y & I N C L U S I O N D I R E C T O R

P L AY E R

P E R S E V E R A N C E

O F

KARLI STAHL D R E A M L A N D ’ S N E W E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R

ALICIA CARNEY

Nantucket Magazine

100 POWER PLAYER Former energy titan and Nantucket summer resident Jim Hackett discusses renewable energy, the climate, and his family’s quest to fight mental illness.

The Community Foundation’s

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88 Explore the colorful fashion palette of June on Nantucket.

112 SHOWTIME Check out the island’s moviemaking past courtesy of the NHA image archives.

margaretta ANDREWS

The Local Magazine Read Worldwide

NVOGUE

NHA

June 2021

84 BUDDING BUSINESS Nantucket’s second cannabis dispensary is in full bloom.

JUNE 2021 N - M A G A Z I N E . C O M

ON THE COVER The Community Foundation for Nantucket's longtime executive director Margaretta Andrews appears on the cover of this June issue in a photo by Brian Sager.

21ST A N N U A L

BLOOMING BIDS FOR

NANTUCKET’S KIDS

Hybrid Event + Fundraiser Monday, June 28, 2021 Online Event 6:00pm . Visit Bartlett’s Farm 9am-5pm Honoring Barbara Jones, past President of Nantucket Garden Club and former Fairwinds Advisory Board Chair. Featured artist: Hafsa Lewis Fairwinds Flower Fridays through June 18. Follow our social media to find out where these free weekly flowers will pop up to brighten your Fridays and celebrate mental health services for children.

Presenting Sponsors Anonymous Anonymous

Collaborative Sponsors

Nantucket

f i l m f e s t i va l

Seed Funders Amanda Wright Atlantic East Real Estate Caroline Ellis Karen & Chris Gagnier Katherine & David Cheek Lydia & Mark Kennelley Maria & George Roach Molly Cerne & Harrison Roach Sourcebook Productions Sponsors Betsy & Joseph Wright Beverly & David Barlow Coast to Coast Financial Planning Hehir Group Jane & Charles Forman Michael Kellerman & Nick Ashburn Sheila Daume Wendy J. Greenberg & Simon Mikhailovich

Steering Committee Sue Ellen Alderman Sheila Daume Heidi Drew Caroline Ellis Holly Finigan Karen Gagnier Wendy Greenberg Hafsa Lewis Francisco Noya Abby Perelman Karen Rainwater Maria Roach Eileen Shields-West Linda Strachan Amanda Wright

Sponsorships as of May 1, 2021

For Tickets + Sponsorships, please visit fairwindscenter.org or scan the code above. N - M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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N PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bruce A. Percelay

EDITOR Robert Cocuzzo

ART DIRECTOR Paulette Chevalier

MANAGING EDITOR Emme Duncan

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERS Kit Noble Brian Sager

DIGITAL DIRECTOR Leise Trueblood

N MAGAZINE

DELIVERS! SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE!

SENIOR WRITER Jason Graziadei

CONTRIBUTORS Brinlea La Barge Josh Gray Tim Ehrenberg Wendy Rouillard Chris Sleeper

PHOTOGRAPHERS Wayne Chinnock Laurie Richards Georgie Morley

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING & PARTNERSHIPS Emme Duncan

ADVERTISING SALES Fifi Greenberg

PUBLISHER N. LLC

CHAIRMAN: Bruce A. Percelay Nantucket Times 17 North Beach Street Nantucket, MA 02554 508-228-1515

©Copyright 2021 Nantucket Times. Nantucket Times (N Magazine) is published six times annually from April through December. Reproduction of any part of this publication is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Editorial submissions may be sent to Editor, Nantucket Times, 17 North Beach Street, Nantucket, MA 02554. We are not responsible for unsolicited editorial or graphic material. Office (508) 228-1515 or fax (508) 228-8012. Signature Printing and Consulting 800 West Cummings Park Suite 2900 Woburn

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COMMUNITY Is Our FOUNDATION Beyond the pristine beaches, charming streets and rich history, Nantucket is defined by its rock-solid community. When something happens to shake or threaten that community, the island responds with resolve. During the pandemic, few organizations exInterior designer Karli Stahl emplified this strength more than the Community Founwe profile respected interior dation for Nantucket (CFN). designer and island resident Our cover story featurKarli Stahl, who was diaging CFN’s executive director Margaretta Andrews and The Community Foundation for Nantucket team nosed with advanced canMargaretta Andrews and her cer six year ago. While quietly fighting the disease, this mother of two has team not only examines how this vital nonprofit continued to lead her life in the fullest ways possible. Armed with incredible supported the island during the pandemic but optimism and positivity, Karli is yet another example of the strength found in the also how new levels of need were discovered individual members of the Nantucket community. in the process. According to Andrews, the This issue also features an interview with former Chairman of Anadarko Petroleum pandemic laid bare harsh realities about the Jim Hackett whose impressive career as CEO of this oil giant is well known throughout Nantucket community that had long gone the industry. Lesser known is both Jim and his wife Maureen’s campaign to fight mental unseen and untreated. As Nantucket’s safety illness, a mission that was spurred by a traumatic event experienced by their daughter. net, the Community Foundation is dedicated The Hacketts have used their time and resources to support mental illness initiatives both to addressing these vulnerabilities, but they in their home state of Texas and here on the island at the Nantucket Cottage Hospital. need our support to expand their mission. N Magazine’s mission has always been to support the community, not only In this issue, we meet Kimal McCarthy, through the stories we tell but the local causes we support. Over the years, we’ve been the Town of Nantucket’s newly appointed Dihonored to partner with the Community Foundation for versity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. HavNantucket, the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, the Naning grown up on Nantucket, McCarthy is now tucket Historical Association and many others. As there helping lead the charge in making Nantucket a is a sense of renewal in the air this season, we encourmore equitable community for all its citizens. age each of you to pick a nonprofit to support this year This theme of social justice will be bolstered by in the spirit of the community that is Nantucket. the Nantucket Book Festival, which is hosting Sincerely, a powerful panel discussion to commemorate Juneteenth this month. We spoke with Nantucket Book Festival co-founder Mary Haft about how this panel of thought leaders came together and the important lessons attendees stand to learn from the conversation. In an inspiring story of resiliency,

Bruce A. Percelay Publisher

BRUCE A. PERCELAY Publisher

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Columnists

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Jason GRAZIADEI Senior Writer and Editor of Nantucket Current Jason Graziadei tackles a wide range of fascinating stories in this issue, from investigating an alarming new report regarding the safety of Nantucket's ponds, to addressing the question of whether Nantucket still needs more conservation land, to digging into the second marijuana dispensary ACK Natural. Wearing his Nantucket Current newsman hat, Graziadei also delivers this month's headlines for our NBUZZ section.

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Tim EHRENBERG N Magazine's resident bookworm Tim Ehrenberg has made a mighty name for himself in the literary world. In addition to penning his monthly Need to Read column, Ehrenberg--who serves as the marketing director for Nantucket Book Partners and the Nantucket Book Festival--is also the host of Tim Talks Books, a bibliophile's dream program that has grabbed national attention. In honor of the Nantucket Book Festival, Ehrenberg gives some of his top recommendations in this June issue's Need to Read section.

Chris SLEEPER Forever in search of the best sip and tastiest bite, Chris Sleeper has taken the helm as N Magazine’s resident food writer. Sleeper has called Nantucket home for over eighteen years and has worked in hospitality at Miacomet Golf Course, Straight Wharf and The Nautilus. He recently has pursued his own venture, Pip & Anchor, with partners Rita Higgins and Chef Mayumi Hattori, with hopes to bring his love for local and seasonal food to every plate on Nantucket. Read Sleeper’s inside take on the restaurant industry in our Nantucket Current newsletter every Friday and here in the magazine’s monthly Nosh News.

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NUMBERS NANTUCKET BY THE

250 Max capacity at the Dreamland to enforce social distancing.

Weeks the Chicken Box was closed due to the pandemic before reopening last month, the longest stretch in the beloved bar’s history.

$242.1 Million Estimated value of new permitted building projects through two-thirds of the 2021 fiscal year.

$2.9 Million

Total amount raised for the Community Foundation’s Nantucket Fund for Emergency Relief

$25 Million

275 %

Total investment by the Nantucket Islands Land Bank to create three new public parks.

Increase in sale of “Jet A” fuel this April compared to the same month last year.

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Underground parking spots were included in the “new downtown” development plan proposed for Sparks Avenue by Site Design Engineering.

Anniversary of the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket being celebrated this summer.

140

Pounds of marijuana produced by the island’s newest dispensary’s first harvest.

$54,957

Potential rental relief provided to Crosswinds Restaurant by the Nantucket Airport Commission from March to August of this year.

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neat stuff SPONSORED CONTENT

NATUR PORCELAIN COLLECTION BY GUSTAVSBERG

NORDIC TACT ELEISH VAN BREEMS DELIVERS SCANDINAVIAN STYLE TO NANTUCKET HOMES

Natur dishes and serving ware are made in Sweden by the renowned porcelain manufacturer Gustavsberg. The dishes are available in three different hand-painted glazes—lavender, blueberry and white—with matching stoneware baking and serving pieces. They are durable, as well as dishwasher and microwave safe, making entertaining as easy and carefree as the Nantucket ocean breeze.

STALHETTA

honda Eleish and Edie van Breems grew up drawing inspiration from Nantucket. The eighteenth-century homes, wharfs and cobblestone streets reminded them of the seaside towns of Sweden and Denmark that defined their heritage. Today, their Eleish Van Breems shop overlooking Easy Street Basin brings the coastal design of Scandinavia to Nantucket through carefully curated items that emote a sense of uniqueness, quality and craftsmanship. “Good design for everybody is our ethos,” says Eleish. “We celebrate Scandinavian style and craftsmanship while embracing island sensibility and the ease of living on the water.” The Eleish Van Breems collection tells a story, transporting clients to a world of contemporary and timeless Nordic design. Here’s just a sampling of the wonders to be discovered at Eleish Van Breems.

To see more selections from Eleish Van Breems, scan the QR code here or visit their lovely location at 14 Easy Street on Nantucket.

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The vitality and spontaneity of plants such as fern and iris are captured by the handsmithed iron works of the two Swedish sisters who make Stalhetta tiki torches and candleholders. These works of art are a soulful and beautiful way to light up an intimate alfresco dinner or the beach path leading to the bonfire.

LUNA COCKTAIL BAG Our Luna Cocktail Bag is lightweight and stylish and perfect for a day or evening exploring the island. Nystrom Leather in Stockholm produces these jewel-colored bags using ecofriendly, vegetable-tanned, luxury-quality Italian leather. They are devoted to local production and Swedish quality craftsmanship, creating a sturdy bag for everyday wear.

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n top ten

EVENTS

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PLEIN AIR NANTUCKET MAY 11 TO JUNE 16

Various Locations Plain and simple, the Artists Association of Nantucket’s Plein Air Festival is the best and safest way to enjoy visual art and Nantucket’s beautiful landscapes at the same time. The festival, which has been expanded to six weeks this year, will still be open to all painters and feature their new wet works hung for sale each day in the AAN Gallery. Don’t miss the 10th annual Paint Out at Brant Point Beach on June 9 and 10. For more information, visit nantucketarts.org.

ENVISION RESILIENCE NANTUCKET PUBLIC PRESENTATION JUNE 2 — 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Great Harbor Yacht Club At this hybrid event hosted by ReMain Nantucket, five student design teams from the University of Florida, Harvard, Northeastern, the University of Miami and Yale will present adaptive proposals for sea level rise around Brant Point, Town and Washington Street. To register and find more information, visit envisionresilience.org.

3 A CELEBRATION OF NANTUCKET SOUND JUNE 3 — 6:00 – 7:00 PM

Online Join musician and storyteller Mark Alan Lovewell for an evening in celebration of the preservation of Nantucket Sound. This live webinar will feature sea shanties, stories and songs devoted to the love of the ocean deep. We like the sound of that. To register and find more information, visit saveoursound.org.

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BLOOMING BIDS FOR NANTUCKET’S KIDS:

A BENEFIT FOR FAIRWINDS COUNSELING CENTER JUNE 28 — 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Bartlett’s Farm and Online

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to attend in-person or virtually this month

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PASCON’S DREAMCATCHER JUNE 5 — 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Online Dreaming of a fun event to enjoy this summer? PASCON’s Dreamcatcher is here to make that a reality. Hosted by Chris Perry and Sean Dew, this hour-long telethon will feature musical performances, cocktail demonstrations, giveaways and moving tributes and testimonials from community members. Head to their website ahead of the event for a special daiquiri recipe from Épernay to enjoy during the evening. For more information, visit pascon.org.

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NANTUCKET BOYS & GIRLS CLUB SAM SYLVIA GOLF TOURNAMENT JUNE 6 & 7

Attention golfers…work on those handicaps because the NBGC has teed up an epic return for the Sam Sylvia Golf Tournament. The popular Nantucket fundraiser (now in its 28th year) supports the essential services of the NBGC and will consist of amateur teams of four. A socially distanced cocktail party will kick off the fun. For more information, visit nantucketboysandgirlsclub.org.

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GET HIRED NANTUCKET: VIRTUAL JOB FAIR JUNE 9 — 12:00 – 4:00 PM

Online The Nantucket Chamber of Commerce and MassHire Cape and Islands Career Center are here to accelerate your career path to the finish line at their virtual job fair. Job seekers will be able to evaluate hundreds of job opportunities and have the chance to participate in live onthe-spot video interviews at this virtual event. For more information, visit nantucketchamber.org.

7 JUNETEENTH EVENT HOSTED BY THE NANTUCKET BOOK FESTIVAL JUNE 17 — 7:00 PM

Online The evening of June 17th, the NBF will sponsor a moderated, pre-produced virtual event to commemorate Juneteenth. Featuring educators, historians, artists and activists, this panel will discuss systemic racism and the work of activist groups like the Black Lives Matter movement to create meaningful change. To register and find more information, visit nantucketbookfestival.org.

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NANTUCKET FILM FESTIVAL JUNE 17 – 28

In-person and Online Cinephiles, rejoice: The Nantucket Film Festival is back, bigger and better than ever. For the first time since its inception, the festival will expand from six to eleven days, and it has quite the lineup, including drive-in screenings, virtual showings and awards presented to Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino and Kelsey Grammer. For tickets and more information, visit nantucketfilmfestival.org.

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NEEDLEPOINT YOUR HOUSE WITH PATSY ERNST JUNE 28 — 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Greater Light, 8 Howard Street Create a treasured needlepoint of your house or favorite place with the help of Patsy Ernst. Learn new stitches to give your work texture and nuance in this structured gam-style workshop. Multiple classes are available throughout the summer. For more information, visit nha.org.

Support the mental health of Nantucket’s youngest residents this June at Blooming Bids. This hybrid event will feature in-person bidding at Bartlett’s Farm on one-of-a-kind planters and other auction items, as well as remote bidding online. After the auction wraps up, enjoy a musical performance, special profiles and a chance to honor the memory of community member and philanthropist Barb Jones. For more information, visit fairwindscenter.org.

From Nantucket to New York and Around the Globe I’m thrilled to share that I am now part of the Douglas Elliman family and ready to put the power of one of the nation’s largest independent brokerages along with our international partners, Knight Frank Residential to work for you.

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Lydia Sussek Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Senior Global Real Estate Advisor O 212.350.2224 M 917.721.7853 lydia.sussek@elliman.com

elliman.com

575 MADISON AVENUE, NY, NY 10022. 212.891.7000 © 2021 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE, THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. N - M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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Kid' N AROUND TRAVEL INTO PEACHTREE KIDS Peachtree Kids has you covered this summer, making your traveling needs much easier! They have all the essentials including brand-new highchairs, car seats, strollers and more. You can reserve items in advance at nicervacations.com or stop by 19 Main Street. Also, be sure to check out their summer children’s clothing and accessories collections for newborns to 12-year-olds. For more information, call 508-228-8555, visit peachtreekidsnantucket.com or follow them @peachtreekidsnantucket. STOP BY THE WHALING MUSEUM’S FAMILY DISCOVERY CENTER The Whaling Museum has two new interactive play spaces, the Discovery Center and the outdoor Discovery Park. These spaces are perfect for families with children of all ages. The new additions are sure to engage, entertain and ignite children’s imaginations with numerous hands-on activities. The outdoor park features a catboat, lighthouse, a mini Nantucket Harbor water exhibit and a life-size whale. To learn more or to reserve your visit to the Whaling Museum, visit NHA.org.

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STEM AT HOME WITH THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB The Nantucket Boys & Girls Club offers a series of STEM programs ranging from LEGO Robotics and Kids Science Labs to its new Photo Club. Children can start their own scavenger hunt “photo” journal at home. All they need is a notebook, colored pencils and tape. (Kids can also use a camera if one is available.) They can search for flowers, pets, insects, trees, windows in different shapes and sizes, and any other objects that they would like to mention in their journals. Then they can draw and color each item or simply take a photo and tape it on the page. Next to each image, children can list the number of that item to spot. The Boys & Girls Club has more than 800 members. To support the club and programming like this, visit nantucketboysandgirlsclub.org and consider making a donation. CREATE AT BARNABY’S TOY & ART SHACK Summer fun at Barnaby’s has begun! We are excited to offer a downtown community space just for kids. Our classes are in full swing, and our doors are always open to drop-ins creating great things at any time of day. Our toys have been hand-selected to provide functionality, hands-on interactivity and plenty of wonderment. Also, be sure to check out our Barnaby’s Art Kits to Go. Please visit the full calendar of programs at barnabysnantucket.com, or call 508-680-1553 or email barnabyack@gmail.com for more information. EN PLEIN AIR WITH THE ARTISTS ASSOCIATION Artists Association of Nantucket is excited to host its 10th annual Plein Air Nantucket festival sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Center Council. Painting “en plein air” (outdoors or in open air) has been a longtime tradition on the island with its unspoiled nature providing boundless inspiration. Over six weeks, artists of all skills and ages will paint the splendor of Nantucket from classic locations like Brant Point Lighthouse to the seagrasses of Polpis Harbor. Artists will then hang their works in the Plein Air show contest. For more information, visit nantucketarts.org or call 508-228-0722. LIVE WITH THE DREAMLAND STAGE COMPANY There is so much happening at 17 South Water Street this summer. Registration for the Dreamland’s live Summer Theatre Camps & Productions is open. The Dreamland is holding Dreamland Kids for children ages four to seven and Dreamland Youth for ages eight to eighteen. Don’t miss these in-person programs that will educate and entertain your kids all summer long. For more information and to register, visit nantucketdreamland.org.

Discover the magic of The Nantucket Club in the heart of downtown

Memberships available for the summer, monthly, or weekly • Two seasonal outdoor heated pools (family/ kiddie & adult lap) • Supervised day and evening Kids’ Club

• Outdoor hot tub • World class gym • Fitness & yoga classes

• Massage treatment rooms, locker rooms & saunas • Award-winning personal trainers

To join, or for more information contact Deb Ducas, Club Manager clubmanager@thenantuckethotel.com | 508-901-1295 AT THE NANTUCKET HOTEL | 77 EASTON STREET, NANTUCKET | THENANTUCKETCLUB.COM N - M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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n e cessities BOOM 3

NANTUCKET TWO-PIECE CHILDREN’S PAJAMAS

The Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 Bluetooth speaker is packed with carefully balanced 360-degree sound, making it the perfect player for the beach or the backyard BBQ. Drop proof, waterproof, and dustproof – and with an impressive 15-hour battery life – no matter the location, you can bring the party with you this summer! ULTIMATE EARS @ultimateears ultimateears.com

Printed on 100% Pima Cotton with water-based prints and manufactured in Peru, these conversational Nantucket print pjs, drawn by founder Eliza Ferrel, feature all of the details we know and love about the Grey Lady. From Sankaty Lighthouse to the Eagle, infamous Christmas Stroll to Daffodil Festival, what kid wouldn’t want to wear their favorite island? JOY STREET KIDS • @joystreetkids • joystreetkids.com

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COOL ITEMS FOR THE WARM SEASON

2015 TWO BROTHERS PINOT NOIR Awarded 92 points by Jeb Dunnuck and named a “Year’s Best US Pinot Noir” by Wine & Spirits Magazine, the 2015 Two Brothers is the vibrant new spring release from Donelan Family Wines. Cheers!

The JURA ENA 8 impresses with 10 one-touch specialty coffees that are freshly ground, not capsuled, including everything from espresso doppio to a flat white. Available in three beautiful colors, the machine’s fine foam technology creates airy, feather-light milk foam for cappuccino and other specialties, making it the perfect way to start your morning. JURA @shopjura_us jura.com

DONELAN FAMILY WINES @donelanwine donelanwines.com

MODEL Y ELECTRIC BICYCLE The Model Y is your classic electric beach cruiser with a battery that is integrated right into the front basket. Perfect for rides to Cisco and beyond, the Model Y can be customized with different colors, real wooden fenders and chain guard, and are built to order in the U.S. with local bike builders and engineers! ELECTRIC BIKE COMPANY • @electricbikecompany electricbikecompany.com

NANTUCKET COLLECTION “ACK STACK” Swim, sweat, and shower in these waterproof, unisex bracelets made with Freshwater or Tahitian pearls in colors inspired by iconic elements of our beloved island: Nantucket Red, Shell, Grassland, Hydrangea, and Grey Lady. What’s more, the ACK Stack is in partnership with and in benefit of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation! GRESHAM @greshamjewelry jewelrybygresham.com

HEIRLOOM COLLECTION, LILY AND LIONEL FOR KATIE LEAMON NOTEBOOK These sweet, floral journals with blank pages to record all your summer ideas and inspirations are paperback but can be lay open flat. And at approximately six by eight inches, they are perfect for carrying in your beach bag! PARCHMENT @parchmentnantucket 508-228-4110

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t r e nding

SOUNDS GOOD A recap and preview of N Magazine’s Nantucket Sound podcast

Since debuting at the end of April, N Magazine’s podcast Nantucket Sound has garnered an audience on and off the island through compelling conversations with members of the community. Beginning with our first episode that aired back in April, each conversation is designed to deliver stories to our listeners that have never been shared before. Our debut episode was followed by an episode with local best-selling author Charles Graeber, who shared his chilling experience interviewing the most prolific serial killer in American history for his book The Good Nurse, which is currently in production as a major movie feature produced by Netflix. After Graeber, we spoke to former international super model and cult survivor Hoyt Richards, who described how he was lured off of Nobadeer Beach and into a doomsday cult where he spent twenty years before escaping back to the island.

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This month’s podcast centers on themes of perseverance and courage beginning with Nantucket resident Karli Stahl, who is also profiled in this issue on page 78. A celebrated interior designer and mother of two, Stahl has been quietly battling latestage cancer on the island. In an intimate conversation with Nantucket Sound host Robert Cocuzzo, Stahl reveals her harrowing journey and describes the tools she has developed to persevere through incredible hardship while continuing to live her life to the fullest. Listen TO SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH, to Nantucket AND LISTEN, SCAN HERE SCAN HERE Sound on Apple Podcast, Spotify or by scanning the Flowcode to the right.

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Insider’s guide to the island

Stories by Fisher NANTUCKET NEIGHBORHOODS:

ISLAND CONSERVATION GUIDE:

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WHERE TO CALL HOME

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WHERE TO SURF, SWIM & SUN

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21 Main Street, Nantucket, MA | 508.228.4407

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healthnwellness

GREAT POINT PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN SAGER

INTERVIEW BY ROBERT COCUZZO

EXPLORING THE HEALING POWER OF ACUPUNCTURE WITH ERICA MARRERO

rica Marrero has been passionate about acupuncture since she was in her twenties. Through acupuncture, she was able to resolve her severe anxiety and back pain, as well as the underlying emotional issues that caused them. Due to this transformation, Marrero focuses her own acupuncture practice on Nantucket on not only the physical body but the emotional life of each patient, empowering them to make transformational changes in their own lives. N Magazine spoke with Marrero to learn more about the life-changing healing power of acupuncture. For those completely unfamiliar with the treatment, how does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture is all about balancing energy and making sure that the channels of energy in the body—known as meridians—are open. When the energy is flowing properly, you have perfect health. There are twelve major channels in the body. Each channel links up with the next, creating a giant circuit. Through repetitive use, sicknesses and emotional trauma, these channels can get small blockages, which can eventually become a dam in the channel. When this happens, it causes pain or dysfunction in the body. As an acupuncturist, I find where these blockages are and release them with fine needles, allowing the energy to flow with more ease and ultimately allowing the body to heal.

Would you recommend acupuncture as a regular treatment, as opposed to one addressing an acute need?

I recommend both. Often, a patient comes in for one acute condition, but because acupuncture is a whole-body medicine, they notice a positive change in other areas of their health. I have patients who come regularly for pain management. Acupuncture also promotes deep relaxation by calming the sympathetic nervous system and releasing endorphins, which ultimately is preventive medicine. What are a few of the lesser-known benefits of acupuncture?

Acupuncture is known to benefit overall wellness and relaxation, but it also has been shown to lower blood pressure

The Verdant Maiden’s Julie Connor shares her secrets for living a happy and healthy life 3 8

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and cholesterol over time. It improves the immune system and increases energy levels and mental clarity. One of my favorite secrets is the scar work that I do. Often, people have issues in their bodies that are stemming from scars that impede the flow of energy in the body. I have seen pain, swelling and insomnia all reverse from breaking up scar tissue on a seemingly unrelated scar. What kinds of ailments can acupuncture make a significant impact on?

Acupuncture is really meant to be used holistically, addressing the balance of the entire body. By balancing the body, the system knows how to heal itself. With that in mind, I find that acupuncture is good for almost any health condition. However, the most common ailments I see are pain conditions (chronic or acute injury), anxiety, depression or stress, fertility, headaches, nausea, cancer treatment side effects and menstrual or menopausal symptoms. Does acupuncture have mental wellness benefits?

Acupuncture can make a significant difference in mental health for a few reasons. In modern society, we tend to be in a constant state of fight or flight. Acupuncture allows the patients to come out of that state, putting them in a deeper state of relaxation. This

calming of the nervous system improves mood and emotional regulation and increases feelings of well-being. Additionally, to appear “OK” to the outside world, people often hold their feelings inside, not allowing them to come to the surface, which can cause a lot of emotional and physical issues, including autoimmune disorders. By putting the body in balance and allowing it to relax, these emotions that have been carried around for years can surface and be left behind in the treatment room, allowing the patient to leave the appointment feeling calm, centered and overall lighter.

A graduate with a Master of Science in Acupuncture from Tri-State College of Acupuncture in New York City, Erica Marrero has continued to study and incorporate various techniques, along with reiki, to create her own unique style of acupuncture. Book an appointment with her by visiting touchpointacupuncture.com.

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n osh news

RAW TALENT WRITTEN BY CHRIS SLEEPER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WAYNE CHINNOCK

Master shucker Rick Sorocco’s world is your oyster

ccording to bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell, becoming a master at your craft takes 10,000 hours. But if you ask Rick Sorocco—better known around Nantucket simply as “Rocco”—earning the title of master shucker takes about 100,000—pounds of oysters that is. Rocco and his raw bar team at CRU shuck over 200,000 oysters a season—every single one of them made to order. “It’s all about the three Cs,” he says. “Clean, Cold, and Cut.” Down on Straight Wharf he stands behind a shellfish tower, serving up some of the island’s tastiest bivalves delivered straight from the shell. If shucking an oyster is an art, Rick Sorocco is Rembrandt.

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Growing up on the island, Rocco and his father went clamming every Sunday and scalloping in the fall. His dad used to say, “If you’re gonna dig for ‘em, you’re gonna have to open ‘em too.” He perfected that skill working behind legendary local raw bars like Spanky’s until taking his post at CRU, where he’s been for a decade. “Rocco cares 100 percent of the time, which is something that you can't teach,” says Chef Erin Zircher, co-owner of CRU. “Along with his work ethic and vast knowledge of shellfish, I also get to soak up all of the other wonderful things about him each day.” Sitting at his raw bar is like going to an oyster master class, in which Rocco serves up each perfectly cut oyster with a side of storytelling and shellfish education. While his swiftness with a shucking blade might seem enough to confirm his status, CRU coowner Jane Stoddard insists that Rocco’s mastery goes well beyond the bar: “A master shucker is a passionate raw bar expert with an expansive knowledge of oysters from their growing and harvesting to storing, shucking, and serving them.” And being a true master of the trade doesn’t stop once the shellfish gets slurped. It also comes with social and environmental responsibility that Rocco takes very seriously. He and his raw bar team have been an integral part of Nantucket’s shell recycling program—Shuck it for Nantucket—since its inception in 2014. The program was established by assistant biologist Leah Hill as part of the ongoing town effort, as Hill described, “to supplement the natural populations in Nantucket waters to ensure the fisheries keep going.” Today there are now over thirty restaurants involved with the program whereby all shells from the shucked shellfish return to the harbor for a massive restoration project. Hill says that CRU has contributed significantly to the “oyster renaissance,” which has improved water quality in the harbor by way of oysters’ ability to filter and clean up to fifty gallons of water a day. The shells also provide a habitat for other shellfish, crustaceans, and finfish; stabilize the ocean pH; and act as a buffer against erosion. Rocco and his team are directly responsibly for more than 35 percent of the project’s total restoration, recycling upwards of 20,000 pounds of shells during its busiest summers.

Master shucker Rick Sorocco outside of CRU

Whether behind his raw bar or delivering shells back to the harbor, Rick Sorocco is one of the leaders that makes up the island’s culinary community. With his passion for the little marine mollusk second to none, he is using his position and expertise to educate and better our environment. “New England has such a heritage of oysters and it’s always been my heart and soul,” he says proudly. “They’re a living thing and they deserve respect.” Rick Sorocco with Chef Erin Zircher

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nbuzz NO MANDATORY VAX ON ACK

Most state universities in Massachusetts are requiring students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus, while political leaders are debating whether to impose a vaccine mandate for state employees that interact with the public. No such plans are in the works on Nantucket, where the island’s largest public and private employers say a vaccine mandate is not on the table. Town Manager Libby Gibson and Health Department Director Roberto Santamaria said the

town administration had not discussed the topic in any meaningful way. At White Elephant Resorts, one of the largest private employers on the island, employees are encouraged to get vaccinated, but there is no requirement at the moment, said Khaled Hashem, managing director for hospitality. For Nantucket Cottage Hospital staff, COVID-19 vaccination is also voluntary, not mandatory, as is the policy throughout the Mass General Brigham system.

ISLAND

BUILDING BOOM The

DRIVE-IN

RETURNS

The Dreamland’s drive-in movie theater off Nobadeer Farm Road will be back for an encore. The drive-in was one of the highlights of the pandemic summer of 2020. It was so popular, in fact, that the Dreamland’s GoFundMe campaign to kickstart the project raised more than $185,249, and the nonprofit then sold out every single ticket for the drive-in from the day it opened in early July 2020 through Labor Day. Even with some of the pandemic-related restrictions on indoor movie theaters being lifted, last year’s success spurred the Dreamland to bring the drive-in back in 2021, and the Nantucket Film Festival has already announced part of its programming will take place in June at the drive-in.

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Anyone with a working pair of eyes knows implicitly that the building trades have been going gangbusters on Nantucket over the past ten months. Since the initial pandemic lockdown in March and April 2020 that paused most projects and new construction starts, building activity around the island has skyrocketed, fueled by a record $1.85 billion in real estate transactions last year. Data from the Nantucket Planning & Land Use Services Department, which tracks building permits by fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), shows the island building boom that is underway. Through just two-thirds of the 2021 fiscal year, the estimated dollar value of new permitted building projects is $242.1 million, already matching the previous fiscal year, and on pace to be the biggest year for island construction in at least five years. As one member of the department told the Nantucket Current: “It’s crazy.”

FILM FEST LINEUP

Questlove’s Summer of Soul documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival will open the 26th annual Nantucket Film Festival on June 17th. Festival organizers recently unveiled the programming lineup, which will feature a hybrid format of online and open-air screenings, including this year’s Centerpiece film Playing with Sharks about marine maverick Valerie Taylor from National Geographic Films’ Sally Aitken. The closing night film selection is Coda by Siân Heder, about a hearing child of deaf parents who finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams. Actor Ethan Hawke will be featured in an online conversation about his work in film and novels, as well as New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman on her Practical Magic series of novels. This year’s festival is expanding from six to twelve days for the first time.

NPD PLANS FOR

BODY CAMS Nantucket Police Chief Bill Pittman plans to seek funding to equip his officers with body cameras, the technology that has become a focal point in police reform initiatives across the country. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minnesota and numerous other cases in which video recordings of police interactions, or the lack thereof, have been pivotal, departments nationwide have been adopting the use of body cameras as a tool to both hold officers accountable and

THE

protect them from false complaints. Pittman said he plans to bring the body camera issue forward during the town’s next budget cycle but is also awaiting critical guidance at the state level. The Massachusetts police reform bill signed into law in December calls for the creation of a task force to study body camera regulations. There’s the possibility, he said, that the state could mandate all departments to have body cameras and provide funding for them. “I think that they [body cameras] are soon to be on every police officer after the commission issues its report and recommendation,” Pittman said.

BOX IS BACK

After an extended and unfortunate hiatus prompted by the pandemic, the mid-island institution that is The Chicken Box has returned. When co-owners Packy Norton, Rocky Fox and John Jordin announced via The Box’s Instagram page that their “internationally infamous” dive bar on Dave Street would reopen on May 18th, they stated: “Never wake a sleeping chicken…” The team also shared that the outdoor beer garden they created last summer in The Box’s parking lot would be back again and serviced by a food truck run by the downtown restaurant B-ACK Yard BBQ, owned by Fred Bisaillon and Denise Corson. The Box, which is typically open year-round save for a few weeks over the winter, made the difficult decision last November to shut down for six months as the cold weather moved in and they were still unable to operate indoors due to the state’s COVID-19-related restrictions.

OUTDOOR THEATER AT

BARTLETT’S FARM

Come for the tomatoes, stay for the live theatrical performances. Bartlett’s Farm will be the site of a massive outdoor stage this summer that will host Theatre Workshop of Nantucket’s 65th season of performances. The Select Board unanimously approved TWN’s application for an entertainment license last month. With the uncertainty surrounding indoor performances and the restrictions that may be in place again this summer due to COVID-19, TWN has been searching for an outdoor venue on the island to host performances while also allowing for greater precautions for its attendees. It found a willing partner in Bartlett’s Farm, where it hopes to “build a massive stage” with roughly the same capacity as its normal headquarters in Bennett Hall, said Justin Cerne, TWN’s producing artistic director. “Bartlett’s showed up like a real champion of the arts,” Cerne said. “They’ve been so willing to work with us, and as an organization and as a family, they understand how important theater is and how much it suffered during this trying moment.” TWN’s 2021 season will include performances of Mamma Mia!, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s A Grand Night for Singing, Neil Simon’s London Suite and the holiday-themed Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings.

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n terio rs SPONSORED CONTENT

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1 PACIFICA CORNER SECTIONAL Your outdoor living room beckons with the look of luxury in outdoor wicker that weathers it all. The sectional is shown here with the White Sunbrella® canvas cushion.

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VERACRUZ PILLOW COVER It took over a year to perfect this pillow. A stickler for high performance and high style, Serena & Lily partnered with artisans known for their impeccable craft and the quality of their outdoor textiles. Each delicate palm has been embroidered using a special technique these artisans have mastered, and each pillow has the weatherproof beauty of Sunbrella® fabric.

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N Magazine's resident bookworm Tim Ehrenberg gives his ultimate summer reading list

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FREEDOM BY SEBASTIAN JUNGER

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.

SCAN HERE to connect with @TimTalksBooks

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SCAN HERE to purchase Tim's Need to Reads from Nantucket Book Partners

Small, but mighty. That’s how I would describe Sebastian Junger’s new book. The man can write a good sentence, and this new book is about a primary desire that defines us all—freedom. While we all strive for community and freedom, Junger shows that the two don’t coexist easily. “We value individuality and self-reliance, yet are utterly dependent on community for our most basic needs,” he writes. This is a thoughtprovoking book, one that examines the tension that lies at the heart of what it means to be human.

SURVIVING SAVANNAH BY PATTI CALLAHAN

NANTUCKET BOOK FESTIVAL PRESENTS JUNETEENTH

On June 14, 1838, an explosion on board the American steamship Pulaski caused her to sink 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina with the loss of two-thirds of her crew and passengers—many of Savannah’s elite. It has become known as the “Titanic of the South” but I had never heard of it. Patti Callahan has written such an immersive novel about the disaster as well as a present-day storyline involving a museum exhibit about the calamity. Surviving Savannah is a perfect example of great historical fiction: In writing and reading about the past we discover something about the present.

Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States. This year the Nantucket Book Festival has gathered five dynamic writers for a virtual event to discuss the importance of Juneteenth. Mitchell Jackson (Survival Math), Clint Smith (How the Word Is Passed), Imani Perry (Breathe), Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) and Dr. Keisha N. Blain (Set the World on Fire and co-editor of Four Hundred Souls) will sit down and discuss the importance of this day. These five books are all powerful exposés on contemporary America’s legacy of slavery but also offer us hope for a better, more inclusive future. Check nantucketbookfestival.org for more information about this event.

GOLDEN GIRL BY ELIN HILDERBRAND Summer doesn’t begin until you have the new Elin Hilderbrand book in your beach bag. Golden Girl is classic Elin, but with a twist. The main character, best-selling author Vivian Howe, is hit and killed by a car in the first chapter and then watches her loved ones from above for the summer, learning their secrets while they learn hers and how to live without their “golden girl.” This novel is for anyone who has lost a loved one and thinks they are still with you. It’s funny and tugs on some heart strings, but ultimately is a hopeful book. It’s a beach read like no other and is sure to please all of the #Hilderbabes.

THE GUNCLE BY STEVEN ROWLEY I lost my sister to cancer four years ago. I’m also a guncle to her children, my nieces Savannah and Leah, and my nephew, Logan. This novel by Steven Rowley is about Patrick (Gay Uncle Patrick, GUP for short; I guess that makes me GUT), a once-famous gay sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew for the summer. This book might resonate deeply for me, but I know everyone who picks it up this summer will be sure to love it. Packed with heart and humor, The Guncle is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience and family in even the most trying of times.

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WRITTEN BY JASON GRAZIADEI PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Agent Change Meet the Town of Nantucket’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director, Kimal McCarthy

ike the rest of the country, Nantucket has been grappling with the issue of racism. While some might have been oblivious to the undercurrent of discrimination that exists on the island, the horrific defacing of the African Meeting House in March 2018 laid bare the racism many island residents encounter on a regular basis. In the aftermath of social justice protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, and in light of the unsolved crime at the African Meeting House, the Town of Nantucket recently created a director position to address these issues from within municipal government. “Nantucket has never been a racist town,” says Kimal McCarthy, the Town of Nantucket’s first diversity, equity, and inclusion director. “If you check out Nantucket’s history, and people like Absalom Boston and an all-Black crew

“Nantucket has never been a racist town. If you check out Nantucket’s history, and people like Absalom Boston and an all-Black crew going whaling and coming back to invest in the community, it’s always been a welcoming place.” — Kimal McCarthy

going whaling and coming back to invest in the community, it’s always been a welcoming place.” Yet at the same time, McCarthy acknowledged the inherent contradictions between that legacy of tolerance and his own experience growing up on the island. Nantucket is the only place McCarthy has lived where he’s “frequently” been called the N-word. “Yes, there is still work to do,” he says. “There will always be work to do.” And now that work is squarely on his shoulders.

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rom his new office on the first floor of the Nantucket Town & County Building on Broad Street, McCarthy has a view of the downtown streets where he grew up. In his first few weeks on the job, he has been listening, learning and attempting to establish what is a completely new role within town government. As the diversity, equity, and inclusion director, McCarthy will be responsible for implementing new diversity training and awareness programs and promoting equity and inclusion within the town workforce and its governing boards and committees, while also serving as the town’s liaison to the community. “I want to make sure everyone has a voice at the table,” McCarthy said, pointing to Nantucket’s elected government boards and committees that clearly do not represent the diversity of the island’s year-round population. “It will only spark better ideas and better innovation for what we want our community “I want to make sure everyone has a voice at the table. It will only spark to look like in the future.” better ideas and better innovation In his new position, for what we want our community to McCarthy was immedilook like in the future.” ately plugged into the town’s “cabinet”-level meetings, — Kimal McCarthy which include department leaders from across the municipal government. Among his first observations was that he was one of only two BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) individuals in attendance. The group has been very welcoming, he said, but again, it is not representative of the population it serves. Over the past twenty years, the demographics of Nantucket’s year-round population have changed dramatically, with an influx of immigrants from Central America, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean nations arhis local experience and connections to the new role. riving to find work and establishing a foothold despite He will have the opportunity to prioritize diversity the high cost of living. McCarthy himself represents that in training and hiring across all town departments, as demographic shift, having come to Nantucket from Jawell as work with the same schools that provided his maica with his family during his teenage years. Today, his own educational foundation, one that he lauds debrother Kadeem works at the town’s Planning and Land spite the lack of diversity among faculty. “I’ve been Use Services office, while his mother works at Our Island pretty lucky to have teachers who just believed in me Home, Nantucket’s skilled nursing facility. as an individual,” McCarthy said. “I do think there McCarthy, who attended middle school on the isis something special to having someone who looks land and graduated from Nantucket High School, brings

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like you and can understand the shoes you are walking in and help advance you in your own career. But I had a great education [on Nantucket].” Among his first initiatives will be a listening tour across the island, to hear as many different voices and perspectives on diversity issues as possible. It’s a project he believes may require different approaches depending on the audience, and perhaps, the age of those he’s hearing from. “Millennials and Gen Z want change tomorrow,

and I personally know that that’s not going to happen… that change doesn’t happen like that,” McCarthy said. “Whereas an older person, or someone from an older generation, may see this position as just affirmative action in sheep’s clothing, and I don’t think that’s the case either. So it’s a matter of having a balance, hearing different voices and realizing that one person cannot solve these issues and two focus groups won’t either. This is going to be ongoing.”

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BAND WRITTEN BY JOSH GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

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How Floyd Kellogg became Nantucket’s resident music man

aking it as a professional musician is difficult even in the best of times. Making it in the midst of a pandemic, with music venues shuttered indefinitely, sounds next to impossible. Yet local musician Floyd Kellogg has always been a bit of a rarity. A jack-of-all-trades music man, Kellogg switches from sound engineer, to multi-instrumentalist, to session player, to songwriter, to composer, to producer with the ease of an old bluesman picking through a solo. Indeed, Kellogg’s ability to improvise has enabled him to not only survive over the last year—but thrive. Prior to the pandemic, Kellogg could be found playing in a half dozen bands around the island. One day, he’d be ripping electric guitar solos at the Rose & Crown for the rock band Buckle & Shake, the next he could be laying down reggae riffs with the Foggy Roots outfit at the brewery or hammering the bass at the Box with Lance Mountain. Off Nantucket, Kellogg toured with the nationally renowned band Andy Frasco and the U.N. All the while, between gigs, in the airports and on the road, Kellogg worked away on his laptop scoring soundtracks for a variety of films and television networks like Showtime and A&E.

“

t’s always been about playing a better show, being better,” said Kellogg, who also serves as the studio engineer as well as music production and beat-making instructor at the Nantucket Community Music Center. “It’s shutting the door on the last thing you did and keep moving forward to the next one.” The pandemic prompted Kellogg to spend more time creating and composing music for various film projects as well as performing in recording sessions for a variety of musical endeavors around the country. More locally, he collaborated with Nantucket-based artists recording their debut albums while also co-producing, recording and engineering the first season of The Dreamland’s high-definition, recorded music series Dreamland Live Sessions. Part of Kellogg’s magic is his mastery of multiple instruments, from electric guitar, to drums, to his first love of the bass. He began playing bass at ten years old, which led to drum lessons and then forming a handful of bands in his hometown of Newtown, Connecticut. By fourteen, Kellogg was booking gigs all over New England, including in roadhouses and overtwenty-one clubs where his parents needed to chaperone him.

"IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT PLAYING A BETTER SHOW, BEING BETTER.” — Floyd Kellogg

He joined the school band, discovered jazz and got his start in music theory. Manning the upright acoustic bass, Kellogg performed at such a high level that when it came time for college, he had his choice of top music schools like Oberlin and the Berklee College of Music in Boston. “I guess I was about as proficient as a high school kid could be,” he admitted, “but that’s all I ever wanted to do.” He ultimately decided to stay close to home and attend the University of Connecticut where he studied classical percussion, jazz drumming and bass. During those four years, Kellogg’s

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raw talent congealed with a formal education in music. “I wouldn’t trade my schooling for anything,” he said. “Even though I’ve been in rock bands ever since, rock doesn’t come at music from a place of theory. Rock may be more visceral, but understanding music theory is a way of understanding and explaining a lot of what music actually is.”

“CERTAIN RECORDING SESSIONS CAN MAKE YOUR HAIR STAND ON END...TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THAT FEELING FOR MYSELF AND FOR OTHER PEOPLE, I THINK THAT’S WHERE I FIND THE PASSION FOR WHAT I DO.” — Floyd Kellogg

With that solid foundation, Kellogg dove headlong into the rock scene with his first major band called Adios Pantalones. “We had tours, merch, a van, a bank account, the whole thing,” he recalled. “We got to play big festivals and it was our music, all based on our own ideas.” This was also how he discovered Nantucket, coming out during summers to play gigs at the Chicken Box. He quickly made friends on the island and met his fiancée, local designer Audrey Sterk, whom—perhaps not surprisingly—Kellogg later started a trio band with called You Scream, I Scream. In the years since, Kellogg and Sterk have built a life together on Nantucket with their nine-year-old son Van (a rock’n’roll name if there ever was one). Much of his time is now spent in the recording booth of Nantucket Community Music Center mixing tracks or working with a wide variety of local and visiting musicians. While always looking for his next great project or memorable collaboration, Kellogg said his work with his students and local musicians is deeply fulfilling to his life as an artist. “Certain recording sessions can make your hair stand on end,” he said. “It can be rare when it happens, but it’s amazing when it does. To be able to create that feeling for myself and for other people, I think that’s where I find the passion for what I do.”

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FREEDOM

WRITERS WRITTEN BY ROBERT COCUZZO

The Nantucket Book Festival commemorates Juneteenth with a powerful author panel

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n less than a decade, the Nantucket Book Festival (NBF) has become one of the most highly regarded literary events in the country, not only landing on the bucket lists of readers, writers and publishers alike, but also breaking into pop culture with recent references in such mainstream sitcoms as ABC’s Home Economics. The grassroots festival’s success is a combination of an impressive lineup of authors and visionary leadership that thoughtfully crafts its programming as a reflection of the times. Last year, the festival was the first on the island to commit to virtual events amid the pandemic, enlisting the expertise of former CNN producer Michael Schulder to create the popular At Home With Authors digital series. This year, while continuing to remain virtual, the NBF has made the national discussion on race a programming centerpiece with its Juneteenth discussion to be held live on June 17th at 7:00 p.m. “Our event seeks to amplify voices that speak to the systemic issues of race in America, the Black Lives Matter movement and how Juneteenth might magnify our concerns—and our hopes—for America,” said NBF co-founder Mary Haft. “We have gathered a powerhouse panel of writers—a dynamic group of voices that matter to be in conversation about this marking of emancipation from slavery and the beginnings of freedom.” Celebrated on June 19th, Juneteenth marks the formal liberation of slaves in Galveston,

Texas, where slavery had persisted for two and a half long years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. “Two hundred fifty thousand slaves either lived in Texas or were brought to the state as the last holdout for a system of inhumanity,” explained Haft. Their final liberation came when Major General Gordon Granger led two thousand Union troops into Galveston on June 19, 1865, and declared the freeing of those still in bondage, thus marking the final end of slavery in the United States. More than a century and a half later, the NBF’s panel will examine the significance of Juneteenth as well as the state of race in America through the eyes of some of the country’s leading historians, authors and activists. “Writer Mitchell Jackson has been the guiding light for this Juneteenth Nantucket Book Festival event,” said Haft, who became acquainted with the author in her other role as the longtime vice president of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. “He has brought four stars into alignment for this panel, four singular voices that, along with Mitchell, feel like we are creating our own planetary system of intelligence.”

“Writer Mitchell Jackson has been the guiding light for this Juneteenth Nantucket Book Festival event. He has brought four stars into alignment for this panel, four singular voices that, along with Mitchell, feel like we are creating our own planetary system of intelligence.” — Mary Haft, Nantucket Book Festival co-founder Mitchell Jackson N - M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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FREEDOM WRITERS

Dr. Keisha N. Blain

The award-winning author of Survival Math and The Residue Years, Jackson overcame staggering odds to become one of the country’s prominent thought leaders. Today, he is a professor at the University of Chicago and a highly sought-after speaker around the country. “Without doubt, Juneteenth should be a federal holiday,” Jackson wrote last June in a devastating recounting of the final days of slavery for Harper’s Bazaar. “It’s hypocritical for this nation to acknowledge the Fourth of July and not Juneteenth. There were more than 500,000 enslaved Black people at the time Jefferson penned, ‘All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ If those words aren’t the utmost hypocrisy to people of African descent in this country, then please tell me what is?” Joining Jackson on the book festival’s virtual dais will be Keisha N. Blain, Imani Perry, Deesha Philyaw and Clint Smith. Since receiving a Ph.D. from Princeton University five years ago, Blain has emerged as one of the most dynamic historians in the country,

as evidenced in her award-winning 2018 book Set the World on Fire as well as her most recent No. 1 New York Times bestseller Four Hundred Souls, which she edited with Ibram X. Kendi. Imani Perry brings an equally impressive resume as a historian, having received a Ph.D. from Harvard in American Studies, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from Yale College. She now serves as the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University where she has penned five critically acclaimed books. Meanwhile, Yale-educated writer Deesha Philyaw is the author of the celebrated short-story collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, which was released last year and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction and the winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction last month. Capping this remarkable panel is Clint Smith, a staff writer at The Atlantic whose poetry collection Counting Descent has earned a number of awards and recognitions and whose nar-

Deesha Philyaw

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rative nonfiction book How the Word Is Passed is newly available this month. Together, these historians, authors and activists will give voice to a critical moment in American history. “This is a time of reckoning in America,” said Haft. “And Nantucket is no different than the rest of the world: This is a moment to listen, to learn.” Over the course of the hourlong discussion, Jackson, Blain, Perry, Philyaw and Smith will examine the broader historical significance of Juneteenth, how it fits in the context of contemporary America and to perhaps emphasize, as Blain has noted, Black history is American history. “Our Juneteenth panel is a continuation of work begun ten years ago,” Haft concluded. “We have spent ten years bringing diverse voices to our annual book festival and, critically, bringing those voices into our island schools through our NBF Visiting Author Pro-

Clint Smith

gram.” She added, “The championing of all kinds of voices, through all kinds of works—fiction, nonfiction and poetry—is a way to enlarge our worlds. If this conversation moves the needle a little bit towards a greater sense of shared humanity, that would be our hope.”

Imani Perry

The Nantucket Book Festival’s Juneteenth discussion will be held at 7:00 p.m. on June 17th. Register for the free event at NantucketBookFestival.org.

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TOO MUCH OF A

GOOD

THING? WRITTEN BY JASON GRAZIADEI

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN SAGER

THE DEBATE OVER THE ISLAND’S CONSERVATION LAND

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t feels almost sacrilegious to ask the question: Does Nantucket already have enough conservation land? More than 50 percent of the island is now permanently protected from development thanks to the movement to preserve land on Nantucket that began in the 1960s and succeeded beyond all expectations. Today, island residents and visitors enjoy thousands of acres of pristine open space, huge tracts of critical wildlife habitat have been preserved in perpetuity, and Nantucket’s vast natural beauty has helped it become one of the most attractive destinations on the East Coast, if not the world. vation of half our island’s acreage?” Mohr said. “I But some believe the conservation juggernaut said I was going to throw it out and start a conversahas tipped the scales and manipulated the market in tion. Boy it worked.” a way that has unintentionally contributed to and acThe response to Mohr’s citizen petition, and celerated another crisis Nantucket is experiencing. the question it inherently asks—do we already have With half the island now permanently off the market, enough conservation land?—has been a resounding they say the law of supply and demand in real esno. At least so far. The proposal has galvanized the tate has created an affordable housing nightmare that island’s conservation groups and their supporters, leaves few, if any, options for Nantucket’s working even prompting the Nantucket Conservation Founclass. The median home price eclipsed $2.5 million dation—the private nonprofit that is the largest ownin 2020. And there are only a small handful of homes er of conservation land on the island—to take a rare available for under $1 million, while the rental marpolitical stance on the issue. ket is as tight and expensive as ever. “The Nantucket Conservation Foundation strongSo some island housing advocates are indeed ly supports the original charter of the Nantucket Isasking those delicate questions: Does the island alland Land Bank and is strongly against any attempts ready have enough conservation land? Is it time for to modify its intent,” the organization stated in a posisome of the energy and resources that for so long tion paper released earlier this year. The Land Bank have been dedicated to open space acquisition to be itself has published op-eds and distributed new stickrefocused on the affordable housing crisis? ers that read “Preserve the Land Bank,” while the isThey have set their sights on the Nantucket land’s elected and appointed officials on the Select Land Bank, the first-in-the-nation public agency esBoard and Finance Committee have both weighed in tablished in 1983 to fund open space preservation strongly against Mohr’s proposal. “I think we can do through a 2 percent real estate transfer tax. Since both,” Nantucket Land Bank Executive Director Eric then, the Land Bank has spent nearly $350 million to Savetsky said of generating funding for conservation acquire and protect 3,800 acres on Nantucket. Last and affordable housing. “I don’t think we have to year alone, amid a record-breaking year for island hurt one to help the other.” real estate sales, the Land Bank amassed a war chest With nearly four thousand acres being managed of more than $35 million. by the Land Bank, Savetsky said, about half of the orThe windfall got island housing advocate Brooke ganization’s annual revenue goes to operating costs, Mohr thinking and set the wheels in motion for her maintaining its properties and debt service, with the citizen petition that would reallocate 25 percent of remaining half dedicated toward land acquisition. In the Land Bank’s revenue from real estate transfers accordance with its original charter, the Land Bank for affordable housing projects over a twenty-year also manages a host of recreational and agricultural period. “My thinking was, really, to stir the pot, to properties, in addition to the Miacomet Golf Course. ask the fundamental question—knowing no comThe warrant article, if approved, would slash that munity has unlimited resources—is it appropriate to acquisition budget in half, Savetsky said, since the revisit something that’s been in place for a long time, other expenses are financial obligations that are eshad huge success, but impacted the access to housing sentially baked in. for year-rounders in a negative way through conser-

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“Back in the days when we developed the concept for the Land Bank, we thought there’s going to come a time when people say ‘do we really need this anymore or let’s divert this cash to some other worthy purpose?’ None of these questions are easily answered.” — Bill Klein

still at a criti“ Wcale’retime,” Savetsky

said. “We’re looking at buying critical parcels. Maybe in five to ten years we ask is there anything left to buy? But it’s hard to imagine when that is. And it’s not now.” During its review of the proposal, the Nantucket Finance Committee received more than 120 letters from citizens in opposition. “We believe the trade-off should not be conservation vs. affordable housing,” the committee members wrote in their negative motion to Town Meeting voters, who will consider the proposal as Article 97 on June 5. Nevertheless, Mohr and a group of housing advocates have remained steadfast. Many of the islanders who may quietly support their proposal, they say, are too busy working to pay their rent or mortgage to write letters and attend meetings. But they’re out there. The crisis in conservation is over, they say. It’s time to declare victory. “I’ve been saying it: We do have enough [conservation land],” says island resident Peter Hoey, a supporter of Mohr’s petition. “In 2003, having taken all the vacant property, I think the Land Bank should have popped the champagne, taken a victory lap and become less active in the market. From that point on, they went from being part of the solution to being part of the problem. At this point, housing is so much more of a critical need to the island than open spaces.” In the early 1980s, when Nantucket’s Planning Department first contemplated the idea for what would become the Land Bank, the thought of having enough or even too much conservation land seemed far-fetched. But it’s a scenario then Planning Director Bill Klein con-

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Neil Paterson, the chairman of the elected five-person Land Bank Commission

templated might eventually come. “It’s a very interesting topic, and one that we kind of guessed would come up at this point,” Klein said from his home on Fair Street. He’s been out of local politics for years, but as one of the architects of the original legislation that created the Land Bank, he’s still following the issue closely. “Back in the days when we developed the concept for the Land Bank, we thought there’s going to come a time when people say, ‘Do we really need this anymore?’ or ‘Let’s divert this cash to some other worthy purpose.’ None of these questions are easily answered.” Klein says part of the answer lies in the “holding capacity” for Nantucket under existing zoning regulations, sometimes called a buildout analysis. The most recent analysis for the island—completed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute students in 2018—included a hypothetical “max buildout” scenario that showed the potential for 5,461 new dwellings, or 52 percent total growth. The town’s Planning & Land Use Services Department is preparing for a new buildout analysis this year.

“If we assume everything gets built out, how many houses will that be? What are the shopping lines at the Stop & Shop going to look like when we’re built out? What’s the backup at Sparks Avenue and Surfside Road look like when we’re built out?” Klein asked. “There’s all these public costs that have to be paid for, and the quality of life.” Neil Paterson, the chairman of the elected five-person Land Bank Commission, which determines new land acquisitions, suggested housing advocates should be proposing to add half a percent to the existing Land Bank transfer fee for affordable housing projects, rather than trying to take something away. The island has the capacity and the advocacy to find funding for both priorities, he said, adding, “It’s not either or, or black or white; we can do both together. The two causes are very unfortunately being pitted against each other.” Opponents of Mohr’s petition also point to numerous other ongoing efforts to address Nantucket’s affordable housing crisis that wouldn’t cost the Land Bank any funding. While the long-discussed Housing Bank legislation, which would mimic the Land Bank transfer fee but place the tax on sellers, rather than buyers, remains stalled in Boston, the town has taken steps toward directing more resources toward affordable housing projects in recent years. In 2019, Town Meeting voters approved the so-called Neighborhood First petition, which allocated $20 million in taxpayer dollars toward affordable workforce housing inventory. Properties on Orange Street and

Fairgrounds Road have been acquired with those funds, and housing plans are in the works with the local nonprofit Housing Nantucket. The town is also developing municipal land at 6 Fairgrounds Road that will eventually include sixty-four units of rental apartments, twenty single family residences, as well as seasonal dormitory style housing that could accommodate roughly fifty seasonal employees. Meanwhile, Town Meeting voters will consider another $7.5 million in taxpayer funding for affordable housing initiatives at this year’s Annual Town Meeting. All while several other major private housing projects with some affordable units—Richmond Great Point off Old South Road and Surf-

land. We’ve got to buy land and then build houses on it, and people think we’re going to do that with $25 million? They’ve had $400 million,” Mohr said. “Not everyone has the time and resources to take advantage of open spaces the way some of us do. The people working three jobs to pay rent are not walking trails or taking care of beach access. But I don’t know too many business owners who could run their business without employees and the economy that serves people playing golf and vacationing here. It’s hard for me to comprehend a community that is so reliant on each other because of our geography, and always talks about how amazing it is, but we still haven’t found a way to

(Left to right) Renee Ceely, Executive Director of Nantucket Housing Authority; Brooke Mohr, vice chair of Nantucket Affordable Housing Trust; Peter Hoey; Beth Ann Meehan, loan officer Cape Cod 5; Anne Kuszpa, Executive Director of Housing Nantucket

“The Land Bank is just buying land. We’ve got to buy land and then build houses on it, and people think we’re going to do that with $25 million? They’ve had $400 million.” — Brooke Mohr

side Crossing off South Shore Road—are under construction or in the works. Even so, Mohr says, those investments pale in comparison to the scale of the problem the island faces when it comes to housing. “The Land Bank is just buying

solve this crisis as a priority for all of us, in the same way we saw the conservation movement as a good thing for all of us. It’s frustrating. It’s demoralizing.” Island voters will decide the fate of Mohr’s petition at the 2021 Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, June 5.

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n vestigate WRITTEN BY JASON GRAZIADEI PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN SAGER

POISONOUS PONDS? ISLAND RESEARCHERS DISCOVER A TOXIC ALGAE BLOOM CAN BECOME AIRBORNE

he phrase “Very Fast Death Factor” may sound straight out of a horror movie or science fiction book, but in fact it’s a very real nickname for a dangerous neurotoxin produced by algal blooms in some of Nantucket’s ponds. Not only was this “Very Fast Death Factor,” aka anatoxin-a (ATX), discovered in the waters of Capaum Pond along the island’s north shore, but scientists from the Nantucket Land Council recently discovered for the first time that it can become airborne under certain circumstances. “ATX is one of the more dangerous cyanotoxins produced by harmful algal blooms, which are becoming more predominant in lakes and ponds worldwide due to global warming and climate change,” said Dr. James Sutherland of the Nantucket Land Council, the lead author of the research on Capaum Pond published in April by the peerreviewed journal Lake and Reservoir Management.

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RJ Turcotte, resource ecologist for the Nantucket Land Council collecting samples at Capaum Pond

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conducting water quality monitoring of island ponds for more than ten years, along with the town’s Natural Resources Department. Turcotte’s team has been focused on Capaum Pond and Gibbs Pond in the moors “The harmful algae bloom because both have had trouis really serious and has ble with nutrient loading and harmful algal blooms over been for a few years.” the years. — Karen Beattie They had a hunch that the bloom in Capaum Pond that was producing ATX might result in the neurotoxin becoming airborne under the right conditions. Over several months in 2019, the Land Council researchers set up aerosol samplers around the pond with special filters, and after that windy September night that island’s ponds. was followed by fog, the team collected “The harmful the filters and sent them off to a lab in algae bloom is really Florida to be processed for toxins. A few serious and has been weeks later, Turcotte got the results back for a few years,” said and realized the discovery they had made. Nantucket Conserva“We were surprised and it was defition Foundation Dinitely exciting to see,” Turcotte said. “It rector of Science and helped to propel us into the next part of Stewardship Karen it—which is how do we address it?” Beattie. “We’re just Part of that answer is the managelucky that the public ment approach being undertaken by can’t access the pond the Nantucket Conservation Foundaso easily.” tion with the alum and algaecide apCapaum Pond is a special case. Take plications, a plan the Nantucket Cona look at it from Google Earth’s satellite servation Commission approved on view, and you’ll immediately notice its April 22. Another part of the answer color looks different from Nantucket’s could come with the Land Council’s other ponds. “The bloom is so bad you outreach to homeowners around Cacan see it from space,” said RJ Turcotte, paum Pond regarding their land-use resource ecologist for the Nantucket practices to address the nutrient loadLand Council. Turcotte was part of the ing in the pond on a watershed scale to team that published the research on Caimprove water quality. paum Pond. The Land Council has been concern, and plans are in the works to take a more active approach in addressing the toxic algal blooms that have become more common in some of the

he groundbreaking research made a splash in the science world, not just because of the toxin’s sensationalized nickname, but because it was the first time it had been discovered in trace amounts in the air. The detection occurred on a foggy September day following a windy night on the banks of Capaum Pond, the island’s original harbor and the location of the first English settlement on Nantucket. Researchers believe the conditions that night allowed the toxin to be blown from the surface of the water and remain in the air due to the fog. Now, don’t be too alarmed. Unless you take a gulp of pond water spiked with the bluegreen algae, it’s unlikely that “Very Fast Death Factor” poses significant risk to humans. While the toxin can cause neurological symptoms as well as respiratory paralysis, and has been known to kill livestock and wildlife that drink contaminated water, there have been no documented cases of such incidents on the island. But the declining health of Capaum Pond and others on Nantucket due to excessive nutrient loading is cause for

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“Even the EPA doesn’t have guidelines for if a toxin like that is inhaled. How far will it carry? Is there a safe distance if it becomes aerosolized? What if you live next to the ponds and get exposed to a low dose for years? Those are the questions we're trying to address." — RJ Turcotte

But in the short term, what is the risk to humans with “Very Fast Death Factor” becoming airborne around the pond? “That’s the fascinating detail of this—we don’t know yet,” Turcotte said. “Even the EPA doesn’t have guidelines for if a toxin like that is inhaled. How far will it carry? Is there a safe distance if it becomes aerosolized? What if you live next to the ponds and get exposed to a low dose for years? Those are the questions we’re trying to address. We’re in the infancy of learning how all this works, how the chemistry works and how it travels through the environment.”

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ONE WRITTEN BY ROBERT COCUZZO & BRUCE A. PERCELAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN SAGER

The Community Foundation for Nantucket strengthens the island’s safety net during its greatest time of need

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hile the coronavirus has exposed vulnerabilities in the human body, the pandemic at large has revealed vulnerabilities within entire communities that have gone unseen and untreated for far too long. On Nantucket, no other organization has diagnosed this more precisely than the Community Foundation for Nantucket (CFN), which has served as a safety net for the island’s many nonprofits since 2005. “We witnessed needs expand exponentially, literally overnight,” said Margaretta Andrews, CFN’s longtime executive director. “The pandemic taught us that Nantucket is a highly vulnerable environment that’s not immune to the hardships that impact the mainland and the rest of the country.” Within days of the pandemic gripping the island and shuttering local businesses, Andrews and her team launched a multipronged rescue mission that continues to this day.

(Left to Right) Carlisle Jensen, CFN Development and Program Officer; Diana Harrison, CFN Office Manager; Margaretta Andrews, CFN Executive Director; Jeanne Miller, CFN Program Director

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little over a year later, CFN began analyzing the lessons learned about the needs of the island. The statistics are bewildering. Food insecurity exploded by 600 percent, with the number of families registered at the Nantucket Food Pantry growing by more than 650 since 2019. Likewise, the demand for rental assistance soared by a staggering 400 percent. “Electricity, oil and other fuel bills went unpaid,” explained Jeanne Miller, CFN’s program director. “Insurance policies lapsed. Car payments were missed. Physical health care needs went unattended. Mental health care demand and substance abuse

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grew steadily.” Indeed, other grim statistics emerged, as A Safe Place reported an increase in domestic violence and sexual abuse calls by 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively. “As sectors of the island economy closed or became restricted, jobs were lost in retail, construction, landscaping and restaurants,” described Geoff Verney, CFN’s board president. “All workers who could not work ‘virtually’ were affected. Income was lost that could not be made up for later in the season.” Meanwhile other segments of the island’s workforce not only lost their income, but were also ineligible for any federal assistance. As

a last resort, the Immigration Resource Center became a financial life raft for many people working on Nantucket who could not receive a stimulus check from the government due to their citizenship status. Addressing these daunting and complex challenges, CFN developed an innovative strategy that matched the generosity of its donors with emerging programs to meet the community’s needs in real time. On the food front, for instance, CFN established the Nantucket Fund for Emergency Relief – Food Initiative, which provided more than 15,000 meals by partnering with local restaurants that were reimbursed by CFN for meals they prepared for those in need. In total, CFN

created eleven partnerships that targeted the emerging food crisis on the island, from championing the Food Pantry to delivering hot meals directly to seniors’ homes. The initiative was complemented by a CFN fund, which was created to support the partnership between Island Kitchen and the Nantucket Public Schools. Island Kitchen deployed its food trucks to help prepare breakfast and lunch for students who depended on the schools for those meals. The lifeblood of these efforts was extraordinary donations. Immediately after establishing the Nantucket Fund for Emergency Relief with a $100,000 grant, CFN secured two matching grants of $250,000 from

ReMain Nantucket and from an anonymous donor. Another $250,000 came in from the McCausland Foundation, which was specifically earmarked for community health. Do-

has been distributed to thirty-five island organizations. Leading the grant-making effort, Jeanne Miller and her team followed a three-phase approach, beginning by targeting

“The pandemic taught us that Nantucket is a highly vulnerable environment that’s not immune to the hardships that impact the mainland and the rest of the country.” — Margaretta Andrews

nations snowballed throughout the summer and into the fall and winter. Within a year, $2.9 million had been raised by nearly five hundred donors, two hundred of whom had never given to CFN before. “These numbers were astonishing and beyond our wildest expectations,” said CFN Development Officer Carlisle Jensen. “In a typical year, the Nantucket Fund raises just over $500,000 through two hundred gifts.” As quickly as the funds came in they were distributed. To date, $2.7 million

organizations that addressed critical health and human services, then supporting those nonprofits that provided essential community services by disinfecting their spaces and supplying PPE, and finally awarding operational grants to nonprofits that had been struggling to survive during the pandemic. From helping create a reimbursement program for therapists to treat patients for free through the National Alliance on Mental Illness, to providing grants to the Immigration Resource Center to meet some of the basic needs of the community’s most

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vulnerable population, the three-phase approach brought dramatic relief to many families’ everyday lives. Just last month, a widowed single mother of two teenage children had to be medevacked to Massachusetts General Hospital due to her battle with COVID-19. Though her condition gradually improved in Boston, doctors needed to keep her on the mainland until she

fully recovered. Meanwhile back on Nantucket, the struggling mother’s rent was due. “Because of the Emergency Relief Fund’s generosity, Housing Nantucket was able to provide this family with full rent relief,” said Anne Kuszpa from Housing Nantucket. “I can't tell you how relieved she sounded when we were able to tell her not to worry about her rent for the month and to just focus on her recovery.” While CFN has plans to soon retire the Nantucket Fund for Emergency Relief and transition its efforts back to the Nantucket Fund, Andrews and her team insist

“Nantucketers should be exceedingly proud of their enormously generous response to the pandemic, and we hope to see that support continue through donations to the Nantucket Fund.” — Margaretta Andrews

that many unknown needs of the community that were exposed by the pandemic remain. “Families will need at least a full season of work to ‘return to normal,’” she said. “We expect food insecurity to persist and a surge of rental assistance requests this coming fall.” But through the Nantucket Fund, CFN will stay vigilant in meeting the needs of the community wherever they exist. “Nantucketers should be exceedingly proud of their enormously generous response to the pandemic, and we hope to see that support continue through donations to the Nantucket Fund,” concluded Andrews. “The Community Foundation is honored to continue to play a role supporting our island community in its time of need.”

To contribute to the Nantucket Fund, visit https://cfnan.org/giving/give-now/ nantucket-fund/ or scan the Flowcode here.

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WRITTEN BY ROBERT COCUZZO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN SAGER

arli Stahl possesses an uncommon kind of positivity. With her radiant smile and upbeat attitude, the mother of two gives off an undeniable effervescence when you’re in her orbit. This warm presence, along with an exquisite eye for detail, has helped Stahl become one of the most sought-after interior designers on Nantucket where she and her builder-husband Chip have created some of the most striking homes. Yet what makes Stahl’s positivity so remarkable is that it shines through a dark personal cloud that most people on Nantucket are completely unaware of.

LIFE’S DESIGN The perseverance of Nantucket resident Karli Stahl

Six years ago, Stahl was diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer. The news was utterly shocking. As a long-distance runner who prided herself in leading a healthy lifestyle, Stahl wasn’t overly concerned when she went in for a colonoscopy after noticing blood in her stool. Yet when she awoke from the procedure, the doctor standing in front of her couldn’t hide the look of dread in his face. He had discovered a very large mass—so large, he said, that he could just about guarantee that it was cancer. “I was totally blindsided,” Stahl said. Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital later confirmed that she had colorectal cancer—stage three. “That’s when I started getting really scared.”

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tahl immediately underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy. She then moved to Boston to undergo eight weeks of radiation. “That was really tough because my kids were little at the time and I had to be away from them,” she said. Stahl returned to Nantucket and spent the summer recovering so that she could undergo surgery in September to remove part of her colon. Lying in the hospital bed fixed with a colostomy bag that she would need for the next eight weeks as she recovered, Stahl was told by the doctors that the surgery had been a success. Unfortunately, that positive news only lasted for as long as it took for the pathology report to come back, which revealed that all fourteen lymph nodes surgeons had removed tested positive for cancer.

Flexing her positive mindset was a decision Stahl made from the very beginning when she told her children about her diagnosis. While committing to being fully transparent with them, she also realized that her children—and her friends for that matter—were looking to her for cues on how they should process the experience. “My mantra is that the only thing I can control is my attitude and I’ve chosen to be positive,” she explained. “There’s data that shows that positivity promotes healing, so I don’t accept negativity.” She added, “I’m essentially living everyone’s worst nightmare. Everyone fears cancer. But if you look at me, you’d never know what I’m going through.” Staying positive in even the best of circumstances is a challenge for most people. Stahl was able to do so in the

“I’M ESSENTIALLY LIVING EVERYONE’S WORST NIGHTMARE. EVERYONE FEARS CANCER. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT ME, YOU’D NEVER KNOW WHAT I’M GOING THROUGH.” — Karli Stahl

More and more rounds of chemo and radiation followed, throughout which Stahl continued working. “I didn’t bring it up to my clients unless I had to,” she said. “Because I didn’t want them to think that I wasn’t up for the task.” Indeed, Stahl kept her cancer treatment relatively quiet, only telling her inner circle of friends and doing so with her trademark optimism. In fact, when she first broke the news to them during a dinner at Pi Pizzeria, Stahl’s positivity was so convincing that pretty soon they were all laughing. Noticing the commotion, Pi’s owner, Maria Marley, came over to their table and asked what they were celebrating. “Oh, Stahl has got cancer!” one of Karli’s friends blurted out.

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face of a grim cancer diagnosis, thanks to her husband Chip, who helped bolster her mindset. “We’ve been together for thirty years,” she said. “We were high school sweethearts, went to two proms together…he knows me better than anyone. And he’s an eternal optimist.” That’s not to say Stahl doesn’t grapple with the grim realities of her situation. “Every day it’s constantly on my mind,” she said. “There are days that I think about when I am going to die or I’m planning my own funeral…One thing that I struggle with is that I loved my life. I didn’t need this reminder to appreciate my life. That was never a lesson I needed to learn. So when I learned that the cancer had spread, it was a real slap in the face.”

Photo by Laurie Richards

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After keeping her cancer at bay for fourteen months, Stahl was shocked to learn that the cancer had spread to her lungs and it was stage four. “Anytime you hear ‘lung cancer,’ you immediately think ‘death sentence,’” Stahl said. “But what I keep in my mind is that my treatment is a marathon, not a sprint.” She and her family continued to dig in, undergoing surgery to remove part of her lung and more rounds of chemo while doubling down on their commitment to living fully. “Buy the shoes, eat the cake, take the trip—that’s how I lead my life,” she said. When she and Chip were presented with the opportunity to hike Peru’s Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu, Stahl refused to let her cancer hold her back. She spent hours at Steps Beach, going up and down the flight of stairs over and over to try and strengthen her lungs for the high altitude in Peru. Yet no matter how hard she trained, her lungs only felt weaker and weaker. She finally went in to see her primary care physician who thought she had pneumonia. Still Stahl remained undeterred, getting herself healthy enough to board her flight to Peru. Over the course of those ten days climbing upward of 15,000 feet, Stahl labored on the hike, her lungs in agony, but she never gave up and reached the fabled

"BUY THE SHOES, EAT THE CAKE, TAKE THE TRIP — THAT'S HOW I LEAD MY LIFE." — Karli Stahl

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heights of Machu Picchu. When they were at the top, Chip turned to their guide and said nonchalantly: “Did you know she has stage four cancer?” When Stahl returned home, she hoped that being back at sea level would make her lungs feel better, but the pain persisted. She finally went into the hospital to discover that she had done the entire hike in Peru with a collapsed lung. “The whole upper quadrant was collapsed,” she said. “It’s pretty crazy what you can do when you set your mind to it.” While her lungs have prevented her from running like she used to, Stahl continues to push her body however she can. This winter, she and Chip took their family to Stowe, Vermont, where she skied hard for four days. All the powder turns ended up landing her back in the emergency room where doctors once again found that her lung had collapsed and required surgery. In total, she’s been medevacked twice to Boston with a collapsed lung—just this past winter. Today, the right side of her lungs is permanently collapsed, but Stahl said that she now does breathing exercises to strengthen the left side to compensate. Some might question the way in which Stahl is leading her life by refusing to slow down, continuing to work and jumping on every opportunity to jet off on an adventure. But she insists, “I’m not going to let cancer get the best of me and prevent me from what I want to do.” If anything, cancer has brought a deeper level of clarity for her, which is reflected in everything from what interior design projects she pursues to how she prioritizes her time with her friends and family. That clarity is matched with gratitude. “I see so many people who have to go through cancer alone,” she

Photo by Laurie Richards

said. “I’ve been so lucky to have so much support. Nantucket is one of those rare communities where if you need anything, they’re there in a second. From my infusion team who has become a second family to me, to all my friends, and to my family who has been amazing through this whole thing, strong and positive. I’m really lucky.” For those who have encountered cancer in their lives, a major question they often grapple with is why. What is the lesson that cancer is teaching them? How should their diagnosis be reflected in how they lead their lives? For Karli Stahl, who insists that she already cherished her life prior to cancer, perhaps it’s not a lesson for her to learn but rather one she is teaching others. Stahl’s six-year battle reveals the profound power of positivity. Though we might not be able to control life’s design, Karli Stahl is a testament to the tools we all possess to shape it to our will.

Listen to our Nantucket Sound podcast episode with Karli Stahl by scanning the Flowcode

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Budding Business WRITTEN BY JASON GRAZIADEI PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN SAGER

ACK Natural co-owners Mike Sullivan and Doug Leighton

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NANTUCKET’S SECOND CANNABIS DISPENSARY IS IN FULL BLOOM

n a high-tech, subterranean nursery hidden twenty-four feet beneath the ground of a small lot near the airport, hundreds of marijuana plants are growing under the glare of LED grow lights, aided by a complex water and nutrient delivery system. This month, the flowers from those plants will be the first crop harvested by Nantucket’s second licensed cannabis dispensary, ACK Natural. Partners Mike Sullivan, Doug Leighton and Zach Harvey are entering their fourth year of navigating the state’s licensing and regulatory gauntlet for cannabis dispensaries, but are now on the verge of seeing their vision become a reality. If all goes according to plan, they will open the doors of ACK Natural to the public in June. “There were a million ups and downs and setbacks; it’s an incredible process,” said Sullivan, sitting in the sleek retail space that customers will see first when they enter the dispensary at 17 Spearhead Drive, located among the industrial lots north of Nantucket Memorial Airport off Old South Road. Two years ago, Sullivan and his partners secured one of the two cannabis dispensary licenses the Nantucket Select Board was willing to grant for the island after fending off a competing bid from Mass Medi-Spa, a nonprofit backed by the cannabis conglomerate Acreage Holdings. “There’s a lot of big players in the industry—giant, multistate operators that are involved in a lot of places—and to go up against them, it was challenging to get to this point,” Sullivan added. “We’ve had a great working relationship with the town but it took time for this stuff to play out.”

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“The boogie man is out of the room. From when we started this four years ago, there’s a big jump in the amount of people who either use cannabis or admit they use cannabis." — Mike Sullivan

CK Natural will have twenty-five year-round employees in various roles within the dispensary, and Sullivan emphasized that he and his partners have made it a priority to hire local island residents for those jobs. The dispensary’s head cultivator Jamie Briard, for example, is a fifth-generation Nantucketer. “We wanted people who have roots here,” Sullivan said. “We’re really proud to be bringing local jobs to the island.” Nantucket’s first cannabis dispensary, The Green Lady, opened nearly two years ago on Amelia Drive. With ACK Natural poised to open its doors, does the island have enough demand for cannabis to support two dispensaries on a year-round basis? “We think we have crunched the numbers really well,” Sullivan said. “We used the numbers from the Nantucket Data Platform, the amount of people who come and go each year, and budget our projections monthly based on the number of people, as well as statistics the state gives us on the number of people who actually consume cannabis. So we believe we have a solid business, but we’ll find out when we open the doors. It’s nerve-wracking a little bit to have this much invested and not really know the end market, but I think ultimately people who know they can get medical-grade-quality cannabis that was grown and produced in an environment like this will give them a lot of confidence.” Sullivan added that in the nearly five years since Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana, much

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of the stigma around cannabis consumption has ebbed. Recreational marijuana is now legal in seventeen states. “The boogie man is out of the room,” he said. “From when we started this four years ago, there’s a big jump in the amount of people who either use cannabis or admit they use cannabis, because I think even admitting it is a little bit more publicly acceptable now. I think a lot less people are smoking and are consuming cannabis in other ways, whether it’s chocolates, lozenges, tinctures, creams; a lot of people are using it for medicine, and CBD has become widespread and THC on the medical side of things. People are finding relief with that and it’s helping with the acceptance.” The 13,000-square-foot ACK Natural building is quite simply something to behold. The multimillion-dollar facility packs all of the dispensary’s operations into three floors, with

cotton-candy-like substance. The entire environment is controlled—everything from temperature and humidity to the nutrients and water delivered to each plant—to ensure quality and prevent contamination. The walls are made of PVC material rather than drywall to prevent any mold from forming. Sullivan said the grow team is even purchasing microbial bugs delivered to the island in cornmeal to protect the plants from rot “and other bad bugs.” ACK Natural will be producing sixteen different strains of indica, sativa and hybrid cannabis, which will be sold on a recreational and medical basis. Sullivan said once the growing operation gets into a rhythm, he expects the ACK Natural's high-tech hydroponic grow operation located twenty-four feet below ground.

the grow rooms below grade, retail operations on the first floor and the second floor designed for the laboratory and testing, along with hanging, curing, trimming and packaging. Security is tight throughout the building, with access cards to allow only the necessary staff into certain areas, and seventy-five cameras mounted strategically inside and out. “It’s more [secure] than a nuclear power plant,” Sullivan joked. All of the cannabis is grown hydroponically with no soil. The plants are based in rock wool—which is a combination of basalt and limestone that creates a

"It’s more [secure] than a nuclear power plant.” — Mike Sullivan

dispensary will be able to harvest as much as 150 pounds of flower per month. That volume will allow ACK Natural to offer a variety of products, including traditional flower and vape products to smoke, as well as a range of edibles and even a line of cannabis-infused cocktails offered in cans. Suffice it to say, ACK Natural will be well stocked come the high season.

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POWER PLAYER INTERVIEW BY JASON GRAZIADEI

Former energy titan Jim Hackett discusses renewable energy, the climate and his family’s quest to fight mental illness

antucket summer resident Jim Hackett has a long and storied career in the energy industry, including nearly a decade as CEO of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. Hackett Tower, a thirty-one-story high-rise building located at Anadarko’s headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas, was named in his honor. But in 2012, Hackett famously left the boardroom to return to school—specifically Harvard Divinity School—where he studied the difference between spiritual and intellectual values, and sought to learn more about injecting spiritual purpose into large institutions. As part of a relatively large group of Texans that come to the island during the summer season, Hackett and his wife Maureen have made Nantucket a special retreat for their family since the 1970s and have donated generously to organizations like Nantucket Cottage Hospital and the Boys & Girls Club. Hackett spoke with N Magazine and shared his insights on the future of energy, his reservations about political legislation like the Green New Deal and his family’s difficult journey that led to their philanthropic initiatives and focus on mental health.

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capability that is affordable and scalable, and then all power sources can be utilized more effectively.

Looking ahead ten, twenty, thirty or even forty years, what will be the source of energy for most Americans?

We’re going to have a much more diversified source of power than we have had historically. If you look out thirty years, you will still likely see a very significant portion of hydrocarbons but with a much greater portion of not only what we call renewable energy (wind and solar today) but also biofuels and perhaps hydrogen. Energy is so important to the world, and we continue to look for new answers, to make it more efficient, more plentiful, more affordable, and we need to continue to do that, but I don’t think it’s going to happen overnight.

From an environmental perspective, is the energy industry doing enough with regard to climate change

thrive and flourish until valid scientific answers are found. I’m skeptical of the solutions being provided to us unless they start with electricity storage (to make renewables more affordable and scalable) and nuclear energy as the primary focus.

and confronting it in a way that addresses the challenges it poses?

Do campaigns like the Green

I think the industry is doing a lot. You can understand where my bias may be, but I’m a scientist to start with. I’m not a politician. I’m not a believer in religious causes outside of God-derived

New Deal fall into the category you just mentioned?

To call it “aspirational” is an understatement. We need practical, science-based answers to reducing

"IS CARBON DIOXIDE BAD? NO, IT’S A LIFE-GIVING FORCE. IS IT BAD IN EXCESS QUANTITIES? MANY BELIEVE SO. AND IF IT IS, WHAT IS THE REMEDY FOR THAT?" — Jim Hackett

What forms of energy are you most optimistic about?

My fond hope is that we have a resurgence in nuclear because it still is a zero carbon source, zero methane too. And it’s scalable and affordable if it can be developed in a different way than historically. Chernobyl made it untenable in the United States to build a lot of new nuclear plants. And the litigation and regulation make it very hard to afford to build new large scale ones. So we’ve got to come up with a new way to deliver nuclear power – which is being done with safer modular units. And

faith traditions. We have made environmentalism into a cause. As humans, we can react with alarm and passion as opposed to dispassionate science. So what is the dispassionate science?

Is carbon dioxide bad? No, it’s a lifegiving force. Is it bad in excess quantities? Many believe so. And if it is, what is the remedy for that? We have to be very careful. Battery technology for electricity storage should be the

"ENERGY IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE WORLD, AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR NEW ANSWERS, TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT, MORE PLENTIFUL, MORE AFFORDABLE, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, BUT I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT." — Jim Hackett

then we really need to go to the oceans because that’s a renewable source that can be much less interruptible than perhaps wind and solar. Of course, the holy grail is finding battery storage

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priority. I want to see us leave hydrocarbons completely in an intelligent and thoughtful manner without prematurely abandoning the affordable and scalable resources that can help us

methane and carbon intensity not dream-schemes; otherwise, we hurt people who can’t afford a higher cost of energy. In addition to reducing the carbon and methane intensity of hydrocarbons and finding new sources of affordable and scalable energy, we should also be addressing the biggest issue for humanity – clean water. But we need to make certain that we do all of this with good science and policies that focus on the poor, not the privileged, like me, who can afford clean water and any form of energy a politician decides is right for me. How do we approach it globally?

We will spend trillions of dollars in Western Europe and the United States – on both good and bad ideas —and we’ll make progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But if we don’t get China and India on board, we’re not going to make much impact. The United States has been the biggest reducer of carbon dioxide in the last fifteen years of any country on Earth.

And, until recently, we weren’t part of the Paris Accords, which tells you what the Paris Accords are worth.

What did you learn from that experience?

The thing that dawned on us right away was that we have this really strong nuclear family, all of these medical connections in our home town, and adequate financial resources and it still took us two years to get our daughter’s life back. What about these poor kids in the inner city who don’t have nuclear families and don’t have sufficient resources for therapy and psychiatric treatment? That’s when we started to put our efforts into helping them and others who suffer from mental health issues.

The Hackett Tower

One major focus of the Hackett Family Foundation is philanthropy in support of mental health initiatives. Why was your family drawn to this area of health care that has traditionally been so underfunded and underutilized?

We had a very seminal event occur when one of our daughters was sexually assaulted in a high school in the Hartford area. We didn’t know about it. For two months, we were in the complete dark. She went back to school after winter break, and two weeks later, she received a note from this guy in her mailbox saying, “I heard you might be tempted to talk about what happened. If you do, I’m going to kill you.” Molly went into a catatonic freeze and fell to the floor and it ruined her life for the next two years. She was in and out of therapy and emergency rooms for a year. She finally came out of her dark place. After testifying for two days against her attacker, I said to my daughter, “Where do you want to go?” She said, “I want to go to Nantucket.”

Jim and Maureen Hackett What have those efforts entailed?

A group of Houston business executives voluntarily adopted mental health parity in our companies. Along with the Mental Health Association in Houston, I testified in front of Congress to get mental health parity legislation established federally. Before this, there wasn’t equal treatment for mental and physical health in company health and insurance plans — but both attack our physiology. Mental health challenges can be treated with medicine and therapy, just like we do with physical health. Mental illness is not a character flaw. What has this process looked like?

Maureen and I first focused on getting rid of the stigma surrounding mental health. Then we worked on health parity. Now we are focused on creating better state mental health policies, which is why we founded the Hackett Center for Mental Health. Related to stigma, awareness and treatment, we helped develop a mental health [television] channel as a resource to people, which won an Emmy Award. We’ve had this evolution in mental health providers, and sufferers have seen tremendous progress over the last twenty years. Our daughter is the driver of that. God bless her. This interview has been edited and condensed due to space limitation

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“The Club Literally Changed My Life”

The Boys & Girls Club is more than a place to hang out but rather a place to gain a sense of confidence and self-worth. For many kids living on Nantucket, life is not the carefree refuge we all experience and the Boys & Girls Club serves a far deeper purpose.

provides an essential outlet for their children to learn and play in a safe and constructive environment. It also teaches children how to get along with people of all backgrounds and helps build the kind of community that Nantucket strives to be.

For parents who face the challenges of working multiple jobs, the Boys & Girls Club

Supporting the Boys & Girls Club supports Nantucket as a whole and we ask for your help.

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ROLE INTERVIEW BY ROBERT COCUZZO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE

Alicia Carney takes the executive director’s chair at the Dreamland

ew institutions perfected the pandemic pivot last summer better than the Dreamland. With its theaters shuttered by COVID-19, the Dreamland team erected a drive-in theater off of Old South Road that became a dose of nostalgia for those seeking reprieve from quarantine. The drive-in was the brainchild of then executive director Joe Hale who left his post at the end of last year to take a position as president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Rising to the director’s chair is Alicia Carney, the nonprofit’s longtime director of programming. A graduate of Yale, Carney brings a unique background to this cultural institution. N Magazine sat down with Carney to get a preview of what’s to come for the Dreamland this summer.

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"The perspective that I bring to this role is a deep understanding of the impact that entertainment can have to shape the narrative of our culture and encourage future generations of thoughtful and engaged global citizens." — Alicia Carney

The Dreamland really exemplified the pandemic pivot last summer with the Dreamland Drive-in. What innovative ideas do you have in-store this summer? The Dreamland Drive-in was really our lifeline in 2020. The support and cooperation we received from the community, town administration, service partners and our donors allowed the Dreamland to meet our mission and offer a family-friendly and safe entertainment outlet for Nantucketers to enjoy. Our mission of building community on Nantucket through shared experiences in film, the arts, culture and learning is what we are focused on right now. In addition to re-opening the drive-in, we are lining up a programming schedule this season that ranges

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from a photography exhibition featuring exclusively Nantucket photographers, a weekly concert film series, acting workshops with Dreamland Stage Company including theatre camps and productions, Dreamland Storytelling, Dreamland Conversations, Summer Decks, Luna Festival and a dance production—all of which are live and in-person. And the Nantucket Film Festival returns this June. Can you tell me a little bit about how that collaboration will look this year? We are so excited to welcome back the Nantucket Film Festival this year, in person, and will be hosting festival programming at our Dreamland Drive-in over the course of eight nights in June. What unique perspective or past experience are you bringing to this role that’s different than your predecessors? The Dreamland is very fortunate to have had many effective leaders. The perspective that I bring to this role is a

deep understanding of the impact that entertainment can have to shape the narrative of our culture and encourage future generations of thoughtful and engaged global citizens. We have many thriving programs at the Dreamland and my focus is to grow our initiatives and think big. My past experiences have been primarily focused in operations expertise, fiscal management, special event production and hospitality. You’ve been on Nantucket for quite some time now, but what’s something most people don’t know about you? Prior to moving to Nantucket, I was a professional snowboarding instructor and freestyle coach in Vermont on weekends and holidays, in addition to my full-time career in CT and NYC. Working with kids was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and it taught me the significance of balancing work with having fun. And prior to the Dreamland, you also held a leadership position at Yale University where you

specialized in events big and small. What do you think events will look like this summer? I think we are going to see many more in-person events take place this summer if local and MA state guidelines and restrictions are rolled back. I anticipate that there will be a lot of thoughtfully designed and engaging event concepts adapted to establish trust and keep event attendees safe this season. An important factor to consider is that the events industry is a vital economic driver of tourism, which supports our small businesses and is key to our economic health. The Dreamland has been really effective in living up to its mandate as a cultural arts center. What are some more peaks you plan to climb? We have worked hard to align and produce mission-driven initiatives over the last several years. Creating and nurturing an organizational culture of innovation and agility is a top priority of mine. My philosophy is that there are no bad ideas, and our team regularly participates in ideation discussions. The next peak I have set my sights on is how we can bring world-class programming from the Dreamland

stage to virtual audiences. Digital disruption is forcing the entertainment industry to adapt, and our team is ready and excited to rise to the challenge. There’s been talk in the past of expanding the Dreamland’s facilities. Is that something still in discussion? We are not currently discussing the expansion of the Dreamland’s facilities. We are focused on optimizing our existing operation and will revisit these discussions at a more appropriate time. What are some programs that you’re excited for this summer? I’m excited to welcome back the Nantucket Film Festival, Dreamland Conversations, Storytelling and our Summer Decks series (if all goes well with state guidelines). I am also really excited for our theatre programs. Dreamland Stage Company has lined up multiple theatrical productions including a Barnaby Bear collaboration and co-production of Godspell this summer. We have a lot to look forward to!

"The next peak I have set my sights on is how we can bring worldclass programming from the Dreamland stage to virtual audiences." — Alicia Carney

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A healthy community starts here. 7 days a week. 365 days a year. While 30 miles may not seem like too great a distance to travel for health care, when that 30 miles is Nantucket Sound, it creates a whole different set of challenges. NCH relies on donations to its NCH Fund and its annual Boston Pops on Nantucket fundraiser to provide critical operating support to deliver the health care services Nantucket depends on.

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The Dreamland Theatre marquee and entrance in 1944.

SHOW TIME IMAGES COURTESY OF NHA ARCHIVES

FLASHBACK TO NANTUCKET'S FILMMAKING PAST

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Actors on the set of the silent movie "The Sinners" being filmed near the 'Sconset Casino in 1920.

Dreamland Theatre, showing movie posters for the films "Vengeance" and "Sky Hawk," both released in 1930.

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On the set of "The Sinners," a silent movie filmed in 'Sconset in 1920.

The Dreamland Theater in 1944.

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not so f ast

ROSE OCCASION to the

PHOTO BY GEORGIE MORLEY

A quick chat with local flower, gift box and event designer Melanie Perkins You are known for your stunning flower arrangements. What's a common mistake people make when selecting a bouquet? Personally, I don’t think you can make a bad decision when selecting a bouquet or arrangement, but I do think it is important that when you are choosing a florist to design your event or wedding, to make sure their aesthetic matches the look or style you are going for. You want to work with a florist whose designs complement your chosen style. My last tip would be to trust your florist and embrace their creativity. Let them create a design that is unique and special to you. What's your fail-safe hostess gift to bring to a dinner party? My favorite gift is one that gives back. I love giving gifts that are made here on island to give back to the local businesses. My go-to is putting together a little gift box or basket containing local honey, handmade soaps, locally made candles, and other thoughtful items that are made on Nantucket. What's one thing most people don't know about you? I am also a registered nurse. The beauty of this island reawakened my creativity and inspired me to create my company Fleurish. When I am not designing blooms for my business, I work at the hospital as well as run another business providing mobile beauty and wellness services. People are surprised to hear that I am nurse and a floral designer, but I have always believed that just because you have a degree in one thing, does not mean you can only have one career. What's a secret tip about the island that only a local knows? There are wild grapes that grow on the island in the early fall. They make the most incredible grape jelly. My

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mother-in-law Rachael has sworn me to secrecy so I can’t share the exact location, but if you explore the island and walk some of our beautiful nature trails, you are bound to come by a patch of wild Nantucket grapes. If Nantucket had a currency, who do you think should be printed on the first note? Nantucket has a strong history of women activists, but I would have to say Anna Gardner. She was a Nantucket-born teacher, abolitionist, and suffragist. She really devoted her life to fighting for the rights and education of Blacks and women. How would you throw a memorable party on Nantucket for under $200? A clambake on the beach. It’s a summertime tradition for my family. I mean, is there anything better than food, family, friends, and the beach? What’s one thing you cannot live without? The ocean. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to be living on this little island thirty miles out to sea. After a good day, a bad day, a stressful day, really any day, going to the beach and seeing the ocean grounds me and helps me reflect on how blessed I am to be here. Describe a quintessential June day on the island in your book? Early summer is probably my favorite time on island. The quintessential day would start off with a long walk in Sanford Farm/ Ram’s Pasture. Picking up a to-go lunch at Something Natural and driving out to Great Point/Coatue. Of course, ending the day on the beach and watching the sunset (my personal favorite is Ladies Beach).

NANTUCKET LIKE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE

Part of the magic of Nantucket has always been the fascinating people that this faraway island attracts. From titans of industry to media moguls, A-list actors to local legends — there’s no shortage of folks whose life stories grip our imaginations. Join N Magazine as we amplify some of our most riveting interviews in a podcast that will give new meaning to Nantucket Sound.

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Don’t miss our Nantucket Sound interview videos, where we’ll be letting you behind-the-scenes of the juiciest parts of the conversations!

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